Elizabeth loves to hear from her readers. You may e-mail her at: [email protected] or mail her at: PO Box 17134, Urbana, Illinois 61803. Please visit her Web site at elizabethhoyt.com for contests, book excerpts, and author updates.
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Elizabeth Hoyt
Gentle Reader,
Lady Emeline Gordon, the heroine of my book, TO TASTE TEMPTATION (on sale now), is an acknowledged expert at guiding young ladies safely through the labyrinth of London high society. So when the notorious and notoriously wealthy American merchant Mr. Samuel Hartley needs a chaperone for his younger sister, naturally he arranges for an introduction to the lovely, widowed Lady Emeline. Well . . . at least her social expertise is the reason Sam gives for asking for an introduction to Lady Emeline. In any case, whilst researching the book, I examined closely Lady Emeline’s own handwritten papers. Amongst them I found the following artifact, which I hope will be of interest to you, my Gentle Reader.
Some Rules for a Young Lady Wishing to Sail the Turbulent Waters of High Society without Wrecking Her Vessel against the Rocks of Misfortune.
1. A young lady’s costume is of the utmost importance. Her gown, hat, gloves, fichu, and shoes—especially her shoes—should show Good Taste but not Excessive Taste.
2. A lady should never talk to a gentleman not introduced to her. Some men—I will not call them gentlemen—will attempt to circumvent this rule. A young lady must not let them.
3. The kind of Male Rogue mentioned above is, in fact, best handled by a Lady of Mature Years and Quick Wit.
4. A young lady may never let a gentleman who is not a relative embrace her. Note: Naturally this rule does not apply to a Lady of a Certain Age.
5. If a lady of any age lets a gentleman embrace her, the lady should be certain that he is a Very Good Kisser indeed. She may require several sessions to be entirely certain.
6. Beware of country house parties.
7. When at a country house party it is imperative that a young lady not become cloistered with a gentleman. People with too much imagination may think she is engaging in an Affaire de Coeur.
8. Affairs should only be conducted by a Lady of a Mature and Not Easily Heated Disposition.
9. However, it is desirable that the gentleman in the above mentioned Affair become Very Heated indeed.
10. Whatever she does, a lady engaging in an affair must never, never fall in love with her paramour.
That way lies disaster.
Yours Most Sincerely,
www.elizabethhoyt.com
From the desk of Sarah McKerrigan
Dear Reader,
If you’re as much of a fan of medieval romance as I am, you know the plots often involve Lady So-and-So being forced to wed Lord What’s-His-Name for political gain. But what about the rest of the folk— the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker—the commoners, who were free to marry for love?
Sometimes, instead of Brad and Angelina, I’d like to hear about the courtship of John the trucker and Mary the kindergarten teacher. That’s what inspired me to write DANGER’S KISS (on sale now). I wanted to weave a tale I could relate to, where the hero and heroine don’t live in an ivory tower, don’t dine on sweetmeats, and don’t always play nice.
DANGER’S KISS is sort of a Sheriff of Nottingham meets The Artful Dodger adventure in which Nicholas Grimshaw, upstanding officer of the law, living happily alone in his thatched cottage, makes the mistake of taking mercy upon a beautiful scam artist by the name of Desiree. And, instead of hanging her for her thievery, indentures her as his servant.
Sleight of hand and sleight of heart ensue as the two clash over what’s right versus what’s just, and moral lines become blurred as lawman and outlaw fall recklessly in love. Yet in the end, these two simple folk prove more honorable than their superiors as they work together to foil a nefarious noblewoman’s treacherous scheme.
To research DANGER’S KISS, I mingled with a great bunch of peasants—medieval reenactors with fascinating “lives,” who were delighted to share their stories. In fact, a marvelous magician named Silvermane showed me the clever sleight of hand tricks that Desiree uses in the book!
I hope readers will find DANGER’S KISS an earthy, refreshing glimpse into medieval times, and I’m wagering the romance and adventure will keep you up all night! Let me know if it did at www.sarahmckerrigan.com
Enjoy!
To Taste Temptation Page 31