Victoria Vane's Blog, page 16
June 26, 2013
A CHANGE OF PACE....
Hi All!
For those who are not already aware, I am branching out into contemporary romance with a brand new contemporary cowboys series for Sourcebooks.
This does not mean I have abandoned my historical roots, as I do have more DeVere projects in the works (more about that VERY soon), but I am thrilled to be writing something totally different- a contemporary cowboy series set in the Montana and Wyoming ranching world. The main characters in the series are diverse in background (a lawyer, a marine, a bullrider, a football player, and a wildlife biologist) but are all connected to one another through their roots to the land and also share the common cowboy creed at their very core.
Gene Autry's Code of Honor
A cowboy never takes unfair advantage - even of an enemy.
A cowboy never betrays a trust. He never goes back on his word.
A cowboy always tells the truth.
A cowboy is kind and gentle to small children, old folks, and animals.
A cowboy is free from racial and religious intolerances.
A cowboy is always helpful when someone is in trouble.
A cowboy is always a good worker.
A cowboy respects womanhood, his parents and his nation's laws.
A cowboy is clean about his person in thought, word, and deed.
A cowboy is a Patriot.
Times may have changes, but the core cowboy values have not. I'll be posting mroe "cowboy wisdom" over the coming weeks and months.
And now a little something to put you in a cowboy mood!
(This fabulous video is courtesy of JEFF ROBINSON BUCKING BULLS of Mars Hill, N.C.)
http://www.robinsonbulls.com/jr-bulls...
May 25, 2013
FREE this weekend: A Farcical Twist on Harris’ List of Covent Garden Ladies
Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies ( published from 1757 to 1795)was a printed directory of London Prostitutes that sold about 8,000 copies annually. Each edition described in erotic prose, often in lewd detail, the physical attributes and sexual specialities of over one hundred prostitutes who worked in and around Covent Garden. Although the list is named after Jack Harris who was the head waiter at the popular Shakespear’s Head Tavern in Covent Garden, Irish poet Samuel Derrick is now credited as being the true genius behind the book. Many modern critics view Harris’s List as an early form of erotica.
FREE Download this weekend: THE TROUBLE WITH SIN by Victoria Vane
**The Trouble with Sin (Devilish Vignette #2) is a comic romp that follows on the heels of Devil in the Making. It is also a prequel to Jewel of the East ( book #5 in the Devil DeVere series)**
The Trouble with Sin … Is the devil within… Aspiring poet Simon “Sin” Singleton, has lived his life only for larks, laughter, and ladies of easy virtue, eluding defying, and flouting all manner of authority until his impetuous misdeeds finally catch up with him. Having lost his muse, his allowance, and even his friends by edict from a tyrannical father and puritanical mother, Simon is ready to drown himself in drink, until receiving an ingenious proposition that could change everything.
The wages of Sin is……twenty-five percent of the net!It seems a fantasy come true when Simon is offered an independent income by combining his two great passions– poetry and lewd women –by writing poetry about lewd women! Unfortunately, maintaining anonymity may be much harder than he thought…
Review by Patrice for Romantic Historical Fiction Lovers
Georgian Era, UK
Historical Fiction (adult language & themes)
Reviewer rating: 5.0
Series: The Devil DeVere (Devilish Vignettes #2)
INTRO
Have you ever started reading a new story or novel, and instantly, your mind produces theme music or a score to accompany the characters? “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak resounded through my imagination once Simon “Sin” Singleton took center stage in The Trouble with Sin. Womankind fuels his youthful rebellion and the lessons learned are tried and true. This vignette offers the realities of youth and coming-of-age in the Georgian era. How very different from our own times while striking a chord of truths to move a reader beyond the boundaries of history—or her-story.
Okay, so you don’t like Chris Isaak? You say he’s too whiny? Then the only replacement I could think of was Prince. Take your pick, the Purple One is prolific to the point of excess and besides, I think he could appreciate Simon’s poems.
SYNOPSIS OVERVIEW
What happens when Simon “Sin” Singleton’s misdeeds finally catch up with him? He finds a way to thumb his nose at his overbearing father and straight-laced mother by indulging in his favorite illicit pastime, and earning an income, when his allowance is cut off. Sin soon learns that without the protection of his friends, the price of false independence is high and the cost is not worth the fleeting defiance he expresses towards his parents. Without Ned’s temperance to guide him and DeVere’s cunning to instruct him on self-preservation, Sin’s choices force him to confront the winds of caprice and the possibility of his parents’ wrath if he is caught. Indeed, the “wages of Sin” weighs in.
