Scandals are in the air.

It seems that scandals run rampant in regency historicals. And such is the case in my April release, SOMETHING SCANDALOUS. Actually, all of my Spinster Club books have scandals involved in some way or another. Only in this book, the real scandal is not so much between my hero and heroine, but my heroine’s parents. Writing this story and my others made me think about scandals in general, and the people’s interest in them.

Why do we love scandals?

Not just in our books but even in everyday life. You can’t wait in a grocery store line without seeing 4-5 magazines and newspapers that devote most of their pages to exposing someone’s personal life to the masses. There are early evening shows that focus the majority of their time on the current scandal from Hollywood. Even the soap operas I watched as a teen were nothing but scandals. It wasn’t that different 200 years ago either. People loved to hear some piece of juicy gossip.

Something Scandalous
Author: Christie Kelley
Publisher: Zebra
Pub. Date: April 6, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1420108767
352 pages

Raised as the youngest daughter of the Duke of Kendal, Elizabeth learns a devastating truth on his deathbed: he wasn’t her father at all. And because the Duke had no sons, his title and fortune must go to his only male heir: a distant cousin who left England for America long ago. Anticipating the man’s imminent occupation of her home, Elizabeth anxiously searches for her mother’s diary, and the secret of her paternity…

Arriving in London with his seven siblings, William Atherton intends to sell everything and return to his beloved Virginia farm, and his fiancée, as quickly as possible. But as Elizabeth shows William an England he never knew, and graciously introduces his siblings to London society, it becomes clear the two are meant for each other. Soon, Elizabeth finds herself determined to seduce the man who can save not only her family name, but her heart…

But what do we get out of it?

There is that satisfaction of knowing someone has done something more foolish than yourself. That’s a big one. It does make you feel better about yourself, doesn’t it? After all, while you might have done something foolish, but you didn’t get caught and the other person did.

There is also the idea that a scandal humanizes someone from a higher social position. It makes that person fallible.

Or in the case of many books, it makes the character more sympathetic. I think this is especially true for the heroines who might have been caught in some mistake and are suddenly shunned from society. It’s hard not to root for the underdog.

What do you think? Do you like to read the gossip magazines or hear about the Hollywood stars and their marriage woes? If you do, tell me why. If not, tell me what you people get out of them.

Christie Kelley was born and raised in upstate New York. After seventeen years working for financial institutions in software development, she started writing her first book. She currently writes regency historicals for Zebra. Christie now lives in Maryland with her husband and two sons. Come visit her on the web at www.christiekelley.com.

Christie, thank you so much for guest blogging today and your topic is completely on point with the Tiger Woods and Jesse James scandals currently captivating the media these days. I can’t wait to read about the scandalous goings on in Something Scandalous. And today, one lucky commenter will win an advanced autographed copy of Christie’s sexy book.

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By Authors, Giveaways, Kensington63 Comments on Christie Kelley has Something Scandalous to tell

63 Replies to “Christie Kelley has Something Scandalous to tell”

  1. My boyfriend was just remarking how, after watching Mythbusters with him, I turned the channel to E! Eek.

    Would love to read Christie’s book. 🙂

  2. Hi Christie. I have to admit, I’m not really into celebrity scandals. That could be partly because I moved to London as an adult, and there are loads of gossip mags full of C, D, and E-list celebrities I’ve never heard of. It’s hard to get worked up over some woman having sex with some guy when I’ve never heard of either of them.

    But I do love a good scandal when someone is being hypocritical. When politicians and religious leaders shout about the horrors of homosexuality, for example, and then they’re caught with male prostitutes…that’s a story I never get sick of reading.

  3. Congrats on the upcoming release, Christie. I do read gossip magazines and check out the celebrity news on the internet and find out what’s going with them. I think many people like reading about scandals is because we put these stars on pedestals and are shocked when they do something wrong.

  5. Katrina, I have to agree that reading about someone I’ve never heard of doing something scandalous wouldn’t really have the same impact. But like you I do love when a hypocrite falls hard.

  6. Jane, I think you’re right about putting stars on pedestals. Some people think of them as role models, though I’ve never understood that. They have far more temptations than most people so it’s not hard to understand that they fall.

  7. I’m not too much into scandals & gossip either. The media today seems to overwhelm it to the point that feel like begging them to stop. When did a celeb or sport star’s marriage or personal problems become major serious news? A little gossip/scandal can be interesting but sometimes it doesn’t just gets more than just beaten to death.

    Congrats on the new book.

  8. I don’t care about Hollywood gossip and scandal. There are more important things to worry about.

  9. I’m really not into celebrity scandals but the media just crams them down the throats of the viewers. I just say ‘Enough, already’ and get on with it!

