The Riskies are very excited to welcome debut author Jennifer Haymore to the blog today! Her first book, A Hint of Wicked, is out this month from Grand Central Publishing. Comment for a chance to win an autographed copy…

Riskies:Welcome to the blog, Jennifer! Tell us about A Hint of Wicked…

Jennifer: Thanks so much! This is one of my favorite blogs, so I’m thrilled to be here! A Hint of Wicked is the story of a woman who’s spent 7 years mourning her husband lost at Waterloo to finally marry again, only to have her first husband appear less than a year into her new marriage. She’s legally bound to her first husband, her second husband is appealing to the courts, and she’s completely torn between the two men.

Riskies: Sounds exciting! How did you come up with the idea for this book?

Jennifer: My husband usually brainstorms with me, and one night I wanted to brainstorm some new ideas for a Regency. He said, “What do you think of a husband walking in on his wife having sex with someone else?” I shuddered and said, “That’s a horrible idea–nobody likes adultery in their romance!” He said, “Hmmm…but what if she doesn’t know she’s committing adultery? What if…what if she thinks her husband is dead?”

Hehee! That’s how A Hint of Wicked was born. I took that idea and ran with it. My husband read an early version of the manuscript, and after he finished he turned to me with a scowl on his face. “This is nothing like I imagined it,” he said. “Nothing!” I just grinned at him and said, “Too bad.” It was his original idea, but MY story, after all!

Riskies: And what’s “risky” about this book? (this one should be easy, LOL!)

Jennifer: AHOW strays a little from some of the established conventions of romance. There is truly more than one hero in this book, and one doesn’t get a happy ending. As much as I wanted my heroine to end up with both men (and as much as she wanted it!), it wouldn’t have been a realistic ending for the character in the world she lives in, not to mention that her husbands wouldn’t have accepted such a resolution. Fortunately, she does end up with the man who is right for her, and the other hero will get his own HEA in a big, big way—A Touch of Scandal will be released by Grand Central in April 2010.

Also, I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I will say the heroine is sexually attracted to both men. And she has certain fantasies I would definitely call risky…

Riskies: Did you find any interesting or surprising research tidbits that went along with this book?

Jennifer: Oooh, I found tons. I spend hours reading through books and resources written in the early 19th century. From theatre reviews (the performance of A Vision of the Sun depicted in AHOW was actually performed in Covent Garden on that date) to medical journals (I feel like an expert on laudanum and opium overdose now!) to dinner menus, I had a great time with all of it.

Riskies: And what’s next for you?

Jennifer: I’m finishing up edits on A Touch of Scandal as we speak. By the end of the month I’m going to start work on Lady Rebecca’s story. (Rebecca is the younger sister of one of the heroes in A Hint of Wicked), and I’m so excited about that!

Thanks for having me here at the Riskies!

You can visit Jennifer’s website for more information and research info! Remember–be sure and comment for a chance to win a copy of this very intriguing book!! And join us next weekend as we welcome Terri Brisbin…