16
JQ INSIDE THE STORY SPLENDID Emma is named after my sister Emily, who designed this website ! Emma's last name (Dunster) is named after my husband's college dorm. Westonbirt (Alex's ancestral home), is actually the name of the boarding school I attended in England. I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He'll be the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in theWhere's My Hero? anthology in late August 2003. DANCING AT MIDNIGHT Dancing At Midnight had the working title of SPELLBOUND. I was never particularly attached to this title, though, and in fact had only chosen it because it went along with Splendid . Of all my books, Dancing At Midnight required the most extensive revisions. In the original version, John's main reason for pushing Belle away was societal strictures, not his feelings of remorse over what happened during the war. During the revision process, I learned that nothing is more extensive than changing a character's motivation. I had to go through the book and reexamine every word and thought of John's. It was a difficult and time- consuming job, but I think the book benefited greatly. I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He'll be the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in theWhere's My Hero? anthology in late August 2003. Dancing At Midnight received its second cover facelift in September 2009 (see new cover above ). I've loved all three covers for this book—they all feature a couple waltzing and are just ooze romance. But while the covers may change, the words do not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 1995. MINX Check out Dunford in How To Marry a Marquis . He's got a minor (but fun!) part. Even though How To Marry a Marquis was written after Minx, it takes place several years earlier, so Dunford is still very much a rakish bachelor. It was kind of fun to write his scene, all the while thinking, "Heh heh, you have NO idea what I've got in store for you!" Charles Wycombe, the hero of Brighter Than the Sun , is a very minor character in Minx. Note on p. 269 how he makes reference to his need to rush into marriage. At the time I wrote Minx, I had no idea what his desperate situation was, but I figured it would be a great set-up for another book. Rufus the bunny was inspired by my own houserabbit, Rutherford (Rufie for short.) Unlike Rufus, my sweet bunny has never chewed up important documents. (He did, however, take a big chunk out of a Lisa Kleypas novel.) I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He's the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in the Where's My Hero ? anthology.

Jq Inside the Story

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

story

Citation preview

JQ INSIDE THE STORYSPLENDID

this website INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.juliaquinn.com/images/global/dings/dingbats/ding_dusty_blue.gif" \* MERGEFORMATINET

Emma is named after my sister Emily, who designed! Emma's last name (Dunster) is named after my husband's college dorm.

Westonbirt (Alex's ancestral home), is actually the name of the boarding school I attended in England.

I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He'll be the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in theWhere's My Hero?anthology in late August 2003.

DANCING AT MIDNIGHT

Dancing At Midnighthad the working title of SPELLBOUND. I was never particularly attached to this title, though, and in fact had only chosen it because it went along withSplendid.

Of all my books,Dancing At Midnightrequired the most extensive revisions. In the original version, John's main reason for pushing Belle away was societal strictures, not his feelings of remorse over what happened during the war. During the revision process, I learned that nothing is more extensive than changing a character's motivation. I had to go through the book and reexamine every word and thought of John's. It was a difficult and time-consuming job, but I think the book benefited greatly.

I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He'll be the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in theWhere's My Hero?anthology in late August 2003.

Dancing At Midnightreceived its second cover facelift in September 2009 (see new coverabove). I've loved all three covers for this bookthey all feature a couple waltzing and are just ooze romance. But while the covers may change, the words do not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 1995.

MINX

Check out Dunford inHow To Marry a Marquis. He's got a minor (but fun!) part. Even thoughHow To Marry a Marquiswas written afterMinx, it takes place several years earlier, so Dunford is still very much a rakish bachelor. It was kind of fun to write his scene, all the while thinking, "Heh heh, you have NO idea what I've got in store for you!"

Charles Wycombe, the hero ofBrighter Than the Sun, is a very minor character inMinx. Note on p. 269 how he makes reference to his need to rush into marriage. At the time I wroteMinx, I had no idea what hisdesperate situation was, but I figured it would be a great set-up for another book.

Rufus the bunny was inspired by my own houserabbit, Rutherford (Rufie for short.) Unlike Rufus, my sweet bunny has never chewed up important documents. (He did, however, take a big chunk out of a Lisa Kleypas novel.)

