Spotlight & Giveaway: The Duke and the Dressmaker by Eva Devon

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Eva Devon to HJ!

Hi Eva and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Duke and the Dressmaker!

 
Hello! Thank you so much for having ,me!
 

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

Miss Lily Morton has made a deal with a money lender to secure her sister’s future. But when that deal suddenly goes wrong, only a fierce and witty duke can step in and help her. . . And maybe steal her heart too!
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

If another young woman stuffed a hairpin in his pocket, accidentally dropped a jewel before him, or allowed a handkerchief to flutter in front of his boots, James Blakefield, the new Duke of Ashbridge, was going to go mad.
Quite frankly, he’d had enough.
The machinations of the English aristocracy were a thing to behold. He was fairly certain that if the mamas of the ton had been put in charge of the English army during the Revolution, the Americans never would’ve had a chance, and that was saying something.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I ate lots of fabulous Mexican orange cookies whilst writing this!
• I loved writing a hero who knows how to sew because he’s a sailor.
• I loved writing a meet cute in a rough part of London.
• James totally stole my heart.
• I love how determined Lily is to fulfill her dreams.

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

Their fierce independence. They both think they’re safe from falling in love! Whoops!
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Emotional, banter, wounded, full of promise, trust.
 

The First Kiss…

Surprising! Neither of them thought they would kiss each other but they just can’t resist!

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

James has no idea what he is in for!!!!

“True,” Derby agreed, “I just want to make certain that you are going to be able to handle that firebrand in your house.”
Fireband. It was an apt word.
“Why shouldn’t I?” he queried, but even he had a moment’s pause.
Lily was a remarkable creature, and she was about to turn his world upside down since she’d not been part of his plans. Of that, he had no doubt.
“Just as long as you know what you are about,” Derby replied.
Of course he did. He was a sea captain, he was formidable, he could handle anything. . . even long nights with a beautiful, passionate woman under his roof. Yes, he was made of stern stuff and wouldn’t be shaken by her presence. Truly.
Mrs. Mason clapped her hands again as soon as the tray was full to the brim with her treats and piping hot pot of tea. A perfectly starched maid swept it up into her arms an headed towards the back stairs.
“Thank you, Mrs. Mason,” he said.
And MRs. Mason who seemed quite overcome with the fact that the girls were back in their proper home gave a quick nod and smile, and immediately turned and began scrubbing a pot.
Derby cleared his throat and gave him a skeptical stare.
“Look Derby, if I can handle a squall in the Atlantic, surely I can handle such a young lady.”
At last, Derby’s lips twitch. “If you say so old boy, if you say so.”
And he did say so, but he knew, this storm was going to be unlike any he’d ever known.

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

Dawn had not even broken through Lily’s moth-eaten curtains when the door burst open and her mistress charged in.
She blinked rapidly, her whole body racing with alarm as the sound of stomping and anger crashed towards her.
Stunned, still half asleep, she immediately thought of Violet and protecting her.
But before Lily could swing her bare feet to the wood floor, sharp, determined hands grabbed her and yanked her from the bed. Lily caught her mistres’ perfume drifting about them and winced with fear. What was happenining? Her mistress was harsh but had never dragged out of bed before.
Lily stumbled and her knees slammed into the floorboards. She stifled a cry as panic began to charge through her but when her hands slammed into the rough wood, splinters jabbed into her palms and a whimper slipped past her lips.
“Get up,” Madame Josephine hissed, whose real name was Sally Baker, for she had not a jot of French in her. “You’ve made this into a bawdy house and I will not have you here another moment.”
Lily swung her gaze to her little sister as desperation mixed with her panic.
Violet cowered on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest under her thin night rail.
Frantic, Lily longed to assure Violet, but Madame Josephine pinched her arm. “Look at me, my girl.”
She did. “What are you accusing me of?”
Madame Josephine folded her boney arms over her purple-wool-clad bosom, a gown which kept her warm, while most of her seamstresses shivered. “What do you take me for, a bumble-headed git?” she bit out, her rookery accent slipping out in her anger. “I saw the cull come in last night, and then I saw him go.” She snorted. “I did not want to make a ruckus of it last night because I would not have the night watch at our door nor scandal upon the lips of every person who lives adjacent to this place.”
Her stomach suddenly twisted and she was afraid she’d cast up her accounts.
Madame Josephine’s lip curled. “But if you think that someone else did not see, you are a great fool, my girl. You will take your sister and you will go, but you will leave all your drawings behind and you will pay your rent that you owe.”
Lily forced herself to swallow back the wave of nausea before she stated, “They belong to me.
Stepping forward, Madame Josephine bent down, and looked her in the eyes with such malice that Lily was half afraid the woman would murder her on the spot.
“You thought you could go and borrow money from Mother Maggie without me finding out?” she spat. “You thought you could go into competition with me?”
A sliver of terror danced through her, for the fury of Madame’s Josephine’s face was a fierce sight to behold.

Readers should read this book …

If they want their heart strings to be pulled and for love to triumph over fear and loneliness.

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

I am currently working on The Rake and The Rose which features characters from The Duke and The Dressmaker. Let me tell you, these two are full of banter and passion. One’s a rake, and the other is a writer and boy do the pages spark!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 10$ Amazon gift card

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Do you love a working heroine who suddenly finds herself in a Cinderella sort of situation? Who is your favorite heroine ever?

