Guest Post with Theresa Romain and Giveaway

Meet Theresa Romain, author of To Charm a Naughty Countess.

Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest, where she is working on her next book.

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Hi, Danielle—thank you for hosting me today! I’m so glad to share a bit about my latest historical romance, TO CHARM A NAUGHTY COUNTESS.

This is a Pygmalion story in which a rakish widow helps an eccentric, impoverished duke make his way through society to find a wealthy bride. Caroline and Michael seem to be opposites—but actually, they have more in common than either of them realizes.

Here are a few of the things I like about them, and that I hope readers will enjoy too:

1. He’s blunt.

Michael, the Duke of Wyverne, has stayed away from society for 11 years. He’s spent that time dedicating himself wholeheartedly to administering his dukedom—trying to improve it, to drag it into solvency. So when he comes to London, he has no practice with manners. Crowds make him uneasy, and he usually says the wrong thing.

But: he’s honest and genuine. If he doesn’t see the sense in something, he says so. If something needs to be done, he does it. Caroline can’t help but appreciate this about him.

2. She’s really good with people.

After a scandalous debut and a marriage of convenience to someone much older, Caroline is determined to spend her widowhood at the pinnacle of society. Since she knows from experience how much harm gossip can cause, she wins people over with good manners, charm, and humor. She wants everyone to like her, so she forms herself into someone likable.

This doesn’t give her a lot of room to be herself, or even to have a bad day. Still, Michael admires this about her: she always knows what to say to put people at ease. It’s a skill, and one he definitely doesn’t have.

3. He’s curious.

An afternoon call turns into a furniture repair session. A dinner party ends in his taking apart a lamp. Michael is interested in everything mechanical, and his brain is always racing with ideas. Since he doesn’t care if it’s the right time to talk about or carry out those ideas, he sometimes shocks the other characters. This made him pretty entertaining to write!

4. She’s lonely.

This might sound like an odd choice for something that I like, but Caroline’s loneliness is really what cracked her character open for me. Her popularity defines her, at least in her own mind, and she takes care to cultivate it. She truly believes if she relaxes, if she’s less than entertaining and attractive and perfect, that she’ll become an outcast.

Since Michael doesn’t care about the trappings of society, he’s the first person in a long time to look behind them and wonder about the real Caroline. He’s lonely, too, and their loneliness drives them to get to know each other in a deeper way.

5. He’s wholehearted.

With all the energy of his curious mind, it should be no surprise that when Michael falls, he falls hard. He’s not used to analyzing his feelings at all, so he has no idea what love feels like. He has no romantic past. He has never given his heart or body before, because he didn’t want to lose control of either. So when he trust Caroline with both, it’s a huge shift in his character, and it changes him in ways he never expected.

* * *
As you can probably tell, I had a great time writing Michael and Caroline’s story!

Readers, thanks for stopping by. Please ask me anything else about the story that you’d like to know, or let me know which of these characteristics sound the most interesting to you.

CAN A RECLUSIVE DUKE…

Brilliant but rumored mad, Michael Layward, the impoverished Duke of Wyverne, has no success courting heiresses until widowed Lady Stratton takes up his cause–after first refusing his suit.

WIN LONDON’S MOST POWERFUL COUNTESS?

Caroline Graves, the popular Countess of Stratton, sits alone at the pinnacle of London society and has vowed never to remarry. When Michael–her counterpart in an old scandal–returns to town after a long absence, she finds herself as enthralled with him as ever. As she guides the anxiety-ridden duke through the trials of society, Caroline realizes that she’s lost her heart . But if she gives herself to the only man she’s ever loved, she’ll lose the hard-won independence she prizes above all.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N |

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Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 copy of To Charm a Naughty Countess

To Enter: 

• Please leave a comment or question for Theresa.
• US/Canada shipping ONLY.
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks Theresa Romain & Sourcebooks for sponsoring this giveaway.

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