No Ordinary Duke (The Crawfords #1) by Sophie Barnes-Review and Q & A

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 30, 2018

He’s everything she’s trying to avoid…But somehow precisely what she needs…

Caleb Crawford doesn’t want to be a duke. He’d much rather build houses for a living. So when fate disrupts his peaceful life and burdens him with the responsibilities of a newly inherited title, he does what any sensible man would do by fleeing London, disguising himself as a laborer, and seeking refuge with three young spinsters who need his help with a leaky roof.

Ruined by a marquess who promised her the world, Mary Clemens has sworn to avoid marriage forever. Instead, she intends to live out her days with her friends and the orphaned children they’ve taken into their care. But when Mr. Crawford comes knocking, Mary finds herself in real danger of risking heartbreak all over again. Especially when she discovers that he’s not at all what he seems.

••••••••

REVIEW: Caleb Maxwell Crawford is the second son of Camberly. He wet abroad to study architecture against his father’s wishes. He wanted to show his father he could be a success. He returned with awards and drawings to prove his expertise to his father but found his father and older brother had recently died in a stable fire. He would now be the Duke of Camberly.

He’s shocked and reluctant, but he does his duty. After a few weeks and as tension mounts from his mother to find a wife, his friend Robert Moor, Viscount Aldridge gives him a chance to escape temporarily. He goes to a property his friend owns to fix a large roof and a few things. Giving him a chance to be a builder again and be an ordinary man for a little time. His friend’s sister and a few lady friends run a home for children at this property.

Mary Clemmons is a spinster who lives with the other ladies. Cassandra, the Viscount’s sister, and Emily. Mary was jilted by a Duke’s son because his father thought she wasn’t right material for marriage to his son. Leaving her with a serious hatred of the titled.
He introduces himself as Mr. Crawford, not exactly a lie, and that he was sent by the Viscount to make repairs on the home. He and Mary are attracted immediately, but both try to keep their distance.

Author Sophie Barnes has written an intriguing and inventive story of the times. From the issues of being from a titled family, but not the heir; to the issues of women who are unlucky at romance and have been scandalized by circumstances. The characters are endearing and believable. The situations and conversations are both complicated and realistic. The romance is both sweet and builds to sizzling. She has written an inventive solution to the situation and very romantic.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and if you love historical romance, be sure to grab a copy. I’ll be glad to read more from this author and I believe you will too.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S

Welcome to the Reading Cafe, Sophie! It’s so great to have you here.

It’s great to be here. Thank you for the invite!

Follow Sophie: Goodreads /Website / Facebook / Twitter

Before you tell us about your October 30th release, No Ordinary Duke, let’s find out a bit more about you and your writing habits.

How important is research to you when writing a book?

Very. Inaccuracies spotted by readers can disengage them from the plot and cause them to stop reading the book. I also believe good research and interesting facts add more dimension to the story and flesh out the characters in ways that draw readers in. That said, I have been criticized for poor research, especially when I forgot to explain a fact in the author’s note. Most recently, in The Illegitimate Duke, some readers couldn’t understand how a second son was able to inherit his uncle’s title and become a duke when the uncle was initially a marquess. It wasn’t addressed in great detail during the story, which I think was a mistake. From what I was able to find during research however – and I did ask authorities on the matter – this sort of inheritance was possible (though theoretical since it never did happen historically), if the following were true:
• The marquess was elevated to duke by the King/Prince Regent.
• A special remainder was put in place during this process, naming the marquess’s nephew his heir.
• The marquess had no other children and his wife was beyond child-bearing years.
Every book I’ve ever written has required a lot of research. It’s part of the job since it just isn’t possible to know all the odd little facts that are referenced along the way. Most recently, I researched Regency era hotels in Paris and wine importers during that time.

What works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictate, computer or longhand?

I do rough plot outlines and character developments in a notebook. When I’m working on a manuscript, it’s mostly done on my laptop with occasional parts written on my phone whenever there are a few minutes to spare. I tried dictating once but it didn’t work out.

When did it dawn upon you that you wanted to be a writer?

Writing a book was something I’d had on my bucket list since I was fourteen, but it wasn’t something I thought I’d ever do for a living. Eventually, circumstance prompted me to give it a try. I was living in Africa with my husband and two small kids at the time. Getting a job wasn’t really an option unless it was something I could do from home, so after picking up JQ’s Romancing Mr. Bridgerton at a bookshop, I decided to give writing a serious try.

How often do you write?

Five days a week for about five hours straight in the morning.

Do you have a set schedule for writing, or are you one of those who write only when they feel inspired?

I look at writing like going to the office so I try to keep a set schedule as much as possible.

