Entries Tagged 'Amelia Grey' ↓
April 17th, 2009 — 3 Stars, Amelia Grey, Book Review, Cursed Lead, Dukes and Earls, England, Guardian/Ward, Heiress, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Virgin Heroine
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A Duke to Die For is an amusing romp across land, air, and ballrooms. It combines one randy and obscenely jealous duke, the best kind, and one beautiful, forthright but tragically cursed miss. Match made in heaven – or at least on paper.
It was nice to see an heiress story where the money is not needed at all by the hero. It’s just like a really, really big bonus… and who wouldn’t want that? Very refreshing and many props to Grey for writing it that way.
It all begins when the beautiful and intelligent Miss Henrietta Tweed shows up out of nowhere on the Duke of Blakewell’s doorstep claiming that she is his ward. Blake is flabbergasted and can’t believe that he is now a guardian for anyone let alone a young female of marriageable age. So what does he do? He decides to put her through a London Season in order to marry her off, which while not working perfectly with Henrietta’s plans at least ensures he won’t be affected by the curse that follows her like a plague.
Spoilers follow be wary:
Blake’s opinion on the curse as being complete poppycock is true. I expected the mystery behind the curse would be more than plain dumb luck coupled with a bunch of circumstantial happenings. I kept waiting for a person to be responsible for everything in an attempt to get the Henrietta’s huge inheritance. After all it made sense to me on that level. It would also explain everything and allow Blake to ride to the rescue.
However the non-curse self-fulling curse makes for an interesting twist as it were also. But how does an intelligent girl fall for it? Well, I suppose it isn’t completely unlikely for her to completely hoodwinked if you think about the time period where there are still many elements of lingering superstition. Henrietta was also seven, an impressionable age, when she was first told about the curse by an irrational old ninny who looked like a witch. By the time evidence stacks up, doubt is already firmly entrenched. In time, following the deaths of all of her guardians save Blake, she’s utterly convinced that the witch woman was right and that she is indeed very cursed. It’s a good thing Blake has a plan to show her that she’s not or they’d never be able to establish a happily ever after.
Rating: 3 Stars
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April 15th, 2009 — Amelia Grey, Contests
The winner of Amelia Grey’s A Duke to Die For giveaway was selected from qualified entries using Random.org. Before I announce who won, I would like to take a moment to thank Amelia for being so generous with us. Be sure to check out her interview with LRP here and drop a little love. Without further ado the winner is:
MJ wrote:
I love all animals!! As a child we had dogs, cats, a monkey, crow that could talk, a parrot, a minah bird,horse, ponies, a mule and even an alligator. - plus more!!! Somehow, I married an animal hater!!! I really miss my pets tho. My favorite was Petunia the pig, who was raised from a bottle and lived inside til she got too big!!
Congratulations MJ! I will be emailing you (provided my internet doesn’t die again) soon. If you don’t hear from me send me an email at reviewromancenovel@yahoo.com
Thanks to all who commented!
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April 15th, 2009 — Amelia Grey, Author Interviews, Guardian/Ward
Hi and welcome to another fun and fabulous interview at Love Romance Passion! Today I have the opportunity to introduce readers to Amelia Grey, a multiple award winning romance author. Her latest book is A Duke to Die For
and the subject of this interview.
How do you create the back stories of your characters and create their foibles?
AG: I have a very simple way of creating either back story or present story: I always start each book with the phase “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if?” For instance, after I knew that Blake would be a carefree duke who lacked discipline in his life, I said, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I gave this duke who didn’t want any responsibility, a basketful of it in the form a beautiful, tempting ward to safeguard who was organized and disciplined, the kind of young lady he usually seduced, not protected.”
Most heroes are flawed by characters such as arrogance or physically by being blind, which is why I thought it was quite endearing to have the Blake be afraid of heights or more specifically balloon flights.
