IT’S RELEASE DAY FOR THE SURRENDER OF A LADY! HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR COPY?
I thought I’d make this a fun blog today and offer up ten things about THE SURRENDER OF A LADY that you won’t have previously guessed, or known.
1) I chose Jinan’s name based on definition. Meaning, I looked for names that meant Paradise. Jinan was not only the prettiest, but I have a great love for names beginning with J.
2) Lord Rothburn has always been ‘Rothy’ to me. I’ve always called him Rothy, and continue to do so. He did not have the name ‘Griffin’ until the book was mostly written.
3) The original title for the book was HIDDEN BEAUTY. Named after the Lithograph (on the right) by Clemens von Pausinger.
4) I didn’t think this book was going to turn out to be a romance because the first half of the book was only told in my heroines point of view. I didn’t even really know the hero for the first half of the book.
5) It is the smallest things that give me the most problems researching. I had to find a fast ship. One faster than the Ottoman’s Xebecs. It took a whole night emailing my critique partner back and forth to find an American Clipper that could not be beat for my hero to whisk away my heroine.
6) Also spent a weekend researching islands in the Mediterranean. It had to be warm, Turk owned and so many days away from Brindisi by ‘Clipper’. My critique partner and I visited many tourist sites till we found the Isle of Corfu. Can I tell you how much I want to go there now?
7) I never saw Amir (the heroine’s owner) as hero material. I mean, the dude’s a pimp in every sense of the word. However, it’s easy to understand why he does what he does, and a reader might not agree with what he does but they understand him.
8) All my chapters have titles. Those titles came before the words to tell me what I needed to accomplish. It is essentially a teaser of what will happen. Slave Trader; Initiation Into the Harem; Griffin Summerfield, Marquess of Rothburn; Reunion and Reconciliation; The Way of Life; The Surrender of Reservation . . . for the rest, you’ll have to read the book 😉
9) I took my worst fear as a mother (losing a child) and made my heroine, Jinan experience what it might be like for her to never see her child again. But I give her a chance to change that unfortunate fate. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my children. In fact, I would do anything to save them, including everything Jinan endures.
10) I didn’t set any of the book in England, because it wouldn’t be true for my characters. Jinan leaves her English life behind and she has no desire to ever return to the country she was born in because it’s not part of who she is anymore. Jinan and Rothy are quite happy to live as outcasts in their beautiful Italian villa.
Have you ever read certain settings in romance novels or researched various places for your writing that you are now dying to visit? Comment for a chance to win a copy of SOAL I’m giving away on the blog (North America only)! I’m also giving one away on Twitter today, so be sure to follow me and comment for your chance to win!
Also, there is an exclusive excerpt over on the RT blog today so be sure to visit!
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