To Love A Wicked Lord by Edith Layton

Edith Layton.  My mom.  Or more accurately, who my mother became when she published her first romance novel.  More than 30 novels and a zillion novellas later, she never ceased to be amused by the pseudonym she was saddled with and the alter ego that it implied. 

"That Layton woman" had scores of fans, wrote delicious love stories lush with historical detail and most certainly, she lived a lavish cosmopolitan life to match.

The real Edith wrote those award-winning stories and had tons of fans but was a Jewish lady ensconced in a boring 'burb chosen for the school district.  She preferred a night in with a book and her dog to most anything.  And she was really quite shy, but always funny enough -- especially after a glass of white wine -- that others didn't know it.

Thanks to all the Wenches for letting me come by to plug her upcoming book.  I so appreciated the tribute post that the Wenches put together and of course, all of the wonderful comments her friends and fans left on it.  I've been here before.  And if you've seen anything of me, you know I was her biggest fan and I would promote her books in brazen ways she'd never dream of.  For my mother's idea of big time promotion was, at most, making up some bookmarks and getting the courage up to apologetically give them to the local booksellers who had known her for years.  Luckily for her, her books were good, damn good, and took flight off the shelves on their own.

My mother purely loved to write her books.  She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, stage III-c over five years ago.  She chose not to tell most people.  She didn't want pity or to be written off.  But mainly, she didn't want to stop writing.

After surgery she endured more rounds of chemo than I can remember.  And although it was not easy, and rarely let up, she did do remarkably well, considering.  Most friends and neighbors -- and even the Wenches -- had no idea she was ill.  She looked fantastic (evidence at left) and the next book being due kept her moving, looking ahead and rarely dwelling on the awful truth. Instead, her characters and a genuine belief in true love buoyed her.

She finished TO LOVE A WICKED LORD at the end of March, and at the time, she (and I) had no reason to believe she wouldn't get right back and write the next one.

And how is the book?  Well, you won't believe me.  I'm an unreliable source. But I tell you it's fantastic.  Not merely passable, but truly touching.  I read it for the first time doing the final corrections on the manuscript.  Of course, there were hardly any corrections to be made, what with her wonderful friend Joan as first reader and proofer.  So I was just able to simply enjoy it.

But don't take my word for it.  Along with the Romantic Times review, here's what Library Journal had to say-- this from their column that, I think, came out today:

VERDICT With a nod to The Scarlet Pimpernel, Layton quickly lures readers with a mesmerizing mix of appealing, exceptionally well-delineated characters, witty, engaging dialog, sexual electricity, unexpected passion, and a nonstop pace that keeps the pages turning until the end.

So there.

I can't express how much I miss my mother.  I'm currently nine months pregnant, working full time and I lost my closest confidant and biggest fan.  That's us on the left, wearing a big mess of patterns and showing off our radiant vampire pallor at a wedding three years ago.

For however driven she was with her career and each historical fantasy she erected and took up residence in, it continually amazed and perplexed me that her children always came before it.  And oh, she bragged about us way too much.  I would joke that if I landed in prison, my mother would surely tell people about how expertly I made my license plates.  She was always in my corner, nearly to a fault. 

And although she loved her kids, she wasn't a fan of babies.  Heaven help a toddler who made a peep around her if we were out to eat!  Which is why when she became a grandmother, her bottomless love for my son was simply stunning. 

My mother was wonderfully talented and a wonderful kook.  Certainly my west coast brother and I are professional writers because of her.  Not that I believe we were handed down a fancy schmancy writing gene, but because she -- and my late father -- both dared to dream big.  Mom sat on her butt, did the work and then without industry connections, somehow endured the pain and suffering of rejection in multiple genres until a smart publisher said yes.

I hope you buy the book, of course.  Hope I haven't bored you, told too much, or not enough.

If you read the book, you'll see her dedication and her acknowledgment.  Both were added very late in the day, without my knowledge, sometime after the book was handed in. 

I'll leave you with her acknowledgments:

To all my kind and gentle readers, thank you.

Comments

[Anne Gracie]

Susie, what a gorgeous post -- it brought tears to my eyes. Your Mom not only didn't let on that she was ill, she kept us laughing, too. I knew her mostly through email, as That Layton Woman.

Just a small thing to add to your knowledge of Edith's legacy: early this year in Australia we had devastating bushfires -- the worst in our history. Everyone wanted to do something to help, not just donate money. Romance Writers of Australia organized a collection of romance books for the victims, the idea being to offer a little comfort and forgetfulness through feel-good escapist fiction. Only new books or books in pristine condition were accepted. As an organizer I saw where books came from (all over the world) and what books were sent. Someone (an Australian) sent over 40 different Edith Layton books - a tribute to the power of your mom's writing, as well as the sender's generosity and her faith that Edith's books would indeed bring a measure of comfort.

Vale Edith, and Susie -- all the best with the arrival of the baby.

[Maggie Robinson/Margaret Rowe]

I have three daughters just as lovely as you are, Susie. Edith and I are lucky, lucky women.Bless your family, and may your mom's last book achieve all the success it deserves. 'That Layton woman' is missed throughout Romanceland, but at least her words are here.

[Rebecca]

I am not a big reader of romance novels and so had not heard of your mother until I read your post. But it certainly sounds like she was an amazing person and a talented writer. I want to extend my condolences to you and your family for her loss. I lost my father in January to cancer. I still think of him every day. I may have to check out her latest book because I like the historical novel aspect.

