Writing the Mackenzie Family Saga by Jennifer Ashley

Who is Hart Mackenzie’s perfect match? Eleanor Ramsay doesn’t know–she jilted him all those years ago–and now all she wants from the devastating duke is a job. Or so she tells herself. Persuading him to hire her as an assistant to his secretary is tricky, but Eleanor has a trick or two of her own up her sleeve, including photographs of the younger Hart–some of him in his kilt, and some of him not in his kilt…

Hart is secretly delighted that Eleanor has returned, because he needs a wife, and he’s decided that Eleanor will be the one. But when Eleanor comes back into his life before he’s ready, Hart finds his world turned upside-down, and everything he thought important brought into question.

 

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Writing the Mackenzie Family Saga

By Jennifer Ashley

Author of The Duke’s Perfect Wife (April 2012)

http://www.jennifersromances.com

 

When I set out to write the Mackenzie series of books, beginning with The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, I knew right away that they would be four tightly connected books, about the Mackenzie family as a whole.

 

I could have written four romances, loosely connected by the fact that these guys were brothers, but I decided at the outset that I wanted to do something different.

 

Members of families don’t exist in a vacuum, especially if they grow up close together in the same house and remain in that house through adulthood. They form alliances and rivalries, they know things about each other that no one else in the world does, they argue and debate, like each other (for the most part), but also drive each other crazy.

 

The Mackenzie brothers are united partly by the fact that their father was abusive. They had to band together against them, the oldest brother, Hart (The Duke’s Perfect Wife), as their leader.

 

Also, Ian Mackenzie, the youngest brother, has Asperger’s Syndrome (The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie). AS and autism wasn’t recognized as such in the Victorian age, so Ian had the added problem of no one understanding what was going on with him. The brothers had to protect him from their father and then from the world.

 

Hart Mackenzie in particular appoints himself to look after Ian, and the lengths to which he goes to protect him are spelled out in The Duke’s Perfect Wife (and a little bit in Ian’s book).

 

The other two brothers, Mac and Cam, have their own problems—Mac is an artist who fully embraces the wild artist’s lifestyle, to the detriment of the marriage to the woman he loves (Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage).

 

Cameron’s late wife was abusive, and it’s whispered that he killed her. He was left with an infant to raise, who is in his teens when the series begins (The Many Sins of Lord Cameron). Cameron has learned to live life as decadently as he can, liking women and horses, and little else. Cameron keeps a stable of winning racehorses, and is a genius at training them, but he’s never sure what to do with his unruly son (who will get his story, when he’s grown up, in The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie.)

 

In each book, the brothers play a part of each other’s lives, whether it’s Hart interfering with Ian’s life (he has his reasons), Cameron assisting Mac when his wife needs help, or all the brothers helping Cameron raise his son.

 

I broke “rules” writing these books, in that all four brothers show up in all four books and have significant roles to play in each story. They don’t stay on the sidelines or have a few walk-in cameos–they are a part of every story, like real life.

 

I also don’t have the brothers in love with each other and never disagreeing. To me, that doesn’t make for very interesting fiction. The four Mackenzies do clash, tease each other, argue, and have blow ups. But when bad things happen, they close ranks and defend each other to the death.

 

I have had a wonderful time writing the brothers Mackenzie. However, I’m pleased to say that the saga is not at an end! As I mentioned, Daniel will have his story told in Wicked Deeds. I will also be looking into the brothers of Ainsley (Cameron’s heroine), the McBrides.

 

Ainsley has four brothers: Patrick, Sinclair, Elliot, and Stephan. Patrick is in his fifties and happily married, so he’s taken care of. 🙂 Sinclair is a widower with two small children he can’t control; Stephan, the youngest, is in the Army at present, making a distinguished career for himself.

 

Elliot, a middle brother, was abducted and imprisoned for a long time in India and comes home to Scotland in time to watch the woman he’s loved all his life walk to the altar … or not.

 

Elliot had planned to hide himself away in the Scottish Highlands, fearing he’s going mad, but his brothers, his sister Ainsley’s new family (the Mackenzies), and his childhood sweetheart aren’t about to let that happen. See how Juliana works to heal Elliot in the next “Mackenzies” book, The Seduction of Elliot McBride.

