Monday, August 22, 2011

Today's Special - - Welcome to the Ballroom!



A common definition of ballroom is "a large room for dancing".  That's certainly true, as far as it goes, but those of us who read and write historical romance know it's so much more.  The ballroom is often a refined venue where young ladies are formally introduced to society but it can also be a place of intrigue and flirtation where political deals are hatched, matrimonial deals are sealed and sensual affairs are begun.  

For the past month, Lady B's Ballroom has been the place to see and be seen.  Bestowing her patronage on six illustrious historical romance authors - Gaelen Foley, Katharine Ashe, Miranda Neville, Sabrina Darby, Sarah MacLean and Tessa Dare - has brought readers, authors and fascinating characters (especially those of the male variety) out in droves.  You never know who you might encounter in Lady B's Ballroom!  

Today, Andrea, Buffie, Gannon and I are delighted to welcome these talented authors to our humble establishment to answer a few questions about their new endeavor.  Please welcome Lady B, her intrepid parrot, Albert and the ladies of the Ballroom!


Good Morning, ladies!  You too, Albert!  It's so lovely to have you with us today!  Congratulations on the success of your new blog where, according to your banner, daring ladies, dashing lords and deliciously juicy gossip await. Who came up with the idea and name for this blog? Was it one person or a group effort?

Katharine: I received my first invitation to The Ballroom late one night when I was just about to climb into bed. Of course I was shockingly underdressed (bedtime, you know); I couldn’t possibly wear a t-shirt and boxers to a ball. Also, I thought it’d be more fun to go with a friend. So I called Sarah, hoping she would attend with me (and bring me something pretty to wear on her way over). We decided it’d be even more fun to drag- er- bring Tessa, Sabrina, Miranda and Gaelen to the ball with us. So we all donned gloves and jewels, slipped our dance cards onto our wrists, and—what luck!—arrived just as the party began.

Whose idea was Lady B and Albert? We love them both!

Lady B unquestioningly assumed the name of Beaufetheringstone (pronounced Batman, in true English fashion, of course) upon marrying her lesser-in-rank husband, Lord B (he of the smashing calves). Albert entered the family upon their first anniversary as a token of Lord B's love. You’ll find an early portrait of the Lady and her parrot prominently displayed in the ballroom.

Lady B, all of these ladies portray the very picture of innocence but I’m sure they get into more than their fair share of trouble in the Ballroom. Just between us, who’s the mischief maker of the group? The comedienne? The “good girl” who does her best to keep the rest in line?

When I invited the authoresses, I had a feeling that they would be something of a scandal—part of why I included them on the guest list, honestly—and they haven’t disappointed.

Miss Neville’s knowledge of sexual memoirs is fairly scandalous, and she’s something of a bawd. Miss Dare continually surprises me with her rapier wit as she’s such a well-behaved, charming woman. Miss Foley is quite the agitator, (Irish blood, don’t you know) but I suppose with all those strapping men around her all the time, it would be hard not to cause a scene.

If we must have a “good girl”, Miss Ashe will fit the phrase well enough. After all, I prefer keeping anyone too good from my ballroom, and of course there is her penchant for secret identities, so I’ve long suspected her “goodness” is a mask. Speaking of scandal and intrigue, I’m not entirely certain about Miss Darby. She’s been far too polite for her reputation. I’m certain something is brewing. And Miss MacLean, while she laughs a touch too loudly, appears to enjoy a good party and knows how to be a good guest. After all, she brought that wickedly charming man the other day. What was his name?

Ah yes, good ole what's-his-name.  He definitely was charming...and delightfully wicked...and so very, very tall.  I must say, Miss MacLean, he is one gentleman we are all looking forward to meeting! 

Albert, you must be a virtual fount of information about all the heroes and heroines who follow their creators around waiting for exciting storylines and sensual encounters in shadowy ballroom alcoves. What’s the most memorable ballroom encounter you’ve witnessed thus far?

Squawk! Ladies in pursuit! Squawk!
**Albert flies up to perch on the Corinthian scroll of a nearby column.