[Mary Jo Putney]

Oh, Susie, you made me cry all over again. What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful woman. All who knew her, either directly or through her books, were enriched by the experience.

I'm looking forward to reading her last book, and know it will go right onto my keeper shelf.

Thanks for taking the time from your VERY busy life to tell us about Edith and the book--

Mary Jo

[Linda Banche]

Gushing fan here. I love your mother's books and I want all of them. Any chance the older ones will be available again? I don't care about the format. I'll take what I can get.

Last year I won an autographed copy of her "His Dark and Dangerous Ways" here. I will treasure it forever. And I'll certainly buy "To Love A Wicked Lord".

[Janga]

A lovely tribute, Susie. To Love a Wicked Lord has been on my TBB book calendar since I first saw the release date. We readers are blessed to have one more book from your talented mom and to have all those Layton gems to reread.

[Patricia Rice]

Thanks for the beautiful post, Susie. We all knew only one small part of your mother, but you knew all of her. You were exceptionally fortunate, because she was one of those Special People we meet so seldom in our lifetimes.

[Natalie Hatch]

Susie I lost my mother two years ago and it still feels like I could just pick up the phone and call her for a chat. I forget she's not around and then the pain hits again. Then I start thinking about the wonderful things she taught me and I have to smile. My twins were six months old and mum was with me every step of the way. Somehow I still feel she is, especially when the now 2yr olds get up to mischief and I think 'what would Mum do?'
Lovely post.

[Jane Irish Nelson]

Thank you, Susie, for sharing this with us all.

[theo]

What a lovely tribute to your mom. And yes, I too, am crying again. There will be days when you'll pick up the phone to call her for a chat, then remember that you'll have to do so without a phone now. But you will chat still. And always.

[Liz in Australia]

What a lovely piece you have written. It shows us the person behind the writer so clearly. I have always loved your mother's books and was very sad when I heard of her passing. In tribute I reread all of her books that I have and got great comfort from revisiting her wonderful characters. She will be greatly missed.

[liz m]

Man, she couldn't have said it any better. A perfect tribute to your mom, who as Pat Rice says we were only lucky enough to know parts of.

I score, underline, and highlight that she was relentlessly proud of her children. All of them equally and fiercely. I always hoped you were as fortunate in your parents as you appeared, and it is wonderful to know that you were. I hope you have an easy delivery, and a blessed future.

[margaret]

Ah, Susie, I miss both your parents so very much. Your loving and honest tribute to your insanely and lavishly talented mother is proof positive of how she excelled at the "mom" part of her job. And each of her books--including the new one--is evidence of her excellence as a writer.
Hugs--even if I can't quite get my arms around you right now!

[Nancy Haddock]

I barely knew your mother. I think I'd met her once or twice. But I absorbed her books, and I adored what little I knew of her.

Blessings to you and your family, and thank you for sharing the treasure that your mom was -- and always will be.

Light,
Nancy Haddock

[Patricia Barraclough]

What a lovely, lovely post. I am so very sorry the loss of your mom and your very good friend. You are very lucky to have had such a great mom. Your family will have many wonderful memories.
I hope the release of her last book does well.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Susie, you're so eloquent. Your love for Edith shines through, and your post made me laugh and cry. I hope Edith knew how much she was loved by her fans and friends. Her sense of humor was such a big part of her personality. I love how her pictures always showed her with a huge smile. I found myself smiling back at many of her photos.

Thank you so much for coming back to promote Edith's last book and to share your memories. You were very fortunate to have That Layton Woman as your mother.

[Jill]

What a lovely tribute. Thank you.

[pjpuppymom]

Susie, what a beautiful tribute to your very talented mother. Thank you for sharing your precious memories of her with us today. I'm looking forward to reading TO LOVE A WICKED LORD. It will have a place of honor on my keeper shelf.

Sending you blessings on your impending birth.

[Sue]

Most people die and are only remembered by close friends and family. Your mother lives on through her inspired writing and book legacy and will be fondly remembered by thousands of fans. I think I have all of her books and am waiting for this last one to arrived from Chapters.
All the best with the new baby; endings and beginnings in the circle of life.

[MizWaller]

Thanks Sue for saying what couldn't express myself. My fave of her books was "To Marry A Stranger". Only "That Layton Woman" could take a bad bad girl and turn her into a sympathic heroine. She will be missed.

[Janice]

My copy of TO LOVE A WICKED LORD came in the mail from amazon today. So happy to have it in my hands, and so sad that it's the last one ever. God rest her soul. We have lost another funny, intelligent, kind, wise woman, and the earth is the poorer without her.

[glee]

I loved the story. I do hope that Edith Layton's literary legacy includes the rights to the characters whose own stories need to be told: Theo the Terror and Duncan. And maybe even the story of Whitney/Whitley, the sidekick whom the copyeditor couldn't decide the correct spelling of his name. Thanks so much to Edith Layton for many hours of joy. How we will all miss new ones. We are fortunate to have the old ones to re-read.

[Lisa]

I don't know anything about your mom's books, but I know one thing: she raised a child who not only got her writing/work ethic, but a healthy dose of humility and humanity too.
This is a lovely tribute, but I also sense that every word you ever write from here on will in some way be linked to her influence too.

[medieval costume]

Wow.. Your mother is really a symbol of a great woman.. I hope all the best for you guys. You,your son and of course your mom. I hope she will continue to write more books.. :)