Summary from Author:
Society darling Isabel Aubrey sweetly seduces the inscrutable Earl of Ashby to sponsor her charity, but when his burning kisses tempt her to unmask him — who’s seducing whom?
Isabel Aubrey is in need of an influential gentleman to champion her charity cause — helping destitute females whose male providers perished in the Napoleonic wars — and Colonel Lord Ashby is the perfect candidate: Commander of the 18th Hussars, a prodigy singled out by Wellington, a decorated war hero, he was also her late brother’s best friend and senior officer in the Peninsula. Unfortunately, the ‘gargoyle’ earl suffered an injury so severe he confines himself to his Park Lane manor and never goes out in public. Isabel has no alternative but to risk her reputation and call on him in person.
The Earl of Ashby is a man tormented by the horrors of war and by his physical memento of it. Orphaned at a young age, life compensated him with an old title, a vast estate, good looks, and with the intelligence to survive his misspent youth as a notorious rake, gambler, and pursuer of women. When Napoleon invaded Portugal, he joined Wellington’s forces, unable to stand idly by while others – family men – risked their lives on the battlefield. He became a butcher – a man who led his friends to their deaths, while killing and maiming equally brave young Frenchmen – and for this he paid and is still paying dearly, with his face, his heart, and with his future. A future he no longer deserves, or hopes for.
Now, years later, a second chance comes knocking on his door. She is determined, radiant, and sweet, but the worst of it is: The bruising beauty awakens a hope he dares not cling to. Believing that any feelings and expectations he might develop will be dashed the moment she sees his face, Ashby sends Isabel away, never to return.
Stunned by Ashby’s hostile demeanor, Isabel vows to never brighten his doorstep again. However, the memory of those anguished, burning eyes lures her back to the masked ogre. For no matter how aggressive and cynical Ashby has become, she cannot forget the dashing young hussar she has made a complete fool of herself over when she was barely fifteen.
And so, Isabel confronts the formidable Ashby yet again…
UPDATE with note from Author and her website link:
Hi Sybil and friends!
I hope you don’t mind my barging in… three weeks later…
I agree with your comments about the book cover and blurb. (BTW, Isabel DOES NOT have a fiance – that’s a mistake in the blurb.)
When I wrote ONCE A RAKE, I saw it as a cross between BEAUTY & THE BEAST and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. I know the cover doesn’t really transmit these timeless themes, but I can tell you the cover looks much better in reality. The slashed in half face sort of entices one to look inside and discover the other half. The art department at Kensington was obviously opting for provocation.
Unfortunately, very few authors have a say in how their book covers and blurbs should be like. We are just as surprised as you are when a batch of the book’s cover flats arrive in the mail. Usually by this time, the cover is already up on Amazon and other on-line bookstores. So even if there is a mistake, the publisher won’t fix it. One author almost took her publisher to court for putting a dark-haired guy on her book cover while the hero was blond. I guess the old saying “Never judge a book by it’s cover” was invented by a disgruntled author.LOL.
Regarding my website… *sigh* Yes, it should have been up months ago and I apologize for the delay. This subject has become a real pain-in-the-butt for me. I had to change several web designers and refused to settle for a cookie-cutter site. I do have a wonderful new designer, though. The design she is in the process of creating looks very SEXY! Bordering on risque… I will definitely try to speed her up. I get SO many emails asking me about it. No one wants to see it on-line more than I do, ladies.
In the meantime, if you are inetersted in finding out more about my December 2007 release ONCE A RAKE, please visit the URL Zara suggested (it is my site on Eclectics) where you can read the whole first chapter. Or you could
scroll down(I moved up by the cover) this page to read MY blurb. I hope it will clarify some of your questions regarding the story.Hugs and smooches – and a big kiss to Sybil!
Rona
Bad (sez I) book summary from back of the book…
Irresistible Seduction Only Leads To. . .
War had scarred the Earl of Ashby’s face…and perhaps his soul. Before being wounded in the Napoleonic war and shunning society, the dashing lord had been a notorious rake. Now, Isabel Aubrey, a proper lady, dares to approach the masked, reclusive nobleman for a large donation to a worthy charity—and decides she must save him from his self-loathing. She begins to flirt. He responds. She invites him to a masquerade ball. He accepts and dazzles her with a kiss.
The Most Scandalous Passion. . .
But Isabel already has a fiancé and despite her attraction to the earl she knows she must reject him. Yet no force on earth is greater than the passion that leads her into his bed; nothing she has ever experienced is more exciting and erotic. Now he asks her to stay with him although it will mean her ruin. Isabel must not say yes—and the smitten earl cannot let her say no. To win her body and her heart, he initiates an outrageous scheme that only a rake would devise—and no woman can resist.
Yikes… I don’t like this cover at all. Rona Sharon was working on a website, doesn’t look like it is done. And she is just about the nicest person you could have the pleasure of emailing with.
Don’t know about the book. It sounds… I don’t know… mean! I mean heck if the guy is already down on himself how is it an ego boost to flirt with him knowing you are gonna reject him? And I do so hate the asks her to do something even though it would ruin her thing. Of course this could be just a bad back summary.
I am such a sucker for rakes turned scarred hermits and the woman who comes along and gets freaky with them! LOL
And Sybil I agree with the cover. It is so BLAH! Couldn’t we have some naked abs to look at?
