Guest Post with Author Elizabeth Michels and Giveaway

Meet Elizabeth Michels, author of Must Love Dukes.

Elizabeth Michels grew up on a Christmas tree farm in rural South Carolina. After tip-toeing her way through school with her focus on ballet steps and her nose in a book, she met a boy and followed him a thousand miles away from home to Kansas City, Missouri, before settling down in North Carolina. She attended Park University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Interior Design. Elizabeth is a lover of happily-ever-afters; she invites you to read her stories, get lost, and enjoy. For more information, please visit http://www.elizabethmichels.com/.

Find Elizabeth at:

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Flawed and Witty or Mad, You Decide.

Thanks for hosting me on Ramblings From This Chick today. I’m excited to be here to celebrate the recent release of Must Love Dukes, my first book as well as the first story in the Tricks of the Ton series!

I may be new to the world of being an author, but I’ve been a reader as long as I can remember. And, as a reader, there are certain qualities, beyond tall and handsome, I look for in a hero. The first of these qualities is a flaw. No, I don’t mean a hero with a jagged scar across his face…which could actually be kind of hot if executed correctly. *grins* What I mean is something the hero believes to be perfect with his life at the beginning of the story that is actually anything but perfect. Whether this flaw is a weakness or perhaps damage from earlier in his life, it leaves him unable to reach his potential awesomeness. Who doesn’t love a good project, right? I like someone to root for as he blunders through life and is made into a better man by the heroine.

In the opening scene of Must Love Dukes, Devon Grey, Duke of Thornwood is trying to escape his place in society within the walls of a seedy tavern on the wrong end of London. (Hiding from his own life and preparing to drink the day away? Flaws, flaws, flaws.) He’s running from the burden of his recently acquired title, and the name his peers have given him—The Mad Duke. Of course, that’s before he meets Lily…

He was finally free—free of whispers behind his back, free of his own identity, and free to spend the evening drinking his problems away.

Pausing as he opened the door, he smiled at the thick smell of lager and smoke hanging in the air. As he breathed in the sweet smell of anonymity, something careened into his back with a small “Umph.”

He turned and looked down into the face of the woman in blue…

Oh, the flaws in his thinking here and oh, how she’s going to turn his life upside down. Flaws—they’re the best!

The second quality I look for in a hero is a sense of humor. I can’t imagine life without laughter. My favorite heroes I’ve read in books are the ones who make me chuckle. Whether it’s outlandish behavior or a wry wit…or both, I like a hero who knows how to crack a joke. Now, I’m not saying I don’t like a story that rips my heart from my chest, because I do. Books that are so deeply emotional I clutch them in my arms and sigh when they’re over are amazing, but I like a hero with a good sense of humor to be the star in that show.

One of my favorite scenes in Must Love Dukes is one with Devon and his mother. She’s just manipulated him into attending a tea she organized in his own home and he is not pleased about it—at all. So when he is ready to leave, he does.

“Well, I must be off. Enjoy the rest of your tea. I found it a bit tepid but I’m sure you’ll survive.” Devon rose and bowed in farewell. The looks on the faces of their guests for tea ranged from shock to wide-eyed dismay. His mission complete, he picked up his chair, hefted it onto one shoulder, and left the room. His mother wanted him to spend more time with society, and Lily, did she? He laughed as he strode down the hallway. One must be careful what one wished for.
He had a new chair for his library and some planning to do.


I always take my chair with me when I exit a party, don’t you? A sense of humor is such a great quality in a hero. In this case, Devon’s antics don’t help his nickname of the Mad Duke. But, perhaps flawed with an off-beat sense of humor is the same as madness in the eyes of Regency society, and perhaps that’s exactly the sort of madness Lily needs in her life.

Thank you for hosting me today! What’s your favorite quality in a hero?

The Mad Duke leaned in closer, his lips gently brushing her ear, and whispered, "I dare you."

She Can't Resist the Dare…

Lillian Phillips could not imagine how her quiet, simple life had come to this. Blackmailed by the Mad Duke of Thornwood into accepting one wild dare after another...all because of a pocket watch. Desperate to recover her beloved father's pawned timepiece, Lily did something reckless and dangerous and delicious—something that led to a night she'd never forget.

He has a Reputation for Scandal…

When Devon Grey, Duke of Thornwood, runs into a mesmerizing, intoxicating, thieving woman who literally stole from his bedchamber—with his new pocket watch—Devon plots his revenge. If the daring wench likes to play games, he's happy to oblige. After all, what's the ruse of being the Mad Duke if you can't have some fun? But the last laugh might just be on him...

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 copy of Must Love Dukes

To Enter: 

• Please answer Elizabeth's question: What’s your favorite quality in a hero?
• US/Canada shipping ONLY.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Sourcebooks sponsoring this giveaway.

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