Anne here, interviewing Mary Jo Putney about NOT ALWAYS A SAINT, the latest in her wonderful "Lost Lords" series. Mary Jo sent me an early copy which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The critics agree. Romantic Times gave it a 4.5 Stars Top Pick and said: “a beautifully crafted, emotionally intense love story. With her signature strong, unconventional characters, beautiful prose and incredible feeling, readers are gifted an unforgettable story that is heart and soul stirring.”
Library Journal, gave it a starred review and said: "A caring heroine with a sordid past who doubts her self-worth and a hero plagued by soul-destroying guilt find love and redemption in a captivating romance that is graced with impeccable character development, flawless prose, and several surprising twists."
Anne: The hero of NOT ALWAYS A SAINT is Daniel, who was the brother of the heroine of NOT QUITE A WIFE. The heroine, Jessie, is a new character, so let us begin with her. At the start of the story, the recently widowed Jessie is in need of a hasty and convenient marriage. And in our last interview you described Daniel and Jessie thus: "He's the saint, she's the wicked woman. <G>" So tell us about Jessie.
MJP: Jessie is one of my occasional heroines who is so gorgeous that her beauty has been a curse on her life since she was born. She was bullied and abused and exploited and had to make hard choices to survive. Marriage to a kind older man gave her a safe haven and a beloved daughter. Now to protect young Beth, she faces more hard choices. She needs a husband powerful enough to keep them safe, but for a lot of good reasons, it shouldn’t be Daniel Herbert!
Anne: Your hero, Daniel, goes from a busy and useful life as a doctor to the poor and needy, to being suddenly elevated to the peerage. He is delighted to be a lord, of course. . .
MJP: Ha! As you know, he hates the idea. <G> He has a good and fulfilling life as a healer and he has no desire to be bogged down with the responsibilities of estate management and a seat in Parliament. He decides he needs a nice, down to earth wife who is skilled in estate management and can do all the boring work so he can continue with his passion for healing. No high maintenance beauties need apply. Then he sees Jessie, and his world turns upside down.
Anne: As is often the case in your stories, there is a sub-plot that highlights a social issue you feel strongly about, in this case violence toward women. In the 19th century, husbands had all the rights, didn't they?
MJP: Yes, in 19th century Britain, ‘man and wife were one, and that one was the husband.’ Jessie has a very real fear that the horrible nephew of her late husband will be able to get custody of Beth, which is why she needs a husband who is strong and completely trustworthy—and she needs to find such a man fast. Not an easy task!
Anne: No indeed. It's coming out as an audio book as well — with another lovely cover. Would you give us a brief taste of NOT ALWAYS A SAINT, please?
MJP: Daniel has just arrived in London and is unenthusiastically attending a large, noisy reception for the purpose of meeting as many people as possible in a short time. He’s ready to leave when:
Daniel started to turn back to Laurel and Kirkland, then paused, his gaze caught by the profile of a woman standing near the exit, mostly surrounded by men. Her glossy dark hair was knotted up to reveal her graceful neck and the ivory perfection of her features. But there were other lovely women here. As he tried to analyze why she caught his attention, she turned a little, bringing her face into the warm light of a chandelier.
Coup de foudre. A lightning strike burned through him, paralyzing every fiber of his being. She was truly beautiful, with striking light eyes edged in darkness and a lithe figure that would shatter a stone saint, but what made her stunning was more than physical beauty. She radiated mystery and sensuality. And danger.
She looked like original sin--and he craved that promise of reckless passion as intensely as Adam had craved Eve's apple.
As his heart hammered in his chest, he knew that he was officially insane. How could the sight of a woman he'd never met affect him so? Then she turned her head further as if she felt his stare, and their gazes locked.
Lightning struck again, swift and fierce, setting his heart afire and searing through his veins. She was exactly the sort of woman he didn't need, yet he wanted her.
Insane.
Anne: Delicious! Several other of the "lost lords" also appear in the story, which is always a pleasure for readers of a series. Do you have a favorite?
MJP: I love them all! Perhaps I have a special fondness for James, Lord Kirkland, the enigmatic spymaster and fixer for his friends. He was the hero of my previous book, Not Quite a Wife, wherein he and his long estranged wife, Laurel, rebuilt their marriage. Laurel is Daniel’s sister and Kirkland is a long time friend, so it’s natural that Daniel stays with them when he comes to London to sort out his new life. Some of the Lost Lords character appear briefly, but they don’t have major roles.
Anne: I thought it was very cool that your gorgeous cover for NOT ALWAYS A SAINT was used as the cover for the official conference notebook at the recent Romance Writers of Australia conference. Kensington did you proud there.
MJP: They certainly did. I was delighted to see it.
Anne: Who's next in the series? Anyone we know, or someone new?
MJP: Yes and no. <G> Technically, the book I just finished, Once a Soldier, is first in a new series called Rogues Redeemed, but it’s a direct spin-off of the Lost Lords, and the hero is Will Masterson, who was in the Lost Lords series from the very first book. However, he was a serving officer in Spain since he only showed up directly in two of the books. Now, though, Napoleon has abdicated, the wars are over (or so everyone thinks, Waterloo is a year away), and Will is heading home via Portugal. On the way, things happen. <G> As they do! People have been asking for Will’s story for years, and I’m sooo happy to finally have written it.
Anne: As are all your fans, including me. Mary Jo will be giving away a copy of NOT ALWAYS A SAINT to someone who leaves a comment or an answer to this question: Who is your favorite rogue in fiction? (Mary Jo is in New Zealand at the moment, so might not be able to respond to comments)