Coming This January

My latest novel in the Reluctant Grooms Series, THE DUKE'S DIVORCE, will be available in e-book format from Amazon and Smashwords at the end of January. I hope you'll look for it.

           An uncomplicated trip to the Scottish Highlands to check on his estate turns into a nightmare for Robert Carlton, the Duke of Cantin. A simple act of kindness finds him married at gunpoint to Fiona, the Laird Stewart’s daughter. Both are distraught by the turn of events, until Robert comes up with a plan – they will remain married for six months, at which time, the marriage will be annulled and Fiona will receive a generous annuity.
            Fiona’s impeccable beauty, fiery disposition, and her penchant for finding scandal wherever she goes, take Society by storm. Robert’s restrictive contract for his new duchess has Fiona rebelling at every opportunity. Living with the oppressive duke has her wanting out of their marriage sooner than the proposed six months.
            Robert is finding it difficult to keep his hands off his exquisite new bride, but that was part of the agreement. Desire and jealousy prove a powerful aphrodisiac. Robert must come to terms with his emotional upheaval as well as a long-ago betrayal, and he finally realizes she may be the woman he has been waiting for all his life.
            Convincing Fiona of his love may be the hardest thing Robert has ever had to do. He thinks he’s finally won her heart until the night of their ball when a devastating secret from his past surfaces and threatens to ruin their newfound happiness. Will the promise of an uncertain future with Robert be enough to keep Fiona from filing divorce papers of her own?


A HUSBAND FOR MISS TRENT is now available

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            When a surprising invitation arrives in the post, impoverished spinster Miss Ophelia Trent wants to turn it down. With no funds for a new gown or even slippers, she’s afraid of becoming the latest laughingstock in Society. With her mother’s gentle insistence, and a borrowed antique gown, Ophelia decides to take one last chance to find a suitable husband.

            The ball to which she’s been invited is everything she could have dreamed, including a marriage proposal to the "perfect" man. However, she longs to see the stableman whose easy smile and soulful eyes have etched a mark on her lonely heart.
            Should she stick with "perfect" or let her heart take a chance at finding true love?

Hope you'll look for them.

A Holiday Surprise

I was recently asked to prepare a little holiday post for Sia McKye's blog "Over Coffee"

and I am honored it's up today. It features my latest heroine, Miss Ophelia Trent. And in the version for Sia, I've only allowed 1200 words to capture her spirit, and only one man to capture her heart.

In the novella, (which will be out in January) Miss Trent finds there is something to be said for waiting until you're older before you marry.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Don't Judge a Book by its Title

As a reader, a good title will catch your eye. As a writer, we slave over finding the best one possible, and even then, somewhere during the process of writing, revising, editing, it will get changed.

I'm not good with titles. Never have been. As a matter of fact, some have said my titles are boring.

Titles need to convey, not only the spirit of the book, but possibly a hint to the climax as well. Take these titles, for example --

WHEN HARRY MET MOLLY Kieran Kramer
WED HIM BEFORE YOU BED HIM Sabrina Jeffries
WHEN HE WAS WICKED Julia Quinn
CONFESSIONS OF A LITTLE BLACK GOWN Elizabeth Boyle

Don't they just want to make you pick them up and read them all in one sitting?

My titles are just very basic things. They don't really stand out, they don't really "do" anything. It's like I just slapped any old title on them for the sake of having one.

THE LADY'S MASQUERADE
THE LADY'S FATE
THE DUKE'S DIVORCE
THE CAPTAIN'S LADY
THE EARL'S ENIGMA

And this wasn't because I didn't try to come up with a decent title, I did. For the longest time THE LADY'S MASQUERADE was going to be THE STEWARD AND MISS HIGGINS. But then who would want to read a book about these two people when the whole premise of the book was about masquerading as someone else, and the climax does indeed take place at a masquerade ball.

The same with THE LADY'S FATE. That title originally was FOR THE LOVE OF JANE. This did nothing exciting for the plot, or the characters because Jane is a little girl and the story revolves "around" her, but is not necessarily "about" her. Know what I mean? However, I would like to add THE LADY'S FATE is particularly ambiguous as well, but it does convey a sort of little mystery -- what is her fate?

I've also been waffling back and forth with THE DUKE'S DIVORCE these days. Divorce was hardly EVER done way back when, the social mores of the time were strict, and parties involved would rather suffer through abuse, abandonment, and monetary irresponsibility than get a divorce. Hence, the idea of THE DUKE'S DILEMMA. Same premise, less harsh reality. Then again, for those of my readers who do know the era, a divorce is surely to intrigue enough to read.

So the next time you see a book with a so-so title, don't pass it by, give it a go. You might be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes writers use up all their creativity in the writing of their books and have nothing left for the title.

At least that's what I tell myself.

Tell me -- Do you judge a book by its title?

Interpreting Heroines

In last week's post, I discussed how I interpreted my heroes and what they would be like today. Interpreting my heroines is a daunting task, as women in 1810 were not allowed any freedoms that we are allowed today.

Back then, women were "kept" as possessions, sold to the highest bidder by their father. They had no rights, no assets, whatever they "owned", what little money they had, usually went to their husbands upon their marriage. Sucks right?

So let's see if I can come up with something suitable for my "girls" to "do" in today's world.

In 1810 --

Penny -- Lady Penelope Leighton, daughter of the Duke of Olmstead. Afflicted with a stutter and looking for love in marriage.

Violet -- Lady Violet Flowers. Daughter of the missing Earl of Flowers. Seventeen and making her debut.

Amanda -- Married to Barthomolew Wood. Mother to Rachel. Best friend to Penny until her father took her to seek his fortune in America.

Rosamund -- Lady Rosamund Smith. Bluestocking. Caretaker of her parents.

Fiona -- Lady Fiona Stewart. Daughter of the Earl of Fionghall. Twenty-nine and has never been kissed.

Present day --

Penny -- Shy, retiring twenty-two year old, wants to be a horse vetrinarian.

Violet -- Lives in the shadow of a beautiful older sister. Desires to work with children.

Amanda -- Jerkface husband walked out on her and took their daughter. She owns a small farm and makes do with whatever money that brings in. Someday she hopes to have enough to search for her daughter.

Rosamund -- Straight A college student, working on her doctorate in ancient history.

Fiona -- Living as a housekeeper to her brutish father. No friends, no family, has only sheep for company.


As the men don't necessarily WANT to be married, the women, too, have their own realities to face.

Penny -- Her stutter debilitates her. She believes she will never find the man of her dreams.

Violet -- With a beautiful older sister, and being on the "plump" side, also with no dowry to speak of, Violet gives up any hope of ever meeting "the one".

Amanda -- Has wrapped herself in a bubble of memories of her daughter. Stuck between a rock and a hard place waiting for her return, she can't move forward with her life.

Rosamund -- Caring for her aging parents has left her no choice but to remain unmarried.

Fiona -- Gets caught in a compromising position through no fault of her own and must marry a man she doesn't even know.

Now, don't get me wrong, these ladies do have wherewithal to fight for themselves and what they inevitably want. Sure they have to go through hell and back to get it, but to them, love is worth it. Isn't it?