Dear readers,

I’m happy to be back at Romance Junkies blog. Kim and all her colleagues here always make me feel very welcomed. This time I’m promoting my new book My Darcy Mutates…which is a collection of 14 Pride and Prejudice-inspired steamy short stories.

I’ve to warn you though, they are not for the faint-hearted as they are sexy, over-the-top what-if stories.

Here is an excerpt from the book. The basis of the story was “What-if old Mr. Darcy was still alive and George Wickham involved another woman and tried to discredit Fitzwilliam?”

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Wickham started stripping Fitzwilliam of his clothes. “I have a surprise for you,” he said to the inebriated gentleman.

“What’s…it?” Darcy hiccupped.

“A sensual woman.” Turning Darcy, he pointed to the bed.

“With gorgeous… bosom?” The dazed man chuckled.

“Possibly,” Wickham said, wondering why Darcy’s cravat had to be so complicated. “You’ll have to discover that for yourself.”

“I have not gotten…laid for some years now,” Darcy lamented. “Father keeps…me close and works me  hard…ever since you last…got me into mischief…”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Wickham demanded, finally getting the shirt off the half-drunk man.

“She is …willing?” Darcy staggered forward a step.

“Very.” Wickham unbuttoned Darcy’s breeches.

Darcy hesitated, swaying. “I do not sleep with… whores.”

“Her husband is dead,” Wickham lied as he stripped the drunken man naked.

“A lonely widow?”

“A most easily aroused one.”

“She wants…money from me?” Darcy asked stubbornly, not moving.

“Not at all. She only wants affection and warmth.” Blast the spoiled brat, why did he need to ask so many questions? Damn his standards of refusing to mix with fortune hunters and lowly whores.

“But…I do not…trust you.” Darcy argued. “Are you trying to…trick me? You are always up to…no good.”

Wickham swore under his breath. He had no time for Darcy’s censure. He shoved the drunkard onto the bed, walked out the door and closed it. Let her do her job!

“Ouch!”

“Ah!”

Mr. Darcy and the woman both exclaimed as their bodies crashed onto each other.
“I beg your pardon, Madam.” He stood up and bowed awkwardly.

The woman turned over on the bed, had a look at him, laughed and asked cheerily, “Is your apology for …bumping into me or appearing without a… stitch of clothing, in my bed chamber?”

Darcy liked her sound, musical and pleasant. He smiled and looked down at himself in the muted light. “Indeed, I am in all my glory. I do not…know why.”

She sat up, brushed the wayward curls away from her eyes, and took in the sight of his strong frame with apparent curiosity. “You look like a … statue of the Greek god, Apollo,” she said, and hiccupped.

“Your bosom…rivals that of Venus.” He licked his lips and felt a sudden surge of heat rise in his body. Intending to let in some air, he walked to pull the curtains wider apart.

She cast a look at herself. Lit by the bright afternoon sun from outside, she saw that she wore no clothes, either. She remembered feeling oppressively hot, shortly after she went to the bed, scarcely able to breathe. Stifling, she had taken her dress off and then, finding little relief, had shed the rest of her garments before surrendering again to sleep. Now, abruptly awakened, she was covered by nothing but the bed sheet which was now pooled at her waist.

“Thank you, Sir, for the compliment.” She smiled, feeling giddily light-headed beneath the gaze of this handsome young man.  She reclined down on the bed again and raised both hands to rub her temples. “But I am not the goddess of love, but simple Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn.”

***

Well, what do you think of Wickham’s latest plot of wickedness? Please comment below. I’m delighted to give away a copy of the ebook and a lovely keyring with Aboriginal design to one lucky reader. Please mention this post in Twitter/Facebook. The contest will close on 10 September 2010. - Enid Wilson, www.steamydarcy.com

