Special Guest - Natasha Blackthorne

Seeing as I'm discussing scenery this month, I asked Natasha to tell about the place where her story takes place. 

Here's what she had to say.

The inspiration for Grey’s Lady came after I had read deeply about the era. Philadelphia in this time is the Athens of America. It is a city filled with beautiful houses hidden behind garden walls and bricked sidewalks lined with shade trees. It is also a city known for its elegant ladies. It is a sophisticated city, very different in mood from the commercial New York City and the still quite Puritan Boston.

At the same time, the New England merchants and their world appealed to me. I was fascinated by the stories of the men who earned their fortunes at sea privateering and then spawned the legacies that would create our rising national commerce.

I read another book on the hidden world of Philadelphia and the sexual power exchange between men and women. A very unique world, different from what is often thought of in this time in the United States. A world where upper class gentlemen took mistresses from among the lower classes. A secret world of clandestine meetings in disorderly houses and inns and bedchambers when husbands were away.

So the idea came to me, through the character of Grey, to have one of these staid, business-minded merchants from the north come and fall in love with one of these beautiful, beguiling women from the lower class in Philadelphia. And through Grey, I saw Beth. I saw first that moment in the booksellers when he first saw her. I saw how she boldly approached him and how it made him react.

And then little by little I saw why she did what she did. My story began to develop with an unconventional, seductive heroine and a different sort of Cinderella story at its core. I enjoy the themes of self-protection, surrender and rescue and I enjoyed exploring them in this story. As often is asked in these types of stories, who really rescues who?

The sequel to Grey’s Lady is titled White Lace and Promises and is scheduled for release Dec 26, 2011.

Blurb-

Flouting the moral standards of Jeffersonian America, temptress Beth McConnell lets no man touch her heart. Her motto is love them once and leave them burning.

But when she boldly seduces Grey Sexton, a self-controlled merchant prince from New York, she finds herself too fascinated by his ice-over-fire nature to stay away. His possessive determination to own her, body and soul, threatens to expose her secret erotic life to public shame.

But Beth will only surrender her love to a man she can trust. And Grey's materialistic approach to relationships leaves her little reason to believe he can ever give her what she truly needs.

For these two cynical yet lonely people, can deep sexual intimacy work a miracle and lead to the opening of their hearts?

Excerpt -

Impulse seized her and she caught hold of his lapels. “Kiss me.”

He leaned closer. Heavens, anyone could come along and catch them. Oh the risk… But her breath quickened and her nipples stiffened, straining against her stays. She closed her eyes, tilted her head up. Waited.

And waited.

“How many men since me?” He laid his large hand at the base of her throat and a thrill went chasing through her. “Look me in the eye.”

Her lids fluttered open and his gaze pierced into her with such intensity she gasped. “It has only been two weeks.”

“Answer me, Beth.”

Another thrill trembled through her. Fear or anticipation? She couldn’t say. “None.”

Now, tell us a like about you Natasha.


I have always been a daydreamer who told myself stories of love and romance set in other times and places for my own pleasure. Eventually my story worlds became so real, they demanded to be brought out of my imagination and onto the page. It gives me great joy to finally share them with you. I hope you enjoy my story world.

I am married to my own hero and we share our life with a very quirky calico cat. I hold a BA in History and I especially enjoy studying social history and biography and this is where most of my story ideas come from. I like to know my characters from the bones outward, the air they breathe, the food they eat, the thoughts and social movements and morals that were influencing them in their times.

I also enjoy reading psychology and sociology and literature. I enjoy music from many different genres.  

I write emotional, evocative, Erotic Historical Romance from the Georgian and Regency Eras, set in both England and America. Whether they are bold or shy, my heroines' strong desires and deep emotions drive the plot—and drive their heroes to the point of no return.  

You can usually find me hard at work researching and writing my next story.

http://natashablackthorne.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  @Nblackthorne

Book Trailers:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Natashasromancevideo

Okay, everyone be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate. Also follow the tour and continuing to leave comments increases your chances of winning. 

The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/08/virtual-book-tour-greys-lady-by-natasha.html

Thank you so much Natasha for stopping by I look forward to reading your book,

Anita