Lady B: Oh, yes, Albert, I quite agree. While we’ve had ladies hiding in cupboards and handsome half-wild gentlemen and authors with no small amount of gossip to share, the most memorable encounters in the ballroom have been from the other female guests—I believe the authoresses refer to them as “commenters”—It’s quite exciting to see all these ladies angling for introductions and waltzes from the eligible gentlemen attending the festivities.

Squawk!  Lobster patties!  Squawk!

Lady B: Yes, darling. The lobster treats are memorable. My cook is unparalleled when it comes to crustacea.

Switching from food to fashion (two of our favorite topics), if you were to attend a ball set in one of your novels, what color gown would you wear and why?

Katharine: Blue. The color of the sea, of course!

Tessa: I’m partial to a deep, wine red. Because I like red, and because it lets me drink claret without worrying about spills!

Sabrina: Since The Ballroom Blog debuted, I’ve been attending several of balls a week (although I believe I slept through one) and I haven’t worn the same color twice. I like prints, however, and would likely wear something that incorporates a bit of blue, brown, orange and cream. Yes, I am a daughter of the 70s.

Miranda: I love the drape of satin, the rustle of silk, the magical illusion
of gauze. When it comes to color I draw the line at puce. My preference is always to wear black, one reason I enjoy writing widows (also they are rarely virgins).

Gaelen: Mine would be a rich, dramatic teal with a low neckline, a vandyked lace collar, and long gauze sleeves.

Sarah: Green for me . . . a lovely emerald, simple and A-line to the floor, ruched through the bodice to hide all those unseemly bits. And you can bet I’d be corseted to the nines! 

What a beautiful rainbow of colors you would all make!  

It seems in every historical romance novel, the ballroom is the place for dancing and flirting. Do you have a memory from your own life where dancing and flirting went hand and hand?

Miranda: I have attended a number of English balls and I found them much less fun than an evening in a seedy club or a grungy bar with the right man. A good deal of my misspent youth was spent dancing to the Rolling Stones in poorly lit establishments.


Gaelen: Why I actually met my beloved Prince Eric while out dancing. Of course it was not at so elegant a place as Lady B’s ballroom. I’m afraid the occasion was a jollification at a low establishment, as unmentionable as that which some of our heroes might recognize from their rakehell excursions into the wee hours of the night. These days, I assure you, I am much more respectable. (Shut up, Albert.)

Tessa: Mr. Dare and I went out dancing for one of our first dates. It was a Radiohead album release party in a crowded little San Francisco club. Not precisely an elegant ballroom, but I did wear a quite smart frock! And because it was such a crush, the flirtation mostly took place afterward. 


Katharine: The high school gymnasium, low lights, pounding rock, beers in bottles snuck in under the bleachers (don’t tell Lady B; she thinks I’m “good”), and heart-throbbing flirtations. We danced too, but honestly, I remember a lot more kissing going on than dancing, which is how I like my balls best to this day!

Sabrina: Haha, I have many, many, many times. Dance has played an important role in my life, whether at clubs or through studying ballroom dance. However, the time when it was most romantic was about six months into my relationship with my (now) husband, when we were dancing at a friend’s house.

Sarah: I was actually taught to dance by a Broadway actor at a summer stock theatre when I was in college. For a full summer, we’d two-step under the stars outside the theatre’s pub. He was a shameless flirt . . . but ultimately, I wasn’t his type. Wrong parts, if you catch my drift. Too bad, really. He was a handsome, handsome devil.

Lady B: Miss MacLean! Really . . . such scandalous talk for our ballroom! And you, Miss Ashe . . . Did I hear you refer to ale? At a ball?

Time to fill in those dance cards, ladies!  Which historical romance hero (by any author) would you most want to waltz you around the Ballroom?

Tessa: Is it wrong to choose one of my own heroes? I think I’d like to waltz with Spencer, from One Dance with a Duke – because he doesn’t require any small talk, he only ever dances one set, and at the end he’d promptly whisk me out of the ballroom and on to other adventures!

Miranda: Being hopeless at the waltz, I’m torn between the deliciously wicked Saint Albans from Suzanne Enoch’s London’s Greatest Scoundrel and Eloisa James’s Earl of Mayne, from several books. Saint wouldn’t bother to dance for long while Mayne could, I’m sure, make any woman feel light on her feet.