 
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Excerpt from The Duke and the Dressmaker:

Good god. They were going to ruin their life rescuing her. She tried again to free herself of his grasp, and again failed. “Please make him stop.”
“No one can make the American stop once he’s started, miss. Or so I’ve found.”
American?
“Well, perhaps I can,” she retorted. She elbowed the man, and he let out a startled whoosh of air, loosening his grip. Lily darted forward. “Cease this at once!”
In all her life, she’d never seen anyone attack one of Mother Maggie’s men. It was the most harrowing thing she’d ever witnessed, then suddenly the man named James stopped and swung around to face her.
He arched a single dark brow, looking completely, wickedly alive. His cheekbones were two slashes, his jaw, a hard square, and his eyes danced as if this brawl was the most thrilling thing he’d ever done.
She doubted it, though.
She had a terrible feeling he was accustomed to such moments.
His wide, broad chest pumped up and down, straining his linen shirt. It was well-tailored and he was a magnificent specimen. His breeches clung to hard, tree trunk-like legs, and he took a step towards her.
John lay prostrate on the floor, groaning, not dead or knocked out, but wise enough not to try standing.
James gave her a slow smile. “He won’t bother you again, miss.”
“You are the one bothering me,” she ground out.
His wicked gaze dazzled, but a strange look furrowed his brow. “You’re not pleased by what I’ve done,” he stated.
“Oh, look!” she mocked, barely able to contain her frustration. “You can listen. Well done,” she said, applauding slowly.
His smile dimmed. “I protected you.”
“Your protection has made my life worse,” she groaned.
His gaze narrowed as he asked in that frustratingly compelling, brandy-warm voice, “How in God’s name could pounding this fellow into the ground make your life worse?”
“Because you will leave this place tonight,” she explained through gritted teeth. “You are an American, as your friend and your accent made clear, and you live nowhere near here, as your clothing and general demeanor have made clear. Whereas I live in this part of town and I shall have to deal with this man’s fury and his employer’s fury every day.”
He paused at that.
She sucked in a breath, feeling horrifically conflicted. All she wanted was to get home to Violet now, sink into her bed, and pray that an answer to all her problems would come to her. Or better yet, solve themselves by morning. “Now, good evening to you, sir. Do not follow.”
And with that, she whirled on her heel and started for the door, ready to forget this night.
But the images kept flashing through her head.
The massive, beautiful, giant of a man, eyes flashing, driving John into the ground.
How she longed to love it! She wished she could! John deserved it. He’d made many a young woman’s life hell. But she couldn’t stop the rising panic and dread.
She was going to have to do so much work to fix the damage that American had caused. She didn’t even know where to begin. With Mother Maggie? Marvelous. More interest, no doubt. Or the doctor’s bill.
Oh dear, heaven! The very idea sent a chill through her veins.
She muttered to herself as she headed out into the street, weaving through the tightly packed web of London’s rabbit warrens. Drunks tagged everywhere, some clutching bottles, but most of them had already consumed the portion of alcohol that they could afford for the night and were waiting merely to go to sleep from it.
Others laughed and sang at the top of their lungs and some danced and sold hot soup, punch, and every possible used item one could imagine.
She quickly averted her eyes from anyone exchanging the skin trade in the alleyways. It was one of the riskier parts of this side of town, seeing the strangest things at this hour of night, but it wasn’t exactly as if street girls had offices. Most shared rooms with dozens of others to make ends meet.
They had to sell their wares where they could. And just as she was about to turn down another alley, praying it was empty, a hand reached out and grabbed her.
She let out a scream, whirled around, and brought up her knee, as she’d learned how to do, and stomped down hard upon the man’s foot.
He let out a muffled grunt of dismay and tensed against her. But he let go of her immediately. “Hells bells, woman,” he bit out. “You’re good at that.”
She was tempted to dart off, but she realized it was the same big man as before, that devil who had gazed at her and looked so pleased with himself. “You’re following me,” she said. “I told you not to.”
“I owe you an apology,” he said.
She squared her shoulders, but refused to believe that all he wished was to apologize.
“You’d make an excellent captain of a ship if given half the chance.” His smile, his heart wrenchingly beautiful smile, lit his eyes with charm. “Are you looking for a job?” he teased.
“No,” she said. “I am looking to repay that man’s employer, and you’ve now likely added to my debt.”
“What?” he asked. “How?”
“I owe the woman I was speaking to money, and he’s her hired tough No doubt you thought that you could step in and solve it all with your fists.”
He let out a sigh. “I did, rather.”
She folded her arms under her breasts, the chill air stealing through her thin cloak. “Is everything so simple where you’re from that you just solve things with your fists?”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A duke becomes unraveled by love in this delightful historical romance from USA Today bestselling author Eva Devon…

Dressmaker Miss Lily Martín knows too well the sordid dealings of London’s corrupt underbelly. She should have known borrowing from one of the city’s most reviled moneylenders was risky. Horribly so. Now the loan has come due—and there’s nothing standing between Miss Lily and her darling sister’s ruin. Until a dashing American with flashing, defiant eyes intervenes…
Ship captain James Blakefield may be the new Duke of Ashbridge, but he’s only in London for six weeks to secure his estate before returning to America, and far from the watchful eye of the ton. He’ll be damned if he’ll attend another society event where eligible ladies fling themselves at his title. But when he discovers Miss Lily’s desperate predicament, James realizes he might have the perfect arrangement.
By assuming the legal guardianship of Lily’s sister, he can keep them both safe and ensure someone cares for the estate. But it means having Lily under the same roof for the next six weeks. No chaperones. No betrothal. As the attraction between them charges the very air between them, both propriety and restraint are threatened. But scandal is the least of their concerns when James’s secret threatens to pull everything apart at the seams…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USATODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, Eva Devon, was raised on literary fiction, but quite accidentally and thankfully, she was introduced to romance one Christmas by Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory novella, The Present. A romance addict was born. She devoured every single Lindsey novel within a few months and moved on to contemporary and paranormal with gusto. Now, she loves to write her own roguish dukes, alpha males and the heroines who tame them. She loves to hear from her readers. So please pen her a note! [email protected]
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