Hello, readers, we are so very
lucky to have here today one really lovely author, Elyzabeth M.Valey, with her
latest release, A Tempest of Passion. Let’s start by enjoying the beautiful
cover, which drags straight into a Fine Regency atmosphere, and then, move on
to learn something about Elyzabeth research on the period!
Emily Bunsbury is most definitely
not a fainter. She prefers to leave that sort of shenanigans to young debutants
and to those desperate to land a husband. She is neither.
Except last night she passed out and was rescued by none other than the town’s most eligible bachelor: William Dalton. Of course, she wants nothing to do with him, but her heart and body don’t seem to be in agreement…
Banished from his pack for a crime he did not commit, William Dalton does not have the desire or the time to court women, yet, when he meets Emily Bunsbury he is incapable of staying away. Certain that it is nothing more than a passing fancy and not the mating pull, he pursues her.
However, as the unknown threat that expelled him from his pack strikes again, William realizes that Emily means much more and he must keep her safe. Now, if only she’d agree to his terms…
As danger grows with each passing day, will the couple learn to trust each other or will their love be nothing more than a temporary tempest of passion?
Except last night she passed out and was rescued by none other than the town’s most eligible bachelor: William Dalton. Of course, she wants nothing to do with him, but her heart and body don’t seem to be in agreement…
Banished from his pack for a crime he did not commit, William Dalton does not have the desire or the time to court women, yet, when he meets Emily Bunsbury he is incapable of staying away. Certain that it is nothing more than a passing fancy and not the mating pull, he pursues her.
However, as the unknown threat that expelled him from his pack strikes again, William realizes that Emily means much more and he must keep her safe. Now, if only she’d agree to his terms…
As danger grows with each passing day, will the couple learn to trust each other or will their love be nothing more than a temporary tempest of passion?
-:-
Greetings everyone! I’m very happy to here today with
my latest release, A Tempest of Passion. This novel which took me two years to
complete was a piece of work. *grin* However, one of the things I thoroughly
enjoyed about it was researching the regency period. Below is a short list of
some of the things I discovered:
- Typical regency names. Did you know that the suffixes -ton and -bury were common during that period? Hence the name William Dalton and Emily Bunsbury.
- The art of writing love letters during the regency era. Rule number one: It must always come from the heart.
My dearest Emily,
The sun is
barely rising and I find myself at my desk attempting to put into words the
emotion that pierces my heart every time I think of you.
- Wedding procedures. Most wedding back in the time were private family affairs with few attendees. Oh, and wearing white was not a requirement for the bride.
- The exterior and interior of regency houses both in and out of London.
It was a modest brick house with a dirt path lined
with flowers that led to a columned entrance.
- Traveling. It’s not as easy as mapping out the route and being there in a few hours. One must take into consideration the means of travel, the people coming, the baggage, the roads, the stops…
- Fashion. The stays, the gloves, the riding outfits, the dancing outfits, the bonnets… ah, the beauty of the era.
- Slang. Oh yes. Did you think people back then didn’t have any? Zoosk! A mild oath muttered more than once by my heroine is a personal favorite.
- Visual Inspiration. You can have a look at my visual inspiration in A Tempest of Passion’s Pinterest Board.
And so much more that might not be openly visible in
the novel but that I hope you see in the little details and enjoy as much as I
enjoyed discovering it.
-:-
Excerpt:
“Perhaps you can enlighten me. You’re an
accomplished dancer as far as I can see and you seem to enjoy it, even if you
did tell me you didn’t particularly like it. Why don’t the other men ask you to
dance? Must I be on the lookout lest you do something outrageous?”
They reunited on the floor. Emily extended her
right foot forward allowing her weight to rest on it before closing her other
foot and hopping. She bit back a smile.
“I think most men in town surrendered in their
pursuit for me to dance,” she admitted after a moment. “I refused all of them
for what I spoke was the truth. I am not fond of dancing.”
“Yet, you’re not chewing on your lips or
pulling them in as you have a habit of doing when carrying out unpleasant
duties.” William chuckled. “Just like
that. Why always so serious, Ms. Bunsbury? Is my company such a heavy weight on
your shoulders that you cannot gift me with a smile?”
“Life is serious business, Mr. Dalton,” she
replied, going around him in a circle. “There is nothing more odious than being
forced to smile.”
“Of course, I know it well.” His friendly smile
vanished, his eyes losing their luster.
“I did not mean to upset you,” Emily hurried to
clarify, suddenly desperate to see the gay light present in his eyes again.
William’s lips curled upwards, though the
gesture did not reach his eyes.
“It was not your fault, Ms. Bunsbury. You
inadvertently awoke some sad memories. Life is serious business,” he conceded,
twirling her, “but that is precisely why we must enjoy the precious good
moments such as these, for we never know how long they will last.”
“Your opinion of good moments is definitely low
if you count this to be one.”
She was teasing him. By God, she was teasing
him and though it took him a moment to realize it, she was glad at the sound of
his rich laughter. Her lips twitched and she found herself smiling in response
to his boisterous mirth.
“Of course I do,” he said after a few seconds.
“I am dancing with a beautiful woman on a fine autumn day. It cannot get much
better than that?” He winked, reminding her of his ulterior masculine motives
and causing her cheerfulness to vanish. “Though you probably think
differently,” William added.
“Indeed.”
The melody having come to an end, Emily
curtsied and turned to walk away from William Dalton. She’d barely removed
herself from the center of the room, when he gripped her elbow. Emily bit back
a gasp. Every time he touched her something inside her awoke with a hunger that
could not be appeased. Tilting her head back so she could look him in the eyes,
she chose to ignore the way her heart leapt.
“That was only one dance, Ms. Bunsbury. You
promised me two.”
“Surely, you wouldn’t want to waste your good
moments dancing another tune with me, Mr. Dalton.” She made to leave but
his fingers on her arm tightened. Anger flared in his eyes and his good-natured
smile vanished.
“You think little of yourself, Ms. Bunsbury. I
am surprised.”
“You are in the wrong, Sir,” she said as
politely as she could muster. “I simply believe that another woman would enjoy
your attentions much more than myself.”
Pulling her arm from his grasp, she veered
around, desperate for some fresh air. Faster than she could muster, he stepped
in front of her, blocking her path. Curling her hands into fists, she fought
against the urge to shove him out of the way.
“Mr. Dalton—!”
“Ms. Bunsbury.”
Emily’s eyes flew to his face at the warning in
his tone, her wroth vanishing and scattering into the wind as their gazes
clashed.
“I don’t take kindly to broken promises,” he
whispered gruffly.
Her breath caught as he reached for her hand,
his fingertips sliding sensually over her gloved wrist. Her pulse raced, urging
her to move or succumb to the persistent throbbing between her legs.
“You may think yourself fast as a rabbit
or cunning like a fox, Ms. Bunsbury, but I am a hunter and catching prey is my
favorite sport.”
-:-
Author Bio:
Considered weird by
normal standards – what is normal anyway?- Elyzabeth M. VaLey enjoys making up
songs about mundane things, doodling stars and flowers on any blank sheet of
paper, talking to her Lab whenever he feigns interest and coming up with love
stories to make readers dream.
From
contemporary to historical or fantasy, she enjoys writing stories about good
and evil, love and passion and all that comes in between happy ever after.
Stalk Elyzabeth (nicely) at:
-:-
Find a tempest of passion:
