Tag Archives: Not Proper Enough

Coming up For Air

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Yesterday I turned in my revisions for Not Proper Enough, the sequel to Not Wicked Enough, which I hope you have all rushed out to buy, because I could use another couple of sales, let me tell you.

Whenever an editor says to me something along the lines of “My revisions are really light, I don’t think they’ll take long,” I kind of die inside because that inevitably means there are 3-4 offhand comments that require massive rewriting to properly address. Likewise, I’ve had revision letters that apologize for the huge changes requested and then when you look at them, the huge changes take a couple sentences to fix. Literally.

This time was an in between case. Yes, the revisions were thought to be light but I revised A LOT on my own and to support the revisions requested. Plus the day job required a kind of dreadful amount of my time and attention, so wow. It’s been a tough 2 weeks.

The good news is, as I was working through the MS, I kept thinking, gee, this is WAY better than I remember. And way hotter.

I am brain dead mostly.

And now, as the kitty sez. We all wait for the awesomeness that is Not Proper Enough. September 2012.

Posted in Former Riskies, Risky Book Talk, Writing | Tagged Ninja Cats, Not Proper Enough, On Being Brain Dead, revisions | 4 Replies

Contest! Two ARCs of Not Proper Enough

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

I have two ARCs of my September historical, Not Proper Enough to give away.

Cover of Not Proper Enough. It’s Wicked Hot.

She’s always hated him. He’s loved her from the moment her first saw her.

The Marquess of Fenris has loved Lady Eugenia from the day he first set eyes on her. Five years ago, pride caused him to earn her enmity. Now she’s widowed, and he’s determined to make amends and win her heart. But with their near explosive attraction, can he resist his desire long enough to court her properly?

After the death of her beloved husband, Lady Eugenia Bryant has come to London to build a new life. Despite the gift of a medallion said to have the power to unite the wearer with her perfect match, Eugenia believes she won’t love again. And yet, amid the social whirl of chaperoning a young friend through her first Season, she finds a second chance at happiness.

Unfortunately, the Marquess of Fenris threatens her newfound peace. Eugenia dislikes the man, but the handsome and wealthy heir to a dukedom is more charming than he has a right to be. Constantly underfoot, the rogue disturbs her heart, alternately delighting and scandalizing her. And when their relationship takes a highly improper turn, Eugenia must decide if the wrong man isn’t the right one after all.

10 Reasons you DESPERATELY Want to Read This Book

You will discover why the cover is NOT anachronistic.
Whenever I got stuck while writing this book I thought up another reason for them to have super hot sex.
There is a magic locket.
There are secret passages
There is a room with mirrors
I actually wrote a subplot! There is a duke in it.
A failed lobster attack
Someone’s valet threatens to quit in outrage
There is a fire and a brief discussion of fire insurance hot omg I’m so sorry you have to live at my house now sex scene
I wrote it, and you love me, right?

How to possibly win a ARC:

Rules: Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Winner picked at random. You must leave a comment as noted below by 6:00 AM Pacific on Thursday June 7, 2012. (So the international folks have a fair shot) If you do not include an email address in your comment you commit to check back to see if you won. International OK.

If you win, you are agreeing to review the book. Please post an honest review someplace where other people will see it. Amazon, Goodreads etc are especially awesome places to leave a review, but your blog is also good.

In your comment finish the following sentence:

The rutabaga is a devious vegetable known to pry its way out of cellars and vegetable bins in the darkest hours of the night whereupon, after securing the butterknife, it steals all the __________.

Go.

Posted in Former Riskies, Giveaways | Tagged ARC, devious vegetables, Not Proper Enough | 22 Replies

Happy Release Day! Not Proper Enough

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Not Proper Enough

It’s release day for me. This time, book two of my Reforming the Scoundrels series. I hope you’ll join me in the fun and perhaps rush out to get your hands on the book!

Because of the way I write, I never know what’s going to happen for sure until I have the words on the page. I was nervous knowing, while I was writing the first book (Not Wicked Enough), that I was going to have to write this second one with some facts already established. Ack!! Things I can’t change when it’s their turn?

In Not Wicked Enough I wanted to keep some things vague as to Eugenia and Fenris so as not to write myself into trouble with them. But I couldn’t be so generic that they weren’t interesting. They also needed to serve the needs of Not Wicked Enough. That had to come first.

As I was writing Not Wicked Enough, I had (for me) a fairly definite idea of who Eugenia was, not a huge surprised since she’s my heroine’s best friend. She had a good amount of page time. But Fenris? In Not Wicked Enough, he wasn’t anyone’s friend. Nobody liked him. I knew he’d done something unforgivable. I just didn’t know what.

That’s right. I started writing Not Proper Enough under a wicked tight deadline and without knowing what my hero had done that was so awful. I knew it would work itself out, because, after 16 assorted books, stories and novellas, it just does. My writer’s brain is always hard at work for me. I just have to give it room and not panic for long.

About Not Proper Enough

The Marquess of Fenris has loved Lady Eugenia from the day he first set eyes on her. Five years ago, pride caused him to earn her enmity. Now she’s widowed, and he’s determined to make amends and win her heart. But with their near explosive attraction, can he resist his desire long enough to court her properly?

