Aloha to Sally Orr and THE RAKE'S HANDBOOK (Including Field Guide)

Debut author Sally Orr joins me for a cozy chat to celebrate the release of THE RAKE'S HANDBOOK (INCLUDING FIELD GUIDE):

Sally Orr worked for thirty years in medical research, specializing in the discovery of gene function. After joining an English history message board, she posted many, many examples of absolute tomfoolery. As a result, a cyber-friend challenged her to write a novel. Since she is a hopeless Anglophile, it's not surprising that her first book is a Regency romance. Sally lives with her husband in San Diego, surrounded by too many nerdy books and not enough old English cars.

sallyorr.com

@OrrSally

facebook.com/SallyOrrWriter

Goodreads link

Kim:  I'm glad to meet a fellow Anglophile - how did you become one?

Sally:  As a child, my grandmother cared for me when my parents were on vacation. There was very little to do around her house, so I started reading her books in the basement. I devoured books by Austen, Elliot, Dickens, etc., including a struggle through The History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill (never again). I became a Sherlock Holmes fan first, and after traveling to London, the hopeless Anglophile was born.

Kim:  We are curious about places authors live - can you share a favorite sight, sound, and smell of San Diego?

Sally:  Christmas in San Diego is unique. I love it when people decorate the palm trees with lights and bobbles, like a regular Christmas tree. The result can be somewhat pathetic, but it has the charm of trying. Regardless of the result, the ridiculous palm trees are still a symbol of hope and joy.

Kim:  Thank you for your service in medical research! What did you learn from this career that you could apply to being a successful writer?

Sally:  Since I write historical romances, the value of research comes to mind first. But more importantly, success in either profession comes from learning how to handle failure. Take your blows, learn, and put yourself out there again. Eventually, you’ll reach your goal.

Kim:  Tell us about The Rake's Handbook Series - what inspired it?

Sally:  The first book was loosely inspired by the BBC’s version of the Elizabeth Gaskell book, North and South. The series is about the three men who wrote The Rake’s Handbook: Including Field Guide.

The hero of the first book wrote the handbook section, the second hero published the handbook, and the third hero wrote the field guide section. Of course, all three men find nothing but female trouble after the book is published.

All three books are light-hearted romances. In the first book, the hero is a rake who vows to reform, while the heroine is trying to recover from the loss of her husband. He finds it very hard to change his ways and behave like a proper gentleman, which she finds amusing. Readers should fall for the very naughty hero, while laughing along with the heroine.

Kim:  What's next for Sally Orr? 

Sally:  A really fun book titled: When a Rake Falls. It’s about a hero who enters a daring race to Paris by balloon to impress his father. He hires a balloon owned by a scientist, who has a daughter that helps him with experiments on the atmosphere. Of course when the balloon lifts off, only the hero and daughter are on board. So they decide to perform the experiments together. Hmm, I wonder if they reach Paris?

The Rake’s Handbook (Including Field Guide)

By Sally Orr

Sourcebooks Casablanca

November 4, 2014

ISBN: 9781492602118

Mass Market Paperback $7.99/£5.99

The definitive guide to seduction…

The Rake’s Handbook was written on a dare, and soon took the ton by storm. Now its author, Ross Thornbury, is publicly reviled by the ladies—who are, of course, forbidden to read the handbook—but privately revered by the gentlemen. Unfortunately, Ross’s notoriety is working against him and he flees London painfully aware of the shortcomings of his own jaded heart.

Spirited young widow Elinor Colton lives next to Ross’s country estate. She’s appalled not only by his rakish reputation, but also by his progressive industrial plans. Elinor is sure she is immune to Ross’s seductive ways. But he keeps coming around…impressing her with his vision for England’s future and stunning her with his smiles.

How does one resist the man who wrote the manual on love?

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