Have you ever wonder how to a Scoundrel? Christy has been kind enough to share five tips on how to do this. Lets see what she has to say:
How to Write a
Scoundrel in Five Steps by Christy Carlyle
Make him a renegade.
Every scoundrel is, in some sense, a renegade. He does not conform to society’s
rules. Whether he’s a viscount or a valet, a scoundrel doesn’t give a fig what
others think of his outrageous behavior. In fact, he relishes his rebellion and
the effect he has on others. To shock a virginal debutante into a blush. To
send a society matron searching for her smelling salts. To make a rival livid
with disdain. Those are the moments a scoundrel lives for. Even if he’s meant
for ultimate redemption (and, of course, he is), a true scoundrel always starts
as a rule breaker.
Infuse him with magnetism.
A scoundrel must draw you, tantalize you, no matter how much of a rogue he is.
A scoundrel should wield a kind of magnetism that’s impossible to deny. A
magnetism based on more than his charm, handsome features, and appealing
physique, though it helps if he possesses those in spades. Yet even a scarred,
flawed scoundrel intrigues the most proper heroine, exuding a charisma that
makes her curious enough to look beyond his reputation and bad behavior. When I
think of the magnetic scoundrel, Lisa Kleypas’s Derek Craven from Dreaming of You comes to mind. From his
first appearance on the page, he exerted a magnetic pull on me, as a reader,
and on Sara, the story’s heroine.
Turn up the
confidence. Scoundrels rarely regret their sins. At least at first. To be a
true scoundrel, a man must revel in his naughtiness for a while. One of the
keys to being a successful scoundrel, after all, is acquiring a terrible
reputation, and it takes effort to convince everyone around you that you’re an
unprincipled man. Part of a scoundrel’s appeal lies in his confidence, whether
in his looks, his charm, or some skill that he performs particularly well. And,
no, I’m not only thinking of talents in the bedroom. Consider Han Solo, the Star Wars scoundrel we all love. Han may
have suspected Leia’s feelings for him, but he knew with absolute certainty
that he was one of the best pilots in the galaxy. Confidence is sexy, and
scoundrels have plenty.
Dig into his history.
He may be the life of the party. Embracing every sin. Indulging every impulse.
But the best scoundrels have a history that’s far less about pleasure than
their lifestyle would suggest. Often there’s a wound, a trauma, some deeply
buried regret that they seek to block out with hedonism and sensual
gratification. He can’t escape his past, of course, no matter how much he
carouses. My hero, Jasper Grey, in A
Study in Scoundrels has never quite gotten past the death of his brother. His
guilt is what drives him to overindulge and embrace his role as a scoundrel.
Give him a formidable
challenge. Every hero is presented with a challenge. Part of the appeal of
a scoundrel is that he usually faces provocation with gusto. Whether he schemes
to avoid marriage, or attempts to outwit a clever heroine, a scoundrel never
backs down from a dare. Challenge intrigues him, excites him. Probably because
his overconfidence convinces him he’ll always emerge the victor. Of course, a
challenge often alters the scoundrel in ways he doesn’t expect, especially if confrontation
comes in the form of a fierce, smart, determined heroine who strips away his
seductive veneer and digs deep enough to unearth the man inside.
A Study in
Scoundrels
Romancing the Rules #2
Romancing the Rules #2
By: Christy Carlyle
Releasing April
11, 2017
Avon Impulse
Avon Impulse
Sophia Ruthven is the
epitome of proper behavior. On paper at least, as long as that paper isn’t from
one of the lady detective stories she secretly pens. She certainly isn’t
interested in associating with the dashing Jasper Grey, the wayward heir to the
Earl of Stanhope, and one of the stage’s leading men. But when she learns
Grey’s younger sister Liddy has gone missing, she can’t deny her desire to
solve the mystery…or her attraction to the incorrigible scoundrel.
Responsibility isn’t something Grey is very familiar with. On the boards and in the bedroom, he lives exactly how he wants to, shunning all the trappings of respectability and society. Grey knows he should avoid the bewitching Sophia, but he’s never been able to say no to what he wants. And having Sophia in his arms and his bed is quickly becoming the thing he wants the most.
As Sophia and Grey’s search for Liddy continues across the English countryside, can this scoundrel convince a proper lady that he’s actually perfect for her or will their adventure leave them both heartbroken?
Responsibility isn’t something Grey is very familiar with. On the boards and in the bedroom, he lives exactly how he wants to, shunning all the trappings of respectability and society. Grey knows he should avoid the bewitching Sophia, but he’s never been able to say no to what he wants. And having Sophia in his arms and his bed is quickly becoming the thing he wants the most.
As Sophia and Grey’s search for Liddy continues across the English countryside, can this scoundrel convince a proper lady that he’s actually perfect for her or will their adventure leave them both heartbroken?
My Thoughts:
Who doesn't love a scoundrel hero? Seriously, they make the best heroes to read. At the beginning you see the potential the hero has, and you start to wonder what's going to make him change. You can only go up, or at least you hope. So, we have Jasper Grey who is a scoundrel of the first order. Technically, he's a the second son who happens to inherit his brother's title due to circumstance. Anyway, still living a dissolute life when his cousin's wife asks for his help to find his sister. Not a good start when you find out your baby sister has been in London. Not good.