Sabrina: This isn’t a historical romance hero nor, I’m sorry to say, a hero in a published romance novel. However, a friend of mine wrote a choreographer hero that I found incredibly attractive. I would dance with him any time.

Katharine: Liz Carlyle’s Bentley “Hell-Bent” Rutledge. Actually, we don’t really need to waltz. He could just stand there being dangerous and gorgeous and I’d be in heaven. Now, if he picked up a sword… I couldn’t be held responsible for what I’d do then.



Sarah: Oh . . . is it my turn? Fans self. Sorry, I was distracted by the idea of dancing with Mayne. Ok . . . Well, I have to choose Stephanie Laurens’s Devil Cynster—mainly because I would take any moment I could get with Devil. He’s the only man of whom my husband is jealous.

Lady B: I assume all these gentlemen have nice calves?

All, in unison: Oh, yes!


You ladies excel at taking readers back in time with the wonderful stories you write.  If you could go back in time to when your characters lived, what one item would you insist on taking with you?

Sarah: I think the failing of being an historical novelist is that we know far too well the kind of deplorable conditions in which London lived. At the risk of being utterly improper, I’m going to go with tampons.

Sabrina: A time machine that lets me go back to the present whenever I feel like it. Barring that, I’d like to take my husband. (My sister chides me for being eminently practical.)

Katharine: Barring people (grinning nod to Sabrina), nothing! Er, well, maybe a bar of chocolate to eat on the trip.

Gaelen: I’m going to have say a port-a-potty. How’s that for romantic! LOL. Sorry, practical, aren’t I? Well, Regency plumbing left MUCH to be desired.

Tessa: I’m going to pull a Claire Fraser (from the Outlander books) and say antibiotics.


Miranda: Damn, Tessa stole my answer. I’ll see your antibiotics, Miss Dare and raise you a jumbo bottle of Advil 

Great answers!  We're sensing a theme here with Sarah's tampons, Miranda's Advil and Katharine's chocolate. ;-)

Do you ladies have any plans to do a panel at a future RWA conference as The Ballroom Blog?

We’d love to . . . cross your fingers for Anaheim . . . but be warned, Albert doesn’t like the idea of Southern California. He’s a cold weather parrot.

Don't worry, Albert.  As cold as they keep those conference rooms, you'll feel right at home!

What’s up next for each of you?

Katharine: IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS (coming August 30!), the story of powerful lord, a passionate lady, and an enduring love to defy the world.

Sarah: Lady Penelope Marbury, the unfortunate fiancée in ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE’S HEART gets her own love story in February 2012’s A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME, the first book in my new Rules of Scoundrels series, following four of the kings of London’s Underworld as they find love.

Gaelen: Drake, the most tortured hero spy of the Inferno Club goes off on a suicide mission to destroy the evil Promethean conspirators for once and for all—until he realizes he’s been followed by the girl who has loved him since childhood. Emily is bound and determined to bring him home safe and help him heal, in MY RUTHLESS PRINCE, coming Jan. 2012.

Tessa: A NIGHT TO SURRENDER comes out August 30th, too – it’s a steamy, humorous battle of the sexes set in Spindle Cove, a charming little seaside village for unconventional ladies.

MirandaCONFESSIONS FROM AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE will be out April 2012.The heroine is Minerva Montrose, who has already had a lot to say in The Dangerous Viscount and The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton. The identity of her hero is yet to be revealed, but I can promise Minerva hasn’t gotten any less opinionated.

Sabrina: Highwaymen, smugglers and spies. Oh and mistresses. In my stories, there are always mistresses.

Sarah:  Prizes! Lady B will happily gift six commenters with one of our books! She requests that they tell her who *they* would like to waltz with at her next ball. :)  


Ladies, thank you so much for visiting with us today.  It's been a pleasure to host you!  We wish you success with The Ballroom Blog and with all of your upcoming literary endeavors as well.  

For more information about today's guests, be sure to visit The Ballroom Blog or stop by the individual websites of the authors (links below) and don't forget to tell the ladies who you would most like to waltz with for a chance to win one of their wonderful books!

