Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Today's Special - - Lecia Cornwall

I love discovering new authors and sharing them with my romance-reading friends so I'm doubly delighted to introduce you today to Lecia Cornwall, a new author who is making a very big splash in the world of historical romance.  Secrets of a Proper Countess, Lecia's debut novel from Avon, releases today and it's a very special treat - one that I read in one delicious gulp.  If you haven't heard of Lecia or her book yet, you will very soon.  Secrets of a Proper Countess is getting rave reviews!  

Lecia says she longs for the elegance, grace and adventures of the past and has been writing historical stories since fourth grade.  A former direct marketing copywriter, she now lives in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies and writes full-time while taking care of her family of "four cats,  two teenagers, a crazy chocolate lab and one very patient husband."  You can learn more about Lecia at her website, "like" her on facebook and follow her on twitter.  Please give Lecia a warm Romance Dish welcome as she shares the real details of a day in the life of a romance writer. 


Ah, the glamorous life of a romance author! Do you picture your favorite author penning her next novel in a feather boa, wearing pink chiffon like Dame Barbara Cartland?

You’d be surprised to know the truth!

I don’t have a feather boa. One of my cats would pounce on it and eat it. There’s no pink chiffon, either, just jeans and a comfortable sweater, because I have to run to the grocery store, walk the dog, and pick up my daughter from jazz rehearsal. When I come to work in the morning, I sit down in my sensible office chair at my IKEA desk and turn on my laptop.

And then the magic happens.

This morning, my latest heroine barely escaped with her life. She was whisked out of harm’s way in the nick of time by her hero. Of course, if she hadn’t had courage and quick wits of her own, the story might have ended right there. But the next chapter will find her in the candlelit glow of an elegant ballroom, the air filled with the sibilant swish of silk gowns, the trill of a lady’s laughter as a gentleman dares to flirt, and the fragrance of flowers…

But in this world it’s time to let the dog out. Or the cat in.

Once that’s done, it’s back to write the breathtaking moment in the story when the masks come off, and the hero and heroine really see each other for the first time. No more masks, no more secrets. They recognize their perfect mate, flaws and all, and love…




has to wait for a panicked e-mail from my son, who’s away at university. Can I e-mail him that recipe for making ginger beer in the bathroom using only ginger, a lemon and an empty pop bottle? Sure. What are mothers for?



What about my villain? Is he believably evil? No spy movie bad guys need apply, thank you—the type who hold the hero at gunpoint while they drone on and on, proudly revealing their plans to blow up the world. To be a satisfying character, the villain has to be as brilliantly crafted as the hero. He thinks he’ll win, and for a moment or two, the hero and the reader must believe he just might. If not for the heroine’s timely….


The phone is ringing. Can I make eight dozen cookies for a bake sale in support of a worthy cause? Of course I can. The worthy cause is something near and dear to my heart, just like…



the need to get the hero out of danger (did I really agree to eight dozen?! Now the hero isn’t the only one in jeopardy!). As a writer, it’s my job to make the impossible not only possible, but believable. I hate being able to guess the ending of a book. Of course there’s always a happy ending in a romance, but it’s the twists and plot turns along the way that ensure the heroine is worthy of her hero and the story is worth reading. I love a happy ending …

Kipper 

But it’s time to walk the dog. Far from being an interruption, this is my time for thinking, planning and working out story problems. Kipper and I take a quiet path down by the Bow River. There are wild geese, deer, and a pair of bald eagles that keep watch from the same tree every day. Kipper chases his ball, and I think. It’s a very peaceful part of the day.

Then it’s time for errands, school pick-up, dinner, pet care, homework, laundry, and baking eight dozen cookies.

In bed, I read someone else’s book or I work on my own, planning what I’ll write tomorrow. I plot a difficult chapter by looking at the possibilities. If the heroine makes a particular choice, I list how it might play out within the story. If she does the opposite, then there will be other consequences. I choose the path that works best, and plan the rest of the chapter.

Am I lucky to be doing this for a living? Yes! I’ve dreamed of being a writer all my life. In the long process of learning how to write a book and getting published at last, I’ve come to believe that things happen when they do for a reason. With two kids with hectic school schedules, in multiple school bands and a dozen other activities, I couldn’t have managed a writing career and a busy family a few years ago.

