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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Sealed With a Kiss: Elizabeth Essex and Giveaway

When not rereading Jane Austen, mucking about in her garden and simply messing about with boats, award-winning author Elizabeth Essex can be always be found with her laptop, making up stories about heroes and heroines who live far more exciting lives than she. It wasn’t always so. Long before she ever set pen to paper, Elizabeth graduated from Hollins College with a BA in Classics, and then earned her MA in Nautical Archaeology from Texas A&M University. While she loved the life of an underwater archaeologist, she has found her true calling writing lush, lyrical historical romance full of passion, daring and adventure.

Elizabeth lives in Texas with her husband, the indispensable Mr. Essex, and her active and exuberant family in an old house filled to the brim with books.

Places to find Elizabeth:

The first love letter sent and received between lovers is always an occasion of import, and needs to be approached with both enthusiasm and necessary caution. A warm style must be achieved, but a delicate touch must be employed. Too much and one exposes oneself. Too little and one does not expose one's finer feeling enough.

And so this dilemma presented itself to Will Jellicoe and the object of his tenderest and most enthusiastic desire, Miss Antigone Preston, as was.

Here, dear readers, is their go of it~

**Spoiler Alert**

Make sure you read Elizabeth's letter from the heroine at Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance first to get the full charm of the letters.


The return letter—the first ever letter from her husband—arrived sooner than Antigone would have thought possible, left on the little tray by the same servant who had taken her own missive away. Antigone Preston Jellicoe clutched the letter to her breast and subsided with a sigh into the curved window seat to read her husband's words in the bright morning light.

His handwriting was much like him, direct and to the point, but with a charming, masculine elegance all his own.


Patience, my dear Preston, is a virtue which you have clearly never learnt, and one which I now find it my sad duty, as your captain, to teach you.

I would pray that you not make yourself unhappy or uneasy in my absence, for it pains me, deeply,to think of you in such an unfulfilled state. Perhaps it were best if you were to lay yourself down upon some soft place and take some rest. Yes, I will take immeasurable comfort in the thought of you stretched out upon some comfortable cot, your lovely, long, endless legs unencumbered by the interference of petticoats, and yes, even skirts. Yes, yes. It were safer entirely for you to leave off all restrictive clothing in your current state. Even the lightest and sheerest of your delicate, lace chemises may prove too much of a trial to your present state of unhappy agitation.

I therefore adjure you to keep yourself as comfortably unclothed as you can, safe in the knowledge that knowing you to be in such a delightfully natural state will do wonders for my own constitution.

I must go now, my dearest Pres, for I have pressing duties that require my immediate, personal attention. Yet I take comfort in the thought that by the time you read this—


The letter ended thus—abruptly, without so much as a kind salutation, or final word of his love. But Antigone Preston Jellicoe had no time to repine such a brusque sign-off, because even as she set the letter down upon her lap, he was already there—flinging his seacoat off as he strode across the stern cabin toward her.

And all she could do was smile. “Patience,” she said. “is vastly overrated.”


Check out Antigone and William's love story in A Breath of Scandal


Shockingly brash and scandalously independent, the Reckless Brides are boldly rewriting the rules of love and marriage—one smitten bachelor at a time…

In the game of kiss and tell, there are no rules…

THE LADY IS A KNOCKOUT
Forced by her family into an engagement with a man she can never abide, Antigone Preston knows only a scandal will save her from a loveless marriage. But knocking a man down to the ballroom floor with her fists brings dangerous consequences. She may have ruined her reputation, but now she’s endangered her heart…

THE OFFICER IS A GENTLEMAN
The son of an earl and a career navy man, Captain William Jellicoe has no interest in the frivolities of London—and even less in the institution of marriage. But there’s something steering him toward Antigone. He has never met anyone as brazen and unconventional as…himself. But will he risk it all for a woman who still has the breath of scandal hot on her lips?

Purchase:Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Click for more info.


Check out whats up for grabs.


Up For Grabs:

To Enter:
  • Leave a meaningful comment or question for Elizabeth.
  • Please fill out the Rafflecopter
  • North America Shipping ONLY

    **Don't forget to head over to Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance to check out Antigone's letter to William. 

    Good Luck  =)
    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    65 comments :

    1. That was great. I've been waiting for Will's story since the last time you were here (Christmas) with his story~! So glad to here he had a happy happy ending.
      Will Ian Worth have a story too?