Gaelen Foley
Katharine Ashe
Miranda Neville
Sabrina Darby
Sarah MacLean
Tessa Dare

80 comments:

  1. How do you do, ladies!

    I can't decide between Mayne and Bentley either. Both of them are so yummy!

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  2. Welcome ladies,
    I would love to waltz with Vere from Loretta Chase's "The Last Hellion." He's the quite the tortured hero and I also can't wait for Drake's book.

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  3. Great post, I love the Ballroom Blog. I'd love to dance with Dain from Lord of Scoundrels. Followed by Vere Mallory, the Bar Cynster and the Knight brothers and cousins. That should fill the dance card nicely.

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  4. Hello ladies!

    I would like to dance with Sebastian St. Vincent from Lisa Kleypas' "Devil in Winter." I can't resist blond heroes. :)

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  5. I will definitely make a visit to the ballroom. It looks like an interesting place. I would pick Mr. Darcy.

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  6. Sheree, I have a feeling Mayne's going to be a popular choice today!

    I haven't "met" Bentley yet but I have his book (The Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle)on my tbr. Something tells me I should start pushing it up the stack. ;-)

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  7. Vere is a great choice, Jane! Loretta Chase writes fabulous heroes, doesn't she?

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  8. Beebs, welcome to The Romance Dish! Is this your first visit with us?

    That's quite the dance card you have there. I have to admit, I'm just a wee bit (okay, a whole lot!) envious. Looks like you'll be having a wonderful evening!

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  9. St. Vincent is a great choice, Antonia! He's one of my all-time favorite redeemed bad boys.

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  10. I will definitely make a visit to the ballroom. It looks like an interesting place.

    Maureen, do check it out. It's a fascinating place and you never know who you'll find at Lady B's. Today, I believe it's mistresses!

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  11. Hello Ladies! How lovely to see you here at The Dish!!! I've thoroughly enjoyed The Ballroom Blog, and look forward to everyone's posts. And thank you, Lady B and Albert, for joining us today as well.

    As to who I want to dance with, it would definitely have to be Matt Bomer, who plays Neal Caffrey on White Collar. Not only is he delicious eye candy, he also has a RL Texas accent that is just delightful. And I would also love to dance with Julian from Tessa's Three Nights with a Scoundrel. He could teach me to dance, then wisk me away to the theater and who knows what other adventures afterwards, and I just love a man who's musically inclined!

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  12. I'm a St. Vincent fan myself, but could definitely go for Gabriel Cynster, too. Love the blog ladies!

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  13. Sebastain St. Vincent would be at the top of the list. But, I would also like to Giles Masters from How to Woo a Reluctant Lady.

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  14. Hello to the Ballroom belles! We're so happy to have you with us today.

    There are so many tempting heroes I'd love to waltz with, but I'll go with Cameron Mackenzie from The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley. Actually, all of those Mackenzie men are so delectable---I'll take them any or all of them. *g*

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  15. Hi Lisa!

    I'm thinking Matt Bomer would be a very popular non-fiction choice. I see his name popping up quite often in discussions of yummy men. ;-)

    I adore Tessa's Julian! He's a wonderful choice and especially gifted musically. I believe the piano was his instrument of choice, was it not? ;-)

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  16. Another vote for St. Vincent. Gabriel is a delicious choice too, Cail. Honestly, I'd probably be happy with any of the Cynster men! :)

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  17. Amieam said, Sebastain St. Vincent would be at the top of the list. But, I would also like to Giles Masters from How to Woo a Reluctant Lady.

    Hi amieam! Welcome to the Dish!

    I adored Giles Masters! I'd love to take a twirl around the ballroom with him. With Minerva's permission, of course!

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  18. Good morning, ladies. Many thanks to Andrea, Buffie, Gannon and PJ for hosting us today. It's lovely to be here. :)

    Sheree, I'm glad to know another Bentley fan. It was so hard to choose, though, it's true! The other gentlemen mentioned so far are so delicious. I can't wait for more tasty inspiration throughout the day. ;)

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  19. So many wonderful gents mentioned already :) I think I'd love a dance with Adrian Hawkhurst from Joanna Bourne's books (looking forward to his story this fall), he's so dangerously sexy ;)

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  20. What a terrific post. You gals are all so funny! I know my choice is not a character of your books, but may I choose to dance with *drool* Colin Firth? Oh my, be still my beating heart!

