Merciless Teasing
Feb 8th 2009
Claudia DainOn Writing!
The third book in The Courtesan Chronicles, The Courtesan’s Wager, is out now and I want you to run to your nearest bookstore and buy it.
Yes, I am pulling no punches.
In order to lure you into running (or wogging, as the case may be) out and plunking down your credit card, I am going to tease you with a photo of my hero, an excerpt, and a horrifying tidbit about this book.
As to the horrifying part, it may not be horrifying to you, but it was to me. You see, the hero of this book was not supposed to be the hero of this book. I had a completely different guy in mind for Amelia, and Amelia was right with me on that. We are not women who are easily distracted, and we know what we want and are not too shy about going after it. And then this guy showed up and ruined all our plans. He became the hero. He was going to get Amelia and he just wouldn’t go away. So, he got her. Since he looks like this, you can see why.
His name? Oh, I’m not going to tell you that. You’ll have to read the book and be just as shocked as I was when he swooped in and claimed the girl.
Here’s an excerpt:
She was trapped within roses, could she not see that? She couldn’t get away now, not even if he allowed it. Even so, he could not resist. He never could. He never had.
He raised his arms out toward her, and with his fingertips, he pushed against her shoulders. She stumbled back slightly, more fully wedged in rose petals, the thorns grabbing at the muslin, holding her fast, holding her deep within their embrace.
Embrace, yes, that was the word.
He moved forward, lifted her chin with a fingertip, gazed once more into her luminous eyes, and for what had to be the last time, what must be the last time, kissed her on the mouth. She opened beneath his lips like, yes, like a flower. Warm and moist and ready. And the kiss deepened and lengthened far beyond what he had intended, though he had intended none of this, and he fought the urge to pull her against him, but he kissed her still.
Kissed her amidst the roses.
Kissed her in the dark quiet of the conservatory.
Kissed her, knowing he would never be the man she wanted.
And when the kiss ended, when he ended it, let it be remembered, he pulled away from her slowly, studying the passion-glazed look in her lustrous blue eyes, ran a hand over her hair, knocking the braid loose so that it fell in a line across her shoulder, and stepped away from her.
She was breathing heavily, as was he. Just like before, that long-ago kiss in that long-ago time, before she had entered Society and before he had learned that she planned to be a duchess and nothing less.
“Pass, Amy,” he said, his voice still hoarse. “Pass and be gone. You will never marry Iveston. I shan’t allow it.”
And then he turned and left her there, stranded amidst the roses and caught up in thorns, the sound of her harsh breathing echoing against the glass.
33 Comments »
33 Responses to “Merciless Teasing”
Solveig on 08 Feb 2009 at 3:08 am #
Ohhhhhhhh my book is still in the mail, Í can´t read it yet but I can´t wait either! Don´t doooo that! XÖþ :Ö)
Lisa H on 08 Feb 2009 at 6:58 am #
Claudia- You are an amazing writer! I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, and cannot wait to get my hands on the the next one. Of course, I look forward to Sophia as well.
JudyPatooty on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:25 am #
Oooh, Claudia …. that WAS merciless of you! That excerpt and that photo. Daniel Craig = Yummy.
PJ on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:46 am #
I’ve read the book, Claudia. I admit to being surprised by the man who captured Amelia’s heart but now I can’t imagine that she would have been happy with anybody else. Well done!
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:52 am #
Thanks, PJ. I’m glad it took you by surprise like it did me. Misery loves company! LOL He is the perfect man for her.
Sigh.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:53 am #
Judy, isn’t that a great photo of Daniel Craig? He looks like such a brawler.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:54 am #
LisaH, thank you so much! I hope you like this book even more!
Judy F on 08 Feb 2009 at 8:25 am #
great little teaser there. Yummy photo too.
Adrienne on 08 Feb 2009 at 8:39 am #
I’m sold
Something tells me I’ll be stopping by a bookstore today.
Cail on 08 Feb 2009 at 9:13 am #
ooo great teaser!!! Claudia, is it a trade pb or mass market?
Sabrina Jeffries on 08 Feb 2009 at 9:33 am #
You are such a tease! I bought my copy yesterday, but I’m not allowed to read it until I finish my Rita entries. And it’s killing me!!
That excerpt is YUMMY!
Karen Hawkins on 08 Feb 2009 at 9:57 am #
I WANT THIS MAN TO WANT ME, ME, ME!
Oh Claudia, what a DELICIOUS tease you are! I am so excited about this book and yes, yes, yes, I’m going to plunk down my cc today and get it! I must have it!!
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 10:52 am #
Cail, it’s in trade, which makes it very pretty.
dbrown3400 on 08 Feb 2009 at 11:40 am #
Yum, Yum. Both a teaser and Daniel Craig to go with my brunch. FROS is good! FROS are good? Oh well, it’s a good day.