AG: While doing research on balloons for A Duke To Die For, I read where many people actually experience the feeling that they are falling when they go up in a balloon. People have actually crawled out of balloons and plunged to their deaths from this very real fear. Of course, I couldn’t let Blake do that! But it does make characters come alive when we give them human faults and fears.
A Duke to Die For reminds me a bit of Georgette Heyer’s Regency Buck
with wills directing the heroines into the charge of the son instead of the father. I guess what I am asking is what inspired Blake and Henrietta’s tale?
AG: You know I haven’t read Regency Buck but I would love to. A Duke To Die For is my first book using the guardian/ward plotline, and I thought it would be fun to give Henrietta several guardians, all who had died, except of course, my hero Blake! I’ve created heroes as protectors and bodyguards, but I loved the idea of finally writing a book where the hero was also the guardian.
This book is just the first of a trilogy. Can you tell readers more about the upcoming books in Rogues’ Dynasty and what to expect?
AG: A Marquis to Marry
October 2009
Based on true events regarding an infamous five-strands of pearls’ necklace, A Marquis To Marry is the story of Lord Raceworth, a man determined to find the thief who stole his grandmother’s pearls. The trail leads him to Susannah Brookfield who is searching for the pearls as well. She swears the elusive necklace belongs to her family, not his. Intrigue lurks around every corner as they join forces to find the thief. But after a night of unexpected passion, Susannah wonders if the real danger lies with the thief, or in the arms of Lord Raceworth.
An Earl to Enchant April 2010
In An Earl to Enchant, Arianna Sweet has a secret. Her recently deceased father discovered a formula which could be the fabled fountain of youth. But because of suspicious circumstances surrounding her father’s death, Arianna is certain whoever killed her father is after her too. For help, she turns to Lord Morgandale, the rake of London Society. After years of living on the edge of London’s underground intrigues, Lord Morgandale wants only to accept his title and live a quiet life at his country estate. But once Miss Sweet arrives, the notorious bad boy finds himself in the unaccustomed position of having to keep the enchanting innocent out of harm’s way.
What do you find is the hardest aspect in writing a trilogy?
AG: My editor will tell you it’s remembering the correct color the characters’ eyes! Yes, I do keep a chart with that kind of detail on it, but I get to writing and forget to look at the chart, thinking I know what all the characters look like-I created them. But unfortunately my memory fails me and sometimes grayish-green eyes become brownish-green or dark auburn hair is suddenly light auburn hair.
What is your favorite type of hero to write? Heroine too!
AG: Oh that is a difficult question. I think I probably love them all! I mean who doesn’t dream about ‘the man from the past who got away, but he’s back.” And who can resist “the dangerous stranger?” And having just written ‘the tempting guardian’ I simply can’t choose a favorite. And as for heroines I like for mine to be sensible, sensitive and sexy! I do not like what I call the Scarlett O’Hara heroine. By that I mean stories where the heroine pines for a lesser man all through the book and only at the end does she realize she actually loves the hero. For a smart woman, it took Scarlett way too long to get over Ashley!
How do you define love?
AG: Love is living and I love life.
In your opinion, what makes a great written bedroom scene?
AG: I like to know what the heroine and hero are feeling and thinking as they explore, take delight in and revere each other’s bodies.
What type of romances do you like to read?
AG: Historicals are my favorites, and I love Westerns almost as much as Regencies. But I read contemporaries and paranormals, too. In fact I read nonfiction, inspirational, absolutely all kinds of books except horror. I just don’t like to be frightened!
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
AG: I love to write and I write what I love; romance books. I have an incredible excitement about my work. I look forward to going to the computer each morning and letting my imagination take flight with characters, conflicts, and emotional drama. I feel truly blessed I can do what I love. And the reason I can is because of my readers. Every time someone reads one of my books, I consider they have given me a gift.
Thanks for joining me Amelia! Check out Amelia Grey’s website for more information on her published and upcoming books.
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April 14th, 2009 — Amelia Grey, Guest Blogger, Writing Tips
Today Amelia Grey blogs with Love Romance Passion with a really important writing tip. Please join me in welcoming her!
