Two classic novels by Barbara Pierce, now writing as Alexandra Hawkins - released as e-books for the first time!
The No Good, Irresistible Viscount Tipton
By Alexandra Hawkins
ISBN-13: 9781466820975
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: 11/1/2013
How can a man who is no good be oh, so right?
Fifteen years ago, a strange twist of fate made Rayne Wyman both the Viscount Tipton and a notorious outcast. Now a practicing surgeon, even Rayne’s own vow of revenge has not tempted him to reenter the polite world—and he is certain that nothing and no one ever will. Then he meets the young and remarkably lovely Devona Bedegrayne, who summons the temerity to knock on his door and demand his help.
Intrigued by her innocence, exasperated by her determination, Rayne never imagines the danger Devona faces—or the irresistible desire she will awaken—when he becomes her accomplice in a bit of very scandalous mischief. . .
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Here's an excerpt:
“Miss Bedegrayne, how do you know His
Lordship will be this way?” Pearl
whispered, close on Devona’s heels. She was determined not to be left behind.
“A simple deduction, really.” Devona
tried a door, and peered within. Empty. She moved on to the next door. “This
side of the house is lit up. Besides, the gargoyle went the other way.”
“Maybe the man went off to get his
lord?” Pearl
asked, growing more nervous with each step.
“Highly doubtful. He was about to
throw a woman in pain out on the streets. We’ll be lucky if he actually went
off to get a chamber pot. Ah-ha!” Devona froze when she noticed the shadow and
light under this next door flicker. Anticipation bubbled in her blood. After all,
it was not every day a lady introduced herself to a supposed demon.
“Gar,” she said, pitching her voice
so the sound did not go beyond their small group, “you and Pearl return to the hall and await its
guardian. Distract him if you must, for I will need time to speak with His Lordship.”
Devona watched the dance of light and
shadows as it escaped from underneath the door. She had not explained to Gar
and Pearl her reasons for seeking an audience with Lord Tipton, nor the dire
outcome if she failed to secure his help. He would help her, would he not? She
had never thought until this moment that she would fail. Sensing their concern,
she glanced at her motionless companions. “All will be well, once I speak to
Lord Tipton. Go ahead; I shall be fine.”
Without thought to the consequences,
she quietly opened the door and blinked. What she saw within did not meet with
her expectations. Why, the room was empty and . . . quite normal. It was not a
large room, but it definitely was a male’s domain. The walls were a plain pea
green; the only adornments were several landscapes depicting the changing
seasons of country landscapes and a huge ornate gold-foiled mirror that was
suspended over a chimneypiece of cream-colored marble. A welcoming fire
beckoned her to enjoy its warmth. No dainty, fashionable furniture was
displayed to impress the visitor. Everything from the old French upholstered
rococo armchair, the oversized Hepplewhite library cases spanning the length of
two walls, and on to the geometrically precise library table serviced its owner
with efficiency and comfort.
Who was this Lord Tipton? She had
gleaned every bit of gossip bandied about the ton, and none of it added
up if this elegant, private sanctuary reflected the man she had been
desperately trying to meet. Her lower lip pouted a bit as she turned this
latest intriguing tidbit in her mind. So lost in thought was Devona that she
failed to notice that she was being assessed as well.
A prickling awareness jarred her from
her musings. Rubbing her arms to ward off an imaginary chill, she pivoted. Her
gaze scanned the room again. There, in one of the shadowed corners, her gaze
sought out, then faltered when she realized she was not alone. The mysterious
Lord Tipton. This was the man the ton snidely called behind his back Le
Cadavre Raffiné. The Refined Corpse. She doubted any of the fashionable would
have repeated such an insult to the man’s face, if he had ever bothered to show
himself.
She could tell even in the dim light
that he was magnificent. Too fascinated to be wary, she took the branch of
candles closest to her and brought the light to this man of shadows. He sat
sprawled out in a corner chair, one leg propped up on a nearby chair while the
other was bent close to his chest. His left arm rested casually across the
surface of his knee. He held a smooth, flat stone between his fingers, which he
slowly stroked with his thumb. Her attention caught the movement, and she stared
at his long, elegant fingers. He had large hands. A long scar ran from his
wrist to his thumb. He possessed the hands of a warrior, a man who had battled
for everything he claimed, and won. The gentle stroking of the stone seemed
contradictory and disturbed her on some level she could not define.
