Samantha Grace Guest Post & Giveaway

I’d like to thank Royal Reviews for this opportunity to introduce Lord Andrew Forest and Miss Lana Hillary, the stars of my debut regency romance. Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel’s official release is tomorrow, and I’m thrilled to be here talking about two characters who are dear to my heart.

HE’LL NEVER SETTLE FOR ONE WOMAN…

Debonair bachelor Lord Andrew Forest lives for pleasure and offers no apologies. But he receives a dose of his own medicine when his family’s entrancing houseguest beds him, then disappears without so much as a  by-your-leave. He’d like to teach the little vixen a thing or two about how to love a man…if he can find her…

AND SHE WON’T SETTLE FOR HEARTBREAK…

After the dashing man of her dreams is revealed as a lying scoundrel, heiress Lana Hillary is ready to seek a match with a respectable gentleman—if only they weren’t so dreadfully boring. Unable to rein in her bold nature for long, Lana flirts with trouble and finds herself entangled with exactly the type of man she’s vowed to avoid.

As you’ve probably noticed, the summary on the back of books provides just a sliver of most stories. Today I’d like to give you a peek into how Lord Andrew Forest and his lady-love, Miss Lana Hillary, came to be the hero and heroine of their own book, and share what I love about both characters.

When Lord Andrew and Miss Hillary first came to life on the page, neither one of them were meant to take on a leading role. Lord Andrew, affectionately known as Drew, appeared in my very first attempt at a novel nearly four years ago. He played the younger brother to my hero and consistently upstaged his kin. My critique partners all had the same feedback; they loved Drew! Truthfully, so do I.

Drew is a bit of a misguided soul, but the love of a good woman is all he needs to become a great hero. The youngest of the Duke of Foxhaven’s three sons – the heir’s spare, spare—he has very little expectations placed on him. In fact, Drew’s sire is amused by his antics as long as his indulgences don’t reflect badly on the family. But there comes a time when wine, women, and song no longer fulfill Drew, and Miss Hillary is the catalyst. She challenges everything he believes to be true about proper ladies, and he’s intrigued.

Does Drew ever really change? “Would you ask a leopard to change his spots?” To his credit, he’s a good guy at heart. He cares about his family, and despite his tendency to love ‘em and leave ‘em, he has a positive regard for the fairer gender. And he is funny! He only changes in the ways that count. He’s still a passionate man who discovers true pleasure can come from loving one woman.

Lana Hillary was another delightful surprise to me. She played the heroine’s best friend in my first safely-tucked-away book, but her cheeky nature and tendency to speak her mind without censorship made me love her. She is exactly the kind of person I would befriend. Lana is down-to-earth, opinionated, loyal, and feisty. She’s the perfect lady to teach Drew how to love, even though he thinks he’s the one doing the educating. (Shh. Let’s not hurt his pride.) Essentially, he is right, too. Lana grows as much as Drew does, and it isn’t a smooth path for either one. Lana is the only daughter and the youngest child of a wealthy landowner. She has never seen much evidence of love’s existence. Her parents are estranged, and her mother suffers spells that require her to take refuge in the country. Lana sincerely wants to fulfill her duty by marrying a respectable gentleman. She doesn’t want to be a burden to her family, but she has been unsuccessful in catching the notice of a decent man since her broken betrothal. It wasn’t a pretty parting either. Her former fiancé was a vile man, and his betrayal causes her to doubt her judgment when it comes to Drew.

I’ve always believed obstacles can be an opportunity for couples to grow together or fall apart. Fortunately for Lord Andrew and Miss Hillary, they are perfectly suited and share a genuine regard for each other. In the end, they are able to let go of their pasts so that they can enjoy the happily ever after they deserve.

Now I would love to hear from you. What is one of your favorite obstacles heroes and heroines must overcome to reach a happy ending?

To learn more about Samantha’s Beau Monde bachelors, visit www.samanthagraceauthor.com. You can find her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/samanthagraceromanceauthor, Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SamGraceAuthor, and Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4946067.Samantha_Grace

She also enjoys blogging with her fellow Lady Scribes. http://ladyscribes.blogspot.com

I would like to thank Samantha Grace for her introduction to Lord Andrew and Miss Hilary.

Now Dear Readers, you too can meet these charming characters. All you have to do is answer the question Samantha Grace provided:

What is one of your favorite obstacles heroes and heroines must overcome to reach a happy ending?

I have two copies to giveaway.

Giveaway is worldwide and ends on March 9

Monarch of the Week & Giveaway

This weeks Monarch is:

Queen Victoria

Full name:
Alexandrina Victoria

Born:
May 24, 1819

Kensington Palace, London

Died:
January 22, 1901 at the age of 81

Osborne House, Isle of Wight

Burial: February 4, 1901

Frogmore, Windsor

Father:
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn

Mother:
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield

Spouse and Consort:
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

Issue:
Victoria, German Empress
Edward VII
Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Helena, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg

House:
The House of Hanover

Titles:
Queen of the United Kingdom
Empress of India (May 1, 1876-January 22, 1901)

Reign:
June 1837- January 22, 1901

Coronation:
June 28 1838

Predecessor:
William IV

Successor:
Edward VII

Signature:

Princess Victoria at the age of 4

Self-portrait by Queen Victoria when she was still the Princess of Kent 1835

Coronation portrait

The Marriage of Queen Victoria, 10 February 1840

Earliest known photograph of Queen Victoria with the Princess Royal Victoria circa 1844

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their nine children May 26, 1857

Queen Victoria on her horse ‘Fyvie’ with her Scottish servant John Brown at Balmoral 1863

Interesting & Random Facts:
-Victoria was christened privately by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Manners-Sutton on June 24, 1819 in the Cupola Room at Kensington Palace.

-She was baptized Alexandrina, after one of her godparents, Emperor Alexander I of Russia and Victoria after her mother.

-At birth she was the fifth in line of succession after her father and his three older brothers.
-Victoria described her childhood as “rather melancholy”.  Her mother was extremely protective, and Victoria was raised isolated from other children under the “Kensington System”, an elaborate set of rules and protocol devised by the Duchesses and her comptroller, Sir John Conroy.

-In her diary she wrote, "I was awoke at 6 o'clock by Mamma, who told me the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham were here and wished to see me. I got out of bed and went into my sitting-room (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord Conyngham then acquainted me that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more, and had expired at 12 minutes past 2 this morning, and consequently that I am Queen."

-She spent the evening after her wedding  lying down with a headache and wrote the following in her diary:

NEVER, NEVER spent such an evening!!! MY DEAREST DEAREST DEAR Albert ... his excessive love & affection gave me feelings of heavenly love & happiness I never could have hoped to have felt before! He clasped me in his arms, & we kissed each other again & again! His beauty, his sweetness & gentleness – really how can I ever be thankful enough to have such a Husband! ... to be called by names of tenderness, I have never yet heard used to me before – was bliss beyond belief! Oh! This was the happiest day of my life.

-She was the last British monarch from the House of Hanover.

-Queen Victoria is the longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-reigning Queen regnant in world history; she reigned for a total of 63 years, seven months and two days.

Here is another chance to win a Michaela MacColl two book set that includes the book Prisoners of the Palace (a book about young Victoria) and Promise the Night.
Winner will be selected on February 10.
Giveaway is open Worldwide.