I get more requests for Ned Blydon's story than any of my other characters. He's the hero of a novella called "A Tale of Two Sisters," included in theWhere's My Hero? anthology.

WHERES MY HERO? A TALE OF TWO SISTERS To learn more about the other stories in the anthology, please visit the websites of the other authors:Lisa KleypasandKinley MacGregor.

Only two characters from theSplendidTrilogy appear in"A Tale of Two Sisters."I wish that I could have included more than just Belle and Emma, but the space constraints of a novella just didn't allow it.

If you like the concept forWhere's My Hero?(see above), look for another volume, featuring stories byElizabeth Boyle,Christina Dodd, andStephanie Laurens, coming sometime in 2004.

EVERYTHING AND THE MOON

Did you all catch the mention of Alex, Duke of Ashbourne (Splendid's hero) on p. 357? Even though MOON was written afterSplendid, it takes place at the same time, so when Mrs. Brightbill says that the duke is "dangling after some American," she is referring to Emma Dunster,Splendid's heroine.

Everything and the Moonis the shortest of all my books.Minxhas fewer pages, but it has more lines squeezed onto each page.

Robert has made appearances in a few of my later books. You can find him running from debutantes inThe Duke and I(which is set earlier than MOON), and then again inRomancing Mr. Bridgerton(which is set in 1824, so he's well and married by then.)

BRIGHTER THAN SUN

Brighter Than the Sunhad the working title of THE COLOR OF THE SUN. I had wanted Charles to say that Ellie's hair was the exact color of the sun at sunset. In the end, however, I thought it would be more romantic for him to say it was actually brighter than the sun.

A lot of people have asked me why Robert and Victoria (hero and heroine ofEverything And The Moon) never made an appearance in SUN. The answer is that the plot wouldn't allow it. If Victoria had been anywhere in the vicinity, her sister Ellie would have had the option of moving in with her, and thus would never have entered a marriage of convenience with Charles. It would have been a very short book

The berry jam incident is entirely true. In 1988, my father sustained second-degree burns over 25% of his body, when a pressure cooker popped open (it was his fault; don't go trashing your pressure cookers), and scalding hot plum jam exploded across the room. He was hospitalized for 3 days, but I'm happy to report he made a complete recovery. Thanks to my dad for providing me with all the details of the accident. Incidentally, it required a flotilla of housecleaners to clean the kitchen after the explosion. Picture a patina of plum, on every surface, in every nook and cranny.

TO CATCH AN HEIRESS

The working title of this book wasStarry Night. If you read carefully, you will find a theme throughout the book about stars and starry nights.

I had a lot of fun with the "definitions" that appear at the beginning of each chapter, but they turned out to be a LOT of work. It turns out that dictionary definitions are not public domain, which meant I would have to apply for permission to use them in my book. This meant that all the definitions would have to come from the same dictionary, so that I could make only one application for permission. The problem was, we discovered this after I'd written the book. So I ended up hunched over the Oxford English Dictionary (the kind you need a magnifying glass to read) for hours, looking up new definitions. Three cheers for Oxford University Press, who graciously waived their permission fees, obviously deciding that romance novels = excellent public relations!

Caroline's name changed twice during the first few weeks of writing. First I named her Nathalie, but that didn't seem to fit. Then I named her Lily. After about two hours it became apparent that wouldn't work. Lily sounded too much like Ellie (the heroine ofBrighter Than The Sun, which I'd just finished writing), and while this probably would not have confused any of my readers, it confused the heck out of me!

To Catch an Heiressreceived a facelift in August 2002. I've redone the back cover copy a little, too, to include a brand-new "definition." But while the cover changed, the words did not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 1998.

HOW TO MARRY A MARQUIS

How to Marry a Marquisis a book for which the title came way before the story. And then, while I was brainstorming the book (it took so long to brainstorm I wroteTo Catch an Heiressfirst!) America went crazy overThe Rules. (If you don't know what this is,The Ruleswas a monster-bestseller that basically told women how to find a husband.) Suddenly I thought--What if a book like THE RULES had come out in Regency England? And the story just flowed from there...

