from Mia Marlowe…

I should have had this blog post set to publish shortly after midnight, but I have to confess I forgot I was even scheduled for today till I woke up with morning. This is so not like me! I can only plead Downton Abbey intoxication.

I rarely get wound up about TV shows. It has to be something truly extraordinary. But shortly after Christmas I accidentally happened on about the last 15 minutes of the final episode of Downton Abbey‘s 2nd season. That was more than enough to convince me that I had to discover who these people were. I guess I waffled on about it quite a bit, because my DH surprised me with Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. So I’ve been wallowing in the world of Downton Abbey since last Thursday and am now “caught up” with the adventures of the upstairs and downstairs denizens of that great house. Thank heaven I’m between book projects right now or I’d be feeling frightfully guilty–not guilty enough to quit, of course, but guilty in any case.

What? You don’t know what Downton Abbey is?

Allow me to lure you into its web. My DH calls it a post-Edwardian soap opera, and I suppose that’s fair from a masculine point of view. It’s actually a slice of a world gone by, all the glittering wonderful things that are some the reasons I write historical romance. It has a large and sharply drawn cast–16 principals! They are caught up in the stratifications of their society, the exaggerated manners, the social conventions that fascinate me as well. There’s the larger canvas of the quickly changing world of Europe as WWI breaks out. And of course, the gorgeous gowns of the ladies and the house itself, which actually serves as a character in its own right.

I promise to get back to writing now. But before I do, I’d love to chat with you about this latest obsession of  mine. If you follow Downton, who’s your favorite character and why? Are there any you’re upset with? Who do you think has had the strongest character growth since the beginning? If you had to sack one of the servants, who would you let go? What’s your favorite Lady Violet (the dowager Countess of Grantham) zinger?

“Nothing succeeds like excess.” ~ Lady Violet

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Mia’s newest release is a regency romp called WAKING UP WITH A RAKE! RT BookReviews calls it “deliciously scandalous!” Welcome to Barrowdell, a grand house in the Lake District. It’s the setting for Book 1 in the Royal Rakes series, so you’ll want to discover this sparkling world from the very beginning.

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched…to seduce the dukes’ intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap…

Find Mia at MiaMarlowe.com, on Twitter and Facebook!

Leave a comment or question to be entered into the drawing from Sourcebooks for a copy of WAKING UP WITH A RAKE. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen. US/Canada only, please.

RELAX: NO SPOILERS IN THIS BLOG

On Sunday, January 6, season 3 of Downton Abbey premiered in the U.S. Many of you, like me, have been waiting months and months for it to resume. We’ve had to carefully avoid any spoilers from over the pond, where it was already showing, and we had to watch the first and second seasons again in preparation.

Some of you are wondering what all the fuss is about. That’s easy.

1. The Clothes

Lady Mary, LadyEdith, and Lady Sybil wear fabulous clothes.

2. The on-again-off-again love affair between Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley is riveting and often surprising. It doesn’t hurt that Dan Stevens, who plays our hero, is easy on the eyes.

3. The conflicts dealing with the servants below stairs are just as fascinating as those dealing with the gentry. In fact, sometimes they’re even more interesting.  Love, hate, money, scandal, treachery, murder…that’s what makes Downton Abbey so popular.

Are you watching Downton Abbey? If not, why not? If so, what do you like about it? Warn us if you include any spoliers!

I’ll give away TWO ARCs of my next book, IF YOU GIVE A RAKE A RUBY, to readers who comment!