Lord Tipton cleared his throat. If it
was her attention he wanted, he gained it. Her focus shifted to the thick
column of his throat, then up to his face. What masculine beauty! It was a
proud face, all chiseled angles that begged exploring. A day’s growth of beard
peppered his jaw, and drew attention to his full, sensual lips. His hair, a
blend of chestnut and honey, was unbound, and tangled over his shoulders. There
was a distinct streak of blond or perhaps it was white that sprouted from his
right temple. Someone had told her it was the mark of le compagnon du
diable, the devil’s companion.
Wariness stiffened her stance as she
realized the man was half-dressed. He wore a linen shirt, its only adornment
four linen buttons to connect the front opening. His breeches were well made
and suede. His shoes were missing! She could feel the heat in her face as she
stared at his feet sheathed in silk stockings. She had never seen her brothers
without shoes or coats.
Each studied the other; a unique
male-to-female alertness had electrified the space separating them. Neither had
said a word, and yet Devona felt threatened. She gazed into eyes almost the
color of pewter, and she almost could believe the rumors about him.
“For a housebreaker, you aren’t a
very efficient one,” Rayne said, finally deciding it was time to end the
staring contest with his bold intruder.
Copyright © November 2013. Excerpt from THE NO GOOD
IRRESISTIBLE VISCOUNT TIPTON by Alexandra Hawkins. Published by St. Martin's
Paperbacks. All rights reserved.
*******
The Scandalously Bad Mr. Milroy
By Alexandra Hawkins
ISBN-13: 9781466820968
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: 11/1/2013
Sometimes a scandalously bad man can be oh, so good . . .
Meet Wynne Bedegrayne—destined for spinsterhood. Her beauty and charm mean nothing when her intelligence frightens off every suitor, and even her charitable work with the Benevolent Sisterhood leads her into scrapes no sensible man would condone. Then Wynne finds herself the object of Keanan Milroy’s dedicated courtship. The celebrated pugilist may be lowborn, but his character is above reproach…and the passion he awakens within her is irresistible.
But when Wynne learns that Keanan’s seduction may be motivated by something less pure than desire, she resolves to teach him a lesson. If nobility is a matter of behavior rather than blood, then she’ll risk everything to teach Keanan that he is a gentleman at heart. And that nothing is more honorable than love…
Pre-order it now for Kindle or Nook!
Here's an excerpt:
“Come, my dear Miss Bedegrayne.” He
offered his arm. “I have a new friend who desires an introduction.”
Bemused, Wynne allowed the marquess to
escort her across the room. Because he was a year younger than her, she
considered herself quite safe from his favor. A man in his position would
clearly require a young woman not quite so on the shelf as she was at three and
twenty.
“Sir, a moment, if you please.”
It took all the polished skills of
deportment she had learned at Miss Rann’s school not to gape openly. Seeing him again brought back the mortification
she felt about that awful day near the canal.
Unaware of Wynne’s mounting horror and
the fighter’s comprehending scrutiny, the Marquess of Lothbury made his
introductions.
“Mr. Milroy, a pleasure,” she said; the
words were false and he knew it.
#
Keanan credited her for
handling what was an apparent shock. The tremor in her extended hand might have
gone unnoticed if he had not been examining her reaction to him so attentively.
“Miss Bedegrayne.” To prove to them both
that he could be chivalrous, he accepted her hand and bowed. “Rumors of your
beauty reach beyond this ballroom. When Lothbury revealed your presence, I
insisted on an introduction.”
The bland conversation seemed to steady
her. The wariness had not left the cool, intriguing depths of her green eyes,
but her bearing had lost that restless movement, signaling the need to bolt.
