Spotlight & Giveaway: Heired Lines by Magan Vernon

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome romance author Magan Vernon to HJ!

Hi Magan and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Heired Lines!

 
Hey y’all!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Would you take a deal with the devil to pay your moms medical bills? Especially if the devil was a sexy British Lord with an accent that makes your panties melt?
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

The usual suspects were already in full swing, haggling for people’s discarded treasures at the Carolina Days flea market.
Some antique dealers, older couples, then me––the recent college grad with a master’s in history and nothing to show for it. Well, I guessed I did have a pile of Mom’s hospital bills, another pile of “while your resume was promising” letters, and a lot of packing tape and boxes to mail out the array of old Pepsi signs, that being the main things that sold on my eBay site.
Plopping down at a table near a row of food trucks, I set down my bag of the day’s finds and hooked my phone up to the free Wi-Fi from the barbecue cart.
“Hopefully, some of this stuff is worth something,” I muttered and dug into the bag I made out of an old high school band T-shirt.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• The inspiration for this book came from watching an episode of Queer Eye where a man was living in a house he inherited from his great Aunt who hadn’t redecorated since the 1970s. I thought “What if a man inherited an English castle?”
•  The original vase that started Natalie and Lord Gavin’s story is inspired by a vase I found in my grandmother in law’s basement.
• I volunteer as a foster dog mom and all of the dogs in the story are based off ones I’ve met through Dallas Street Dog Advocates.
• The idea of bringing dogs into the story came from my own trip to Europe. At a winery in Sicily there were a bunch of strays that lived at the property. Strays as in they were probably the best fed dogs in the world by Sicilian woman giving them big bowls of pasta and tourists feeding them scraps.
• I watched A LOT of Parks and Recreation while writing this story so Natalie’s obsession with Lord Gavin’s butt? Yep, that was a little bit of her Leslie Knope.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

I mean first off…Lord Gavin does is a royal pain in the ass but…that ass.
Aside from looks, Natalie is attracted to the way he takes care of the history and genuinely cares about the castle and beings of Webley (I say beings because humans and dogs).
Lord Gavin also appreciates that Natalie genuinely cares about the history and wants to preserve it as much as he does.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Slow burn royalty workplace romance.
 

The First Kiss…

Hallie and the two drones flanking her—with their inky black hair and tight floral dresses—laughed again, the sounds echoing through the tent and making my skin crawl.
She then got that look in her dark eyes. The one I’d seen so many times when she was about to reprimand a maid for not cutting her sandwiches just right.
She took a step closer then leaned in, her lips curled in a wicked smile as she whispered something to Natalie.
Natalie’s shoulder shook slightly and that was when Hallie’s eyes caught mine across the tent, a wicked smile on her too-bright pink lips.
Without wasting another second, I ignored everything in me that told me to stay put, and marched across the tent.
“Gavin, it’s been much too long,” Hallie called, putting her arms out wide .
I stopped as soon as I was behind Natalie, taking her by the waist and spinning her toward me.
Her eyes widened as she looked up at me, her bottom lip trembling.
I’d apologize for this later, but right now, I was going to make sure that Hallie and William knew their place.
“There you are,” I murmured before leaning and pressing my lips to hers.
It was just a peck. A tiny movement of my mouth to hers. But an electricity that spread all the way down to my chest. My body melted as she held onto my arms as if she never wanted me to let her go.
And I didn’t want to.
I wanted to deepen that kiss.
To peel off each layer of clothing and show her exactly what she did to me.
But now was not the time.
Maybe it never was.
But at least I could say I took that one chance.
And it was worth it to see her hooded eyes when I pulled away.
“Going to be in the stands watching me?” I asked, smiling and trying to ignore the rapid beating of my heart.
She nodded, biting down on her bottom lip that I wanted to kiss all over again.
“Grand.”

