Smugglivus Day 20 – Guest Author: Susan Holloway Scott

Welcome to Smugglivus 2009 – Day 20!

Throughout this month, we will have daily guests – authors and bloggers alike – looking back at their favorite reads of 2009, and looking forward to events and upcoming books in 2010.

Today’s Guest #1: Susan Holloway Scott, author of historical fiction with several books from the perspective of the different mistresses of King Charles II. In 2008 she released The King’s Favorite, told from the perspective of Nell Gwyn (reviewed here).

Recent Work: The French Mistress, written from the point of view of Louise de Keroualle, the Duchess of Portsmouth, reviewed here by Thea. For Susan’s Inspirations and Influences post about her latest novel, please go here.

Please give a warm welcome to Susan!

First of all, I want to wish the smuggliest of Smugglivuses to you all, and to Thea and Ana in particular –– and many thanks, too, for making the Booksmugglers such a fabu place for both writers and readers. You’re the best!

It’s almost impossible to pick my favorite books of 2009 –– how to choose from so many? –– but I’ll try. Here are my top three, in no particular order.

The Taste of Sorrow by Jude Morgan.

An achingly beautiful novel of the three writing Bronte sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) that brings to life not only the creators of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, but the very real challenges facing creative women in the 19th century. An excellent antidote to Jane-Austen-clone-overload.

Don’t Tempt Me by Loretta Chase

OK, so Loretta is one of my best buds. That doesn’t mean I can’t be totally honest and proclaim this to be the most entertaining historical romance of 2009. Fun and funny, and surprisingly touching, too, the way Loretta’s books always are.

Johnny One-Eye by Jerome Charyn

A bawdy, breathless retelling of the American Revolution by the rascally double-agent of the title, and Johnny’s version is loads more enjoyable than the version you had in middle school.

Now what do I personally have in store for 2010?

September will mark the release of my next historical novel set in the 17th century English Court, THE COUNTESS & THE KING: A Novel of Countess of Dorchester & King James II. Katherine Sedley was clever rather than beautiful, an outspoken heiress who shuns a respectable marriage for the notoriety of becoming royal mistress. But what begins as a passionate impulse soon leads Katherine into a tangle of political intrigue, religious dissent, and ever-shifting alliances, where a wrong step can mean treason, exile or death at the executioner’s block. As the risks rise, Katherine is forced to make the most perilous of choices: to remain loyal to the King, or to England.

Unfortunately I still don’t have the cover for THE COUNTESS & THE KING, but I’ll post it on my website as soon as I do, plus a teaser. There’s also lots of other cool stuff there about my other books: Unfortunately I still don’t have the cover for THE COUNTESS & THE KING, but I’ll post it on my website as soon as I do, plus a teaser. There’s also lots of other cool stuff there about my other books: www.susanhollowayscott.com

I also hope you’ll stop the blog I write with Loretta Chase: Two Nerdy History Girls. Sure, we ARE the nerdy history girls, but as Loretta explained here last week, we’re not too serious about it. Think of it as history filtered through People magazine. Which is why one day you’ll find Queen Victoria’s knickers and on the next , historical examples of Men Behaving Badly, with Johnny Depp thrown in there,too. Come on over!

Thanks, Susan!