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

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  21. Good morning, Katharine! You must be the early riser of the Ballroom.

    I'm looking forward to reading your new book, In the Arms of a Marquess. It looks delicious!

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  22. Gamistress66 said, I think I'd love a dance with Adrian Hawkhurst from Joanna Bourne's books (looking forward to his story this fall), he's so dangerously sexy ;)

    Gamistress, I just finished reading an ARC of Adrian's book, The Black Hawk. I didn't think I could love him more than I already did. I was wrong. :)

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  23. Connie said, I know my choice is not a character of your books, but may I choose to dance with *drool* Colin Firth? Oh my, be still my beating heart!

    Colin may not be fictional but he always brings to mind those yummy Irish rogues I love to drool over in my historical romances. Good choice, Connie!

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  24. Hi Ladies! Thanks so much for having all of us crash your party today...we had a great time answering your questions!

    We hope to see you all over on The Ballroom soon (Sabrina's interviewing mistresses today...scandal)!

    xox

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  25. I have fallen a little in love with so many romance novel heroes that it is hard to choose my dance partner! Perhaps Vale from Elizabeth Hoyt's "To Seduce a Sinner"...or Wulfric Bedwyn from Balogh's "Slightly Dangerous"...or maybe Anthony from JQ's "The Viscount Who Loved Me." What fun I would have filling up my dance card with these gents and more!

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  26. I agree with Cheryl...There are so many dashing heroes to choose from that my dance card would be filled in no time.

    Mr. Colin Bridgerton from JQ's RMB would make me laugh and feel at ease. Suzanne Enoch's Saint from London's Perfec Scoundrel would make me nervous, but, oh, to dance with such a handsome rake would be a daring feat!

    Of course, I would also like to dance with a man who is in full kilt regalia. Ooh.... :)

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  27. Lady B’s ballroom is filled with so many dashing men…. to pick just one, hmm… Ms. Foley would you be so kind and introduce me to Lord Lucien Knight I believe I have found the perfect waltzing partner.

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  28. A visit to the Ballroom is always a delightful experience, ladies.

    Since Mayne seems so busy, I'll choose Avery Thorne from Connie Brockway's Dearest Enemy as my partner. If I don't have to time travel alone, I'll take Quinn Hunter from Kathleen Gilles Seidel's Till the Stars Fall. I could easily list a top 100 choices since I fall in love every day with the turn of a page.

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  29. What a treat to visit the Romance Dish twice in one month! Thanks, PJ and the other ladies, for inviting us. So happy we're talking about heroes (ever a favorite subject!). Glad Cheryl mentioned Wulfric. There are a couple of VERY memorable waltzes in that book. So we know he can dance well (and other things....)

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  30. There are so many possibilities. Perhaps Michael Stirling from Julia Quinn's, When He Was Wicked or Ian Thornton from Judith McNaught's, Almost Heaven. If they're unavailable, then there's always that other Lisa Kleypas hero - Merripen.

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  31. Hi Dishies. A couple of people on Facebook tell me they weren't able to comment. I don't know if it's a sign in issue. Can you give me instructions for them? Or I can pass along their choices of dance partner (they're good ones)

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  32. I'm sorry they're having problems, Miranda. The easiest way to comment is with a Google ID. They can also sign-in with IDs from LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad and AIM.

    To discourage Spam, we don't allow anonymous comments.

    Hope that helps!

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  33. I want to waltz with Alex!! From Katharine Ashe's book 'Captured by a Rogue Lord'. A more dashing man I can't even imagine. Of course any of the male characters these ladies create would be worth spending time with. After all I do wear scarlet. LOL!

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  34. Can I go for a real person? I would so love to waltz with Richard Armitage! :) Maybe as a birthday present for him? *g*

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  35. Hi PJ,

    thanks for the welcome. This is not my first visit but is my first time commenting. The ladies at the Ballroom recently lured me out of lurkdom. I couldn't resist today's post either. So many wonderful heroes but so little time.*g*

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  36. Good morning ladies! (It *is* still morning where I am.) And thank you so much for having us today.

