Hi, everyone. I’m Samantha Grace, RITA-nominated author of the historical romance series, Rival Rogues. Today I’m very happy to be joined by Benjamin Hillary, the hero of my latest novel, THE BEST OF BOTH ROGUES, his younger brother Daniel, and his good friend Crispin Locke, Viscount Margrave. Ben’s younger sister, Lady Lana Forest, has graciously agreed to act as the interviewer.
Ben: She has always been a busybody.
Lana: I do not gossip—but I do tell my husband everything.
Daniel: And our brother, Jake.
Lana: Well, yes. Jake likes to keep abreast of the news.
Ben: And Jake’s wife, Amelia.
Lana flicks her hand dismissively: If I didn’t tell her, he would.
Daniel: And then there is our oldest brother, Nicholas. I understand that you write to him and his wife.
Lana: I only tell family.
Ben: So mother and father, too.
Lana: Of course! I did say family.
Viscount Margrave: No one tells me anything.
Lana: You poor, dear man. I will add you to the list of essential people with a need to know all Hillary family matters. Should I write to you at your London address?
Viscount Margrave: Yes, I believe that would be best. I travel much of the time, but my butler collects the post for me to read upon my return.
Ben to Daniel: Thank goodness, she doesn’t gossip.
Lana sniffs: Let’s begin the interview. What if you woke up one day and were able to read minds? Whose would you want to read and why?
Ben: Yours, of course. It’s only fair that I should know all of your secrets, too. Would you like me to write down Lana’s thoughts to be delivered to your London address, Margrave?
Margrave grimaces: No, thank you. She probably thinks about her husband too much for my taste, and I’ve never cared for the arrogant prig.
Lana’s mouth pinches: Consider yourself removed from my list of essential people, Lord Margrave.
Ben to Viscount Margrave: You’re still on mine. After all, you did help me sneak into Miss Eve Thorne’s betrothal ball.
Lana glowers at Margrave: Congratulations. You, sir, are back on a list. My bad list!
Viscount Margrave: What did I do?
Ben: You foiled her plan for keeping me away from the ball.
Viscount Margrave: I messed up a plan?
Lana: You most certainly did, and don’t think I will forget it.
Viscount Margrave grumbles: No one tells me anything.
The worst thing Mr. Benjamin Hillary ever did was abandon his bride-to-be on their wedding day.
The hardest thing he will ever have to do is watch her marry another man.
After two long years abroad, Ben finds Eve every bit as captivating as she was the first time he saw her, and he vows to set things right.
Lady Eve Thorne has a new man in her life, and Ben is nothing but trouble. She is no longer a starry-eyed young woman, and now that he’s back, he can go hang for all she cares. At least that’s what she keeps telling herself…
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Excerpt from THE BEST OF BOTH ROGUES by Samantha Grace
Ben made a slow circle of the brightly lit ballroom, stopping occasionally to study the couples as they sashayed past, their cheeks pink from exertion. After several moments, he was satisfied Lord Wellham wasn’t among the dancers, not that Ben was surprised. If his memory served, the earl favored gambling over gamboling.
Reaching a secluded corner near a dark alcove, he paused to check once more for his quarry before he sought out the card room.
“What are you doing here?” a voice hissed. “You are not on the guest list.”
“Pardon?” Ben spun toward the speaker and came up short. His eyebrows veered toward each other. “How do you know?” he whispered back to the mass of green palm fronds.
“Because I helped make the list.” The plant’s fronds parted, and Eve Thorne’s stern glare greeted him. What the devil was she doing?
Her frown deepened when he simply stared, at a loss for words. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Hillary?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess, you’ve been attacked by a man-eating plant. Are you in need of rescue, Kitten?”
She growled softly and the fronds snapped back into place. Ben checked the surrounding area to be certain they hadn’t earned any unwanted attention, then peered around the massive greenery. Eve was wedged against the wall, her yellow chiffon skirts crushed against the large pot. Her chest rose and fell in rapid movements, drawing his attention to the modest swell of her breasts peeking above her lacy neckline. A rosy glow infused her ivory skin, making the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks almost unnoticeable.
God, he had missed her – her freckles, her pouty lips, her soulful brown eyes. He had been smitten from the moment he had spied her at the theater during the little Season, and two years on a faraway continent had done nothing to cool his ardor.
“What are you doing back there, Miss Thorne, and shouldn’t you have a chaperone?”
She crossed her arms as if erecting a wall between them. “God only knows why, but I am trying to save your skin, Benjamin James Arran Hillary.”
Damnation. He had almost forgotten he’d been burdened with so many names, and that she had a habit of invoking every one when she was perturbed. His smile expanded. Despite her pretense of indifference, she was worried for him. “Am I to conclude your skulking about means you still care?”
“I care about Lady Eldridge, and I do not want to see her ball ruined by you and Sebastian coming to fisticuffs. You really must leave before he sees you and demands another meeting on the field.”
