Book ♥ Soulmates: Blog Tour / Giveaway: How To Marry A Duke

Title: How To Marry A Duke

Author: Vicky Dreiling
Published: January 1, 2011 by Forever

ISBN-10: 0446565377 | ISBN-13: 9780446565370

Pages: 396 pgs, Mass Market Paperback

Reason for reading: Participating in Blog Tour/Giveaway courtesy of Hatchette Book Group.

Synopsis:

Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live. Love is not necessary--nor desired. But how to choose among a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates? Hire London's infamously prim and proper matchmaker. Then pretend she's not the most captivating woman he's ever met...

Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes. Her methods may be scandalous, but she's determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife--she'll bring him true love. Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke's affections, she longs to win his heart herself. And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan's desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker's number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.

Note from Isalys:

Hey guys,

So I read this book in time for the tour, but I haven't had a chance to actually pen my review yet...so we're going to host the blog tour with a "Review To Follow" note!

In the meantime, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Vicky took a very modern concept and adapted it nicely to Regency England. Although the novel isn't perfect, I loved that Vicky gave us a range of funny moments, sweet moments, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments...my favorite part of all, the surprising, sweet and delightfully romantic ending :)

RATING: 4 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ / of 5

HEAT LEVEL: 3 - Sensual

Check out the trailer:

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THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF MY JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION

By Vicky Dreiling

All writers have different journeys. Some paths are long. Others are relatively short. Regardless, determination plays a big part in success. Sometimes luck and timing are involved as well. That’s true of almost any endeavor we undertake. But the publishing business is highly competitive, and after all the hard work of writing a novel, there are no guarantees that a writer will ever sell a book.

Several years prior to selling HOW TO MARRY A DUKE, I had written one other historical romance. That first manuscript did exceptionally well in writing contests. At an editor’s request, I did massive revisions without promise of contract. Ultimately, the book wasn’t strong enough for publication. By then, I was a single mom and needed a job. I returned to university to complete my degree and started a new career in marketing. About the time I felt ready to write again, I started traveling 70% of the time for business in the US and Europe. I saw some of the greatest monuments in the world, but I suffered from constant jet lag. Writing took a back seat for a while.

Eventually, I negotiated with my manager to cut out most of the travel, but I had trouble coming up with a story idea. Then one night while watching TV, I happened upon a show featuring a hunky bachelor and twenty-five beautiful women all vying to win his heart. The crazy alliances and cat fights tickled me. When the show ended, an idea popped into my head: The bachelor in Regency England (minus the hot tub and camera crew). When my heart started beating madly, I knew I had to write this book.

Even though my first book didn’t sell, I didn’t dwell on the daunting odds as I wrote and completed HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. Because I knew several authors who were published, I believed that it was possible with a great deal of hard work to sell a book. I didn’t let fear of failure keep me from sending out queries, entering contests, and pitching my book in-person at conferences. It’s natural to feel a certain amount of trepidation, but I always asked myself what was the worst thing that could happen. I concluded that if I didn’t submit my work, I most certainly would fail. As far as I was concerned, I really had nothing to lose.

The most difficult part of my journey occurred after I obtained representation from my fabulous agent. Up to that point, my journey with HOW TO MARRY A DUKE had been relatively easy. I’d gotten a lot of requests from agents, and three offered representation. However, selling a manuscript in a poor economic climate proved challenging. I had more than one close call, and my frustration mounted.

Then one afternoon, I learned that two publishers had made offers on my book. That night I went to bed knowing I would sell my book the next day. Imagine trying to sleep after that news! At noon central time, I made my first sale in a three-book deal to Grand Central for their Forever imprint.

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Giveaway

January 19 - January 26

{3 Copies available}

FILL OUT THIS FORM TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

{Important: Please leave a comment on this post stating you filled out the form! Thank you!}

Rules:

• To enter the giveaway you must complete the form (linked above) and leave a comment indicating that you've completed the form.

• Books will be delivered directly from the publishers so the giveaways are only available for U.S. and Canada residents. No P.O. boxes please.

Note: It may take several weeks to receive your prize so please be patient!

• Winners will be drawn soon after the contest ends and posted thereafter.

• Winners will be chosen using random.org!