After a long online friendship, last month I had the great pleasure of meeting Jeanna Ellsworth face to face at last, at the Jane Austen Regency Week in Alton, Hampshire - and what a delight she is! The same goes for her lovely daughters, Paige, Madison and Avery. Miss Paige Ellsworth, is already known to you as the exquisite young lady featured on the cover of Jeanna's latest release, 'INSPIRED BY GRACE'.
I'm very happy to welcome Jeanna Ellsworth here today, to tell us more about her new book and also about an awesome GIVEAWAY.
So, without further ado, I'll pass over to Jeanna.
I'm very happy to welcome Jeanna Ellsworth here today, to tell us more about her new book and also about an awesome GIVEAWAY.
So, without further ado, I'll pass over to Jeanna.
Thank you, Joana, for having me on your blog! My latest book, Inspired by Grace, is my first attempt at an original romance. (All my other books have been JAFF). It is set in 1818 and it is about Gavin and Grace, who were best friends all through their youth, yet have not seen each other for 10 years. A lot has happened since they have seen each other. Here is the back cover intrigue:
“She was never the demure lady who was afraid of getting her petticoat dirty. He was never the calm and collected lad who coddled her. What had started as friendship had evolved into something quite tangible . . .”
A lady always hopes that the man she falls in love with will sweep her off her feet in a dramatic and graceful way. Well, for Grace Iverson, at least it was dramatic. Her childhood best friend, Gavin Kingston—now His Grace, the Duke of Huntsman—is still just as clumsy as ever.
Despite their painful separation as children, a chance encounter has offered them a second opportunity for happiness. But after ten years apart, they both carry hidden scars. Trust takes time. And soon, forces from the past threaten to destroy the love they both have hoped for all of their lives.
Can Grace’s best friend break down her emotional fortress and prove his love before she disappears from his life a second time?
This lovely Regency romance started well before either of them knew what they wished for in a partner; but it will surely be one that stands the test of time.
I am doing something new for this blog tour for Inspired by Grace and introducing people to the world of TV tropes. Why would I introduce you to TV tropes on a book tour? And what is a TV trope? A TV trope only got its name because it was first defined from TV but it correlates to books and writing too. A trope is a way to classify certain characters. I bet if I said Lucille Ball, you would all think of a hilarious mischief-maker with great facial expressions who can make trouble with the most bizarre ideas ever possible. She is so unique that when you meet someone similar, in person or in literature, you can predict the kind of things she will say or do.
There are all sorts of tropes. I did not come across the term TV trope until after I wrote the book, but I can see that it is a way to define certain characters and when a writer is consistent, the reader learns to quickly love or connect with the characters. This was Jane Austen’s greatest strengths in my eyes; her characters. So with this blog tour, I am introducing the original characters of Inspired by Grace by using TV tropes.
Meet Gavin, his character is a mixture of two TV tropes; “Millionaire Playboy” and an “Officer and a Gentleman”. Here are the definitions of each. A Millionaire Playboy is a rich ladies man who isn’t quite a rogue but is a charmer and is quick with the flirtations. Think Hugh Hefner. But Gavin could also be described as an Officer and a Gentleman, which is the guy who does what is right, even on the battlefield when most people drop their integrity; he has a lot of heart. Think Tom Cruise on Top Gun or Colonel Fitzwilliam. Add to the mix a bit of the “Boy Next Door” (sort of a clumsy likable guy who is there when you need him) and you get a taste of who Gavin is. For more information on TV tropes, visit www.tvtropes.org
The excerpt I am going to share with you is the opening scene where we meet Gavin and we see that some of these tropes have been repressed with his detest for his newly acquired title of Duke of Huntsman. His main tropes come out as the book evolves and after Grace “inspires” him. Enjoy! Hope you fall in love with Gavin Kingston.
*****
“So sorry, Your Grace,” Gavin’s valet apologized. “I shall be finished in just a moment.”
“No, this is my fault, Winston. I should have been more careful with my tea,” he sighed. “And please stop calling me ‘Your Grace’; you have been my valet far longer than I have been titled.”
Winston gave Gavin a brief, hesitant look and pursed his lips. Gavin could tell he was choosing to ignore the request. Winston was more than a valet; he was the closest thing Gavin had to a brother. Well, at least now he was.
It had been six months since his older brother Spencer died; six months since he had been called back from his navy ship and given the title of Duke of Huntsman. And it still felt just as foreign as the day he took it. All the formalities and soirees and dinner parties were exhausting. Every face and name blurred.
What he wouldn’t give to have his brother back and to be at sea with his crew again! It was strange; he had enjoyed tossing to and fro with the waves as a captain. But now that his life had changed course, he felt unsteady, ill at ease with the surging demands placed upon him.
Winston finished retying the cravat. “There. You are ready, Your—” Winston picked up on Gavin’s subtle glare and wisely caught himself just in time. “You’re . . . welcome,” the valet stammered.
