Dear Ballroomies, All September long, you have come along with us on a whirlwind tour of Choose Your Own Adventure month at the Ballroom. But today, I have designed a special tour for YOU. How well do you know your Ballroom authors? Carissa Portland, the “snoop” heroine of My Scandalous Viscount, is here to make some revelations about each of us. Wherever you see a Link below, it’ll take you to the Bio or revelant page of one of the Ballroom authors. You  may get more than you bargained for! Enjoy!

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 Lady B: Miss Portland! We meet at last. I was so pleased when Gaelen sought an invitation for you to my Ballroom.

Carissa Portland, heroine of My Scandalous Viscount: My lady, it’s truly an honor.

Lady B: Well, as a niece of the Earl of Denbury, I knew you’d be most suitable for our gatherings. But I must confess, the real reason I was excited you were coming is because I hear you have a penchant for gossip to match my own.

Carissa: Gossip, my lady? Me? Never! On the contrary, I am a lady of information.

Lady B: Isn’t that the same thing?

Carissa: Not at all, ma’am. It’s all a matter of intent—what one means to do with the information one learns about others. ‘Gossip’ suggests an undertone of malice, don’t you think? Whereas ‘information’ is simply… well, knowing useful things about others.

Lady B (leaning nearer): Do you know anything useful about anyone here?

Carissa (with a slight gleam in her green eyes): Maybe.

Lady B: Oh, do tell!

Carissa: Well… since you are one of the most esteemed hostesses inLondon, I suppose you have a right to know more about your regular guests.

Lady B: You know something about my authoresses?

Carissa: A bit.

Lady B: Well?? Out with it, you marvelous sly thing!

Carissa: As you wish. (She scans the Ballroom, her painted fan half covering her face. Her gaze lingers on the cluster of authoresses hanging around the ratafia.)

Carissa: I happen to know that Katharine Ashe—

Lord Beauchamp: Hullo, ladies.

Carissa (nearly jumping out of her slippers, for unbeknownst to Lady B, he has discreetly pinched her arse when he sauntered up behind them): Don’t do that!

Beau: Hmm?

Lady B (looking like she might swoon): Lord Beauchamp!

Beau, with a bow: So nice to see you again, Heliotrope. You are radiant tonight.

Lady B: So charming!

Carissa: Don’t believe a word he says.

Beau: So what’s going on, then?

Lady B: Miss Portland was just about to share a few on-dits about my authoresses.

Beau: Really? (With a mocking twinkle in his sky-blue eyes.) Do tell.

Lady B: You were about to say something about Katharine Ashe? She’s right over there, my lord. (She nods toward Miss Ashe, who is beaming as certain readers say how much they enjoyed the book party for her new release.)

Beau: Ah, yes, isn’t she the lady with the smart crimson spectacles? Fetching creature…

Carissa smacks him. Must you ogle every female you see?

Beau, innocently: Who, me?

Carissa (slightly jealous): As I was saying, it might interest you to know that a major revelation has been made about Miss Ashe. It was even in the papers!

Lady B: Really? Nothing too scandalous, I hope!

Carissa (whispering): She leads a double life. It’s true.

See for yourself if you don’t believe me! (Click here to read the article about Katharine Ashe!)

Beau: Well, well, double life… a lady after my own heart.

Carissa: If you think that’s big, you should hear what I found out about Sarah MacLean.

Lady B’s eyes grow round. Don’t torment me!

Beau: You mean the fact that her mother was a spy for MI6?

Carissa gasps and turns to him. You know?

Beau: Of course. I read her dossier. We always know our own.

Lady B: What are you talking about?

Beau: She was stationed inParis for MI6 during the 60’s. I always knew that Sarah MacLean was good people… and must admit I’ve always had a weakness for redheads.

Red-haired Carissa gives him a reluctant smile at his pointed compliment, but at the same time, is beginning to see the difficulty in being courted by a spy.

While wondering how poor Lady Sarah ever got away with anything as a youngster, having a mother for a spy, she is unsure if she, in turn, will still be able to follow her various whims and impulses if her ongoing love/hate flirtation with Viscount Beauchamp becomes more serious.

And I’m rather sure it will.    (You can read Chapter One of their story at www.gaelenfoley.com if you like!)

Lady B: It’s all too delicious! Come, what else do you know about our friends?

Carissa looks around discreetly: Well, Sabrina Darby started writing her first romance novel the day after her wedding.

Beau: Blazes! Really? Why, I don’t think even I ever inspired a women to write a whole novel after a night together, maybe a sonnet…

Carissa: Beau!

Lady B: Perhaps, knowledgeable as you are, Miss Portland, you could explain to me what the Californian contingent of authoresses (Sabrina, Tessa, and Kate N.) mean by a particular word they often utter. I believe it’s pronounced, “Dude.”

Carissa: Dude?

Lady B: More like, “duuuuude.” Is it French?