 

All in all, it’s been a terrific ride writing the Mackenzies (and now the McBrides and Daniel). Thanks to readers who have loved the series and encouraged me all the way through. For readers who haven’t yet met the Mackenzies, I hope you enjoy them!

 

Leave a comment, tell me who is your favorite Mackenzie brother (if you’ve read the series), or tell me what you think about family sagas vs. standalone romance. I’ll be giving away the four Mackenzie books (signed) to one winner.

 

 

 

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Teaser Tuesday – Beneath the Skin by Lauren Dane

The Book

The Tease

She tried to push him toward the door again and he sighed. “You’re not strong enough to move me and you’re only going to make that slice on your back worse. Just stop.”

She stepped back, the air between them, usually so hot, was now icy cold.

“What the fuck is wrong?”

“I’m apparently a weakling and a burden.”

“What? I never said that.” And that’s when he realized they were totally in a relationship and she was his—for wont of a better term—girlfriend.

“I already told you I’m no one’s responsibility and I’m not so weak I can’t take on two full-grown shifter males and kick their ass. I hope they bled out on the sidewalk.” She began to pace now, snatching her towel back and putting it around her body. “You’re damn right they wouldn’t be fucking with me if they hadn’t seen me with you. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s done. They’re trying to kill me, just like they’re trying to kill you, and I notice you aren’t living with your parents.”

“Why is it that women always interpret words in the worst possible way?”

Her brows flew up as she spun, the towel nearly losing purchase, and then he remembered how much he liked what she had going on underneath it.

“You know, it occurs to me you either have a death wish or you’ve never been in a real relationship with a woman.”

He felt a little of both.

“I’m not saying you’re a burden.”

“You’re avoiding the issue.”

Christ. “This is why I’ve never had a long-term relationship with a woman before.”

“You don’t even need a shovel to dig yourself in, do you? Astonishing. Go, Gibson. I don’t want to fight with you right now. I ran four miles before I got attacked. So I was already grumpy. Then two shifters tried to kill me in the middle of a running path. Then I had to run home and not get caught. And now you’re in here talking shit and being a dumb dude and I don’t have the energy for it.”

“You’re being—” But he shut up when he saw the look on her face. Now he didn’t feel so funny for all the times he poked at Max and Galen over the trouble they got into with their women.

The Blurb

A whole world exists…beneath the skin.

Gibson de La Vega is the Bringer, one of the Alpha’s right-hand cats. It is his job to mete out justice and defend the law that holds their jamboree together.

After a contentious meeting with another jamboree, he’s shot—Mia stumbles onto the scene and saves his life. He’s immediately drawn to the female who dug three silver bullets from his body. Even after he discovers she’s a Porter, a family his own harmed grievously half a century before.

Mia has enough in her life. She’s recovering from a vicious hate crime—an attack using silver has affected her ability to do what she loves most. The last thing she needs is a bossy alpha cat like Gibson. A de La Vega no less.

Despite the myriad reasons to stay away, even as they continue to hunt down the would-be killers, their attraction deepens into something else entirely.

The answers they find bring that threat far closer to home than anyone could have imagined and it’ll be up to Gibson to end the mess once and for all. And up to Mia to stand at his side, even as he risks his life…

Available today

www.laurendane.com

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The Princess and the Peer by Tracy Anne Warren – Giveaway!

When a royal summons from her brother arrives, Emma knows it’s time to embrace her duties as the princess of a small European kingdom, and marry the man her brother has chosen for her…a stranger she has never met.  Instead she does what any self-respecting princess would do—she runs away.  All she wants is one week in London.  One week to experience everything life has to offer, before she is locked away in a loveless marriage forever…

Former naval captain Nick Gregory has inherited a title he never wanted. As the new Earl of Lyndhurst, he chafes against his landlocked existence—until fate brings a mysterious young beauty across his path. Believing she’s an unemployed governess, Nick offers shelter and protection to the captivating girl, never guessing her true identity.

Emma falls hard for Nick, but knowing they have no future, she flees once more—this time back to her royal responsibilities. But when she and Nick unexpectedly meet again, she learns that against all odds, he’s determined to make this princess his bride…

Available today!

www.tracyannewarren.com

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We have two copies of The Princess and the Peer to give away! To be entered, just leave a comment below. Two winners will be drawn on Sunday. Good luck!

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