SquawkRadio Comments

I am such a fan of Laura Lee Guhrke!
Her “Guilty Pleasures” is still my all time favourite romance novel because it actually brought me back to the whole genre. I hadn´t read a romance in ages before I stumbled across GP.

I haven´t read “And then he kissed her” yet. But quite frankly I am going to order it right after I finished this post since I just can´t resist anymore.

Congratulations on your new book Laura. I always enjoy it when the hero has to work a bit.  I’m wondering what time period this book was set in and if a woman secretary was unusual or common at that time.

I’ve enjoyed reading 6 of your books....His Every kiss and The Marriage Bed were the last two that I read. Looking forward to reading And Then He Kissed Her!
Do you get to choose your title or are you offered alternatives?  Who makes the final decision and is it negotionable(written into your contract)?

Oooh, this sounds yummy, Xtina!  Must add it to my shopping list

Welcome Laura!  I loved Harry and Emma.  I read the entire book in one night.  It was so satisfying (to use Xtina’s word) to go along with them on their journey of personal growth, romance and enduring love.  One of my favorite scenes is when Harry goes back to the cottage looking for Emma and encounters the elderly couple.  As they are parting the woman says,

spoiler…

“He’s already married, he just doesn’t know it yet.” I could see the knowledge burst within Harry’s brain and heart that he had already given himself to Emma for eternity, he just hadn’t realized it.  LOVE that scene!

Is this the beginning of a bachelor-girl series?  I sure hope so!

PJ

I’m on a plane today and I’m snatching this to read!  It sounds wonderful—bravo, Laura!!

Eloisa

I’m reading this one right now and it is absolutely fabulous!--just like the rest of LLG’s books.  Can’t wait to read how this one ends.

Congrats on your USA Today listing, LLG!!

Well, I guess l’ll just have to add ATHKH to the TTB List! Sounds fantastic, Christina!

My questions for LLG (oh, btw, I bow to a certified master!), are all about craft. I’m wondering if she can she possibly comment on her process, how she builds such memorable characters, what practical writer’s tools and resources she uses-- ie. what can’t she do without in the planning stages-- and how much outlining she does before she writes the first word? (I’m having such trouble with that just now. I swore to myself I would outline this time-- and I’m trying, but I have an opening scene that won’t leave me alone, and a serious itch to get to the keyboard even though I’m still working on my characterization/plotting.) What do the PG’s (Published Goddesses) do when this happens? Or does it happen to you?

Uhm, can you tell I’m a bit frustrated?? 

Thanks for any answers!

uhh, thank YOU, Xtina. I’ve been eyeing this book every trip to Walmart now I’m going to have to buy it. TODAY.

I lurv boss/worker stories. One of my favorites.  This sounds positively yummy.

HA! My word is needs57. Yes, I do!

Over on Eloisa’s BB, we’re doing a poetry contest about romance books. Here’s my haiku tribute to ATHKH:

A girl bachelor
Pens her way to prominence
Into her lord’s heart.

This book is an absolute keeper. Great job, Laura. Squawkers, don’t miss it.

I am always on the look out for a new author and this just sounds like a great one to try.  Is this going to be a series? 

I can see that my must read pile by the bed is going to grow.

What a rave review!  I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read Laura, but plan to take care of that faux pas right away.

Okay, Squawkers.  Any suggestions as to which one of her past books I should start with so I become a definite Guhrke disciple?

This is just too strange.  I’m reading LLG’s SHE’S NO PRINCESS right now!  I know, I know, I’m behind on my reading.  And I have AND THEN HE KISSED HER in my TBR pile, so I guess we know which book is being moved to the top of that pile, don’t we?? 

Christina, you are so correct, it is SO satisfying when the man falls hard and gets his come-uppance. 

My only question for LLG is......what’s next? 

--dorothy

LLG is such a nice person - she came to visit and talk with us about ATHKH at Romance Vagabonds. 

