Miles vs. Kilometers

One of my beta readers questioned why I used miles instead of kilometers in Heartless. Her question actually floored me; it was something I'd never really thought about. I knew miles to be the unit of measurement used during the Regency but I wasn't sure when kilometers came into use in Britain. 

So I decided to look it up. 

The metric system was created in France in 1790 and adopted by the French government in 1795, though the common people weren't required to use it until 1840. (Strange that they'd be worrying about units of measure in the midst of the French Revolution, but humans ever were odd creatures.) According to Wikipedia, "...the United Kingdom announced its metrication program in 1965..."* This definitely would not allow me to use kilometers in a Regency.

While we're on the subject of words one cannot/should not use in a historical novel, the phrase go to pot, used in the sense that a person has allowed their looks to go to pot, should not be acceptable in a historical novel supposedly taking place in 1165. According to the online etymology dictionary, "phrase go to pot (16c.) suggests cooking."**

(Sorry, bit of a mini rant there.) 

*For more info on the metric system, check out the article called History of the Metric System at Metric! Metric!; A Brief History of Measurement Systems (PDF located at standards.nasa.gov); Wikipedia article History of the metric system  
**History of the word "pot" at Etymonline.com. 

A Heartless Update

I've received most of the critiques from my beta readers. Unfortunately, I've never been one to jump right into this sort of thing so it will most likely be a few weeks before I can even look at the—no doubt awesome—suggestions my pre-readers have given me. Meanwhile, I might post some pre-edit excerpts for your enjoyment. :O)

Until then, happy blogging!!

~Character Intros~ Our...Hero?

The Duke of Derringer first makes his appearance in Deception.* As one of a group of young men who've known each other since Eton, he is the one who is capable of almost anything. He does only that which benefits himself; rarely does he think of others. He is ruthless and dangerous, earning the moniker Lord Heartless.

As far as physical appearance goes, he is tall and dark with overly long hair and a morbid habit of dressing all in black. This alone may not make him stand out too much, as Regency evening dress was often black. However, his cravats, gloves, linen—all of which are usually light colored—are also black. All his animals are black as are his carriages. 

Heartless tells the story of this man, a man whose past is wrapped in mystery, deceit, murder, and intrigue. From an early age, he learned to listen, calculate, and use everything to his personal advantage.

The rumor mill thrives on the tales of his heartless exploits, tales of murder, duels, mistresses, and anything else anyone could possibly blame on him. But rumors are often wrong, even if based in truth. A dangerous reputation, however, comes with certain advantages, advantages that Derringer is more than willing to use.

After a brief glimpse into Derringer's unfortunate childhood, our tale opens with a meeting between the heartless duke and his solicitor.** It is there that he learns he will lose his money unless he marries within five days.***

In his determination to marry the first—maybe the second—woman he meets, Leandra Harcourt makes his acquaintance.

*Available now from TreasureLine Publishing.
**Click EXCERPT at the top of the page to read this particular scene.
***I took a couple liberties with this part of the story. OK, not exactly liberties. I misunderstood all the details of the special license. In Regency England, a special license could only be obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury, located in Doctor's Commons, London. The waiting period was typically seven days. Even Lord Byron had to wait seven days. In reality, duke or not, Derringer would have had to wait seven days also.

Latest News

I neglected to announce here that Heartless is officially out-of-print. It was a very hard decision to make but a necessary one. The book has been picked up by TreasureLine Publishing and will be re-released with a HOT new cover and an interior format and edit. I'm super excited and can hardly wait to reveal the cover. And soon, I will be asking for beta readers to help me catch the typos and inconsistencies in this story. If you want a chance to read Heartless for FREE, stay tuned! 

~Getting to Know the Duke~ How Rude!

Ready for another example of Lord Derringer's character? Here's an additional excerpt from Deception, where Aurora and the duke officially meet. As for the formal introduction...I don't think that ever happened. 

A rude chuckle reached Aurora's ears. Cheeks heating, she turned and beheld his grace, the Duke of Derringer, watching them with open amusement. Apparently, he thought it was quite a lark to watch the two argue like wronged lovers.

Levi turned on his friend. “This is not a farce for your entertainment, Hart,” he bit out in an undertone.

“Ah, but I think it is,” was the duke’s lazy reply. “Why else would you dare to argue like wronged lovers in Almack's? Besides, Vi, unlike those other gentlemen, I don't fear you and I find I’d like to dance with the lady even if I have to meet you come dawn. Adds a certain something to the exercise.”

Levi bowed, a scowl settling on his boyish features. “Have at her, my friend. I care not.” And he walked away.

“Sometimes that man makes me want to scream,” Aurora said without thought. She blushed and glanced up at the duke. “I apologize, your grace, for that embarrassing scene. It was ill done of me to indulge in it.”

“What has my large and not overly bright friend done to incur your wrath?”

Quite sure she should be insulted by his impertinence, Aurora simply stared at him for a moment. Then she shrugged, saying, “He has done nothing, actually. I am not usually so quick to anger, I assure you.”

Lord Derringer ignored her comment and asked her to dance.

“I have only the waltzes, as Lord Greville pointed out.”

Derringer looked around. He caught sight of Lady Jersey. “Sally,” he called, “a moment.”

Aurora stared, dumbfounded, when that lady hurried over at the imperious call of the duke. She was even more surprised when Lady Jersey flirted with him shamelessly before granting his request to waltz with Miss Glendenning.

Aurora curtsied to the patroness and murmured her appreciation. The duke signed his name beside a waltz and took his leave without so much as a goodbye. Aurora watched him go, perplexed. The man was rude and a most uncomfortable person to be around. She wondered how a cheerful flirt like Levi Greville could even bear being friends with such a man.

The preceding is (c) copyright 2010 Laura J Miller. All rights reserved.

*Deception is available for pre-order from TreasureLine Publishing. Actual release date is July 15, 2010.