Ah! Here I am, wishing to write a new time-travel Regency, wishing to
discover a “new” time-travel device, and wishing to create two compelling
characters with their own personalities and challenges. So what do I do?
At this point, I stop and figure out a common theme here: Wishing. Okay,
doesn’t that sound like a good start for a title? And as long as I’m wishing, I
might as well wish for the top of the aristocratic chain (barring a prince or a
king): a duke. That’s right, I’m WISHING FOR A DUKE.
Next up I have to figure out a time-travel method, hopefully something I
haven’t used before. I decide on hypnotism... or rather hypnotism gone wrong...
or right! I actually did write about hypnotism once, in my paranormal romance,
PAST LIVES, but that wasn’t a Regency, so I think it works. Then I throw in the
herb thyme, just to give the time-travel a little flavor (!) and also because
it’s pronounced as “time”. And to finish the job, I use the ever-popular “He
loves me, he loves me not” game of plucking a daisy to discern if one’s true
love returns the affection.
As for the characters, I have modern-day Elaina who works for a living
and soils her hands in a trade occupation (horrors!). She is thrown up against
Mr. Toplofty Duke, Charles, of the nineteenth century, who is a lost soul, only
he doesn’t know it yet.
So there you have it!
SHE NEEDS A DUKE
Self-sufficient Elaina Wattell is on the verge of starting her own
hairstyling business. All she needs is a little monetary help from two men with
the last name of Duke. What she gets is “help” from a friend... and the herb
thyme... and a common daisy. This peculiar mix of items transports her back to
in time to 1820. Once there, she meets a duke--a real duke--and his adorable son.
As she adjusts to the different lifestyle of the nineteenth century, she tries
to figure out a way that she can return home. However, perhaps what she has
been looking for all her life is now right before her eyes.
HE... AND HIS SON... NEED HER
Widower Charles Burnley, the eighth Duke of Wolfeshire, has a void in
his life. He wastes his time with his “Wolfe” Pack, indulging in the excesses
of the seven deadly categories of sin: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger,
greed, and sloth. However, his young son, Robert, is in desperate need of a
mother. Prepared to interview Society’s eligible females for a suitable
duchess, Charles suddenly finds a most peculiar young woman has somehow turned
up on his estate. Elaina is definitely not an appropriate choice, but his son
is quite taken with her. The more Charles is around Elaina, the more he becomes
quite taken with her as well. Can a high-in-the-instep duke convince the
free-spirited Elaina to become his duchess?
A
contemporary young woman thinks she has everything she wants... until a
hypnosis session changes her mind... and her location!
Available in print at Amazon, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1406632
This book is part of the prestigious Elegant
Regencies line.
Here are
some fabulous reviews:
* 5 Stars! Every page delights! WISHING FOR A DUKE had us wishing for
more. Ms. Knight explores the inequity between the haves--aristocracy, and the
have-nots--the servants. In this time-travel Regency, a modern woman gets a
little help from her friends to heal from a past trauma. The Duke’s son,
Robbie, is pure gold and a surprise connection links the past and the present!
A very fun read!--Regency Fiction World
* 5 Kisses! Pure heaven. Here is another Susanne Marie Knight
time-travel Regency to binge on! Make a wish on a daisy, throw in a little
Thyme, a hypnotic beat here, a village healer there, and voilà! You have all
the fixings for a high-in-the-instep Duke to fall in love with a twenty-first century
beautician. Will he ask her to become his Duchess? Will she say yes? Found out
for yourself in WISHING FOR A DUKE!--The Romance Guide
* 5 stars!
A Delightful Regency Romance Journey! "Wishing for a Duke" by Susanne
Marie Knight is an enchanting and captivating Regency romance that swept me
away on a delightful journey through the intricacies of love and destiny. From
the very first page, I found myself completely engrossed in the world the
author created, unable to put the book down. Knight's writing style is elegant
and evocative, perfectly capturing the essence of the Regency era. The
attention to detail in the historical setting and the well-researched customs
and manners of the time period transported me back in time, allowing me to
fully immerse myself in the story. If you're a fan of historical romance that
combines passion, wit, and a touch of magic, then this is a must-read. I eagerly
await Knight's next literary masterpiece and wholeheartedly recommend
"Wishing for a Duke" to all lovers of the genre.--S.A. Santos
Reviews
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now for my tidbit from real life. Okay, this was a little difficult for me to pick because, I’ve never been a hairdresser; never met a duke--real or someone with that last name; and I’ve never been hypnotized. But I have been two years old and I did have a birthday party, although not while camping out and certainly not wandering off and falling into a ravine as Elaina does. Here’s a picture of my actual birthday party, surrounded by... well, not exactly Leila, Johnny, Patty, and Carrie, but close enough!
Here’s Leila, Elaina’s best friend talking:
“Listen, I’ve gotta say I think it’s really odd that [your mom] wants to
recreate the party she gave you when you were two... except that it’ll be in
her apartment, instead of being on a campout. Actually, that’s a kinda creepy
idea.”
“Yep, it’s pretty strange, for sure. But Mom’s insisting on doing it
this way. She’s invited everyone who’d been there at the campgrounds twenty-two
years ago. You, neighbor twins Johnny and Patty--they must be twenty-nine now,
and also my cousin, Carrie, who’s thirty-one.” Elaina shrugged. “Mom still
feels guilty about the... you know, the accident.”
“Yeah, I was only four so I don’t really remember it, but my mom always
talks about how you were found in a ravine three days later.”
Awake but in deep shock. Honestly, Elaina hadn’t opened her mouth to
speak for almost a year afterwards--at least that was what her mom always said.
But that was so very long ago. Elaina took a deep breath to keep that trauma
buried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Also, just to be clear, I’ve never been without the ability to speak
except for the time I had my tonsils removed. Ouch!
I hope you enjoy Elaina and Charles’ love story.
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!
