My Place - Impetuous by Katherine Grey

After a break last weekend, it's time for another visit at My Place. Today, I welcome historical romance author Katherine Grey. She explores the fashionable hub of Regency England, London.

Over to you, Katherine...

As a young girl, I loved all the fairy tales with Prince Charming in them – Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty to name just a few.  I think my fascination with the whole idea of Prince Charming led to my interest in England.  The royal family and all those dukes, earls, and such were the real life equivalents in my mind.  As a teenager, I spent many an hour devouring books on English history.  I read everything from biographies, to the “day in the life” type books, to books on military campaigns.  And then a friend’s mother introduced me to the novels of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.  My love and fascination with the Regency period was born and continues to this day.

I primarily write historical romances set in Regency London, but hope to branch out into romantic suspense as well in the future.  My debut novel, Impetuous, was released through The Wild Rose Press in August 2011.  My novella, The Muse, involving a secondary character from Impetuous will be release in 2012.  I’m a member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and various internet romance writers groups.

My Place:

Welcome to Regency London where the men of the Beau Monde spent their days frequenting such places as White’s and Boodles.  Both are gentlemen’s clubs that still exist today.  White’s is more well known of the two and is famous for its bow window and betting book where thousands of pounds were wagered on sports, political developments, and social events, such as whether a friend would marry that particular year, and/or whom the friend would marry.

Both the men and women of the Ton spent time in Hyde Park, particularly along Rotten Row, a broad track of approximately 4,500 feet along the south side of the park used for carriages and later horseback riders.  It was one of the places to go and be seen among upper class Londoners.  The park is divided in two by the Serpentine River (though it’s actually a lake). Hyde Park is the largest of four parks that form a chain from the entrance of Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Green Park past the main entrance to Buckingham Palace, through St. James’s Park and ending in Whitehall.

Grosvenor Square is located in the exclusive district of Mayfair in London and was originally developed around 1721.  Grosvenor Square was one of the three or four most fashionable residential addresses in London with many leading members of the aristocracy living there.

These are just a few of the places one would frequent as a member of the aristocracy in Regency London.  

Blurb:

Impetuous

Mateo de Montayas, an impoverished Spanish count, comes to England to recover a stolen family heirloom and to satisfy his hunger for revenge against the man who destroyed his family. Arriving in London, he learns his hated enemy died three years before but has left behind a daughter. What better way to retrieve the heirloom and exact revenge than to use her to his advantage?

Teresa Darlington will do anything to keep scandal away from her frail mother and prove her father wasn't a thief, even risk her reputation in a race to find the missing heirloom before the Count does. But she didn't count on falling in love with the man determined to ruin her family. Can she find the heirloom before he does and protect her family, or will her heart lead her in a different direction? 

Excerpt:

Teresa cast a furtive glance around the darkened garden. Now that it was time to put her

plan into action, she wished she were any place but here. Had she finally allowed her impulsive nature get her into something she couldn’t get out of? 

Determined to silence the fears clamoring within her, Teresa forced herself to go over all

Freddie had taught her in the last week. She checked her pocket for the stub of candle she

grabbed earlier. 

With one last prayer, she hoisted herself up and through the window. A surge of adrenaline flowed through her as she realized she was in one of the two libraries the Marquess of Kingsbury kept well maintained. Elated that her memory had served her correctly, she wandered around the room, her hand trailing over the many bookshelves. If she could remember the layout of each townhouse on her list as well as she did this one, getting in and out of the houses would be one less worry.

Her hand on the doorknob, she took one last look at the window. Once she left this room, escaping without detection became even more dangerous. The handle turned beneath her hand. Stifling a startled cry, she backed away from the door. Hide! her terrified mind screamed. She raced toward the window.

As freedom loomed in front of her, a hand clamped around her arm and dragged her back.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Her body went limp with relief as Montayas’ deep tones filled the room. Yanking her arm free

with a nonchalance she didn’t feel, she moved closer to the window. “I’m trying to protect my father’s reputation just as you are here trying to ruin it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play the fool with me. I know you’re searching for the Pequena. How can you threaten to

expose my father as a thief when your property isn’t even in his family’s possession?”

Montayas glanced toward the door. “Be quiet.”

“You’ll not silence me. I want the answers I should have demanded when you first voiced your

ludicrous accusations.”

He clamped his hand over her mouth.  “Someone’s coming,” he whispered, pulling her into

the shadows of the heavy brocade curtains. He glanced out the window and then back at the door.

Voices. Teresa heard them now. Still indistinct but louder.

Montayas gave her a warning look then removed his hand from her lips and positioned her in front of the window.

She struggled against his grasp. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

With one quick shove, he pushed her through the opening.

Barely suppressing a scream, Teresa fell through the air and landed on her knees with a soft

thud. The short fall stole her breath. Thankfully, the thick grass of the formal garden had acted as a cushion.

Seconds later, the count joined her on the lawn. He grabbed her hand and ran toward a small copse of trees. In the leafy shadows, he turned to face her. “Are you trying to get me killed?”

“Me?” she shrieked. “I didn’t just push you out a window.”

Author Links:

Katherine’s blog: http://katherinegrey.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katherine-Grey/265375626827267

Buy Links:

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=905

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Impetuous-ebook/dp/B005J7K52M/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2 

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impetuous-katherine-grey/1105052736?ean=2940013040984&itm=4&usri=impetuous#CustomerReviews