Australian ANNA CAMPBELL has written seven multi award-winning historical romances for Grand Central Publishing and Avon HarperCollins. Her next full-length release is A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS (Book 2 in the Sons of Sin series) which is out 27th August, 2013.
Places to find Anna:
Rakes and Romance…and Pooches!
Dani, thanks for having me as your guest today. I love to visit Ramblings from this Chick and have a…ramble!
So, guys, do you like pets in romances?
I must say I do!
Perhaps it’s a hangover from all the horse books I read as a kid, but I’m still a sucker for a great animal character. Someone like the classic basset mix Fred from ANYONE BUT YOU by Jennifer Crusie or Nemo, the unforgettable wolf from THE PRINCE OF MIDNIGHT by Laura Kinsale. By the way, if you’re going to have a dog, why not have a WOLF??!!
Adding a pet to the mix really shakes things up. It allows you to reveal that a character who perhaps isn’t very kind to people can be kind to an animal – always a good point to make if, for example, you’re dealing with a guy who’s dastardly at the start but needs to show signs of future redemption.
Or you can use a pet to show that the bad guy is so horrible, he’s not even nice to animals. There’s extra potential for comedy with a pet, especially for cute meets. The pet can heighten the stakes – the hero or heroine may put themselves in jeopardy to save a pet from injury, an act which reveals their courage and adds emotional depth to the action. And often the pet becomes a wonderful character in their own right.
I nearly always name the horses in my books. I have a particular penchant for the Duke of Kylemore’s big gray steed in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN who I called Tannasg, the Gaelic word for ‘ghost’. And I’ve included the occasional cat along the way. But I think the greatest potential for a pet forming part of the action seems to lie in dogs.
I’ve done a major canine character once before, the wolfhound Wolfram in UNTOUCHED. Wolfram was a major hit with readers – he got almost as much fan mail as Matthew, the supposedly mad hero. At the start of UNTOUCHED, readers are within their rights to think Matthew’s not a good guy, but once they see him interact with his dog, they know he’s a hero indeed. Wolfram also served a purely practical role in that story – Matthew has been locked away from the world for most of his life and including a pet gave him someone to talk to. It’s always nice to see the hero interacting with someone other than the heroine!
In my latest release A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS, book two of the Sons of Sin series out this month from Grand Central Publishing Forever, the hero has a dog. Not a purebred aristocrat like Wolfram, but a rather disreputable bitser called Sirius. If you’ve read SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED, you’ll remember Sirius meeting the heroine Sidonie at a crucial moment in that story.
It was such fun writing Sirius. He’s brilliantly clever and his role in the story stretches far beyond pet wallpaper, as you’ll see when you read it.
I also included Sirius to make some important points about character. My hero, Sir Richard Harmsworth, has very conflicted feelings about his bastardy and he expresses that turmoil in adopting a mongrel dog and treating it like a prince. The heroine, Genevieve Barrett, takes a long time to see past Richard’s pretense of nonchalance to the deeper man within. When she does, his relationship with Sirius is one of the major clues.
Not to mention I enjoyed putting the most elegant man in London together with this scruffy mongrel! There’s quite a lot of humor in A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS and Sirius was a great springboard for jokes.
I hope you enjoy meeting Sirius when you read A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS! He was such a great character, he’s going to be a fixture in future Sons of Sin stories!
So are you a fan of pets in romance novels? If so, why or why not? Do you have a favorite animal character in a romance?
I’ve got an international giveaway of a signed copy of A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS to go to a commenter today. Good luck!
It Takes a Lady…
Brilliant scholar Genevieve Barrett knows how to keep a secret. Her identity as the author of her father's academic articles has always been her greatest deception-until a charming housebreaker tries to steal the mysterious Harmsworth Jewel from her. She doesn't reveal that she recognizes her father's devastatingly handsome new student as the thief himself. For Genevieve, this will be the most seductive secret of all...
..To Catch a Thief!
Sir Richard Harmsworth has been living a lie, maintaining a rakish facade to show society that he doesn't care about his status as a bastard. Yet long haunted by his unknown father's identity, Richard believes the Harmsworth Jewel will confirm his claim as the rightful heir. But when Richard sets out to seduce the bookworm who possesses the stone, he instead falls for its beautiful owner. But even as she steals Richard's heart, Genevieve will be in greater danger than her coveted treasure...
Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |
Check out the Sons of Sin series:
Click for info.
Check out what's up for grabs.
- 1 copy of A Rake's Midnight Kiss
To Enter:
- Please answer the question: So are you a fan of pets in romance novels? If so, why or why not? Do you have a favorite animal character in a romance?
- Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.
Good Luck!
Special thanks to Anna Campbell for sponsoring this giveaway!
Most definitely a fan. Dogs, horses or in the case of a Lisa Kleypas book, a whole menagerie of animals. I think the heroine had a pet ferret, hedgehog among other animals that she'd taken in. One of the main reasons I like them so much is because it means the hero/heroine is an animal lover which is a trait I really admire.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I agree with you about animal lovers making great heroes and heroines. I remember a Mary Jo Putney from years ago where the hero kept penguins at his Welsh castle. It was VERY endearing!
DeleteI am a fan of pets in romance novels. My favorite animal character in a romance: dogs.
ReplyDeleteOlga, I think there's a lot you can do with dogs in romances. Sirius plays a major part in the plot of A Rake's Midnight Kiss!
DeleteI love seeing animals in the stories that I read. It gives a bit more realism to the story and depth to the character.
ReplyDeleteBetty, I have to say I love animals in books too - might go back to my childhood when I read animal books like they were going out of style. Although luckily they never did! ;-)
DeleteI've never been one for lap dogs so do not like them when they are in novels. But, big pooches that have personalities of their own, I do like those!
ReplyDeleteMolly, Sirius is definitely a pooch with a personality! I also love how dogs in a romance can add a lot of humor!
DeleteI love any animals in books. I think it adds to the story line.
ReplyDeleteTheresa, I think animals add depth to the story too. Just as they add to our lives!
DeleteI love seeing pets in romance novels - its can unapproachable characters more likeable and can even offer comic relief in a way that doesn't take away from the romance.
ReplyDeleteTiffany, I think you've put it in a nutshell - animals let the writer convey so much without having to use a lot of pages of description to do it.
DeleteI do! Kristan Higgins always has fun pet moments in her books. I love Fat Mikey from The Next Best Thing. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAD, I love Kristan's dogs! You can tell she's a pet person, can't you?
DeleteI do like pets in romance novels for the reasons you have outlined. Kristan Higgins has a pet in each of her books & I think the funniest situation was in Just One of the Guys, when the dog is running through the street in Calvin Klein underwear.
ReplyDeleteSharlene, I haven't read that one of Kristan's - how did I miss it? Sounds like I definitely need to pick it up! Love the humor she gets from the pets in her stories - and the pathos! We care about those dogs!
DeleteAbsolutely love pets in romance. Dogs and cats was the usual, but the weirder the better for me :-)
ReplyDeleteMRL, now that sounds like a challenge! Clearly my next book will have to feature a bearded dragon or an ocelot! ;-)
DeleteI love animals in books, I especially love dogs and horses.. I am not really a cat person, but I like Mr. Knightly in Toni Blake's Destiny series.
ReplyDeleteKathleen, there's a cat in Rake too so I've covered all the pet-loving bases, LOL! Love it when the hero and his horse get to interact too.
DeleteSure I do! Animals can add a fun twist to a story.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the post and giveaway! I'd love to read this book, so fingers crossed. :-)
Best Wishes,
Lindsey V.
Good luck, Lindsey! I love doing giveaways - makes me feel like Santa (except slightly less hairy around the chops!).
DeleteI love animals in romance books, especially dogs or horses. Thanks for the giveaway chance!
ReplyDeleteMarcy, I think dogs and horses are great for the action hero! Good luck in the draw!
DeleteIf the animal adds to the story than sure. I loved the dog Brutus in Donna Kauffman's Sweet Stuff. He was hysterical!
ReplyDeleteSue, I haven't read that one. Must check it out. Love a hilarious pooch!
DeleteI really enjoy animals in stories they add their own takes and characters to the story one of my personal favorites is Pirate the jack russell from The Accidental Demon slayer he is such a card .
ReplyDeleteWanda, I think if you call a dog Pirate, you're asking for trouble! And lots of fun for the readers!
