UNFORGIVABLE OR UNFORGETTABLE?

I have the best job in the world, and it all started when I was a little girl, locking myself in my family’s only bathroom while I “pretended.” I made up imaginary friends and talked to them, ignoring the pounding on the door. My parents didn’t institutionalize me, thank goodness.  Now those imaginary friends are put on paper, and there are three bathrooms in my new house just in case I need to get inspiration. 😉

While I can never really answer where my characters come from, I do seem to never make “pretending” easy on myself. In my January 2011 Brava release, Mistress by Midnight, the hero Desmond Ryland, Marquess of Conover is apt to be a polarizing figure. He has done something unthinkable—some might say unforgiveable. He abandons his wife and brand-new son and wanders the world for over ten years.

I did say he was the hero, didn’t I? Can I tell you he is forced into an arranged marriage to save his family estate and two villages at nineteen? That he has to give up Laurette Vincent, his childhood friend and lover? That he feels powerless when his managing wife and father-in-law take control of his infant son? He is very young and very miserable, and makes a mistake that has grave consequences for everyone he loves.

Desertion. Child abandonment. And when he finally returns, ruthless manipulation. For Con wants to be happy at last, reunite his family, and will do whatever it takes, even if it means blackmailing Laurette to become his mistress.

When I wrote Mistress by Midnight, I worked in a high school library. The school had a teen parenting program and daycare center for “kids’ kids.” I was reminded daily that the choices we make when we are young can last the rest of our lives. In my own way, I tried to redeem Con and give him his long-delayed happy ending. If the reader can forgive him as Laurette does, then I will have succeeded.

On my bio, it says “There’s nothing she likes better than writing about people who make mistakes, but don’t let the mistakes make them.” I’m all about second chances, which is why I loved writing the novella “Not Quite a Courtesan” in December’s Brava anthology Lords of Passion. My heroine Prudence Thorne is as prickly and proper as her name, and the hero Darius Shaw is rather scandalous. Both have made bad decisions in their past, so they are absolutely perfect for each other. The Season review said the story is “both romantic and sensual in equal measure with well-motivated and delightful characters” and earned a Top Pick! More reviews for all my books can be found at www.maggierobinson.net and my alter ego’s website, www.margaretrow.net

I’m giving away a copy of all three of my books today to one commenter who tells me about their favorite reformed character in fiction. Thank you so much to Bev and the reviewers who make The Season the splendid site it is. Here’s wishing all of you joyous holidays ahead!

~*~*~

Maggie, thank so much for joining us today. We love your visits. 🙂

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By Giveaways, Kensington53 Comments on Maggie Robinson gives it to us back-to-back

53 Replies to “Maggie Robinson gives it to us back-to-back”

  1. Enjoyed reading the comments. Your books sound really good and I have added them to my TBR list.
    Do we ever really reform these rakes or just smooth their edges? I am an avid reader and probably have read a dozen books that touched on this subject. Can’t remeber their names. I do, however, enjoy reading how the authors attempt this reform.
    HAPPY HOLIDAYS

  2. Joye, I’m awful when it comes to book titles, plots, etc (sometimes even my own—I freeze for a second and try to remember which hero I’m writing, LOL). I’m always amazed a readers who can talk intelligently about something they read 5 years ago.

    And you’re right—we’d never want those bad boys completely cured. 😉

  3. I think the best reformed bad boy for me has got to be Lord St. Vincent in Lisa Kleypas’ “Devil in Winter.” He starts out a complete villian when he tries to steal his good friend’s fiancee, but in the end – and throughout his marriage of convenience to Evie – he has such heart and comes to realize his mistakes and what he really wants in life. Love. But of course, he keeps that lovely dry sense of humor.

    I loved reading your comments about your books as well. I added them to my “must buy” list! And I have to agree with the “smooth their edges” comment. I don’t think I’d completely want any hero reformed, just to realize how someone else can complement him in a way that makes him WANT to commit. 🙂

  5. My favorite reformed character is the Duke of Villiers in Eloisa James’ Desperate Duchesses series. He was a totally unsympathetic character and by the end of the series I was rooting for him to have his own happily ever after.