Gavin muttered his thanks and turned on his heel. The click of his boots spoke of his anxiety, and the ache in his head built with each patterned clippity-clop as he nearly danced down the spiral staircase.
Why had his great-grandfather ever build such a tight staircase, one that literally wrapped around itself like a little girl’s ringlet? Couldn’t he have made better use of the foyer’s space? After all, the room was expansive, almost as big as a ballroom. He would change that. Now that it was his house, he would change that.
There. His mother would be proud of him. He had just made his first decision that showed ownership of this blasted title and the wretched inheritance that he should never have received in the first place.
He was a second son. His parents had always been proud that they had an heir and a spare, as well as his younger sister. Well, now there was no spare. He was it. Spencer was dead, and so was his father.
Seeing the look on his mother’s face as he came to the bottom of the stairs, he began imagining inventive excuses for his delay. But ultimately he opted for honesty. “Forgive me, Mother. I was not careful with the tea and stained my cravat. I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”
His mother, Her Grace Patricia Kingston, Duchess of Huntsman, had no restraint when she felt her opinion needed to be shared, and she felt the need quite frequently. Gavin was in no mood for it and hardly gave her a glance as the butler handed him his top hat and jacket. Gavin opened the door of his London townhouse and motioned for his mother to proceed to the carriage. He ignored her mutterings about how the Tremontons were expecting a call twenty minutes ago.
He focused on ignoring everything around him—his mother, his title, the ton, and the rest of it. He did not wish to go to the Tremontons anymore than he wished for a needle in the eye. Their daughter, Sylvia, was relentless, and if the rumors were true, she had her sights set on gaining a title—his blasted new title in particular. Women were practically throwing themselves at him now that he was no longer the spare.
Six months ago he wouldn’t have minded. Back then, he couldn’t wait to make port. There had been Francis, in Liverpool—a dazzling blonde who enjoyed moonlit walks. And Patricia, off the coast of Scotland, who could outdrink even him. Amberly was a little too frisky for his taste, but it hadn’t stopped him from seeking her out whenever the ship docked in Falmouth. Women in every port knew him as Captain Kingston, a man who laughed and flirted with anyone in a skirt. He wasn’t a rake—he’d never done more than steal a few kisses—but it had been fun. He’d intentionally courted women who didn’t want to settle down any more than he did. And not one of them had known who his father was. How things have changed since those days!
*****
Please tell me what you think by commenting! I would love for all of you to follow me on Twitter (@ellsworthJeanna) or like my author’s facebook page (www.facebook.com/Jeanna.ellsworth). I also try to keep up my blog on www.heyladypublications.com and you can read the first chapter of all the books I have written there too.
I would like to give away one free book to one lucky commenter and since Joana Starnes lives in England, and she is kind enough to host me, I will make this giveaway international! You can choose an eBook or paperback. But then again, if you have already fallen in love with Gavin, you can find the kindle or paperback on Amazon right now at:
http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Grace-Jeanna-Ellsworth-ebook/dp/B00XQW6GXY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1432075149
Happy reading!
“She was never the demure lady who was afraid of getting her petticoat dirty. He was never the calm and collected lad who coddled her. What had started as friendship had evolved into something quite tangible . . .”
A lady always hopes that the man she falls in love with will sweep her off her feet in a dramatic and graceful way. Well, for Grace Iverson, at least it was dramatic. Her childhood best friend, Gavin Kingston—now His Grace, the Duke of Huntsman—is still just as clumsy as ever.
Despite their painful separation as children, a chance encounter has offered them a second opportunity for happiness. But after ten years apart, they both carry hidden scars. Trust takes time. And soon, forces from the past threaten to destroy the love they both have hoped for all of their lives.
Can Grace’s best friend break down her emotional fortress and prove his love before she disappears from his life a second time?
This lovely Regency romance started well before either of them knew what they wished for in a partner; but it will surely be one that stands the test of time.
I am doing something new for this blog tour for Inspired by Grace and introducing people to the world of TV tropes. Why would I introduce you to TV tropes on a book tour? And what is a TV trope? A TV trope only got its name because it was first defined from TV but it correlates to books and writing too. A trope is a way to classify certain characters. I bet if I said Lucille Ball, you would all think of a hilarious mischief-maker with great facial expressions who can make trouble with the most bizarre ideas ever possible. She is so unique that when you meet someone similar, in person or in literature, you can predict the kind of things she will say or do.
There are all sorts of tropes. I did not come across the term TV trope until after I wrote the book, but I can see that it is a way to define certain characters and when a writer is consistent, the reader learns to quickly love or connect with the characters. This was Jane Austen’s greatest strengths in my eyes; her characters. So with this blog tour, I am introducing the original characters of Inspired by Grace by using TV tropes.