DeleteI love animals in a romance story -- especially when they add something funny to bring the hero/heroine together. My parents always said that a person who doesn't like animals is not to be trusted, and I have found that is true for the most part.
ReplyDeleteCathy, I have to say there's something in what your parents say. I think kindness to animals is a required character trait!
DeleteI love animals in stories!!! often they provide comic relief :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteErin, I think animals make really memorable characters. I still remember adoring the wolf in Prince of Midnight!
DeleteI love puppies so I do like them in books!
ReplyDeleteMay, you can't go wrong with puppies in a book!
DeleteI love pets in romance books it makes the characters all the more real to me. Lisa Kleypas has a great series and in it the youngest sister Beatrix loves animos of all kinds. There is a great scene where she brings a lizard to a dinner party and in Leo and Catherine's book there's a ferret that's all kinds of trouble.
ReplyDeleteLizards and ferrets? Now that's really putting in the interesting animals, Lori! Love Lisa's books!
DeleteI love animals in books, especially dogs. My favorites were Albert, a dog in Lisa Kleypas' book, Love in the Afternoon; three mini doxies in Andrea Kane's mystery book, Twisted; and the dog in Eloisa James' book, A Duke of Her Own.
ReplyDeleteKim, what great authors you mention. Clearly I'm in excellent company with my animal characters!
DeleteHello Anna,
ReplyDelete*waving madly* I do enjoy pets in romances. A lot times they're there to provide lighter moments in the books.
Jane, waving madly back! Always a pleasure to see you. I think you're so right about the pets providing humor - they definitely do in Rake. And I love writing conversations where the hero/heroine are talking to the pet!
DeleteI love animals in books, the add so much richness to the story. One of my favorites is those in Janet Chapman's Highlander/MacKeage Series. She had a ppanther in the series I fell in love with. So many authors use animals o enrich their stories as the do in our own real ives. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGood luck in the draw, GG! Wow, a panther? That's majorly cool. I must check out those books!
DeleteI like animals in books. My favorite is Buttercup from Kristan Higgins "Just One of the Guys". The best scene is when Chas is on a date, and Buttercup escapes the house and comes looking for Chas, and her brothers put underwear on her because she is in heat. HILARIOU ! Pick up the book and read it, you will love it !
ReplyDeleteErica, I think I really need to meet this Buttercup! She sounds like just the dog for my dog track!
DeleteI love animals in books! My favorites are dogs or cats.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
Good luck in the draw, Natasha! Looks like I've landed in a nest of animal lovers!
DeleteOf course I love animals in romance. They get the hero to be either lovey dovey or hesitant and scared. I love seeing those vulnerable sides of the tough outer shell heroes. My favorites would have to be dogs, cats, horses, and turtle.
ReplyDeleteTurtle? What book has a turtle? I want to read it NOW!!!!
DeleteI am a huge fan of animals in romance. I don't trust people who don't like animals, so the presence of a pet makes the characters more real for me. They also add a depth to the story with their complete unpredictability. They can actually be the hero of the story.
ReplyDeleteSebella, Sirius actually comes to the rescue at least once in Rake so he's definitely a hero!
DeleteI can take or leave pets in novels. As long as the character isn't silly over it. I don't like that IRL and prefer not to read about it in fiction of any kind. It's just distracting to the story.
ReplyDeleteChris, what an interesting take! I don't think Richard's silly about Sirius - and try saying that ten times fast after three glasses of cabernet! ;-)
DeleteA RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS sounds fabulous and intriguing, Anna. I like pets in my romances and especially when it reveals the kindness of an otherwise outwardly not so pleasant character. I hope to catch up with you at the Brisbane Writers Festival.
ReplyDeleteJen, you're going to be there? I'll DM you - be nice to have a natter instead of just be ships passing in the night! Looking forward to seeing you. Thanks for saying you like the sound of Rake!
DeleteEver since reading Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas, I've grown use to about any animals being a pet...excluding snakes. That book made me realize that there is apparently more animals that should be consider a pet than the regular dogs and cats.
ReplyDeleteSandy, love it when the pet's something exotic like a wolf or penguins!