    I love reading about all these heroes, because every time I read a new name the book he's from instantly plays in my head like a movie. I'm such a romance fan!

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  37. Hello ladies! The Ballroom blog is a great place for all maidens taken or searching. I've met pirates, rogues and heroes in the making. It sounds like Sebastain St. Vincent is going to have his hands full seeing he is on so many dancing cards. He is also one of the men I would love to waltz with.

    As it happens I feel like being endangered so would love to waltz with Devlin O'Neill, an infamous pirate from Brenda Joyce's The Prize. I might just get only one dance out of him before he retreats into the background, brooding away and staring darkly at the scheming matrons, so I better make the most of it.

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  38. Amy asked me to post on her behalf. Here's what she has to say (and I heartily endorse it).

    A most delightful visit ... please tell the ladies, thank you for a wonderful time. It wouldn't allow me to comment even though I tried. BTW, my choice of partner would be Gaelen's beast - Rohan Kilburn, the Duke of Warrington - what a thrill to be in his arms. : )

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  39. PJ -- I so jealous! I can't wait to read Black Hawk, even if it does kill my fantasy that he'll come to his senses and be mine ;)

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  40. Oh Lady B I love this! I've often lamented that there are no balls to attend these days. I think it would be romantic to dance in a gown with a handsome man in a fancy ballroom:) But as a girl living in current day and in Texas no less, there aren't many opportunities for that kind of luxury lol. So thank you for inviting me to yours! As for man I'd like to waltz with I'd like Ian Somerhalder LOL. He'd look hawt in tie n' tails and I *love* his eyes:D

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  41. Oh! LOL, was I supposed to choose a "literary gent" to dance with?? Woops! um....let's see....well I dont know Mayne yet but all the ladies seem to recommend him so I'll definitely be looking for him now:D

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  42. Here's Rebekah Marie's comment

    "I was also unable to comment...but I would choose Hugh Jackman...hands down."

    Good choice, Rebekah. A little Hugh always works.

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  43. I think any one of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton brothers would be very nice for a waltz partner.

    FYI, I've stopped by the Ballroom blog several times and enjoyed it quite a bit.

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  44. If I had the choice, then it would have to be Royce Varisey, the 10th Duke of Wolverstone from "Mastered by Love" by Stephanie Laurens.

    He's such a strong, dangerous and very, very sexy man. *Sigh*

    Thank you ladies for another very entertaining post on The Ballroom Blog. I just love to read how you all respond differently to the questions asked.

    dpd333 AT aol dot com

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  45. First time commenting here at the dish, but I just had to because we're at a ball.

    I would love to step lightly with Michael Stirling from JQ's When He Was Wicked. Perhaps a waltz with Alasdair Machlachlan from Liz Carlysle's One Little Sin. And I would just love a quiet interlude on the terrace with Fortitude Ware from Jo Beverly's Something Wicked.

    Thanks for the invitation, Ladies.

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  46. Perhaps Vale from Elizabeth Hoyt's "To Seduce a Sinner"...or Wulfric Bedwyn from Balogh's "Slightly Dangerous"...or maybe Anthony from JQ's "The Viscount Who Loved Me."

    Great choices, Cheryl! Fair warning though, you'll probably have to fight Andrea for a chance to dance with JQ's Anthony. She has a seriously "dishy" crush on that man!

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  47. Mr. Colin Bridgerton from JQ's RMB would make me laugh and feel at ease.

    Colin would be great fun to dance with, Deb! He's one of my all-time favorite heroes. ::sigh::

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  48. Ms. Foley would you be so kind and introduce me to Lord Lucien Knight I believe I have found the perfect waltzing partner.

    I haven't "met" Lucien Knight yet, Kat but after sneaking a peek at him and his brothers during a recent visit to Lady B's Ballroom, I'll be requesting an introduction of my own! :)

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  49. Janga said, I could easily list a top 100 choices since I fall in love every day with the turn of a page.

    Amen.

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  50. Penfield said, There are so many possibilities. Perhaps Michael Stirling from Julia Quinn's, When He Was Wicked

    I adore Michael! Great choice, Penfield!

