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Leigh Michaels | Trading Places
July 11, 2011
I'm delighted to be here at Fresh Fiction today - thank you for inviting me! If you could trade places with any of your characters in JUST ONE SEASON IN LONDON,
which would it be - and why? What a fun question to think about! I've had quite a tough time answering it,
because all of my characters are like me in one way or another - they all have
pieces of me in their makeup. But telling you the ways that my characters
resemble me isn't really answering the question, is it? So if I had to pick one character from JUST ONE SEASON IN LONDON
that I'd like to swap dancing slippers with, it would be Sophie Ryecroft - and
not just because she dances divinely and I don't. Sophie is very young, a bit naïve, and gorgeous. But the part of her I like best
is her pragmatism. She's extraordinarily practical and clear-sighted. Even
though nobody's told her just how badly off the Ryecroft family really is, she
knows that the situation is desperate - and she's determined to do everything
she can to make things better for her brother and their mother. She's not vain about her looks; while she doesn't diminish the value of being
pretty, she doesn't get excited about it either. Her beauty is just another tool
she can use to ease the financial burden, if she can only figure out how to make
the connections she needs. She's self-sacrificing - up to a point - but Sophie's not a martyr. Even when
she's plotting schemes to get herself to London, or staking out men she might
marry, underneath that selfless goal her own desires are always stirring. As
she's telling herself that her motives are completely objective and unselfish,
she displays a touch of the self-focused energy that can make teenage girls
unbearable. "Why is there never a horse saddled and waiting when I need one?"
she thinks as she dashes off across the estate, on foot, trying to chase down a
man she wants to question. But she never loses her sense of humor about it - her
question is a wry comment, not a complaint. And she doesn't take out her
frustration on others. Sophie is honest - even though sometimes that's inconvenient for herself and for
her family. "Sophronia should learn not to gossip," her mother says after a
tactless comment presents Miranda with a dilemma. What Sophie thinks, she generally says - even if the timing could be better or
if it might be more tactful to control her tongue instead. And when she does
manage to stop herself to think, and then not speak, she's almost
childishly proud of herself for the accomplishment. Sophie is enough of a child to enjoy small things like picnics, and adult enough
to laugh at herself. I'd be proud to be more like her - and I had great fun in
creating her. I hope you'll enjoy meeting her, and her family, too! JUST ONE SEASON IN
LONDON BY LEIGH
MICHAELS--IN STORES JULY 2011 A family that courts together... Viscount Ryecroft has a beautiful sister he needs to marry off... if only he had
the money for her Season in London. His family is in financial ruins, and his mother is willing to do anything to
help her children, including sell herself to the highest bidder... Finds passion on their own... Sophie Ryecroft will sacrifice love to marry for the good of her family... but
instead finds passion and solace in an attractive alternative. With so much riding on their one and only Season in London, Rye, Sophie, and
Miranda can't help but get hopelessly entangled with all the wrong people... Celebrated author Leigh Michaels effortlessly weaves three tales of unexpected
romance with surprising twists you won't soon forget. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leigh Michaels is the
author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels and more than a
dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have
been published by Harlequin. A 6 time RITA finalist, she has also received two
Reviewer's Choice awards from RT Book Reviews, and was the 2003 recipient
of the Johnson Brigham Award. She is the author of On Writing Romance,
published in January 2007 by Writers Digest Books. Leigh also teaches romance
writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers' Workshop. She lives in Des Moines,
Iowa, where she is working on her third book from Sourcebooks, THE WEDDING AFFAIR, which
will be in stores in September. For more information, please visit www.leighmichaels.com.
Comments
43 comments posted.
Re: Leigh Michaels | Trading Places
sounds like a great book, adding it to my TBR list!
(Deborah Rudd 1:01pm July 11, 2011)
sounds very good. Putting it on my to read list.
(Patti Paonessa 1:08pm July 11, 2011)
hope i win,can't wait to read it.Sounds like a very good book.
(Richard Randazzo 1:31pm July 11, 2011)
enjoyed your blog. Sounds like a great book.
(Sheila True 1:38pm July 11, 2011)
Thanks for sharing with us today! Your book sounds like one I would love to get my hands on...
(Colleen Conklin 1:46pm July 11, 2011)
Sophie is an interesting character. I would like to find out how she went about finding Mr. Right and helping her family.
(Anna Speed 2:57pm July 11, 2011)
Congratulations on the release of Just One Season in London. It sounds like a compelling story. A family on the brink of financial ruin need to take drastic steps to ensure their future. I can't wait to read this story.
(Stacie Deramo 3:00pm July 11, 2011)
Congrats on the new release, Leigh. I'm currently reading The Mistress' House and I'm loving it.
(Jane Cheung 3:35pm July 11, 2011)
It is fun to imagine trading place with a character in a novel.
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 4:19pm July 11, 2011)
I think I would like to be Sophie! (Who wouldn't want to be gorgeous? ;)) It
sounds like she would be the character with more turmoil in her head and
having to make the right decision about the man she wants to choose. Can't
wait to read this book. It sounds fabulous!
