Back Home and Last Post

January 2016: I return home and wait for revisions on the final book for Gentlemen of Worth.

It isn’t until the end of February that the revisions arrive. I turn them in before the end of the month.

April 2016: The cover and final edits arrive! In a few days after this post on September 6^th, A Rake Reformed will be available on Amazon.com.

That brings The Gentlemen of Worth series, and this Blog to an end.

This blog wasn’t really what I had envisioned five years ago when it started. I wanted to jot down ideas and sort out fictional situations before I set them in a novel. It didn’t turn out that way. I much preferred to spend my time writing instead of blogging about it.

What’s Next? I have already started another Regency tale. I don’t know if it’s one big book or a series of 2 or 3. As I write that I am plotting a series of Regency Mysteries. That should take a decade or two to finish.

Holiday Plans

I TURNED THE BOOK IN!!!

December 2015: The Hubby and I fly to London to spend the holidays with daughter. We’ll stay in London for a few days before heading north.

Back to Normal Life

October 2015: Now that I’m back and the clouds have cleared in my head I realize the current book I’m working on that is due in January has to be turned in while I’m away in the UK. 

Hmm . . .  

Then I realize I need to send it before I leave in December. That means it has be finished and ready to go a month early. A month.

Hmm…

Now I realize I really need to push though the story.  

Amazon 99 Romances Sale!

US Marketplace only . . .  An Agreeable Arrangement and . . .

. . . all 5 books of the Gentlemen of Worth series are on sale for 99 cents each!

Author Copies!

May 2015: It  never  gets old.

Montlake Celebrates An Elaborate Hoax

Gentlemen of Worth series . . . Kindle books 1-4

$1.99 US Marketplace  until July 10, 2015

An Elaborate Hoax

February 2015: 

Gentlemen of Worth - Book 5  

Penny’s Story: An Elaborate Hoax will be released June 2^nd 2015!

Montlake Romance has sponsored a US GoodReads Giveaway

. . . and I added an Australia, Canada, Germany, and UK Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

An Elaborate Hoax

by Shirley Marks

Giveaway ends June 15, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

Back to London, Back to the US

January 2015 :  A picture of a side trip we took to visit some family friends in Hampshire.

The New Year is here and it’s time to go home. We need to get over our jet-lag, get the bills paid, and get back to work. I know the edits for Penny’s book are waiting for me.

 There’s good news . . . the release date for An Elaborate Hoax is June 2, 2015!

FINISHED and SENT!

July  2014: Penny’s book has gone to Montlake. I have no idea when I’ll hear back from them.

The RWA National Conference in San Antonio!

Shhh…. Don’t tell the Girl

Early October 2013: Since I was broadsided with my daughter’s injury/recovery, there has been no progress on Book 5.

 I had intended to have it finished by the time I left for the RWA National Conference. As it turned out, I was lucky I could attend.

I have to get back on track and back to writing. With the departure of my daughter, I’m going to move my office into her room until her return. Shhh…. Nobody tell her.

Book 4 – Finished!

Early May 2012 – I’m very pleased with the way Book 4 has turned out. 

Now all I have to do is wait for the okay to submit it to my publisher.

A Grand Deception

April 2012 – Release of Book 3, Muriel’s story . . .

Work on Book 3

End of November 2011: Page Proofs for Book 3 arrive. I ::think:: it’s coming out in 2012 but I do not have an official date. They’re due: Dec 2^nd.

I send in my corrections, six of them, and return to Book 4. I’m still hoping I’ll finish this by the end of the year.

New Cover!

End of July 2011: I’ve just received the cover for Perfectly Flawed

Finished!

Late December 2010: Last day of the year . . . 

the first draft of A Grand Deception is finished.  

I’ll let it sit for a week and do a final revision before handing it over to the hubby for his comments.

During that week, I’ll pull out my notes for Book 4.  It’s the Duke’s story.

Romance Reviews Today!

Jane Bowers - Romance Reviews Today - www.romrevtoday.com 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SUITOR LIST- Shirley Marks
Avalon
ISBN: 978-0-8034-7796-4
January 2010
Historical Romance

1811 - Faraday Hall, Essex, England

When the story opens, the three Worth sisters are discussing Lady Augusta Worth's impending trip to London, where the eldest daughter of the Duke of Faraday is determined to find a husband. Although she arrives in London at the very end of the season, her purported beauty, wealth, and intelligence cause two broken engagements and bring several eligible peers scrambling back to town. Her two weeks are a flurry of social engagements and visits from myriad eligible and handsome gentleman, which begs the question: How can a girl ever decide amongst them?

