Mistress Of Pleasure
Delilah Marvelle
Delilah Marvelle spent her youth studying various languages, reading voraciously, and playing the pianoforte. She confesses that herein ends the extent of her gentle breeding. She was a naughty child who was forever torturing her parents with countless adventures that they did not deem respectable. Confined to her room on many occasions due to these misadventures, she soon discovered the quill and its amazing power. Long after she left the house, she continued to write for many years until discovering RWA in 1998. Her interest in history quickly led to a large and unusual collection of books on topics ranging from sex to the privy. A 2005 and 2007 Golden Heart Finalist in the Short Historical Category, Delilah finally sold her first wickedly humorous and steamy historical romance, Mistress of Pleasure to Kensington as part of a 2 book contract.
This month Delilah releases her debut novel Mistress of Pleasure with Zebra publishing. Read the interview and answer the trivia question below and you could win a signed copy of her debut novel.
1- Hi Delilah, welcome. Can you please tell us about your debut novel Mistress of Pleasure?
Mistress of Pleasure is book 1 is the School of Gallantry series. Here is the quick pitch: Maybelle de Maitenon, the granddaughter of a renowned courtesan, has no interest in her grandmother's school in London where gentlemen receive instruction – in the art of seduction. Her only desire in life is to remain independent, free from men and the shackles of marriage. But when her grandmother becomes ill, forcing Maybelle to take over the operation of the school, she discovers that men are in fact creatures of habit and simply need to be re-educated. Then Edmund Wothington, the Duke of Rutherford, dares to enrol, looking to alter not only her lesson plans but her very heart.
2-What kind of triumphs and challenges does your heroine face and how does she overcome them?
The heroine, Maybelle de Maitenon, has a lot of social and personal challenges. Seeing she is the granddaughter of a renowned French courtesan, it has made her social life nonexistent. She never played with children growing up (or rather the children didn't play with her) and as an adult not much had changed. Although she is a social outcast, she has the mind of a whip and the courage of a soldier. She comes to full terms that marriage simply isn't something she can have and she convinces herself that she is fine with that. But then her grandmother has to go open up a school that educates men on the topic of love and seduction. As if life in London isn't difficult enough. She overcomes the barriers of personal and social life by simply allowing herself to not only be herself but to find happiness in what life has given her.
3-Can you give us some insight into your hero and why readers will fall in love with him?
The hero, Edmund Worthington, the duke of Rutherford, is a social outcast himself. His own father shattered his chances of ever having love and marriage. He, like Maybelle, has resigned himself into believing that love and marriage is simply something he is not meant to have. So why will readers fall in love with him? Because he always stands up for what is right and knows how to fiercely love despite the pain love has brought unto him. He also has a wicked sense of humour that only the heroine is able to match.
4-Tell us a little about yourself and how you decided to become an author?
I don't think anyone decides to one day become an author. The stories in my head were always there, making me one, ever since I was a child. The fact that I got into a lot of trouble in my younger years and was kept in my room more often than I care to admit is what ultimately helped me develop a sense of creativity. And made to pick up the quill and write. I had nothing else to do while waiting for punishment to pass. And needless to say, I didn't stop after that. It was when I got into high school that I started seriously thinking about becoming a published author. At the time, I wanted to be the next Stephen King. Heh, heh. Of course I quickly realized by the reactions of my friends that my stories were funny, not scary. So my dreams of becoming the next Stephen King went to the wayside. It was about then I started reading Jane Eyre for one of my high school classes. I was smitten beyond belief and swept away into a world I didn't want to leave. I frantically started digging through historical books and unearthing writers such as Edith Wharton, Jane Austin, and Charles Dickens. Eventually, when there was no more for me to read (for the dead can't produce anymore) I turned to historical romances that were written by modern authors and came across WHITNEY MY LOVE by Judith McNaught. That is when I knew what I wanted to write. And I've been writing historical romance ever since.
5-Who is your favourite character in this novel and what is your favourite scene with them featured?
My favourite character would have to be the grandmother, Madame de Maitenon. She is everything you want out of yourself. Proud, intelligent and sexy, who doesn't give a damn about what society will say about a woman breaking all the rules. My favourite scene is when she finally shares a heart to heart with her granddaughter about why she became a courtesan.
6-Which character was the hardest to write and how did you overcome the challenge they presented?
I shall say “characters” instead of character, because I was running into more than one dilemma. The hardest characters to write, by far, were all the other students attending the school, meaning Lord Hawksford, Lord Brayton, Lord Caldwell and Lord Banfield. What was difficult was giving them enough depth without really understanding their story yet. You see, I'm a panster. Which means I write without any set rules or outline (yes, I'm such a rebel). So in creating these characters, I had to go beyond my “panster” ambitions and figure out who these men really were, even though I had yet to write their stories. I overcame the challenge of writing them by simply allowing them to be what they were, secondary characters waiting in the wings to become main characters. I decided to give each of the men a distinctive character that would then help me flesh out who they were and why they were attending the school. So you can say, I had to learn to leave some of my panster self behind. And because I have set myself up for the challenge of creating a unique series that has all five books taking place at the same time, I truly had to learn to work with an outline (at least some of the time).
7-Any rituals that you follow while writing (i.e. period music, candles, etc)
The only ritual I follow is that of complete silence. I cannot write when there is sound or if someone is in the house. Which poses a dilemma to those that live with me, to say the least. I do always have to be surrounded by my research books and have my frappuccino close at hand. (Keeps the mind sharp).
8-What is next for you? And are you able to give us a sneak peak?
Lord of Pleasure, which is book #2 in the series, is already done and slotted for release August 4, 2009. Lord of Pleasure is Lord Hawksford's story, one of the students enrolled at the school of Gallantry, whom you meet in book 1. I would love to give everyone a sneak peak! Here is a quick pitch:
Alexander William Baxendale, the earl of Hawksford, was once known to London and all of its besotted women as the Lord of Pleasure. Those days of frolicking, however, come to an abrupt end when he inherits not only the estate, but all of his father's responsibilities, including five, overzealous sisters and a not so proper mother. Just when he thinks his life cannot get anymore complicated, he stumbles upon Lady Chartwell; a beautiful widow who survives financial ruin by becoming the Conductor of Admissions to a school that educates men in the art of seduction. It isn't long before Alexander enrols and discovers that the greatest pleasure involves more than just the body. It involves one's very heart and soul. An excerpt can be found on my website, www.DelilahMarvelle.com