I am so excited and honored to introduce to all of you the stunningly talent Jen Bradlee as she releases her newest novel, Prince of Whispers. I'm not one to take the spotlight, so take it away Jen!
The blurb:
Dear reader...
If you are expecting a traditional
medieval tale or charming prince, you will not find it here. I am not
like other men for I have a voracious appetite and will appease it no
matter the cost. Do you doubt my confession? Then I invite you to
step into my kingdom.
Women were created for pleasure, tis my
obligation to see them fulfilled. When I whisper, they come to me.
All save one...Lady Ruby. I can see the desire in her eyes even
though her pure and noble heart fights against it. She may be an
outlaw, but a rare gem such as she has never been found in Meradin.
She is my challenge, my penance, and my weakness. Nothing short of
Almighty God Himself can keep her from me. I shall possess her. Ruby
is mine.
Dear reader, will you begrudge me your
company when you learn of my past and how wicked I can truly be? Or
will you come to me willingly, surrender yourself to my charms, and
beg for more? Surely my tale of intrigue, murder, and treason will be
enough to tempt you to sin with me if only for a short while. Come
with me, and I will lay myself bare.
Crispin Saville
From the author goddess, Jen Bradlee, herself:
I have never
loathed and simultaneously loved a character as much as Crispin
Saville. The idea for his story took root when I started following a
wicked little Tumblr page called Loki's Dirty Whispers. They take
quote submissions from followers (basically what they'd like to hear
Loki say to them) and make memes with Loki's picture along with the
naughty quote. I soon became addicted to them, cause I'm a huge fan
of multi-faceted villains/anti-heroes and naughty writing.
Then I realized...I
can write these. Simple right? I made several up, but soon I realized
it wasn't Loki talking to me. It was a fresh character, one I'd never
heard before. Prince Crispin Saville. That bastard.
For the next few
weeks he haunted me. Before I knew it, I had written thirty thousand
words for his story with no sign of stopping. What I had anticipated
being a novella had transformed into a planned trilogy featuring my
wicked Prince of Whispers and his love interest, the infamous outlaw
Ruby, also known as the Lady of the Forest.
Most writers write
their stories, but me, I have to listen to His Highness. That royal
pain in my backside is constantly standing over my shoulder telling
me how to write his story. In protest of his demanding ways, I
took the summer away from his story. Once National Novel Writing
Month started in November, I took up the pen again and finished his
first book.
The characters,
plot, setting, and history contained within this story grew and
spread. I gained two secondary characters who are central to the plot
of the story and a host of other characters who bring this world to
life. They give Ruby and Crispin the support they need to push their
relationship forward. It is a romance after all. But the more I
wrote, the more complicated the story became. I had known back in the
spring that it would be a trilogy, but finishing the first book
proved a confirmation of this direction for the overall story.
My goal for
Crispin's journey is to end each book at a natural pause in the
story. Each will have a Happily For Now ending, but the arc of their
journey will filter through all three books. Details in book one are
crucial to understanding the events of the upcoming book two...which
I haven't started writing yet, but I do have most of it plotted.
The Prince of
Whispers began as a whimsical adventure of a fangirl lusting after a
Loki/King Henry V mashup. I'm a huge Tom Hiddleston fan, so yeah, he
became the model for Crispin's character. I still see him when I
picture Crispin, but there's more dimension now, as if my character
has taken on a life of his own. I shudder at the thought. Saints
preserve us if Crispin ever leapt from the pages of my book.
Ruby reflects a lot
of my own personality, but she also has very different qualities that
make her unique. I wanted a strong, kick-ass heroine who could hold
her own against a band of brigands or an insanely irresistible prince
with a silver tongue. I can't give you much more information about
Ruby...spoilers, darling. But know that she is definitely full of
fire and will keep Crispin on his guard.
There are several references to Robin Hood in the story...Easter
eggs, if you will, hidden in the text. I even made mention of a
particular romantic pairing I favored from the television show, Robin
Hood. So keep an eye out for that if you're a fan of the legendary
outlaw.
I am both terrified
and thrilled to write the next two books in this series. I love all
the characters in the books, but I fear there is a lot of turmoil
churning, both for me and the characters. Until then, I hope you
enjoy my naughty prince and his wicked whispers. Feel free to send a
message or follow me for more updates on my work. Thank you!