Just a little warning in case you’ve not had the immense pleasure of exploring Ms. Vane’s stories. There’s amazing research and brilliant notes at the end to support the characterization, plot elements, and the historical twists and turns. The language is strong and the content is adult themed, bursting at the seams with the seedier elements of London, particularly Covent Garden, and the skin trade. So if you’re easily offended—wait a moment! If you’ve made it past the first meeting with DeVere & Co., why am I warning you? Except to tell you that in terms of sexual content, lust is verbally expressed but kept behind doors, and this works quite well with the flavor of the writing. By no means was I disappointed by the less visual aspects.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Through Ms. Vane’s insightful depictions, I’ve come to understand how well we can all connect with her Georgian nobles. If Ned embodies strength, character, and honesty, DeVere, beauty, lust and wisdom, then Sin recalls creativity, sensuality and innocence; the inner-child lured away by forbidden enticement to discover burns, bites and scrapes, yet always the sweetness of Mother is there to sweeten the sting. Upon reaching adulthood, Sin finds the world a deadlier foe, and Her weapons are avarice, violence and heartache; womanly companionship is fleeting and not constant as Mother, yet modest Love evades him as her gaudy sister, Infatuation lures him away. Sin chases the spangled hem of the ninth muse’s sheer gown around each blade-edged corner. To revisit, again and again, the fragrant alcove where first Erato, did lure him to her dewy bosom with lascivious words exhaled from ambrosia-perfumed breath.
I can’t wait to for him receive his HEA in distant years in the arms of seduction, fortitude and loyalty. After reading his story, you’ll agree. So now, dear readers, we all must share in the next league of Simon’s journey. Ms. Vane’s own personal muse has enticed and inspired her to writer yet another wondrous tale to stir our hearts and other sinful portions. It’s time for more wicked Georgian games.
April 27, 2013
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEVERE!
Today is the first anniversary of my Devil Devere series and the official “birthday” of our own LUDOVIC HENRI MONTFORT DEVERE.
Here’s an e-card I thought he might appreciate! http://tinyurl.com/bsqmtha
As I am unable to let this occasion pass unremarked, I have planned a HUGE month long birthday bash with a number of exciting giveaways to include the brand new audiobook of A WILD NIGHT’S BRIDE! Since wordpress does not support Javascript, please CLICK IMAGE BELOW FOR LINK TO THE RAFFLCOPTER GIVEAWAY!
CLICK TO ENTER AUDIOBOOK GIVEAWAY!
April 14, 2013
April 4, 2013
TWO REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS!!!!
I am incredibly excited to announce that I have signed a representation agreement with Jessica Alvarez with BookEnds LLC Literary Agency AND have just accepted a four book offer from SOURCEBOOKS (negotiated by Jessica) for my first contemporary romance series!
The TWIN BRIDGES SERIES is set in Southwestern Montana and features a number of great modern day cowboys and the women who love them. The first book is SMOOTH TALKIN’ COWBOY (title may be subject to change by publisher). It’s slated for a June 2014 release (simultaneous digital AND print!) with the rest of the series to follow at three month intervals.
Although the setting is contemporary, the whole cowboy culture is very near and dear to my heart. I’m a life-long equine enthusiast with a love of Westerns that goes back to my childhood when I frequently borrowed my Grandpa’s Louis L’Amour novels.
In these new stories, readers can expect the same attention to detail I have tried to deliver in all of my books with a well- developed plot, interesting, multi-dimensional characters, smart, snappy dialogue, and highly sensual love scenes. Here’s a link to a sneak peek if you have not already checked it out: http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/329430-smooth-talkin-cowboy
For those of you who might be concerned about my historical romances, I will be finishing JEWEL OF THE EAST for a JUNE release, but the rest of the stories will not have any firm release dates until I have a better feel for how long the Cowboy series is going to take.
March 21, 2013
USA TODAY GUEST BLOG!
HAPPY EVER AFTER
Joyce Lamb, USA TODAY12a.m. EDT March 22, 2013
Victoria Vane, not to be confused with Batman love interest Vicki Vale, loves a good villain. I bet Black Jack Randall of Outlander fame jumps to a lot of romance readers' minds when they think of nasty villains, so Victoria is not alone in her shiver of revulsion when thinking of him. Here, Victoria, whose Treacherous Temptations is out now, shares some of her favorite villains and a villainous …
Victoria: Like most romance addicts, I must have a swoon-worthy hero and a spunky heroine to enjoy a story, but I have found that my most memorable books usually include a third and much under-rated element — a wicked and well-fleshed-out villain. To my mind, the ideal villain is one who either masterminds a seemingly overwhelming obstacle, or better yet, devises a truly nail-biting peril from which the hero or heroine must be rescued.
