And in other news, Sharon’s next book, THE LAST SEDUCTION has been moved back a bit. More information will be coming soon!

In other news, the cover art arrived for my September 2009 release, THE LAST SEDUCTION.

Discover the wild and dangerous side of Regency England, where no one is innocent from temptation — and where one daring noblewoman is about to risk everything for a passion that will ignite the greatest scandal of all…

Two years ago, Lady Madeline Ashby’s testimony helped send him away to prison — but Jack Travers never forgot the high-born beauty who once showed him kindness… and who still stokes his secret fantasies. Now Jack has escaped — and Madeline has tracked him down, desperate to right a terrible wrong. But Jack has a mission of his own: to keep her safe. For Madeline is determined to clear Jack’s name, vowing to accompany him on a perilous quest for the truth. The lovely innocent asks only one thing: to learn the secrets of erotic pleasure. But as passion runs hot and swift between them, Madeline knows she is playing a treacherous game. For Jack is harboring an explosive secret–one that could shatter her trust forever even as it takes them both to the point of no return…

THE CLUB is a twist on the classic “rake and innocent” story. My heroine Jane, Lady Sherringham is a widow and not a virgin, but she knows nothing of a healthy and loving sexual relationship. My rakish hero, Christian, Lord Wickham, is determined to give the heroine the pleasure she deserves until he discovers he is out of his depth—he doesn’t know how to heal an abused woman. They must learn together, but first, they must find Christian’s missing sister, Del, whose disappearance is linked to a scandalous London gentleman’s club.

The club itself is a Regency version of a swingers club. There were many real racy Regency couples, including Lady Oxford, whose children were known as the Harleian Miscellany since they had so many different fathers.

After talking to other authors, I’ve discovered that every writer seems to have a ‘gimme’ book (the one that writes itself), while other stories are challenges. For me, THE CLUB was the most challenging book I’ve tackled.

In my first drafts, I found it tough to bring sexual attraction into the beginning of the story. The problem—I wanted Jane to find Christian attractive and respond, but it just didn’t make sense that she would melt at a kiss on her hand when she was searching for her missing friend Del. She would be too worried about Del. I realized that in my previous stories, my heroes and heroines were the ones at risk. For example, I’ve always shied away from writing a “child in jeopardy” story, because I could just not imagine feeling sexy about anyone while worrying about a child’s welfare. It’s a careful balancing act!

Interestingly, it was my struggle to blend Jane’s attraction to Christian, her rejection of those feelings, and her fear over Del’s fate that made me understand how she would feel. And it made me realize her attraction to him would be emotional more than blatantly sexual. When story events allowed Jane and Christian to respond to their desires, they’d already built up a powerful emotional attraction.

Another challenge was to ensure Jane, who had survived an abusive marriage, was a realistic character. An amazing resource book I found for understanding her experience is “It’s My Life Now” by Meg Dugan and Roger Hock. This book deals with one of the most critical times for a woman coming from an abusive relationship—the time after she leaves.

In my first drafts of the story, Christian’s travel in India was alluded to, but I realized his character was not shaped by it. This meant more research into India. Of course, time is always short, so I took my copy of the Kama Sutra out to a family dinner and read it surreptitiously before the food arrived.

But after the journey of writing and re-writing, I am really thrilled with THE CLUB, and I hope readers enjoy it too!

~Sharon

Top Pick! “Reader, be deliciously warned: You’ll need a fan or asbestos gloves to keep cool while devouring Page’s heated tale. Not only is the sexual tension powerful and the many love scenes hotter than hot…the mystery and growing romance will keep you riveted too.” — Romantic Times BOOKreviews

Romantic Times also awarded THE CLUB’s hero, Christian Sutcliffe, Lord Wickham, with a K.I.S.S. Award:
“Let Sharon Page’s “Lord Wicked,” Christian Sutcliffe, take you to THE CLUB for a night you’ll never forget.”

THE CLUB will be available February 24, 2009.

Read more about THE CLUB and watch the trailer here…

Sharon’s next Dell book, THE LAST SEDUCTION, is now available for pre-order at Amazon and Borders. Look for it in stores on September 29, 2009!

