The series that the 6 authors involved have been calling “The Silken Rope Scandals” now has an official title: Regency Silk and Scandal. Of course, we’re months away from having titles for each of the 8 books in the series, but the authors did brainstorm several lists (one all-heroine, one all-hero, one hero-and-heroine) for Marketing. Although we were given pretty much complete freedom on coming up with the overall and individual stories, I suspect Marketing will closely guard their right to name them. Watch this space for developments…
Archive for the ‘The Bedraggled Pen’ Category
Continuity Titled!
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009Continuity Book Completed!
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009The turn-around time from submitting the manuscript to revision request to sending the revised book back was the shortest in my career–barely 3 weeks. Usually in that length of time I’d still be chewing my nails, wondering what my editor thinks of the story and nervously awaiting her response. I expect the exceptional speed has something to do with the fact that this is book 3 of the series and books 1 and 2 were due, and read, in December.
Whatever the reason, I was relieved that my editor was as pleased as I am with this story of earl’s daughter Lady Honoria Carlow, who flees London after a scandalous disgrace to take refuge with her aunt in Cornwall and try to figure out who engineered her ruin…and why. Enter handsome Irishman Gabe Hawksworth, known locally as “the Hawk,” currently captaining a smuggling vessel for the army friend who saved his life, and suddenly Honoria finds that exile to the rugged Cornish coast seems much more appealing.
Though her aristocratic family would be appalled at her attraction to a low-born free trader, there’s something about the well-spoken Gabe that calls out to the free-spirited Honoria, even as Gabe wonders about the story behind the unexpected appearance of this mysterious beauty. Until an attraction that should never have been becomes a compulsion too strong for either of them to resist…
Update on Ned’s book
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009I’ve just turned in the rewrites for Ned’s still-untitled book, due out in late 2009. The editors are hinting it might not debut until December, alas—not a good month for a book with a Luddite rebellion rather than a Christmas theme! (for more info on Ned’s story, check here.) Please cross fingers and hope for an earlier release date. Also for a good title! It was submitted under “A Gentleman’s Wife.”
BTW, there will be an “Undone” historical e-book short released in conjunction with it, featuring two secondary characters who will play a major role in Ned and Joanna’s story. More details here as I get them…
The upcoming continuity project
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009In case you’ve not heard of the project, I’ve collaborated with 5 other authors to produce an 8-book Regency continuity which features several major families and an over-arching storyline that extends across all eight books, although, of course, each book also stands on its own.
Three friends and rival spymasters, two scandalous affairs, one murder, and an innocent man hanged on the testimony of his best friend set the stage for the next generation to try to solve the mystery of the murder and redeem lives shattered by disgrace. The authors dubbed this continuity “The Silken Rope Scandals” since, it turns out, peers condemned to hang are executed with a rope made of silk. No common hemp for milord, please.
Though the “official” series title will be REGENCY SILK AND SCANDAL, we authors love fellow “continuista” Louise Allen’s slightly longer description of the project: “The Scandals of the Murdered Baron’s Mystery Gypsy Lovechild’s Forbidden Revenge Quest Involving Virgins and at Least One Earl” The best part for the writers, though, is that subject to editorial review, we were given complete freedom to come up with the concept, the characters, the plot—everything. It’s been fabulous fun working with such a talented group to torture, bedevil (and loosely connect) our various heroes and heroines!
THE SMUGGLER AND THE SOCIETY BRIDE features a heroine who is ruined and banished from society as revenge for the wrongs supposedly done by her family. Having fled London after a disgrace engineered by some unknown enemy, Lady Honoria Carlow is trying to figure out what to do with her life…and how to respond to her irritating immediate attraction to the completely ineligible but undeniably charming local smuggler revered as “The Hawk.”
Goodness, she’s thinking in disgust, hasn’t her humiliation taught her anything about avoiding such men? What she needs is something to occupy her suddenly empty hours that doesn’t involve preaching, needlework or making charitable visits to the poor, three genteel talents she does not possess.
Former army officer Gabriel Hawksworth is also more than he seems. Having become temporary captain of a smuggling cutter as a favor to the army comrade who saved his life, he wonders what brought this stunningly lovely lady to a small fishing village on the remote Cornish coast. For such an eligible maiden to make an extended visit to her spinster aunt during the height of the London Season seems most strange. Gabe scents a scandal…and if the lady’s morals are a bit less strict than her proper family would like, he’s just the man to offer her some diversion during her stay in Sennlach!
Check back here for news and updates about the release of this exciting series!
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