I’m happy to take part in the Kismet Book Tour for THE WHITE SWAN AFFAIR! Check later back for my “Romancing the Read” review!
Want to win a copy of one of Elyse Mady’s sizzling romances? Read on to find out how to get your hands on a digital copy!
THE WHITE SWAN AFFAIR
By: Elyse Mady
Publisher: Carina
Formats: Paperback and Electronic
Published Date:
Pages: 172
Genre: Historical Romance
Age Group: 18+
Order THE WHITE SWAN AFFAIR at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Publisher’s Synopsis: London, 1810
After the tragic death of her beloved, Hester Aspinall vowed never to be ruled by her passions again. Still, she is drawn to her landlord, handsome adventurer Thomas Ramsay–but she doesn’t fool herself that a man of his station would look twice at a poor tailor’s sister.
With the sea for a mistress, Thomas has no intention of entering into matrimony. And yet, he can’t get the plain-spoken and desirable Hester out of his mind, even though she’s never tried to secure his attentions as other women do.
Everything changes the night Hester’s brother is arrested during a raid on a gay brothel, the infamous White Swan. With no one else to turn to, and terrified Robert will hang for his crime, Hester accepts Thomas’s offer to bear the cost of the defense. A true gentleman, Thomas expects nothing in return–but Hester is no longer able to deny her own desires…
She may offer her body eagerly, but can she protect her heart?
About Elyse Mady: Website, Facebook, Twitter, goodreads
Elyse Mady is the author of “Learning Curves”, “The Debutante’s Dilemma”, “Something So Right” and “The White Swan Affair”, with Carina Press. In addition to her writing commitments, Elyse also teaches film and literature at a local community college. In her free time she enjoys (well, enjoys might be too strong a word – perhaps pursues with dogged determination would be better) never ending renovations on their century home with her intrepid husband and two boys.
With her excellent writerly imagination, she one day dreams of topping the NY Times Bestseller’s List and reclaiming her pre-kid body without the bother of either sit-ups or the denunciation of ice-cream.
Author Interview
Would you want to be involved with one of your heroes in real life, or are they better suited for fiction?
I’d be happy to be involved with any of my heroes. I’m of the firm opinion that if I don’t find them sexy, neither will the readers. Thomas Ramsay, the hero in “The White Swan Affair” is so staunch and determined to do the right thing. He’s brave and he’s adventurous but most importantly, he’s broad-minded. Given the situation Hester finds herself in – the danger that her brother’s arrest for sodomy represents to both siblings – that’s really important.
What, if anything, do you think your romantic heroes have in common from one book to the next?
I was actually talking about this with a friend of mine who’s read all of my books and trying to articulate it, it boiled down to the fact that my heroes are men who like and respect women. Sometimes, I get the sense that alpha heroes in traditional romances don’t actually like the women they fall in love with. They want to sleep with them. They want to sweep them off to their private island/exact revenge/take over their company but they don’t actually *like* women.
I like men who like women. Capable women. Funny women. Strong women. That doesn’t mean the heroines don’t love or need the men but they’re not helpless or crippled without them. Loving each other makes their lives fuller, it doesn’t simply paper over some gaping emotional void. So those are the types of men I write about in my stories. I suppose it’s not surprising, since those are the men I choose to spend time with. My father. My male friends. My husband.
Do you have a favorite hero or story that you’ve written? Which one and why?
Gee, just ask me which one of my kids I like better, why don’t you? I don’t have a favourite. I fall a little bit in love with each one as I write them, though.
What made you decide to make Hester’s brother, Robert, homosexual?
Robert Aspinall is actually based on a real character, who was in fact gay. In real life, Aspinall was a tailor, who lived in Great Wild Street, and who was amongst the more than twenty men who were arrested in the raids on the White Swan. So it wasn’t so much that I made him ‘gay’ as I knew that he was and I imagined what that would mean for a man of his time. I asked questions like “What would it be like to support someone who was suspected of being gay?” “How would the larger community react?” “What personal sacrifices would the suspect and his family endure?” “What sort of person would support them?” That’s how Hester and Thomas came to me. Answering those questions, their characters, and Robert’s since almost no biographical information was provided in the newspapers, came into focus.
It’s unusual in historical romance (but more common in historical fiction) to meld the fictional and the actual. When I became interested in the events that happened during and after the raid on the White Swan, I wanted to explore them because I thought that they deserved to be talked about. When unpleasant history is covered up, it cheapens the experience of the people who lived through it and makes it difficult to gauge how far we’ve come.
What’s the strangest setting you’ve ever had for a scene in one of your books?
In “The White Swan Affair”, the setting that was the most challenging to write was Newgate Prison. It really was a hellish place – fetid, violent and full of despair. Balancing that grim reality with the development and experiences of the characters was a challenge – after all, Robert and Timothy fall in love while in prison and Hester and her brother reach an understanding there, too. I didn’t want the inherent drama and threat to overwhelm the people themselves. They had to be front and centre but still convey the horror and grim reality to the reader so that they could experience it as viscerally as possible.
Thank you for having me today. I’d love a chance to give a reader a signed copy of my e-book “The White Swan Affair”.
Discussion: Elyse would love to know what readers think makes a great hero in a romance? What makes them fall in love with the character? Their appearance? Their outlook? Their sense of humour?
Fill out the Rafflecopter entry form to win a copy of one of Elyse Mady’s romances, including THE WHITE SWAN AFFAIR!
Monday, June 18th – Peace, Love, Books
June 19th – Endlessly Bookish Wednesday
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June 22nd – Romance Book Junkies
Monday, June 25th – Librarian Mouse Tuesday
June 26th – Sweeping Me Wednesday
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June 28th – Books Are Magic Friday
June 29th – Romancing The Darkside
July 2nd – That’s Swell!
July 3rd – My Reading Room Wednesday
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[...] I’m visiting That’s Swell to discuss heroes in romance [...]
Nice interview. Thanks for sharing more about the book and characters.
I love the honourable hero, the one that puts duty above all. I like reading about the interaction between the H/H & how they build their relationship & discover their feelings. Humor is wonderful of course, but I like it too when the writer describes the intensity of their feelings. I adore it when the hero gets all possessive!
Great interview! I love reading about heroes that respect women so I’m glad to hear that these are the types of heroes here.
Alexis @ Reflections of a Bookaholic recently posted..No Foodie Fridays BUT…
Oh, I love those book covers! And really fun questions. I love to let my imagination run wild and daydream about dating fictional heroes, so I’m glad to hear that some authors do the same.
Thanks so much for the giveaway.
Missie, The Unread Reader recently posted..Fairy Metal Thunder Read-Along & Scavenger Hunt: Week One
“That doesn’t mean the heroines don’t love or need the men but they’re not helpless or crippled without them.”
That is the perfect description of my favorite type of heroine! I don’t need the heroines to be badass, but I like them to be their own person and capable of a multitude of things:) I’m seeing this book everywhere today and am having a blast following the tour, can’t wait to read Hester’s story for myself!
Jenny recently posted..Review: The Last Princess