Do you aim to complete a set number of pages or words each day?

I write about 3-4,000 words per day depending on how many times I need to stop and research something. 3,000 is my minimum.

Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?

I do read quite a bit, though not as much as I’d like. I wish I had more free time on my hands but when I’m not writing, there’s promotion to handle which takes up at least as much time as the writing, sometimes more when there’s a new release coming. Some of my favorite authors are Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Sophie Jordan, Valerie Bowman, Elizabeth Hoyt, Elizabeth Boyle, Cathy Maxwell, Lisa Kleypas and Caroline Linden

Do you proofread and edit your work on your own or pay someone to do it for you?

Yes. I review my work several times, as does my Avon editor. For my self-published works I pay an editor to check the plot, grammar, spelling and inconsistencies after I’m done with the initial edits.

What is the most important thing about a book in your opinion?

For it to entertain. I look at books as immersive movies for the mind. The story should be compelling, constantly moving forward and forcing the reader to develop an increased interest in the eventual outcome.

If you had the choice to rewrite any of your books, which one would it be and why?

My first one: How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back. I think I made a lot of newbie mistakes with that one. It could have been much better than it was, so I wish I could give it another go.

People believe that being a published author is glamorous, is that true?

Not really. At least not for me. I spend hours on end at my desk dressed in sweatpants and t-shirts while chores that should get done don’t because well…there’s always another deadline.

Do you like traveling or do you prefer staying indoors?

I love to travel. I’ve travelled a lot, especially when I was a kid since my parents always took me on wonderful trips all over the world. There’s so much to see and experience. I have a long list of places I still hope to go to one day.

Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?

Yes. How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back was rejected more than 50 times before being accepted by Avon Impulse.

Have any of your books been adapted into a feature film?

No, but I did start contract negotiations with a producer last year. It was for my Diamond’s In The Rough series, specifically for A Most Unlikely Duke and The Duke of Her Desire, since those were the only two available at the time. Of course the whole idea of potentially seeing my book on screen was tempting. But they were asking for a lot of things I just didn’t want to give up on, like the rights to my characters, which would have limited my ability to write additional sequels. Ultimately, the deal fell through, but it did give me an interesting learning experience.

If you could live anywhere in the world, which country would you choose and why?

I would love to live in Spain or Denmark. These are the two countries in the world where I feel most at home.

Moving on to your upcoming release, No Ordinary Duke, what prompted you to write this story?

I was actually looking at my calendar back in May and decided that it would be really great if I could fit in an extra release during the fall. As soon as my schedule freed up, I went to work on No Ordinary Duke. I’m also hoping to release a quick Christmas novella before the end of the year. The previous ones I wrote as part of The Honorable Scoundrels series did really well. Incidentally, that anthology is on sale now until November 1st for only $0.99.

Why did you choose to self-publish this title?

Since self-publishing for the first time in November last year, I’ve experimented a little to see what works. I also had a couple of titles I knew the publishers wouldn’t be interested in, so I chose to self-publish those. These were different from what I’m known for, a time-travel historical and a contemporary. Neither did as well as I’d hoped which made me realize I ought to stick to my wheelhouse which is where my fan base is. While writing for Avon is my dream and I hope to continue writing for them for a long time yet, I need the extra income self-publishing provides if I’m to continue living off of being an author. If not, I’ll have to stop writing, or at least write less, and go back into the job market. That would mean giving up on my passion, so I’m really trying to do whatever I can in order to stick with it.

Since series have a tendency to do well, I brainstormed some ideas and decided to run with the one about a duke who doesn’t want to be a duke and a woman who wants nothing to do with the aristocracy. It’s a fun concept, I think, since circumstance gets in the way of their HEA until they resolve a few issues.

Is self-publishing something that you would recommend?

Definitely. Especially if you’re having a hard time getting a publishing deal. If you’re already with a publisher you’ll need to make sure that your contract allows you to self-publish and that you have the time. It should never interfere with the work you’re doing for your publisher.

How many books are you planning for this series?

Three for now and we’ll see after that. It all depends on how well the first book does. At the moment, Caleb Crawford has a couple of brothers who need their own stories.

What’s different about this book?

It’s about people wanting to exchange their extravagant lives with ordinary ones. There’s no rake in need of reform or debutante requiring marriage. Instead there’s a spinster who despises the aristocracy and a duke who wishes to escape it. There’s a mistaken identity trope too since Mary believes Caleb to be a common laborer even though he’s precisely what she’s trying to avoid. It’s fun, emotional, and full of restrained passion as temptation grows between these two.

Thank you so much for joining us today!

It was my pleasure.