    Christie, you are a new-to-me author so I have a couple of questions for you: How many books are in your ‘Spinster Club’ series and what are the titles? I haven’t read your work yet but I’m looking forward to getting a copy of this new book to get started. And the next one out in Oct is on my BTB list too.

  10. Christie, I am so excited for Something Scandalous! I’m really enjoying your Spinster Club books 😀 As for scandals… I’m not too big on them, but as Katrina says, I love when the hypocrite gets his/her come uppance. Otherwise, well I generally don’t know who any celebrities are :X
    And I definitely didn’t know about the “Oscar curse” until recently. That, however, has got me thinking, but I tend to get distracted by the other details – is there any actual correlation, why it might occur, etc.
    But I do love reading about scandals in fiction! 🙂

  11. Hi Christie,

    Welcome to the blog. Love the post! I won’t buy gossip magazines or anything like that, but I definitely will comment and chat about the popular scandals of the day. But seriously, these days it has to be really really shocking to surprise me. The sheer number of Tiger’s women surprise me not so much the cheating.

    Congrats on your release and may you sell a gazillion books!

  12. Congrats on upcoming release!! It sounds like a hot one!! Love the cover.
    I think reading about scandals help us escape our own worlds and realize our troubles are not that bad.
    Would love to read your book.

  13. I don’t read gossip mags, and I usually just shake my head in wonder at what makes the news in that vein. But a hero or heroine with a good scandal is always fun to root for!

  14. Hi, Christie! I am so looking forward to Something Scandalous!

    I don’t get into the Hollywood hype…I am interested in what my fave actors and singers of the past might be up to and doing. Heck, half the time I don’t even KNOW the current Hollywood stars on the front covers of the magazines, LOL!

  16. Hi Donna Ann, it does seem strange to me when a new network like CNN is talking about a certain golfer’s marriage. Why is that news? I just don’t get it!

  18. Hi Karen! I agree that the media really over does these scandals today. I heard something on the radio today about what one of the gossips rags picked up after one of Tiger’s rendezvous and was totally disgusted.

    Anyway, there will be a total of 5 books in the Spinster Club series. Their titles in order are:

    Every Night I’m Yours
    Every Time We Kiss
    Something Scandalous
    Scandal of the Season (10/10)
    Her Perfect Match (tentative title 6/11)

  20. Thanks, Bev! I love your site.

    I don’t think I’ve ever bought a gossip magazine. But I will admit that when I had to take my son to the orthodontist I would also pick up the People magazine on the table.

  23. Deb, I don’t watch that much TV so half the time I’m standing in line looking at those covers, I’m wondering the same thing. Who are those people??!

    Thanks for coming by!

  25. Hi Christie. Thanks for joining us! Your book sounds juicy. I have to admit that I like to hear about the scandals of Hollywood every once in a while. I don’t buy gossip mags or anything but if it makes news then I’ll pay attention.

    I think the Oscar curse is that once they win the Oscar they get divorced. Like Hilary Swank, poor Sandra Bullock. I believe that’s that it means LOL.

  27. Hi Christie, congrats on your up and coming release! I love a good sexy book so this looks fabulous! Can’t wait to read it!

  28. Thanks, Samantha. I feel so out of it 🙂 And like you, I don’t buy the magazines but the big scandals do catch my eye. Usually on the internet.

  30. Hi Quilt Lady, the book is definitely sexy. There are two diary entries that are a lot hotter than I normally write but as one reviewer noted, they are short and can be skimmed. I think I shocked my editor when I wrote them 🙂

  31. I am not really interested in the entertainers and their lives. I have so many nice and interesting friends why spend a lot of time gloating over their lives? I marvel that they have talent but so do other people I know.
    I do envy a good writer though since I am an avid reader. This one by Christie sounds really good.

  32. Hi Joye, thanks for stopping by! I like your attitude about not gloating over stars’ lives. After all, they knew what they were getting into when they went into that career.

  33. Sounds like a good book. Something scandalous usually turns my head! I try not to spread gossip, though I am sure I am guilty of it at times.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  34. Hi Christie,
    I have to admit i do read about the celebrity marriages and stuff. People.com & perezhilton.com are part of my daily Internet stop. For me i read about that stuff so i have something to talk about with people. Most people i know don’t watch the same shows or read the same books that i do. Therefore conversation points are a bit lacking. So i read about celebrities as a conversation started and out our pure curiosity.

  36. Sounds like a great book. I’ll have to add it to my wish list.

    I have no idea why we love scandals so much. I don’t subscribe to people or us weekly and normally don’t pick up a gossip magazine, but it seems if I just watch the news or pull up the homepage on my computer I can keep up with the gossip! It’s everywhere.

