I am so delighted to welcome Vanessa Kelly today! She's not only one of my favorite people but one of my favorite authors as well. If you aren't reading her books, now's the perfect time to begin! Vanessa was named by Booklist, the
review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of
Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been
nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single
Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical
Romance. (You may have seen the photos in our Moonlight & Magnolias blogs from 2011) You can find Vanessa on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com. You can also connect with her at Facebook, Twitter and Vanessa's
Blog.
Women Rule
By Vanessa Kelly
Hi PJ and
Andrea! I’m so happy to be celebrating
the release of my new historical romance, His Mistletoe Bride, with you and
your readers.
For those of you
who've read my previous books in the Stanton Family series, you’ll know that I
have strong-minded and resourceful heroines.
They’re up to challenging the various pig-headed notions of the heroes,
and they fight hard to achieve their HEAs with the men they love. But although my books obviously focus on the
hero and heroine, I do like to develop other relationships for my main
characters, especially friendships between the various women in the books.
The heroine of His
Mistletoe Bride, Phoebe Linville, is a Quaker who comes from America to
meet her aristocratic British relatives.
The first person she meets is my hero, Lucas Stanton. Phoebe finds him both intriguing and
attractive, but also a bit intimidating.
Lucas, who is pretty darn smart as well as drop-dead sexy, realizes that
Phoebe could use a little female companionship.
He introduces her to Aunt Georgina (Lady Stanton) and to Meredith, the
Countess of Silverton. The women—characters
from my previous books—take Phoebe under their wings.
With some
entertaining results, I might add.
Here’s a short excerpt from Phoebe’s first dress shopping expedition in
London—clearly an important event if she’s to make a success of her society debut. But as a plainly dressed Quaker she finds the
entire experience rather daunting, and she needs some gentle support from Aunt
Georgina and Meredith:
Scowling
at her reflection, Phoebe gave her bodice another useless tug. Meredith stood
and moved behind her, gently placing her hands on Phoebe’s shoulders and
turning her around.
“You’re
only in half mourning,” Meredith said as she skillfully rearranged the
whisper-thin material across Phoebe’s bosom. “Your grandfather has been dead
for over two months, so it’s entirely appropriate for you to go out into
company, as long as you don’t dance. And this gown is both tasteful and
discreet. Just the perfect thing for a young lady in your situation.”
Phoebe
almost choked on Meredith’s description of the gown. Half her chest was
exposed. If she did not succumb to a fatal chill, she would likely die of
mortification the first time she went into public.
Without
thinking, she slipped her hand up to the bodice, ready to yank it up. Meredith
caught her fingers.
“You’ll
ruin the fabric,” she warned.
“But
I feel . . . naked.”
Aunt
Georgie laughed. “I’m not surprised, given what you normally wear. But I assure
you, that dress is modest by ton standards. It’s the perfect thing for your
appearance at Lady Framingham’s ball next week.”
“Aunt
Georgina is right,” Meredith said. “Half the women at the ball will be falling
out of their gowns. One or two of them quite literally.” She smoothed down the
bodice over her own generous chest and sighed. “Just look at me. After having
twins, I practically have to strap myself in whenever I put on evening attire
or I’d give my husband a fit.”
“But
everything seems to fit you perfectly.” Despairing, Phoebe gestured at her
overflowing chest. “Unlike me. I’m skinny everywhere but up here. I look top
heavy, like some sort of puffed-up bird.”
Aunt
Georgie smiled. “The dressmaker can alter the gown to fit perfectly. And you
have a lovely figure. Most girls would give their eyeteeth to look like you.
Most importantly, I’m sure any man in his right mind would agree. Lucas, for
instance. He seems quite taken with you.”
Not
again. Phoebe did not
want to have this conversation, not when she knew her cheeks turned red as fire
at the very mention of his name. “I am sure he is not.”
“I’m
sure he is,” Aunt Georgie gently insisted. “We hardly used to see Lucas from
one week to the next, but now he practically haunts the General’s library. He’s
visited every day since you’ve arrived.”
Phoebe
blushed even harder. “He is acting out of simple kindness to a newcomer,
nothing more.”
Meredith
laughed. “Kindness has nothing to do with it. Can’t you tell?”
That
was the problem. She could not. The men she had grown up with were nothing like
Lucas, or anyone else in London, for that matter.
Phoebe grew up
in a quiet country village, and she has no idea how to navigate the
complexities of life among the British aristocracy. Fortunately for her, she has women friends
and family who will guide her. I love
creating these strong female relationships in my stories, and I think readers
enjoy them too. Besides, as much as we
love the men in our lives—and Phoebe and Lucas do eventually fall madly in
love—we sometimes need a little help from our women friends, don’t we?
What
about you, readers? When you need
support who are the women you turn to?
I’m very fortunate to be able to rely on my step-mother and sister, but
I have wonderful women friends, too. So
tell us all about it! One person who
comments will win a copy of two of my previous books—Mastering The Marquess and An
Invitation To Sin.
BLAME IT ON THE
MISTLETOE…
When
Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would
include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling
American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the
compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe
Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his
rules—and surprising him in and out of bed…
Phoebe
has no intention of bowing to Lucas’s stubbornness even though he offers all
that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is
determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that
takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than
willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…
