Alex’s Angel is different from my other published stories. It has a slower start. Part of the reason for this is that the heroine and hero are introduced before they meet each other. I wanted readers to know Emily and her motivation for getting her book published. I felt it was important to know for the reader to be able to understand her actions and beliefs. She really believes her art and her book could save the mariners who were being held in captivity in Algeria.

There is an additional reason for a slower start. Alex is not sexually or romantically attracted to Emily when he first sees her. She’s just not his type. She’s too young, too thin. She is not a classic beauty. She is not elegant or sophisticated. These are all the things that Alex values in his women.

But she is very intense, willful and passionate about her beliefs. It is her force of personality that holds his attention and makes it hard for him to simply turn away from her.

I could have started the story right before he begins to feel attracted to her but I wanted the reader to know their story from the very first moment he set eyes on her. I felt something would have been lost without this.

What do you think about stories with a slower start and a little wait before the fireworks begin? Stories that introduce the hero and heroine before they meet and have a slight wait to get to the sexy bits?

Alex’s Angel is the story of an idealistic nineteen year old crusader. She uses her artist’s vision and skills to write a book that she believes will change the hearts of a nation. She knows her book will save the lives of American mariners held for years forgotten in barbaric captivity in Algeria. She will do anything to see her book in print.

However, she has no idea that the issue of the Barbary Captives is rife with political implications. There are reasons why printers won’t publish her book. After repeated rejections, she knows she needs a benefactor, someone who will pay the cost of getting her book printed.

In the course of her mission, she meets handsome and charming yet enigmatic Alexander Dalton, the second most wealthy gentleman in Federalist Philadelphia. His carnal appeal and financial power over her threatens to knock her off her determined course. Will his dark secrets engulf her and extinguish her inner light. Or can she find a way to love and believe in a flawed man and yet still be true to her cause?

By the way, even though there is a lot of history in this story, it is still very much an erotic romance. Night Owl Reviews described it as “Very erotic with the blistering chemistry…” It does not follow a traditional romance plot. The heroine is unconventional.

What you think about crusading women. Who is your favorite female crusader for a cause?

What People Are Saying About Alex’s Angel:

Review From Miz Love Loves Books

Reviewed by Miz Love

“Ms Blackthorne’s attention to detail, right down to how she uses certain words and phrases, pleased me. To know she has so obviously researched and studied made me feel that she values giving her readers a close-to-exact representation of the era as she can. Superb images, wonderful emotions stirred…

The characters are well-rounded, very well explored, and their emotions were displayed so that I never had to wonder how they were feeling. Ms Blackthorne covered all her bases, and again I was grateful. This is a very emotion-laden tale—perfectly so—where I was drawn in, sucked under, and wandered through that time and their lives as though I belonged there and was one of them. The characters became important to me, were my friends…Best Bits: The whole damn book. Every single lush word, scene, character and emotion they inspired.”

Review From My Book Addiction Reviews

Reviewed by AprilR

“ALEX’S ANGEL by Natasha Blackthorne is an exciting erotic historical romance set in 1793 Philadelphia, PA…This is an emotional read from the first page to the last page…This author knows how to write an erotic historical romance that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The characters will capture your heart,as you watch them grow. A must read! I loved this story. If you enjoy historicals,Georgian era,Americana,hot passion,with a twist then Alex’s Angel is the story for you.”

Review From Salacious Reads

Reviewed by Sharonda

“I’m becoming a steadfast fan of Natasha Blackthorne. She writes the most heated, sexually charged historical novels that I’ve read. And its not just the sex in these stories that keeps me coming back, but its also her writing. Its just fabulous, it’s the main reason why I’ll keep reading her books. She’s taking women from a period where you were actually only seen and not heard and she’s empowering them…

These women are strong mentally, physically and sexually and they are taking control of their sometimes dire situations. But lets not forget the men in these stories. They are strong men, A man’s man. Men who expects a lady to act as a lady should, but still remain the strong woman she is…All and all, another awesome read. I LOVED it. Please pick this one up and any other book in the Carter Blanche series, you will not regret it and you will definitely be hooked.”

Review From Night Owl Romance

Reviewed by Chris

“Very erotic with the blistering chemistry between them and Emily’s lack of disgust at her own sexuality; she actually embraced it and enjoyed improving upon it with Alex’s teachings. Alex’s perception of his unworthiness was understood but not agreed upon, and Emily’s fearless actions finally convinced him. I happily ended the book anticipating a charmed life for them together with a touch of envy. A good read.”

Review From Close Encounters with the Night Kind

Reviewed by Nikki

“It’s no secret that I truly enjoy Natasha’s works. She has the unique talent of coming up with new and inventive stories. Alex’s Angel was no exception…This is another great addition to add to Natasha’s Carte Blanche Series!!! I am EAGERLY anticipating A Measured Risk. Hats off to Natasha for continuously entertaining us with her amazingly unusual stories!!”

Review From Queentutt’s World of Escapsim

Reviewed by Ronda

“Natasha Blackthorne has created another awesome story showing the vigorous mind set of how the historical views of Jacobism, republicanism, and democraticism were manipulated in the times of Thomas Jefferson, how money influenced everything, and how a woman has an even harder time to gain any status within the community. Adding some sexual flare to the story makes this one hot and sizzling read.”

Excerpt One From: Alex’s Angel:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are 18 years of age, or over.