Now my eldest is in university, and my youngest is in her last years of high school, and I have time to devote to my career. Part of my desire to be published stems from wanting to make my children proud, to show them dreams can come true if you do the work, keep learning, and don’t give up. That’s the real secret to luck.

When I wake up tomorrow, I’ll step back into the past again, maybe into a rose garden as the lovers share a passionate, unforgettable kiss. And if my luck holds, I can keep coming back to the magical world of proper countesses and improper rogues every single day.

Everyone has a favorite scene from a romance novel that stays in our hearts forever. What’s your most memorable scene?


Lecia has generously offered to give a copy of Secrets of a Proper Countess to two randomly chosen people who leave a comment on today's blog. 



Secrets of a Proper Countess
by Lecia Cornwall
Publisher:  Avon
Release Date:  March 29, 2011

There are secrets we take to the grave...
and some we just take to bed.

Cinderella meets the Scarlet Pimpernel...

If Lady Isobel Maitland is caught even speaking to an incorrigible rogue like the Marquess of Blackwood, she stands to lose everything she holds dear. Strict rules in her husband's will ensure that if she remarries or even forms friendships her mother-in-law does not approve of, then she will never see her young son again. But one night, in a dark garden at a masquerade ball, Isobel gives in to temptation, and lets an innocent flirtation turn into seduction.

Phineas Archer, the notorious Marquess of Blackwood, may hold the reputation as the worst rake in London, but as a spy for the crown, he merely plays the role of a fool to learn the most closely guarded secrets of the ton.

As a new threat to England's success in the war against Napoleon emerges, Phineas must foil a plot to kidnap the exiled Bourbon heir to the French crown. Every clue seems to lead to his mysterious lover, but while Phineas can spot trouble a mile off, and see through the cleverest of disguises, he cannot find any trace of his elusive femme fatale. No man alive would imagine the prim widow Maitland could be his dream lover. But behind the mask and the secrets, Isobel is everything Phineas has ever desired....


Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository (Free Worldwide Shipping)
Books-A-Million
Borders

60 comments:

  1. Phineas and Isobel... I love those names! Wherever did you find them?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too just love the names! I actually have several that stand out but if I had to chose just one it would be Julie Ann Long's What I Did for a Duke - the first chaper where the heroine's brother is in bed with the hero's betrothed and the hero is there - have to say this whole scene is probably my absolute favoritess scene EVER.

    ReplyDelete
  3. There are so many that I love but one scene that stands out for me was from Sabrina Jeffries book ONLY A DUKE WILL DO. I will try to describe the scene without too many spoilers: The hero(Simon) catches the heroine (Louisa) doing something that could be considered dishonest/sneaky, but she has a very good reason. He blows up at her but then when he learns her reason for the dishonesty, and how much this scares her, he agrees to allow her to continue with this until she feels ready for what she is avoiding. Great scene but I don't want to go into specfics and spoil it for anyone who may want to read the book.

    Best of luck with the release of your book, it sounds great and I will have to read it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I could not pull just one from my reading. All the scenes that jumped to be chosen involved quick wit & capitulation.

    marypres@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you Ladies for introducing us to Lecia I love the sound of this book whoo Hoo. I do so love meeting new to me authors.

    A memorable moment for me was in Anna Campbell's Captive of Sin when Gideon meets Charis in the stable he is such a gentleman Gideon

    Lecia I look forward to reading your debut


    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds lovely, another new author for my lists! If I ever get to retire I will be set for life

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lecia, I think I need to know more about that crazy sounding beer recipe!lol
    As for memorable romance scenes, I have sOoo many but one that always jumps out in my memory is from a book in the very first romance series I read. Mary Balogh's The Huxtable series( or The Huxtable Quintet)was my first brush with not only historical romance but pretty much romance altogether. When I read Margaret's story in book 3, At Last Comes Love, I really related to the heroine and her love scene and where she meets Earl of Sheringford at a party is one I'll never forget. It sticks with me :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think there are so many wonderful love scenes. In general, I like the storyline where the hero finally realizes---BAM!---that he loves the heroine. I especially like the storylines where the heroine is the pesky, little girl next door, all grown up....