Barbra Noel (Noelle) on 08 Feb 2009 at 12:45 pm #
How could anyone resist with a teaser like that!
That seems to be my favorite kind of hero the unlikely or the unwanted. I guess because my husband was that hero for me. I so didn’t like him or couldn’t see him for me but I guess he knew better our 18th anniversary is this spring.
elsiehogarth on 08 Feb 2009 at 1:32 pm #
Claudia, I loved this book and “he” (who shall not be named) was perfect for Amy. I could definitely see Daniel Craig as the hero. Very good choice.
Judy F on 08 Feb 2009 at 1:51 pm #
I forgot to mention I saw goddess Karen Rose yesterday… She had a line like crazy. It was fun seeing her again. Kay Stockham has some pictures on her blog about the Readers Appreciation Day at B&N In cincinnati, Ohio. It was so much fun.
http://www.kaystockham.com/blog/index.php
LoriHandeland on 08 Feb 2009 at 2:17 pm #
I picked up my copy this week, Claudia and now that I’ve seen the hero will have to get right to reading it. I LOVE Daniel Craig and I’m sure I’ll LOVE he who shall not be named just as much.
Suzanne Enoch on 08 Feb 2009 at 2:23 pm #
Thunk. (I just fainted.)
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 2:30 pm #
Elsie, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 2:31 pm #
Quick, somebody throw a glass of water in Suzanne’s face!
Margaret on 08 Feb 2009 at 2:42 pm #
Why should we awaken fair Suzanne? She’d only get in the way of my view.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 3:45 pm #
No, you can see over her, Margaret. Suzanne is very petite.
Beth C. on 08 Feb 2009 at 3:53 pm #
Now I can’t wait to read it. Although I’ve been bad and left the books from yesterday sitting on the floor in the bag. *sigh* They are hidden so I can’t start reading. Have to help the oldest with a report. What’s up with that. Everyone else is planning V-day parties in school and his teacher has his class doing a biography report.
But without any help from me…he picked someone I would find interesting. But it isn’t fair. Instead of letting him play outside in the sunshine with other kids…we have to force him to sit in front of the computer and do a report. (no he can’t do it tonight because he has bowling league – an activity he begged us to let him do so he will have some fun but means he has to do the work first)
Edie Ramer on 08 Feb 2009 at 3:56 pm #
That’s awesome writing. I’ll definitely buy this book.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 4:00 pm #
Thanks, Edie!
Margaret on 08 Feb 2009 at 4:08 pm #
BTW, about an hour ago, I got back home after doing time at the zoo known as Walmart. One of the treats I allow myself when I go there is a book. Today, I got 3.
One of them belongs some author or other. Umm. Initials MD I think. Mildred Henderson? No. Wait. I have it now! Madeline Hunter. I’m sure I”ll like it. It has a blue cover.
I also had to tidy up the stacks while I was there. I needed to put Karen Rose and Karen Hawkins books front and center. I do that when I go to Walmart.
Now it looks like I need to put an order in to Amazon.com and snag “The Courtesan’s Wager”. Sounds intriguing.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 4:21 pm #
Thanks, Margaret. I live for the day when my books are in Walmart.
Margaret on 08 Feb 2009 at 4:52 pm #
When I catch the Walmart person who orders books, I engage her in conversation and ask her to stock a goddess or two. I don’t tell her I “know” you all. Just request certain authors. She always says she will try. I recently found Karen Rose’s “Scream for Me” there. Today, I was tidying KH’s “Talk of the Town”.
I do my best to promote my goddesses.
Louisa Cornell on 08 Feb 2009 at 5:14 pm #
Now that our local indie bookstore is closed I harass the book servicer at our Wal-Mart MERCILESSLY! I even hand him lists of books to order. He gets a kick out of it and says he will do whatever he can to help. As I work there, I go through the book aisle a lot on my way to and from the bakery. I ALWAYS front the books of any Goddesses’s books I see and those of my favorite authors as well.
Courtesan’s Wager is somewhere between here and Amazon and it had better get her QUICKLY!! That teaser was TOO CRUEL, Claudia!!
I DID get Madeline’s latest, but my CP won’t let me read it until she gets her copy. We read books together (I live in the South, she in the Midwest) and she is as big a MH fan as I am.
Suzanne Enoch on 08 Feb 2009 at 5:22 pm #
Thank you, Claudia. *g* Hey, who is that attractive, brawny fell… Thunk.
Claudia Dain on 08 Feb 2009 at 7:08 pm #
We goddesses really appreciate all your efforts at Walmart, ladies! Really and truly. There’s nothing more powerful than word of mouth.
Angela on 09 Feb 2009 at 6:24 am #
Thanks for the excerpt and the yummy Daniel Craig.
Now I have to wipe the drool off of my keyboard.
What a way to start the work week for me.