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  51. Kissablesweet1 said, I want to waltz with Alex!! From Katharine Ashe's book 'Captured by a Rogue Lord'. A more dashing man I can't even imagine.

    Ooh, yes! Excellent choice! And speaking of excellent choices, love your screen name!

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  52. Can I go for a real person? I would so love to waltz with Richard Armitage! :) Maybe as a birthday present for him? *g*

    I doubt anyone will cause a fuss over you choosing RA, Claudia. Unless, of course, it's because they want a dance too! :)

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  53. thanks for the welcome. This is not my first visit but is my first time commenting. The ladies at the Ballroom recently lured me out of lurkdom.

    My thanks to the ladies for enticing you out of lurkdom, Beebs! I hope you'll come out to play often. ;-)

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  54. Hi Sabrina! It's our pleasure to have you visit with us today. The Ballroom will certainly be crowded today with all these delicious men. Hmmm...I wonder if inviting all these men is such a good idea what with the Mistresses visiting over at The Ballroom Blog today. This could get verrry interesting!

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  55. Welcome to the ladies of The Ballroom. It is fabulous having you with us today!!!

    I have enjoyed reading your responses to our questions. I have to admit to being the one who wondered if you had enjoyed a night of dancing and flirting in your own lives, and Katharine, I loved your answer ... Katharine: The high school gymnasium, low lights, pounding rock, beers in bottles snuck in under the bleachers (don’t tell Lady B; she thinks I’m “good”), and heart-throbbing flirtations. We danced too, but honestly, I remember a lot more kissing going on than dancing, which is how I like my balls best to this day!


    The reason is because it is just how the dh and I meet. Such fun memories!

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  56. Na said, As it happens I feel like being endangered so would love to waltz with Devlin O'Neill, an infamous pirate from Brenda Joyce's The Prize.

    I have a fondness for pirates! adding Devlin O'Neill to my list

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  57. BTW, my choice of partner would be Gaelen's beast - Rohan Kilburn, the Duke of Warrington - what a thrill to be in his arms. : )

    Amy, I'm sorry you weren't able to post a comment. Thanks, Miranda for posting the comment for her!

    Rohan would be a superb addition to any dance card!

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  58. Bella, Mayne is a very busy man but I'm sure he'll make time for introductions and perhaps a twirl around the ballroom. He's a wonderful hero from Eloisa James's Essex Sisters quartet.

    Oh, and don't worry about choosing Ian. How could anybody resist those eyes!

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  59. Rebekah Marie, Hugh Jackman is always a good choice! In fact, it wouldn't surprise me a bit to find him on many of today's dance cards. ;-)

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  60. I think any one of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton brothers would be very nice for a waltz partner.

    I agree, LSU Reader, though Colin is my personal favorite. ;-)

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  61. Wolverstone is a very good choice, Diane!

    Be on the lookout for Breckenridge in Stephanie Laurens' upcoming release, Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. He's a keeper!

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  62. Welcome Anne Gallagher! We're so happy you stopped by!

    I really do need to read Something Wicked. I have it in my mountainous tbr. Just have to find some time! lol!

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  63. Well I want to waltz with Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind. He has always been my favorite hero of all times because that is the book that got me to reading.

    lead[at]hotsheet[dot]com

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  64. Well I want to waltz with Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind. He has always been my favorite hero of all times because that is the book that got me to reading.

    We always remember our first with fondness, don't we, Virginia? *wink*

    I'd be happy to welcome Rhett to the ballroom!

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  65. Thank you so much for having us here today, PJ and Dish regulars!

    And special thanks to Lisa, for picking Julian to dance with! Erm, yes, he does have a talent for tickling the ivories. ;)

    Virginia, when you mentioned Rhett Butler, my heart skipped a beat. Him bidding for that dance with Scarlett... sigh.

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  66. Gaelen Foley had a spot of trouble commenting but she wanted to say:

    Bon soir, dear ladies! So wonderful to see you all. Thank you, Romance Dish, for inviting us to your soiree. :) It's always so refreshing to find oneself among the Quality. I second all your choices on dancing partners. It will be the talk of the Season!
    Fondly yours,
    Gaelen

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  67. I would choose Julia Quinn's Marcus Holroyd, the Earl of Chatteris as my dance partner.