Other fun points of interest--the main characters are all named after old alma maters. Elizabeth Hotchkiss is named after my high school (The Hotchkiss School) and James Sidwell, Marquis of Riverdale is a nod toward my husband's education (he went to elementary and middle school at Sidwell Friends, then transferred to The Riverdale Country School for high school when he moved to New York.) Elizabeth is also my cousin's name, and her younger sisters are named after my mom and her twin sister, Jane and Susan. Lucas (the brother) isn't named after anybody; I just liked the name!

If you look hard you might find my buddy and fellow author Danelle Harmon. She's right in there with William Dunford, the hero fromMinx, who makes a brief appearance (he's still a bachelor inHow to Marry a Marquis, which actually takes place beforeMinx.)

The beloved Malcolm.

And lest I forget, Malcolm the cat is real. He's actually a combination of my mother's cat, affectionately known as psychokitty, and my sister's cat Malcolm. (You can read the book and decide which cat donated the personality and which donated the looks.)

SCOTTISH BRIDES GRETNA GREENE "Gretna Greene"came by its name because I've always been jealous of the mystery writers who get to use such fun puns in their titles. Unfortunately, the romance market doesn't really have much use for punny titles (THE FLAME AND THE FLOUR, anyone? It's a marvelous historical romance about two pastry chefs.). With a novella, however, the title of the story doesn't go on the cover of the book, so I can get as punny as I like. Which is why Gretna Green, the historical village on the border of Scotland and England, became Gretna GreenE, in honor of my hero, Angus Greene.

Margaret's last name, Pennypacker, may sound awfully goofy, but it's actually the name of my freshman dorm! My dad also lived in Pennypacker Hall, 27 years before I did (and three rooms down the hall.)

Scottish Bridesreceived its second cover facelift in October 2009 (see new coverabove). But while the covers may change, the words do not. All four stories are exactly the same as when this anthology was released in 1999.

To find out more about the other stories in this anthology, please visit the websites of the other authors:Christina Dodd,Stephanie Laurens, andKaren Ranney.

THE DUKE AND I Of all my books,The Duke and Iwas the most difficult to title. I have a personal fondness forDaphne's Bad Heir Day, butHow to Bear an Heirwas also a contender for the "Most Fun Titles You Never Used" award.

Eagle-eyed readers will spot a few of my favorite characters in the pages ofThe Duke and I. Lady Danbury, whom everyone loved so well inHowTo Marry A Marquismakes an appearance, as does Robert, the hero fromEverything And The Moon(although I don't think he actually says anything.) Also, Riverdale, as in James Sidwell, the Marquis ofHow To Marry A Marquisis mentioned in Chapter One which you can read on this page. Clickhere.

Finally, while I was writing this book, someone very close to me was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and so I've decided to donate a portion of my royalties to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Scientists are getting closer to a cure every day, and in my book, that will be the greatest happy ending of all.

Lady Whistledown, the gossip columnist who debuted inThe Duke and I, "narrates" her own anthology inThe Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown. This book is not, however, officially part of the Bridgerton series. Several characters from the Bridgerton books either appear or are mentioned, but none play leading roles. Except for Lady Whistledown, of course.

THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME

Of all my books,The Duke and Iwas the most difficult to title. I have a personal fondness forDaphne's Bad Heir Day, butHow to Bear an Heirwas also a contender for the "Most Fun Titles You Never Used" award.

Eagle-eyed readers will spot a few of my favorite characters in the pages ofThe Duke and I. Lady Danbury, whom everyone loved so well inHowTo Marry A Marquismakes an appearance, as does Robert, the hero fromEverything And The Moon(although I don't think he actually says anything.) Also, Riverdale, as in James Sidwell, the Marquis ofHow To Marry A Marquisis mentioned in Chapter One which you can read on this page. Clickhere.

Finally, while I was writing this book, someone very close to me was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and so I've decided to donate a portion of my royalties to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Scientists are getting closer to a cure every day, and in my book, that will be the greatest happy ending of all.

Lady Whistledown, the gossip columnist who debuted inThe Duke and I, "narrates" her own anthology inThe Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown. This book is not, however, officially part of the Bridgerton series. Several characters from the Bridgerton books either appear or are mentioned, but none play leading roles. Except for Lady Whistledown, of course.