Discover the wild and dangerous side of Regency England, where no one is innocent from temptation – and where one daring noblewoman is about to risk everything for a passion that will ignite the greatest scandal of all…

Two years ago, Lady Madeline Ashby’s testimony helped send him away to prison — but Jack Travers never forgot the high-born beauty who once showed him kindness…and who still stokes his secret fantasies. Now Jack has escaped &mdasH, and Madeline has tracked him down, desperate to right a terrible wrong. But Jack has a mission of his own: to keep her safe. For Madeline is determined to clear Jack’s name, vowing to accompany him on a perilous quest for the truth. The lovely innocent asks only one thing: to learn the secrets of erotic pleasure. But as passion runs hot and swift between them, Madeline knows she is playing a treacherous game. For Jack is harboring an explosive secret–one that could shatter her trust forever even as it takes them both to the point of no return…

Here’s the full list for the Erotic Historical Romance category:

Though the first two books feature two noble heroes (the Earl of Trent and Viscount Swansborough), pirate and highwayman Devlin Sharpe stepped in as the perfect hero for the third book. Originally I had Captain Jack Sparrow in mind as the model for Devlin, a sexy survivor with a bit of a bent moral compass. But Devlin took on his own unique character.

Writing HOT SILK allowed me to explore “reunited lovers” for the first time. After two years apart from Grace, Devlin realizes that he can’t live without her. But as a wanted highwayman, he can’t have her either. A man who has used his wits to avoid the hangman’s noose, he suddenly finds himself unable to plot logically when it comes to Grace. His need for her is primitive and all encompassing. I loved embracing the passion of reunited lovers. When Grace and Devlin meet again, all the problems that forced them to part are still there. They are still from two different worlds. He is still a criminal. She is even more caught up in the strict rules of high society—because her sisters have married into it. A love affair with an outlaw would scandalize her entire family. I’ve realized one of the enduring appeals of reunited lovers is that the passage of time has made the stakes of romance greater.

And check out the November 2008 Romantic Times cover story for exciting info about THE CLUB my steamy launch with Bantam Dell. It has been a dream of mine to write in the same genre as authors such as Jo Beverley, Madeline Hunter, Stephanie Laurens, and Lisa Kleypas. This dream has come true. Please look out for THE CLUB in February 2009. After that, BLOOD DEEP will continue my “Blood” erotic vampire series with Aphrodisia in June 2009. The villains from the previous books, Zayan and Lukos, return in BLOOD DEEP—as heroes.

BLOOD RED took 2nd in the 2007 More than Magic Contest (Erotic Romance), by Romance Writers Ink of Oklahoma.

BLOOD RED was also 2nd in the 2007 Write Touch Contest (Erotic Romance) by Wisconsin Romance Writers of America.

BLOOD ROSE won 2nd place in Passionate Ink’s Passionate Plume Contest.

BLOOD ROSE is a finalist for these 2007 contests!
National Readers’ Choice for Erotic Romance
2007 Passionate Plume Award (Paranormal)

Sharon will be an erotic panelist on “Look Who’s Talking! – First-Person Sex Scenes”, Wednesday 4-5 p.m.
How Does The POV Add To An Erotic Scene? For the most intimate moments, some writers dare to take the reader right to the source (who needs narration anyway, right?) Let’s explore the use of POV in sex scenes, and how a simple shift in perspective can change the game.

The talented and terrific Renee Bernard will be our captain again this year. And I’m honored to be on the panel with Angela Knight, Cheyenne McCray, and Kimberly Kaye Terry.

And check out Sharon’s exciting specialty workshop, The 15 Minute Synopsis, on Thursday 5-6 p.m.
Write a synopsis in 15 minutes? It’s not impossible! Sharon Page has written a quick “blurb” synopsis for a story in 15 minutes and sold it. This workshop will reveal the road map to creating a strong synopsis quickly and efficiently, beginning with what you need to know about your story before you start.

For photos, go to:
www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/wyl/teams/novelists.html

And info on the show:
www.cbc.ca/testthenation/episodes/