Mistress by Mistake sizzles off the page. A marvelously sexy romp.
Anna Campbell

… sexy chemistry and wry humor … I really enjoy those books where the characters take real joy in their pleasure and this is one of them. It’s a steamy historical that I enjoyed re-reading for the sake of the review.
Dear Author

A great big Risky welcome to Maggie Robinson who’s here today to give us the inside scoop on her book Mistress by Mistake, Book I of the Courtesan Court Trilogy, and give away a signed copy. So please ask a question or make a comment to be entered into the drawing.

How did the idea for this book/series evolve?

Although it will be published first, Mistress by Mistake is actually the second book I wrote that takes place on Jane Street, AKA “Courtesan Court,” my fictional address for London’s most exclusive mistresses. In Mistress by Midnight (which comes out next January), I had my heroine reflect that there really should be some sort of Mistresses Union for bored courtesans waiting for their gentleman, and I realized I had a series. It was all entirely accidental and providential.



Tell us about your hero/heroine. Who would you cast if the book was a movie?

Charlotte Fallon is a straight-laced, lace-making spinster whose heart was broken once. Sir Michael Bayard is a straight-up rake whose heart was not only broken but stomped on, skewered and seared. They’re both wary with good reason, but of course they are absolutely right for each other and ripe to fall in love. Catherine Zeta Jones might make a good Charlie with blue contact lenses (and she’d have to gain some weight, too). Bay was inspired by the yummy nameless model for Lord and Taylor’s Black Brown ad.



(Did I get the right guy, Maggie?) What bit of this book do you love?

Oh, there are so many parts. People seem to love the raspberry fool scene. And there are not too many heroines who use such an unusual weapon to save the hero like Charlie does. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but Charlie is quite creative.



Which part gave you the most trouble?

I wasn’t certain if a man could be forced to engage in sex. Upon serious research, I was assured that they could.



Ahem. Moving on … What do you like about the Regency period?

The corsets, of course. Seriously, there’s war, royal hijinx, scientific and social advancements—there’s just so much for an author to mine.



What do you dislike about the Regency period?

The obvious disparity between the rich and the poor—but we still have that today. And I don’t think I could deal with the hygiene difficulties.



It seems there are lots of mistress-themed books on the shelves at the moment. What makes yours risky/pushes the envelope?

Well, to be honest I guess my women are more-or-less faux mistresses. Charlie is mistaken for her sister, Laurette is installed on Jane Street by the man who wants to marry her (Mistress by Midnight), and Caroline is unhappily married to the man who bought her her house after the requisite misunderstanding (Mistress by Marriage). I use the setting for two upcoming novellas too. I think my biggest risk is choosing to write about older heroes and heroines (yeah, like thirty to forty is old to me, but in the Regency you’re more than half-dead at that point. *g*)



What’s next for you?

I also write erotic historical romance as Margaret Rowe, and she has a debut of her own with Tempting Eden, which comes out in June. It’s kind of fun to be a double-debutante at my age. Thrilling, actually.

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Anything else you’d like to be asked about?

Huge announcement! Mistress by Mistake has been selected by Kensington to be a free e-book download from May 3 through May 6. For the details, visit www.maggierobinson.net/blog tomorrow. One commenter below will get a signed dead-tree book, too!