Dawn's Reading Nook: Discover THE DUKE'S QUANDARY and a Giveaway

Please welcome author Callie Hutton to the Reading Nook today as we sit down to chat about her latest book, The Duke's Quandry and don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the post.

Is there a genre you’d like to write? Is there one you’ll probably stay away from? Why? I currently write western historical, regency, and contemporary. Although of my 12 books, only two are contemporary. I really do prefer historical. I doubt I will ever write vampires, werewolves, zombies, shapeshifters, etc. I just don’t ‘get’ the paranormal craze. If I’m involved with a man and we have a disagreement, I don’t want him turning into a bat and flying away.

Please tell us about your newest release and where the idea came from.

The Duke’s Quandary is about a stuffy duke who is looking for a ‘perfect’ bride. However, he is strongly attracted to his mother’s houseguest, Penelope. She is a botanist, clumsy, and socially inept--everything he does not want in a wife.

This book is the second book in my Marriage Mart Mayhem series. Drake, Duke of Manchester is the best friend of Coventry from The Elusive Wife. The idea for the clumsy botanist actually came from a character Elaine May played in a 1971 movie, A New Leaf, with Walther Matthau. Although the characters are similar, the story is not.

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I did quite as bit of research on botany, plants, and The Linnean Society, which is a scientific organization based in London. In the year my story takes place, women are not allowed as members, and that fact plays into the story.

If this book was made into a movie, who do you see playing the main characters?

I would love to see Matthew Macfadyen (from Pride and Prejudice) play Drake, and Amy Adams as Penelope.

How do you come up with characters names?

I keep a list of names that I add to whenever I see or hear an interesting name. In historical you have to be careful, though. There were no Shelby’s or Addison’s in times past.

What do you do in your free time?

Read. I don’t really watch TV, except for Downton Abbey, and now that’s done for the season. I’m a movie fan, but rarely get there. I always want to see a movie, but somehow it’s there and gone before I make myself go.

How much of your own personality bleeds into your characters?

Probably more than I intend. My heroines are always a bit quirky and ‘off’. They’re different than everyone else in society, as well as strong and independent.

Do you have a list of movies like me that you are itching to see or have seen? What about ones coming up? Any that draw your eye to it?

I would like to see Pompeii, 300, and Son of God. Whether I actually see them is another story.

You are hosting a dinner party. If given the chance to invite characters from other series, who would you invite?

The Cynsters from Stephanie Laurens books.

If you only had twenty dollars in your pocket, what would you buy?

Ha. If I have money in my pocket, I can guarantee one of my adult children will be short of cash for gas, lunch, etc.

Of all your heroes that you’ve written, is there one that you love above all?

Jesse Cochran from A Run For Love. My very first book.

What’s the most interesting way you got around a plot problem?

This is more a scene problem, than a plot issue. I had two men having a serious conversation in an office in Tessa’s Treasures. They just sat there staring at each other. No dialog. In frustration, I took them out of the office, and put them into a bar with beers in their hands. They wouldn’t shut up.

If you owned a bookstore, what book would you make sure was in stock?

Roget’s Thesaurus. I’d like to have it implanted into my brain.

What is next for you? Anything you want to mention?

I’m currently working on The Lady’s Disgrace (Abigail’s story), which is the next book in the Marriage Mart Mayhem series. That should be released in October. After that is The Baron’s Homecoming (Marion’s story), with a December release.

Title: THE DUKE’S QUANDARY

Author: Callie Hutton

EBook: 285 pages

Release Date: March 10, 2014

ISBN: 978-1622664641

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

London 1814...

Drake, Duke of Manchester is searching the Marriage Mart for a perfect bride. He wants a woman who is poised, sophisticated, and worthy of the title Duchess. But most of all, he wants a woman who does not want the useless emotion of love.

Socially awkward Miss Penelope Clayton isn't meant for marriage. A serious botanist, she has no desire to wed, so being forced by her guardian to participate in the Season to find a husband is torture. She'll never fit in with the ton, especially if they discover she's been pretending to be a man within the scientific community.

As Drake's family makes over Penelope, turning her from naive bluestocking to enchanting debutante, he is put upon to introduce her to society and eligible bachelors. Despite dance lessons and new gowns, Penelope is the opposite of poised and sophisticated as she stumbles from one mishap to the next. Why then, does he find it so hard to resist her?

About Callie:

Callie Hutton always knew those stories she made up in her head would be written down one day. There was nowhere else for them to go. After years of writing articles and interviews for magazines and company newsletters, she decided to tackle writing a book. That was back in 2010. Now with twelve books under her belt, and seven more contracted, the relief at having somewhere to tell those stories is wonderful. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, adult children and three dogs.

Website /Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Tour Stops:

Week One:

3/10/2014- Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!

3/10/2014- book's blog

3/11/2014- Bitten by Romance-

3/11/2014- Dawn's Reading Nook

3/12/2014- Margay Leah Justice

3/12/2014- Ex Libris

3/13/2014- Dear Brighton

3/13/2014- Rookie Romance

3/14/2014- Talking Books Blog