As seen in the September issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.
Uncaged: Your latest release, The Duke’s Scottish Lass was once published under a different title, and now is the prequel to a series. Were there plans in the beginning to give the secondary characters their stories too, or was it a bit of a surprise?
As soon as I wrote the The Duke’s Scottish Lass, I was intrigued with Stone. But because the story was in a Kindle World, I couldn’t publish his story. Even then, readers started emailing me, asking if/when the brothers’ stories might be told, Stone’s in particular. Of all the stories I’ve written, I think the most people have asked about him. When I got the letter that Kindle Worlds was closing shop and I’d be getting The Duke’s Scottish Lass back, I gave a cheer. Finally, I could write these stories that had been kicking around in my head!! Scottish Devil, Stone’s story will release on September 4, 2018! And I am in the process of writing the second brother’s book. Blair Sinclair is an awesome hero. His story, Wicked Laird, is one of my favorites in a long time. I can’t wait for it to come out!!!
Uncaged: What do you have coming up next that you can tell us about?
Oops! I answered that already. I have another Regency series that has an upcoming release. This series is a spin off from my recent book, Earl of Sussex. My Duke’s Desire releases on October 2nd. In Earl of Sussex my heroine, Tabbie, has two siblings. This is her brother’s story. He is determined to remain single but fate has other plans.
Uncaged: Since you’ve been writing for a while now, how much research do you still do for your novels?
It can vary wildly. I always need to look up something. How much might a pony have cost in 1820? When did ships start having steam engines? I try to make sure I have the details right!
Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?
I do. It can be a mixed bag in terms of my reaction. The positive reviews are always wonderful. A story takes months of work and a lot of my heart, to complete. When I do get a negative review, I try to view them as a learning experience. There are things I can take away from it to be a better writer. Occasionally one gets under my skin. It’s part of the process for sure but I am prone to insecurity like most of us are!!
Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?
Oh geez! That is tough. I’ve gotten a lot of wonderful feedback. One of the most touching moments was when a reader says they cried while reading a scene in a book. Not that I want to make them sad but it tells me that I’ve touched them. That is so special.
Uncaged: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write write write… I know that advice is given all the time but it’s true. It’s the only way to get better and having a backlist of books attracts readers!
Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?
The beach. Though I have to confess I bring a notebook and jot down ideas. Without a bustle of activity, the ideas really flow!
Uncaged: What can you tell us that is very unique about you?
Hmmmm… that is tough! I’ve gotten better about talking about my books but I have a tough time talking about myself! I loved books forever and ever and I’m so happy to be passing that on to my children.
Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?
To any fans I say thank you! I get to do one of the best jobs in the world because of you! Visit my website www.tammyandresen.com or find me on Facebook. www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen to find out news and events. Of course the best place to find my books is https://www.amazon.com/Tammy-Andresen/e/B018O2DL6U/
[symple_box color=”black” fade_in=”false” float=”center” text_align=”left” width=””]USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast.
Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.[/symple_box]
The Duke’s Scottish Lass
Tammy Andresen
Historical Regency
One family united by loss, driven to find love…
Lady Delia Alban absolutely cannot marry the handsome rake, Roderick Maddox, fourth Duke of Manchester, despite her brother Stone’s insistence she do just that. Though he has long reformed his ways, he steals her breath away every time their eyes meet and she simply doesn’t deserve that kind of happiness. Not after the death of her brother, Reginald. She must pay penance, because, if not for her, he would still be alive.
Roderick Maddox, has known for years he would marry Delia. Before Reginald’s death, he made a promise to his friend, not only would he care for Reginald’s sister, but he would reform himself into the type of man Delia deserved. He never expected Delia to ignite such passion or to be so resistant to him. Nor did he realize he held the secret about Reginald’s death that could crush their budding feelings forever.
Six siblings unite after the death of their parents around their eldest brother, Stone. They consider blood to be a binding oath and vow to protect one another. They all must face their own demons as they find love and their places in the world.
This story was formerly published as Taming a Lady Wolf. Delia’s brother’s decided their stories needed to be told as well. This is now the prequel novella to the series, Brethren of Stone.
Excerpt
Prologue
Dundee, Scotland 1790
Roderick Maddox, fourth Duke of Manchester, stood at the helm of his newly acquired ship, and surveyed the river inlet he was steadily maneuvering. He was about to visit his Oxford chum, Reginald Alban, the third of five brothers, the sixth Alban a sister. She was the real reason for his visit. Reginald’s eldest brother, Stone, held a Scottish earldom but had been wildly successful using their coastal land to run a shipping company, among other endeavors. The Albans had become one of the richest families in all of Scotland.