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I have always been fascinated with the idea of women succumbing to the thrall of an intrinsically evil creature such as a vampire. It seems no matter her upbringing, ideals, inhibitions and/or sexual hang-ups the vampire can bend anyone to his will. Well, maybe not Buffy. Of course, it’s a no-brainer to blame the vampire. I mean, he is doing that hypno-erotic-enthrallment-thingy that always gets the gal no matter how much of a tight-a$$ she appears to be. Nevertheless, after much thought, coffee, and bags of Hershey Kisses, I refuse to buy into that lame excuse anymore. Extensive research (by a couple friends and me) confirms not everyone is subject to hypnosis (especially Jackie, who is still watching Days of Our Lives, despite repeated trips to Dr. Bobbie at the strip mall). Yet, that is what ol’ Drac is doing—slight of hand, eyeball, whatever. So, what is really at work here? Read on, and I will be glad to impart my theory, and then you decide for yourself.  All right, consider this–you are on a first date, and super-hunky Rafe/Colin/Antony, takes you out to dinner, clubbing, maybe a movie, or perhaps all three. He does everything right and you find the evening enjoyable. Then it’s time for the good night kiss—he lays one on you, puts everything into it, and manages to caress your tonsils with his tongue. Unfortunately, the chemistry is more a sputter than a sizzle. However, Mr. Hunky thinks it’s all good and asks for a second date. You let the man down easy with the I-want-to-stay-friends-let’s-go-to-lunch-sometime rhetoric slam the door in his face and decide a bottle of wine, Mr. Personal Massager, and thou, is the only constant in a substandard dating-life.

Of course, Hunky-Joe can’t take the rejection and begins shadowing your every move. One night after weeks of stalking you, he appears outside your bedroom window…at midnight…scratching his longish fingernails (ewww) on the glass demanding entrance. He insists he is your eternal lover completely convinced you return his affections, and if that doesn’t wilt your curls, he soon expresses a burning desire to sex you up, while draining your carotid artery.   Now, be honest, how would you react? You’d wear down the heels on your favorite stilettos doing a Carl Lewis all the way to the cop shop demanding twenty-four hour protection, a restraining order against the nut-job, and only after you purchased a nine millimeter Beretta with a back-up clip, and a German Shepard named Kills-Many, who responds to the attack command in several languages to include Lakota. Given the above, why would this same scenario prove irresistible with a vampire-type as the culprit? Here is my theory, and really, I can only speak for myself. If a sinfully sexy, cultured, wealthy, ageless, master-of-seduction decided his only requirement was moi, naked, and willing then I would have to say let the games begin! (No, Eric, no enthrallment necessary, no need to break a sweat babes, I’ll go with you willingly. Want me to drive? Hey, you coming or what?) Additionally, a vampire has a lot more than those four fabulous factors working in his favor. Most important, he comes without the bothersome, and sometimes oinkish qualities of the human male. Let’s face it, Dracula/Eric/Bill isn’t going to drop his dirty underwear on the bedroom floor within inches of the clothes hamper, or adjust his package in public. I’ve yet to read a book, or watch a movie where a vampire empties his pockets leaving coins, crumpled bills, gum wrappers, gas receipts, movie stubs, and wads of lint strewn over every available surface in the house possibly after swigging a beer, and/or burping open a door.Regrettably, most folklore/myths cast vampires like Eric Northman into nefarious roles. Admittedly, blood-exchanges, M/s relationships, as well as sexual obsession might drive a person insane (though the jury is still out on that last one). Still, as I ponder what to prepare for supper, fold my second basket of laundry, pick up after my husband, daughter, and two dogs, I have to ask myself this; really, how bad could insanity be?www.MarieMarch.comI have traveled the world, lived on two continents, and in eleven cities. I have met my childhood hero. I have worn a uniform during wartime, and flown an airplane. Two crazy cattle dogs, both of which I rescued from puppy prison, own me. Currently, I am living in the Midwest, but will be moving to Europe in the fall of 2010. Transylvania here I come! You can buy Marie’s e-books at Whispers Publishing, Red Rose Publishing, eXcessica publishing 

Hello Romance Junkies! It’s such a pleasure to be back here again, and I look forward to speaking with all the wonderful readers that I met the last time I blogged here. And don’t forget to leave a comment, as my publisher will be giving away a free copy of my book to one lucky commenter!

During my month-long tour for my upcoming release, THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER, I have been blogging about the eighteenth century historical element of the novel and how I developed the fantasy world of THE ELVEN LORDS for my alternate England, and today I’m just as pleased to talk about Dominic and Cassandra’s love story.

It’s not often that a song inspires one of my books, much less a character, but in this case I did get a great deal of inspiration from the song MAGIC MAN from the group HEART. I kept picturing my hero using his magic like an instrument to seduce my heroine, and in the case of THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER, Dominic uses his yellow fire magic, which is warm and gentle, to do just that.

