Friday, February 28, 2014

Guest Post with Wendy Vella + Excerpt for "Rescued by a Viscount"!

WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG, WENDY! :) 


Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.


After having her two children Wendy then joined RWNZ and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences. Her Clendon and Readers Choice award-winning historical romance The Reluctant Countess will debut in Jan 2013 with Random House in their Loveswept line.


She has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in Romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.
Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!




Where to Find Wendy:




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Meet My Latest Hero




My latest release Rescued By A Viscount, is the second book in my Regency Rakes series, and the hero and heroine were the secondary characters in book one, Duchess By Chance. I hadn’t planed to write this book next but after receiving so many emails from readers asking me if I was going to write Claire and Simon's story, I changed my schedule around to get it finished during my Christmas break.

Viscount Simon Kelkirk was an intriguing character when I knew only a little bit about him but as I dug deeper and came to understand him more I began to really like the man behind the handsome façade.

He’s a man who has reconciled himself with his rotten childhood, and is comfortable with the person he is today, one of those rare people who are simply happy to be alive. He’s loyal, and loves his friends and family passionately, and never misses an opportunity to let them know how much he cares about them. Unlike the average nobleman, he’s not worried about appearances and he has an unusual hobby that I believe makes him more endearing to the readers, I certainly fell in love with him! He has a heroic streak a mile wide and can’t stand to see a person in distress, especially our heroine, all traits I believe make up a wonderful hero.


Here is an excerpt from Rescued By A Viscount. This scene takes place after a bar room fight, after which the heroine decides she can not put Simon in anymore danger and flees in the middle of the night. 

He finds her the next day.




Rescued By A Viscount by Wendy Vella
Excerpt



“Get in,” Simon said, pointing inside the carriage.
“No.”
He wouldn’t laugh. He was too angry for that, even if she looked delectable defying him. “Claire, the pain in my body is not making me amiable. Therefore it would be in your best interests to do as I say and do it quickly.”
“It is best I go alone, Simon. Surely after last night you can see that? This is my problem, not yours.”
“For the love of god,” he muttered, picking her up. He stepped up into the carriage and threw her on the seat with perhaps a bit more force than necessary. Sitting near the door, he slammed it shut, trapping her inside. “I’ve told you I want to come with you, I’ve told you it is my choice, and still you take the foolish notion into your head to flee in the middle of the night, thus, in your eyes, protecting me.”
“It was for the best,” she said defiantly, crossing her arms.
“For whom? Did you think I would wake to find you gone and think, well that’s that, then. Claire’s gone--I shall now return to London and enjoy the season?” Simon’s voice was a furious growl as he glared at her. “You thought I wouldn't worry what had become of you? That I would not wonder if you'd made it to Liverpool to collect the child? And what if trouble had befallen you? Who would have known where you were? Certainly not your family, as they believe you are safely nestled at Stratton with your dearest friend.”
His words made the color leech from her face.
“Think with your head, Claire. Think rationally before doing anything else rash, I beg of you.”
Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she looked at him. “I don’t want you hurt anymore, Simon. I couldn’t bear it. I thought if I reached Liverpool and collected the child, I could be back in London before you caught up with me.”
 “Do you know what would hurt me more than these?” he asked, lifting a hand to the bruises on his face.
“No.” Her voice was husky as she wiped away tears with her gloves.
“Hearing that some man had hurt you, or that you were lost and alone with no one to turn to. Those things would hurt more than any pain a fist could cause.”
She pressed her hands into her eyes to try to stem the flow of tears.
“I have been cold with fear since I woke. Had the proprietor’s wife not been beside him this morning when I confronted him, I would have, in all likelihood, killed him for letting you leave alone.”
“You sh-should not be involved in this, Simon.”
He blew out a loud sigh that made his ribs ache.

“I am involved, Claire. Why can’t you see that?”



~Wendy Vella




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Rescued By A Viscount by Wendy Vella
Publisher: Wendy Vella (February 16, 2014) 
Series: Regecy Rakes, 2
Genre: Historical Romance


Miss Claire Belmont’s life is thrown into turmoil when she finds out her brother left something behind in France before he died. Going against her family’s wishes, she is determined to uncover the secret of what it is, and is forced to turn to the one man she vowed to avoid at all costs for help. Claire has always feared that if anyone can disrupt her well-ordered life and see the vulnerable woman behind the polite facade, it will be Viscount Kelkirk and now they are thrown together, she realizes her fears were justified.





Where to Buy*:
 Kindle | NOOK
More Info:



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Thanks for stopping by today, Wendy! :) And thank you for introducing us to Simon; what a lovely excerpt!

Remember, I interviewed Wendy last year, and she did a holiday guest post just a few months ago! 

Have you read Wendy's books? Do you have a favorite?

Does Simon sound like your perfect hero?






Enjoy!

Until Next Time,

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  *TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

3 comments :

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

Oh he sounds like a wonderful hero!

Lover Of Romance said...

Oh boy, I am fascinated already. Love this post. You know how I am with historical romances. :) Both of these characters sounds delightful. Thanks for sharing.

The_Book_Queen said...

I figured you would like this one! :)