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      1. Ki,

        Lovely to see you here again, too. :) I'm glad you liked Will's happily ever after. And the answer is YES, Ian Worth will also have his story. At the moment he is slated for a novella, possibly a Christmas story, but who knows? His story may grow into a full length book. :)
        At the moment I'm working on a full book length story for Will's younger sister, Lady Claire Jellicoe. It's coming along marvelously. :)

        Cheers, and thanks again for stopping by to chat. Best of luck in the drawings. EE

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    2. all your boooks look elizabeth. i have added them to my TBR list and once i am working i will buy a few of them to read

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      1. Laurie,

        I'm so glad you've added me to your TBR list. :) My own TBR pile is blocking the way to my desk. But I can only let myself read on weekends and on vacation, so the pile grows more quickly than I can get to them. But it's a marvelous problem to have.
        Thanks so much for stopping by to chat with me, and best of luck in the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    3. Wow! I am dying to read this after that! Thanks for the exerpt and the chance. I have added to my TBR list.

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      1. Sheryl,

        So glad theses little love letters have sparked your interest. :) You can also hop over to my website (the link is embedded above the comments section) for a longer excerpt. I think you're going to love this story.

        Thanks so much for commenting today, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    4. Knowing at the end of my stressful days, I can lay curled up and know you can take me away for awhile. Enjoy reading all, and can`t wait to be taken away with this one!!

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      1. Debra,

        And that is exactly why I write ROMANCE! Because it's a respite from all the worrisome things that push and pull at us day after day. Hope this book gives you a long, lovely voyage into a different the world full of love and laughter. :)

        Thanks so much for stopping by to make my day. :) Best of luck in the drawings. Cheers, EE

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    5. You have such a beautiful way of turning a phrase, I love reading your books.

      Keep them coming.

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      1. Jerrie,

        You are so sweet to say so. :0 Now I'm all pink in the face. I'm very happy to oblige you, and am working on a story with two secondary characters we've met before: Lady Claire Jellicoe from A BREATH OF SCANDAL and Timothy Evans, the Tanner from THE DANGER OF DESIRE, who is all grown up and Duke of Fenmore now. But he's never forgotten his 'interesting' childhood. I'm really having a marvelous time writing this one, so far. :)

        Thanks so much for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing! Cheers, EE

        Delete
    6. Awww I love that! Of course, I read the other first as advised and that just makes everything perfect now. :) Great letters.

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      1. Thanks, Melissa. I have a very orderly, sequential brain, and I could not conceive of the letters as not being in a sort of call and response. So it's good to know they do make sense when taken together. :)

        Glad you could visit both blogs this morning.

        Best of luck in the drawings. Cheers, EE

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    7. I love a little breath of scandal in the historical romance books I read!!! This sounds like a really good book.

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      1. Mary D,

        I'm so glad the letters have enticed you into reading more of WIll and Antigone's story. They were the first hero and heroine I ever wrote (although their final story is soooo very different from that first completed draft I wrote many, many years ago!) and they have a special place in my heart. Hope you enjoy.

        Thanks so stopping by to chat books and love letters today, and best of luck with the drawings. Cheers and happy reading, EE

        Delete
    8. I love the letters! :) So sweet!

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      1. May,

        So nice to see you here today, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the letters! I had a marvelous time ferreting them out of Captain and Mrs. Jellicoe's trunks. :)

        Thanks so much for stopping by to chat this morning, and best of luck in the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    9. I generally do not read historical romances but I have to say this one looks and sounds really interesting. Will have to add it to my wishlist.

      susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

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      1. Susan,

        I'm so glad I've enticed you over to the 'dark side." Or at least the old side! :) We all get into our comfort zones and like to stay there, but it's really fun to branch out. At the moment I am lucky enough to be reading an ARC from Jeannie Lin who writes historicals about ancient CHINA! So fascinating because unlike the typical historicals which many of us write, she's got to do a lot of world building which we normally see in other genres like paranormal, fantasy, steampunk and the like. I'm really enjoying having my reading horizons broadened.

        So I will wish you happy reading in whichever genre you prefer most, and thank you so much for stopping by to chat this morning. Best of luck in the drawings. Cheers, EE

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    10. Thanks you for these letters. How wonderful that Will surprised his wife. I have been waiting not so patiently for Will's story. I can't wait to read it. I loved Almost a Scandal and am sure A Breath of Scandal is fantastic also. I'm also glad that Ian will have his story told. Can't wait.

