Interview with Caroline Linden, Plus Excerpt & Giveaway Entry Stop!

Please welcome Caroline Linden to Among the Muses as she celebrates the release of her latest book, I Love the Earl, TODAY!! And make sure to leave a comment to be entered in a giveaway courtesy of Harper Collins & Caroline Linden (Details at the end)!

Please tell readers about your latest release.

I LOVE THE EARL is a Cinderella story, almost. Margaret, a plain, ordinary woman who is long past the age when she could expect to attract a husband, suddenly finds herself the most eligible, well-dressed lady in London, with men lining up around the block to call on her. She hasn't got a fairy godmother, though; her brother has unexpectedly inherited a dukedom and its wealth. And now Margaret virtually has her choice of husbands.

Rhys, Earl of Dowling, hopes she'll choose him, because he's dead flat broke and needs to marry money. He's not happy about it, until he meets Margaret. She tells him right away she's not interested, no fortune hunter will win her heart, and he should go away. It's so far from what he expected, he has to have another look. And then another. And before long he knows she's the only woman he wants, fortune or not.

So Cinderella gets to stand at the top of the stairs, look over all the men, and even put her chosen husband to the test (which he passes, taking off everything but her shoes).

Can you tell readers who are not familiar with the series what the premise of the stories are about?

I LOVE THE EARL is a prequel to the series, and as such is a little removed; it stands completely alone. The trilogy is about three sons of a duke who learn, when their father dies, that they may actually be illegitimate, thanks to a sketchy first marriage in their father's youth (think impulsive Vegas wedding, quickly regretted but without the chance of divorce). The father, Francis, is a pivotal character in all three books of the trilogy, and yet he dies in Chapter One of the first book; the only views of him the reader got were the memories his sons had of him. Writing this novella, set forty years before the books, was a way to make Francis real: not a perfect man at all, but a man with a temper, a ruthless streak, a dangerous secret, and yet also a deep capacity for love and protectiveness. He became more real and yet also more complex to me, which is helping a lot as I work on the final book of the trilogy, about the eldest son (who is in many ways the most like his father).

How do you like your heroes and heroines?

Well-matched. I like it when there is some connection between them that no one else quite sees or gets, that these two people understand each other and love each other in a way no one else could. More often than not, I write characters (especially heroes) who aren't what they seem, and it takes a while to figure out exactly what sort of match they need.

What does romance mean to you?

A never-ending happy discovery. Obviously the first phase, meeting each other and falling in love, is romantic, but in true love, it never ends. Life changes, people change. I always picture how my characters are going to evolve over time, as they live out their lives together (yes I do know they are all imaginary! humor me :-). I want to picture them growing older together, maybe having children, maybe dealing with not being able to have children, coping with adversity and difficulty and coming through it still in love, still deeply grateful they have each other to lean on. The book only covers a few weeks of their lives, but I want to picture the happiness lasting for decades.

Without giving away spoilers, can you share your favorite scene from the book?

Without a doubt it's the scene where the hero and heroine first meet. Often this is my favorite scene in a book, although sometimes it's the scene with the first declaration of love, too. But in this case, I had a sensible woman, who's getting tired of all the men slobbering over her because she's rich all of a sudden (and not because they actually like her). And I had a hero forcing himself to meet the richest heiresses in town because he's desperately in need of a wealthy wife. Everyone knows it, too, including Margaret. Before he even even crosses the room to say hello, she makes up her mind about him, and as soon as he opens his mouth to ask her to dance, she gives him a major telling off. And then she walks away, because she's done with him. He, of course, recognizes at once that she's one in a million, and worth the effort it will take to win her.

Can you leave readers with a little teaser from I LOVE THE EARL?

Well, since I declared it my favorite scene, here's the introduction between Rhys and Margaret:

The man across the room was like a shade of night come into the glittering ballroom. He wore a suit of dark blue, which only made his swarthy skin darker above the white ruffle of his linen. His hair was brushed back and neatly queued, but unpowdered; a dark blot among all the wigs and powdered coiffures around him. His profile was strong, even fierce, with a sharp blade of a nose and a square chin. He smiled at something his companion said, and a slash of dimple appeared in his cheek. He looked like she had always imagined the Barbary pirates might, which was both fascinating and alarming.

“Who is he?” she whispered.

Without taking her eyes from him, Clarissa leaned closer. “The Earl of Dowling. He’s utterly ruined; a flood swept away all his sheep, or some such thing, although how a man can be ruined by dead sheep, I’m sure I don’t know. Oh, I hate to say it, but he’s looking this way.” She turned to Margaret and grasped her hand. “Of course you don’t know me, but I would recommend great care with him. He is certainly looking for a wealthy bride, but he’s a bit untamed. One of those Welsh, you know.”

