The Third Duke book & other items, including a deal

Curious about the Cossack trousers Cassandra wore? Here’s the inspiration. Cossack trousers United Kingdom Textiles and Fashion Collection. 1820-1830 (made) Artist/Maker: Unknown Materials and Techniques: ilk, lined with cotton, hand-sewn. Credit Line: Given by Mr Frederick Gill Museum number: T.197-1914. Copyright: © Victoria and Albert Museum

So many readers have asked about the third Difficult Dukes book that, with apologies, I’m going to have to respond here rather than in individual replies.

Alice & Blackwood’s story is in process. The goal is publication in 2022. If I could write faster, I would, but this is the way it goes nowadays, to my everlasting frustration.

Meanwhile, I’ll be continuing to stay in touch via this blog, Facebook, and Instagram. There will be pictures, lots of pictures, and information of varying degrees of historical nerdiness. Also, now and again on Instagram, there will be a giveaway.

For a set of images specifically related to individual books, please check out my Pinterest Page. If you would like to know more about any of the images, please email me, and I’ll be happy to write a blog post about it. The same applies to any puzzling elements in my books that you would like explained. I think it’s really fun to talk about social history: clothing, vehicles, manners, and so on. That’s part of the reason I write historical romance. For me, research is just delightful. It’s like playing Sherlock Holmes with history.

In other news:

A DEAL—The eBook edition of Royal Bridesmaids, an anthology that includes my novella, Lord Lovedon’s Duel, is for a limited time available for $0.99. Please be aware that these are short pieces, definitely not full-length novels. I’d need another three hundred-plus pages for that.



The Truth About the 2nd Duke

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Proserpine 1882. this is one of several versions of the painting Rossetti painted. You can read more about it here.

I’ve been hearing from readers asking where they can find Book # 2 of the Difficult Dukes series.

Unfortunately, it can’t be found yet, because I’m still working on it. Glancing over some of the blog posts here, you’ll have some idea why. The Duke of Ashmont’s story has proved to be an unusually difficult one, for reasons I’m unable to ascertain. This has happened before, but not, I’m happy to say, for a very long time. I’m a slow writer, but not that slow, usually.

However, some readers are under the impression that Ten Things I Hate About the Duke has actually been published. This is because I failed to meet some deadlines, including one that would have allowed for the book’s release early this year.

My fault. Publishing works on a schedule, and a great deal happens before the author has completed the manuscript. And so the information went into catalogs and somehow ended up in the series listings. While my extremely patient publisher has been so kind as to allow me a delayed publication date, this information didn’t get on the various lists before the earlier information leaked out.

Here is the current reality: Ten Things I Hate About the Duke is scheduled for late this year. All I have to do is finish it in time.

The above painting was one of the visual inspirations for the story’s heroine.

Love Letter to You

Thanks, Gentle Readers. You made me cry.

And you made me go straight back to work, but so much happier, because of course you understand—I had a strong feeling you would—but there is nothing like your taking the time to put it into actual, heartfelt words and send those to my inbox. Also, the depth and kindness of the understanding was pretty stunning.

Thank you.

I’m sending this instead of replies to each one of you because there’s not the smallest doubt in my mind—really, you made it very clear—that you’d rather have the book, however long it takes—and there were a lump-in-the-throat-causing number of them.

I’m sending hugs, too.

You are the best.

Also, the book will be a good one. It’s definitely improving already, and by the time it’s done, it will be up to our standards.