All's Fair with Beverley Kendall!

by Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome back a Lair favourite and a great supporter of the Banditas, Beverley Kendall!

Beverley has joined us today to tell us all about her fab new novella All's Fair in Love and Seduction.

So, without further ado, let's get right to the important stuff.

Lovely to see you here again, Beverley.

Thanks Anna, and the rest of the Bandits, for hosting me on your lovely blog. It’s always great to be back in the Lair. :)

We're excited about your novella. Can you tell us about it?

I'd love to. Here is the blurb:

With her seduction she hopes to gain his affections

For Miss Elizabeth Smith, sharing her first kiss with the charming Lord Derek Creswell is nothing short of a dream come true...that is, until she is spotted by one of the most influential gossips of the ton. With scandal nipping at her heels, to avoid total social ruin, Elizabeth must present a fiancé by the end of the Season. But when the viscount proves reluctant, Elizabeth is forced to employ a seduction of a different sort...

With his seduction he is determined to ruin her

Viscount Derek Creswell believes Elizabeth set out to trap him into marriage. After all, her sister attempted the very same thing with his brother six years before. Now the delectable Miss Smith expects a betrothal and a ring, while Derek finds her ruination infinitely more appealing...

But as Derek sets out to seduce only her body, Elizabeth is intent on claiming his jaded heart.

Oooh! Sounds delicious. What inspired you to write this story?

I started writing this novella because there was going to be a year gap between my first book, Sinful Surrender and A Taste of Desire (the first and second book in The Elusive Lords series) and I wanted to put something out in between to keep readers interested in the series. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur so I decided to move the story so it occurred between A Taste of Desire and An Heir of Deception (the final book in the series).

What a fun idea! I know readers will be thrilled that they have something to tide them over until An Heir of Deception is out.

What did you particularly love about Derek and Elizabeth?

I really love that Derek is so torn when he discovers who Elizabeth is. His initial instinct is to seek revenge but that begins to war with his growing feelings for her. I love that even though he doesn’t intend to, he defends her, instinctively protecting from slander and gossip.

I love that Elizabeth is a woman who knows what she wants and she allows her heart to lead the way. And like Derek, she has a loyalty streak a mile wide. She’s vulnerable, which to me, is a good thing as that vulnerability makes her human and not wimpy or missish. Yet she has a steel spine and takes her knocks in stride.

Together, the two are combustible and that’s what made writing them so much fun.

What appeals to you about historical courtship?

I love the formality of a historical courtship. There is an interesting challenge not being able to just throw them into each other’s company at any given time or day. I love having to make my hero and heroines work to be alone together—which is no small feat.

Do you have to read your other books before reading this one?

No, readers don’t have to read the other books to follow this book. However, I will say, you will meet characters in All’s Fair in Love & Seduction who you will immediately sense had their own book. Hopefully, spending just a little time with these characters will have new readers eager to go back and read their love story. ;)

What’s next for you?

Right now I’m working on An Heir of Deception, the first three chapters of which are included at the end of All’s Fair in Love & Seduction). This is probably the most anticipated book of the series and it is definitely the darkest. This book will tell the tale of the tumultuous relationship between Alex and Charlotte. This story is my personal favourite.

After An Heir of Deception, I will start a new connecting series—The Temptresses. The first book in the series, Twice the Temptation, will feature Catherine (Charlotte’s identical twin sister) and Lucus Beaumont, the gorgeous American Charlotte befriended in New York.

Lots to look forward to! And, we're especially glad to know that you have a new series coming up soon.

All's Fair in Love & Seduction is an ebook and is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smash Words, All Romance eBooks and The Season.

Beverley has graciously offered one lucky commenter a $15 eGift Certificate and an entry for the Grand Prize Drawing (December 17, 2011) of an iPad 2. All you have to do is tell her how you like to read connected books or books in a series. Do you prefer to wait until they’re all out and read in one sitting or read them as they come out? Do you have to start with book one or are you happy to start anywhere in the series and catch up later?

Beverley Kendall has lived on two continents, in three countries, two provinces, and four states. She stopped her nomadic existence and settled in Georgia with her young son. All things artistic feed her creative passion, but none more than writing. Readers can visit her at: http://www.beverleykendall.com/, follow her on twitter: @beverleykendall, friend her on Facebook or on her review site and blog http://www.theseasonforromance.com/