Isabella St. Vincent and Lord Randall are the warring heroine and hero of
WICKED, MY
LOVE. Their story chronicles a wild road trip as the two try to catch
an errant bank partner who has sold them false stock. Years ago, the essence of
Isabella and Randall characters existed in a very different story that never got
off the ground. Isabella was still an orphaned, rather awkward, young woman with
a strong mind. Randall was a society golden boy and political orator. Their
chemistry lit up the page. Unfortunately the plot of the original story was as
tangled and dense as kudzu. So after months of consideration, I decided to drop
the story. For the next few years, the characters existed in my mind, story-less
and yearning for their happy ending. I felt that as their creator, I had let
them down.
So when I had a chance to pitch some stories ideas to my editor, I wrote a quick
blurb about a smart, but socially awkward female banker and an emotionally adept
and handsome political orator. Then I made them both shareholders in the bank.
Instead of having the two bump heads over their differences, as I had in the
original story, I created a common enemy: a sleazy, bank partner who could ruin
them. In the Victorian days of full liability, numerous bank failures, and poor
houses, Isabella stood to lose everything if there was a run on her bank.
Meanwhile, Randall, protected by his entailment, would have his political career
destroyed. Now the two were forced to get along for their common good. Along the
way, they realized that their loathing for each other was born of their own
fears and vulnerabilities. Perhaps all the energy they spent antagonizing the
other was really unacknowledged desire.
My charactersโ happily ever after brought great closure to them and their
creator. Now they can stop chattering in my head, complaining how I had
abandoned them, and make room for more bickering heroes and heroines, demanding
that I write their stories.
About WICKED, MY LOVE
A smooth-talking rogue and a dowdy financial genius Handsome, silver-tongued
politician Lord Randall doesn't get along with his bank partner, the financially
brilliant but hopelessly frumpish Isabella St. Vincent. Ever since she was his
childhood nemesis, he's tried- and failed-to get the better of her.
Make a perfectly wicked combination When both Randall's political career and
their mutual bank interests are threatened by scandal, he has to admit he needs
Isabella's help. They set off on a madcap scheme to set matters right. With her
wits and his charm, what could possibly go wrong? Only a volatile mutual
attraction that's catching them completely off guard...
About Susanna Ives
Susanna Ives grew up
in the rural South, where she spent most of her youth at
the local theater, acting in productions, working in the lighting booth, and
building sets. Eventually she left her small town for the city lights of
Atlanta, where she attended college and worked in corporations as a multimedia
developer. These days she chases after her two curious, energetic children,
designs web pages, and writes.
You can learn more about Susanna by visiting her
website.
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