That reason alone made Lady Delia a wise choice as a prospective bride. Though the wedding would not be held for at least five years as Lady Delia was only thirteen. Beyond her wealth, however, Reginald had told him, with a twinkle in his eyes, that Delia was one of the few ladies on the island capable of mending Roderick’s ways. After all, she held five older brothers in check. And his ways, in truth, were in need of mending. After the passing of his father, he’d found himself in charge of a dukedom, and its less-than-stellar assets, but without much direction or knowledge of how to improve them. Nor was he terribly popular with the ton. A few trysts with questionable ladies had given him quite the reputation—not that he cared.
Even if she could not tame him, he was certain starting a shipping company with the Alban brothers definitely would; and so he was off to meet his prospective bride and her family. Should all go well, he would enter into business with the men when he married their sister.
His navigational skills were improving by the day and he reckoned one more bend and he would reach their private docking harbor. It was essential he master this skill if he were to join their shipping business as the southern branch. The river narrowed slightly and the water moved faster. Large rock faces jutted up on either side of him, making him feel closed in, almost claustrophobic.
Just up ahead, he noticed several men standing on one precipice of the cliff. He smiled, recognizing Reginald instantly. But the smile died on his face. There was an oddness to their behavior. Shoulders hunched, they paced, nearly running into one another, their eyes trained down, closer to the water.
He followed their gazes until his eyes reached an overhang halfway down the cliff where a small figure crouched on the narrow ledge. His gut clenched, the little one was too far down for the men to reach. Moving swiftly toward them, he watched as Reginald and two other men attempted to lower someone down. He looked to be a teenager, thin and lightweight, but he had barely been lowered below the lip of the cliff when a shower of rocks rained down, splattering the water and the ledge on which the child rested.
The little head lifted and terrified eyes met his. His heart raced faster. A girl with the largest, bluest eyes he had ever seen looked at him with absolute terror. Her skin was nearly white, making the shade of blue even sharper. She may have screamed but the noise of the rushing water muted the sound so that it looked as though she mouthed the word, “Help.” Then his racing heart nearly stopped. Between her pale countenance and her voiceless plea, it was almost as though she were already a ghost.
Roderick looked up for but a moment to see his friend, Reginald. “Catch her,” he mouthed over and over. He turned his focus back on the child, her eyes were still trained on him.
They were nearly underneath her when a noise did rise over the water. A large crack rent the air, and Roderick didn’t have to look to know that the cliff was giving way above. He didn’t know what would happen to the men standing there, but he couldn’t focus on them now. His eyes stayed on her and he yelled louder than he had ever yelled anything in his life. “Jump, jump now!” He moved down the ship as it passed to stay under her and his brain screamed a prayer—jump, please jump, just jump, I beg you jump—but he was running out of room on the boat. She wasn’t going to do it. He would pass her by and, unable to look away, he would watch her be crushed by falling rock.
Four more strides and he would reach the end, three and he would run out of space, two and then it would be too late, one and suddenly she saw the end too. All in one motion, she stood and hurtled herself into the air. Her body sailed toward him, arms and legs splayed wide, trying to slow her momentum. Dimly, he was aware that she was larger than he had thought, but not one second later, his hands made contact with her torso and he pulled her toward him. With a force he wouldn’t have thought possible, her body crashed into his and he stumbled backward, hitting the rail. For a sickening second, he thought they might both fall into the tumultuous water, but he clenched every muscle he had, even his face turned to granite, as he held her to him, both leaning out over the foaming, churning water.
Her eyes, even larger and bluer than they appeared on the cliff, stared into his. Unable to look away, by increments he straightened up with her in his arms so that they were not leaning over the water but solidly on the boat. “You’re all right,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I’ve got you, you’re fine.”
Her purple lips parted, as though to answer, but nothing came out and then he watched as her eyes blinked twice and then closed. Her body went limp against his. For just a moment, he was afraid that he had still lost her, but then her warm breath blew across his cheeks even as her body went limp in his arms. He clutched her tighter and finally peeled his eyes away from her face.
In that instant, he knew that this was Delia. Reginald had been correct. This slip of a girl would change his ways because, in this moment, something deep inside him shifted. He would give everything he had to keep her safe from harm. Life came into sharp focus.
From up above, a shower of large boulders cascaded into the water and the smallest flash of white caught his notice. His eyes raised up to the top of the cliff but all the men above trained their gaze to the foaming river where the rocks had crashed.
His brow crinkled, Reginald wasn’t there.
Uncaged Review
Tragedy, guilt, loss and finally love and forgiveness. One man holds the key to unlocking all the guilt within the family so they all can heal from the loss of Reginald, and only one man can spark the passion in Delia. This book takes off right out of the gate, and the reader is grabbed and thrown into the story along with the characters.
Roderick Maddox has tried to reform himself, to be the man that Delia deserves, because of a promise and oath to a friend. But Maddox also is the key to helping this family past its guilt and pain over the death of their brother, Reginald.
This is an emotional story that will have the reader rallying around the characters as much as they do with each other. My one minor gripe is the book is too short. I wanted more – but what I got was a family and a world I can’t wait to read more of.
Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars
