Widowed and destitute, she finally agrees to exchange her body for Lord Tremayne's protection, but she couldn't have fathomed all that he would make her feel...or long for. While he shares her bed nightly, he remains aloof and she fears she's losing her heart to someone she doesn't know at all...
Lord Tremayne is enchanted by the delicate, refined "Thea." He's also determined to keep his weakness a secret, but when Thea confronts him and Tremayne is faced with losing her, is he strong enough to confide the truth?
Impure Longings
5 Angels! "Impure Longings takes the reader on a stunning quest...in this enchanting tale that is splendid in every way." Fallen Angel Reviews
87 from Mrs Giggles! "...my goodness, the way the author builds up the sexual tension between the characters...Dorothea is a fine heroine...She and Daniel make a most adorable couple."
4.5 Blue Ribbons "Ms. Lyons pens a hot tale so steamy I was sure my computer was going to short circuit. Written in a form true to the era it represents, it was still descriptive enough that I wanted to reach for a fan at one point. Her character of Daniel Tremayne was so endearing that I wanted to reach into the pages and grab him for myself." Romance Junkies
4.5 Hearts "I liked this book immensely. Wonderfully written...a quick-paced read with lots of sensual encounters." The Romance Studio
Read an excerpt from Impure Longings
Visit Larissa Lyons' web site
About Larissa Lyons
Larissa Lyons loves to eat chocolate, avoid housework, and spin erotic fantasies for her husband to proofread. Too bad he isn't yet interested in acting them out. >^..^< Readers are invited to visit Larissa's website at www.LarissaLyons.com and read about her attempts to work homemade brownies into a healthy diet (along with information about her upcoming books!).
Backlist
IMPURE LONGINGS, August 2007 Ellora's Cave
ORCHIDS & ORGASMS, June 2007 Ellora's Cave
TALES OF THE PRIDE: AWAKENING, June 2006 Amber Quill Press
An Interview with Larissa Lyons
By Holly Hewson Marketing Director for The Romance Studio
HH: Larissa, welcome back to TRS. Please tell us about your featured work, Impure Longings. LL: Hi Holly and thanks for having me this delightful October. Now that it's getting cooler, hopefully there's more time to read!
Impure Longings was the first erotic Regency novella I wrote. I finished it in the fall of 2005 and kind of sat on it like a mother hen protecting her precious eggs. Actually, going with the poultry analogy, I think part of me was a little too chicken to submit this story because I really became attached to these two characters and was afraid reviewers might not like the story and would blast it or me. Fortunately, I rethought this, reread the story, loved it all over again, and realized it was time to kick my little baby out of its nest and let it fly.
HH: Your heroine, left with no other option, becomes the mistress of an enigmatic man and the dance of seduction is on. How did you begin to craft this story? LL: Tonight, she officially joined the ranks of the impure.
That's the first line in the story. After struggling a bit with writing sensual stuff (I have a hard time letting my characters feel and be sexy…need to work on that myself, I guess!) I figured out the best way to write sexy was to have characters in sexual situations. Once I put myself in the time period and realized how easy a woman could be in this position, the story took off-to date, it's the only one that has...most of my books take a lot more labor to write. :-)
HH: What do you like best about your lead characters? LL: Their personal strength-though it's in very different areas. They both have something to hide that they'd rather the other not know about. For Thea, its external, something she's dealing with. For Daniel, it's something internal. The two of them almost magically complete the other, which is how it's supposed to be in writing, but something that just happened with these two (because I hadn't yet learned all about crafting goals, motivation, and conflicts when writing this story or begun analyzing my plots until the cows come home like I do now).
HH: What sort of research did you do to bring this story to life so wonderfully? LL: I have a host of Regency reference books and of course the internet helps a ton. (Oh, what a great unintended pun!!) Although it was probably the 800 or so Regency romances I've devoured over the years. I think when you're writing what you love-or reading it-the information you need just sort of seeps into your blood and becomes hardwired in your bones.
HH: What are you working on now? LL: I'm diligently attempting to complete two projects that have been in the works for some time. One is a ménage story I'm cowriting with Alyssa Brooks. Tied Between Two Lovers is about a woman and the two very different men she comes to love. Working with three fully developed characters is tough, especially when they each bring their own problems (and opinions!) to the story, but we're nearing the finish line on this-can you hear me cheering? The other project I'm close to wrapping up is another Regency, also started in 2005. This one originally began as a 12,000 word story but has evolved into a novel-length book, with deeper character issues, a couple of new characters I hadn't realized I was about to meet, and of course, more hot sex. :-)
HH: What goals have you set for yourself in your career at this point? LL: Right now, my primary focus is learning how to write smarter and complete my stories in a timely manner. My daily word count is a lot less than what I've heard other authors do, so I finish books much slower than most, but I've also realized I need to focus more on one main project and not start four or five new ones. Fortunately, I've been improving upon the not-starting-new-stuff goal I set for myself at the end of last year. Now I just need to get my old stories finished before the poor, neglected characters expire from boredom (or lack of a happy ending).
HH: In a highly competitive market, how do you create stories that are unique? LL: I think any author does this by staying true to themselves. At least, that's my plan. I've heard that every story has already been told, every plot has already been used. Even Harry Potter-an epic tale of good overcoming evil. But think about the characters…whether it's Harry Potter himself, Lucy Ricardo, or Indiana Jones, it's the individual characters, along with the author's voice that conveys their thoughts and world, that make a story come alive
Each of my stories and characters has a little bit of myself in them somewhere. They're often working to overcome physical or emotional handicaps, either from the past or present, and that's the internal spark or motivation that can only come from me. Plus I always try to throw in a little of my own brand of humor. >^..^<
HH: How do you keep things fresh for yourself as a writer? LL: Now this, I've struggled with. Because my body, along with current technology, rarely cooperate to let me write as long or as much as I'd like at any given time, I've really had to learn to be patient and pace myself. Which also means telling the muse to show up-or shut up-on command. Not always an easy task, I tell you. I find that I often write in bits and spurts, pouring my heart out and wearing my body out and then needing to rest. I've learned if things start becoming a chore, to give myself a week, or sometimes three, away from the computer and writing, even away from my characters. Inevitably, their invisible yet persistent hands start knocking on my brain and before long their thoughts are flooding me and I'm eager to get back to work.
HH: What do you enjoy reading? LL: Cereal boxes. Maps. Ingredient labels-No, wait. That one's a necessity, not for fun. (But I was serious about the first two.) For pure enjoyment, Sabrina Jeffries is my favorite author. I've also loved the entire Potter series, but I don't know if you can count listening to the unabridged performance on CD as "reading" or not.
Now that I spend my time spinning my own stories, I read about 5% of what I used to when it comes to fiction, although I do have a number of metaphysical and holistic healing books I study on a regular basis. One of my favorites is Judy Hall's Crystal Bible. Another is Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal.
HH: What can readers look forward to in the future from you? LL: In January 2008, the first of my Roaring Rogues will be released by Ellora's Cave. Ensnared by Innocence is the tale of a young woman that begs a powerful Lord of the ton to pose as her betrothed, never suspecting the curse he hides from the world. I love writing in the Regency period and have had several readers comment that this is their favorite era for me to write in. I agree and hope to finish my current stories, and then begin some new ones (but only one at a time!).
Later this month, the cowritten Candy Corn & Cocky Kisses will be available. Who wouldn't want to be kidnapped by a sexy pirate in disguise and swept away to his private boat? After completing this, the second story I collaborated with Alyssa Brooks on, we decided to do a series featuring modern day cowboys. Stay tuned.
And thanks to The Romance Studio for the opportunity to share about my current and ongoing projects. I hope everyone has a wonderful autumn and finds lots of books to please their palate. To learn more about my stories or get some gooey chocolate recipes, readers can visit my web site at www.larissalyons.com. >^..^< Larissa
HH: Thank you!
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