Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Phantasmagoria US release


The long awaited sequel to A GENTLEMAN'S WAGER.


I adore this cover. I suppose I got lucky with it. The colours and composition of the image actually seem to hint at what you'll find inside - a rather dark story, actually. Phantasmagoria was not an easy book to write, and for an erotic romance, perhaps it's not an easy book to read. Hopefully, it is a story that will leave a lasting impression.

Hey, we writers all have to aspire to something.

Hope you enjoy the teaser, and please do stop by the comments for a chance to win a book from my backlist.

For a chance to win signed copies of A Gentleman's Wager and Phantasmagoria, head over to the Good, the Bad, & the Unread and leave a comment on the recent interview I did with them. Don't forget to check out their reviewed Phantasmagoria while you're there.



Vaughan folded his arms. ‘Please. Do I give ecstasy so freely?’ His smile sweetened, instantly lightening the mood. ‘Perhaps I do. Perhaps that’s why you’re here.’ He artlessly stretched behind him and clasped a chair back. The movement thrust his chest into prominence, making her smile in turn. ‘Why have you come, Annabella, my nightingale?’

He touched her face, trailed a finger down to her throat. ‘What’s the draw, the promise of a gothic nightmare or the bitter-sweet terror of my lips?’ His kiss fluttered over her pulse point. Bella closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, rosemary laced with musk. How she’d missed him. How she longed to return his caress. One simple touch and her body was weeping for him, but too often he’d teased her like this and then pushed her away. ‘And why no Lucerne? Were you so sure of a welcome without him?’ He stepped back suddenly, his tone abruptly cold.

Bella’s eyes flickered open. ‘Am I not welcome—’ she began, and then she caught his smile. He was playing with her, always playing with her.

‘But of course. You are most welcome.’ He took her hand and traced a slow circle around the palm. Bella watched his long fingers, imagining their trace against a more intimate area of her anatomy. ‘Let me give you a proper welcome to Pennerley.’ He pulled her, not into his arms for the kiss she longed for, but towards the stairs and down onto all fours.

Bella squealed as her nose pressed to the ancient grain of the wood. It was knotted and splintered in places, worn smooth in the centre where she knelt. Her nose prickled at the smell of dust and linseed. Vaughan threw her skirts over her back. For a moment she felt nothing, then his hand, warm and firm pressed between her legs and found her wet and eager.

‘Why Annabella,’ he drawled, ‘I do believe you’ve missed me.’

‘Damn you,’ she cursed as the familiar dribble of oil slithered between her cheeks. Nothing had changed. He still didn’t care a jot for her feelings or the truth of Lucerne’s absence. He cared only for the instant gratification of his own desires.

She shifted indignantly against the intrusive press of his fingers, but couldn’t stop the anticipatory heat from flaring inside her womb. She’d been waiting for this, longing for him. She knew what was coming, hated it, needed it, this sin. She should have known what to expect.

His fingers stretched her. His cock pushed in, making her empty cunt clench tight. She meant to push back against him, knock him off balance, but instead her bottom rubbed eagerly against his loins. It was so good to feel him inside her again, such welcome relief for the nineteen days of torture she’d spent without him.

‘Easy,’ he whispered, when she twisted her head to look at him. ‘You’ll come too fast.’ Bella didn’t care. She’d been wound too tight and all the emotion and rage she’d felt was spilling out of her. This carnal invasion, this thrusting heat – it was exactly what she wanted. ‘Bella,’ he hissed between his teeth. A sound broke in her throat in response, a hopeless expression of her longing. He was right. She had missed him, and more than he would ever truly understand. She loved him, but she had no idea how to tell him that or whether he wanted to hear it.

Her head was spinning. Her knees ached. His scent surrounded her, musky and animal beneath the hint of cologne. And at the point of their connection, a pulse was raging, driving her movements, dictating everything in simple, so very simple, animalistic terms.

She came hard, with a long rolling shudder, while Vaughan held himself still within her rear. Once the pulses had faded, he began to move again.

‘Again,’ he demanded, forcing her hips down with his palm, while the fingers of his other hand teased her still sensitive bud.

‘No.’ Bella gasped. ‘Vaughan, I can’t.’ She pressed herself to the ancient wood while colour burned her cheeks, feeling both elated and shamed. ‘I’ve been stuck in a coach for days. You could at least offer me a drink before you demand four orgasms in a row.’

‘I’ve only demanded two, and a chance to finish off.’ Chuckling, he patted her bottom. ‘But very well. Foster!’ he bellowed.

Bella’s eyes snapped open. ‘Your servant!’ She scrambled forward, but Vaughan held her tight about her hips. ‘Easy now, what’s the problem? Your drink’s coming.’

Bella hid her head in embarrassment. She’d been here just five minutes and within another five every servant in the place would know their master had swived her in the arse. She heard the screech of a door hinge, and Foster appeared by Vaughan’s side.

‘Bring me the port. My guest’s thirsty.'

Madelynne Ellis

16 comments:

Anaïs Nohant said...

Hooray!!!

Buying a copy tomorrow. :)

Bev(QB) said...

Huge thanks for coming over to play in the pond, Madelynne!

I agree, the cover is so sensual. BTW, I don't suppose you know who the models are do you? He's not a dead ringer for Vaughan, but the picture conveys his sensuality beautifully.

And that skull/lady at her vanity pic is beyond perfect for this book on so many levels.