Margaret’s jaw firmed. That was all she needed to know. Lord Dowling was indeed watching her with a possessive expression as he wound his way through the crowd toward her. In her younger years, as a hopeful, somewhat naive, young lady, she would have been tongue-tied with excitement at the approach of such a man. Tonight she felt her patience fray and finally snap. What a lark, that a man as handsome as sin itself would be strolling toward her with purposeful intent. She’d had enough of fortune hunters. Francis could keep his money, and Miss Cuthbert could find another victim for her machinations.

He came to a halt in front of her. Another man was with him, unnoticed until now, but he stepped forward and bowed with a great flourish. “Miss Stacpoole,” he said to Clarissa with a wide smile. “How delightful to see you again.”

“I would wholeheartedly repay your compliment, sir, if we had ever met before,” said Clarissa, much to Margaret’s hidden glee.

A flicker of consternation crossed the fellow’s face. Margaret could tell he was a Society fribble of the highest order, possibly even one of what Miss Cuthbert disparagingly called “those macaronis,” from his glittering shoe buckles to the exquisite lace that tumbled over his hands at his cuffs. The embroidery on his waistcoat alone put her beautiful new gown to shame. “Have we not met? Surely I could not have imagined it. I distinctly recall congratulating Mr. Eccleston on his betrothal to you, and toasting your upcoming marriage.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Clarissa. “You know Freddie? Well, that is near enough to knowing me. How do you do, sir?”

“Very well,” said the man with a mixture of relief and amusement. “I am Lord Clyveden. But I have brought my friend, Lord Dowling, who most particularly wished to be presented to you and your companion.”

Lord Dowling bowed. There was no froth of lace spilling from his cuffs and his shoe buckles were plain, but he drew the eye far more than his glamorous friend. “Good evening,” he said in a slightly raspy voice edged with a trace of accent.

It irked Margaret how much she liked his voice. He even sounded as she imagined a Barbary pirate would sound, just before he ravished a maiden. She lifted her chin and nodded regally to him. Miss Cuthbert would probably expire in despair that she hadn’t risen and given a proper curtsey to an earl, but she was beyond caring. And where was Miss Cuthbert anyway? How long did it take to summon the bloody carriage?

“May I present Miss Margaret de Lacey,” Clarissa was saying. “It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord. Are you also friends with Freddie?”

His gaze hadn’t left Margaret. “I have not the honor, Miss Stacpoole,” he replied. “I confess, I shamelessly forced Clyveden to introduce me so I might beg a dance of Miss de Lacey.”

Her temper, never meek or quiescent, overshot its bounds. He thought she would fall into his penniless grip like an overripe plum. Ten years ago he wouldn’t have noticed her if she’d flung herself naked in front of him. For the first time she realized Francis’s money had reversed the usual positions: Before, she was the item for sale by marriage, and now she was the buyer. She looked him up and down, as one might inspect a horse for sale. “Completely destitute, are you?” she asked coolly.

His face froze, his dark eyes blank with surprise. Lord Clyveden made a strange choking sound. Even Clarissa’s eyes widened. Margaret didn’t care, and over Lord Dowling’s shoulder, she saw Miss Cuthbert returning at last, a worried set to her grim features. She got to her feet, righteously ready to cut one vulture off before he got started. “You’re the third earl to ask me to dance tonight. One trampled my shoes and the other hardly knew the steps, so I don’t think I shall risk a third try. I hear you lost all your sheep, which is very sad for the sheep, but I don’t consider myself a suitable replacement for any flock. My brother told me I shall have my choice of suitors, and I think it only sporting to tell you now that I shan’t choose you, no matter how many people you coerce into presuming upon slight acquaintances with my friends for an introduction. In fact, I have recently decided I won’t marry at all this year, or even next, so unless you have a reserve supply of goats or cows to tide you through a very long and arduous courtship, I suggest you seek your dancing partners among the more available heiresses.”

She turned to her new friend, who regarded her with slack-jawed awe. “Good evening, Clarissa. I hope to see you again soon.” And she turned on her heel and walked away...

You can find more of Caroline Linden @:

http://www.carolinelinden.com/
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineLinden

Giveaway Details:

• Caroline and Harper Collins are gifting one lucky, randomly drawn, tour commenter a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate.

• Leave a comment on the interview along with your email addy. Please break it up such as amongthemuses (at) gmail (dot) com.

• The more places you stop and comment along the tour, the better your chances of winning!!

• Blog Tour runs from August 1th - August 5th.

• You can find all the tour stops on Goddess Fish Promotions website, OR I've made it easy-peasy for you ...

• August 1: Reviews by Molly

• August 2: Among the Muses {You Are Here *g*}

• August 3: Book Junkie

• August 4: Reading Romances

• August 5: News and Reviews From the Heart of the Dragon's Den

Good Luck, and thanks for stopping by to support Caroline and the kick off to her new trilogy!!