So, what is scandalous? It all depends on who’s defining the adjective, which can apply to people, acts, and so on. It can mean “causing general public outrage by a perceived offense against morality or law,” or a shocking, outrageous, monstrous, criminal, wicked, deplorable or intolerable state of affairs, “typically as a result of someone’s negligence or irresponsibility.”
In this awesome box set of eight sensual, historical romances, each protagonist creates a scandal, or malicious gossip or rumor that would tend to sully his or her name in the period the story is set.
Wilder’s Thief, by Josie Jax, casts the heroine as a bank robber, something certainly not socially acceptable in any time or place, particularly post-Civil War Missouri, where the infamous James gang terrorized towns with alarming regularity. She’s stealing money that belongs rightfully to her, admittedly—but her temporary avocation certainly creates a scandal!
Aphrodite’s Necklace, by Anh Leod, certainly would scandalize Victorian England! The goddess of love, exiled to staid, proper London as punishment, casts a spell on a young, innocent lady and the family butler, making them insatiable for each other… Scandal, indeed!
In Madamoiselle Makes a Match, by Kate Rothwell, a chambermaid is nudged into giving her virginity to a customer at the inn, only to find he’s a virgin, too. A courtesan called Madamoiselle makes the gentleman realize it’s not only sex but more that makes him want to make the improper liaison permanent.
Lynne Connolly’s novel, Seducing Laura, brings Laura’s old scandal back to life as she and her lover race to prevent a similar scandal from befalling her headstrong niece. Set in Regency England, the tale includes a delightful hint of intrigue as well as the message that love can conquer all.
The Brass Octopus, by Maeve Alpin, brings together a notorious rake and the plain, bookish librarian. With the intervention of her sister and the magical brass octopus, Piety becomes a swan who attracts the rake and awakens her libido despite her determination to remain unwed.
Ann Jacobs’ Beneath a Cornish Moon pits a cursed earl and his selected bride against the forces of evil that have caused mysterious deaths in his demesne. Giants and piskies, bastard brothers, and an evil mother complicate the road to happily ever after for Alain and Lea!
Timeless Voyage, by Cornelia Amiri, demonstrates in Iron Age Ireland that deathly enemies aren’t always what they seem when Anwen’s captive turns out to be the reincarnation of her Roman love.
Finally, in Wooing the Librarian, Jane Leopold Quinn takes readers to 19th century California, where an ex-gunfighter preacher and a would-be mail-order bride find each other despite her determination to avoid emotional entanglements.
Excerpts:
From Wilder’s Thief, by USA Today bestseller, Josie Jax
Well, she was robbing a bank. That certainly qualified her as barmy. But dang it all to hell, she couldn’t afford to slip into the coddling arms of her wild imagination, not in the middle of a cussed hold-up of all things.
From Aphrodite’s Necklace, by Anh Leod:
Holding the necklace and feeling quite steamy in her private area, she stepped into the hallway. She pressed her thighs together and when she separated them, they were sticky with some kind of hot fluid that had moistened her inside. She swallowed her shock as her nipples thrust against her corset. What was happening to her?
From Madamoiselle Makes a Match, by Kate Rothwell
Summoning all of her bravery, she darted in and landed a quick kiss on his chin but then backed away at once. “There. I was the first to touch. You want to touch me now?”
From Seducing Laura, by Lynne Connolly
That reminder of her one disastrous youthful indiscretion nettled Laura. It was something she preferred to forget. She sipped her tea and allowed her quick temper to subside within her. “That was an entirely different case, and our parents dealt with it smartly. Besides, I wasn’t an heiress. Belinda is. You know we have to be constantly on our guard against fortune hunters.”
From The Brass Octopus, by Maeve Alpin
“You seem uncharacteristically bothered. You do love to judge others, but you are usually quite calm about it–especially here among all your friends…the books.” Polly’s eyes gleamed as she flashed a wry smile. “What did he do?”
“He read a passage of Early Experiences out loud.”
From Beneath a Cornish Moon, by Ann Jacobs
The night seemed as fitting as any might be to stand vigil o’er her sire’s earthly remains. While her silent future husband stood the first watch at the foot of the bier, Lea sat beside the window, her head bowed as she fingered her rosary beads.
Silently Lea grappled with stark reality. She glanced toward Alain. His expression told her naught. He appeared as dark as the night, as mysterious as the Eucharist. No less overwhelming now than when he had worn full armor, he made her tremble, yet lent her strength by his presence.
A strength Lea appreciated more as hours went by and she endured the rituals of saying farewell.
From Timeless Voyage, by Cornelia Amiri
Her captive’s extraordinary eyes, fathomless as the sea, drew her to him. How could a Roman be so handsome?
Thoughts swam in her head. I do not know him. Even if I did, he’s a Roman. I have to hate him.
Laig the Dark headed scowled. “We leave no survivors, save for the Roman slaves we set free.”
From Wooing the Librarian, by Jane Leopold Quinn
In his life before becoming a preacher, in his bounty hunting days, he wouldn’t have bothered with a proper looking woman. He’d needed the easy, no commitment, no responsibility, no-morning-after type of woman back then. It was all different for him now. Now he wanted the morning-after woman, the family, the promise of forever.
About Scandalously Yours authors:
In August 2014, a well-known publisher of erotic romances announced a downturn: slowed sales, layoffs of editors and cover artists, and most important, later and later royalty payments. Authors began requesting reversion of rights, and subsequently a group formed, consisting mostly of former authors of this publisher. Box sets had become the project of the time, and so Under the Sun Publishing was formed as a division of Inkwell Royalty Solutions, to revise former titles from this publisher and bring those that fit the UTS guidelines out in box sets. We have since expanded our offerings to include books originally published elsewhere and never-before-published novels and novellas.
The guidelines: all books would be romances between one man and one woman, sensual to frankly erotic but without the coarse language many readers find objectionable. The first of these sets was released in September 2015, followed by two more in October and November. Book four, the first historical set, was delayed while we evaluated effectiveness of promotion, and Scandalously Yours will enjoy a twenty-stop blog tour before and immediately after its release on March 8, at multiple booksellers rather than as Kindle exclusives.
Under the Sun hopes readers will enjoy the stories it has compiled for them and pass the word along that its box sets are not only great reading but also great bargains!
Buy links:
Amazon.com— http://amzn.to/1QG7y2d
Amazon UK– http://amzn.to/1POPAdZ
All Romance Ebooks– http://bit.ly/1Vk1rED
Kobo– https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/scandalously-yours-2-166.html
Smashwords– https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/612550?ref=cw1985
Books will also be available at barnesandnoble.com and iTunes (Apple), but buy links are not yet available for them.
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GIVEAWAY!
Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/scandalously-yours/
“Are you all right?” he asked, his blue-green eyes soft with concern. “I’m so sorry, you must think me incredibly rude. I honestly thought you were right behind me—you being a young thing and all that. It was only when you didn’t reply to me or answer any of my questions that I realized I’d inadvertently left you behind.”
Available at $.99, now through Valentine’s Day!