    There are two stories that I sighed over when the hero realized he loved the heroine. Julia Quinn's ROMANCING MR. BRIDGERTON and Suzanne Enoch's LONDON'S PERFECT SCOUNDREL. Colin and Saint fell hard; I love those two stories.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats on the release, it sounds like a wonderful read that'll have to find its way on to my tbr pile. The part of the book where both hero & herione have realized they belong with & love the other and that the other knows it to is often the part the lingers.

    ReplyDelete
  10. In Lauren Dane's contemporary erotic romance Inside Out the hero sends the heroine a packet. In the packet are poems, some he wrote for her and some by his favorite poet, postcards and trinkets he had collected, sketches he secretly made of her and even a packet of tea he thought she would like. In the note he wrote that he never knew why he collected some of those things but once he met her, he knew that he had been saving them for her. It was so sweet and romantic.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Morning All! Welcome, Lecia! I'm so delighted to have you visit with us today!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Susan in AZ, aren't those terrific names? Wait until you meet these two characters. You won't soon forget them!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dtchycat, I love that opening scene in What I Did For a Duke! It's a classic and sets the tone for the entire book.

    ReplyDelete
  14. JuneM, that's a great scene. Sabrina Jeffries is one of my favorites.

    Hope you enjoy Secrets of a Proper Countess!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Morning, Marybelle! How are things in Oz today?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Helen, have you recovered from the conference yet? I hear everyone had a fabulous time!

    Any grand-baby news yet?

    You named one of my favorite Anna Campbell books. I adore Gideon!

    I love the sound of this book whoo Hoo.

    Hope you enjoy Secrets of a Proper Countess. It definitely deserves to be on everyone's "must read" list!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dianna said, If I ever get to retire I will be set for life

    LOL! I know exactly how you feel!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Bella! I have those books by Balogh but haven't found time to read them yet. Someday...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Deb! I'm with you on the "Bam" moment. Love the "deer in the headlights" hero when he realizes the little pest next door is all grown up!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Gamistress, thanks for stopping by!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ok, Stacie, I'm definitely seeking out that book. What a lovely, sigh-worthy moment!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Congratulations on todays release of Secrets of a Proper Countess. I have heard so many great things about your book. The excitement surrounding itis cantagious and I can't wait to read it.
    As for memorable scenes, in anticipation of reading your book my imagination has me picturing Isobel meeting Phineas in the dark garden.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Lecia is having some technical difficulties but hopes to be able to respond to your comments soon.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love comedy and this book made me laugh so much. One of my favorite books is Heather and Velvet by Teresa Medeiros. This scene is when Prudence is pretending to be blind to save her life so she sits down in the middle of the road in a mud puddle. She is doing so to save her life. Its so funny and kinda cute! Thanks for sharing with us today!

    evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations and best wishes on your debut, Lecia! Love the day-in-the-life-of post. I have added Secrets of a Proper Countess to my TBB list. I always trust PJ's recommendations.

    Like everyone else, I have so many favorite scenes that it's difficult to pick one. Some that are definitly high on my list include, in no particular order, Mayne showing Josie how to walk in Eloisa James's Pleasure for Pleasure, Dain's bathtub reverie in Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels, Michael's seduction of Catherine in Mary Jo Putney's Shattered Rainbows, the ballroom scene in Anne Gracie's Gallant Waif, the unexpected guests-in-the-bedroom scene in Karina Bliss's What the Librarian Did. I'll stop at five, although I could easily list a dozen times that number.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This book is captivating and wonderful. Congratulations and best wishes on the release and much success. Phineas and Isobel are a delight.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love choosing the names for my characters - it's one of the best parts of writing a book! It's like picking the perfect baby name—nothing else fits as well!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Isn't it incredible how memorable scenes stay with us?

    ReplyDelete
  29. I apologize for taking so long to respond to your comments - technology, even simple technology like responding to a blog post, can take me a while! Nice to 'see' everyone here today!