After the death of her beloved husband, Lady Eugenia Bryant has come to London to build a new life. Despite the gift of a medallion said to have the power to unite the wearer with her perfect match, Eugenia believes she won’t love again. And yet, amid the social whirl of chaperoning a young friend through her first Season, she finds a second chance at happiness.

Unfortunately, the Marquess of Fenris threatens her newfound peace. Eugenia dislikes the man, but the handsome and wealthy heir to a dukedom is more charming than he has a right to be. Constantly underfoot, the rogue disturbs her heart, alternately delighting and scandalizing her. And when their relationship takes a highly improper turn, Eugenia must decide if the wrong man isn’t the right one after all.

Read Chapter 1 of Not Proper Enough

Berkley Sensation
September, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-425-25097-6

What They’re Saying

I love how blunt this romance is too. It’s dirty and fierce. Eugenia almost revels in the fact that she hates him, yet can’t seem to shake him off. They take pleasure from each other, sometimes rough, sometimes drawing it out as long as they can. The romance in this book is so intense that you can’t help but feel the chemistry between these two. I feel like this is where Carolyn Jewel shines. Not just her amazing sexual relationship she builds for her characters, but their overall interactions. Their banter is so smart and fast. Humor, put downs, sarcasm, it all comes through so well. These are two mature people who have been through a lot in their life and watching them come to terms with each other is really a treat.

I found this book to be a clever, very sensual romance. Well done.
Mandi – Smexy Books Romance Reviews

With her engaging, complex characters, knowledge of the era and a sharp ear for dialogue, Jewel creates a nicely written, highly sensual and emotional love story.
RT Magazine

As always, Carolyn Jewel’s writing is polished and her characterizations delightful. With a story that is by turns very hot and very emotional, I found myself relishing the experience of reading this book.
Lynne Spencer, All About Romance

This was another delicious, detailed, smoldering romance from Carolyn Jewel.
Rogues Under the Covers

I highly recommend all historical romance lovers go out and pick up this book. You will not be disappointed.
Fiction Vixen

OH MY GOODNESS! What an awesome book! I loved every minute of it. Talk about a page turner that I couldn’t put down. First off, the story line was moving and shocking at the same time. Not Proper Enough kept me wanting more. To be honest it would be one of those books to re-read again. That right there says a lot. So, I hope that you all get a chance to check this book out when it comes out. Plus, you all want to know if Fenris is able to change Eugenia’s opinion of him.
The Cutest Blog on the Block

Order from

Find a store through BookSense

Directly from Penguin

Outside the US

I hope to have the file ready to go fairly soon!

Posted in Former Riskies, Risky Book Talk | Tagged books, Not Proper Enough, Promotion | 6 Replies

It’s Been A While So Let’s Catch Up!

Updated on November 17, 2022 by carolyn

Hello there. Carolyn Jewel here. I am cautiously hopeful that I’ll be able to post here regularly now that my life is less hectic than it has been for the last couple of years. Since it’s been a while, let’s catch up!

My son officially graduates from college at the end of this week (March 23, 2018) and starts a full time job next week. Cue the happy dancing! Oddly, I am finding ways to stress about this.

I’m almost caught up on a long-standing sleep deficit. It’s scary how you can “adjust” to this and then scarier when you realize how you hadn’t really adjusted at all…

I’ve been making friends with Freddie, my sister’s macaw. I’ve written a few posts about this very interesting and rewarding process over at my blog: Making Friends with Freddie

It’s good to be back. I’ve missed being here.

Before I get into the writing-related information, what have you been up to? Let me know in the comments.

Writing

I did manage to publish some historical stories while I was working on keeping my head above water.

In the last quarter of 2017 I put out Surrender to Ruin, Book 3 in my Sinclair Sisters series.

Image is of a super hot Regency era gentleman who looks like he wants you. Right now.

Cover of Surrender to Ruin

The first two books are Lord Ruin, and A Notorious Ruin.

I also published The Viscount’s First Kiss, a historical novella in the anthology How To Find a Duke in Ten Days.

A Duke is standing to the side with a ducal estate in the background. He looks a but smug, as would I if I were a duke

Cover of How To Find A Duke in Ten Days

You can get the anthology at the links below. My novella will be available as a standalone story sometime next week. The anthology has stories by Grace Burrowes and Shana Galen. Our stories all feature the search for a possibly mythical ancient manuscript.

I also got reversions for Not Wicked Enough and, in a bit of a surprise very recently, Not Proper Enough.

A blonde Regency lady looking a bit sassy. As is proper.

Cover of Not Proper Enough

This is of interest (I hope) mostly to US and Canadian readers. Berkley Books had North American rights so I have long had both books out everywhere else. Now all the versions are the same.

In case anyone made it all the way down here, THANKS!

What have YOU been up to? Let me know in the comments.

Posted in Former Riskies, Writing | Tagged How To Find a Duke in Ten Days, It's been a while, Not Proper Enough, Surrender to Ruin | 3 Replies