Jan
Do You Have What It Takes To Join The Order?
So, You Think You Want To Be A Regency Spy…
Any Excuse To Gaze At Daniel Craig
Good day, friends. Um, I don’t want to scare anybody, but now that Book 4 of the Inferno Club series is newly released out into the world, the Duke of Warrington is here to try to recruit some new agents for the Order of St. Michael the Archangel (AKA The Inferno Club).
The boys have done their duty, you see, and they want to go home and enjoy a peaceful life with their wives. So, His Grace asked me to let you all know that we are putting the call out for any studly heroes you might have lying around that need something do to.
Warrington: Foley!
Me: Sir, yes, sir!
Warrington: Would you take this seriously, please?
Me: Sorry, Rohan. (Thinking His Grace is living up to his nickname as the Beast….hardass)
Warrington (with an impatient growl): All right, people, listen up! It takes years to develop the skills necessary to become a highly effective Order agent like myself. However, a natural aptitude is necessary. The right temperament and attitude for the spy life will be the innate foundation that our training will build on. I’m here to test your aptitude for this noble calling. Answer the questions below to the best of your ability. Then we shall see if you are really Order material. RIGHT! Have at it, then, maggots!
W: Got that? Easy, right?! Let’s take a good hard stab at a few more.
W: Now you’re catching on, aren’t you?
Me: I don’t like the one about the dog.
W: Hey, we’ve got to weed out any possible Prometheans. We’ve got a whole different psychological quiz for suspected villains. But, let’s continue. Time is money here, people.
W: Looking lively, people, I’m impressed. Onward…
W: All right, not bad. Now we’re going to test your brains a bit and your knowledge. Foley! I see you whispering in the back with Neville and the other ladies! Don’t make me come back there.
Me: You don’t scare me. I wrote you.
W: EXCUSE ME?
Me: Gulp. Nothing. Sorry, do continue, please. (Note to self: Avoid arguing with 6’4′ domineering warrior-duke.)
W: Now, we’ll be in touch with anyone who seems remotely capable of being turned into an uber-agent like me and my colleagues–
Me: Excuse me, Your Grace! If I may, I have one for you, that I think our guests will also enjoy taking a crack at.
W: Hit me.
W, frowning: That’s a trick question, isn’t it?
Me, with a smile: Not really. So, how did we all do?
Jan 12, 2012
1:46 am
Hi Gaelen,
That was fun! Don’t know if I made the cut but I sure wouldn’t mind training with Rohan. [blushing] Oh, how I do love that man! I liked your analogy brain teaser – don’t know what the right answer is but I remember once reading that without a harness, a horse will run wild without direction so I’m thinking that a woman gives a man direction. : )
Jan 12, 2012
1:48 am
Oh yeah, love that picture of Daniel … he looks ready, willing and able in it … to be a member of the Order, I mean … the other, too! ; )
Jan 12, 2012
12:05 pm
SERIOUSLY!!! LOL, Hi Amy!!
Jan 12, 2012
3:44 am
Great fun, Gaelen, I would love to train with the Inferno Club. Those men can show me their special skills any time. *g*
Loved Ruthless Prince, can’t wait for Beau’s story.
Jan 12, 2012
12:08 pm
LOL Beebs. Thanks! Beau’s story will be out in the Autumn, quite possibly October. If I can ever finishing writing the d*mned thing!!! Argh, the final chapters are giving me headaches…
Jan 12, 2012
9:19 am
Gaelen, what a way to start the day. Brain teasers. For the last one, a woman cares for, loves, tends to, in general takes care of her man. Just like a groom takes care of his horse.
Don’t think I will make a good agent. I haven’t read all of the training manuals yet (they are at the top of the TBR file).
Jan 12, 2012
12:09 pm
See, that’s a very kind answer, Susan! About the horse, I mean. One could go very cynical depending on which answer one chooses! LOL.
Kind of like a Rorschach test… ha ha.
Jan 12, 2012
10:01 am
What fun Gaelen!
And yeah, I definitely wouldn’t want to mess with Rohan either.
I definitely don’t have it in me to be a good spy agent. I can keep secrets, but the whole paranoia of not knowing who to trust, and constantly having to hide things from your friends and family, that would get to me for sure.
But I love spy movies/shows. Covert Affairs is one of my favs. I adore Annie Walker-an adventurous girl next door CIA agent who rocks Christian Louboutin shoes. I have also been a longtime fan of the James Bond movies, especially the Pierce Brosnan ones. Love how he can get through a whole chase/action sequence, and his hair and clothes are still impeccable. Though my one nitpick is he always high profile and makes a big splash and is noticed whereever he goes, but wouldn’t a covert agent want to stay below the radar and be as unobtrusive and unnoticeable as possible?