    ReplyDelete
  30. The ginger beer recipe comes from a great book called "211 Things A Bright Boy Can Do" by Tom Cutler. It has all sorts of fun things in i, probably many we don't want our bright boys to find out— and topics like Sumo Wrestling for Beginners, How to Milk A Cow, and How to Make a Pair of Trousers From Beer Pub Towels, among other hilarious things.To the best of my knowledge, my 19-year-old son has only ever tried the ginger beer recipe, but do I want to know? Probably not.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love the old Julie Garwood Scottish romances, where the hero, a tough alpha highlander just says "hell" when he realizes he's in love.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Congrats on your new book! It sounds like fun. I'd have a hard time picking out a most memorable scene, but one that has always stayed with me is from Outlander. Jamie is imprisoned by Randall and when Claire can't persuade Randall to release him, she curses Randall with knowledge. Such a powerful scene.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love scenes written with humor, tenderness and deep thoughts. Love brings out all those emotions, as well as confusion, nausea and even hives on occasion...

    ReplyDelete
  34. Your novel is so appealing and special. In the Dark road to Darjeeling with Lady Grey and Nicholas Brisbane the scenes are memorable.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi, Lecia! We're so happy to have you here today. I can't wait to read SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS.

    There are so many scenes that I love, it's hard to narrow them down. One scene from NEVER A GENTLEMAN by Eileen Dreyer (I just reviewed it yesterday) that made me laugh was when Grace, highly pissed off at her husband Diccan, shoots his hat off his head. :-)

    Another sentimental favorite is the epilogue from BEWITCHING by Jill Barnett. Joy, who's a witch, albeit one whose spells often go awry, is with her husband Alec and all of their children, some of whom have inherited her ability. It's so touching and heartwarming, I'm smiling just thinking about it.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Oh Gannon, there are many days I wish I could shoot the hat off my husband's head! Alas, he doesn't have a hat, and I don't have a gun!

    ReplyDelete
  37. There are a few scenes that stick out but the one that really sticks with me is from Because Your Mine from Lisa Kleypas. Logan, the hero has a tortured past and doesn't want to let any females in to his heart. He meets Madeline and is instantly attracted to her but he keeps pushing her away because. Finally they sleep together and he confesses that he loves her and wants to be with her.
    I don't know why but this scene just stays with me. I think about it often. Maybe it's because we see the hero confessing his feelings early on, but I just love it. Makes my heart skip a beat.

    iqb99@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Congratulations on your debut, Lecia! I can't wait to read it. Yesterday I read another fabulous post about your book at Dear Author which also piqued my curiosity.

    When it comes to favorite scenes there are many I like. One of them is in Julia Quinn's "The Viscount Who Loved Me." It's the infamous scene where the Bridgertons play that croquet game of theirs and Anthony gets the pink mallet. It was a hilarious yet heart-warming scene in terms of the relationship between the siblings and how well Kate fit in with them.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hello Antonia,

    Yes, it was interesting reading Tessa Woodward's comments on Dear Author yesterday. She's a wonderful editor to work with!

    Julia Quinn writes such memorable scenes!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I love a hero with a tortured soul, Danielle! Gives a good woman something to save, makes him so human!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I'm off to the local bookstores to see if I can find Secrets of a Proper Countess on the shelves!

    I'll check in later, so please leave your questions and I'll be sure to answer them!

    So many great books out there, so many fabulously memorable scenes!

    ReplyDelete
  42. The first one that popped in my head was a scene from The Rogue by Celeste Bradley. The Hero meets the heroine. She's hanging upside down a tree. He helps her get down from it. It was such a funny "sight" and I knew straightaway that this couple would hold a place in my readers heart.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Congratulations to Lecia on her new book. It looks like a fabulous story. A favorite scene of mine is from Devil in Winter where St. Vincent takes a bullet meant for Evie.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hello and welcome, Lecia! We're so happy you can dish with us today. Congrats on the release of your baby into the wild! I hope it flies off the shelves. Oh, and I love the name Phineas, too. :)

    Antonia named my most favorite scene ever...Pall Mall with the Bridgertons in JQ's The Viscount Who Loved Me. I've read that scene more times than I can count. *g*

    ReplyDelete
  45. I do love the glove scene in Lord of Scoundrels (sigh.) Fun column. Thanks for visiting.

