Hope. Dreams. Life... Love: The Marriage List

The Marriage List

(The Worthington Brides)

by Ella Quinn

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

By popular demand, USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn returns Regency England’s beloved extended family, The Worthingtons, for the first in a sparkling new spin-off series! Determined to tame the marriage market on their own terms and make advantageous love matches, three confident sisters draw up a list of qualities they expect their new beaus to meet. But as they are about to discover, people are hardly ever perfect and the road to love is far more thrilling and interesting than they could ever have imagined…

As part of a large, rambunctious family, Lady Eleanor Carpenter has gained some knowledge of what makes a successful marriage. She’s even compiled a list of essential qualifications in a potential husband. John, the Marquis of Montagu, seems of good character (check), with money enough to support a family (check). But what of the many other requirements on her list?

Montagu, meanwhile, believes the key to a comfortable life lies in marrying someone quiet and docile. Yet the one lady who captivates him could hardly be more different to what he envisioned. Lady Eleanor is as opinionated as she is lovely, determined to improve working conditions for coal miners, even at risk to her own safety.

From evenings at Almack’s to carriage rides in Hyde Park, this Season will contain many pleasures—and a few surprises that compel both John and Eleanor to rethink their expectations. For one thing is certain: love will not be defined by any list . . .

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EXCERPT

John, the Marquis of Montagu, had noticed the three young ladies headed for the gate, and his gaze lingered on the one riding closest to him. She had a fine seat. Perhaps he should add that to his requirements for a wife. Since he’d arrived in Town, he had found himself distracted by the problems at home. Fortunately, it was still early, and the Season had not yet begun. He had to find a wife. His mother and sister would nag him until he did. And it was his duty. If only there was an easy way to go about it. Perhaps he’d meet some gentlemen who were looking for likely husbands for their daughters and John could arrange a match. Of course, the lady would have to agree. He didn’t want a wife who didn’t want him.

“We need to discover a way to meet them,” Giffard, the recently elevated Marquis of St. Albans, heir to the Duke of Cleveland, said.

“If they’re making their come outs, we will not be able to avoid it.” John had already decided what he wanted in a spouse. Someone who was not interested in politics, or causes, or charities. A lady who would not bother him about what he should do. He’d be happy if she read nothing but novels and knew only polite conversation. In other words, someone the exact opposite of his mother and his twin sister. An arranged match was looking better and better.

“I need a lady who will be acceptable to my father.” Giff scowled. “Excellent bloodlines are important. She must also be intelligent and not afraid to stand up to him. He detests cowards.”

“I’m surprised he did not make a match for you.” John’s mother had tried that with his sister to no avail and had suggested she provide him a list of names. Of course Aurelia’s godmother had helped her stand her ground until she’d found Lytton and married him. John had been lucky that the lady his father had wanted him to wed eloped with another man before they married. But that was four years ago. He’d been the head of the family for over three years, and it was time to take a wife.

Take a wife. It was his mantra until he completed his task.

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

No. I never even thought I’d be an author of fiction. I’d been a lawyer for twenty years and had been published in professional journals, but it never occurred to me to write fiction. I was fifty-eight and had been an attorney for many years when I suddenly wanted to do something else. Which is the perfect segway to the next question.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

As I said above. I was looking for something else to do. One day a video of an angry Regency lady started playing in my head. No, I’d been reading Regencies for almost fifty years at that point, so that it was a Regency wasn’t surprising. What was surprising and a little annoying was that it wouldn’t stop. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down at my computer and wrote the scene. By the end of a month, that scene turned into a 100,000 word manuscript, and I had to find something to do with it. I was living in the Caribbean and there were no local writers groups or anything else, so I went online and through trial and error, found how to submit my book to an agent. Fortunately, for me my journey was very fast. I submitted that first book, and got some interest but no offers. A friend who had worked in publishing in the Netherlands told me to write three books, and I did. I received an offer for my second book eight months after I’d written the first book. Eight months later I received my first contract that included the first book and the two others I’d written. The first book, The Seduction of Lady Phoebe, released just over two years after I’d written the book.

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

There are so many. The first two to pop into my head are Jo Beverley (who is no longer with us) and Elizabeth Hoyt. They write very differently, but they are expert story tellers. Mary Jo Putney is another author who is an auto buy for me.

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

The best part is seeing the story unfold and getting to know my characters. Although they can be frustrating when they won’t do what I want them to. The worst part is writing to a deadline, but that’s part of the job. And I’m not the only one who struggles. Julia Quinn once told me she didn’t start her books soon enough. I completely understand that feeling.

5.What are you working on now?

The next book in my current series, The Worthingtons. The current book, the one I completed this summer, and this one are about three young ladies that have been raised together. Two, Eleanor and Alice are twins, and Madeline who is the same age, is their sister-in-law. Alice kept popping into Eleanor’s book. Eventually, I had to cut scenes and keep a separate file for them. The nice thing about writing a long series is that I usually know which book is next.

Thank you for having me on your blog.

You're welcome, Ella. I enjoyed reading about your journey from aspiring author to published author.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side (political science professor and lawyer). Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of almost fourty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, a Great Dane named Lilibet, and a cat named Winnie. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true lived on sailboat for three years. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement. She expects to be back on the boat in 2022.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

Author Contact and Social Media:

Website: https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quinn

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-List-Worthington-Brides/dp/142015446X

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