Toasty Tuesday–Talking grooms with Rose Gordon

Today on Believing is Seeing, I’m talking with historical romance author Rose Gordon. Welcome to the blog, Rose.

SS: Why don’t you tell my readers a little about yourself?

RG: Hi Sandra, thank you so much for having me here. There’s not a lot to say. I’m a fairly boring person. I read. I write. I duck flying objects my two young boys inadvertently (or so I think) hurl at me while I read and write. When I’m not doing these things. I spend a lot of time with my family outside: camping, hiking, fishing, digging up worms—you name it, we do it.

SS: Her Secondhand Groom is currently out right now, but Her Imperfect Groom is the next book you’ll release. Tell me a little about it.

RG: This book was not originally part of the Groom Series it was an add-on based on a character in an earlier book, Her Reluctant Groom, who became an instant fan favorite. Due to the hero’s personality, this book very easily falls into one of those comedy of error types.

Despite his three engagements, the thrice-jilted baronet,Sir Wallace Benedict, has trouble when it comes to those of the fairer sex.

Twenty years old and still unmarried, Edwina Banks, has taken it into her mind to see that Sir Wallace gets his much-deserved and long awaited happily-ever-after.

Because truly then, she can find hers, too…

Or can she?

SS: Sounds good! Have you always loved historical romance, the Regency period especially? How did you come to write in this genre?

RG: From the time I started reading romance, it was always historical. Probably close to 85% of what I read is strictly historical romance, with the other 15% being comprised of reference books and the occasional contemporary. Now, how I started writing in Regency is a bit trickier. I liked the time period as most of what I was reading fell into the time period. It also worked best for the plot I was first trying to put together. Any sooner and it’d be unlikely for Americans to be coming to visit England. Any later, and it’d have been unlikely to work for the same reason since the heroines’ father from my first series was originally from England, so I doubt he’d have been trying to go on Tour to America (where he met his wife) during all the problems with Napoleon.

SS: All of your titles are so clever. Do you have a process or how do you come up with them? Sometimes I have the worst luck picking mine.

RG: Thank you! Actually, I used to think titles were hard. My first title, Intentions of the Earl, was nearly impossible. I didn’t come up with it until after the next two books in that series were written. My second title, Liberty for Paul was a play on words and one of the easiest ones to think of. To Win His Wayward Wife, came about while I was writing a brief synopsis of the book and I realized that the entire book could be summarized in those five words. My current series, I wanted to keep all the titles similar, so I stuck with Her and Groom then picked an adjective or verb that fit the hero and/or circumstance and put it in between. In Her Sudden Groom, the hero has to marry within thirty days. Her Reluctant Groom, the hero is reluctant to marry her—even though he loves her. In Her Secondhand Groom, the hero had been married before. In Her Imperfect Groom, the hero is one who strives for perfection, but he’s really not, and the heroine knows this and loves him because he’s not perfect.

SS: From browsing your website, it looks like you only write in the Regency period. Will you ever consider writing in a different genre?

RG: Actually, yes! Currently, I am writing three historicals that take place so far outside of Regency England it’s nearly unheard of: 1840s Indian Territory. I also have at least one other series planned for 2013 based in the United States, but we’ll see how this other series goes first.

SS: I’m excited to hear that! American history is my favorite! What was the most difficult scene you wrote in Her Imperfect Groom?

RG: From an emotional standpoint, I think it was hardest to write the scene where the hero’s former love interest tries to seduce him. I thought this would be a short, easy scene, but it ended up not being as easy as I thought and by the time I was finished, I think I was as emotionally drained as the hero!

SS: How do you balance your writing life with your day job and family?

RG: I’m very blessed that my writing is my job. So for me, the boundaries are pretty clear. I need to try to get my writing in while the kids are at school so I can spend time with my family after they get home. (But between us, I then go back and write more after they go to bed…)

SS: What’s next on your writing to-do list? Anything you can give us a hint about?

RG: Currently, I’ve just started working on my Officer Series that follows three Army Officers living in Indian Territory during the 1840s. One will marry by chance, one will marry by luck, and one will marry by force, but all will live happily-ever-after. After that, I have another Regency series planned called the Trapped Series (working title only). Right now, I think this will come out late 2012 or early 2013 and will be about three unsuspecting men who are about to be “trapped” into matrimony.