AN OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN

Eagle-eyed readers will find mention of the Duke of Ashbourne and the Earl of Macclesfield (heroes ofSplendidandEverything And The Moon, respectively) in one of Lady Whistledown's columns. Neither Alex nor Robert actually appears in the book, though.

It took a while to come up with a good title for this book. The most humorous suggested title came from the folks at Barnes & Noble, who suggested SOPHIE'S CHASE.

The shoe on the cover is a real shoe! I picked it out on a website featuring wedding couture and emailed the URL to my editor (who was married in shoes by the same designer!)

When I was in college, I had a teaching assistant from England whose last name was Crabtree. I liked the name so much I decided to give it to the caretakers of Benedict's cottage.

All the terms and phrases in the fencing scene are correct and approved by my husband, who was captain of the varsity fencing team at Harvard. (He also fenced in the Junior Olympics!)

An Offer From a Gentlemanreceived a facelift in September 2009 (see new coverabove). The new cover is gorgeousI just love the shoe on the steps! But while the cover may have changed, the words have not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 2001.

ROMANCING MR. BRIDGERTON

Did you find mention of some of my "old" characters? You can find, in the columns of Lady Whistledown: Ned Blydon, Viscount Burwick (a secondary character in my first three novels and the hero of an upcoming novella); his sister Belle (heroine ofDancing At Midnight, now Lady Blackwood); Lord and Lady Riverdale (hero and heroine ofHow To Marry A Marquis), Lucas and Jane Hotchkiss (also fromHow To Marry A Marquis). Not to mention Robert fromEverything And The Moonwho hosts the Macclesfield ball--a very pivotal scene. And who could forget Lady Danbury, who made her debut inHow To Marry A Marquisand has since appeared in all of the Bridgerton books. She's so much fun that I decided to give her a big supporting role this time around.

Also in Lady W's columns: Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, brother of Honoria, the heroine ofDevil's BridebyStephanie Laurens!

In the first chapter, Penelope is reading a book calledMathildaby S.R. Fielding. This is fromDreaming of YoubyLisa Kleypas, one of my all-time favorite romance novels! The heroine is a novelist, andMathildawas a huge bestseller.

The working title for this book was MR. BRIDGERTON, I PRESUME.

One of my summer jobs in college was working as a travel writer for LET'S GO: GREECE & TURKEY. I spent seven weeks on Crete, Cyprus, and a couple of islands in the Dodecanese. I drew upon my memories of Cyprus for Colin's writings. His descriptions of Scotland are mine as well, drawn from my visit in spring of 2001.

Lady Whistledown, the gossip columnist featured inRomancing Mr. Bridgerton, "narrates" her own anthology inThe Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown. This book is not, however, a part of the Bridgerton series.

Romancing Mr. Bridgertonreceived a facelift in September 2009 (see new coverabove). But while the cover may have changed, the words have not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 2002.

TO SIR PHILLIP, WITH LOVE

To Sir Phillip, With Lovebegins mere hours afterRomancing Mr. Bridgertonends. Which means that Eloise doesn't know RMB's big secret! Her family could have told her halfway through the book, but I decided they wouldn't, just to be cruel. (Not to mentions that the logistics for me, as the author, were too daunting...)

The working title for this book was FOR ELOISE, WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER, which then changed to THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ELOISE.

Eloise's letters (which serve as epigraphs for chapter #2 and on) were written well after I'd finished the book. I wanted to do something fun, along the lines of the Lady Whistledown entries in my previous books, but the muse didn't strike until SIR PHILLIP was well into the editorial process.

Willow bark contains the same active indredient as aspirin and is indeed quite useful in reducing a fever.

To Sir Phillip, With Lovereceived a facelift in September 2009 (see new coverabove). But while the cover may have changed, the words have not. The story is exactly the same as it was when released in 2003.

WHEN HE WAS WICKED When He Was Wickedtakes place at the same time as bothRomancing Mr. BridgertonandTo Sir Phillip, With Love. This turned out to be a major pain, but Id mentioned Francesca just enough in both of those books that I had to set the book then. (Note to self: plan things out better next time you write a series!) This is why neither Colin nor Eloise is married at the beginning of Part 2. (Part 1 takes place four years earlier.)

Did you notice that one of the major scenes is set at Violet Bridgertons birthday party? Those of you who have readRomancing Mr. Bridgertonknow what Lady Danbury is going to do next when she says, This party needs livening up.

One of my favorite scenes in this book is when Violet and Francesca talk about widowhood. Readers have long asked to learn more about Violet, and Irealized that I wanted to learn more, too.

There was no working title for this book. Even my computer files still just say, Francesca Folder.

ITS IN HIS KISS This was actually the second version of the story. Originally, I had been aiming for a romantic adventure, and so I had Hyacinth get (reluctantly) kidnapped by privateers. After sixty pages, however, I realized that the story wasnt working, and I set it aside. Gareth was always Lady Danburys grandson, though--I knew from the outset that I wanted Lady D in the story!

Eloisa Jamesprovided much needed help with Italian. Initially, she was just translating a few passages for me, but then I realized that what I really needed was to give her a passage in English, have her translate it into Italian and thenbackinto English. Hyacinth isnt idiomatically fluent in Italian, so when she translates, the sentence structure would end up somewhat awkward. And the double translation was the only way to get the full effect. For a more in-depth view of the translation process, visitPillow Talkat Eloisa's website.

Did you see Jane Hotchkiss, fromHow to Marry a Marquis? Once I realized that she was about the same age as Hyacinth, and that she was related to Gareth by marriage, I knew I had to find a spot for her.

I had to researchLittle Bo Peepto make sure it was okay to mention the character in a book set in the 1820s. It turns out that the earliest mention (that I could find, at least) was in Shakespeare. Okay, okay, it was actually my dad who did the research. I was writing in a Starbucks, with no internet access, so I called him on my cell, and he did a web search for me. I told him I should put him on retainer, and he said, Honey, Ive been working for you since 1970.

ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING

I came up with the title of this book during the painful title search forIt's In His Kiss. I was going through the classic movie section at Amazon, and I stumbled acrossA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I thoughthmm, funny things could certainly happen on the way to a wedding. On a related note, I appeared inA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forummy junior year of high school. I played the pivotal role of "Third Roman to the Left." This is not to be confused with my pivotal role in the feature filmHeartwood, in which I played "Bridesmaid #2."

In the summer of 2005, after nine years of marriage (and seventeen years together in total) I learned something new about my husband. He can'tstandit if his shoes are put away with the left on the right and the right on the left. (He tells me he can't stand it when my shoes look like that, either, which they frequently do, but I'm relieved to report that he just turns and walks away.) Anyway, since I had already decided to give Lucy a few obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I thought she could have Paul's shoe issue. But just to be fair, I gave her my OCD thing as well, which is that I always count the stairs as I go up. (My mom says she does that, too!)

Did you all catch the reference to opera singers (and Kate's distaste thereof)? If you don't understand why she's not fond of sopranos, readThe Viscount Who Loved Me.

Quite a few people have asked if the name "Hermione Watson" is an ode to J.K. Rowling (whose character Hermione Granger is played by Emma Watson in theHarry Pottermovies.) The answer is no, it's just a coincidence. Or possibly something from the subconscious. At any rate, Lucy is much more like Rowling's Hermione than my Hermione is.

THE FURTHER OBSERVATIONS OF LADY WHISTLEDOWN 36 VALENTINES

All four stories in this anthology take place concurrently, and many of the characters "overlap." For example, Susannah (my heroine) is knocked down by Anne Bishop, heroine in"One True Love"by Suzanne Enoch, while ice skating. And when Susannah attends the theater, she does so with characters from"Two Hearts"by Karen Hawkins.

Suzanne Enoch, Julia Quinn, Mia Ryan, and Karen Hawkinsmoments before posing for our official publicity photo.I have no idea what we're looking at.Even though Lady Whistledown is my character (introduced inThe Duke And Iwith further appearances inThe Viscount Who Loved Me,An Offer from a Gentleman, andRomancing Mr. Bridgerton), the idea for this anthology was not mine! It was actually the brainchild ofKaren Hawkins, who really put the whole thing together. I had a fabulous time writing it, though!

