Guest Author- Mary Gillgannon

Visit with Mary Gillgannon today and find out what she loves about writing, her favorite places to travel and her new book, Wicked Wager.
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Mary G: When I began writing romances, they were set in the dark age and medieval eras. I loved the intensity, the “life and death” stakes playing out in these time periods. Later on, after reading several Regency romances, I realized that the stakes for people in this era, even though there was less violence, were pretty intense as well. The lives of women of the Regency era (and, alas, most eras of history), were defined by who they married. It was the only thing that mattered, the only way to improve your circumstances.

Because of this, love wasn’t really a focus. Young men and women met each other during the “season” in the London “marriage mart”. It was all a complex game of prestige and wealth and beauty. But that’s no fun for us romantic sorts. So, starting with Jane Austen, we’ve added the wild card of romance to the equation.

Which is the perfect introduction to Wicked Wager, a book that focuses on both gambling and romance.

Excerpt:

 He might have known she’d take hours, Marcus thought with irritation as he waited in the drawing room. Offer to take a woman somewhere, and she fussed and fiddled half the day. He’d thought Penny was more practical than that, but it appeared she was as tardy as other members of her sex. A pity if she’d already been corrupted by Madame Dubonet and lost that ingenuous charm of hers. He rather liked the grubby hoyden he’d met in the drive of Horngate. She’d been a delightful change from the coy, manipulative women of the ton.

He paced across to the window to check on the phaeton and team. Hearing a faint sound, he turned.

For a moment, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His gaze moved down Penny’s slender form, then returned to the expanse of lush creamy flesh exposed by the low neckline of her dress. He swallowed hard, then choked out, “What the devil are you wearing?”

She gave him an innocent smile. “It’s my new daydress. Do you like it?”

Gone was the sweetly pretty young miss he’d brought to London. She’d been transformed into a sensual, sophisticated, breathtaking… goddess. It wasn’t merely the sumptuous décolletage the gown revealed, but the color of the fabric. Some subtle shade of pink that made her look edible. He longed to kiss and lick and nibble every inch of the silken, creamy skin the garment exposed.

He took a deep breath and tried to focus on Penny’s face. “The dress is very fashionable, I’m certain. But if you don’t want to catch a chill, you’d best put on your pelisse.”

Penny hurried to do as he suggested. Despite having carefully planned this moment, when it actually came time to appear before Revington in the skimpy gown, she’d experienced an attack of nerves. It had taken all her willpower to walk boldly into the drawing room, despite feeling half-naked.

Revington’s expression had turned quite strange, almost savage. But then a moment later, his normal reserve had prevailed and he’d carried on in his usual impatient style.

She put on her pelisse and started for the door. Then she remembered the other part of her plan. Turning, she said, “I wondered if rather than driving today, you could have footman take the reins and sit in the carriage with me. That way you’ll be able to tell me about the sights as we travel through the city.”

Seeing a muscle twitch in his jaw, she wondered whether he disliked the thought of spending time with her. Too bad, she thought stubbornly. For her plan to work, she needed to force him into close proximity.
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Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/ B00VU8L64K

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-wager-mary-gillgannon/1121799505?ean=2940151266314

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=6209


Mary Gillgannon writes historical and paranormal romance and fantasy. She’s worked in a public library for over twenty-five years and as part of her job, has the enviable task of ordering fiction. She’s married and has two children. Now that they’re grown, she indulges her nurturing tendencies on four very spoiled cats and a moderately spoiled dog. When not working or writing, she enjoys gardening—a real challenge in Wyoming—reading and travel. She loves history, which may explain why her favorite places to visit are Ireland and Wales.

Links:

Website:  http://marygillgannon.com

Blog: http://marygillgannon.blogspot.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mary.gillgannon

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MaryGillgannon