Special visit from Vicky Dreiling, author of How to Seduce a Scoundrel

I'm excited to announce a visit by Vicky Dreilin, author of  How to Seduce a Scoundrel

Q: You'd first introduced Julianne Gatewick in How to Marry a Duke where her brother was the romantic lead.  Could you share how you'd thought of Julianne's love story?

Interestingly, while writing How to Marry a Duke, I was a bit startled when I realized Julianne held tender feelings for Marc Darcett, the Earl of Hawkfield (a.k.a. Hawk).  Because I’m a pantser (I write by the seat of pants rather than do a lot of detailed plotting), I’m often surprised at the things I learn about my characters as I write. The moment I realized Julianne’s feelings for Hawk, I knew she and Hawk needed their own story.

I’ll share an interesting behind-the-scenes fact about HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL. It wasn’t always a book about The Rules in Regency England.  The early version contained a plot in which the heroine ran a ‘school’ to reform rakes. Hawk was Julianne’s guardian in this early version. So why did I abandon that idea? Well, to be honest, matters went awry as I tried to make Hawk a secret genius. He resisted my efforts, to say the least. I finally scrapped that version and decided to use The Rules as a basis for yet another spoof of modern dating practices. That turned out to be the perfect venue for spunky Julianne and charming Hawk.

Q: Can you tell us what you're currently working on?

First of all, I work on one book at a time. Even before I published, I never strayed to other books. I tend to get absorbed in whatever book I’m writing. Also, because I’m a pantser I’m compelled to go forward so I can find out what happens. 

Q: Which authors/books influenced/inspired you?

The first romance I ever bought (accidentally LOL) was Judith McNaught’s ALMOST HEAVEN. I got hooked on historical romance after reading that one book. As for influencers, I would say authors like Amanda Quick, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase (LOVE her books), and Laura Kinsale, especially her acclaimed FLOWERS FROM THE STORM. While I admire their works, I’ve never tried to imitate any of them. Frankly, I couldn’t change the way I write, even if I wanted to do so. 

Q: What are you currently reading?

A contemporary!  I’m a big fan of Jane Graves (and yes, she’s a friend) and am loving her new release BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES.

Thanks so much for inviting me to blog. May the Magic Romance Fairies be with you!

Vicky