From bestselling author Anne Rice, writing as A.N. Roquleaure. In the traditional folktale of 'Sleeping Beauty,' the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. It is an ancient story, one that originally emerged from and still deeply disturbs the mind's unconscious. Now Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Here the Prince reawakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. His reward for ending the hundred years of enchantment is Beauty's complete and total enslavement to him as Anne Rice explores the world of erotic yearning and fantasy in a classic that becomes, with her skillful pen, a compelling experience.
Excerpt from Chapter one
In the topmost bedchamber of the house he found her. He had stepped over sleeping chambermaids and valets, and, breathing the dust and damp of the place, he finally stood in the door of her sanctuary.
Her flaxen hair lay long and straight over the deep green velvet of her bed, and her dress in loose folds revealed the rounded breasts and limbs of a young woman.
He opened the shuttered windows. The sunlight flooded down on her. And approaching her, he gave a soft gasp as he touched her cheek, and her teeth through her parted lips, and then her tender rounded eyelids.
Her face was perfect to him, and her embroidered had fallen deep into the crease between her legs so that he could see the shape of her sex beneath it.
He drew out his sword, with which he had cut back all the vines outside, and gently slipping the blade between her two breasts, let it rip easily through the old fabric.
Her dress was laid open to the hem, and he folded it back and looked at her. Her nipples were as rosy pink as were her lips, and the hair between her legs was darkly yellow and curlier than the long straight hair of her head which covered her arms almost down to her hips on either side of her.
He cut the sleeves away, lifting her ever so gently to free the cloth, and the weight of her hair seemed to pull her head down over his arms, and her mouth opened just a little bit wider.
He put his sword to one side. He removed his heavy armor. And then he lifted her again, his left arm under her shoulders, his right hand between her legs, his thumb on the top of her pubis.
He opened the shuttered windows. The sunlight flooded down on her. And approaching her, he gave a soft gasp as he touched her cheek, and her teeth through her parted lips, and then her tender rounded eyelids.
Her face was perfect to him, and her embroidered had fallen deep into the crease between her legs so that he could see the shape of her sex beneath it.
He drew out his sword, with which he had cut back all the vines outside, and gently slipping the blade between her two breasts, let it rip easily through the old fabric.
Her dress was laid open to the hem, and he folded it back and looked at her. Her nipples were as rosy pink as were her lips, and the hair between her legs was darkly yellow and curlier than the long straight hair of her head which covered her arms almost down to her hips on either side of her.
He cut the sleeves away, lifting her ever so gently to free the cloth, and the weight of her hair seemed to pull her head down over his arms, and her mouth opened just a little bit wider.
He put his sword to one side. He removed his heavy armor. And then he lifted her again, his left arm under her shoulders, his right hand between her legs, his thumb on the top of her pubis.
- Visit Alis Bookshelf on Sept. 12 for the end of this excerpt.
She uses the pseudonym Anne Rampling for adult-themed fiction (i.e., erotica) and A.N. Roquelaure for fiction featuring sexually explicit sado-masochism.
I would love for this to be my first Anne Rice read :)
ReplyDeletethyanks
ReplyDeleteI have heard TONS of good things about this book!
ReplyDeleteI have heard mixed things about this book, but I am curious. It sounds good though.
ReplyDeleteI'm also curious about this book. I really liked her book The Mummy, though was not as not as big a fan of her Vampire series.
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot of great things about this book. I've only read one of her books from the vampire series. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteawesome, awesome, awesome! I've heard this book is really good
ReplyDeleteSigh...I'm very conflicted. On one hand, it sounds very steamy. And you know how much I love my steam. But on the other hand, the dude is fondling a sleeping lady. I dunno...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt.
This is something new from Anne Rice. I am used to demons, vamps and witches. Would not mind trying this one! Thanks for the cool giveaway!
ReplyDeletelaurathomas61(at)att(dot)net
A wild twist on Sleeping Beauty.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a twist on this fairy tale. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Okay Anne Rice. You might have made a few questionable decisions on some recent releases, but I STILL LOVE your writing. Queen of gothic writing.
ReplyDeleteknotty1tink(at)yahoo(dot)com
gotta say, I read this series a LONG time ago and if you like erotica, this is a great set of books. (I can't believe I just admitted that)
ReplyDeleteI love Anne Rice, I mean, who doesn't?
ReplyDeleteAnne Rice trilogy? Yes please and thank you! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an exciting giveaway! I hope that I end up being one of the lucky 25.
ReplyDeleteLindy Gomez
Thank you for this awesome giveaway. I would love to have a read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for such great giveaways!!!
ReplyDeleteI just stopped by to check in and OMG!! I'm a winner! Can't wait!
ReplyDeletelaurathomas61@att.net