Oh, and let me sum up my review...
GO.BUY.PHANTASMAGORIA. (and A Gentleman's Wager if you haven't already... and why haven't you?)

Janine Ashbless said...

Anal before breakfast. I feel dizzy...

Vincent Copsey said...

I really enjoyed visiting the pond, Bev. It was great fun.

I love the skull/lady too. She's fantastic.

Thanks for stopping by, Anais.

Janine, repeat after me... EAT BREAKFAST FIRST.

Megan Kerr said...

I hope she passed the port to the left. The sin of sodomy is one thing; social sins are far graver...

Wonderful stuff & so glad the US can join in our fun now!

Madeline Moore said...

Or at least a cup of joe, Janine.

Scrip: Pour coffee, sip coffee and read LB blog, write comment. Repeat as needed.

Lovely stuff Madelynne. I'm not going to announce that I've decided to become a writer of historical erotic romance after reading your post, because I did that last time you posted an excerpt, which was a vainglorious Mad Moore moment I don't wish to repeat.

Alice Munro dedicated a novel 'To the careful reader.' There's nothing wrong with being a reader, even if one is also a writer. Careful readers might even get a book dedicated to them by one of greatest living fiction writers in the world.

Hmmm. I've also promised a plethora of authors that I am poised to purchase their books and so far have acquired nary a one. So I'd best not claim I'm going to buy "Phantasmagoria" RIGHT NOW, either.

Truthfully, I've read the excerpt twice and enjoyed it both times. I know you're a very popular writer and I think the book will sell well and hope it's a mega hit. This will happen with or without my best wishes, but here they are, anyway. 'Go, Madelynne baby, go!'

O - I think Bev is referring to the recent Romance Writer's Conference. Virgin books have always been available in North America. Of course, now that it is an imprint of Random House one hopes our books will be even more available but that remains to be seen. All I've noticed so far is a drop in pay. Hmmm...time for that second cuppa.

Nikki Magennis said...

Yeeha! Congrats, Madelynne. And I think 'swived' is my word of the day now.

Interesting interview over at GBandU - dark and maybe difficult erotica sounds great. It can't all be happyhappy how's your roger all the time, can it?

Best of luck with Phantasmagoria! xx

Portia Da Costa said...

I've read this book and it's amazing! All should buy! :)

Megan Kerr said...

Oh, I just meant join in the fun on this book, Madeline. The "special relationship" between the US and the UK seems to be oddly fraught when it comes to books, with mutually antagonistic copyright agreements & release dates. (What is that about? Cue Alison Tyler to step in and give the industry low-down. Go on, I'll find you a t-shirt, Alison...) I always feel sorry for the US readers when we first announce releases, and all the UK commenters start boasting about how they're going to buy it immediately - while the poor US ones are sitting there, credit cards at the ready, saying "Harumph!" (Although as they're American, it can't "Harumph" - "Aw gee shucks"?)

Is "swived" a real word, by the way? It sounds so convincingly historical - but for all I know, you could just be pulling the wool over our eyes...

Madeline Moore said...

On the topic of release dates, before I crossed the pond, back when I was a Canadian writer of erotica (and actually I'm lying here and in the Proofreading post when I claim to live in the same neighbourhood as Elizabeth George and Mitzi Szereto, and I'm doing so in an attempt to be funny) I tried very hard to get my country to notice me. My attempts have resulted in ZERO interest in me and, even more egregiously in my opinion, Felix.

Every time there is a piece about erotica in the TORONTO Star or our NATIONAL newspaper, The Globe and Mail, the same expat Americans are quoted. The Canadian papers seem to favour expat Americans living in the UK. Please, don't ask me why.

There is a point to all this, and it is regarding release dates.

Whilst checking on the release date of 'Amanda's Young Men' I discovered that it has the SAME release date in the UK and US (perhaps because we are now with Random House) but it has no release date on Amazon.ca, or Indigo.ca which is the big Canadian chain on line. In fact, it isn't (or wasn't) even offered for presale as yet.

I did contact our Canadian distributors by email (they invited Felix and I to lunch last year and talked about all the promotional ideas they had for our 'erotica by Canadian authors but nothing came of it) so it is likely up no on Indigo, at least. Dunno.

So, American readers and authors, it could be worse. You could live way up north where your home country continues a long tradition of only acknowledging its artists once they have made it big in the US, or, sometimes, in Europe.

This disgruntles me.

Madeline Moore said...

ps please forgive numerous typos in previous comment - I'm 'all done in' (as my Great Aunt Lil used to say)when it comes to proofing...
but it should read 'likely up now on Indigo,' not 'likely up no on Indigo'.

Unknown said...

Lovely excerpt1 I have this on my TBR pile but I don't read other fabulous erotic historical writers until my own books are off to my editor for fear of picking up too many good ideas-or feeling hopelessly inadequate, which is more usually the case :) so roll on aug 15th!

Vincent Copsey said...

Swived is most definitely a real word, and a favourite one at that.

Janine Ashbless said...

Yep - I've been swiving away recently too.

Lil said...

Your excerpt really makes quite an impact! I am deeply curious about A Gentleman's Wager and Phantasmagoria.

Liviania said...

I'm glad to know 'swived' is a real word, because I am absolutely determined to use it in conversation now.

. . . this is why my friends and I always have terribly interesting conversations that bother people if they enter at the wrong point.