Tag: romance

Rosie is his target – A Misalliance with Love

Rosie’s choice to live apart from her husband means that she faces unwanted attention for another man.

-A tumult of disordered thoughts raced through her mind. She recalled the intense fear that had gripped her when Sir Gaylord had come too close to her during the estate sale. As she had moved from one room to another in the vast house, he had trailed her, and she had sensed that he was stalking her. Even now, her fingers dug into her arms as she struggled to keep her panicky thoughts under control.-

A Misalliance with Love

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At the Theater-A Misalliance with Love

“As they ascended the grand staircase and found their box, she could feel the excitement building around them and eagerly anticipated the beginning of the play.
Lowering herself demurely into a seat and opening an ornate Chinese jade fan, she turned to Alton, aware of the eyes of society upon her.
Since signing the marriage contract, they had not laid eyes on each other, and on that occasion, she had been in a fit of pique. She could not help but smile, remembering the look on Sinclair’s face when it became clear she knew exactly what she wanted and was brave enough to ask for things that her father would never have asked for on her behalf.
“What are you thinking?” Alton glanced down at her curiously, puzzled by the expression on her face.
“I was thinking of our upcoming marriage,” she replied, then a wrinkle formed on her brow. He must think she meant . . . what comes after.
“Are you unhappy with this marriage?” He had seen her hesitate, and a frown and brief flare of disappointment passed over his face.

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis. A Misalliance with Love.

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Sir Gaylord-A Misalliance with Love

“It was a dangerous game. One that required reckless confidence and one he was bound to lose sooner or later. He must have chosen his victims carefully not to have found himself up against an enraged husband before now. Well, he made a grave mistake choosing Rosie as his next victim.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis.-A Misalliance with Love.

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Approaching Sir Gaylord-A Misalliance with Love

“Gaylord’s was the type of grand country house built in the pleasing red brick style of the middle of the previous century. Sinclair had passed neatly tended formal gardens and spied numerous outbuildings as he approached the residence. The exterior was symmetrical, with a central front entrance and evenly spaced windows on either side. Modest in size but impressive, the home reflected the wealth and status of its owner.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.

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A writer’s dilemma: Is it worth it?

A writer in a writer’s forum posed the question: “To all the writers out there, be honest. Is writing really worth it? If yeah, how did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?”

I enjoyed writing from a very young age and have had teachers and one publisher tell me I have a ‘voice’. But I am also an artist, and the love of art was stronger, though I never made it a career.

I’ve tried my hand at writing books a number of times and did finally self-publish a non-fiction book.

I turned to fiction writing more seriously during the pandemic when I was building so many characters and scenes in my mind that I had to get them out of my head and onto paper. The ideas were never-ending, so I finally decided it was time to be serious about writing a book. 40,000 words into a contemporary romance, I hated my character so much that I started a historical romance instead, which is a genre I have always loved and have done an incredible amount of research on over the years.

I will continue until the characters are exhausted, which will be no time soon. I hope people read and enjoy my books. I am not doing it to become a best-selling author and make a lot of money. I want my characters to come alive and for their challenges to resonate with readers.

So far, it is really, really worth it. It is a labor of love.

Temptation-A Misalliance with Love

“Gazing out over the water meadow and the reeds blowing in the gentle breeze, she picked up her brush. Dipping the brush into the water in her jar and then into a tiny cake of paint, she passed swift brushstrokes over the page filling in light and shadows on the face she had sketched. She glanced back at Philip under lowered lashes.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis. A Misalliance with Love.

The Wedding-A Misalliance with Love

“After his eyes traced her movement down the aisle on her father’s arm, Alton seemed distracted and preoccupied, his attention wandering rather than focusing on the promise they were meant to share. Even when the exchange of vows and rings approached, his mind seemed elsewhere.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.

Sinclair sees Rosie for the first time-A Misalliance with Love

“His eyes swept the room, taking in the fetching bouquet of debutantes in their brightly colored afternoon party frocks. Their hues mimicked those in a garden—rose pink, mossy green, bluebell, lilac, sunflower yellow, and water blue. His eyes came to rest on the champagne curls of the girl sitting beside Lady Penelope Haverford.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis-A Misalliance with Love.

Rosie and Sinclair-A Misalliance with Love

“After dinner, Rosie decided to introduce Sinclair to the intricacies of mahjong, and they laughed and engaged in friendly banter. Sinclair couldn’t help but notice how graceful her movements were as her slender fingers carefully placed her pieces. The wicked smile in her eyes and the champagne curls that escaped their pins and rested softly against her neck tempted him.”

Excerpt From: Dee Harper Lewis- A Misalliance with Love.

A writer’s dilemma: Motivation

Someone in a writer’s group posed the question – Does your main character need to have an intense motivation for something? What does your character want? The Op’s dilemma was that her character didn’t want anything – until the end.

It seems to me lack of clear motivation means the character is on a journey of discovery. Perhaps the character is running away from something rather than running to something.

That’s perfectly legit and quite good as long as the ultimate goal is hinted at along the way. We need that trail of breadcrumbs. The end goal shouldn’t seem like something pulled out of thin air. In the end, the reader should feel that what the character finally wants makes sense, given their history.

My characters have strong goals. In A Misalliance with Love, Rosie needs a home and family but has a burning, almost crippling desire for independence. Sinclair Talbot wants validation and esteem.

In my next book, Guinevere wants family, stability, and appreciation. The Duke wants hope and love.

Characters are motivated by their desires even if they do not yet know what those desires are.