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

“I’d love to be able to adopt one. Or all of them,” I said softly, wishing I could take all of them home with me.
True, I had a soft spot for all animals. But seeing these two with their little wandering eyes made me wish I could take them back to America with me. Maybe I could just ship them to my mom?
My mom.
My heart dropped to the bottom of my chest.
Shit.
I stood up slowly, all the dogs’ eyes following me.
I was supposed to be finding a gift for her, not following my boss into a pet shop and talking to some woman about adopting animals.
I didn’t know what to even say to these women in front of me, either.

Sorry, I’m working for a lord in a castle with a bunch of dogs? Maybe he’ll adopt some though?
No, that was stupid.
Who would even take care of them?
Would they just run with the Pyrenees?
Before I could come up with a good exit, Gavin’s voice boomed from behind me.
My shoulders stiffened as I found my feet stuck to the ground.
“You said you have eleven dogs?”
The woman looked up and nodded toward Gavin.
“Yes, if you know anyone looking for a dog…” The woman held out a black-and-white pamphlet.
He didn’t bother grabbing for it. “I’ll take them all.”
I gasped, all of the hairs on the back of my neck and arms standing in shock. The woman’s eyes widened before she sputtered.
“We, uh, well, we do have an adoption process we go through with a home visit and interview.”
He didn’t even blink. “I’m sure you’ll find Webley Manor accommodating.”
The woman stared at the other woman with her, gaping open-mouthed.
Then she leaned over, not so subtly whispering, “I believe that’s Lord Gavin.”
He pulled a small business card out of his wallet and handed it to the two stunned women.
“My property manager’s information is all on there. He can give you a tour of the dogs’ manor and answer any other questions you may have.”
A tear sprung to the woman’s eyes as she shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”
He nodded, his face still, but I think there was a hint of a smile as he turned toward me. The first one he’d really given since I arrived at the manor.
And that damn smile melted everything inside me. I was surprised my legs didn’t turn to jelly and I became a puddle of goo right there.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

“Something interesting?”
I crouched down next to her as she tapped at her phone screen then looked at the wall again.
“The thistle and rose intertwined. I know this symbol was used in the attempt in Edinburgh to unite Scotland and England with the marriage of King Edward and Mary Queen of Scots, which didn’t turn out that great. So why is it here underneath your family’s crest?”
Her fingers trailed the crest. The dragon wrapped in a bearded iris had been a symbol for so long that I never paid much attention to it anymore.
I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to ignore the feeling that I had just dipped on a roller coaster.
Of course, she’d be the one to notice the little bit of family history that Mother and Father liked to ignore.
“I’m sure you’ll find out more about that as you do your research. Possibly just something left over from those days when England and Scotland were always fighting and trying to reunite.”
I stood up, ignoring the aching in my neck.
“I wonder if there are any other symbols like this around here,” she whispered, not even responding to me.
She flitted off toward the large fountain in the middle of the square.
The thing used to scare the hell out of me when I was younger. It was a big stone structure with three tiers. Each tier had a carved dragon with a roaring face, shooting water out of its snout.
Nightmares. Instant nightmares.
“There, there’s another one.” Natalie hopped on the balls of her feet, pointing toward the carved roses that circled the basin.
I leaned closer, really noticing the piece. I guess I never paid attention to each detail until now. And there it was, the thistle and the rose, intertwined, in a chain that circled the entire length of the bowl.
My pulse shot through my arms, beating onto my fingertips as I ran my fingers along the stone.
“Fifteenth, sixteenth century was around the time of Mary Queen of Scots, but I wouldn’t think it would affect anything this far out. I read this was only in Edinburgh and not into England…hmmmm.”
She finally turned toward me, her hands on her hips. “Is there a library around here? Or even a bookstore?”
Did I just come out and tell her the history of the family and why there would be both symbols––or let her figure it out for herself?
I swallowed hard, finally letting out a breath that lessened the rapid beating in my ears.
“There’s a small shop down around the bend here I can show you.”
“I thought you had to head home,” she said, already darting in the direction I veered my head.
I cleared my throat before following in step with her.
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I can’t at least show you the bookstore. Or answer some of your questions that I’m surprised you haven’t already figured out.”
She stopped then slowly turned toward me, raising an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
A small smile quirked on my lips. Damn, she was cute. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth. Thinking how soft her lips would feel against my mouth.
Bollocks, I needed to get a damn grip.
But, hey, at least the thumping in my hands stopped. Maybe it was better just to get this all out.
“I thought you would have already figured out the entire Webley family history by now.”

