Update: Denise’s winner is…Viki! Congrats, Viki!!

Thanks so much to Cynthia Eden for inviting me to blog here.

As a writer I’m always thinking of new ideas. And I mean always. I have so many ideas for what to write next, my muse insists that I jot something down whether it be a blurb, a paragraph, a chapter, you name it. With DARK, DEADLY LOVE, my July 13 release at Samhain Publishing www.samhainpublishing.com, the story evolved over a very long time. Perhaps from the time I was a child.

With an avid interest in the Jack the Ripper murders, collecting stories, thinking about the man behind the gruesome crimes and his victims, I wanted to one day write my own account of these historical events.

As an anglophile, I’d always wanted to travel to England, and in 1996 I was fortunate enough to move there. My three year adventure, traveling through England with my husband and my muse, inspired me to write ‘Midnight Rose’ which was published in 2002. In 2006 the book went out of print. Fast forward to present day. I revised this story, got a new title, and am proud to announce the upcoming release of DARK, DEADLY LOVE at Samhain Publishing www.samhainpublishing.com.

I adore the new cover. It says sensuality, it says historical romance, it says London, it says scary. It captures everything I was trying to create.

DARK, DEADLY LOVE delves into the minds of the victims—the prostitutes that were killed. This book possesses elements of a dark, intense, gritty historical story. I wrote the story the way I love to read dark historicals, capturing a grisly time in England’s history.

When I submitted this story to Samhain, I was thrilled that I wasn’t asked to soften it up, thanks to my wonderful editor, Bethany Morgan! As with most of my work, there are high sensual elements, romance, but unlike a lot of my work, this book is more explicit with the danger and violence, and I didn’t pull any punches.

Enjoy the blurb and this small excerpt.  I hope this story thrills you the way it thrilled me to create it.

A woman with secret powers and wishes…A man haunted by nightmares and his desires…A slayer without remorse…

When American Alexandra Watson travels to London as Ross Havenwood’s ward, her empathic abilities tell her that shadows haunt Ross and the city that becomes her new home.  A killer stalks the streets, and Alexandra dreams of death. She is compelled to shelter a young servant who harbors a deadly secret. Ross challenges a relentless menace to learn the truth while fighting a desire for Alexandra that burns his soul. Someone is killing prostitutes in the East End, and as Alexandra and Ross draw closer to the identity of the murderer, they realize the executioner knows who they are.

* *

The back door opened without a squeak, and when Alexandra stepped into the dew-drenched garden, she realized a moment of paradise. Although the sky held a gray cast, the sun made a valiant effort. She heard sounds beyond, like that of horses’ hooves on cobblestone. With all the beauty before her, she could forget the noisy streets. A great walled enclose, built high on all sides, made the area feel isolated from the bustle of London. Brilliant flowers bloomed in profusion. An intoxicating blend of roses touched her senses, more colors than she’d seen anywhere, and more scents than she could remember.

Alexandra heard the noise before she understood what made the sound. Groans. Rhythmic and sure. Her brow wrinkled as she walked around some high, thick rosebushes and encountered the reason for the grunts.

Ross lay almost face down on the ground. He pushed up from the ground with effort, a count parting his lips as he shoved his body weight upward. Then lowered. Then up. His forearms bulged with muscle and his long hair dangled across his face. Hesitation held her immobile, and she waited until he breathed out his last count and sprung to his feet.

“Very impressive,” she said without thinking.

He swung about, his hair not obscuring either the surprise on his face, or the fact that his shirt wasn’t tucked in and laid open all the way to the waist. “Alexandra. What are you doing here?”

Her mouth opened as she took in the immediate shock of seeing his naked chest and stomach. Her gaze stayed riveted to hard musculature. “Osmond said you’d be here.”

Ross clenched his fists, and the movement caused muscles in his chest to move. “I told him I didn’t want to be disturbed.”

Disconcerted by the edge in his tone, she remained silent. He stalked toward her, his displeasure written in each taut line of his body. Once again her gaze snagged on his masculinity. A generous amount of dark hair sprinkled over his chest, tapering down to his stomach where it flared in a wide pattern. She’d never viewed a stomach like his, ridged and defined. Something sweet and hot burned low in her stomach, swirling and igniting.

Oh, my.

He stood so close she felt the heat off his body. For a moment, as he towered over her, she contemplated running. A man this large and strong could overtake any woman. She felt that authority running deep, connecting with her in a way she’d never experienced before. She didn’t know whether to be frightened or revel in the outrageous sensations winging through her body and mind. Then Alexandra understood why she felt this way about Ross, and the idea made her blush. No decent woman would be so improperly elated by the sight of Ross Havenwood’s naked chest. At least this would be what people would tell her. Since when had she listened to others when her instincts drew her toward something? Not often.

He crossed his arms. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“I’m sorry to disturb your constitutional, but I felt I had to speak with you.”

“I exercise every morning. During that time no one comes here.”

She tilted her chin up, trying to minimize his superior height and his disturbing closeness.

“I didn’t realize in England exercise was so sacred.”

Alexandra realized her tone sounded snappish, but his nearness was sending her senses into a riot. She felt hot and flushed.

His gaze warmed, loosing the sharp tension from moments ago. He shrugged his big shoulders and laughed. “One day here doesn’t give you clear understanding of London, about England or about society here. I shudder to think how innocent you are of what goes on in the world out there.”

Her lips twitched. “Really? I know nothing about it? What would you know of my innocence, or anything about me? I haven’t seen, nor spoke with you in almost ten years. I am a grown woman, in case you haven’t noticed.”

Ross’s nostrils flared slightly as he took a breath. His searching gave traveled from her head to her toes. “Oh, believe me, I’ve noticed.”

Shivery warmth seemed to touch each place his gaze traversed. She sensed wildness within him, a deep restless spirit, like an animal on the hunt. Ross stared until his unrelenting attention almost sent her running. Almost. Instead Alexandra couldn’t help giving him the same treatment. Her attention locked on the tangle of his curling, shiny hair. A long tendril lay across his neck. Another stirring pushed through her belly. Their gazes tangled.

She struggled for control. “What are you staring at, Ross?”

“You.”

**

CONTEST: At the end of the day I’ll pick one winner from the comments to receive a paperback from my backlist! Be sure to check back here often. 🙂

Stop by my website at www.deniseagnew.com for excerpts of all my books, including yet another new release, DARYK HUNTER, which comes out on July 14 at Ellora’s Cave www.ellorascave.com.  DARYK HUNTER is the first book in my DARYK WORLD TRILOGY.

Tweet It

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 3:00 am and is filed under Romance. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.