Of course, I had my fangirl moment and was like: oh my god, LLG is here - talking to us - and oh my god!!!  LOL

I love, love, love ATHKH.  It was fantastic and I really enjoyed that it was set in the Victorian era.  Harry and Emma were such a great couple and characters.  PJ, that was one of my favorite moments, too.  I loved how he realized how he loved her and then was running back to make sure that SHE knew.  Sigh.

I wanted more of the book; which is always a great sign and wished that we could see Harry and Emma five years down the line where I’m sure that Emma would have their children lined up a la Sound of Music style.

I can’t wait for the second of the series in this book.

Laura, how many total of the Girl-Bachelors have you planned?  And do you know who the other girl-bachelors are?  Can you tell us anything about them?

Xtina, thanks for that fabulous intro. Now I REALLY owe you one.

Lina, I’m glad I was the one to bring you back to romance! Wow.

Maureen, making the hero earn the heroin’s love (the hard way) is part of my job. ATHKH is late-Victorian England, 1893, and yes, female secretaries were almost unheard of. But Harry is an enlightened fellow in some ways. He believes marriage is an antiquated institution and women ought to be able to earn their living.

Laurie G., I love your name because it’s mine, too! All my friends call me Laurie. About titles, I pick a working title, then the publisher either goes with it or suggests alternatives. We then wrangle around until we find the right one. ATHKH was my original title and they kept it.

Terri, we need to rock out at the Harlequin party again some time. That night in Atlanta was great. Many of you may not know this, but Teresa Madeiros can DANCE.

Eloisa, I’ve been snatching up your books for quite awhile now. Glad I could return the favor.

Andrea W., Hi, again! I’m glad you came and thanks for the congrats.

Chickie, I start each book with a glimmer of an idea for a character, then I figure out who would be that person’s true soul mate. Then I just go. I do no outlining until I’m at least midway through the book because I just can’t. The only way I can know my characters and story is to write them on the page.

One of my best resources is my critique group. I also “act out” dialogue when I’m stuck.

bookworm kim, I love Girl-Friday stories, too, but in historicals they are hard to do. But I will do more of them, I promise.

Maggie! No one has ever written a poem about my work before. (Well, except the guys who send me prison mail). I think your haiku is lovely. Thanks so much.

I’ll pop back by later in case anyone has more questions. Thanks, Squawkers, for the warm welcome.

Welcome Laura!  What I like about this story is how Emmaline knows all about Harry. She has handled everything in his life in and out of work-even his mistresses but Harry doesn’t know anything about Emmaline until she leaves him. It’s sort of like “My Fair Lady”.

I also loved the line from the woman at the cottage with her “husband”.  I was also wondering, if Emmaline’s new publisher might be returning in any future books?

Thanks for visiting, Laura!
Wow, this looks right up my alley! I love those historicals!

-Laura, do you see historicals sticking around? I enjoy them, but is it still an area of big interest in romance?  Thanks!

Thank you for coming, LLG! It’s great to see you here.

ATHLH was one of those books that made me sink into it like a hot bubble bath. LLG sort of telescopes the events before they happen so that the reader is anticipating the next scene while enjoying the one that’s happening. You know—ohhh, she figured out what he did ... ohhhhh mannnnnn, she is so going to make him suffer! I kept wanting to use the word “fun” about the book. I had fun.

bcc carla, yes, ATHKH is the first book of the Girl-Bachelors Series. I came across the term “girl-bachelor” in a Victorian etiquette book and loved it so much, I created a series about it. The “girl-bachelor” is the Victorian forerunner of the modern career woman. Emma and her fellow girl-bachelors live in a lodging house, and all the books sort of center around that lodging house.

What’s next is THE WICKED WAYS OF A DUKE. And the title fits. The hero is a very bad boy, a stone-broke duke who has to marry for money. The heroine is Prudence Bosworth, girl-bachelor, seamstress, and woman of no money at all, until she unexpectedly inherits millions. The hero decides to marry her for her money. He thinks it’s going to be a cakwalk. He is so wrong.

Elyssany, I’m nice? Ok, Dodd, stop laughing.