We get to know Sophia Ruthven. Not Sophia is the younger sister of Kit who is Grey's best friend. She has a thing for writing mystery novels. So, she likes a good mystery. Plus, she kind of stumbles in to Grey's problem and offers her service to help Grey. By the way she's Miss Prim and Proper. However, I question that on how she decides to approach marriage.
I actually, had a fun time reading A Study in Scoundrels. You have Grey and Sophia they are polar opposites of the spectrum. You have the wild party guy and miss prissy pants, and on top of it all they are looking for his wild sister who isn't out yet. Basically, chasing Liddy all over the countryside. I like that Sophia has a calming effect on Grey, because there has been a couple of times where he would have been a hot head. Overall, A Study in Scoundrels was a pretty good read. It had me chuckling here and there. Yes, I like Sophia and Grey together, they balance one another out. So, if you are need a mad dash chase trying find a runaways sister, and love along the way, A Study in Scoundrels might your cure.
Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss
Who doesn't love a scoundrel hero? Seriously, they make the best heroes to read. At the beginning you see the potential the hero has, and you start to wonder what's going to make him change. You can only go up, or at least you hope. So, we have Jasper Grey who is a scoundrel of the first order. Technically, he's a the second son who happens to inherit his brother's title due to circumstance. Anyway, still living a dissolute life when his cousin's wife asks for his help to find his sister. Not a good start when you find out your baby sister has been in London. Not good.
We get to know Sophia Ruthven. Not Sophia is the younger sister of Kit who is Grey's best friend. She has a thing for writing mystery novels. So, she likes a good mystery. Plus, she kind of stumbles in to Grey's problem and offers her service to help Grey. By the way she's Miss Prim and Proper. However, I question that on how she decides to approach marriage.
I actually, had a fun time reading A Study in Scoundrels. You have Grey and Sophia they are polar opposites of the spectrum. You have the wild party guy and miss prissy pants, and on top of it all they are looking for his wild sister who isn't out yet. Basically, chasing Liddy all over the countryside. I like that Sophia has a calming effect on Grey, because there has been a couple of times where he would have been a hot head. Overall, A Study in Scoundrels was a pretty good read. It had me chuckling here and there. Yes, I like Sophia and Grey together, they balance one another out. So, if you are need a mad dash chase trying find a runaways sister, and love along the way, A Study in Scoundrels might your cure.
Copy provided by Avon via Edelweiss
Excerpt
Laughter tickled
his ears. Weight bore down on his chest, draped over his hips. A soft weight,
pliant under his hands. Heated too. Pleasure in his groin twined with pain in
his head as the soft, warm weight moved against him.
He blinked, then
again. Colors shimmered and blurred. The light was too dim. The room too smoky.
Perfume burned his nose, too spicy and pungent.
What was that
sound? A moan. A cry.
A rumbling groan
reverberated in his own chest.
“Don’t leave me
now,” a woman whispered near his ear. “I need release.”
He flexed his
fingers, digging into the warm flesh of smooth feminine legs. Slid his hand up,
finding the thicket of curls between the woman’s spread thighs.
“Yes, Grey.”
She moved against
him, her breath quickening as little moans emerged. She clutched at his
shoulder, her other hand on his, showing him how to touch her.
He didn’t require
much direction. The role of lover was one he knew by heart. Some said he was
skilled on stage, but he never doubted his expertise in the bedroom.
His own body had
numbed. Whether from drink or the drugging effect of the smoke rising in whorls
above his head, he wasn’t certain. But this, how to touch a woman, how to give
pleasure. This he knew intuitively. This was where he excelled.
Heaven knew he’d
failed at everything else.
Except acting.
But performing on
stage was all a matter of illusion, of lying artfully. Sex and falsehood were
his twin aptitudes.
If only he could
see the woman clearly and scatter the fog in his mind. He twisted his head on
the pillow and noticed a half-empty glass of blue-green liquid glowing in the
low gaslight.
“What did I drink?”
A trill of
laughter. Red lips. The curve of a grin in a pale face. A waterfall of red
hair.
He swirled his
fingers in the woman’s curls. She stilled and held her breath. He knew he’d
found the key. Gently, masterfully, he touched her with all the art he’d
learned from countless lovers.
“Oh, Grey.” She
twitched against his fingers, dug her nails into his shoulder. “Don’t stop.”
He didn’t. Not
until she gusted out a long moan, dipped her head, and sank against him as if
her bones had melted.
“Absinthe,” she
murmured against his chest. “A bit of laudanum.”
Grey pressed a fist
to the throbbing crown of his head and tried to sit up. The lady on his chest
stretched like a cat woken from a nap before rising off him and stepping away
from the bed.
No, he realized
when his vision cleared and he took in the books lining the walls, not a bed.
Not his bedroom. He was on a settee in his London townhouse’s library, and he
and his lady companion were not alone. Half-clothed bodies reclined around the
musky, haze-clouded room. Some sleeping. Others smoking from an enormous
bubbling hookah. At least one couple was busy, writhing and moaning in the far
corner.
A man stumbled past
the open library door, nude from the waist up, his shirt and coat rolled in a
crumpled ball in his arms. Returning to the threshold, he let out a burp before
offering, “Many happy returns, Grey. Smashing birthday party.”
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