8/07/2012

Meet Derick Aveline, hero of SWEET DECEPTION


Lord Derick Aveline has to finish one last mission before leaving his days of espionage behind—but his hunt for a traitor leads him to his childhood friend, Emma Wallingford. When deception, however sweet, is the name of the game, no one can be trusted. And every love—and every life—is at risk. (Second in the Veiled Seduction Series)

Thank you for being here with me to celebrate the release of my second novel, SWEET DECEPTION, which is available wherever books are sold today!

Those of you who have read my debut, SWEET ENEMY, already know a little about our latest hero, Derick Aveline…or do you?

You see, Derick is a wholly different person in his own story than he was in Geoffrey and Liliana’s.  As an agent of the War Department, Derick acted precisely as he needed to in order to complete his mission in SWEET ENEMY. But the Derick you’ll come to know (and hopefully love) in SWEET DECEPTION was an enigma even to me, a character I knew and didn’t know…just as he knew and didn’t know himself. You see, he became a spy at 18, and as he says to our heroine at one point:
          
       “I’ve been pretending to be someone else my entire adult life, Emma,” he murmured, swallowing against the sudden scratching in his throat. “I couldn’t tell you who I truly am anymore.”

The Inspiration:



I envisioned Derick as sort of a Regency-era James Bond, yet one who was through with the “Bond Girls”, as it were. Think Bond, but when he’s done…finished with the life he’s led and longing for something simple and real… Oh, and toss in some pretty dark secrets that he is certain make him unloveable.

NAME: Frederick (Derick) Charles Aveline, Viscount Scarsdale (31)

THE OUTER PERSON:
Derick as I envisioned him as writing (although without the spiky hair...oh, and in a cravat!)

Derick is uncommonly tall, lean and sinewy rather than bulky.  He’s called “dashing”, has a quick flashing smile that he tosses around liberally.  His hair is dark as night, with glittering green eyes with a slant that almost reminds one of a gypsy.  He’s always impeccably dressed.  He hides speculation beneath an easy smile.  His voice is a rich baritone.

THE INNER PERSON:


Lord Frederick (Derick) Charles Aveline, Viscount Scarsdale, is an imposter.  Not by choice, mind you, but by blood.  Even his very English name mocks him, because Derick knows what few others do:  that his French mother brought her lover to England with her and cuckolded his aristocratic “father”, bearing him a full French-blooded heir.  Now that his service to the Crown (as a double agent for the British against the French) is almost complete, Derick has decided that he belongs in neither country.  He cannot go to France, for obvious reasons, yet he can no longer live a lie, pretending to be a British aristocrat while knowing full well not a drop of British blood courses through him.  He was still reeling from learning his entire life had been a lie when he was recruited as a spy at the age of 18 and he’s been playing different roles for so long now, he has no idea who he really is. He knows one thing, though—he can’t find himself while pretending to be the aristocrat that he is not. 
In between finishing his investigations of suspected traitors, he’s spent the last months securing all of his “father’s” estates, making certain they will continue to run efficiently for the sake of the tenants and servants who depend upon them before he puts England behind him forever.  But he has one last estate to deal with:  the far flung Derbyshire manor to which his mother had been banished when Derick’s “father” discovered her deceit.  He hasn’t been there since he was a young man, not even after his mother’s suspicious death—not that he could have come to her funeral, as he was stuck overseas at the time.  And he wouldn’t be going back now if it didn’t figure in his last job for the Crown—to uncover once and for all the identity of a traitor who was suspected of having operated out of upper Derbyshire.  Though it chafes more and more with each passing day, Derek slips on his façade of spoiled aristocrat one last time.

Of course, he’s going to come up against a heroine who is completely different than him, but who just may hold the key to helping him re-discover himself…

Come back tomorrow to meet Miss Emma Wallingford!

Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of my debut, SWEET ENEMY (or, if you've already read it, I will substitute with another historical romance...many to choose from!). You MUST leave your e-mail in the comments section to be eligible… Here's a question:


Were you a Bond fan? What appealled or didn't appeal to you about him?