Readers should read this book …

If they want an escape. A reason to smile and feel like they’re transported to the English countryside with a Pimms cup and a bunch of furry dogs.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I am working on a standalone with the royals of Webley.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: ebook and audiobook of the reader’s choice of backlist titles.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you had one artifact that you’d pass down to your future family members that told about you, what would it be?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt from Heired Lines:

I had to get a grip.
It was just Gavin.
No matter what anyone said, it was still him as the lord and me as the girl working in the manor.
“How about we discuss that over a dance?” He put his hand out as the beginning chords of Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable carried through the room.
I should have said no. I should have said that I couldn’t dance or made an excuse.
But I put my hand in his and let him lead me to the middle of the dance floor.
And everything else melted away.
The last time I danced with anyone was during a free ballroom dance class that I took in college so I could understand more about England’s aristocracy.
The bumbling history major who stepped on my feet had nothing on the swift moves of Gavin. One strong arm wrapped around my waist and his free hand held mine.
We glided together as if we were on a cloud. Soaring away from the rules that said he was a lord and I was a common American girl working for him.
“I didn’t know you could waltz. You really are full of surprises,” he mused.
I felt a blush creep across my cheeks as I couldn’t hold back my smile. “I can also do a really bad fox-trot and jitterbug.”
He laughed, a real one that had his stomach vibrating against my chest as it sent goosebumps all along my exposed skin. “I don’t think we’ll be doing any of that. But sometimes if the baronesses from Spain drink too much, they’ve been known to request Shakira and rub up against some dignitaries.”
I bit down on my lip to keep from laughing. I had to keep my head straight so I didn’t go looking around for a woman who had too much to drink and started singing “Hips Don’t Lie.”
But even as my head might have swiveled, Gavin’s eyes were continuously locked on me.
There was so much I wanted to say to him in that moment and so much that needed to be left unsaid.
I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to live and breathe in that moment as long as I could.
“Pardon, Lord Gavin,” A haughty voice said, and over his shoulder stood a smirking Hallie, decked head to toe in sparkling crystals.
While my dress was vintage and modest by all accounts, the sparkling gold number dipped so low, I swore I could almost see nip. It was probably some fancy couture designer that I’d never heard of.
A few men’s eyes in the room noticeably fell on her, or well, more likely her ass.
But not Gavin’s.
His eyes stayed on me; his arm gripped tightly on my waist as though he didn’t want to let go.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Book Info:

Sometimes, you’ve got to take a job with the devil to pay the bills…

Too bad I learned too late the devil wears Armani, is the most uptight man in the history of history, and I just signed an unbreakable contract shackling me to his pompous royal side for the summer.

But God, he’s got this British accent that makes my panties melt.

Until the words he says catch up with my brain and make me want to throw one of his precious vases at his head.

One minute we’re fighting—and the next—we can’t keep our hands off each other. Because somehow, when Mr. Blue Eyes is kissing me, he makes me forget how much he annoys me.

And that starts a whole new level of complications I. Don’t. Need.

Cuz if you dance with the devil, someone’s gonna end up getting burned…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Magan Vernon has been living off of reader tears since she wrote her first short story in 2004. She now spends her time killing off fictional characters, pretending to plot while she really just watches Netflix, and she tries to do this all while her two young children run amok around her Texas ranch. Find her online at www.maganvernon.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |