Hi everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE by Susanna Allen Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my guest post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Author: Susanna Allen
Pub. Date: December 28, 2021
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Formats: Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 288
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible,
B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
Bridgerton meets Werewolves Within in this sparkling shapeshifter Regency romance mixed with humor, steamy chemistry, and fantasy.
The Duke said he'd never get married...
The Prince Regent insists his cousin and fellow bear shifter, Arthur Humphries,
the Duke of Osborn, take a mate to ensure the continuation of their species.
After all, Arthur is an Alpha, so he must set a good example. The duke would
very much prefer to continue his comfortable bachelor lifestyle, but the Prince
Regent is not a bear to be poked.
Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, is in possession of a powerful
secret. She knows all about Shifters, her horrible late husband being one of
them. At any moment, Beatrice could reveal the secrets of the Prince and those
like him—unless the Prince can make sure she marries another Shifter.
A marriage between the Duke of Osborn and Beatrice is far from ideal for either
one, but at least they won't fall in love...right?
Witty, fantastical, and entirely unique, A Most Unusual Duke is
perfect for readers looking for:
• A delicious Regency romp with a paranormal twist
• A devilishly handsome Alpha hero
• A marriage of convenience
• A magical world to sink your teeth into
Reviews:
"Allen
continues to make this unusual genre mash-up sing." ― Publishers Weekly
"Susanna
Allen Writer's writing is SO GOOD. It sucked me right in. I think you'll love
it, too."- Julia
Quinn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of
the Bridgerton series.
Grab all 3 books in the Shapeshifters of the
Beau Monde series now!
Book Trailer:
When I set out to write a novel, there are key scenes that have sprung up in my imagination, and they're the ones that make me want to write any given book in the first place. They are also the reason I keep on plotting and working through the really hard part of authoring: all the other bits.
As well, there are the scenes that come out of nowhere that are such surprises, such gifts, that they also help get me muscling through the hard parts.
Here are my top five fave scenes in my Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series, in descending order.
5 Charlotte and Ben arriving at Arcadia
In A Most Unusual Duke, I knew I wanted Arthur, Duke of Osborn, to have his family show up unexpectedly at his falling-down house, in which he had installed himself and Beatrice, his new but not-quite-wanted wife. As Ben swept Charlotte out of their hired carriage, they had two lines of banter that defined them from then on:
“Your drive could do with a good raking,” called the lady.
“What would you know about a good raking?” The man laughed and pinched her cheek, kissed her, and gave her his arm.
I had no idea they were going to have such a bawdy sense of humor, and it only builds from there, through saucy remarks that either fly over Beatrice's head or inspire her to want to roar with laughter, which a lady simply does not do in company.
4 Arthur barging into breakfast and smelling Beatrice
I adore this scene. The household slowly becomes aware that Beatrice's essential scent has finally revealed itself and it culminates in Arthur crashing into the kitchen and having A Big Realization in reaction to it. Then he barges straight out again and no one will tell Beatrice what is going on. As always, she rallies and gets on with her day, and at the end of it, seeks out an explanation from the duke himself, as is only right.
3 Felicity meeting Alfred in his wolf form
I couldn't wait for this to happen so I wrote it immediately upon thinking of it. It really defined a lot about their relationship, before and after this occurrence, and also influenced the actions of Alfred's Beta and Omega, Matthias Bates and O'Mara, respectively. This lead to fave scene 1B in this category, which is Alfred's big reveal, hard on the heels of Felicity realizing that her girlhood dream of being swept off her feet by the most eligible bachelor in the ton has come to pass. She never imagined that said bachelor would have as big a secret...
2 Alfred's proposal at the Montague Ball
Felicity's reputation is shreds; she is the cynosure of gossip; no one believes that she is worthy of being Duchess of Lowell... I am not a fan of public proposals in real life, however nothing but Alfred going down on one knee before the whole of Regency Society would do in this case. And the ring! The ring was an absolute find and worth all the research required to discover it. Without spoiling, diamonds weren't really a thing and didn't have the same sparkly quality we are accustomed to, which lead me down a series of rabbit holes to what became the perfect offering.
1 Secret favorite scene
This may be number one because it's the most recent, but I think it's also my number one fave because it illustrates how a writer's characters often tell them who they are.
There's one action taken by my next female main character, Miss Tabitha Barrington, in A Duke at the Door that I won't spoil, but it made me actually shout as I wrote it.
I wasn't sure about her, even at that stage, after having daydreamed/synopsized/started writing the thing. As a lady apothecary, she required large helpings of composure, but was she too cool and calm? Was she too detached? And then she did what she did at a Sunday meal in Lowell Hall and her entire being expanded from there. You'll know it when you read it!
About Susanna Allen:
Susanna Allen...
... moved to Ireland for twelve months — in 1998. Having
gained a Master of Philosophy in Irish Theatre Studies from the Samuel Beckett
Centre, Trinity College, she embarked on a career in theatre criticism,
eventually moving into feature writing on all things cultural, as well as
lifestyle-oriented subjects for major Irish titles across newsprint and
magazines.
Writing as Susan Conley, she is the author of Drama Queen and The Fidelity Project, both published by Headline UK, and the soon-to-be republished That
Magic Mischief. Her memoir, Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency… and Horses is published by Trafalgar Square Books and recounts the growth and insights she acquired after having taken up horse riding as an adult, post-divorce.
Susan is living her life by the three Rs: reading, writing and horseback riding, and can generally be found on her sofa with her e-reader; gazing out a window and thinking about made-up people; or cantering around in circles. She loves every minute of it!
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Giveaway Details:
2 winners will receive a finished copy of A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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4/4/2022 |
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4/4/2022 |
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4/5/2022 |
Guest Post/IG Post |
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4/5/2022 |
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4/6/2022 |
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4/6/2022 |
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4/7/2022 |
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4/7/2022 |
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4/8/2022 |
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4/8/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
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4/11/2022 |
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4/12/2022 |
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4/12/2022 |
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4/13/2022 |
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4/13/2022 |
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4/14/2022 |
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4/14/2022 |
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4/15/2022 |
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4/15/2022 |
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I love the paranormal twist aspect.
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