Guestblog + giveaway: Amelia Grey - An Earl to enchant *closed*

Today I welcome Amelia Grey to my blog. I have read all 3 books in her Rogues' dynasty series, and those cousin are sure something special. I also have 2 copies to give away so check the end.

Grandmothers and Heroes

Good morning and thank you for having me on your blog, Blodeuedd!  I’m very happy to be here.

In my Rogues’ Dynasty Series, I’ve often had readers e-mail and ask me, “How did you come up with the Grandmother, her dearest friend Lord Chesterfield and all his quotes?” And I usually start by saying “It wasn’t easy!”

After I decided I was brave enough to write a series, my first thought was that I wanted the books to be centered on the heroes, and I wanted them all to be titled men.  That couldn’t happen with brothers as titles only go to the eldest son. So I had to find another way to connect three titled men.

This is the premise I started with:

Everyone in the ton knew that Lady Elder had tried many times by fair and foul means to force her grandsons to marry.  After all, she had been happily married . . . four times.  Decades earlier she had successfully married off each of her three daughters to titled gentlemen.  And in turn, each daughter had given her a grandson all in the same year.

 The Grandsons, a duke, a marquis, and an earl all turned out to be Rogues of the highest order, notorious for many reasons including their titles, handsome faces and rumored debauchery.  But nothing made them more popular than the fact that all three still remained bachelors in their thirtieth year.  Not even vast fortunes had tempted any of them to propose to any of the young ladies who fancied them.

Their grandmother is now deceased and each grandson deals with the grandmother’s legacy in his own way until a life-altering moment occurs when a very proper young lady arrives, very improperly, at each grandson’s door.  

From A Duke to Die For by Amelia Grey, Sourcebooks Casablanca, © 2009

I always want my heroes to be tall and powerful-looking with wide shoulders and lean hips.   I like for their neckcloths to look as if they have been hastily tied making them appear to be the devilish rogues the gossipmongers claim they are.   My heroes must be strong and commanding but never afraid to show their sensitive side or commit to the woman they love.

And with all that hero material to work, with I knew that their Grandmother, Lady Elder, would have to be a strong character to make an impact because she had already died when the time the first book opens. So I gave her a dear friend, Lord Chesterfield, who was, by the way, a real man who’s letters were first published shortly after his death in 1773 . Check out Lord Chesterfield’s Letters to His Son on Amazon. It’s an amazing book. At the beginning of each chapter and sprinkled throughout the book are quotes from this man.  And to make the books even more fun, I had it where all three of Lady Elder’s grandsons hated hearing anyone quote the man.

But Maybe I can explain the importance of the grandmother a little better by sharing an excerpt from my latest book in the Rogues’ Dynasty Series, An Earl to Enchant which is on sale at your favorite local or online bookstore.

“My grandmother was an exceptional person in many ways, but there were numerous times in my life when I wished she had never met her dear friend Lord Chesterfield. If he had not been almost deaf and infirm when she met him, I believe she would have married him.”

“I think I would like to read Lord Chesterfield’s letters and make up my own mind about him. From what you have told me, he seems such a clever fellow.”

Morgan let out a half laugh, half grunt. “Most people considered him a very wise and humorous man who had an artful way of writing words, but my cousins and I never felt that way.”

“Why is that?”

“From the time we were seventeen until my grandmother’s death, she sent us a letter at the beginning of each month without fail, and they always contained a quote from Chesterfield.”

Arianna gasped. “She penned a letter to all three of you every month? That’s quite amazing.”

“Yes. She always started her letters to me with ‘My dearest grandson, Lucas,’ knowing that no one had called me by my given name since I was twelve. And she always ended her letters with ‘Your loving Grandmother, Lady Elder.’”

“I think that makes her sound very protective of you, and very kind.”

“I’m sure she considered it one of her great missions in life. The only thing her letters ever said was something along the lines of: ‘Here are more wise words from Lord Chesterfield,’ and then she would quote something from the exasperatingly pretentious old man.”
© Amelia Grey, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2010

I could not be happier with the way The Rogues’ Dynasty Series turned out.  I’m actually thrilled by these books and so excited about how well they are being received by reviewers and readers. Each book stands alone and there are no plotlines carried over to other books.

The first chapter of my latest book An Earl to Enchant, the third book in the Rogues’ Dynasty Series is available on my website. I invite you to stop by and give it a try.

I’m always happy to hear from readers.  Please e-mail me at ameliagrey@comcast.net or visit my website at ameliagrey.com.

Thank you for stopping by Amelia. I never knew Lord Chesterfield was for real, I so want to check out that book now. Now to the contest


GIVEAWAY
I have two copies of An Earl to Enchant to give away to lucky winners.


1. US and Canada only.
2. Ends April 19th.
3. You know the drill, leave your email here if it is not in your profile.

AN EARL TO ENCHANT by AMELIA GREY—IN STORES APRIL 2010
He’s determined not to be a hero…

Lord Morgandale is as notorious as he is dashing, and he’s determined no woman will tie him down. But from the moment Arianna Sweet appears on his doorstep, he cannot resist the lure of her fascinating personality, exotic wardrobe, and tempting green eyes…

She has a deadly secret…

Arianna Sweet never imagined the significance of her father’s research until after his untimely death. Now she is in possession of his groundbreaking discovery, one that someone would kill for. She can’t tell Lord Morgandale her secret, but she knows she needs his help, desperately…

About the Author
Winner of the Booksellers Best Award and the Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter, Amelia Grey's books have been sold in Europe, Russia and China. Married for twenty-five years to her high school sweetheart, she has lived in Alabama, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and now calls Panama City Beach, Florida, home. For more information, please visit www.ameliagrey.com.