    ReplyDelete
  46. These are all such wonderful scenes! Nothing better than a moment in a book that makes you sigh, and your toes curl. Takes you away from it all, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  47. PJ

    I am recovering it was a fantastic weekend so much fun I have posted some pics on facebook and my new grandson arrived just as I was getting home he is so cute there are pics on facebook as well I am still over the moon

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  48. I just heard about this book the other day, and the more I hear about it, the more I'm dying to read it. I can't wait to hear how Isobel gets out of those horrible restrictions and not only gets to keep her son, but has a happily ever after.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  49. I hope you enjoy Isobel's journey, Barbara! I had so much fun writing this book!

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hi Lecia! Congrats on your debut. Beautiful cover! This sounds exactly like something I want to read! I'll be adding it to my list!

    Gosh, there are so many favorite scenes that stand out for me. This one isn't romantic, but I died with laughter over Jill Shalvis's book Simply Irresistible when a sweaty Maddie and Jax were on Jax's leather couch after they had made love... She moved, her skin and the leather produced an "unmistakable" sound and she started moving in a frenzy trying the reproduce the sound as she didn't want Jax to think she had "let one loose". Well at the same time Jax's dog HAD let one loose and all of a sudden there was this horrendous smell. Jax was practically in tears laughing, she was horrified, and I WAS in tears laughing! It still makes me laugh thinking about it! :-D

    Once again, congrats!

    @ Stacie, I'm going to be looking for the Lauren Dane book you mentioned as well. Sounds fantastic!!

    ReplyDelete
  51. I love the mystery that I read in the blurb. My most memorable scence is probably from Ilona Andrews' Magic Bleeds where the two main characters fianlly realize and act on their feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  52. It is not really a particular “scene” in which I am going to refer but the entirety of Julia Quinn’s Second Epilogue to “When He Was Wicked”. It is the best 50 pages Julia Quinn has ever written in my humble opinion. It is so touching and memorable.

    ReplyDelete
  53. There are so many wonderful authors and so many unforgettable scenes! So many books, so little time, both to read them and write them!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Monica, that scene sounds hysterical! I have that book on my tbr. Can't wait to read it!

    ReplyDelete
  55. Stephanie, I've heard a lot of good things about that book.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Kat, I so agree! That 2nd epilogue was so beautifully written.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Lecia, thank you so much for visiting with us today. Wishing you all the best for Secrets of a Proper Countess. I loved this book so much!

    What are you working on now? Anything you can share with us?

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hi PJ! It was a pleasure to be here!

    My next book, The Price of Temptation, will be released in January 2012.

    The heroine plays a minor role in Secrets of a Proper Countess (she is the hostess of the masquerade ball where Phineas and Isobel meet), but her husband is one of the villains in 'Secrets'. As Evelyn's story opens, she hasn't seen her husband in many months. Is she wife or widow? No one knows, not even Evelyn, and as danger closes in on Evelyn, she needs a hero.

    Captain Sinjon Rutherford has his own troubles. He needs a place to hide while he proves himself innocent of serious charges against him. Where better to hide than in plain sight? Disguised as Lady Evelyn's newest footman, he's sent by the Crown to spy on her in hopes of finding her husband. Sinjon discovers that the lady has some very deep secrets indeed...secrets that could get them both killed.

    Watch my website for an excerpt coming soon!

    ReplyDelete
  59. What a glamorous life. Who needs boas and chiffon anyway. I don't think Barbara Cartland knew what she was missing surrounded by her gilded fluffy pink and world.
    As for a favorite scene, it is from Kat Martin's book, PERFECT SIN. The hero is gravely wounded and the heroine sits in the rain with his head in her lap. He can't be moved and she won't leave him. I haven't read this book in years, but after I finished it, I went back and read this scene many times.
    This book was about another couple who had a rough go of it and had to fight for, understand, and forgive much for their HEA. Sounds a bit like your SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS. I am afraid I want my H & H to work for and deserve their HEA.

    Best of luck with the release of SECRETS OF A PROPER COUNTESS. From the sound of it, you should do well.

    ReplyDelete