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      1. Joanne,

        I am thrilled to hear that you loved ALMOST A SCANDAL. (Me, too!) If I could (and hopefully I will be able to) I would write a happily ever after for each and every member of Audacious' crew. :) Now that's quite a task to set for myself, but I've been thinking of branching out into novellas, so who knows?!?

        Wishing you hours of happy reading, and thanks so much for stopping by to make my day. :) And best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

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    11. Hi, you are a new author for me and your book sounds amazing. I will be adding it to my TBR pile. The letter was sweet and so well written.
      Thanks,
      Lori
      lorih824 at yahoo dot com

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      1. Hey, Lori,

        So glad you want to give A BREATH OF SCANDAL a try. :) And thank you for the lovely compliment—my former English teachers clearly deserve a word or two of praise for teaching me to be so passionate about the Oxford comma!

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck with the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    12. Your books look goo! Love the covers can't wait to read them!!

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      1. Thank you, Amber. I love the covers, too, though I can take no credit for them. My brilliant editor at SMP, Holly Blanck, and her team come up with both the concept and the gorgeous execution.

        And I hope you can find some lovely, quiet reading time soon. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck with the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    13. Your books sound like great reads. I need to pick one up very soon.

      jenalang(at)live(dot)com

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      1. Jena,

        Thanks for visiting me on BOTH blogs today. Twice as much fun! I hope you'll love reading Will and Antigone's story.

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck with the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    14. Oh I love these letters, feels like your peaking into something personal of these characters lives. Your books are new to me so I cannot wait to have a try at them <3 the covers are gorgeous, they look so promising :)

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      1. Lily,

        That is music to my ears, and exactly what I was hoping to accomplish with these letters. And I am thrilled that you have discovered me here, today. Here's wishing you lots of uninterrupted reading time in the near future. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck with the drawings. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    15. Hi

      I love this post. I enjoy reading a historical with the exchange of letters as it is such a personable way to communicate, especially back then as there were so few ways to keep in touch.

      Thanks for the chance
      Pam

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      1. I forgot my email address -

        tpibrew@msn.com

        Thanks again

        Delete
      2. Pam,

        I'm so glad you liked the post. I had a marvelous time thinking up how these two might have written to each other, since their conversations were full of terrific back and forth conversations. And I will say, that I had considerable inspiration from the Indispensable Mr. Essex, who wrote me letters every day (and I wrote him back every day) when we were separated by my summers away doing archaeology in my youth. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    16. That was a FUN way to abruptly end the letter!
      castings at mindspring dot com

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      1. Cheryl,

        I'm glad you thought so. :) I thought it was very much in sync with Will Jellicoe's brash style. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    17. Aww...those letters are so sweet. It looks like a fun book with this couple.

      Marcy Shuler
      bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com

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      1. Marcy,

        I'm so glad you like the letters. And I really can assure you that this couple is a lot of fun—they actually LIKE each other as well. :) I really wanted to write a couple who didn't come to the courtship from a place of antipathy. I hope I've accomplished that in A BREATH OF SCANDAL!

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    18. Hi, Elizabeth! Love your books and loved the letters.

      kscathyATyahooDOTcom

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      1. Cathy,
        Glad to see you on this side of the blog. :) And you are just as kind here, so I will thank you again for your kind words about my stories. It's nice to know that readers have as much fun with the characters as I did writing them.

        Thanks again for stopping by to chat with me, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    19. Loved the letters and I'm looking forward to reading A Breath of Scandal to see how they got to that point of wedded bliss. :D

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      1. I will warn you, Barbara, it was a long hard road for these two. But one filled with love and laughter, and I personally think that because it was so hard for these two characters to get together, they appreciate wedded bliss all the more. :)

        Wishing you happy reading. Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    20. I love a romance with such a feisty heroine. Thanks for the letters and what looks like a great book.

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      1. Annwitch,

        I'm so glad you discovered A BREATH OF SCANDAL here today. And you can always count on me for a feisty heroine. They are the only ones who really interest me. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    21. I do think patience is overrated! I need to know more. This post in combo with the post at Romancing has really peaked my interest in this book. Thanks!

