Susan Gee Heino talks about the first time.

England, 1816.

ViscountRandolph Dashford isn’t a bad person; he’s simply pretending to be one to avoid matrimony.

Heiress Evaline Pinchley isn’t usually a sotted wanton; she’s merely celebrating her birthday.

One full moon and one empty Madeira bottle later, Evaline wakes to find herself in Dashford’s bed!

While Evaline tries to salvage what dignity she can from this colossal blunder, family secrets and would-be fiancés run rampant around her. Just when it seems she might find a way out of the mess she’s made, Evaline realizes things are worse than imagined.

She’s lost her heart to Dashford, and that could be the biggest mistake of them all.

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“You’re giggling,” he stated.
“I am,” she agreed, and the sound she made then sounded unfortunately more like a snort than a giggle. “But please don’t take it personally.”

“Would you care to share the joke?”

“I was just thinking—” She paused to consider. What had she been thinking? Oh yes, about his godlike shoulders and how she might wish to succumb to them.

“I guess I was wrong,” she amended with another giggle. “I suppose you could have every reason to take it personally. Oh, but don’t be offended. It had to do with your wonderful shoulders and how I wish you weren’t wearing so many clothes.”

Now he made an odd sound. “Funny, I was having rather a similar thought.”

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I just love Evaline and Dashford, the heroine and hero of my December release, Mistress by Mistake. I love them partly because they’re just so fun and so witty and have to work so darn hard to get things together, but also I love them because they are my First. Yes, the hero and heroine in my first published novel.

Evaline arrived in my brain way back in January of 2007. She was kind of pathetic; alone in the world, unloved, and horribly mistreated by everyone. I thought the poor gal deserved a good stiff drink, and that’s what sparked my opening scene when Dashford discovers her a bit tipsy in his garden. I figured since her life had been rather dismal I’d be kind and give her a seriously drool-worthy hero. And I’d make sure the two of them had plenty of laughs—although I don’t think she appreciated all of them right at first.

Now finally my little Mistress and her dashing hero have made their way out into the world. I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to share Evaline and Dashford’s love story with readers. At this point I’ve got another book written that will be out next summer, plus I’m working on my next project, too, getting to know those characters and loving them. But there will never be another Dashford and Evaline.

We all have lots of firsts in our lives; first day of school, first true love, firstborn child, first day out of the house after fighting the flu, etc. In many of these cases we remember that “first” with a special warmth in our hearts. That’s how my Mistress will always be for me. I hope if you get a chance to meet her, some little piece of her will stick in your heart and you’ll remember her fondly, too.

So, tell me about one of your favorite firsts. What was your first car? The first romance novel you ever read? Your first pet? Your first pair of designer jeans in the size you’d been dying to get into? At the end of the week, I’ll select one random winner to receive a copy of Mistress by Mistake. I’ll even send it to you First Class!

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Thank you for visiting with us at Novel Thoughts, Ms Gee Heino!