The opening scene takes place at a ball hosted by Lady Worth, the mother of Arabella Blydon, heroine inDancing At Midnight.

The winter of 1813-14 was the coldest on record in London, and the Thames really did freeze over.

The Lady Whistledown columns narrating all four stories were written by me. It was rather fun to "comment" upon characters written by other authors.

To learn more about the other stories in the anthology, please visit the websites of the other authors:Suzanne Enoch,Karen Hawkins, andMia Ryan.

LADY WHISTLEDOWN STRIKES BACK THE FIRST KISS

Make sure you read all four novellas in order! Otherwise youre going to know whodunnit before youve read all the clues.

Did you see Benedict Bridgerton in chapter two? He wasnt mentioned by name, but fans ofAn Offer From a Gentlemanwill recognize him by his description.

The menu for Lady Neeleys dinner party comes straight fromMrs. Beetons Book of Household Management. My copy dates from the Victorian era, but I figured I could take a little poetic license when it came to food.

The Lady Whistledown columns narrating all four stories were written by me. It was rather fun to "comment" upon characters written by other authors.

To learn more about the other stories in the anthology, please visit the websites of the other authors:Suzanne Enoch,Karen Hawkins, andMia Ryan.

THE BRIDGERTON 2ND EPILOGUESA letter from Julia Quinn:Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite characters after you closed the final page? Wanted just a little bit more of a favorite novel? I have, and if my email from readers is any indication, I'm not the only one. So after countless requests from readers, I decided to try something a little bit different, and I'm thrilled to serve up The Bridgerton 2nd Epilogues--the story after the story.The newest areAn Offer from a GentlemanandTo Sir Phillip, With Love, but if you missed the first four (The Viscount Who Loved Me,Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,When He Was Wicked, andIt's in His Kiss), they are all still available. Each 2nd Epilogue is about thirty pages long and currently available only as an e-book download. When all eight are written, there are plans to gather them into one volume and release them as a paperback book. Stay tuned to juliaquinn.com, and I promise I'll let you know as soon as I have an on-sale date for this collection.I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was for me to revisit some of my favorite characters. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.Happy Reading!Julia QuinnTHE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM

For years Ive wanted to write a two-book set based on the premise: Two men say theyre the Duke of Something. One of them must be wrong. (Two points if you can guess where that line comes from. Or you can just peek at myBonus Features.)

The Lost Duke of WyndhamandMr. Cavendish, I Presumetake place concurrently, and their plots are very closely intertwined. When I began to develop these two novels, it became clear that if I didnt want the plot or characters of one book to be dependent upon the other, I would need to write the two books simultaneously. Many scenes occur in both books, but from different points of view.

The working title of this book wasThe Two Dukes of Wyndham. In the end, that became the name of the two-book set.

The model who portrays Grace on the cover is actually the actress Ewa Da Cruz, who plays Vienna Hyatt onAs the World Turns. Id originally written Grace with brown eyes, but when I saw the cover, I changed them to blue!

This is the painting that so captured Graces imagination:

Portrait ofMarie-Louise OMurphybyFrancois Boucher

The Lost Duke of Wyndhamcontains no references to any characters in previous books. After eight Bridgerton books, I think I was eager to create an entirely new fictional world.

MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME

For years Ive wanted to write a two-book set based on the premise: Two men say theyre the Duke of Something. One of them must be wrong. (Two points if you can guess where that line comes from. Or you can just peek at myBonus Features.)

The Lost Duke of WyndhamandMr. Cavendish, I Presumetake place concurrently, and their plots are very closely intertwined. When I began to develop these two novels, it became clear that if I didnt want the plot or characters of one book to be dependent upon the other, I would need to write the two books simultaneously. Many scenes occur in both books, but from different points of view.

As withThe Lost Duke of Wyndham, the cover was meant to evoke a romantic movie poster. I got to pick out the cover models for this one!

I have always been a total geek for maps, so I was very excited to be able to include some cartography in the book. The first map that Thomas and Amelia look at (the one in which Greenland looks so big) is a Mercator projection:

And here is an example of a Mercator projection circa 1820:

Finally, this is a cordiform projection:

Ive loved the idea of the Outer Hebrides ever since I saw Barbra Streisand in Whats Up Doc? Wonderingwherethey are?