SS: Can’t wait! Last question. You’re throwing a dinner party and have invited three well-known authors (living or dead). Which ones would you invite and what’s the one question you’d ask them?

RG: Margaret Mitchell: Is it true by the end of Gone With the Wind you didn’t give a damn about Scarlett’s love for Rhett, either?

Nicholas Sparks: Why must you make one of the leading roles in almost all of your books kick the bucket at the end?

John Steinbeck: Did you struggle to write the scene in Of Mice and Men when George shoots Lennie?
Thanks for spending the day on Believing is Seeing. Where can readers find you on the web?

RG: And as a special treat, here’s a blurb and excerpt from Her Secondhand Groom.

Blurb: Patrick Ramsey, Viscount Drakely, is used to having everything go according to his plans. And usually, it does, except when it comes to his three young daughters who are in desperate need of mother and governess. In an attempt to find a suitable woman, he stumbles upon the perfect woman for the post: Miss Juliet Hughes. Juliet, a local village girl, has been educated at London’s most highly respect school for young ladies, and better yet, her plain features will make it easy for him to keep his hands off of her.

But what Patrick doesn’t realize is this plain young lady from a humble background is anything but the docile, biddable young lady he bargained for, and if he’s not careful, he’ll lose his heavily guarded heart a little more with each encounter they have. With unshakable confidence and a strong determination, Juliet has no intentions of letting this lofty lord run roughshod over her and will stop at nothing to remind him that they may have been born at unequal stations, but where it counts, they’re matched perfectly.

This book can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and many other e-book retailers.

EXCERPT:

“What’s your rank of choice?”

Juliet started, nearly spilling her cup of lemonade. “Pardon?”

Drake gestured to all the other men in the room. “Every rank from a duke down to a second son who became a vicar is available for your choosing. Any rank strike your fancy?”

“I believe you’re incorrect,” she said, looking over all the men in the room. “I see one second son-vicar, one baron―” she turned to him―“one viscount, two earls, and one duke. But alas, no marquis.”

His brown eyes lit with mischief. “I’d say that I stand corrected, but I do not. There is a marquis on the premises. If you’d like to dance with him, I’ll see if a servant can fetch him from the nursery.”

He was right of course, the duke and duchess’ oldest son, who carried the courtesy title of marquis, was sleeping up in the nursery. “How about we call this a tie?”

“Fair enough,” he agreed. “So who will it be, Juliet? Whose wife do I need to go charm?”

“Pardon?”

One of his long, blunt-tipped fingers reached up and pushed a loose tendril of her hair behind her right ear. “Who do you want to dance with?”

“This viscount,” she whispered, her face growing warm.

His hand engulfed hers and he led her to the middle of the floor. “I was hoping you’d choose him. I think I should like to dance with his wife.”

“I shouldn’t have chosen him, though.”

He tightened his grasp and pulled her closer to him. “And why is that?”

“It’s not proper.”

“That is the last thing you should be thinking about tonight.”

The music started and Juliet froze. It was a waltz. She could dance any country reel or quadrille, to perfection, but a waltz? No. She’d only attempted it once and her poor dancing partner limped the rest of the night. She opened her mouth to protest but didn’t get a word out before Drake’s smooth, rich voice drifted to her ears.

“Is that the only reason you shouldn’t choose the viscount?”

“Of course,” she lied. Being improper by dancing with her husband twice―in a row, at that―was the lesser of the two reasons she should have chosen to dance with another man. The stronger reason was one she didn’t want to admit even to herself.

“Then dance,” he promoted, his rich, silky voice washing over her like satin.

She hesitantly moved her feet to the music, taking extra care not to step on his toes. His movements were not so hesitant, however. With each step he took forward, his warm body connected with hers. She forced a smile. “Perhaps―”

“Just move, Juliet. I’ve got you, you won’t fall.”

“I’m not afraid of falling.” She took a step back that almost matched his stride, but not quite. “I’m afraid I’ll bruise your toes.”

The hold he had on her shoulder tightened. “Bruise them.”

Thank you again for having me. My website www.rosegordon.net is my central hub to finding me. There’s lots of information about me, my books, and links to everywhere I can be found on the Internet.

To one random commenter Rose is offering the reader’s choice of one book from her backlist. Please be sure to leave your contact information. Winner will be chosen on or around January 26th.