Guest Blogger, Elizabeth Hoyt

Please join me in welcoming New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt here today at Thoughts in Progress as the special guest blogger on her tour the blogosphere.

Elizabeth’s latest release is WICKED INTENTIONS, a thrilling tale of danger, desire and dark passions. Thanks to her, Anna and the folks at the Hachette Book Group, I have five copies of her book to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for the giveaway guidelines.

Here’s a brief synopsis of WICKED INTENTIONS: “Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control--one that may well destroy them both.”
Elizabeth stopped by today to answer some questions about her writing and her new book.

Since WICKED INTENTIONS is the first in the MAIDEN LANE SERIES, would you tell us about the series? Will each book be a stand alone book or will they need to be read in order to follow the story line?

Maiden Lane is the site of a foundling home in St. Giles, which is kind of the heart of the series. In WICKED INTENTIONS, Temperance Dews, the manger of the home is the heroine. One dark night she’s visited by a mysterious aristocrat, Lord Caire, who offers her a bargain: if she’ll help him search for a killer in St. Giles, he’ll introduce her to high society so that she can find a patron for her home.

How many books will there be in the series?

Three at the moment, but we may extend it. ;-)

What inspired you to write this series?

I was really interested in what was going on in London at this

time (the early 1700s.) London was the largest city in the world, people were pouring in from the countryside and from other countries. For the first time gin was both plentiful and cheap, which led to a sort of crisis in London. Many poor became addicted to gin, which led to enormous crime, violence, and prostitution. All of this makes for a volatile and exciting time period.

Could you tell us a little about the research you did for WICKED INTENTIONS?

Oh, lots of reading about the gin craze. I also liked studying William Hogarth’s art. He did several series that were basically social commentary. The scenes are very detailed with all sorts of interesting stuff going on in the background.

Do you have a writing schedule or method you follow when working on a novel?

I usually write in the mornings and have a set number of words I’m trying to make—of course I don’t always make my goal. ;-)

What's next for you in your writing? Do you currently have any plans for other books or series?

The second book in the Maiden Lane series is Notorious Pleasures which comes out in February 2011.

Where can readers find more information about you and your books?

I’m on Twitter and Facebook and I have a website: www.elizabethhoyt.com

Anything we haven't covered you'd like readers to know about?

This month my first three books—The Raven Prince, The Leopard Prince, and The Serpent Prince—are all being re-released with new covers.

Elizabeth, thanks so much for stopping by and answering these questions for me. It’s always interesting finding out background on books.

Now for the giveaway guidelines for the five books up for grabs. To enter the contest, send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com). Your subject line should read, “Win Wicked Intentions.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. The contest ends at 8 p.m. (EST) on Thursday, Aug. 19, and is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only and no post office box addresses can be accepted. Just so you know, I don’t share the mailing information or use it for any other purpose.

Here’s some extra WICKED INTENTIONS items you might want to check out.

Prowl the alleys of St. Giles.
 
Watch the WICKED INTENTIONS video.