Beau: I hardly think so. And, er, pardon, but what is this California of which you speak?

Lady B: I’m not entirely sure. Some region of the American wilderness, I daresay. A strange, dry country where the earth quakes, but somehow our brave Sabrina Darby, Kate Noble and Tessa Dare have all managed to settle there.

Carissa: I hear it’s also the place where they make “movies,” which explains why Tessa Dare is not only a writer, but an up-and-coming “movie director.” Her films are not to be missed. (Click here to watch one of Tessa’s blockbusters. Seriously.) For what it’s worth, I also have reason to believe that Kate Noble’s favorite movie is a famous story of a horrible marauding shark called Jaws.

Beau: Duuude.

Lady B: That’s it! Just like that. Miss Portland, do you have any more tidbits on our friends?

Beau: Don’t encourage her, my lady. Carissa, why are you gossiping again?

Carissa: It’s not gossip! It’s just information.

Beau arches a brow, and once more, considers training her for a spy. Very well, my dear, what else have you got, then?

Carissa: Don’t look now, but that lady over there, in the fascinator?

Beau: Yes, nice hat. I love a lady who knows how to wear a hat.

Lady B: You mean our dear Miranda Neville!

Carissa: Did you know she attended Oxford?

Lady B: What? A lady at Oxford? I never heard of such a thing!

Carissa: I know, it’s very shocking. And by the way, she always gets lost because she spent every Geography class secretly reading romance novels instead of paying attention to her teacher. But if you think that’s surprising, consider this. That mild-mannered gentlewoman standing next to her—

Beau (giving our friend a smoldering once-over): Lauren Willig? Lovely…

Lady B smacks him with her fan. You’re as bad as Monty! Hush, now, you rake! Let her talk!

Beau: I can’t help it. I love women. All these blondes…

And we love our blond boys, too. Here’s a couple of possible Beau’s for your consideration and viewing pleasure…

Carissa: Perhaps it’s better if I don’t go into it—

Lady B: Miss Portland! You can’t leave me in the lurch! What is your news about Miss Willig? If you mean that she is writing her next book in a non-Regency setting (World War I era!), I’ve only just got over the shock of that…

Carissa: Um, I don’t want to alarm you, but that’s not what I was talking about. I’m afraid this involves Monty…

Lady B: Oh, what’s nephew gone and done now? (She gasps.) Are he and Lauren having an affair??

Carissa: No, no, nothing like that! It’s just, well, Monty seems to be having a spot of bother with another crim-con accusation—

Beau shudders: Hate jealous husbands. (And btw, I’m way better lookin’ than them. Just sayin.)

Carissa: And since Lauren went to Harvard Law school, Monty was asking her if she’d be willing to serve as his defense counsel. (Regency “Legally Blonde!”)

Lady B: Oh, my stars. Another crim-con?

Beau: A lady lawyer? Heliotrope, what sort of Ballroom are you running here?

Lady B: I hardly know.

Carissa (helping her sit down): Do you need the smelling salts?

Lady B: Don’t be absurd. I just need a few minutes to let it all sink, I think. I thought they were just idle scribblers!

Gaelen: We get that a lot.

Lady B (shooting me a piercing look): I notice Miss Portland didn’t have any good gossip about you.

Gaelen (with an innocent shrug): Nothing to tell. I’m an open book.

Beau: PAH!

Carissa: I see, so that’s the game you’re playing? (turning to me.) You go telling our private story about Beau and me to the whole world, and we’re not supposed to say a peep about you? That is hardly fair!

Lady B (perking up): What’s this?

Carissa: Well, one time, while she was writing our book, she came to a part where she sat in front of her computer crying like a baby—

Gaelen: That will do! Carissa, you are one of my favorite heroines, but you’d better watch your step. Don’t forget, I still control the Delete key.

Carissa: You wouldn’t!

Gaelen: Try me.

Beau: I see where I get my ruthlessness from. Delete key, indeed. Come along, darling. (Taking Carissa’s hand and tucking it through the crook of his elbow) You have worked your mischief quite enough for now. Besides, I have something better for your lips to do other than repeating gossip.

Carissa: It’s not gossip. How many times do I have to explain that?!

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Well, Ballroom friends, I hope you’ve learned something you didn’t know before about your humble authoresses. It’s all true!

And to celebrate the release of Beau and Carissa’s story, MY SCANDALOUS VISCOUNT (on sale this week!) I’m giving away a signed (but not tearstained) copy of the book by random drawing to anyone who can tell us a good piece of funny/interesting/little known gossip—I mean “Information”—that we ought to know about YOU. *g* Don’t worry, nothing too incriminating. We just want to get to know everyone better! Thanks for being with us today. xo, Gaelen

Under gaelen, heroes, heroines, kate, katharine, lady b, lauren, miranda, Monty, news, sabrina, sarah, tessa