Always a Booklover

The magic of books just enchants me. I love reading, what more can I say?

Blog Tour: Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon - Guest Post


Hey guys! Welcome to today's blog tour stop! Today, Jenna is joining us with a guest post about the wild 18th century. It certainly is a good read so do take some time to look at it! :) Oh and the cover's really pretty, isn't it? :)


Only Scandal Will Do

Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.

Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she's a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her.

Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he'll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who'll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family's name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared.

He's betting their future he'll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?

WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.



Jenna Jaxon


Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance who has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, Jenna has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own writing.

Jenna lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.





And now, let's welcome Jenna to the blog!


The Wild 18th Century

One of the reasons I decided to set my House of Pleasure series, of which Only Scandal Will Do is the first book, in the 18th century instead of the more popular Regency period, was the reputation of the period for being much wilder, more dangerous, more colorful. I’d been introduced to the Georgian period--named for the three Hanoverian kings who reigned throughout the century--in Jo Beverley’s Malloren series and fell in love with the colorful lifestyle that seems to alternate between the Age of Reason and the Age of Rowdy.

I love the fact that aristocratic men during this period wore bold colors, powdered wigs, and face paint (in some instances), yet beneath the surface were deadly competitors skilled with sword and pistol, had voracious appetites where women were concerned, and could converse on a myriad of topics that would leave us scratching our heads today. This is the stuff of which heroes are made.

Some of the more colorful items from the century that I was able to use in Scandal were the death of the Earl of Ferrers--the last peer to be hanged for murder; the erotic art of Françoise Boucher; the Venetian masquerade; and Harris’s List of prostitutes.

The last item I found fascinating. Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies or A Man of Pleasure’s Kalendar was a directory of working prostitutes published at Christmas by Samuel Derrick, whose pen name for the publication was Jack Harris. The directory listed names and addresses of “working girls,” a description of physical appearance of the woman (including the size of her breasts), the special services they performed and the charges (ranging from 5 shillings to 5 pounds) a gentleman could expect to pay for said services.

An excerpt from the 1788 directory notes a “Miss Johnson: The raven colored tresses of Miss J-ns-n are pleasing, and are characteristic of strength and ability in the wars of Venus. Indeed, this fair one is not afraid of work, but will undergo a great deal of labour in the action; she sings, dances, will drink a cheerful glass, and is a good companion. She has such a noble elasticity in her loins that she can cast her lover to a pleasing height, and receive him again with the utmost dexterity. Her price is one pound, one, and for her person and amorous qualifications, she is well worth the money.”

Harris’s List of Covent Garden Ladies was published each year between 1757 and 1795 and sold over a quarter of a million copies during that time.

I mentioned Harris’s List in passing only in Only Scandal Will Do, but thought it would give a bit of period color to the book and a passing salute from my hero Duncan, who, as a rake, may have been rather familiar with that list.

A wild era indeed.



So yep, that's about it for today! Thanks for visiting! :)

16 comments:

Great post Jenna. Love the excerpt from the list. :)

 

What interesting information. Thanks so much, Jenna. This is a great book.

 

That's why I love that period too. Especially the end of the 18th century. So many changes happened over the last few decades, and it makes for a very interesting setting for stories.

 

Noble elasticity in her loins - love it!!!

Super awesome post.

 

That's the period I write in too and I love it because its still the golden age of piracy, albeit toward the end of piracy. And I do love me a pirate here and there. Great post. I love reading your posts about the 18th century.

 

I always learn something from you, Jenna. I had no idea a list like that existed. I love your tastes of history. Certainly now I'm more interested in the Georgian period since I read your book. Thanks for sharing!

 

For some reason my computer isn't letting me reply directly to you, ladies. So I'll do it in one fell swoop! LOL

Allison--Thank you. :) I thought it was hysterical. I'm downloading the list onto my Kindle on payday. It looks like fun reading.

Ella--Thank you! I so appreciate it!

Robin-- Yes, the end of the century is very different and just as colorful! I've got a sereis planned around 1780--as soon as I finish the one set in 1761! LOL Thanks for coming by!

Daryl--Thank you so much! LOL Yes, I loved that description! So "vivid." :)

Sharon--Thank you so much! I love the term "golden age of piracy" and so want to write a book set then with pirates. So many books, so little time! :)

 

Thank you, Patricia! I ran across harris's list while doing research for Scandal and so wanted to put in some reference to it. I managed to do so, but I'm going to try to weave it in in future books as well. It's a fascinating bit of history. Thanks for coming by!

 

I love Historicals period!! Your quit wit had me smiling...
Good job, Jenna!
Neecy

 

Excellent post, Jenna! Thanks for sharing such fascinating tidbits.

 

Neecy--Thanks, hon!Just because it's history doesn't mean it has to be boring! LOL

Dana--Thank you for coming by! Glad you enjoyed it. :)

 

Wow.. elasticity.. Ha, I'm always going to remember this post. :) Very interesting post, Jenna.

 

Loved this post! That excerpt from the 1788 directory had me laughing! Wow. LOL Thank you for sharing. Scandal is a fantastic book! Everyone should read it! :D

 

As always, great post Jenna. Loved the little tidbits.

 

Very informative! Great job!

 

LOL! Loved it, Jenna. I'm not as much a historical reader as I once was, but I prefer the Georgian period over Regency any day. I've heard of those books before... too funny!

 

Post a Comment

Hey there! Comments will make any blogger's day, so leave a comment! Be it good or bad, I want to hear it :D

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...