All of my most favorite villains are so believably drawn that they make my skin crawl. The most horrific I have yet encountered in romantic fiction is Black Jack Randall from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Can anyone who has read Outlander ever forget the scene where Jamie's hand is nailed to the table? **shiver of revulsion** This is one of the most vivid and depraved scenes I have ever read. Black Jack MADE that book because I was in constant fear that Claire or Jamie might end up back in his evil clutches.
My second favorite villain is Major Lord William Wentworth from Pamela Clare's MacKinnon Rangers series. Wentworth makes my list because he is ruthless, ambitious and manipulative, but is also multifaceted and painted in various shades of gray. I greatly look forward to reading about his eventual redemption in a future book by Ms. Clare.
I also adore a well-drawn villainess. Who can forget Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the self-aggrandizing matriarch who connives to keep Elizabeth and Darcy apart in Pride and Prejudice, or nefarious schemer Isabella, Marquise de Merteuil from Les Liaisons Dangereuses (aka Dangerous Liaisons), who plots the destruction of others purely for revenge and entertainment?
A fabulous example of an unhinged lunatic is Diana St. John in Lucinda Brant's Salt Bride who has recently reprised her role in Salt Redux. Diana is a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants — even if it includes murder.
In my own Treacherous Temptations, several villainous archetypes are at play. Surrounding my innocent country-bred heroine, Mary Edwardes, is her guardian, Sir Richard, a ruthless tyrant who plans to wed her off for his own political gain to a man rumored to have unusual sexual proclivities. Sir Richard's mistress, Lady Blanchard, is a widow who uses her seductive wiles at every turn and has her own secret scheme to forge an alliance between her stepson Hadley and the unwary heiress.
Even the hero of the tale actually begins as a villain. Although he eventually redeems himself through his love of Mary, Lord Hadley Blanchard is a charming seducer whose dual desires are to acquire Mary's fortune and achieve revenge on Mary's guardian, the man who ruined him and destroyed his family name.
In closing, I would love to ask: Who are your all time favorite villains and villainesses? (To leave a comment, click on the gray comment balloon on the left side of your browser window.)
Note: For further reading on villains and villainesses, I highly recommend Fallen Heroes: Sixteen Master Villain Archetypes, in which author Tami Cowden has sketched out 16 identifiable male and female villain archetypes.
To find out more about Victoria and her books (and villains), you can visit her website, authorvictoriavane.com. You can also connect with her on her blog and Twitter (@authorvictoriav).
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
March 18, 2013
TRR BEST EROTIC HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOMINEE 2012!
When dealing with the devil, it’s easy to be burned… when passion ignites the flames.
Who can find a virtuous woman… Beautiful, respectable, and dutiful, Lady Diana Palmerston-Wriothesley, has long resigned herself to her twelve—year loveless and childless marriage to a feckless husband…until his gambling pushes them to the brink of financial ruin.
Sometimes the devil is in disguise…as a gentleman… Viscount Ludovic, “The Devil DeVere,” is a man accustomed to taking what he wants, according to his whim and heedless of the cost…until he encounters a woman who won’t be had at any price.
When dealing with the devil, it’s easy to be burned… When Diana discovers a secret that shatters the carefully built facade concealing her private pain, she seeks aid and comfort from the most unlikely place…the devil’s arms. But will a single night of heavenly passion damn them both forever?
THE ROMANCE REVIEWS Erotic Romance – Historical Romance NominessImproper Relations by Juliana Ross
Pleasing the Colonel by Renee Rose
Simply Carnal by Kate Pearce
The Devil You Know by Victoria Vane
Touch of A Rogue by Mia MarloweVoting link: http://www.theromancereviews.com/bookvote.php
The Devil You Know- Review by Bridget:
‘”I’ve come to count on Victoria Vane to deliver delightful, erotic romantic escapes. But this book signals a new turn in the Devil DeVere series, and it has now become an addiction for me.
Devotees of this series who have wondered and guessed at the history shared by the infamous Ludovic, “The Devil DeVere”, and Lady Diana Palmerston-Wriothesley, prepare to have those tantalizing questions answered—and a whole new set arise. Because once upon a time, four years before the two earlier books in this series, Diana was a very different woman than the one we have come to know. Married to the feckless and inconsiderate Lord Reggie, Diana spent ten years in a loveless marriage, arranged when she was too young to realize how poor the match really was. When Reggie decides to take his horse to a race in Epsom, Diana, her cousin Annalee and Annalee’s husband, Sir Edward, journey to the races, to stay with Edward’s best friend—Viscount DeVere.