THE SECRET DIARIES OF MISS MIRANDA CHEEVER

Version 1.0 ofThe Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheeverwas written in 1994, just afterSplendid(my first novel) was bought for publication. For various reasons, it never quite made it onto the publishing schedule, but I always thought it was the best of my early books, so I kept waiting for the right moment to revise it and bring it out. With the Bridgerton series complete, 2007 seemed the perfect time! Id planned to spend 2-3 weeks cleaning it up, but I quickly realized Id need 2-3 months. I found the process enormously exciting and enriching--it was the first time in years I was free to justwrite, without having to worry about what was going to happen next!

I resisted the temptation to drop a Bridgerton into the story, but I did keep the mention of the Duke of Ashbourne, who was the hero ofSplendid. Id put him in there back in the first version and saw no reason to change him.

Most of the book is a blend of what was written in 1994 and 2006, but some large chunks and scenes come from just one version. The prologue is almost entirely from 1994, whileChapter Oneis completely new. The scene in the bookshop is also almost entirely from the early version.

Miranda lives in the Lake District, in the village of Ambleside, which in the 19th century was in the county of Cumberland. In 1974, however, the UK enacted the Local Government Act 1972, which reorganized many administrative counties. Cumberland was absorbed into Cumbria (along with Westmorland and parts of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire) and was wiped off the administrative map. The name still exists as a geographical and cultural term, however. But its a warning to historical romance writers everywhere--make sure you look at maps from the time period in which you are writing! It would have been terrible if Id had Miranda living in Cumbria.

WHAT HAPPENS IN LONDON

AlthoughWhat Happens in Londonis a companion book toThe Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, Diaries hero and heroine dont make an appearance. I had originally intended them to, but they didnt end up fitting in the plot.

I'm not so sure I would have made my prince Russian if I'd realized how difficult the language is to translate. Because Russian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, it needs to be both translated and transliterated. 3-5 different Russian speakers helped me with each translated statement, and they never agreed. In the interest of consistency, I ended up going with the translations as done by my copy editor, who I'm told has a Masters in Russian literature.

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baronfirst appeared inIt's in His Kissas one of the books Hyacinth was reading to Lady Danbury. I had no plans ever to use it again, but when I needed Harry to give Olivia an unusual gift, it just popped into my mind. I LOVED writing the passages in this book. It is seriously fun to write bad literature.In regency times, the wealthy had their butlers iron their newspapers before they read them. This was not to eliminate wrinkles but rather to seal the ink so that it did not rub off on peoples hands.

Hells Vengeance Boileth in Mine Heart is the most famous aria from MozartsThe Magic Flute, and is more commonly referred to as the Queen of the Nights Aria. It is known for its difficulty, reaching a high F6, which is rare in opera.

TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT YOU Sebastian first appeared inWhat Happens in London. He kind of stole the show, so it was pretty clear to me he'd need his own book.

Sebastian and Annabel meet at Lady Trowbridges party in Hampstead--the same party at which Daphne and Simon share their first kiss inThe Duke and I. (Not the same year, though; Ive decided Lady Trowbridges party is an annual event.)

InWhat Happens in London, Harry Valentine had to leave The Magic Flute after the first act, and Olivia had to miss the performance entirely, so I was happy to give them an opportunity to finally see the opera.

I have often been asked if I plan to write a paranormal romance. The answer is no, but I will confess to pride and amusement at my having managed to use the word, "undead" in this novel.

Lady Twombley is the former Cressida Cowper, who appeared as the "mean girl" inThe Viscount Who Loved MeandRomancing Mr. Bridgerton.

At the Hartside Ball, Annabel dances with a veritable compendium of characters from my previous books: Nigel Berbrooke (fromThe Duke and I), Mr. Albansdale (who married Felicity Featherington), Neville Berbrooke (fromOn the Way to the Wedding), Mr. Cavender (the villain inAn Offer from a Gentleman), Prince Alexei (fromWhat Happens in London), Sir Harry Valentine (the hero fromWhat Happens in London), and Gareth St. Clair (the hero fromIt's in His Kiss). Except for Harry, none of these men have anything to do with the plot ofTen Things I Love About You. But I needed to list the men Annabel danced with, and I thought I might as well use characters wed seen before.I can't skip stones. I've always wished that I could.