Jan 12, 2012
12:13 pm
Hi Lisa! Oh, I love Covert Affairs, too! How hot is that Israeli guy??? He played the Arab desert warrior in The Mummy wiht Brendan Fraser, too, where he had tattoos on his face. He’s cool! I definitely buy him as a spy.
And omg on Pierce Brosnan. Whatever it is he’s got, they should bottle it and sell it…make a fortune. lol.
Jan 12, 2012
1:49 pm
Oded Fehr! How yummy is he???!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE him as Eyal Levin. I had to crack up when he and Annie did that mission in Paris and their mark insulted him by saying he couldn’t be Mossad because he was “too Jewish”. HEE.
And amen on Pierce.
Something about the way he can pull off the suit look, the dark hair, piercing eyes, and crisp accent. Gets to me every time, lol.
Jan 12, 2012
11:03 am
Gaelen you would think that having raised sons I would be a great spy. They are grown now but I’m still trying to figure out why I never managed to “get the goods” on them when they were teenagers and instead had to bluff my way thru it by just assuming they did something wrong and giving them the “Mom look”. My success rate of getting them to admit all was probably only around 40% so I don’t think I’ll be getting hired by the Crown anytime soon.
Unfortunately for my grandchildren my sons, now that they’re safely out of the home and parents themselves, have let me in on all their childhood secret agendas so I think I finally have it figures out! Grandchildren beware!
Jan 12, 2012
12:16 pm
That is so funny!! I guess every Mom has to be part spy, huh? LOL. I don’t know about you guys, but I was a pretty sneaky kid. You had to be with three little tattletale sisters, lol.
But it sounds like the Crown might want you, you have good experience!
Gaelen
Jan 12, 2012
12:00 pm
So much fun! Thanks for using Warrington–he’s my absolute favorite hero!
Jan 12, 2012
12:14 pm
Ah, the pleasure is mine!! lol.
Jan 12, 2012
12:26 pm
I don’t necessarily need to be part of the order but would be more than happy to be the Lady of one of the men of the order, or Daniel Craig.
Jan 12, 2012
1:23 pm
I’ll fight you for the job, Michele!
Jan 12, 2012
1:42 pm
Now, Miranda, that wouldn’t be Lady-like.
Jan 12, 2012
2:14 pm
Hee hee hee…that’s a funny image….you two brawling … I think Lady B would be quite scandalized…
Jan 12, 2012
12:38 pm
This was fun.. I think I have some work to do on my ciphering…. LOL
Jan 12, 2012
1:02 pm
That was fun!
Jan 12, 2012
1:13 pm
Too fun! I think I woulds make an excellent spy!
Jan 12, 2012
1:22 pm
Duh. Yes.
Jan 12, 2012
2:16 pm
Indeed, Shana, you know all the good spy tricks, too, I believe!
Jan 12, 2012
1:22 pm
So funny, Gaelen. Thank you. I’d be useless. I voted for dancing and boozing in the brothel and capturing the fluffy dog. But at least I aced the decoder challenge!
I adored the way you set Warrington a trap at the end. Not sure he’s going to be able to figure that one out. Bwahahaha
Jan 12, 2012
2:15 pm
Nooo not the fluffy dog, you evil woman… lol
Jan 12, 2012
1:29 pm
I would be the worst spy ever! I can’t lie convincingly to save my life–which I guess would make me the deadest spy ever, pretty quick.
Perhaps I could be useful in the HQ. Is there an opening for Inferno Club naughty chambermaid? But i’m not great at cleaning, either. Humph.
I loved all the quizzes!
Congratulations on “all of the above!”
Is anyone else as desperate as me to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy?
Jan 12, 2012
1:51 pm
I cannot WAIT for TTSS, Tessa…it’s my reward for writing 10 K by Saturday night!
Jan 13, 2012
12:21 am
10K by Saturday night! Wow, Sarah, definitely reward yourself – that’s a tall order – hope you do it and an evening in a dark room with the men of TTSS will be just the perfect reward. I’m soooo wanting to see this one! Good luck on the writing. : )
Jan 12, 2012
2:18 pm
Tessa, you saw Jeanne’s message…if you’re a Mom had better at least learn how to be a good spymaster, LOL. Keeping up with the kiddo’s secret agendas, as she said, crack me up. LOL on the naughty chambermaid.
I’m dying to see that movie,t oo! They say Gary Oldman is great in it. Loved him in Harry Potter, Prisoner of Azka-however-you-spell-it was my favorite of the set.