  6. The ultimate reformed scoundrel to me is the hero from Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. I loved seeing Sebastian fall in love.

  7. Michaelene, I revisited St. Vincent just yesterday when I read LK’s A Wallflower Christmas. He is definitely right up there as a good bad boy.

    Little Lamb & DL, no one does it better than Loretta Chase. She is my favorite writer.

    Barbara, I found the Duke of Villiers grew on me too, although I found his baggage (the numerous children) kind of startling for a romance. But Eloisa managed to win me over…and with all the research she does, fictional Villiers was probably very representative of what some men of his class were like in their day.

  8. Wow, some of my favorite reformed bad boys have already been named.

    Sebastian St. Vincent
    Villiers
    Sebastian Ballister

    (What is it about rakes named Sebastian?)

    Another favorite of mine is from Rexanne Bechnel’s Dangerous to Love. Ivan Thornton is a terrible cad, but his redemption is that much sweeter because of it.

    Christian from Flowers from the Storm – arrogant, impossible and at times a real jerk is brought as low as a man can be but is thoroughly redeemed in the end. I defy you to read his declaration of love for Maddy in front of the Quaker meeting and not shed a tear.

    Kylemore from Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan. He is the baddest of the bad and yet his love for Verity redeems him, once he figures out what love actually is, and more important what it is not.

  9. I can’t wait for Mistress by Mistake and Lords of Passion to be available. They are definately both on my TBR list for January!

    Since it’s Christmastime my reformed hero has to be Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens! It’s never to late in life to become a hero.

  10. both books sound great. loved the excerpt I read from your novella and that cover for for Mistress by Midnight — hot hot hot! One of my favorite reformed characters is Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent from Kleypas’ Devil in Winter. He was such a good for nothing (and not in a good way either) in the prior books & at the start of the story, but before the end he was one of my favorite heroes, just loved him.

  11. My choice is Lisa Kleypas’ hero Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. He goes from being a scandalous rake to a hero you can’t help but love.

  12. Although I loved both Villiers and Sebastien, my favorite was Rafe in Eloisa James’ The Taming of the Duke. He had a supremely difficult “row to hoe” to get out of his dilemma and “win the girl,” who had hated him for years.

  13. There are so many of those lovely rakes who meet that right woman who reforms them….somewhat. But who wants a totally reformed rake…hehe!!!!

    Valerie
    in Germany

  14. Donna, thanks. I have been kissed by the cover gods for all my books. 🙂

    LOL, Jeanne. Somehow Ebeneezer doesn’t roll of the tongue quite like Sebastian. (who is the hero of my next Margaret Rowe book, Any Wicked Thing)

    Great heroes, all, Louisa. I have not read Dangerous to Love, but now I want to.

  15. Susan, I remember corresponding with Eloisa when she was writing that book. We talked about how much is too much to overcome for a hero (my wip at the time had an unfaithful husband, for good reasons, but…no…under the bed forever), but she did a superb job, as usual.

    Valerie, I’m with you. I’ve been trying to reform my own bad boy for decades and have given up. 😉

    Crystal, another vote for Sebastian! I must say when I asked the question as I was writing this guest post, he was the first guy to pop in my mind.

  16. I like Christian Llevanth, from Karen Hawkins: Her Officer and Gentleman.
    And I also like Lucien Balfour from Suzanne Enoch’s: Reforming A Rake.

    Do I have to pick just one?

  17. My choice is Lindsay Markham from ADDICTED by Charlotte Featherstone. I loved the angst and emotion in this story as Lindsay battles his addictions to win true love.

  20. I enjoyed the post and the books sound great; I look forward in reading them.

    I don’t have a favorite reformed hero… I need to think about this and come back!

  21. Hi Maggie. It’s always good to have you on the blog and both books are wonderful! I really love Lisa Kleypas’s St. Vincent from Devil in Winter. He truly became heroic and he was as sexy as sin–which never hurts. 😉

  23. I’m going to had to add my vote to Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, myself. He’s just to delicious. 🙂

  25. I’m going to have to add my vote to Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, myself. He’s just too delicious. 🙂

  27. My favorite reformed character is the Earl of Mayne from Eloisa James books. He is a character that starts off very self-absorbed, and then becomes kind of an introvert before finally accepting himself for who he is. Love him!!