The Duke solves the dilemma by offering to host a house party in which no fewer than fourteen of Augusta's prospective suitors are invited to vie for his daughter’s hand. Although he wants her to make a suitable match, the Duke also desires his daughter’s happiness. Thus, the Duke and Augusta’s sisters have a plan to discover and eliminate any undesirables amongst the gentlemen guests.

I confess I had a hard time engaging with the heroine of this novel in the beginning as she came across as completely superficial and egocentric. I also wondered how every one of her fourteen suitors happened to be rich, titled, and handsome, with not a toad amongst them. They all seemed a bit too “perfect.” However, as the story progressed, one by one, the flaws of each suitor were unveiled.

Although the first half of the book seemed to drag due to what I felt was a very stilted writing style, it improved in the second half when the plot became more interesting due to the sisters’ interactions with the guests. I particularly found Muriel’s talent for lip-reading a clever and original touch.

THE SUITOR LIST is a frothy and entertaining Regency romance, vaguely reminiscent of Georgette Heyer in its light comedic touches and its peppering with Regency-speak. The sisters were close knit and mischievous, the plot amusing, and the romance was, in the end, sweetly satisfying.

Victoria

Romance Reviews Today

Publishers Weekly Review!

November 15, 2010

The Suitor List 
Shirley Marks, Avalon, $23.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8034-7796-4 

Marks (Lady Eugenia's Holiday) comes up with a Regency version of The Bachelorette in this cute historical. Lady Augusta Worth, the beautiful daughter of a duke, could have her pick of the eligible men in England, but is determined to marry for love. Encouraged by her family, she invites a dozen promising prospects to a house party in the country where perhaps she can identify her soul mate. Her high hopes are dashed by her family's antics as they chase away candidates whose behavior reveals their unworthiness, leaving only Augusta's oldest friend and neighbor, Richard Wilbanks, whom she has somehow overlooked. Marks's attempts to infuse the story with humor are heavy-handed and the outcome too well telegraphed, but the setting and story pacing are pleasant. (Jan.)

2012 Literacy Signing

I'll be signing A Grand Deception at table 306 
as a new Montlake Romance author 
along with HUNDREDS of other Romance authors at the . . .

2012 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing 

Wednesday, July 25, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. 

Anaheim Convention Center, Ballroom (third floor) 
Anaheim, California

 Proceeds from book sales go to:

 ProLiteracy Worldwide, Read Orange County, 

and Literacy Volunteers—Huntington Valley 

 No outside books are allowed in the event.

Homestretch and Status

Late November  2010:  I’ve written past the gap I had earlier and I’m sailing toward the end of the story. 

I’ve updated my website since the library release on The Suitor List was October.  I gave it a “citrus” flavor.  I’m still undecided if I should commit myself to a Blog.

The Thanksgiving holiday stalls my writing progress.  I dive right back into the book after the kids leave.

Perfectly Flawed, Book 2: I still have no word whether the revised manuscript has been accepted.

The Suitor List, Book 1: I’ve decided to print some “series” stickers and apply them myself.  Not much else I can do about it now. 

No use stressing about it. Might as well sit back and have a cuppa . . .

Book 2 Complete

July 2010 – Book 2 is finished and mailed. Now I’m packing for the RWA Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The conference was to be in Nashville, Tennessee until they had that horrible flood. Now it's being held at the Swan and Dolphin Disney Resorts. What could be nicer?

I met with a dozen or so Avalon authors, met the new Editor Lia Brown, met her wonderful hubby—they make the most adorable couple—Romance novel worthy… but Gina Ardito has dibs on writing that story.

While I’m in Orlando why not hop over to the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter?

I meandered down Diagon Alley, marveled at all the paintings and statues in Hogwart's Castle, tasted Butterbeer, regular and frozen, had some pumpkin juice, shopped in Zonko’s, HoneyDukes, Filch’s Emporium, Dervish and Bangs, sent Owl posts.

I went on the Forbidden Journey THREE times, Flight of the Hippogriff, stood in line to see Olivander’s Wand Shop show.

Now I have regrets about sending in my last manuscript. I realize now I should have used owl post.