Jan 12, 2012
1:46 pm
I’m sorry…I got distracted by Daniel Craig in tousled tuxedo. Now I have to go back and take the quiz.
Jan 12, 2012
2:20 pm
I KNOW! His hotness if to die for. We watched Cowboys and Aliens on-demand over the weekend. (Cuz that’s what you do when you’re on deadline, ack) and he played the perfect macho cowboy badass. Wouldn’t have thought such an elegant Englishman had it in him!
Double dose of adorable-ness though… Harrison Ford…though I gotta say he’s getting a little creaky. !
Jan 15, 2012
12:40 am
Hehehe… that was the best part of the quiz, his pic!!!
I understand you Sarah LOL
Jan 12, 2012
1:55 pm
This was fun! I’m not much of a decoder but I sure enjoyed the questions
Jan 12, 2012
2:22 pm
Hi Maria! Glad you liked it, LOL. I will reveal that the big news in Decoder Challenge #2 was the bestseller lists my book hit (Woot!) – NYT, USA Today, and Bookscan!
Yaaay, and thank you, Readers!
Jan 12, 2012
2:40 pm
Oh, was there a quiz?
I got stuck at Any Excuse to Gaze at Daniel Craig.
Fun post.
Cheers, EE
Jan 12, 2012
2:55 pm
LOLOL!
Jan 12, 2012
3:00 pm
Out loud belly laughs, Gaelen! Ahh, thank you.
I beg you to tell us what the message to the spy afar says when decoded. (It can’t be “Virgil is dead”, because I like Virgil too much. Though if Virgil in this case is some evil nemesis, then I’ll be fine with that.).
I know the other message decoded. YAYYY for your New York Times best seller showing!!!!!
Jan 12, 2012
4:30 pm
LOL, thanks, K! I wasn’t sure if anyone would get my humor about the one with “ma cherie” being a real spy term, but you know it’s on the lips of every Regency Gentleman Spy out there, LOL.
*g*
Gaelen
Jan 12, 2012
3:53 pm
Brilliant. I loved the quiz, Galen! I was cracking up as I took it.
And do you know what?
Although my husband is convinced I’d be one of the first to fall in a Zombie Apocalypse (Doubting Thomas! Sniff.), I did very well on the quiz. So there. If I can pass the Inferno Club entrance test, I can certainly best some shambling rotter with bad breath and worse manners. I mean, if that annoying kid from the Social Network can do it, how hard can it be?
Jan 12, 2012
4:23 pm
Oh, Olivia, I think you’ll definitely rise to the occasion in the Zombie Apocalypse. LOL. Hilarious… *g*
Jan 12, 2012
6:30 pm
That was hilarious! Now I want to know what each of your heroes would have chosen (or did choose)!
Jan 12, 2012
10:01 pm
I was torn, myself, on the Weapon of Choice one. Devastating smile / Cold stare seems like a given, but you’ve got to admit admit, Garotte wire is always nice.
G
Jan 12, 2012
8:11 pm
I think I’d like to join the Inferno Club. No one expects the restaurant manager with a history degree to be sneaking in windows and chasing foreign agents, do they?
Jan 12, 2012
9:58 pm
Now you’re talking!!! It’s the quiet ones you’ve gotta watch… *g*
Jan 12, 2012
8:27 pm
Gaelen,
You didn’t say the quiz was graded! Now I know I failed. I did get your Decoder Challenges….. I worked in Communications while in the Navy…….
Jan 12, 2012
10:00 pm
Susan! I’m sure you didn’t fail. You’re funny. COOL on the Navy communications gig!
Jan 12, 2012
10:02 pm
Oh dear.. I had a little trouble remembering I was supposed to be a boy… The Inferno Club must need the Regency equivalent of Bond girls right? Application submitted!
Also, Meryl Streep as Marcaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” comes out tomorrow! Not precisely this era but I have high hopes!
Jan 12, 2012
10:12 pm
LOL, boy, girl, whatevs. LOL on the Bond Girls for the Inferno Club. That is hilarious.
Let us know how Iron Lady is!!!
Jan 14, 2012
12:28 am
Hi Gaelen! I’m almost done with My Ruthless Prince and I just don’t want to finish it. It’s great, the whole series has been amazing but this one is I believe the best one of all.
I also loved the quiz!
Thanks for the wonderful hours of entertainment you give me with your books.
Jan 17, 2012
1:47 pm
I love your books Ms Gaelen. The Duke of Warrington is my favorite. I love what you put him through just to get his girl. It was so funny reading how this big bad man from the Order was brought down by Kate. I didn’t think anyone could bring him down. Can’t wait for your next book to come out.