Constance Athelson, Viscountess Westbury has a gift she can't reveal. She sees things others can't, including the dead. The only thing she can't see is into the heart of Lucien Blakemore, Earl of Lyndham. After one blissful night in his arms, she knows if she's ever to win his heart, she must free him from his tortured past. Lucien Blakemore met the Egyptian goddess Isis at a masked ball, but she vanished into the night before he could learn her real name. It's just as well, since the Blakemore Curse makes love a dangerous and deadly emotion for him. But the erotic night he spent with his mysterious lover makes him want to throw caution aside-if only for one more night with his masked goddess.
Reviews for Dangerous
An 84 out of 100 "Burns manages to have Constance breaking a few stereotypes without coming off too much like a contemporary character... I find Dangerous is a pretty good read..." - MrsGiggles.com
"Monica writes rich, chocolaty historicals that I really enjoy reading." - Lynne Connolly, Ellora's Cave and Samhain Author
Read an excerpt from Dangerous
Visit Monica Burns' web site
About Monica Burns
A multi-published author of erotic romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today. Even then she knew that Burns was a great last name for an erotic romance writer who writes burning hot stories. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica is a 2005 Golden Heart Finalist, 2006 EPPIE finalist, 2005 CAPA nominee and a recipient of JERR's Silver Star award.
Backlist
Title: Mirage
ISBN 1-59998-615-9 | eFormat
Print Coming Soon
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Length: Single Title
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick
Title: Obsession
ISBN: 1-58608-931-5 | eFormat
ISBN: 1-58608-844-0 | Print
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Length: Single Title
Title: A Bluestocking Christmas in the
Holly, Ivy and Me Anthology
ISBN: 1-58608-773-8 | eFormat
ISBN: 1-58608-886-6 | Print
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Length: Novella
Awards: JERR Silver Star Award
Title: Love's Portrait
ISBN: 1-58608-642-1 | eBook
ISBN: 1-58608-734-7 | Print (Forbidden Pleasures Anthology)
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Length: Category
Awards: 2005 Reviewers Choice Award - eCataRomance.com
Title: Love's Revenge
ISBN: 1-58608-400-3 | eFormat
ISBN: 1-58608-734-7 | Print (Forbidden Pleasures Anthology)
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
Length: Category
Awards: 2006 EPPIE Finalist, 2005 TRS CAPA Finalist
Title: Rogue In Disguise
ISBN: 1-58608-358-9 | eFormat
ISBN: 1-58608-710-X | Print (The Art of Pleasure anthology)
Released: January 2005
Length: Novella
Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
An Interview with Monica Burns
By Holly Hewson, Marketing Director for The Romance Studio
HH:Monica, welcome back to TRS BLUE. Please tell us about your featured book, Dangerous.MB: It's good to be back. Dangerous is my first full-length paranormal and so far it's been received well. Mrs. Giggles recently gave it an 84 out of a 100. Like most writers, I'm waiting to see more opinions on the book. I also recently guest blogged on Michelle Buonfiglio's Romance B(u)y the Book community on Lifetime TV's website, which gave Dangerous a lot of exposure to a wider audience. So I'm excited about the book and how readers will react to it.
HH: Your heroine has a powerful gift and your hero has a tortured soul. Where did you get the idea to bring the two of them together? MB: This final version of Dangerous is actually the third incantation. Often times, writers write manuscripts that for one reason or another don't find a home. We're then left with a book that we love but aren't sure what to do with it. With Dangerous, I loved the characters so much and I wanted to give them a chance to see publication, so I revamped the book. I literally rewrote it and Constance evolved from a naïve widow with a bully of a husband to a woman who'd been happily married but who's psychic gift had made her dead husband uncomfortable. Lucien evolved from a man who had to marry for money to save his home to a man whose family has this dark, bloody history of murder and mayhem.
HH: What do you like best about Lucien? MB: I think what I love best about Lucien is how he works so hard not to give in to his love for Constance. He truly doesn't want to love her because he's convinced himself he'll be responsible for her demise. As he sees himself tumbling over the edge, he tries hard to convince himself he's not in love, that it's only lust. And it's the lust part that trips him up. Lucien winds up using sex as a way to deny he's in love with Constance. He tempts her into being naughty, while telling himself its only lust. What he doesn't understand is that by seducing her to simply prove he's not in love, it's really his futile attempt to fight love. And for me there isn't anything more romantic than a tortured hero who's deeply in love with his woman especially when he thinks he can't love.
HH: What did you enjoy most about writing this story? MB: The edits. I know that sounds like a bizarre answer, but it's true. Immi Howsen, my editor for both Mirage and Dangerous tugged and pulled on me to stretch myself and these characters. When one writes a book, there's a bit of a "can't see the forest for the trees" perspective. Immi helped me see the forest in Dangerous, as well as Mirage.
HH: So Mirage was named a "Top Pick" by The Romantic Times. What can you tell us about that? MB: Having RT give Mirage a Top Pick was absolutely wonderful. It's always a treat when I read the nice things reviewers say about my work. The lovely thing is that Top Picks by RT are looked upon favorably by NY houses, so it's one more credential to add to my resume when shopping a new book. It also piques the interest of more readers as Top Picks are viewed as the best of that month's crop of reviews.
HH: What are you working on now? What else can readers look forward to from you this year?
MB: I'm developing a new urban fantasy series, which my agent is getting ready to shop. The series is about a group of Italian assassins descended from the time of Alexander the Great. The interesting thing about the first hero is that he's a blond. I normally love my men dark and handsome. Ares isn't at all. His looks are more along the lines of Anthony Michael Hall in the Dead Zone or a mature Leo DiCaprio. But Ares looks exceptionally fine in black leather.
HH: What goals have you set for yourself in your career at this point? MB: My goal is to continue writing the next good book. There will always be a demand for a good book, and I'll keep writing them to satisfy my readers. Other goals include pushing for that NY contract, which will allow me to reach more readers, and then there's the goal of being able to quit the day job so I've a little more time to spend with my family AND write more prolifically.
HH: How do you keep writing fresh and exciting for yourself? MB: Writing is always fun for me because it's where I get to escape from life. I've had readers write to me and say thanks for giving them a few hours to escape from all the stress in their life. The same holds true for me. When I write, I'm living in the world of my characters and I'm experiencing their world first. I think that's really exciting to know that I'm the first to read it.
HH: What does a workaholic do to get away from it all? <g> MB: Well, we used to camp, but with gas prices they way they are, it's about doubled the cost of pulling our trailer.*sigh* So we're not going to be doing to much "getting away" this year. But I can always just go and sit in the trailer and pretend. *grin* I also have a couple of secret (okay maybe not so secret) things I like to do to relax. I eat milk chocolate maple creams, and I NEVER share them. Not even with my kids. LOL I enjoy them while I'm watching Medium or LOST. I also walk two miles a day during the week and sometimes I'll walk that distance on the weekend. I needed to get back into shape, and walking is helping me peel off the weight (slowly, ever so slowly), but it also gives me thinking time. Time for thinking about my latest book and where I want it to take me.
HH: Any vacation plans this year? MB: I'll be doing most of my "vacationing" without the family this year. When you work a full-time job and write full-time, you're limited vacation time wise. Fortunately, I've got an understanding spouse. I'm attending the Lori Foster Reader/Author Get-together in June, and I'm on tap to attend the RWA National Conference in San Francisco at the end of July. There are other possibilities, but the future is an open book for me at this point. I do know that if the DH plays the right numbers for the Mega Millions we'll be going to Disney World the next day. LOL Vacations for me are packed with fun things to do; generally my vacations wear other people out. ROFL
HH: Thank you!
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