I am going to go out on a limb here and expose the real Amelia Grey. I am not a dog person. Don’t get me wrong, I think dogs are cute, but I didn’t grow up with a pet in the house so I’ve just never learned much about dogs or cats. If I ever get a dog, I think I would like a Toy Poodle or a Yorkshire Terrier. I mean dogs just don’t come any cuter.
You are probably wondering where I’m going with this….I do have a point. Although I know it is not wise to write about things of which I have no experience, I needed a dog in my current book A Duke to Die For.
The sweet, little dog, Tulip was only going to be in one chapter so I thought, hey, I can do this so I wrote her in. It wasn’t that hard to do, or so I thought. Luckily, I had an author friend who has a dog, read that chapter for me just to make sure I had the little doggie doing all the right things.
Well, when she got through marking it up with her red pen, I was flabbergasted at how much I didn’t know about dogs! Her comment to me was, “Tulip might as well be a stuffed toy dog sitting in Henrietta’s lap.” She kindly reminded me that dogs sniff, shed, drool, scratch, and bark. They like to be rubbed and petted and talked to, and well, I could go on, but I think you get the idea. The worst thing I did was call Tulip a she sometimes and a he at other times! I know, I know, that’s terrible. I couldn’t believe I had messed up so badly on one little dog. I found out it’s harder for me to write one chapter with a dog in it than a whole book with the hero and heroine.
I’ve heard it over and over again in writing workshops through the years, “write what you know”. After that experience, I’m taking that advice to heart. Needless to say, I think it will be a long time before I put another dog in a story. Who’s your favorite pet companion-real or in literature?
Amelia Grey is giving away a copy of A Duke to Die For to one lucky reader. Open to US and Canada readers only. Enter by leaving Amelia a question or answering hers about pets. Winner will be announced April 15th, 2009.
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April 2nd, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, Amelia Grey, Book Review, Dukes and Earls, England, Historical Romance, Virgin Heroine
Amelia Grey spins a sweet love story of ghosts, trapped marriages, thievery, and near misses. A Taste of Temptation is a pretty quick read. The book is wonderful to sit down with and read on a rainy afternoon, which is exactly how I read it.
Andrew Terwillger, Lord Dugdale, is the last of the Terrible Threesome. A confirmed bachelor, he doesn’t understand how his friends can be happy with their wives and marriages. All he sees is that they’re different. They no longer like to drink, gamble, and enjoy women like they used to and he vows no female will leg shackle him.
Olivia Banning is a kind girl who wants the best for her Aunt Agatha. Which is why she’s most concerned when Agatha tells her that Lord Pinkwater’s ghost is calling to her from the grave. Drawn to London on a ghost hunt, Olivia is worried her Aunt is out of her mind and that the ton will find out.
An urn falls at the Dugdale Ball, nearly missing Lord Dugdale. Agatha, convinced that this is the sign of Lord Pinkwater’s ghost presence is determined to set off and search the house. Olivia quickly nixes the idea and offers to go instead as she is not concerned at all with her reputation amongst the ton. Olivia is certain after the season she will be back in the country and marrying a nice non-aristocrat male, Mr. Yost.
However, in her search of the house she is caught by Lord Dugdale, no less. Worse, he’s caught her in his room sniffing his soap. He thinks she’s a thief and when she tells him of Lord Pinkwater’s ghost, he thinks she is crazy. But heaven help him if he wasn’t attracted to her and steals a kiss. Only to find four society women entering the room moments later and catching them!
Andrew is appalled, and forced to marry Olivia, but he will never love the conniving, title seeking, marriage trapping chit he now calls his wife. He’s determined to keep his life like it was in his bachelor days. Can Olivia melt his hostile exterior? Will Andrew let himself be swayed and give up the ghost?
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Buy: A Taste of Temptation
Originally posted 2008-12-03 03:04:09. Republished by Old Post Promoter
