Season For Scandal Tour And Giveaway

I’m delighted to be participating in author Theresa Romain’s  Lit Connect Virtual Book Tour for her new historical romance novel, SEASON FOR SCANDAL.

This is Book #3 in Theresa’s Holiday Pleasures series. SEASON FOR SCANDAL, published by Kensington Zebra, released this week and is available in print and digital formats.

Here’s a brief description of SEASON FOR SCANDAL……

UNLADYLIKE RISK
    Jane Tindall has never had money of her own or exceptional beauty. Her gifts are more subtle: a mind like an abacus, a talent for play-acting—and a daring taste for gambling. But all the daring in the world can’t help with the cards fixed against her.
    And when Edmund Ware, Baron Kirkpatrick, unwittingly spoils her chance to win a fortune, her reputation is ruined too. Or so she thinks, until he suggests a surprising mode of escape: a hasty marriage. To him. On the surface, their wedding would seem to satisfy all the demands of proper society, but as the Yuletide approaches, secrets and scandals turn this proper marriage into a very improper affair.

Theresa has graciously answered some questions about her book and writing, and then she’ll share about the wonderful giveaway being held with her tour.

Mason - When writing a series, is the first book the hardest or do the installments get harder as you go, especially if you make each book where it can be read as a standalone while tying to the other books?

Theresa:
A little of both! With the first book in a series, a whole world of characters, buildings, personalities, and traditions have to be created. That requires a greater level of planning, but also a greater freedom, because (within the bounds of history) anything is possible. Because later stories in the series have those ground rules established, the writing might go a little more quickly but there are some things that can’t be done. 

Jane, the heroine of SEASON FOR SCANDAL, appeared in my previous holiday romance as a brash, blunt-spoken poor relation with a talent for acting and a not-so-secret love for longtime family friend Edmund. When it was time to write her story, it had to suit the personality I’d written for her—which was fun. In SEASON FOR SCANDAL, Jane and Edmund wind up in a marriage of convenience and begin to see each other in a whole new way.

Mason - With the book’s release, as you look back what was the biggest surprise that occurred while you were writing the story?

Theresa:
I had a story arc planned out for Jane and Edmund’s marriage and the way it would fall apart. But as I wrote, the things that drove them apart surprised me. There were more layers to their relationship than I had ever expected. As they got to know each other in a more honest way, I was getting to know them too!

Mason - Have you always wanted to write or was there an event that lead you to writing?

Theresa:
I’ve always made up stories, but I never thought of being a writer—even though my parents have both written books, so they set that

example for me. When I was in grad school, I researched and wrote huge amounts of nonfiction. Once I graduated, I missed the writing. That’s when I started thinking about what I’d enjoy writing next. The obvious answer was historical romance, because that was my favorite sort of book to read for fun. It took me nine months to plod through the first draft of my first romance novel, which I’m sure read more like nonfiction than a love story! Next lots of revising and rewriting, then more and more stories.


Mason - How would you encourage someone who has never read your genre to give it a try?

Theresa:
I’d mention that most people enjoy romance, even if they don’t realize it. What would Star Wars be without the witty flirtation between Han and Leia? Or Casablanca and Gone with the Wind without the heartbreaking love stories at their center? If I learn about a person’s favorite stories, I can usually think of a romance he or she might enjoy. The great thing about the romance genre is that there’s a story for every time period, age, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, and heat level a reader might prefer.

Mason - What can readers look forward to next from you?

Theresa:
I’m very glad to be working on two series right now. My next “Matchmaker” historical romance, TO CHARM A NAUGHTY COUNTESS, is a Pygmalion story with a rakish heroine and a super-responsible duke. That’ll be out in May 2014, and in October 2014, my next holiday historical romance will be released. My books all stand on their own, so readers can jump in at any point in a series.

Theresa, thanks so much for joining us today and sharing this look at how SEASON FOR SCANDAL came about. I like that you got to know your characters as they developed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. 

She lives with her family in the Midwest, where she is working on her next book. Last month she began a new historical romance trilogy with IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE.  

For more on Theresa and her writing, visit her website and find her on Facebook and Twitter.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS….
One commenter per the total number of tour stops will win a signed print copy of SEASON FOR SCANDAL, open internationally. Additionally, Theresa is generously offering a Grand Prize of all three Season books (signed print copies), open internationally! You can find all the tour stops here!

Please follow the Rafflecopter widget for ways to enter, as well as for Terms and Conditions.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


SEASON FOR SCANDAL can be found on Goodreads and purchased at the following locations:
    Print: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Kensington, Posman books, Powell’s, and Watermark.
    EBook: ibook, Kensington, Kindle, and Nook.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have you ever considered just how much romance is woven into other genres?