“My dear, please move away from that… that thing,” Uncle Reggie was saying. He had his hand on her arm, urging her to get up. “The footmen can’t remove him from the house until you move.”
“They can’t take him,” Beatrice said, still staring at the impossible face.
“My dear girl—”
She looked up. Uncle Reggie was such a darling, even when red-faced with impatience. This might very well kill him. “It’s Viscount Hope.”
Uncle Reggie blinked. “What?”
“Viscount Hope.”
And they both turned to stare at the portrait near the door. It was of a young, handsome man, the former heir to the earldom. The man whose death had made it possible for Uncle Reggie to become the Earl of Blanchard.
Black, heavy-lidded eyes stared from the portrait.
She looked back down at the living man. Though closed she remembered his eyes well. Black, angry, and glittering, they were identical to the eyes in the portrait.
Beatrice’s heart froze in wonder.
Reynaud St. Aubyn, Viscount Hope, the true Earl of Blanchard, was alive.
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Elizabeth Hoyt
Gentle Reader,
Whilst researching my latest novel, TO BEGUILE A BEAST (on sale now), I came across the following document which was written in a Suspiciously Familiar hand. I append it here for Your Amusement.
THE GENTEEL LADY’S GUIDE TO CLEANING CASTLES
Written for the Express Purpose of Guiding the Lady of Quality who may, through no fault of her own, be hiding under an Assumed Name in a Very Dirty Castle Indeed.
1. If at all possible, the Genteel Lady should choose a very dirty castle not inhabited by a Male (one cannot use the word Gentleman!) of a foul and disagreeable disposition.
2. Even if the Male in question is rather attractive otherwise.
3. An apron, preferably in a becoming shade of light blue or rose, is important.
4. The Genteel Lady should immediately hire a large and competent staff—even if it is against the express wishes of the Disagreeable Male. Remember: if the Disagreeable Male knew anything about cleaning, his castle wouldn’t be in such a deplorable state in the first place.
5. Tea is harder to make than one might imagine.
6. Beware birds’ nests hiding in the chimney!
7. The Genteel Lady should never deliver the Disagreeable Male’s luncheon to him in his tower study by herself. This may result in the Lady and the Male being closeted together—alone!
8. Should the Genteel Lady dismiss the Above Advice, she should not under any circumstances participate in a Passionate Embrace with the Disagreeable Male.
9. Even if he is no longer Quite So Disagreeable.
10. Finally, the Genteel Lady should never, ever engage in an Affair d’Coeur with the Master of the Castle. In doing so she puts not only her virtue in peril, but also her heart.
Yours Most Sincerely,
www.elizabethhoyt.com
From the desk of Annie Solomon
Dear Reader,
Everyone always asks me where I get my ideas. Sometimes I get them straight from the newspaper. Or a song lyric might start an idea rolling. Places often give me ideas, especially if they’re new to me. But in the case of my latest, ONE DEADLY SIN (on sale now), the idea for the book came from a tour guide to Iowa.
My brother was moving, which was sad because we live next door to each other, and also happy, because it meant he was taking a job that was exciting and challenging and something he always wanted to do. As a parting gift, someone had given him a guide to interesting places in Iowa, and while flipping through it one day—trying to ignore the boxes that were piling up in his living room—I happened across a famous midwestern legend about a monument in an Iowa cemetery. A monument that supposedly turned black overnight because the man buried beneath it was guilty of crimes of the heart.
That got me thinking. What if the person buried beneath the angel was innocent? What if someone wanted to prove it? What if proving it cost that someone his or her life?
That’s the nugget that got me started on Edie Swann, the tattooed, Harley-riding heroine of ONE DEADLY SIN.
They say you can’t go home again. For Edie, going home is murder. Out to revenge her father’s long-ago death, she’s caught in her own trap by a maniac who wants to see the sins of the past paid in full. With Edie’s blood.
You can check out an excerpt on my Web site, www.anniesolomon.net. You’ll also find more on the legend that started the story circling in my head. And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out my blog for behind-the-scenes stories in the life of a writer.
Happy Reading!
From the desk of Lillian Feist
Dear Reader,
Have you ever had a crush on a rock star? Have you ever watched American Idol and your heart began to pitter-patter as you saw a performer belt out a song, straight from his gut? Have you ever stared at a musician’s fingers as he strummed his guitar and thought, “Wouldn’t it be fabulous to be tied up by that rock star as he did wicked things to me?”
Or maybe that’s just me.
It all started when I heard Robert Plant. I’d never even seen him, but when I listened to him sing I fell in love with his voice. He sounded so soulful, so sexy. I wondered why he wanted someone to squeeze his lemon, but my mom assured me it was because he liked a citrusy tea. Being thirteen, I believed her. It didn’t stop my crush, though. I’d just lie on my bed, listening to Led Zeppelin, in bliss. And when I caught sight of Plant onstage, swinging his hips in those low-slung jeans, I was toast. I never got over my fascination with musicians, and I suspect few of us do.
Enter Mark St. Crow, the hero in my May release, BOUND TO PLEASE. Mark’s a hot, tattooed musician with a tendency to, well, tie women up and do wicked things to them. Of course, I couldn’t make his life easy so I made Mark fall for Ruby Scott, an event planner who longs for stability and all the things Mark’s lifestyle could never allow. Oh, I admit it was fun torturing them both (even though they sometimes liked it) and while I did so I got to live out my not-so-secret rock-star crush, with a heavy dose of spicy romance thrown in.
I hope you enjoy BOUND TO PLEASE! You can find out more information about me and my writing at www.lillianfeisty.com.
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