From the moment they set eyes on each other, the spark between DeVere and Diana is palpable—as is the challenge that both present to each other. For Diana, DeVere is all that she never wants to become: hedonistic, selfish, and utterly decadent. For Ludovic, Diana’s inner strength, her passion and her complete refusal to give in to the desire between them is as bewildering as it is stimulating. But Diana is a woman of honor and rare mettle, and refuses to give in to the temptation DeVere presents.
But when Reggie’s vices bring Diana herself to the brink of ruin, she realizes she has no choice left but to learn to live for herself. Which means not only finding a way to pay off her husband’s debts, but to seek out the pleasure she has been so long denied—both problems that can be solved with the help of one man—Ludovic DeVere. But tragedy and intrigue surround this pair, and no decision will come without dangerous consequence to them both.
I’ll be honest; I had a hard time sympathizing with Diana in the first two books of this series. Having a chance to get to know her, and to see just how deep, emotional and strong a woman she really is completely changed how I felt about her. In fact, this book is worth reading for the character study alone. Diana is not and never was a stereotypical spinster, or a cold woman, and watching her find herself in this story made for a wonderfully memorable read.
Similarly, I felt like I learned more about DeVere than I had in the series to date. Rather than acting as the puppet-master of this story, DeVere had the chance to play the hero, and for all his legendary debauchery, he played it very well. Not one for self-sacrifice by any means, seeing the lengths he was willing to go for Diana’s sake were impressive to say the least. Knowing the wealth of desire and need and fulfillment that existed between them, their final encounter at DeVere’s country estate were touchingly poignant, making me realize the depth of both these characters and their capacity both to love and to hate.
It’s very difficult to discuss this book without giving away some of the startling twists and turns of the plot, or without alluding to the fiery passion that made it impossible to put down. Suffice it to say, this is a sensational, sultry read with a complicated plot that will tantalize and seduce any readers of the Devil DeVereseries. While it might be an entertaining read for newcomers, the rewards to starting this series from the very beginning are too many to mention—and the enticements of the next new release will surely have you coming back for more!” http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=7101
March 11, 2013
NIGHT OWL REVIEWS SPRING FLING SCAVENGER HUNT
** My Prize: Victoria Vane Complete E-book package**
The Devil Devere Series
A Wild Night’s Bride
The Virgin Huntress
The Devil You Know
The Devil’s Match
Devil in The Making
A Devil’s Touch
Find great authors and books in the Night Owl Reviews Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt! Read book blurbs and get entered to win awesome prize baskets! QUICK LINKS:
ENTRY FORM
RULES
FEATURED BOOK: TREACHEROUS TEMPTATIONS
A reluctant heiress resigned to her fate… Mary Elizabeth Edwardes has one of the largest fortune’s in England, but has no desire to leave her quiet country existence… and even less to acquire a husband she cannot choose for herself.
A dissolute nobleman bent on retribution… Trapped in a duplicitous existence since scandal destroyed his fortune and family name, Lord Hadley Blanchard has spent the better part of a decade posing as a disaffected exile while spying and seducing in the service of the English Crown.
A dangerous game of seduction, and intrigue… When summoned from abroad by a former lover, Lord Hadley perceives an opportunity for vengeance at last. By employing the full measure of his seductive charm, he woos the ward of the man who destroyed his life, little knowing that winning Mary’s fortune will mean risking his own treacherous heart.
EXCERPT:
“You must meet the girl soon.” Barbara gave a languid stretch, arching her back to display her breasts to best advantage. He had already capitulated to her demands once, but Barbara was never satisfied for long. She had come to his rooms before he could even unpack his bag and had nearly torn his clothes off in a lust-inspired frenzy.
“I believe I have.” Hadley ignored the blatant invitation for a second course, threw his legs over the side of the bed, and pulled his shirt back on over his head.
“How so? When?” she demanded.
“This morning, shortly after my arrival. In the music room. She was receiving most ineffectual dance instruction.”
“But Monsieur Gaspar is the best…at dancing anyway. Unfortunately, his lack of …inches… makes him quite inadequate in other capacities.” She rose and pressed her breasts to Hadley’s back, stretching her arms about his waist and licking the shell of his ear. Once, that might have driven him near insane, but now it was faintly annoying.
