Once upon a time, at least eight years ago, I wrote a series of books called The Bluestocking Brides. The series was set in Suffolk in the years of the Napoleonic Wars and featured the
members of a ladies’ reading group and the dashing gentlemen who courted them. I loved the Bluestocking Brides series, especially the Duke of Kestrel and his handsome, rakish brothers. When the series ended there was one Kestrel brother unmarried, Stephen, the youngest, who was only nineteen at the time and last glimpsed losing his clothes and a great deal more in a brothel in Covent Garden…
Flash forward a good few years in my life as well as those of my characters, and the Napoleonic Wars are ended and my Scandalous Women of the Ton are… well… scandalising polite society. As the series ended there were two scandalous ladies who had featured in the books but had yet to find their own Happy Ever After. These were Lady Emma Bradshaw, whose story I told in the novella Lady Emma’s Disgrace, exclusive to this website, and Francesca, Lady Alton.
Poor Chessie. In Notorious, Book 4 in the Scandalous Women series, she made a terrible error of judgement in falling in love with Fitz, the deeply dislikeable Marquis of Alton. But every girl is allowed to make one mistake in love, right? So by the time the Scandalous Women series ended this summer with Forbidden, Book 6, Chessie was a widow and was betrothed to Lord Stephen Kestrel. But what happened in between? When did Chessie and Stephen first meet and how did they fall in love?
All will be revealed on Saturday 22nd December on Not Another Romance Blog when the story of Lady Alton’s Adventure is told! (Oh, and there is a lovely giveaway too!) In the meantime check out the blog for some wonderful short stories on a Christmas theme by a whole host of fabulous historical authors!
Ohhh, I’ll look forward to reading about Chessie and Stephen Nicola. Caroline x
Thanks, Caroline! I was so happy to be able to give Chessie her own story! And a seasonal one as well!
Sounds lovely! Can’t wait to read it! Really enjoyed “Lady Emma’s Disgrace” (as well as your other stories/books that I have been able to find)!
Thank you very much, Tai! It was a lot of fun to write and I liked that I was able to give Chessie a proper HEA.
Ok, The Bluestocking Brides is my next series
but can I ask you if there is a series you prefer above all and why? (so far mine is “Scandalous Women”?)
Staying tuned to “Not Another Romance Blog” for more news and a foretaste of B. Brides!
Ooh, that’s an interesting one, Cassia! Thanks for asking… Hmm… I did love writing my scandalous women because I liked all the different sorts of scandals they got involved with, but the previous two series were also a LOT of fun. I liked the Brides of Fortune series because I loved the idea of the medieval law that required them all to marry. Plus I do get SO attached to my characters. Then there were the bluestocking brides who still hold a very special place in my heart. The series is set in Suffolk, which is a special place for me (I love the coast there) and there’s a lot of smuggling and pirates and buried treasure… Plus some gorgeous heroes… So really it’s impossible to choose!
This is a toughest question for a writer!
Never ask a mother which of her kids she prefers….LOL!
I’ll let you know my opionion of B. Brides in 2013!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you, Cassia, and a very happy Christmas to you as well!