Part 45 (1/2)
”Regency matchmaking, rakes, rogues, innocence, and scandal: oh what fun! Dreiling knows how to combine these ingredients into a delightfully delicious, wickedly witty slice of reading pleasure.”
-RT Book Reviews.
”5 stars! This was an enchanting tale that had me grinning from ear to ear. The chemistry between Marc and Julianne was flammable and only needed a spark to set it off.”
-SeducedbyaBook.com ”The scenes between Julianne and Hawk are lots of fun; they have great physical chemistry and razor-sharp dialogue.”
-NightOwlRomance.com.
How to Marry a Duke.
”s.e.xy, fresh, and witty...A delicious read! Better than chocolate! Vicky Dreiling is an author to watch!”
-Sophie Jordan, New York Times bestselling author.
”A terrific romp of a read!...Vicky is a bright new voice in romance.”
-Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author ”Dreiling's delightful debut combines the rituals of Regency courts.h.i.+p with TV's The Bachelor...the inherent charm of the characters (especially the dowager d.u.c.h.ess) keeps the pages flying until the surprising conclusion. Dreiling is definitely a newcomer to watch.”
-RT Book Reviews.
”Engaging...charming...the cast is solid as they bring humor, shenanigans, and deportment, but the tale belongs to the duke and his matchmaker.”
-Midwest Book Review.
”A witty, nouris.h.i.+ng romp of a romance...impossible to put down...Dreiling mesmerizes as she brings an era to life. She fills the pages with laughter, sensuality, and charm. How to Marry a Duke is an irresistible ride readers will return to again and again.”
-Examiner.com.
THE DISH.
Where Authors Give You the Inside Scoop.
From the desk of Vicky Dreiling.
Dear Reader, I had a lot of imaginary boyfriends when I was a kid. My friend Kim and I read Tiger Beat magazine and chose our loves. I ”dated” David Ca.s.sidy, a yesteryear heartthrob from a TV show called The Partridge Family. Kim's ”boyfriend” was Donny Osmond, although she might have had a brief crush on Barry Williams, better known as Greg from The Brady Bunch. I did a quick search online and discovered that Tiger Beat magazine still exists, but the stars for today's preteens are Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner, and members of the boy band One Direction.
The idea of a big family and rock-star boyfriends really appealed to us. We traveled in imaginary tour buses to imaginary concerts. We listened to the music and sang along, pretending we were onstage, too. Of course, we invented drama, such as mean girls trying to steal our famous boyfriends backstage.
Recently, I realized that the seeds of the families I create in my novels were sown in my preteen years as Kim and I pretended to date our celebrity crushes. As I got older, imaginary boyfriends led to real-life boyfriends in high school and college. Eventually, marriage and kids led to an extended family, one that continues to grow.
In WHAT A RECKLESS ROGUE NEEDS, two close families meet once a year at a month-long house party. As in real life, much has changed for Colin and Angeline. While they were born only a week apart, they never really got along very well. An incident at Angeline's come-out ball didn't help matters, either. Many years have elapsed, and now Colin finds he needs Angeline's help to keep from losing a property that holds very deep emotional ties for him. Once they cross the threshold of Sommerall House, their lives are never the same again, but they will always have their families.
May the Magic Romance Fairies be with all of you and your families!
.
From the desk of Paula Quinn.
Dear Reader, As most of you know, I love dogs. I have six of them. I see your eyes bugging out. Six?? Yes, six precious tiny Chihuahuas and all together they weight approximately twenty-seven pounds. I've had dogs my whole life-big ones, little ones. So it's not surprising that I would want to write dogs into my books. This time I went big: 140 pounds of big.
In THE SEDUCTION OF MISS AMELIA BELL we meet Grendel, an Irish wolfhound mix, who along with our hero, Edmund MacGregor, wins the heart of our heroine, Amelia Bell. Grendel is the son of Aurelius, whom some of you might remember as the puppy Colin MacGregor gave to Edmund, his stepson, in Conquered by a Highlander. Since this series is called Highland Heirs, I figured why not include the family dog heirs as well?
I loved writing a dog as a secondary character, and Grendel is an important part of Edmund and Amelia's story. Now, really, what's better than a big, brawny, s.e.xy Highlander? Right: a big, brawny, s.e.xy Highlander with a dog. Or if you live in NYC, you can settle for a hunky guy playing with his dog in the park.
My six babies all have distinct personalities. For instance, Riley loves to bark and be an all-around pain in the neck. He's high-strung and loves it. Layla, my biggest girl, must ”mother” all the others. She keeps them in line with a soft growl and a lick to the eyeball. Liam, my tiny three-pound boy, isn't sure if he's Don Juan or Napoleon. He'll drop and show you his package if you call him cute. They are all different and I wanted Grendel to have his own personality, too.
Much like his namesake, Grendel hates music and powdered periwigs. He's faithful and loyal, and he loves to chase smaller things... like people. Even though Edmund is his master and Grendel does, of course, love him best, it doesn't take Amelia long to win his heart, or for Grendel to win hers, and he soon finds himself following at her heels. Some of my favorite scenes involve the subtle interactions between Amelia and Grendel. This big, seemingly vicious dog is always close by when Amelia is sad or afraid. When things are going on all around them, Amelia just has to rest her hand on Grendel's head and it completely calms her. We witness a partial transformation of owners.h.i.+p in the small, telltale ways Grendel remains ever constant at Amelia's side.
Even when Grendel finds Gaza, his own love interest (hey, I'm a romance writer, what can I say?), he is still faithful to his human lady. We won't get into doggy love, but suffice it to say, there will be plenty of furry heirs living in Camlochlin for a long time to come. They might not be the prettiest dogs in Skye, but they are the most loyal.
This was my first foray into writing a dog as a secondary character and I must say I fell in love with a big, s...o...b..ring mutt named after a fiend who killed men for singing. I wasn't surprised that Grendel filled his place so well in Edmund and Amelia's story. Each of my dogs does the same in mine and my kids' stories. That's what dogs do. They run headlong into our lives barking, tail wagging, sharing wet, sloppy kisses. They love us with an almost supernatural, unconditional love. And we love them back.
I hope you get a chance to pick up THE SEDUCTION OF MISS AMELIA BELL and meet Edmund and Amelia and, of course, Grendel.
Happy reading!.
From the desk of Kristen Ashley.
Dear Reader, Years ago, I was walking to the local shops and, as usual, I had my headphones in. As I was walking, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's ”You'll Accomp'ny Me” came on and somehow, even having heard this song dozens and dozens of times before, the lyrics suddenly hit me.
This isn't unusual. I have to be in a certain mood to absorb lyrics. But when I am, sometimes they'll seep into my soul, making me smile, or making me cry.