  28. Hi, Maggie!

    I don’t particularly have just one preferred reformed rake. I love them all.

    However, since you asked, I would have to say he is the reforming rake in the book I am currently reading. The book is Sabrina Jeffries’ The Truth About Lord Stoneville. He is Oliver Sharpe, the Marquess of Stoneville. He and his siblings are being forced into marriages by their grandmother within 1 yr since she wants great-grandchildren and her grandchildren have no notions of settling down as of yet. He plans to bring home a fake fiance from a brothel until he rescues beautiful Maria Butterfield from a dire predicament, and of course, she is reforming him.

    The above mentioned rakes also sound delicious.

  29. my favorite reformed Hero is Mr Darcy – he doesn’t seem to believe in love then falls deeply, madly, unequivocally in love with ms Elizabeth Bennett, sigh……

  30. Hi Maggie, your two books look sooo good! And what sexy covers they have! 🙂
    I just can’t think at the moment of any reformed character in fiction for some reason. I know I’ve read some!!
    I wish you luck with your wonderful new books! And Happy Holidays!!!!

  31. Maggie, thanks for stopping by. I’d love to read those books. My favorite reformed rake would be Sean Culhane from ‘Stormfire.’ He’s a young, violent man who had a terrible past and even watched his mother be raped and murdered.

  32. Hi Maggie! I really can’t wait to read both of your books, especially “Mistress by Midnight”. As for my favorite reformed character in fiction, I would have to agree with some of the others and say the reformed rake Viscount St. Vincent (Sebastion) in Lisa Kleypas’s book “The Devil in Winter”. I love reading about how he surrenders his heart to Evie.

  33. There are several I enjoy but Sebastian Ballister from “Lord of Scoundrels” has to be my favorite.

  34. They are gorgeous covers. I’m horrible at names to and really kind of think all the heroes are reformed somewhat in the end or the heroine wouldn’t have a hero and us readers wouldn’t have a HEA lol.

  35. My favorite would have to be Rhett Butler, he has always been my idol from the first time I read Gone With the Wind many years ago.

  36. My favorite is Mr. Darcy. I love how he changes from looking down on Elizabeth’s family and feels like it is beneath him to have feelings for her, but when she rejects his proposal he helps her sister get her love back, finds her younger sister after she’s run off with Mr. Wickham and realizes that his life is worth so much more by loving Elizabeth.

  37. I would have to go with Lisa Kleypas And Sebastian from The Devil In Winter, I know he has been mentioned, but it was just such a joy to see his turnaround.

    All the best for your release Maggie!

  40. Thanks so much everyone for commenting! Sorry I went AWOL in the evening. I’m glad to see at least one woman wound up on the list! Funny how it’s always the men who need reforming in fiction–in real life, I know lots of ladies who could use an attitude adjustment, LOL. Bev, thanks again so much for having me here. I’m excited about both books and hope people will like them! I’ve decided to throw in a copy of Mistress by Mistake too, so you can get the whole Maggie Robinson collection, LOL. Mistake came out last May and is the first of the series, although all books can be read as stand-alones. Have a great weekend!

  41. I agree with Kylemore from Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan and definitely St. Vincent and Roarke from JD Robb’s In Death series. I LOVE, LOVE him 🙂 But Valerie hit it on the nose “Who wants a reformed Rake”. 🙂 And Maggie, I am dying to read both these books.
    Carol L.
    Lucky4750@aol.com

  42. I can’t think of one either. I love books we the character is reformed but; not quite all the way. All the authors I have enjoyed reading have done this well. I love your book covers.

  45. It would have to be Christian Langland in Laura Kinsale’s FLOWERS FROM THE STORM. Romantic in a slightly different way.

  46. Ebenezer Scrooge from “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and Gabriel from “Shadows on the Soul” by Jenna Black.

  53. You want me to pick Just One?? Do you know how Hard that is?? Basically it always comes down to the Last man I read about since he’s Most Real in my mind. And oddly enough, most of them lately have been trying to talk their ladies into marriage from the start or were stuffy and she had to loosen him up.

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