In the epilogue, Sebastian says that if he takes Annabel's advice he will "go down in a flaming pit of ruin." I said the exact same thing to my husband, for the exact same reason.

AnySpinal Tapfans out there? This book goes to eleven.

THE LADY MOST LIKELY WhenEloisa James,Connie Brockway, and I decided that we were going to collaborate on a novel in three parts, we knew that we would need to get together to plot the book and develop the characters. So we took a fabulous long weekend to New Orleanswe got a ton of work done (and each gained about six pounds).

The original title forThe Lady Most Likely...wasThe List. Eventually we decided that even though it fit the book very well, it wasn't very interesting, so we changed it.

Alec's name was originally Marcus. I changed it because I realized that I'm running out of good hero names. Since I already had an Alex (inSplendid), I figured I was unlikely to use Alec for a full-length novel. I ended up using Marcus as the hero's name inJust Like Heaven(coming May 30, 2011).

Gwendolyn is often compared to Botticelli's Venus in his seminal paintingThe Birth of Venus.

Gwendolyn's mother makes up an impromptu song called, "A House Party La La La." This was inspired by "A Weekend in the Country," from the Stephen Sondheim musicalA Little Night Music.

Eloisa James named the local village Parsley, so naturally I had to name the inn The Sage and Thyme. There is no mention of an innkeeper, but I am sure his wife is named Rosemary.

Romance Author Jeopardy:On the AvonRomance blog, JQ, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway are contestants on the first (and quite possibly the last) episode ofRomance Author Jeopardy!

JUST LIKE HEAVEN WritingJust Like Heaventook a lot of research. Not of history or of music, but rather of my own novels. I had included Smythe-Smith characters in so many books that I had to take several days just to compile all of my previous mentions. Once I did that, I had to decide which set of Smythe-Smith cousins I was going to write about. I discovered that I had written about musicales taking place in 1816, 1819, 1824, and 1825. I settled on the girls from 1824/1825, in part because because I wanted to be able to spread the quartet of books over two seasons.

Families and family relationships are very important in my writing, so when I develop characters for a book I have to understand their family structure. This meant I had to figure out how many brothers and sisters each character had and where they were in the birth order. Because the Smythe-Smiths are such a large family, I had to come up with eight separate nuclear families. To do this I had to recreate nineteen years of Smythe-Smith quartets. Yes, you read that right. Nineteen years of them! If for some reason I ever need to know who played the viola in 1815, I've got the info at my fingertips. (Literally, since I do have to type to pull up my computer files.)

I described Honoria's preferred shade of pink as "primrose." Imagine my horror when I read that the lovely yellow dress Queen Elizabeth wore to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding is being described as "primrose yellow." I maintain thatprimroses come in many hues. (P.S. I thought the Queen looked lovely. Mrs. Middleton, too.)

My husband is a physician, specializing in infectious diseases, so naturally I asked him to look over the scene when Marcus is so ill. After I read it to him, he paused for a moment, then said, "He has to die." I said, "Perhaps you don't understand how this works." In the end, I modified the scene to make Marcus's wound a bit less infected.

I'm actually not that crazy about the name Honoria and probably would not have used it for a heroine except that I had already mentioned her in a Lady Whistledown column inRomancing Mr. Bridgerton. There was no way I could resist a scene in which Lady Danbury destroys a violin!

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron rides again! My favorite novel-within-a-novel first appeared inIt's in His Kiss, then came back inWhat Happens in LondonandTen Things I Love About You. It's so much fun to write bad prose; I'm sure we haven't seen the end of the intrepid Miss Butterworth.

All of the books Honoria brings Marcus during his convalescence are real. Except Butterworth, of course.

Mozart's Piano Quartet, No. 1 is indeed thought to be an extremely difficult piece and the Smythe-Smiths absolutely should not have attempted it. Then again, Mozart also wrote "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," and they probably should not attempt that, either.