If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

Copyright © Natasha Blackthorne, 2012

All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined Limited, T/A Total-E-Bound.

Philadelphia, PA

August 1793

Prologue

A quarter to two in the afternoon. With her stomach knotting, Emily Eliot tore her eyes from the clock. She’d have to hurry, else Grandmother would get a megrim over her being out for longer than it took to walk to the baker’s and back. She hated making Grandmother ill.

Emily’s heart echoed the rhythm of the printing presses as she drew up her courage. She took a deep breath and approached the man who was leaning so lazily against the worn walnut desk.

“Good afternoon, Mr Sawyer. I’d like to discuss my book again.”

He blinked several times, then grinned. He wasn’t too old or too ugly, but his reptilian smile repulsed her to the very pit of her soul. “Now, sweeting, I have explained it repeatedly—if you’d only be a little more agreeable with me, I’d look a little more favourably on this book of yours.”

Her mouth fell open. What—had he just made an improper suggestion? After she had so patiently explained the last time that she was uninterested in—in… Well, in what he was interested in? He’d seemed like such a rational person. Why must he be so insensitive?

She gaped at him.

He peeled an orange with his ink-stained fingers, filling the air with a sharp citrus scent that mingled with the odours of paper dust and fresh ink. All the time he leered at her. Leered at her while she was here to see him on a matter of such importance.

Crawling sensations tingled over her skin and she resisted the urge to shiver openly. She still wasn’t used to dealing with men on her own and certainly not men who regarded her so salaciously. But for the sake of her mission, she’d have to press on. She wiped her sweating, shaking hands on her skirts and took a step closer.

“Mr Sawyer, please don’t tease me. You said I might return in two months and ask if you had changed your mind about printing my book.”

He lifted his sandy brows as he paused with an orange segment held to his red, overripe lips. “I believe that what I said was for you to wait at least two months before coming to pester me again.”

Pester him? Pester him? How could he suggest that her work was so insignificant? It was only the most pressing issue facing the United States at the moment. Her book was a collection of stories telling the tales of some of the mariners from the Dauphin, a ship out of Philadelphia that had been captured by the Barbary Pirates in 1785.

She’d had to wait so long already, for accomplishing this work had been no small feat under the watchful gaze of her grandmother. She owed a great debt to Mr Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, who had answered her very first enquiry and generously supplied the names and addresses of the mariners’ relatives. Over the past two and a half years, through letters, she’d managed to interview the families of the captured men. She had also done detailed sketches of them, from their family’s descriptions. But gathering the information like that had taken so much time. More time than she could have imagined when she’d embarked on her course.

Now it was taking every ounce of faith she possessed to persevere with trying to get her work distributed to the populace. All she lived for was getting her book printed, but she’d never imagined it would be like this. She’d been sure that the need for her work would ensure its rapid publication. Yet to her vast shock, she’d been rejected by every printer she’d contacted. “Well, Mr Sawyer, it is very hard to remain patient when I know that my book will bring a personal perspective that the people of the United States will no longer be able to ignore.”

He stared back at her silently, blinking a few times. Had he even heard her? Didn’t he know it was rude to refuse to answer? Goodness. Writing letters had been a lot easier than facing printers in their shops. She straightened her spine.

“Mr Sawyer, how could anyone with any human feeling remain passive while our countrymen are still held in Algiers, in shameful slavery?” She couldn’t help letting some of her disapprobation leach into her tone. “It has been almost a decade and still our country refuses to act.”

“Indeed, it is terrible business what those Barbary pirates have done, but our country is young and money is limited.” He rolled his shoulders up and tilted his head to the side.

Then he relaxed. “Without a navy and without large sums to pay their ransoms, I just don’t see what more can be done.”

He popped a piece of orange into his mouth and chewed it slowly.

She resisted the urge to shake her head. Initially, he had seemed like a kind person. How could he just stand there and say those things? Didn’t he care about what his countrymen were going through? Apparently not. Unfortunately, in her experience, his apathy wasn’t atypical. Her shoulders sagged. It was so hard to see what needed to be done so clearly and yet to have others be so blind and deaf to her message. But she couldn’t give up.

Clearly she’d have to try harder.

“Please, Mr Sawyer, you must listen.” The words rushed past her lips, their urgency pressing hard on her. She took a deep breath and made a concentrated effort to slow down. “The long-term lack of concern over this issue is what has allowed those men captured in eighty-four to be held for all these years. My book would really help people to see this issue in a more personal light. People need to see those men as fellow citizens, with families who love and need them—not just as names on a list.”

“Young lady, I’ve told you repeatedly what I need. The public wants to read stories of captivity, torture, ravishment, a little allusion to sexual depravity…heaving bosoms.” Mr Sawyer’s gaze dropped to her bodice. “Though for myself, I prefer more tender fruits.” His leer was unmistakable.

She gasped and fought a sudden wave of dizziness. Every time she’d come here, he had pushed the bounds of decency a little more. However, no man had ever spoken to her so bluntly as he had just done. For one thing, they would never have dared with her formidable, sharp-tongued grandmother always close by. But here, today, Emily was alone and she’d have to fend for herself. She crossed her arms over her small breasts and squared her shoulders.

“We could discuss a compromise.”

“A compromise?” she asked warily.

“Aye, a compromise.” He pushed away from his desk and walked towards her…

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