Amelia Grey: In the Middle of It

I have a fondness for the middle—of anything.   I love the gooey sweet middle of a piece of milk chocolate and the delicious, chewy center of a brownie.   I love the soft, warm middle of a piece of bread when it’s hot from the oven and the hard crust has been removed.   I have to be in the middle of a ship on a cruise because there is less rocking and motion at the center, which means less chance for that dreaded seasickness.   If I ride in the back seat of a car with two other people, I want to be in the middle and not by the door.   And, I will happily mention that I love being in the middle of an argument or at the center of anyone’s attention.

This fondness I have for the middle must come from being the true middle child of seven children.  I have two sisters and a brother older than me and two sisters and a brother younger.  And yes, I was always in the middle of whatever was going on between the other six.

And, though some authors and readers might think it odd, I love it when I’m writing a book and I get to the middle.   By the time I’m half way through the story the plot has been set in motion and the pacing has evened out.  All the characters have been developed, and we know what’s at stake for the hero and heroine.  By the middle of the book I know what has to be accomplished before I give my hero and heroine their happily-ever-after ending.

Many times I’ve heard authors talk that difficult “sagging middle”.  I always say, “The middle is one of my favorite parts of a book.”   It’s usually where the first love scene occurs, too.   I enjoy putting the hero and heroine in the middle of the bed, in the middle of a book.  But, I also like to put them in the middle of an argument, and the middle of a spot of intrigue.

In fact, I just finished the middle book of my new trilogy The Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels and I loved it!  Unfortunately, it’s too soon to talk about that book, so let me tell you about the first book in the series which will be out January 2015.  It’s titled:

The Duke in my Bed

    As a notorious member of the Heirs’ Club, Bray Drakestone can’t resist a challenge from one of his well-heeled colleagues—especially when it involves money and horses.  But the friendly wager takes an unexpected and deadly turn.  Bray is forced to agree to marry one of his challenger’s five sisters—sight unseen.  Now gamblers all over London are placing bets on whether Bray will actually go through with it.

    Miss Louisa Prim, the eldest of five girls, doesn’t care a whit what the reckless rogue at the Heirs’ Club promised her brother—she has no intention of marrying the future Duke of Drakestone.  Bray, however, sees her rejection as another challenge.  He bets that the fiery Miss Prim will not only agree to marry him, she will propose to him!  With four sisters behind her, Louisa knows she can’t lose.  But why does her opponent have to be a divinely handsome scoundrel?  And so sweetly, irresistibly seductive…

   You can go to Amazon, B&N or any other e-retailer and preorder The Duke in My Bed right now, or make a note of the release date of January 1, 2015.         

For a chance to win a copy of one of my backlist tell me what you would like to be in the middle of today?  A good book?  A shopping spree?  A spa treatment? Or your choice?

To stay in touch with Amelia Grey please like her at Facebook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks, visit her at ameliagrey.com, or contact her at ameliagrey@comcast.net

***Amelia's winner is Laurie G!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!***