DeleteI'm definitely a fan of pets in romance novels, and I especially like it when the pet is a character in the story. I've read quite a few stories with great animal characters in them, two of my favorites are Eloisa James' A Kiss At Midnight (a trio of little dogs that cause all kinds of trouble) and Julie Anne Long's Like No Other Lover (Cynthia is given a kitten she names Spider, and then befriends a spider she names Susan).
ReplyDeleteA spider named Susan? I love it, Barbara. My mother actually made friends with a huntsman spider when I was a kid and called it Henry. My mother was a tad eccentric!
DeleteYes, I think a story needs an animal in it. Gives the book more character and provides a homey feel. I like a variety of animals in books. I don't think I have a fave.
ReplyDeleteThanks :-)
Lori
Lori, I think it adds an extra layer of richness to a story when there's an animal or two in it! In Rake, there's a dog, a cat, and a couple of horses so I think I've pretty much got the animal kingdom covered! Oh, and you could call the baddie a snake! ;-)
DeleteI've always liked animals (particularly dogs) & have read different books where the addition of a pet added to the story, often by adding some comic relief ;)
ReplyDeleteGamistress, I agree with you about the comic relief. I also think it offer the hero or heroine a nice chance to talk about what they're feeling! I had fun writing the conversations between Richard and Sirius as he tries to work out the bewildering changes that take place in his life when he falls in love.
DeleteI prefer dogs in romance novels! Don't have a favorite!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Shukra, I think dogs are able to play a more active role in the plotting - or at least that's my observation so far.
DeleteI do like pets in romances, they usually become awesome characters in their own right. In Katie Lane's Deep In the Heart of Texas series, Sherman the pig makes his mark, for sure!
ReplyDeleteAnita, a pig? I love it! Actually I was thinking about the cats in the Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody books. There's a cat called Bastet in that who's the most marvelous character!
DeleteI love pets as characters in romance novels! They always bring a level of comic relief to scenes or act as the perfect sounding board for the hero/heroine. I think the best pet characters I've read have been from Jill Shalvis' Animal Magnetism books.
ReplyDeleteAda, I haven't read those books by Jill, but I'm very much enjoying her books about the sisters restoring the inn. Lovely heroes!
DeleteI am a fan of pets because you can learn a lot about people by how they treat animals. I remember Julie Garwood's old historicals had some great dogs in them.
ReplyDeleteMaureen, I remember those dogs in the Julie Garwoods. They provided some wonderful comic relief!
DeletePets can bring characters together. They can lighten the mood & expose character traits you otherwise might not have seen. No particular book comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteOh, you're so right, Mary. There's so much you can do with pets in a story. I haven't really got one in Cam's story - have to work on one for the next time round.
DeleteOh yeah, pets always add a different flavor in romance. My favorite pet is the dog in Julia Quinn's The Viscount who loved me.
ReplyDeleteSienny, that's such a fun book. Great choice!
DeleteI don't so much go for pets in a book. Animal shifters, yes, though
ReplyDeleteMK, your answer made me smile - I think we can probably count shifers as pets? No? ;-)
DeleteHaha I agree with mk! I love shifters, and I don't mind them in historical romance novels, but I still prefer humans tho! Haha. I love dogs, so I think I'd still fall in love with The Rake's Midnight Kiss. ;) Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCYP! MK's comment had us both giggling! That's great. So glad this teased your interest in Rake. Good luck in the draw!
DeleteI love books that have cats in them. Church from TMI and Grim from The Iron Fey are two of my faves!
ReplyDeleteRose, how interesting! I love books with cats in them too although dogs seem to be in the majority!
DeleteMostly, I can take or leave the inclusion of pets. However, I enjoy them when they are an integral part of the story and have great personalities, as well.
ReplyDeleteJanie, I'm hoping that's true about Sirius. I definitely think he's the cleverest character in the book! ;-)
DeleteYes, Anna, I am an animal/pet lover and I like when they are included in an historical romance. However, the story line and the conversations between the hero and heroine are what make the story for me, whether there are pets or not. I like the dry, witty humor usually found in Regencies. Of course, when a pet is included, it usually indicates to me a positive, warm side to the characters in the story. Thanks for asking! jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Janice! Like you, a pet's presence doesn't make or break a story for me but generally I enjoy having a bit of animal magic going on in my romances!
Delete