I hate these generic and cliched blurbs they give romances these days. The way this one sounds, I will most likely pass on it.
When I read the blurb and saw the cover, I got the feeling that the physical scars may be on the face, so maybe thats why they set up the cover like that. But I did get confused with the blurb that she was engaged and flirts with him, but he didn’t seem down with that. I’m looking forward to finding out more from Sharon on it. Sometimes a blurb gives us what the book is about good, sometimes not.
Not sure how I feel about the blurb.
First thing I thought of when I saw the cover was “Austin Scarlett hair!!” Any other Project Runway fans out there?
This picture doesn’t do the hair justice but here goes:
Look at the volume on the sides!
Both men must be mousse fans.
I think Rona Sharon is working on a new website, but she has one here:
http://www.eclectics.com/ronasharon/main.html
I don’t like the blurb so much, but I read the excerpt on the website and was instantly drawn in. I do love a tortured hero though. I agree that the cover could have been better. I do understand why they only show half of his face due to the scarring, but I think it could still have looked much better.
Hi Sybil and friends!
I hope you don’t mind my barging in… three weeks later…
I agree with your comments about the book cover and blurb. (BTW, Isabel DOES NOT have a fiance – that’s a mistake in the blurb.)
When I wrote ONCE A RAKE, I saw it as a cross between BEAUTY & THE BEAST and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. I know the cover doesn’t really transmit these timeless themes, but I can tell you the cover looks much better in reality. The slashed in half face sort of entices one to look inside and discover the other half. The art department at Kensington was obviously opting for provocation.
Unfortunately, very few authors have a say in how their book covers and blurbs should be like. We are just as surprised as you are when a batch of the book’s cover flats arrive in the mail. Usually by this time, the cover is already up on Amazon and other on-line bookstores. So even if there is a mistake, the publisher won’t fix it. One author almost took her publisher to court for putting a dark-haired guy on her book cover while the hero was blond. I guess the old saying “Never judge a book by it’s cover” was invented by a disgruntled author.LOL.
Regarding my website… *sigh* Yes, it should have been up months ago and I apologize for the delay. This subject has become a real pain-in-the-butt for me. I had to change several web designers and refused to settle for a cookie-cutter site. I do have a wonderful new designer, though. The design she is in the process of creating looks very SEXY! Bordering on risque… I will definitely try to speed her up. I get SO many emails asking me about it. No one wants to see it on-line more than I do, ladies.
In the meantime, if you are inetersted in finding out more about my December 2007 release ONCE A RAKE, please visit the URL Zara suggested (it is my site on Eclectics) where you can read the whole first chapter. Or you could scroll down this page to read MY blurb. I hope it will clarify some of your questions regarding the story.
Hugs and smooches – and a big kiss to Sybil!
Rona
ONCE A RAKE by Rona Sharon
Summery
Society darling Isabel Aubrey sweetly seduces the inscrutable Earl of Ashby to sponsor her charity, but when his burning kisses tempt her to unmask him — who’s seducing whom?
Isabel Aubrey is in need of an influential gentleman to champion her charity cause — helping destitute females whose male providers perished in the Napoleonic wars — and Colonel Lord Ashby is the perfect candidate: Commander of the 18th Hussars, a prodigy singled out by Wellington, a decorated war hero, he was also her late brother’s best friend and senior officer in the Peninsula. Unfortunately, the ‘gargoyle’ earl suffered an injury so severe he confines himself to his Park Lane manor and never goes out in public. Isabel has no alternative but to risk her reputation and call on him in person.
The Earl of Ashby is a man tormented by the horrors of war and by his physical memento of it. Orphaned at a young age, life compensated him with an old title, a vast estate, good looks, and with the intelligence to survive his misspent youth as a notorious rake, gambler, and pursuer of women. When Napoleon invaded Portugal, he joined Wellington’s forces, unable to stand idly by while others – family men – risked their lives on the battlefield. He became a butcher – a man who led his friends to their deaths, while killing and maiming equally brave young Frenchmen – and for this he paid and is still paying dearly, with his face, his heart, and with his future. A future he no longer deserves, or hopes for.
Now, years later, a second chance comes knocking on his door. She is determined, radiant, and sweet, but the worst of it is: The bruising beauty awakens a hope he dares not cling to. Believing that any feelings and expectations he might develop will be dashed the moment she sees his face, Ashby sends Isabel away, never to return.
Stunned by Ashby’s hostile demeanor, Isabel vows to never brighten his doorstep again. However, the memory of those anguished, burning eyes lures her back to the masked ogre. For no matter how aggressive and cynical Ashby has become, she cannot forget the dashing young hussar she has made a complete fool of herself over when she was barely fifteen.
And so, Isabel confronts the formidable Ashby yet again…
The excerpt is great. I’m definitely on board. And can I say… Hey Ms Sharon – I read your letter to readers on your web site, and just so you know… I would read your books in Hebrew *g*
Hi, Lori! I’m so glad you enjoyed reading the excerpt. I hope you signed up for the contest at:
http://www.eclectics.com/ronasharon/contest.html
I am giving away great stuff. Hint: some very special and pampering products that are/can only be manufactured in Israel!
You read books in Hebrew…??? lol Then I should definitely wish you Shana Tova! (Which means “happy new year!” – to those of you who are wondering.)