    I think there is an Oscar curse! Think about it…Hiliary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Winslet and now Sandra Bullock. In the last 11 years there are only two who are still with their significant others; Helen Mirren who won in 2007 and Marion Cotillard who won in 2008. Those are not good odds!

  37. Hi Melissa, nice to see you over here today! I never thought about the idea of the conversation starter but you’re right, it is. Unless I want to converse with my husband who wouldn’t have a clue what I was talking about because he doesn’t read any of the gossip. Except for all the stuff going on with his star-crush Sandra Bullock.

  38. Hi Lisa,

    I do tend to get most of my celebrity gossip on my yahoo homepage.

    Thanks for clearing my up on the Oscar curse. So is this only a female curse or do the male winners have the same problem?

  40. Hi Christie,I’m not a big fan of there gossip.I think the tv shows can go on and on about it.

  41. I am not into celeb scandals either. I glance at the covers in the checkout line, but don’t buy the mags.
    But I love the sound of scandal in your book! All the best for the release, and I am drooling over the cover. Again.

  45. I wouldn’t say I’m actually into them. I’m aware when the news is reported, but I don’t go looking for it. And I think people are fascinated because they like to see that famous people are just like regular folk with marriages that sometimes fail and other issues.

  46. Hi Joder, I think you’re right that people are fascinated because they don’t think of these stars as regular people. Which, of course, they are.

  47. I don’t think it’s possible to avoid it all, but I don’t go actively looking to find out the latest scandals.

  48. I agree with Chey – it’s very difficult to avoid all the whoha surrounding the latest scandals. I try to avoid reading about them because I feel that everyone has a right to a private, personal life. I’m very uncomfortable with the way the media maliciously snoops into the personal facets of a person’s life.

  49. I like juicy gossip as much as the next person but the media today overdoes everything!

    Christie, “Something Scandalous” looks great and I hope to win a copy!
    Beautiful cover also!

    Have a Happy Day!
    Sandra

  50. I don’t pay much attention to the gossip about entertainers….I’d rather appreciate them for their talents and what they can do that I can’t.

  51. Chey, I agree that it’s just about impossible to not hear about the latest scandals. When mainstream news outlets are talking about the latest gossip, it’s hard to avoid.

  52. Who can resist a piece of juicy gossip? I keep wondering who is the next tabloid target to fall. I’m not sure anyone’s life could endure the scrutiny of today’s tabloid press.

    Congratulations on the new release.

  53. Cheryl said: I’m very uncomfortable with the way the media maliciously snoops into the personal facets of a person’s life.

    Cheryl, I was totally disgusted hearing on the radio today about how the Enquirer was following Tiger Woods around and picking things up after his rendezvous. It went way behind acceptable behavior.

  54. Sandra, I agree that the media over does everything lately. And that includes regular news programs. I don’t know how these stars deal with it every day. It would drive me nuts.

    Thanks for stopping by!

  56. Kim, I do feel bad for these stars today. The haute ton of the regency period were very much like the Hollywood stars of today. Only they didn’t have the photographers chasing them down and everything they did or said put on the TV for millions of people to hear about. Thanks for stopping in!

  57. I’ve never been one to follow the scandal sheets. They are great plot devices in novels, but that is fiction and no one is being hurt by it. There is not enough privacy today as it is, especially for those in highly visible or public positions. There is no right to know anyone’s private business, and we should stop dissecting private lives in the public forum.

  58. I’m just not into hearing about Hollywood gossip unless it pertains to movies coming out. I think the media is way too intrusive into the private lives of famous people. Even though they are in the business of being in the public eye, I still think they are entitled to privacy in their personal lives.

  59. I think if I was ever given a choice I would choose to opt out of the grape vine, but in today’s high tech world you can’t escape being bombarded by scandal. It really has nothing to do with me nor does it do me any good to know about them. Hearing about the scandal the first time is bad but to be forced to hear about a thousand times is just plain tiring and a waste of my time.

  60. Hey, Christie !!

    I know Something Scandalous will be a fabulous read !!

    Gossip, I think, is always a bit alluring when you first hear it. However, what I truly despise is the length of time we continue to hear about it and the invasive nature of most of the reporting. I don’t think things of this nature should clog up the legitimate evening news or news programs. I want to hear real news, important issues when I tune in to the news. The gossip is something I will go to look for IF I am interested in the subjects of said gossip.

  61. Something Scandalous sounds like a wonderful book and I’m looking forward to reading it.

  62. I like to read the headlines of the tabloids but I’m not the type to follow the stories. I think my particular interest is simply to remind myself of how good I have it in life. I don’t like the stress of the scandal/gossip and am happy with my calm life.

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