I do have several girl-bachelor books in mind, and I’m loving it so much, who knows how many I’ll do.

Elsiehogarth, Ah, yes, Simon Barringer...he is going to meet his own girl bachelor soon.

ms. mary, historical romance will always be around. I think the market waned for awhile, but it’s very strong now and getting stronger.

As an avid reder of all genres I’ve never read anything by you. I must say your new book sounds wonderful. Im always looking for new authors to read and I think I must add this book to my TBR pile.

Welcome Laura!  (And don’t let her false modesty fool you.  Laura knows how to shake her groove thang too!  Save me a dance at the Harlequin party, okay? )

Chickie, I say that if you have an opening scene you’re burning to write, then by all means, write it!  You can go back and outline more later or that opening scene may lead to more inspiration and more ideas for future scenes.  That’s what happens to me.  For every scene I have planned out, there are a half dozen that arise from that scene itself.  I find that’s when the real magic happens.

I love reading books about writers, and boss/secretary, and rake/spinster...This book sounds so good. I’m looking forward to picking it up!

I’ve never read a book by Laura, but after reading the blurb, I’m so intrigued that I’ve put it on my shopping list to order off Amazon.

Congrats, Laura on making it to the USA Today bestseller list!

Love,
Julie

I was lucky enough to read the ARC offered in the Valentines Day contest you and Elizabeth Boyle were having (please take me out of the running for the signed copy offered here so others can have a chance).  I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Emma and Harry are wonderful characters, and the book reads so quickly, a sign to me that I am completely engrossed in the story (I love it when that happens!). 

My questions to LLG: are we going to see Emma and Harry in future Girl-Bachelor books and will there be stories for his sisters Pheobe and Vivian?  When will the next book be released?

I finished ATHKH yesterday, and it was one of those books that I knew as soon as I finished it that I would reread soon. The chocolate scene was delicious!  I think Guilty Pleasures has just become my second favorite Guhrke.

How long do we have to wait for the second girl-bachelor story? I love the concept; the period is such an interesting one in terms of women’s roles.

And, Christina, I have to sneak in a word about the Darkness Chosen preview. Wow! I am not much of a paranormal reader, but you hooked me unquestionably.

Thanks Squawkers for another book and author to be added to my list. 
Welcome Laura.  I look forward to reading your books starting with “And Then He Kissed Her”.

Oo, yes, the chocolate scene! I was reading in bed and had to be forceably wrestled down so I didn’t go dip into the chcoolate stash!

Thank you, Janga, DARKNESS CHOSEN is going to be so much fun.

And I said a lot of good stuff about you, LLG. I just never said you were “nice.”

This is so cool.  I was looking for something to do on a rainy Saturday.  Now I’ll run down to the bookstore to grab Laura’s book and curl up in front of the fireplace.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Laura, that’s wonderful that Simon will get his book later down the line.  I really liked him. 

I forgot to say that the first book of yours I read was “Seduction"-I loved Trevor & Margaret and the Egyptian theme. Excellent read.

Wow, you book sounds absolutely wonderful!  The story sounds really fun and different.  Your next book sounds really good also.  I must say that you are new author to me and I am really excited to read your books. 

My question is do you base your characters off of anyone?  Do you pull certain characteristics from certain people you know?

I know this is off topic but I saw “300” last night.  It was awesome!  A lot of violence, a small love story, and a ton of nearly naked men.  I think it was the hottest movie I have ever seen.  Needless to say, I will be seeing that on the big screen again.  Gerard Butler was great as the king and he has a very very nice butt.

Welcome, Laura.  I will definitely have to add ATHKH to my ever-growing TBR pile.  It sounds wonderful--like Ms. Mary, I love a good historical!

Well, I haven’t read Laura’s books before but after that glowing review - especially the Amanda Quick comment - I gotta have “And Then He Kissed Her”!

Off Topic: FlimPhan, weren’t all those men in the 300 BUFFED? What bodies?  They were ALL beyond 6 pack abs.  Great movie.
The History Channel will replay, this afternoon, Last of the 300. It gives you more historical information about the 300, Athens, Persia etc.

ladydawgfan, yes, Emma and Harry will appear in future books. As for Phoebe and Vivian, well...I started ATHKH with the intention to do future stories for Phoebe and Vivian, but then I got so intrigued with the whole girl-bachelors theme, I changed direction. But I might still be able to do stories for Harry’s sisters. I mean, they are girl-bachelors, too. We’ll see.

Janga, I don’t know the release date of THE WICKED WAYS OF A DUKE. I guess I should find that out. Giving self headslap and reminder to call editor Monday morning. Thanks for the wake-up call.

Elsiehogarth, The Seduction? Man, that’s going back awhile! Thanks for being such a long-time reader.

FilmPhan, I don’t base my characters on any individual. They are all composites of many people I know.

You all realize that you are making it very hard to choose a winner in the book giveaway. I am going to have to put all the names in a hat before the end of the day, and just draw one. Unless one of you can manage to deliver Matthew McConaughey to my front door before 5 pm MST.

Sensuous and sensible Emma Dove echoes Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Emily Fox-Seton of “The Making of a Marchioness” fame. However, Emma is much more modern in her outlook. As others have said, the pace is quick and you arrive at the end far too quickly. The author is kind to the plight of the educated middle-class spinster falling in lust with a man of the world and the ensuing comedy and sexual awakening were handled with care.

Certainly, this is a spirited woman who knows what she likes and where to find it. I do have great sympathy with a heroine who reads widely and knows good chocolate and can imagine her pottering around Piccadilly’s grand bookshops and visiting the chocolatiers in the Burlington Arcade. The author’s love of oriental exotica was a nice touch and shows her awareness of period detail. In nods to other literature, I did enjoy the Anne Shirley-ish love for silk and puffed sleeves.

As for other characters, Marlowe is perfectly self-centred and watching his growing doubts is interesting. Marlowe’s sister, Diana, is an entertaining second female lead and (I hope) will have a place of her own in a later novel.

Thank you,thank you squawkers for another great book recommendation!
AND THEN HE KISSED HER sounds great, like a combo of the movie Two Weeks Notice and Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas.
So funny when I did a search for this book on google books I put in Laura Lee Guhrke AND THEN HE KISSED HER and page 270 of Guilty Pleasures appeared on my computer screen. I won’t give anything away for those of you who want to try this but -WHEW! I ordered Guilty Pleasures just from this page alone.
Laura you had me at page 270.

FilmPhan, I am going to see the 300 tomorrow. If you have not already, check out the movie website and Frank Miller’s graphic novel. All those sweaty mens!

Obviously I have been missing out on some really great books! 

“And Then He Kissed Her” sounds wonderful!

Since I am a new reader to your books Laura, where do I begin??!!!...LOL Are their reoccuring characters in your new book that have been in previous books?

I must confess that I have only read one of your books Guilty Pleasures and I did love that one but I have the next 3 in my TBR pile and I am going to order this one then I can read them back to back, i love historical romance and this one sounds terrific I will be reading it very soon.
Have Fun
Helen

Sound EXCELLENT. I’m already hooked. Another to ad to my TBR list! (which is dwindling fast!)

Thanks for the tip. I can’t wait till she stops in; should be a wild time!

Thanks Laura and Teresa.  You’ve talked me and my itchy fingers into it-- I think I will go ahead and write that opening scene!

I’ve tried being organic about the planning stages (or lack thereof, but hey, ‘organic’ sounds good, right?) And now I’m trying to be more disciplined about the planning stages (but aack-- it’s killing me!) so maybe a combination of the two would be the best approach. 

At least that’s what I’ll tell myself for now…

I’ve never read her either but it looks like just the kind of book that I enjoy the most.

This is the way I look at it, Chickie.  If you’re itching to put ANYTHING on paper, then go ahead and do it before the passion passes.  You can always go back and be organized and analytical later.

oooo...... I’m so excited about this book. I saw it in my local bookshop and bemoaned the price. Snatched a peak or two (which is all I can manage if I don’t want to be evicted politely), and it honestly made me skip all the way home! Really, really, REALLY can’t wait to get my hands on this book!!!

ok, so i definitely got this the day it came out, as i have with all your books since guilty pleasures and i enjoyed it much

but my favorite still is the marriage bed...i never thought i’d like a story like that with all the infidelity, etc, but i picked it up because i’d liked anthony and daphne’s story...and it was a really, really good read

can’t wait for the next girl bachelor

I love LLG’s stories! I’m so glad I found her when I did. I have ATHKH sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be opened. Unfortunately, I have midterms coming up, but maybe I can sneak in a little break..

Everyone asked Laura such great questions, I can’t think of anything except : Laura, is it possible to tell your publisher that there are people anxiously awaiting your book in WV and it is NOWHERE to be found!!! I went back to the stores today and checked out three before giving up the fight.  I am going through Amazon, which means even more wait.  I even had a discussion with a lady in the store about how we never get the books when we’re supposed too.  This is killing me, I have been wanting this book ever since I read the excerpt!!

My code word is quality57, because it knows this book is such high quality!!!!

Your book sounds great. The whole girl bachelor story sounds good. Will have to get some of your past ones now.

Welcome Laura,

The first book I read of yours was “His Every Kiss.” I was part way through the book when I knew I had found another wonderful author to read!  Last week I saw “And then He Kissed Her” at Barnes and Noble and graped it off the shelf.  I am reading Christina’s “Candle in The Wind” right now (Christina I can hardly put it down!), but am looking forward to starting your book soon, and will keep watch for the other new ones coming out.

Hi LLG!

I’m can’t wait to read ATHKH thank goodness is in my TBR pile already!

Congrats, USA Today Best Seller!

I love the cover too!

Hi, Laura!

I love your books and just finished AND THEN HE KISSED HER last night.  I’m looking forward to getting updates on Harry and Emma in upcoming books and am hoping that we can read more about Harry’s sisters.

Good point, Teresa. 

I should just go and write it while it feels fresh and then let it sit ‘til I’m ready to tackle the whole thing (or another similarly itchy scene), because once I do start I have a really terrible tendency to over-edit and overwrite-- why can’t I be such a perfectionist about housework??-- and then get stuck in the details when I should be making progress with the plot. 

That’s the real reason I’m determined to have a solid, organized ‘map’ this time, so I can keep my little chugger on the tracks and headed in the right direction!

Hi Laura.  This is the first of your books I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.  I had a tough time letting Harry and Emma go at the end of the book.  I had to wait awhile before starting something new.

I think my favorite part was the description of their time at the cottage - cooking, washing up, brushing teeth, and Emma watching Harry shave.  Sigh.  That’s the kind of companionship that melts me in real life and it was just wonderful to read.

Wow, sorry to join in so late in the day. 

Welcome Laura!  I just love it when we get introduced to authors.  I truly can’t wait to read your books.  The girl-bachelor theme will be so different than daughters of nobility.

And any author that can give a heroine the name Prudence deserves loyalty.

Kathleen, ATHKH is the first of a new series, so that’s where I’d recommend you start.

Sid, I’m so glad you liked TMB. That book sure caused some controversy, but sometimes a writer has to stretch her wings.

Terry Jo, I will certainly tell my publisher on Monday to get some books to WV right now.

Linda, CITW is fabulous. One of my all time fave historicals. You will love it!

Knitterlynn, The scenes at the cottage were fun to write and my favorites in the book. Hunky guy, weekend in the country in a hammock...what’s not to love?

Prudence, hey, your name is a great name for a heroine!

Ok, everybody. It’s time to give away that autographed copy of AND THEN HE KISSED HER. And the winner is…

Terry Jo!!!

Email me privately, Terry Jo, and give me the mailing address where I should send your prize. I hope you like the book.