Crossing paths with Sebastian Thorne didn’t concern Ben. Her brother’s need to defend her reputation after Ben jilted her had been satisfied three weeks earlier in a duel, and Thorne would not issue a second challenge for fear of losing. Ben suspected neither of them wanted to risk looking like fools again either. Instead of dueling with pistols or swords as any other normal men would do, they had allowed Eve to choose the weapons. She had chosen gloves.
He scowled. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous it looked for two men to engage in a slapping match?” The gents at Brooks’s hadn’t stopped talking about the duel for days, and Ben had endured the brunt of the teasing since he’d followed his youngest brother’s advice and allowed Thorne to win.
Eve’s smile radiated with self-satisfaction. “Since no one died, I would say I made an excellent choice.”
H grudgingly admitted her cleverness had managed to resolve the conflict without bloodshed – or much, anyway. Ben had walked away with a cut on his cheek and a nasty bruise, thanks to her brother filling his glove with pebbles. But bruised pride and a bruised mug were small prices to pay to see Eve’s position in Society restored.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt from THE BEST OF BOTH ROGUES by Samantha Grace
Ben made a slow circle of the brightly lit ballroom, stopping occasionally to study the couples as they sashayed past, their cheeks pink from exertion. After several moments, he was satisfied Lord Wellham wasn’t among the dancers, not that Ben was surprised. If his memory served, the earl favored gambling over gamboling.
Reaching a secluded corner near a dark alcove, he paused to check once more for his quarry before he sought out the card room.
“What are you doing here?” a voice hissed. “You are not on the guest list.”
“Pardon?” Ben spun toward the speaker and came up short. His eyebrows veered toward each other. “How do you know?” he whispered back to the mass of green palm fronds.
“Because I helped make the list.” The plant’s fronds parted, and Eve Thorne’s stern glare greeted him. What the devil was she doing?
Her frown deepened when he simply stared, at a loss for words. “Do you have a death wish, Mr. Hillary?”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let me guess, you’ve been attacked by a man-eating plant. Are you in need of rescue, Kitten?”
She growled softly and the fronds snapped back into place. Ben checked the surrounding area to be certain they hadn’t earned any unwanted attention, then peered around the massive greenery. Eve was wedged against the wall, her yellow chiffon skirts crushed against the large pot. Her chest rose and fell in rapid movements, drawing his attention to the modest swell of her breasts peeking above her lacy neckline. A rosy glow infused her ivory skin, making the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks almost unnoticeable.
God, he had missed her – her freckles, her pouty lips, her soulful brown eyes. He had been smitten from the moment he had spied her at the theater during the little Season, and two years on a faraway continent had done nothing to cool his ardor.
“What are you doing back there, Miss Thorne, and shouldn’t you have a chaperone?”
She crossed her arms as if erecting a wall between them. “God only knows why, but I am trying to save your skin, Benjamin James Arran Hillary.”
Damnation. He had almost forgotten he’d been burdened with so many names, and that she had a habit of invoking every one when she was perturbed. His smile expanded. Despite her pretense of indifference, she was worried for him. “Am I to conclude your skulking about means you still care?”
“I care about Lady Eldridge, and I do not want to see her ball ruined by you and Sebastian coming to fisticuffs. You really must leave before he sees you and demands another meeting on the field.”
Crossing paths with Sebastian Thorne didn’t concern Ben. Her brother’s need to defend her reputation after Ben jilted her had been satisfied three weeks earlier in a duel, and Thorne would not issue a second challenge for fear of losing. Ben suspected neither of them wanted to risk looking like fools again either. Instead of dueling with pistols or swords as any other normal men would do, they had allowed Eve to choose the weapons. She had chosen gloves.
He scowled. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous it looked for two men to engage in a slapping match?” The gents at Brooks’s hadn’t stopped talking about the duel for days, and Ben had endured the brunt of the teasing since he’d followed his youngest brother’s advice and allowed Thorne to win.
Eve’s smile radiated with self-satisfaction. “Since no one died, I would say I made an excellent choice.”
H grudgingly admitted her cleverness had managed to resolve the conflict without bloodshed – or much, anyway. Ben had walked away with a cut on his cheek and a nasty bruise, thanks to her brother filling his glove with pebbles. But bruised pride and a bruised mug were small prices to pay to see Eve’s position in Society restored.
This sounds like a fun read.
ReplyDelete:)
DeleteMy favorite type of read!
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it! :)
DeleteI just finished this book....loved it!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you, Danielle! It's always a boost to hear from someone who loved the book. :)
DeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteHi, Diane! I haven't seen you in a long time. I hope everything is going well. :)
DeleteThank you Samantha. I've had a few ups and downs, but everything seems to be going okay. I've read every book of yours, and have now added this one to my list of books to read.
DeleteThe series sounds good!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. :)
DeleteCute interview! Loved the first 2 books & novella! Can't wait to read The Best of Both Rogues!
ReplyDeleteHi, Sharlene! Only 2 more days until NYC!!! I'm really looking forward to meeting you. :)
DeleteI want to thank SOS Aloha for hosting me last week. I was on a cruise with my family and just returned Saturday evening. Unfortunately, we returned to a sick dog and no Internet service. I'm glad to report our dog is fine now and I'm back online. :)
ReplyDelete