Connie Fischer
[email protected]
(Connie Fischer 4:31pm July 11, 2011)
I love to imagine which character I would be most like. Sophie sounds like she is fun and sweet!
(Jody Hollenbeck 4:31pm July 11, 2011)
love reading your blog sounds like a good read!
(Susan Easterbrooks 4:36pm July 11, 2011)
I am glad you were invited to be a part of Fresh Fiction and look forward to reading Just One Season In London
(Shirley Younger 4:44pm July 11, 2011)
I hope the one season has a ball or important dance because you never know who will be mingling. Sophie has a plan and is determined to fulfill most or all of it. I can't wait to see what turns out her way and what she does about the parts that do not.
(Alyson Widen 4:55pm July 11, 2011)
I'd like to win this book and meet Sophie. Thanks for the contest.
(r w 4:59pm July 11, 2011)
I love this genre, thanks for sharing today & I will be looking for your books............
(Marcelle Cole 5:11pm July 11, 2011)
Your latest book sounds like it's going to be one of those that you won't be able to put down, so I'll have to make sure I get plenty of rest before I read it!! I know I'm going to have a sleepness night or two reading it. I don't mind, because after reading your blog, I can already relate to one of your characters, and I feel comfortable already!! Congratulations on your new book, and best of luck with your future endeavors!!
(Peggy Roberson 6:02pm July 11, 2011)
In an era of "Me First" it will be interesting to read about someone who thinks of helping her family before herself. Having the story set in a England also makes it an alluring read for me.
(Janice Milliken 6:03pm July 11, 2011)
Thanks for the giveaway! I would love to read this!
(Lisa Garrett 6:07pm July 11, 2011)
Hello, everyone! I'm so glad to know that you like Sophie and are looking forward to getting to know her. She was such a fun character to write -- as were all the Ryecrofts; the fact that they were more interested in taking care of each other than benefitting themselves made them people I'd love to know.
There are a couple of wonderful balls, as well as a whole lot of parties, in the book -- I think you'll like the atmosphere of Lady Stone's house in Grosvenor Square, as well as Almacks and the Ryecrofts country estate and...
:-)
(Leigh Michaels 6:27pm July 11, 2011)
Financial ruin is something many people today can relate to---I think thi would be a good book to read.
(Sue Farrell 6:28pm July 11, 2011)
This book sounds so interesting. The intertwining of one family for one season. I am putting this one the TBR.
(Cynthia Netherton 6:40pm July 11, 2011)
Poor Sophie, with so much riding on her and her behavior. It can't be easy being the one expected to pull your family out of its debts. I would love to read it--and visit London again.
(Sigrun Schulz 6:44pm July 11, 2011)
Oh wow this sounds like a great read, will have to start watching for it. It sound like my kind of read.
(Gail Hurt 6:58pm July 11, 2011)
I love this period setting as well as the romance of manners and the motivation of incomeless damsels.....really a contemporary dilemma after all, no?
Thank you for all the "escapes" you've provided!
(Carla Schuller 7:19pm July 11, 2011)
"JUST ONE SEASON IN LONDON" looks just wonderful. On my list.
(Mary Preston 7:43pm July 11, 2011)
Three stories in one. Yay. I've added it to my list.
(Lisa Kendall 7:49pm July 11, 2011)
i love the title and the book it self and would like to win
(Desiree Reilly 7:50pm July 11, 2011)
If I could trade places... Miranda. :)
(Carla Carlson 8:48pm July 11, 2011)
Sounds like a great book, I'd love to read it.
(Wilma Frana 9:34pm July 11, 2011)
Sophie sounds like a great character; have to find out how things go!
(Diane Sallans 9:36pm July 11, 2011)
sounds like a great book!
(Sherie Lagarde 10:10pm July 11, 2011)
Sounds like a great book and great heroine...
(May Pau 10:56pm July 11, 2011)
Sophie sounds fun!
(Robin Daily 11:39pm July 11, 2011)
Sounds like a great read. I'd love to try it out!
(MaryAnne Banks 12:01pm July 12, 2011)
Would love to win! Sounds like a great read.
(Saskia Kanstinger 4:34am July 12, 2011)
I like the premise and the cover is really pretty.
(Mona Garg 9:59am July 12, 2011)
Sophie sounds a delight!
(Shirley Nienkark 11:29am July 12, 2011)
I would choose to the heroine of course!!
(Marcelle Cole 3:38pm July 12, 2011)
What fun! I can't imagine keeping three stories going without a lot of confusion
but your books are soooooo good that if anyone could do it you could. What an
addition to my TBR pile!!!!
(Sandra Spilecki 4:04pm July 12, 2011)
That sounds like a big jump from contemporaries to historicals. I hope you are successful in it.
The cover is gorgeous.
(Elaine Carlini-Davis 4:15pm July 12, 2011)
I've been following Just One Season In London around the blogs and have heard wonderful thiNgs. It's on my TRL.
Count me in..
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
(Carol Luciano 4:31pm July 12, 2011)
Sounds like a good read!
(Penny Mettert 4:32am July 14, 2011)
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