Meet Gavin, his character is a mixture of two TV tropes; “Millionaire Playboy” and an “Officer and a Gentleman”. Here are the definitions of each. A Millionaire Playboy is a rich ladies man who isn’t quite a rogue but is a charmer and is quick with the flirtations. Think Hugh Hefner. But Gavin could also be described as an Officer and a Gentleman, which is the guy who does what is right, even on the battlefield when most people drop their integrity; he has a lot of heart. Think Tom Cruise on Top Gun or Colonel Fitzwilliam. Add to the mix a bit of the “Boy Next Door” (sort of a clumsy likable guy who is there when you need him) and you get a taste of who Gavin is. For more information on TV tropes, visit www.tvtropes.org
The excerpt I am going to share with you is the opening scene where we meet Gavin and we see that some of these tropes have been repressed with his detest for his newly acquired title of Duke of Huntsman. His main tropes come out as the book evolves and after Grace “inspires” him. Enjoy! Hope you fall in love with Gavin Kingston.
*****
“So sorry, Your Grace,” Gavin’s valet apologized. “I shall be finished in just a moment.”
“No, this is my fault, Winston. I should have been more careful with my tea,” he sighed. “And please stop calling me ‘Your Grace’; you have been my valet far longer than I have been titled.”
Winston gave Gavin a brief, hesitant look and pursed his lips. Gavin could tell he was choosing to ignore the request. Winston was more than a valet; he was the closest thing Gavin had to a brother. Well, at least now he was.
It had been six months since his older brother Spencer died; six months since he had been called back from his navy ship and given the title of Duke of Huntsman. And it still felt just as foreign as the day he took it. All the formalities and soirees and dinner parties were exhausting. Every face and name blurred.
What he wouldn’t give to have his brother back and to be at sea with his crew again! It was strange; he had enjoyed tossing to and fro with the waves as a captain. But now that his life had changed course, he felt unsteady, ill at ease with the surging demands placed upon him.
Winston finished retying the cravat. “There. You are ready, Your—” Winston picked up on Gavin’s subtle glare and wisely caught himself just in time. “You’re . . . welcome,” the valet stammered.
Gavin muttered his thanks and turned on his heel. The click of his boots spoke of his anxiety, and the ache in his head built with each patterned clippity-clop as he nearly danced down the spiral staircase.
Why had his great-grandfather ever build such a tight staircase, one that literally wrapped around itself like a little girl’s ringlet? Couldn’t he have made better use of the foyer’s space? After all, the room was expansive, almost as big as a ballroom. He would change that. Now that it was his house, he would change that.
There. His mother would be proud of him. He had just made his first decision that showed ownership of this blasted title and the wretched inheritance that he should never have received in the first place.
He was a second son. His parents had always been proud that they had an heir and a spare, as well as his younger sister. Well, now there was no spare. He was it. Spencer was dead, and so was his father.
Seeing the look on his mother’s face as he came to the bottom of the stairs, he began imagining inventive excuses for his delay. But ultimately he opted for honesty. “Forgive me, Mother. I was not careful with the tea and stained my cravat. I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”
His mother, Her Grace Patricia Kingston, Duchess of Huntsman, had no restraint when she felt her opinion needed to be shared, and she felt the need quite frequently. Gavin was in no mood for it and hardly gave her a glance as the butler handed him his top hat and jacket. Gavin opened the door of his London townhouse and motioned for his mother to proceed to the carriage. He ignored her mutterings about how the Tremontons were expecting a call twenty minutes ago.
He focused on ignoring everything around him—his mother, his title, the ton, and the rest of it. He did not wish to go to the Tremontons anymore than he wished for a needle in the eye. Their daughter, Sylvia, was relentless, and if the rumors were true, she had her sights set on gaining a title—his blasted new title in particular. Women were practically throwing themselves at him now that he was no longer the spare.
Six months ago he wouldn’t have minded. Back then, he couldn’t wait to make port. There had been Francis, in Liverpool—a dazzling blonde who enjoyed moonlit walks. And Patricia, off the coast of Scotland, who could outdrink even him. Amberly was a little too frisky for his taste, but it hadn’t stopped him from seeking her out whenever the ship docked in Falmouth. Women in every port knew him as Captain Kingston, a man who laughed and flirted with anyone in a skirt. He wasn’t a rake—he’d never done more than steal a few kisses—but it had been fun. He’d intentionally courted women who didn’t want to settle down any more than he did. And not one of them had known who his father was. How things have changed since those days!
*****
Please tell me what you think by commenting! I would love for all of you to follow me on Twitter (@ellsworthJeanna) or like my author’s facebook page (www.facebook.com/Jeanna.ellsworth). I also try to keep up my blog on www.heyladypublications.com and you can read the first chapter of all the books I have written there too.
I would like to give away one free book to one lucky commenter and since Joana Starnes lives in England, and she is kind enough to host me, I will make this giveaway international! You can choose an eBook or paperback. But then again, if you have already fallen in love with Gavin, you can find the kindle or paperback on Amazon right now at:
http://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Grace-Jeanna-Ellsworth-ebook/dp/B00XQW6GXY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1432075149
Happy reading!
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