The story behind the story...
They say that every story has
another story behind it. For Scandalous Endeavors that is certainly true. In
fact it has two stories behind it, and one of those stories also has a story
behind it.
It all started twelve years ago when I was
touched by the loss of someone very close to me. I grieved and withdrew for a
bit but did not start writing. The experience touched me in a way that changed
me forever. Still I had no desire to write about it or to share it. Like Amelia
says in Scandalous Endeavors, “Her grief belonged to her, not the ton.” Nine
years passed before writing about my experience ever came to light.
I was working on my master’s degree
and enrolled in a creative writing course. One of the assignments was to write
a short story. I had no idea what to write and spent a considerable amount of
time trying to dream up a plot and characters. At my wits end someone told me
to write what I know. I took that advice and crafted a story about my
experience years before.
In the end I had a goodish new adult
short story that earned me an A in the course. I liked what I had and thought
about turning it into a full book. Two more years passed while the story grew
crusty on my hard drive before I opened the document again. During that time I
had decided that I wanted to write historical romance not new adult. It meant
that 98% of my short story had to be scrapped. Maybe I would never write a
book, I would just be content with teaching and editing.
With my mind made up, I quit
thinking about writing until that day when I started writing Scandalous
Endeavors. So what happened to get me writing you ask? Looking back on that day
it is humorous but at the time I was none too pleased.
It started like any other day. I
took my kids to school and went to work. After work I picked up my kids, went
home, and started in on my after school tasks. Helped my kids with their homework, checked my email, cleaned up. All of my normal things I do most days.
Then my husband came home from work in a foul mood. After a bit we began
bickering about something so stupid that I no longer remember what caused the
dispute.
But I was so angry that I
did not want to be available to talk or be talked to. I needed to make myself
busy but had nothing to do. Before I had time to think about it my laptop was
resting on my legs and I was typing like mad. I opened up that old short story
and deleted everything except the opening scene. By the time I felt sociable
again two chapters were written and Scandalous Endeavors had been born.
The first chapter was shaped from
that long ago written short stories first scene though the only element that
remained was the raw emotion I had shared. You see that short story was based
closely on my real life experience with loss. The first scene in Scandalous
Endeavors is purely fictional. The heroine, Amelia, has lost her father and the
book opens with her at the funeral. My father is alive, but I have experienced
life shattering loss and drew on those emotions.
Scandalous Endeavors is the story
that emerged when I stopped thinking about writing and just wrote. It was born
of a life experience, a class assignment, and a marital dispute. Now it is a
source of great pleasure. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed
writing it.
Synopsis
Lady Amelia has only known the
comfort of life in mid-eighteenth century English aristocracy. But
With the help of Lady Grace and Lady
Sarah, Lady Amelia gets her uncle to agree to give her four weeks to settle her
affairs and unbeknownst to him…find an English lord to marry so she can remain
in her beloved England. Despite her mourning period she endeavors to trap one
of London’s eligible bachelors in matrimony.
Lord Goldstone, Lady Grace’s nephew
is devilishly handsome, but a Scottish Duke and so entirely unacceptable as a
possible husband. After all Scotland is not her beloved London and environs. He
also has a nasty habit of showing up at all the wrong moments and thwarting her
carefully laid plans to ensnare a suitable husband. Sparks fly as the pair find
themselves at odds with each other and drawn to each other at the same time.
Can they find a way to stop arguing long enough to explore their growing
passion? Is it strong enough to make Lady Amelia give up her English home after
all? Or will Lady Amelia find a suitable English lord and avoid social exile in
America? Time is running out.
Excerpt
Lord Roseington wrapped his arms
around her and stood up, setting her on her feet. “Yes, Amelia, everything is
okay now.” He reached up and removed her arms from around him, then took a step
back. “We must stop winding up in these situations before we cause a scandal.”
She looked at him through hooded
eyes. “‘Tis a wonder we haven’t already.”
A man cleared his voice behind her.
Amelia turned her head, already
knowing who had caught them. “Lord Goldstone, you mustn’t trouble yourself with
keeping our secret.”
“What she means to say is that there
is no secret to be kept. Amelia carelessly got close enough to the hearth to
catch her skirts ablaze. I could not very well let her burn up.”
“No, Roseington, you were obliged to
help. I am glad to know that you were not taking advantage of our dear Amelia.”
He glanced at her and flashed a rakish smirk. “Indeed, you are a hero. Let us
go share the story while Amelia changes her charred gown.”
She tried her hardest to shoot
daggers at him from her narrowed glare. His grin only deepened at the attempt,
which increased her ire. “Don’t you dare tell a soul. I would most definitely
perish from the embarrassment!” Amelia spat the words out with anger and
annoyance. How dare he ruin everything for a second time, and then jest about
sharing her humiliation. If he were not Scottish, she would trap him instead.
That would teach him a lesson.
“Do not worry your head over it,
Lady Amelia. We will not breathe a word of this little mishap,” Lord Roseington
said. “Right, Goldstone?”
“Of course not. All of your secrets
are safe with me.” He winked.
Amelia blushed at what he had
implied. “Thank you. Now that it is settled I am going to retire for the
evening. Enjoy the rest of the party. Lord Roseington, Lord Goldstone.” She
inclined her head to them before spinning on her heels and speeding from the
room.
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Amanda Marie dreams of days gone by
when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring
historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. Her
hobbies include reading, writing, crocheting, traveling, photography, and
spending time with her family. Some of Amanda Marie's favorite places in the
continental U.S. are Harper's Ferry West Virginia and Sea Brook New Hampshire.
She loves the history that surrounds them and visits them every chance she
gets.
Amanda Marie lives along the Lake
Huron shore line in northern Michigan with her husband and two kids. She holds
a Master of Liberal Arts Degree with a concentration in literature and has a
long standing love affair with sugary junk food.
Join Amanda Marie on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAmandaMarie
Visit her blog at http://musingsbymandy.wordpress.com/
Write to Amanda Marie at
amandamarieauthor@gmail.com
Follow her on Twitter
@AmandaMarieAuth
Scandalous Endeavors is published by
Three Worlds Press. For more information on this book or their other works
please visit: Three Worlds
Press.
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