United By Books is pleased to
welcome back Sophie Barnes on the blog today to answer a few questions and share
a little with us on her latest release The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda : A
Summersby Tale.
1~ Can you please share with us a
little about yourself?
First of all, I ‘d like to thank you
for inviting me to join you on your blog today – it’s good to be back
=)
I was born in Denmark, spent my
childhood in Spain and have since lived in France, Ghana and the US, so I’d say
that I have a pretty multicultural background with a particular penchant for
ethnic food =) Aside from that, I’m a romantic at heart who loves peaceful walks
in the forest or just finding a quiet spot, surrounded by nature, where I can
sit and relax. My favorite romances are (in no particular order): Somewhere in
Time, Pride and Prejudice & Gone with the Wind, but as much as I love
watching movies, I’m just as happy (sometimes more so) to sit in a quiet corner
and read a delicious book =)
2~ Is there anything you find
particularly challenging about writing historical romances?
Form of address has put me through
the wringer a few times…lol…Not so much figuring out what’s correct and what
isn’t, but deciding based on a character’s POV and relationship with
individual how to refer to other characters both in internal thoughts and
through dialogue. It’s not always as straight forward as you might
think.
3~ What is something people would be
surprised to know about you?
Oh, I don’t know…I’ve seen an
elephant up close in the wild and I love theme parks =)
4~ Can you please tell us a little
about your newest release ( The Secret Life of
Lady Lucinda : A Summersby Tale 11/20) ?
Absolutely! This is the third book
in the Summersby series and in it, we follow William Summersby, the eldest of
the three siblings. As his father’s heir and seeing his younger siblings
settled, he’s decided that it’s time for him to abandon his career in the
Foreign Office in favor of getting married. He’s even selected his bride – a
woman picked based on logical reasoning rather than an emotional one. But
to his surprise, he suddenly finds himself trapped into marriage by a woman he’s
never set eyes on before, and must find a way to either make the marriage work
or accept it as the failure it seems destined to be.
Lucinda Blackwell has only one
objective – revenge. Seeking out England’s foremost spy and attaching herself to
him is a means to an end for her, for she will do anything to avenge the murder
of her parents. However, she did not count on losing her heart in the bargain.
Set in England and Constantinople, the story follows the blooming love and
affection between William and Lucy as they find their lives threatened by a
vindictive killer, and must risk everything in order to save each
other.
5~ What's in store next for your
readers or can you share anything about your current WIP?
Next up is another three part series
with each book centered around the grand Kingsborough Ball. I can’t say much
else yet, except that I’m currently reviewing the WIP for book one which is due
on December 1st.
6~ Would you like to share an
excerpt from The Secret Life of Lady Lucinda : A
Summersby Tale?
Oh, definitely! Here’s one from the
beginning of the book =)
“Do you love her?”
Miss Blackwell suddenly asked, her head tilted upward at a slight
angle.
By deuce, even her
voice was delightful to listen to. And those imploring eyes of hers…No, he’d be
damned if he’d allow her to ensnare him with her womanly charms. She’d
practically made a fool of both his sister and his father; she’d get no sympathy
from him. Not now, not ever. “You and I are hardly well enough acquainted with
each other for you to take such liberties in your questions, Miss Blackwell. My
relationship to Lady Annabelle is of a personal nature and certainly not one
that I am about to discuss with you.”
Miss Blackwell
blinked. “Then you do not love her,” she said simply.
Good grief, but the
woman was insufferable. Had he at any point in time told her that he was not in
love with his fiancée? Why the devil would she draw such a conclusion? It was
maddening and quite beyond him to understand the workings of her mind. “I hold
her in the highest regard,” he said.
Miss Blackwell stared
back at him with an increased measure of doubt in her eyes. “More reason for me
to believe that you do not love her.”
“Miss Blackwell, if I
did not know any better, I should say that you are either mad or deaf—perhaps
even both. At no point have I told you that I do not love her, yet you are quite
insistent upon the matter.”
“That is because, my
lord, it is in everything you are saying and everything that you are not. If you
truly love her, you would not have spent a moment’s hesitation in professing it.
It is therefore my belief that you do not love her but that you are marrying her
simply out of obligation.”
Why the blazes he was
having this harebrained conversation with a woman he’d only just met, much less
liked, was beyond him. But the beginnings of a smile that now played upon her
lips did nothing short of make him catch his breath. With a sigh of resignation,
he slowly nodded his head. “Well done, Miss Blackwell. You have indeed found me
out.”
Her smile broadened.
“Then it really doesn’t matter whom you marry, as long as you marry. Is that not
so?”
He frowned,
immediately on guard at her sudden enthusiasm. “Not exactly, no. The woman I
marry must be one of breeding, of a gentle nature, and graceful bearing. Lady
Annabelle fits all of those criteria rather nicely, and with time, I am more
than confident that we shall become quite fond of each other.”
The impossible woman
had the audacity to roll her eyes. “All I really wanted to know was whether or
not anyone’s heart might be jeopardized if you were persuaded to marry somebody
else. That is all.”
“Miss Blackwell, I
can assure you that I have no intention of marrying anyone other than Lady
Annabelle. She and I have a mutual agreement. We are both honorable people.
Neither one of us would ever consider going back on our word.”
“I didn’t think as much,” she mused,
and before William had any time to consider what she might be about to do, she’d
thrown her arms about his neck, pulled him toward her, and placed her lips
against his.
7~ How much wood could a woodchuck
chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He’d chuck as much as a woodchuck
could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood – Ta Da =)
8~ Please tell the Readers in two
sentences why they should check out your Summersby Series?
Because it’s a fun-filled romance
adventure with a twist. And because the hero’s not only charming and protective
of the heroine, but quite hot too (see Paul Walker) =)
9~ How did you celebrate the sale of
your first book?
With my family and a bottle of wine
=)
10~ How would you describe yourself
in three words?
Sensitive, Dreamer,
Determined.
11~ So are
you Team Edward or Team Jacob?
Took me a while to figure this one
out, LOL. I can’t say I’m a Twilight fan though I did see the first movie so I
have to go with Edward – definitely =)
12~ Is there anything special you
would like to share with the readers while we have you here
today?
I would really like to thank
everyone for showing such unbelievable kindness and support toward me during the
past year. It’s been an incredible journey so far – more so because of how
wonderful you’ve all been – readers and bloggers alike. There’s some big news to
come, but I can’t share it just yet (it’s highly confidential – lol), though
I’ll give you a hint – it has something to do with my next release
=)
Born in Denmark, Sophie has spent her youth traveling with
her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five
different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English,
French, Spanish and Romanian.
She has studied design in Paris and New
York and has a bachelor’s degree from Parson’s School of design, but most
impressive of all – she’s been married to the same man three times, in three
different countries and in three different dresses.
While living in
Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion – writing.
When she’s not
busy, dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her
family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course,
reading. She currently lives on the East Coast.
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