It’s always a pleasure to meet my fellow romance authors at The Wild Rose Press. Terry Graham has a new release, a steamy historical romance with BDSM elements and a spirited heroine–and what a cover!

Jeremy Wyles believes himself sterile. He’s also a sadist and fears no lady would agree to marry him. When a woman shows up on his doorstep, pregnant and claiming to be his wife, he’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure his dukedom has an heir. A loveless marriage in name only seems the perfect solution, but his disobedient duchess stirs his desire for discipline…and something more.

Irish rebel Kathleen “Katy” Brennan only seeks recompense from the husband whose cousin married her by proxy and left her with child. The bargain he offers is tempting. He’ll claim her baby as his own, and she can become the grand lady she’s always imagined. There’s just one condition she’s not sure she can live with. The delicious-looking duke refuses to touch her…ever.

Can Jeremy put aside the wicked urges that rule his life, or will Katy’s rebellious spirit destroy his tenuous control?

Let’s peek between the covers.

A marriage of convenience…or could it be more?

“Bollocks!” The expletive burst out, unbidden.  He had to stop using the word before it slipped out in the wrong setting.

At least it got her attention. Her moss-colored eyes widened, and her lips parted   in surprise.

Another flicker of want paralyzed him.

“I should go.” With a grace that took his breath away, she rose and turned toward the door. This time, though, her feet inched forward.

“Stop!” Try as he might, it came out as a command.

She dropped into the chair, her porcelain skin fading to the pasty white color it had taken on when she vomited.

He raked his fingers through his hair. What was happening? Besides him losing control?

“You’ve done nothing wrong,” he explained. “It’s George I wish to thrash.”

To his surprise, she harrumphed in a very unladylike manner. “Might I watch?”

Her hand flew up and covered her mouth. Wide, emerald eyes with thick, long lashes stared at him, half horrified. Then she lifted her chin in defiance.

Damn, she was pretty. Dark cherries and clotted cream pretty.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway, drawing her attention, but Jeremy continued to stare. He didn’t care who entered. He wanted to ogle her for a few minutes.

“Speak of the devil,” her luscious lips muttered.

Purchase links

Amazon   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081K3WYGR

Barnes and Noble   https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-matter-of-manners-terry-graham/1134929874?ean=2940163160600

Meet the Author

Terry Graham has been imagining love stories since she began playing with Barbie and Ken. In high school, she read Barbara Cartland along with Dickens, Austen, Asimov and everything else she could get her hands on. After two careers, as a chemist and a computer programmer, she retired to try her hand at writing. Terry lives in upstate New York with her cat Amber. She’s divorced with a grown son who makes it all worthwhile.

She can be followed on https://terrygrahamromance.com

Facebook at Terry Graham – Author – Home or

Twitter at https://www.Twitter.com/TGrahamWriter

A few questions for Terry:

Tell us about your inspiration for this story.

When I started writing A Matter of Manners, I envisioned a strong-willed Catholic Irish heroine who was uncomfortable with her faith, much like me, falling in love with a proper, starched duke. While researching the dynamics of Irish/English interactions, I stumbled across a bit of history that absolutely horrified me. A massacre at Scullybogue, Ireland resulted in the deaths of somewhere between 80 and 200 men, women, and children, a result of the tensions between Catholic and Protestant Irishmen during the 1798 Irish rebellion. I knew I had to incorporate that into my story, as a sort of memorial to those people. I doubt most readers will even pause when the reference is made, but I know it’s there and why, and it sparked the idea for the suspense that threads throughout the story.

What do you love about the genre you write in?

I love that romance as a genre is so expansive. You can write historical as far back as the Neanderthal era, or future sci-fi stories in worlds that don’t even exist. As long as it has a happy ever after, romance readers will read it. Many of my stories don’t fit into the traditional romance sub-genres. They’re either a mix of genres, like my upcoming Scottish historical that includes a ghost and a bit of suspense, or they include elements that you don’t see in that particular genre. A Matter of Manners is a perfect example of that. The timeframe puts it in the Pre-Regency bucket, but it has none of the light, airy politeness expected of a true Regency, and the BDSM storyline isn’t something one finds in most historicals, though it’s becoming more frequent. In its essence, it’s a story that explores the damage done by society against individuals that don’t fall into expected norms, but it can be enjoyed even if you don’t want to look at it that deeply. Like all romances, it’s the story of two people who fall in love despite the reasons they shouldn’t.

Do you write in other genres? 

I guess by my definition of romance, I’d have to say no, though I will admit to having written poetry in college. Even that could probably be called romance, as it was mostly hormone induced ramblings. I have to give my college boyfriend some credit too. I wrote him letters and he was the one who suggested that I should be a writer. Of course, when he said it, I’m pretty sure he meant I should write stories like the ones in certain magazines that shall remain unnamed. Years later, I remembered him saying that, and that’s when I picked up a pen and started my first story.

Any advice for aspiring writers? 

The only advice I have for aspiring writers is to write what you want and do it because you love to write. When I finished my first story, I tried to get it published and almost stopped writing. I hated the drudgery of selling. When I wrote my second story I did it merely for myself. That one didn’t sell either and when A Matter of Manners kept veering toward erotic romance, I did give up. Erotic romance hadn’t come into vogue yet and life became too full with other responsibilities. Over ten years later, when I finally came back to writing, that one and a half stories I’d written merely for the love of it were there waiting. I finished A Matter of Manners since erotic romance had become a thing and decided to try selling one more time. Now, all three of those stories will be published, once I finish rewriting the first one.

What makes you put down a book without finishing? 

Bad writing and editing. When self-publishing first started, I was very excited. Great stories that would never have seen the light of day because of publisher bias and short-sightedness would finally get told. But then I started reading them. And stopped almost as quickly. Yes, some of the stories were great, but in too many of them, the writing was bad. In others, the editing or formatting wasn’t there or wasn’t correct. It doesn’t matter if you can buy a book for less money if the quality isn’t there and these days there are so many choices why would you? So, add to the question about advice – hire an editor, even if you don’t think you need one.

Which authors have inspired you?

I’ve been inspired by all the greats of romance to some extent. I started reading Barbara Cartland in middle school and quickly graduated to Kathleen Woodiwess, Rosemary Rogers, and all the women who spiced things up. I’ve always been drawn to darker gothic stories like Victoria Holt and Daphne du Maurier write. For me, English class was more fun than recess because I could read Dickens, Austin, the Bronte sisters, and other classic writers. I loved the classes on theme and symbolism that everyone else hated. The author who influenced me most though has to be Julie Garwood. Her Scottish stories, especially, were absolute gems. She had such a fabulous mix of emotion and humor in her writing and my greatest hope is to be even half as successful as a storyteller.

Thanks, Terry, for visiting today, and best of luck with your book launch!