Today we have Carrie Lofty talking about her fabulous Christie series, which if you haven’t already started you need to correct immediately! Carrie is also doing a fabulous giveaway so don’t forget to leave her a note. The contest is open everywhere.
Mercenaries!
Thanks so much to the Book Reading Gals for having me stop by! I’m excited to talk about “A Little More Scandal.” At just $.99… Take a chance! This is an adorable intro to my Christies series of Victorian romances.
It’s one of Pocket’s first original digital releases. You can read more about those fabulous new originals here , including an extended excerpt of “A Little More Scandal.”
But there. Aside from the blurb, that’s my sales pitch. Let’s get to the good stuff now…
Catrin Jones and William Christie are not common characters because they are commoners. Not a lot of those pesky untitled heroes and heroines are running around Romancelandia these days! Perhaps part of the difficulty romance readers may have in opening their hearts to up-by-your-bootstraps folk is because such characters need to be, well, rather mercenary.
Social climbing can read as innocuously as a baron’s daughter marrying well when she catches the eye—and heart—of a duke. The societal difficulties of such a match taking place 19th century England are more radical than historical romances generally portray. But they’re fun! Fairies tales do come true! Otherwise, we wouldn’t read romance.
Social climbing, however, was often a lot grittier. Thugs in back alleys. Schemes that involved intimidation. Women whose ambitions trumped any sense of virtue. In the case of robber barons, their road to the top was paved on the backs of the world’s poorest and across the entire Empire.
Let’s just say that Catrin and William fit somewhere in between, erring on the side of good triumphing over evil. William dragged himself up from the slums of Glasgow. If you can imagine, it probably wasn’t a pretty, gentle or mannered journey. Penny after penny, deal after deal, he became rich enough to barge his way into Society. Not that they wanted him there. He represents that most dreaded of all 19th century personages…new money!
Catrin has no money, but she does have something every good carney knows how to peddle: the curiosity factor. Battlefield nurse… Sole survivor of a shipwreck. Oh, and she’s pretty too! Canny and practical, she knows she has only a matter of months before the ton tires of her party trick and moves on to its next tasty bit of gossip. She needs a husband ASAP.
In terms of romance, they were made for each other.
“We’ll feed editors tidbits of news about the most scandalous couple in the ton,” Catrin said. “How we buy our way into parties, make love in carriages, and mock our betters.”
William nuzzled close, breathing the soft scent of heaven on earth. “We sound absolutely filthy.”
“Don’t we, though? People will lap it up.” He felt her smile against his cheek. “Then, I’ve always wanted to see America. One day we might do with a change of scenery. Your iron ore company is based in New York, yes?”
“How in the world did you know that?”
She laughed. “If it’s a matter of public record and it’s about you, I know it.”
“Devious,” he said. “You are completely devious.”
So I hope you’ll give this unusual pair a few moments of your time. They’re not out to rule the world, but they’re certainly ready to bend a few rules and state a few blunt intentions if it means changing their destinies—and doing so together.
Next up for Carrie:
STARLIGHT , the second full-length romance in the Christies series, is set in Victorian Glasgow. It just got a 4 ½ stars Top Pick from RT BookReviews, and comes out on June 26th. Then comes Pocket Star digital original, HIS VERY OWN GIRL. It’s a historical romance set in WWII—an honest to goodness historical romance! Available September 4.
Carrie on the internet:
Twitter: @carrielofty
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarrieLofty
I’d like to give away a copy of FLAWLESS , the first of the Christies series from Pocket. I’ll ship anywhere. Anyone who already has FLAWLESS can win any choice from my back catalog.
Oh… that sounds like a terrific book. I love a crafty and cunning heroine. 🙂
This story seems great and original. The characters sound great, far from perfect but smart and perfect for each other. I loved this extract, very funny. Thank you for this post.
(Still no accounts on facebook and twitter.)
I really liked the synopsis. Definitely going on to my TBR pile. Can’t wait to read it.
Let’s hear it for the untitled! It seems like characters have to be colonials in Regency/Victorian romances to be hero/heroine materials – and even then there’s usually a title (second son, anyone) that’s not being used anymore. This book sounds like a refreshing change.
This sounds like a great read. Added to my TBR incase I don’t win 🙂
Sounds like a fascinating read set in an era I haven’t seen done much. Thanks.
Hi everyone! I love all the enthusiasm for up-by-your-bootstraps characters. “A Little More Scandal” is a bite-sized taste of what the Christies series is all about. I hope you take a look! Thanks for stopping by today, and best of luck in the drawing.
“Catrin Jones and William Christie are not common characters because they are commoners.”
I like this refreshing change. I’d love to meet them and see how they face life’s twists and turns.
Thanks for sharing!