“You are most gracious, sir.” She took a
deep breath; a nonverbal decision flashed in her expressive eyes. Swift
determination set her jaw. Her chin lifted a notch. “Pardon my boldness, but I
must ask. You seem familiar to me, Mr. Milroy. Have we met?”
Her daring, aggressive approach was most
unexpected. For a lady who had secrets and a reputation to protect, she risked
much in challenging him so publicly. His admiration grew toward her, even
though he could not resist poking at her composure.
“Miss Bedegrayne, I can assure you, I
would not forget such a meeting.” He intentionally held her gaze, wanting her
to understand his warning.
Despite the orchestra playing just
outside the doors in the gardens, and dozens of conversations continuing around
them, he heard her small, startled gasp. She muffled the sound by nipping her
lower lip with her teeth.
The action drew his gaze. The woman had
incredible lips. They were neither thin nor too full. She had left them unpainted.
However, their natural hue did not require artifice. Like morning dew on a
raspberry, there was a sheen outlining her half-formed pout. A hunger rose
within him that he had never thought possible. He fought against the demanding
urge to claim her tempting mouth, wondering if she tasted as sweet as any
summer berry.
“Miss Bedegrayne,” Lothbury interjected,
breaking her gaze away from Keanan’s magnetic spell. “Mr. Milroy is relatively
new to society. I doubt you would have encountered him unless you share an
appreciation for pugilism.” He gave her a considering glance. “Perhaps one of
your brothers?”
She was more than willing to give the
marquess her complete attention. “My lord, both of my brothers are out of the
country, and my father cares little for the sport. You are correct,” she
conceded, looking at Keanan. “I can think of no situation in which we would
have met.”
So she intended to deny the encounter.
He saw no advantage to revealing her lie, so he smiled, letting her know he had
teeth and could use them at any time of his choosing.
Copyright © November 2013. Excerpt from THE SCANDALOUSLY
BAD MR. MILROY by Alexandra Hawkins. Published by St. Martin's Paperbacks. All
rights reserved.
Learn more about Alexandra Hawkins and her books at her website and check out the Barbara Pierce section of her website here!
As the younger sister of one of the infamous Lords of Vice, Lady Regan Bishop is no stranger to her brother, Frost, and his friends’ wicked ways. After all, she was practically raised by them following her father’s death and her mother’s desertion. After an amateur science experiment goes awry, Regan is whisked away to safety by one of her brother’s friends, Lord Hugh Mordare, whom Regan has always felt more than brotherly affection for. They get caught up in the moment and share a kiss . . . which is intruded upon by Frost and a distant cousin, Lady Karmack. The lady has been hounding Frost to send Regan to boarding school for months and this incident becomes the perfect catalyst to sway his mind to her suggestion. So, off to boarding school a very unhappy Regan goes. Five years later, Regan returns to London with the full intent of pursuing that kiss and more with Dare.
Historical romance author Alexandra Hawkins burst on the scene in February of this year with her sizzling debut from St. Martin’s Press, All Night With a Rogue. The book launched her Lords of Vice series featuring sexy, decadent heroes who find love with strong, beautiful women. The second book in the series, Till Dawn With the Devil, released last Tuesday, August 3rd. Check out Andrea’s review here! Alexandra was gracious enough to agree to an interview, so without further ado, please welcome Alexandra Hawkins to The Romance Dish!
In TILL DAWN WITH THE DEVIL, readers will learn that Reign’s notoriety began with his young wife’s accidental death. Years later, he is still being quietly shunned by London’s polite society because many believe he murdered his wife, and Reign has done nothing to quell the gossips. After a disastrous marriage, Reign is unwilling to tie himself to another woman, and his wicked reputation has its advantages. That is, until he glimpses a young woman with pretty blue bows on her dress. When he gives in to his curiosity and crosses the ballroom to find her, Reign is unaware that he is pursuing a lady that is connected to his family’s scandalous past.
You have been really blessed with the gorgeous covers for this series. Did you have any input in them?
It was such a pleasure to meet you in person at this year’s RWA conference in Orlando! Did you have a good time? What are some of your favorite memories from the conference?
Can you share with us what is coming up next for you on the writing front?
