Welcome
back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked and Happy New Year 2014! Today I have the honor of hosting historical
erotic romance author Kate Pearce with her newest release, The Sinners Club! I’ve known Kate since I happened to pick up her
sci-fi erotic romance Planet Mail in
a used bookstore. She had me hooked and I branched out to her Madame Helene’s
Pleasure House series. I’m absolutely delighted to have her here on my blog.
Welcome,
Kate. Thank you so much for being with me today.
Nice to
be here!
What
started you on the path to becoming an erotic romance author and what did you
do before that?
I had a
brief career in finance and then became a full-time mother to three boys. When
we relocated to the USA I had the opportunity to do something I’d always wanted
to do-write a book. At first I thought I wanted to write historical fiction, but
I sucked at it. Then I read some romance novels and realized I’d found my
people! I came very close to being published several times with the historical
romances I was writing, but it was very frustrating.
One day,
I sat down and wrote something so filthy and dirty that I hid it because I’d
scared myself. LOL. That turned into Eden’s
Pleasure, which was 27K words, and erotic Regency in first person. All no
no’s for traditional publishing, Luckily Ellora’s Cave was publishing just that
kind of thing, and snapped it up in 2005. I realized I had a talent for writing
the very steamy and erotic and I never looked back.
Congratulations
on your release of The Sinners Club. Introduce
us to the main characters and premise of your story.
The
Sinners Cub is a spin off of the House of Pleasure series, which was getting way too bogged down in itself for my
liking and felt too complicated to keep writing. I wanted to write something in
the same time period, which had a slightly different feel to it. With this in
mind, as I attempted to close out the House of Pleasure series, I was
simultaneously trying to introduce some new characters who would take on the
new series. It was like spinning twenty plates at once, and I wouldn’t
recommend it, LOL.
So the
Sinners starts with Jack Lennox, who is Violet Lennox’s twin, investigating his
potential inheritance. Once I’d set that up, I was able to focus on writing a
good bawdy tale with plenty of sex and mystery entwined. The Sinners Club is a
place where ex-spies and those who have served their country in an undercover
capacity can meet and receive protection. It’s an interesting mix of men and
women of all classes and political persuasions.
Book
two, Tempting a Sinner is already
finished and stars the elusive Benedict Lord Keyes. I haven’t started writing
book three yet, but I do know who the hero will be. J
Throughout
your novels, you’ve often written very strong heroines, women who don’t need
men to help them despite the social mores of the time. Where did your
inspiration for Mary Lennox come from?
Mary
Lennox is another survivor in the same mold as Helene from the House of Pleasure.
She’s done everything necessary to survive and isn’t ashamed of what she’s
done-until she meets Jack Lennox and things start to unravel.
How has
living in the US expanded on your view of history?
Well,
it’s been interesting seeing the other side of the story when my kids bring
history books home. I tend to find myself saying, "Actually, it wasn’t quite like that” and giving them the
Brit version of the story, which they really don’t want to know. LOL
What
other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?
I’m
writing book three of the Sinners, which will be fun. I’m also going to be
publishing some novellas with eKensington, which are about Val and Peter from
Simply Sexual and Sinful. I described them to my editor as Regency-angst filled
New Adult, but they definitely aren’t for teens. LOL They are prequels dealing
with Val and Peter’s return to England from years in a Turkish brothel at the
age of eighteen. They examine some of the sources of conflict that emerge in
the Simply books. I loved writing them.
I’m also
self-publishing a few things such as more classic Regency historicals and
erotic Science Fiction romance which I write purely for my own enjoyment.
I’m also
writing mysteries as Catherine Lloyd, which are cozy Regencies set in a small
English village. Death Comes to the Village came out in November 2013 and the
second will come out in November 2014.
Thank you
for joining me today, Kate, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!
Thank
you!
Kate is graciously offering a copy (either ebook or print) of The Sinner's Club, please leave a valid email address or Twitter handle when you answer this question: What is your favorite historical time period? The giveaway is open to US residents only and closes Friday Jan 3 2014 at 11 pm Pacific time. You must be 18+ years old to win.
If you’d
like a copy of The Sinners Club and can't wait for the giveaway, you
can find it at:
And be
sure to check out Ms. Pearces’s other releases.
I’m just
going to give you the website because there are just too many links to add LOL
You can
find Kate at:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
EXCERPT from
The Sinner's Club:
The Sinners
Club @Kate Pearce 2013
Jack
took off his hat and advanced toward the diminutive lady who reclined on the
couch. She gave a little cry of distress and struggled to rise. It was Jack who
reached her first and tenderly assisted her to sit up. He found himself looking
into a pair of big brown eyes filled with a hint of wide-eyed terror and a suggestion
of tears. Her face was heart shaped and framed with artfully arranged golden
curls.
“Oh my,
have you come to throw me from my house in my condition?”
Jack
forced his gaze from the beauty of her face, down over her fabulous bosom and
finally to the swell of her belly clearly outlined against the black silk of
her high waisted gown.
“Ma’am?”
She
clasped his hand in hers. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
Jack
carefully disengaged himself from her frantic grasp and stepped back. “I have
no idea whom I’m addressing, ma’am. Perhaps I should start by making myself
known to you. I’m--”
“We know
who you are.” The male sibling interrupted Jack and came to stand by his
sister’s side. ”You’re an imposter.”
Jack
fought down an absurd desire to laugh. “I assure you, I am not. My name is John
Smith.”
“Then
you are not the scoundrel who claims to be the new earl?” the woman whispered.
He
bowed. “Didn’t Mr. Ferrers tell you? I am the private secretary of the man who expects to be the next earl. May I
respectfully inquire who you are?”
The lady
glanced at her brother and exhaled. “Oh love, it’s not as bad as we feared at
all! I’m sure Mr. Smith is a reasonable man, and will soon understand why his
employer is mistaken in his beliefs.” She smiled brilliantly up at Jack. “Your
employer cannot possibly be the new
earl.” Her hand curved over her belly.
“I’m not
sure I understand, ma’am.”
“I am
the current, or should I say, dowager,
Countess of Storr, and my child is not yet born.” She raised her chin. “Your
master cannot possibly claim the title until my child is delivered. And if it is a boy, as I believe it will be,
then the title will never be your employers.”
Jack
abruptly sat down.
“You are the Countess?”
“The
Dowager Countess.” She opened her eyes wide at him. “Obviously.”
“The
Lennox family solicitors made no mention of the last earl being married.”
She bit
her luscious lower lip. “I suspect that was Jasper’s little joke. He was known
to be rather secretive about such things.” She reached out a hand to the
auburn-haired man standing beside her. “My brother Simon, has been a rock in
this time of trial. I am so lucky to have him.”
Simon’s
face softened as he looked down at his sister. Jack took stock of the tall
redheaded man and the petite blonde woman. They didn’t look at all alike, but
there was an obvious bond of affection between them. And why was he worrying
about that when there were other more important things to concern him? Like the
fate of his inheritance? He hardened his resolve. He’d be damned if he’d let it
slip away again.
Thanks for stopping by and good luck in the giveaway! :)