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  68. Welcome, ladies! Love your books!

    I would like to waltz with Ian Sutherland, Duke of Rotham in Nicole Jordan's To Desire A Wicked Duke and James Rutherford in Beverley Kendall's Sinful Surrender. There are too many yummy men to choose from actually.

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  69. Just checked out the new blog and I love it! very stylish!

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  70. I would waltz with Clanross from "Lady Elizabeth's Comet" by Sheila Simonson. He's just too swoon-worthy.

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  71. What a delightful post. Great questions and great answers. I will be checking out the Ballroom Blog.

    As for who I would like to dance with, good question. I have read so many books over the years and there have been so many great heroes, it is hard to choose. It would have to be Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy as my all time favorite

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  72. Hugh Jackman can not only dance, but is gorgeous & supposedly such a Gentleman. I would willingly dance with him anytime.

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  73. I would love to Waltz with John Thornton form Elizabeth Gaskell's North & South. Especially if he looks just like Richard.

    Also wouldn't mind gracing the floor with James Trevor from Lauren Royal's Tempting Julianna.

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  74. Many thanks to the ladies of the Ballroom for graciously answering all of our questions yesterday and to everyone who stopped by to share who you'd most like to waltz you around the ballroom. Be sure to check back to see who wins the six books the ladies are giving away!

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  75. I just went through the comments to read the ones after I posted yesterday only to find that my long post is gone!! Poof! Did anyone else have problems yesterday??

    Anyway, I enjoyed reading all the comments and answers. Never a dull moment in the Ballroom!! Thanks, ladies!!

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  76. I'm definitely having trouble posting this morning Andrea.

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  77. Ladies, I loved your comments about your dance partners and even though all your hero's are devine if I'm going to be the one every one is watching open the first waltz of the evening I'm picking a completely different hero form another time period but a true ballroom master - Fred Astaire!

    Ah, handsome, modern and he can make even me look elegant on the dance floor (and at my age too)and I'll just bet Lord Hastings will be watching instead of in the cardroom!

    Delighted that you invited me again to join you for tea but I must get going now for my modiste has a new gown waiting!

    Lady Hastings

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  78. Hello, all you lovely Patronesses and Dishes!
    I've already had the pleasure of meeting PJ, Katherine, Gaelen,
    Mirinda, and Sarah at Avon's Tea during the RWA Conference in NYC in June. Now I am happy to meet Sabrina and Tessa! I am also happy that you all are not like the snooty Almack's Patronesses, so we all enjoy your special Ballroom and don't need permission to waltz!

    These are only some of my picks: Sebastian St. Vincent from Lisa Kleypas' "Devil in Winter," Devil Cynster, and the rest of the Cynster men (I can dream, can't I?) Mayne, Craven, the Bridgerton Men, and for the paranormal, Eric Northman..as a 1000 year old vampire, I believe he'd have been as irrisistable during the Regency Period as he is now.

    Ah, so many waltzes and men; so little time.

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  79. Hello, all you lovely Patronesses and Dishes!
    I've already had the pleasure of meeting PJ, Katherine, Gaelen,
    Mirinda, and Sarah at Avon's Tea during the RWA Conference in NYC in June. Now I am happy to meet Sabrina and Tessa! I am also happy that you all are not like the snooty Almack's Patronesses, so we all enjoy your special Ballroom and don't need permission to waltz!

    These are only some of my picks: Sebastian St. Vincent from Lisa Kleypas' "Devil in Winter," Devil Cynster, and the rest of the Cynster men (I can dream, can't I?) Mayne, Craven, the Bridgerton Men, and for the paranormal, Eric Northman..as a 1000 year old vampire, I believe he'd have been as irrisistable during the Regency Period as he is now.

    Ah, so many waltzes and men; so little time

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  80. Hello, Ladies!

    I want to dance with Jamie Sinclair from The Devil Wears Plaid, by Teresa Medeiros!!! Oh, and Alex Romero from Kill Me Twice by Roxanne St. Clair! Also, Cameron MacKenzie from The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley! The list could go on and on!!! I will say pretty much any Highlander would work for me! LOL!!!!

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