Xtina, thanks so much for blogging about ATHKH, and thanks to all the Squawkers for the warm welcome. This was so fun and you all were great! Now, I’m off to read TONGUE IN CHIC, which has been sitting my TBR pile for three weeks. Bye everyone!

Chickie, I have a post-it note sitting on my desk right now that says, “Shoot for progress, not perfection!”

For us compulsive editors (or would that be WE compulsive editors?), it’s a constant battle.

Ha-- a constant battle. Ain’t that the truth!

It’s so incredibly hard for me not to go back and go over the paragraph I just wrote, and then, you know, go over it one more time ‘cuz I might have missed something, and then-- oh,wait-- I’ve got to look up a synonym because that word, that one *right there* isn’t quite… right… but oh, this one is so much better, and hey, you know what? If I cut this sentence from here and paste it there, the whole thing just flows so much better…

And then guess what?

I’m still not happy.

There really is no pleasing that blasted internal editor. I can only hope that if I ever manage to appease it, the New York variety are a little more kind!

Gonna do that post-it thing myself. “Shoot for progress, not perfection” is my new mantra. Say it with me.

Hey, if it works for the great Teresa Medieros. . .

Seriously Teresa, thanks bunches for all the tips!

LLG, I love your writing.  And thank God we have something like Christina’s ablitliy to capture it accurately in a blog such as this. 

Will go out and put ATHKH in my cart the nest time I’m in the...grocery store, book strore, drug store, etc. 

Besides, I saw you at nationals this summer and thought you were just adorable.

  Thank you Laura!! I was squealing like I had just won the Mega Millions, but this is so much BETTER!  Thank you and thank Squawk Radio for the great opportunity.

My daughter, who’s 12, says I was squealing like I had just met Orlando Bloom.

I sent the email through your website, hope that’s okay.

Again, thank all of you Ladies, I am one happy Squawkee tonight!

I know I’m late to join the party as LLG has already signed off, but I just wanted to say I LOVED “And Then He Kissed Her”.  I couldn’t put it down and hated for it to end.
It also has some really interesting secondary characters (like the older couple in the country), I’m hoping that there will be a sequel!! Harry’s sisters perhaps.

I’ve enjoyed ALL of LLG’s books, this one is my favourite of hers by far.

Desiree

Don’t worry, Desiree.  Writers ALWAYS check back the next day to see if someone is still talking about them

I’m even later, had to work all day yesterday doesn’t it figure.  This book sounds wonderful and I will be definitely be reading it though today is dedicated to Sugar Daddy.

I’m so excited...I read the blog this morning and went straight to the online e-book store I use, and they had ATHKH! I’m pretty sure I had checked for LLG’s books there before and they didn’t have any. They now have both that one, and the Marriage Bed. (I’m trying to buy mostly e-books now, for bookcase space reasons, and it’s so frustrating when they don’t have the authors I want.)

Do authors have any influence over whether their books get published as e-books?

Terry Jo, congratulations!

And LLG, thank you for visiting Squawk Radio, and thank you for AND THEN HE KISSED HER. It’s a wonderful book, one I’ll be re-reading soon!

HI All,

OK, I know I’m way late posting, but your Friday is my Saturday and trying to get to a coputer on a Saturday is...well..trying to find a swimming pool in the desert

‘And Then He Kissed Her’ sounds great! I raced off to my library’s online catalogue, and it’s already on order (my library is the best) so I’ve reserved it! And there are other Laura Lee Guhrke books! YAH! Thank you, thank you, thank you Xtina for bringing a fabulous author to my attention

orannia

Swooped into Walden books today and got Sugar Daddy, ATHKH, She’s No Princess (also by LLG) and One Night of Scandal by the lovely and gracious Teresa. (I wanted to send back all the good vibes and encouragement I got from Teresa yesterday-- plus, it looks fabulous!)

I’m so set for the week. Now, if only my March Break-ing kids would leave me alone…

I’m REALLY late posting but I just got back from the bookstore with FOUR of LLG’s older books (all the ones available).  I was inspired and can’t wait to get started!