The synopsis:
The synopsis:
Crispin Saville is
the entitled second son of the king of Meradin. The Prince of
Whispers, as he'd been dubbed by the ladies of court, seeks only to
satisfy his own appetites and desires. After his brother's passing,
Crispin believes himself to be next in line for the throne, until his
father issues an ultimatum...forego his hedonistic ways
or be banished
from Meradin forever.
Thrust into a
journey of self-discovery at the command of the king, Crispin finds
himself without title or coin to sustain him
as he wanders the kingdom. When an
outlaw, the notorious Lady of the Forest, comes to his aid, he must
hide his true identity. Crispin discovers hiding his true nature
difficult as the fire haired lass bewitches him with her sharp wit
and even sharper blade.
Murder and tales of
treason fill the halls of Culver. Crispin and Ruby must battle
their desire and learn to trust one another, or risk losing the
nation they both love to war and chaos.
The excerpt:
Crispin stood behind the stable,
leaning against the wall. He saw the little space Matthew had set up
for Ruby's bath. The curtains were backlit by the lantern, and from
this angle, he could see everything perfectly. He watched as she
stripped off her tunic, tossing it on the ground. Then she toed off
her boots and shimmied out of her trousers, adding them to the pile.
Her silhouette left little to the imagination. Crispin groaned, hard
and aching for her. Seeing her thus only intensified that feeling
tenfold.
She stepped into the bath. When he
heard her sigh of delight echo in the darkness, it proved too much
for him to take. Crispin pushed away from the wall, taking silent,
purposeful steps toward her little oasis. The sound of the water
sloshing in the wooden tub and the water falling over her head as she
rinsed the soap from her hair reached his ears. He paused, just
outside the little makeshift curtain. Her soft sighs made his cock
twitch. He watched her shadow move as she bathed, her hands gliding
over her body. His hands clenched into fists as he fought the desire
raging through him.
Ruby settled her head back against the
tub. The throaty sigh she released snapped what remained of his
reserve. He pulled the curtain aside and stepped into her tiny
sanctuary.
Her head snapped up in surprise, her
hands covering her chest instinctively. "What are you doing? Get
out!" She looked delicious, completely drenched, the water
running in rivulets down her pale skin. He wanted to trace every
trail with his tongue.
"You and I
have unfinished business, my lady," he said, wrapping his hands
around her wrists and pulling her up. Her breasts fell free when he
did so, and his blood heated at the sight of them. Slightly fuller
than he had imagined, they complimented her curves perfectly. Her
rosy nipples perked at the kiss of the cool night air. He held her
wrists tight as she tried to jerk free. His cock strained against his
trousers, begging for release.
"You would rape me then, to get
what you want?" She scoffed, sneering at him. "You are no
better than the bastard I killed in that cave."
Crispin tsked. "I never take what
is not freely given." He pulled her close, pressing her naked
body against him, and pinned her wrists at her sides. She faced him,
defiance shining in her eyes. "Tell me you do not want what I
offer you. A night of pleasure the likes of which you have never
experienced."
"That is not saying much,"
she said with a half-choked laugh.
"Untouched?" he asked,
intrigued. "You are a wealth of surprises."
"Let me go, Cris." Her words
were direct, but he heard the quiver in her voice.
"Your lip trembles," he
murmured. "Do I frighten you? Or does the thought of me claiming
you make you shiver in anticipation?"
Her eyes narrowed. "I am cold, you
calf-brained fool."
"Then allow me to remedy that."
He dropped her wrists and hoisted her up and over his shoulder.
Biography:
Jen
Bradlee can get away with murder, metaphorically speaking of course.
She is a sensual woman who enjoys people watching, belly dancing, and
taking walks in the rain. Give her a man who isn't afraid to get his
hands dirty and plays hard. The ones with rough edges and a little
scruff are the best. She finds cathartic release when she pours all
her fantasies and desires into her writing. Comes with a warning
label. "Too hot to handle."
Her
sexy romantic side comes out in her writing. Inspired by Tom
Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch, she creates characters who have
multiple facets to them...the gentleman in the streets but with a
wild, dangerous side behind closed doors. She loves villains and
anti-heroes, bad boys and irredeemable men. We all have a dark side,
sometimes it must be freed.
An
intense introvert, Jen finds it difficult to interact with people in
person, but online is a whole different beast. So send a message,
strike up a conversation...she promises not to bite...hard. *wink*
Author
Links:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JenBradlee
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/Jen_Bradlee
Buy Links:
