Hello, again! I’m delighted to be back to celebrate the
official launch of Waltz with a Stranger this
week!
When I hear the word “launch,” I think of rockets awaiting
the countdown that will blast them into outer space, or majestic ocean liners
setting out for the open sea. In which case I can only hope that my book proves
to be more like the Queen Mary than the Titanic!
Apropos of which . . . between the 1870s and the 1910s, posh
ocean liners like the Queen Mary ferried rich, ambitious, confident American
heiresses--many of them snubbed by hidebound, old-money society at home--across
the Atlantic in search of titled husbands in England and Europe.
One of the more
famous buccaneers, Consuelo Vanderbilt, the duke she bagged (the 9th
Duke of Marlborough), their heir, John, and their spare, Ivor. Painted by John
Singer-Sargent.
In Waltz with a Stranger, New York shipping heiresses Amy
and Aurelia Newbold are among the latest wave of “buccaneers” to make that
journey--at least, Amy is. Aurelia comes
along mainly to provide companionship for her beloved twin sister, hoping to
escape notice herself because of her lingering injuries from a riding accident.
But one night, while hiding in a moonlit conservatory during
a ball, Aurelia has an encounter with a stranger--as tall, dark, and handsome
as a gypsy fortuneteller’s prediction--that changes her life forever.
Excerpt:
“Miss
Newbold, may I have this dance?”
Aurelia
whipped her head around, astonished. “Dance? Pray do not mock me, sir.”
Dark
eyes gazed steadily into hers. “I have never been more serious in my life. You
have a fine sense of rhythm--I noticed that when first I saw you. Are you fond
of the waltz?”
“Well, yes,” she admitted, after a
moment; there’d been a time when she loved nothing better than to whirl about
the floor in her partner’s arms. “That is, I was before. But my limp--”
“A
limp is surely no worse than two left feet--and the latter affliction has not
prevented quite a number of people from dancing tonight.”
A
breath of unwilling laughter escaped her; Mr. Trelawney’s eyes seemed to warm
at the sound. He held out his hand.
“I do not ask this out of mockery--or pity,” he added, with a perception
that surprised her. “Will you not indulge me? We need not return to the ballroom--we can have our dance
here, unseen, among the flowers. Unless you find it too physically taxing?’
He’d
just handed her the perfect excuse. All she had to do was plead fatigue or
discomfort, and Mr. Trelawney, gentleman that he was, would surely let her
retire and not importune her further.
Instead, she stepped forward--and placed her hand in his.
He
smiled at her and her knees wanted to buckle; she made herself stand fast and look
him in the eye. She could feel the warmth of his hand through the evening
gloves they both wore, and smell his cologne, an appealing blend of citrus and
clove. Then he drew her to him, his hand resting lightly on the small of her
back, and led her into their dance.
Her
first steps were halting, hesitant, and she felt her face flaming anew, but Mr.
Trelawney took her clumsiness in stride, adjusting his movements to hers. A few more bars and Aurelia found
herself dancing more easily, as if some purely physical memory had taken over,
leaving her mind free to concentrate on the beauty of the moonlit conservatory
and the light pressure of Mr. Trelawney’s arms enfolding her as gently as if
she were made of porcelain.
Together,
they waltzed along the paved walkways, around benches and garden beds, beneath
the light of the moon and stars.
With each circling turn, Aurelia felt her spirits rise, a sensation that
had become as alien to her as a man’s touch. Mr. Trelawney danced with an easy
assurance that seemed of a piece with his forthright manner and confident
air. No other man she’d waltzed
with had ever made her feel this safe--not Papa, not Andrew . . . not even
Charlie.
That
last realization was so startling that she almost stumbled; Mr. Trelawney steadied
her at once, concern in his eyes. Aurelia summoned a smile that surprised her
as much as it did her partner, and they waltzed on, whirling back towards the
center of the conservatory and the pool of moonlight on the tiled floor.
The
music ended, the last chords quavering into silence, and Mr. Trelawney swirled
them both to a stop. Aurelia
stifled a pang of regret at how quickly the time had passed.
“Thank
you,” she said, and meant it. She was slightly breathless, and her bad leg
twinged after the unaccustomed exercise; it would be worse in the morning, but
she felt not even a particle of regret.
He
gave her that knee-weakening smile again. “The pleasure was mine, Miss
Newbold.”
Interested, dear readers? If so, please save a
place on your dance card for Waltz with a Stranger.
Apropos of which, my author copies are now here, and I will be giving away three--signed, if you'd like--to commenters. Winners of the draw to be determined on Sunday night.
Apropos of which, my author copies are now here, and I will be giving away three--signed, if you'd like--to commenters. Winners of the draw to be determined on Sunday night.
Thank you all for your attention and for making me feel
welcome!
1. Dancing is visual shorthand for making love. Which is probably something everyone who's watched an Astaire-Rogers film or one of the great MGM musicals already knows.
2. "Can't Buy Me Love" could be the theme song for the transatlantic marriage market.
3. Professional beauties were the Kardashians of their day, celebrated, feted, and adored for little more than having an exceptionally pretty and photogenic face.
4. Swinburne's Tristram of Lyonesse is one of the swooniest, most sensual poems the Victorian Age ever produced.
5. Gunter's creations would put Baskin-Robbins' to shame. Below is a Neapolitan, a layered confection of vanilla, pistachio, and strawberry ice creams, topped with rosettes of red currant water ice. My heroine actually gets to eat one.
Link to my website: http://pamelasherwood.com
Link to the stops on my "virtual tour" this month: http://pamelasherwood.com/news/
Last Thoughts: Five Random Things I Learned While Writing My Book
1. Dancing is visual shorthand for making love. Which is probably something everyone who's watched an Astaire-Rogers film or one of the great MGM musicals already knows.
2. "Can't Buy Me Love" could be the theme song for the transatlantic marriage market.
3. Professional beauties were the Kardashians of their day, celebrated, feted, and adored for little more than having an exceptionally pretty and photogenic face.
4. Swinburne's Tristram of Lyonesse is one of the swooniest, most sensual poems the Victorian Age ever produced.
5. Gunter's creations would put Baskin-Robbins' to shame. Below is a Neapolitan, a layered confection of vanilla, pistachio, and strawberry ice creams, topped with rosettes of red currant water ice. My heroine actually gets to eat one.
Image courtesy of Historic Foods
Link to my website: http://pamelasherwood.com
Link to the stops on my "virtual tour" this month: http://pamelasherwood.com/news/
Pamela, congrats on your release. The cover is so pretty. Sourcebooks does such a great job with covers. Thanks for sharing all your fun facts. I love all those historical tidbits.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the release of your book!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt and +1 to what Shana said -- the cover is lovely!
Nice to actually see a picture of something from Gunter's. Looks great, and so does your book! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteShana, Thank you. I like the cover too--and historical tidbits aren't just fun, they can also be the seeds for an entire plot.
ReplyDeleteTin, thank you. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt!
Cheryl, thank you. The historic food link takes you to a whole page of Gunter's ices. The Neapolitan is just one of the more elaborate ones.
I have to agree about the cover - it's just so lovely. I definitely would pick this book up for that alone! But it sounds wonderful too!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations.
catslady5(at)aol.com
I loved reading the excerpt, it is so charming. And I must admit that I am quite taken by that ice cream dessert you mention on your list. Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeletelittle lamb lst at yahoo dot com
Catslady, thank you! Glad that you like the cover--I definitely lucked out there--and enjoy the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteLil, glad you liked the excerpt. And that ice cream does look good. The description reminded me of spumoni, which I'm very fond of. The Old Spaghetti Factory used to serve it for dessert as part of every meal.
Congrats! Fascinating research.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
What a beautifully written excerpt. It made me wish the dance had lasted longer!
ReplyDeleteAnd yum, what a delicious looking picture. Ice cream anyone?
Congrats on the release!
eyesofblueice (at) gmail
bn100, thanks--research is where it's at, for a historical writer!
ReplyDeleteLexi, glad you enjoyed the excerpt. And yes, that Neapolitan sure looks good! Wish I could think of a modern ice cream parlor that made that sort of thing.
I loved the excerpt and I think Waltz With a Stranger sounds like a wonderful story. I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your debut release, Pamela! Hope you enjoy your release week :)
ReplyDeletechibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com
Barbara E., so glad you liked the excerpt! I hope you enjoy the rest of the book as well.
ReplyDeleteWin, thank you! The first week of release has been certainly been an eye-opening experience.
Great excerpt! This Ida a fascinating time in history. I'm excited to read more about it!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, thanks! Yes, the Victorian Age is fascinating to read about. More than six decades long, and you can find something exciting happening in any of them.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the release, I loved the excerpt...it was a beautiful description of a romantic moment. And, it's wonderful to actually see what a Gunter's ice looks like...thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteelewkf1 at yahoo dot com
Elf2060, glad you found the excerpt romantic! And that Gunter's ice does look good--it's always nice to be able to see what fictional charcters get to eat and enjoy!
ReplyDelete