If you’ve never heard it before, here’s a video I found on YouTube so you can take a listen to this amazing song:

Dominic Raikes is the tortured hero…literally. He has inherited the magical gift of fire from his elven lord father, Mor’ded, and has endured trials by fire since he was a lad because his father is afraid of his developing powers. The elven lords are careful not to let anyone threaten their rule. Before Dominic learned better, his father used anyone he became fond of to test him as well, and so Dominic has forced himself to care for no one, so they cannot be used against him.Lady Cassandra Bridges is the ultimate innocent; raised in a convent to keep her pure for her arranged marriage to Dominic, having little contact with the outside world. What makes her complex is that she has also been trained by the Rebellion–who fight against the oppression of the elven lords–to assassinate Mor’ded. She considers herself a martyr, destined to die young and resigned to a loveless life in the meantime.

But these two are kindred spirits, and despite the overwhelming obstacles against them they cannot fight the strong physical attraction between them, much less the melting of their hearts for one another.

Lady Cassandra is not without her own magic. She inherited the gift of the magical dance and was taught several by the Rebellion, including the dances of death…and desire. In a world of beautiful people created by the addition of the elven blood into the gene pool, Lady Cassandra lacks the physical allure of the average aristocrat, and her gift is one of the ways that she captures her husband’s heart, and as the story progressed I realized that Dominic’s gift could be just as seductive. And so I would like to leave you with a partial excerpt of the scene that HEART’S MAGIC MAN inspired:

Dominic stroked the hair away from her cheek, his fingertips lingering on the softness of her skin. He could feel the muscles in her jaw as she gritted her teeth. He slid his hand beneath the covers, along the smooth curve of her waist, over the sweet mound of her bottom. She pulled away from him. How could he comfort her if she would not let him touch her?  

“So,” he growled. “You do blame me after all.”  

Her voice sounded as if it came from a great distance. “No… I… I just wish the elven had never come to our world. With their games and their dragons and their damned magic.” 

Dominic sat up, spreading his fingers, calling forth the yellow flame from the magic that sang in his veins. The mellow fire played along his fingertips, lit their curtained cocoon with a soft golden glow. She did not blame him. Precious girl.  

He flicked his fingers, sending the small yellow flames upward to dance along the carved wooden ceiling of the box bed. He called forth the magic again and again, flicking it upward, watching it create a spatter of light that resembled the stars in the night sky Ador had just showed him.  

“Magic is not so bad,” he murmured. “It’s up to the user whether it brings pleasure or pain. Your elven love dance brought me great pleasure.”  

She made a dismissive sound deep in her throat.   He felt a smile curl his lips, looked down at her then, his ceiling of fire casting her in a golden glow, making her brown hair look like silken honey, her skin like shimmering silk. She still lay stiffly with her back to him, the covers snug about her waist, revealing only the smooth curve of her back and one bare arm.  

“Will you not look and see the ceiling of stars I’ve made for you?” he asked.  

She stubbornly shook her head.  

Dominic called down one yellow flame, his eagerness making it dance and swirl. It touched her shoulder, made a circling motion, and her arm twitched at the gentle tickling heat. He called down another, sweeping the flame against the curve of her back. The next one he brought to her neck, made it curve beneath the fall of her hair and weave its way through the satiny strands of golden brown.  

He envied his fire, for he wanted nothing more than to trace his own fingers across the paths on which he sent them. But he could touch her in a thousand places at once with the myriad flames, and it brought him pleasure to imagine her own. So he sent the tiny flickers to her more quickly. Some to warm her back. More to weave within her hair. Yellow flames wove between her fingers, lightly moving her hands as they spun within her palms.  

She pretended to ignore them.  

Dominic traced her cheek with flame, eased more across her lips, and imagined his own mouth upon them when she sighed. He made the flames catch the covers and lift them up, draw them down her body until he could see the curve of her hip, the long length of her legs, the small soles of her feet. A small shiver went through her from the chill air, and he quickly sent more whorls of yellow to caress her legs, play with her toes, flick over her hips.  

He narrowed his eyes in concentration as she continued to ignore his magic, ruthlessly skimming her bottom with tendrils of flame, finally sending some to tickle the crease between her buttocks.  