He gently but firmly disentangled himself and continued dressing. “Nevertheless, he had her so agitated the poor thing was positively tripping over herself.”
“But that is only her natural predisposition!” Barbara laughed. “Didn’t I tell you what a coarse creature she is? I despair that she’ll ever be ready to present. ‘Tis a good thing you are arrived. Mayhap we can now forgo the certain fiasco of taking her out into society.” “Perhaps her manners and deportment lack refinement, but there’s nothing coarse about the girl. To be frank, I though her artlessness rather refreshing.” He smiled inwardly at their moment of ludicrous laugher at the dancing master’s expense. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d chuckled so naturally and spontaneously.
“That’s absurd! You can’t be saying you are taken with her, Hadley?” Something in his expression made Barbara’s gaze narrow. “Well, I suppose it’s best if she doesn’t altogether repulse you. It will facilitate the task at hand.”
“And what task is that?” he asked. He had far more important matters on his mind—like how to secure a loan and garner sufficient support to petition the king. Perhaps he would do better to try the queen? Walpole had managed to run the country through her and Hadley could charm the petticoats off any woman. Why would a young and reasonably attractive queen prove any different?
“Darling, I never thought you obtuse. You must wed the chit before someone else claims her fortune.”
“Wed her?” the words jarred him out of his ruminations. “Is your mind disordered of a sudden, Barbara? I have no plans to wed anyone. Ever.”
She gave him a petulant look. “But how else do you suppose we are to get our hands on her money?”
“Is that the scheme you had in mind when you wrote me? To bilk an unwary young heiress of her fortune?”
“Brilliant, isn’t it?” She laughed. “I told you I had discovered a means of getting it all back—and so much more. She is exceedingly rich and once we have the money, it should be no trouble at all to secure the influence needed to restore your title.”
“How much?” he asked, veiling his interest. “What is the girl actually worth?”
She crawled onto his lap and laved her tongue up his neck. “That information will come at a price.” She was begging to be taken again and Hadley felt nothing…or rather nothing but an immense sense of relief that he was over her. He jerked his head away. “I’m not in the mood for any more games.”
“Pity,” she pouted. “Have you another lover now, Hadley? Or perhaps you have developed a penchant for Venice’s unnatural pleasures? Most well-travelled men do, you know. And I confess your valet was an exceptionally pretty creature.”
“How much?” he repeated icily, ignoring her insinuation.
She sighed. “I can’t begin to tell you how much work that took to discover. Sir Richard is tediously protective of her assets.”
“Sir Richard? What has he to do with this?” Hadley demanded.
“Yes, darling,” she rolled her eyes. “That same obnoxious boor. Did I not tell you the girl is his ward?”
“That girl is Sir Richard’s ward?” When the girl in the music room had introduced herself as Mary Elizabeth Edwardes he had not made the connection, but then again, wily Sir Richard had taken care not to reveal anything about the Edwardes heir.
“One and the same my love, and worth every bit of fifty thousand a year! That plump little pigeon is one of the richest women in England, and thanks to me, she is yours for the plucking.”
The blood roared in his ears. It was just too bloody good to be true. The very one who held his lands was residing under Barbara’s roof. The girl was not only the means to a large fortune but also of revenge. “That certainly does throw a different light on matters.” He took heed not to betray his growing excitement. “But you and I both know Sir Richard would see me hanged before granting consent for me to wed his ward.”
She smiled. “Who said anything about seeking his consent?”
“You intend for me to despoil her to force a marriage? My dear Barbara, such rude and crass methods don’t suit me at all. The entire thing lacks finesse.”
She scowled. “Then how else do you propose we get control of her fortune?”
“I would propose gaining the girl’s good faith and cooperation.”
“And then what? Do you think she will just hand it over to you?”
“Something very close to that.”
“You are overly confident.”
“Not at all,” he laughed. “I have never failed to achieve my object where a woman was concerned, nor has any ever complained of my methods.”
March 10, 2013
THE TROUBLE WITH SIN!
PREQUEL #2 in the DEVERE SERIES is now available on Amazon for $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BRSJELK
This is another light hearted story that puts a fictional spin on the origins of the infamous HARRIS' BOOK OF COVENT GARDEN LADIES.
I hope you all enjoy this riotous romp!
~Victoria~
March 7, 2013
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW AUDIOBOOK NOW AVAILABLE!
**Available now on Audible.com, Amazon.com and iTunes **
FREE with 30 Day Trial from Audible.com
Links to audio sample: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_4?asin=B00BPDUWWW&qid=1362682561&sr=1-4