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      1. Jen,

        I'm thrilled you want to read more of Will and Antigone's story, A BREATH OF SCANDAL. My work here is done. :) I really loved getting these two together, and showing that romance can spark from actually LIKING one another. :)

        Wishing you many hours of happy reading. Thanks for stopping by to chat this evening, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    22. The book sounds great! Love the title. What is a normal writing day for you like?

      luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

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      1. Julianne,

        Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm so glad you liked what you've read. :)

        As to my writing day, it starts early and finishes late. I try to write first thing in the morning, usually sitting in my bed (where it's warm and comfy), and get my 'pages' done for the day. I use a 'timer' method, of working in timed chunks of 25 to 35 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of doing something else that gets me up and moving—feeding the dog, putting in a load of laundry, answering an email or two—before going back to another timed session. There's no answering emails or checking FB etc. during the timed sessions. Only writing.

        I peter out about 1 to 1:30, and take a longer break to walk the dog, exercise and then get out into the world to run errands, pick up my kids from school etc. and listen to music or read the paper to get some new ideas into my head. Then I'm usually back at it with a notebook, writing longhand notes through the dinner hour and getting everyone fed and cleaned up, then back to longhand or maybe typing in what I've written longhand until I start to fall asleep.

        Basically, I keep a pad with me at all times. I've been known to ask my kids to write down ideas that come to me while I'm driving, which is unfortunately when I get a lot of moments of clarity about my characters. :)

        Hope there's something in that mish-mash that's useful to you.

        Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    23. Replies
      1. Sandy,

        I'm so glad you're intrigued by Will and Antigone's story. I had a marvelous time writing it, and I hope you're going to like it.

        Thanks for stopping by to chat this evening, and wishing you best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    24. This sounds like such a good book! I am definitely going to read it. Thanks for the great giveaway!
      thompsonem3 at aol dot com

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      1. Oh, Ellen,

        I'm so glad to hear that. I really wanted to give readers a sense of the playfulness between these two characters, and judging by the response, I think it's worked. :)

        Wishing you many hours of happy reading.Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    25. How brave of you to be an underwater archaeologist. As interesting as I find the thought of all those discoveries, I myself am terrified of the water. Thanks for the post, lovely letter. lisagk(at)yahoo

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      1. Lisa,

        I never really thought of myself as brave when I was doing underwater archaeology—only very, very curious. :) And of course, it helped tremendously that I love the water, and spent my most blissful childhood years at the sea, on the sea, and in the sea. :)

        Nowadays, I let my characters have all the interesting adventures, and I stay happily in the calm comfort of my armchair. :)

        So I wish you hours of adventures through the luxurious safety of books! Thanks for stopping by to chat, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    26. Loved that letter. I too think patience in overrated when I am waiting for a new book that I really want to read :) And ebooks and being able to get them immediately only makes me worse, lol.
      Thanks for the post :)

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      1. June,

        So glad to hear you liked the letters. And can you tell that I'm not a particularly patient person, either? And I know exactly how you feel about new books. One of the nastier drawbacks about becoming an author is that I have less time to actually read the books I love! Garumph. So when I do have time set aside to read—like this coming weekend. Huzzah!—I make the most of it. :)

        Thanks for stopping by to chat so late, and best of luck in the drawing. Cheers, EE

        Delete
    27. I need a captain, like William, to help me with MY unhappiness, or unease, please....:D

      joylynne66(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    28. That was an enjoyable exchange. I look forward to reading their story.

      ReplyDelete
    29. What a great ending to the letter.

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    30. A great letter. :) I can't wait to read this. It's on my TRL. Thanks for sharing .
      Carol L
      Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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    31. Great letter. I can't wait to read this one!!
      Thanks for the chance to win!

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    32. it's interesting what can become a scandal at different times in the past and in the present.

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    33. Really enjoyed the first book in the series and I'm looking forward to reading Will's story --

      The cover is amazing, by the way!

      Thank you for the great giveaway!

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    34. Naughty letter. I am SO enjoying reading all these.

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    35. Oooh, the letter is... WOW! Thanks Elizabeth!
      Thank you for the wonderful giveaway, the book sounds amazing!

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    36. I think my favorite couples are:
      Rhett and Scarlett
      John and Margaret from North and South

      I'm really enjoying reading these romantic love letters. And I'm finding a bunch of new books to add to my groaning TBR shelves!

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    37. Those letters are so sweet, it make me curious with the story. Add to my list!!

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