Cassandra let out a startled yelp and flipped onto her back.  

Dominic continued to play with his fire as if he stroked the keys of some erotic instrument, his entire being caught up in bringing pleasure to his wife.   He hadn’t realized what intense satisfaction it would bring him. 

What song might inspire the perfect hero (or heroine) for you? Or have you heard any songs that reminded you of books you have read? I’d love to hear your answers, and one lucky commenter will receive a free copy of THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER! Be sure to leave your contact information, and check the comments section tomorrow to see if you won.

All My Magical Best,

Kathryne

THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY—IN STORES JULY 2010 

 Kathryne Kennedy’s historical fantasy romances have garnered awards and a growing readership. This exciting new series, set against the lavish backdrops of Georgian and Victorian England so beloved by romance readers, is deliciously dark and exciting. Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she’s been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save… 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryne Kennedy is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: www.KathryneKennedy.com.  

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“I think there were only two gentlemen there. The others are servants. One has a deep baritone voice, while the other sounds more boyish. Let me concentrate. They seem to be talking about a girl.” Jana used her bat hearing, which was five times better than a human’s, to listen to the conversation taking place in Novaland. Her expression grew more abstracted as she began, in a toneless voice, to repeat what she was hearing, for the benefit of her mother and sisters.

She is a very pretty girl.

You find every girl pretty.

I would not be as fastidious as you are. She had guts to come here and confront you. She didn’t flinch much, so spirited and full of fire. I don’t know why you had to deliberately scare her off.

I need someone with more than headstrong spirit. I need someone with wit and determination, who will not be easily scared off, if we are to be successful with the quest.

I don’t know if you are going about this the right way, buying yourself a stranger as a wife. You could at least choose someone you have known longer.

Who do you mean? Don’t say my cousin Anne, or Caroline, or any of the women in the enclave in Cosmos. No offence to you, but I don’t think your sister Caroline would survive the first hurdle of the quest. She sulks for days if she so much as gets her nails slightly dirty. As for Anne, you know she is so sickly. How could she bear what I intend to do with my wife? And as for the women in Cosmos, most of them are only interested in my teuros. I don’t need that kind of woman to complicate the quest. In fact, let’s not discuss this any further. The Lawcove party will be here soon, and Jana, the eldest one, has bat hearing that can hear things kilometers away. We don’t want to let anything important slip.

***

The above is an excerpt from Enid Wilson’s novel In Quest of Theta Magic. It was originally written as a Pride and Prejudice inspired futuristic romance.  It features many characters with special talents. Want to see what special talents the main hero and heroine Dean Williams and Elana Bailey possess? Check out this trailer.

In Quest of Theta Magic, first published last year, is newly released in Kindle format on 3 April 2010.

Dean Williams has no need for love, but he does needs a wife, fast, since only his quest for Theta magic can save his sister. But who could be courageous and tough enough to endure what he needs to demand from his new wife?

Elana Bailey is determined to brave the ugly beast in order to save her fragile sister. But she doesn’t expect the only reason for the match is to create a daughter to help Dean with his quest. What if she bears a son instead? Will they succeed in the quest?

REVIEWS: “Between the babies, sibling rivalry, an exotic wedding and dire predictions, the tension builds around the characters and eventually brings Dean and Elena together and pits them against the world. I loved the author’s sense of humor …” - Coffee Time Romance, 5 cups, Ultra Rare Extraordinary Read

“This book was so good I sped through it in one sitting. The futuristic story was unique and intriguing with great characters. I enjoyed the banter between Dean and Elana. It was witty and natural making the whole story seem genuine and it led to some pretty steamy love scenes.” – Reading with Monie, 5 Stars

Enid, who has guest blogged here a few times, is delighted to give out a gorgeous black T-shirt with the cover photo of Theta Magic to a lucky reader (You can choose the size). The giveaway is open to any one who has bought a paperback or kindle version of the novel.

Please leave Enid a comment about what special talents you want to see in fantasy stories and email her at enid.wilson28 (at) yahoo.com.au with your proof of purchase to enter the competition. Giveaway ends 30 April 2010.

Buy In Quest of Theta Magic in Kindle format

Check out Enid’s novels at SteamyDarcy