As part of Goddess Fish Promotions' virtual book and review tour for NY Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens' latest release in her Cynster series, Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue,
a historical romance novel being released by Avon/HarperCollins on August 30th, Reviews and Interviews is a selected interview stop. Stephanie and Avon/HarperCollins will be giving away a $100 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the course of the tour AND one of four autographed sets of Stephanie Lauren's Avon backlist.
In this first book of the trilogy, we meet a past hero and heroine, and catch up with their lives, and their now established family. Was it part of your original concept to revisit a previous hero and heroine?
I knew from the first that Heather and her hero ended up with Richard and Catriona in Scotland—presumably because Richard, Catriona, and their family and household had some role to play in the story. I tend to initially assume that it’s just as background, a need to catch up as it were, and any actual role in the action will be incidental, but once I was in the throes of writing the story, I discovered – as I often do – that the real reason the hero and heroine are with Richard and Catriona and company is far more intrinsic amd important to the story. As it transpired, many of the primary characters in the Vale had active roles to play, and for three of them – Catriona, and her eldest children, the twins Lucilla and Marcus – their roles were absolutely vital to the story in this book, and also to a contuing theme that will continue over all the Cynster girls’ books to come. That last was one of those lovely aha! moments in story evolution that authors live for.
You’ve described these three books as: 1) Errol Flynn rescues Jane Austen in the wilds of Scotland; 2) Errol Flynn rescues Jane Austen in the wilds of Scotland; and 3) Jane Austen rescues Errol Flynn in the Scottish highlands. Why those descriptions?
As authors we are often asked to describe our books – the essence of our stories. As all my heros have a certain swashbuckling charisma, Errol Flynn – or more accurately the heros he depicted on the screen – is in many ways the epitome of the type, so “Errol Flynn” becomes a shorthand way of referring to that sort of male character. My heroines, are, likewise, more like Jane Austen’s characters than Jane herself, but again it’s the same shorthand way of evoking that concept. As for the “wilds of Scotland” versus the “Scottish highlands” that’s literally correct – the first two books have the heros and heroines unexpectedly and unintentionally exploring two different, wild and rugged areas of the lowlands of Scotland, while the third book takes place primarily in the Scottish highlands.
Blurb for Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue:
You are cordially invited to the wedding of Miss Heather Cynster
...but not before she encounters kidnappers, danger, and a daring rescue at the hands of Viscount Breckenridge.
Determined to hunt down her very own hero, one who will sweep her off her feet and into wedded bliss, and despairing of finding him in London's staid ballrooms, Heather Cynster steps out of her safe world and boldly attends a racy soiree.
But her promising hunt is ruined by the supremely interfering Viscount Breckenridge, who whisks her out of scandal-and straight into danger when a mysterious enemy seizes her, bundles her into a coach, and conveys her out of London.
Now it's up to the notorious Breckenridge to prove himself the hero she's been searching for all along...
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A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book and others (up to $25,000) will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.
Don't forget!!
All commenters will be entered into a drawing for not only the grand prize of a $100 Amazon gift card, but one of four autographed sets of Stephanie Lauren's Avon backlist. So comment below and check out Stephanie's tour schedule.