Heather Snow is a historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab.  She lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys and one very put upon cat.  Find out more or connect with Heather at:


SWEET DECEPTION Available NOW:


32 comments:

  1. I am a Bond fan. The first one I saw in a theater was "The World is Not Enough" with Pierce Brosnan. I was skeptical about Daniel Craig taking over the role, but he really won me over. I like the grittier Bond.

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

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  2. I'm a fan of Bond, but not the romance - and I use the term loosely - side. I'm down with the action/adventure, but bed hopping does nothing for me. There's something about a man in a tuxedo...

    I have too many books to read as it is (including Sweet Enemy!) so you don't have to enter me in the drawing.

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  3. HAPPY RELEASE DAY, HEATHER!!!!

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  4. I have seen every Bond movie. I am a big fan. Timothy Dalton is my favorite Bond.

    I do have Sweet Enemy but it's still in my large TBR pile - very close to the top!

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    1. forgot my email

      yenastone at aol dot com

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  5. Congratulations on the new book! I will watch some of the bond movies but I always lose interest before it is done. I think the problem is that I know Bond will live and there is no romance so the only question is what new gadgets will appear and what will blow up.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

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  6. I love Bond, James Bond. My favorite was Sean Connery.
    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  7. Sean Connery is the best James Bond

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  8. I have been a Bond fan since my father watched everyone when I was younger. He got me hooked! I have always loved Sean Connery, each Bond has brought something to the role. Goldfinger was a favorite. Scotland525@yahoo.com

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  9. Definitely a Bond fan. Sean Connery was the best, then Pierce Brosnan, none of the others did it for me.

    smulholland62@msn.com

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  10. I've been a bond fan as far back as I can remember. I remember watching the movies on TV in black and white with my dad. Then as I got older, it was a "thing" with Sean Connery. Whew! :)

    The Roger Moore and Sean Connery Bonds were my favorite. I liked it because the stories seemed so glamorous and he was always so cool. Always hoped, but knew it wouldn't happen, that Bond and Miss. Moneypenny would get together.

    leahweller@bellsouth.net

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  11. I'll go with the majority and say Sean Connery was the best bond, Roger Moore wasn't to bad and then my next fav is Pierce Brosnan. I have been a fan for a very long time now. Some of the new ones don't do it for me either.
    egille1677@aol.com

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  12. Hey Heather, happy release day. I have to say I wasn't a Bond fan.

    countessofmar AT yahoo DOT com

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  13. I love James Bond. He seems to be invincible but has a heart and - most importantly - humour! I admit I really do like Daniel Craig, I think he is incredibly sexy and modern. Just loved the opening of the Olympics - that was hilarious!

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  14. Forgot to mention: hopefully amazon.de will deliver soon.... can´t wait to read more of Derick...
    claudiadreythaller@web.de

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  15. Hi everyone, and thanks for coming by to meet Derick and to celebrate my release day with me! :)

    I have to say, while I always enjoyed Bond, it was more for the gadgets and action stuff. I've always been sort of a commitment girl, so the "Bond girls" creeped me out...

    I think that's why I LOVE Derick's character so much. I got to "reform" Bond in my own little mind...mwu-ha-ha!

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  16. Congrats on release day!

    4hrjc at mchsi dot com

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  17. I can't wait to read it! You know how excited I am about it! As soon as I get back from CA I am going to order it!
    StephanieMBriggs@aol.com

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  18. Yes, love Bond, but haven't seen the ones with Daniel Craig, but loved Pierce Brosnan!!! Fell in love with the smirks and teasing smiles, but totally loved the gadgets! Disliked the 'Bond girls' because they seem to always end up sleeping with each other...

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    1. forgot my e-mail

      kp_kazamei@yahoo.com

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  19. Like Ian Flemming's Bond stories intrigued me back when I first "met" James Bond, Heather's books intrigue me today! I loved Sweet Enemy and can't wait to read Sweet Deception!

    In 1962 Dr. No introduced me to James Bond with my very first introduction to spies and a world of mystery and intrigue. To me Sean Connery will always be 007! Next Sean was back as Bond once again in From Russian With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965) and then darn a whole year without James Bond but fortunately 1967 brought You Only Live Twice where he intrigued us once again.

    I consider those years of Sean Connery playing James Bond the "golden years" of a new movie genre that even today still delights our imaginations.

    jeannemiro(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  20. Happy Release Day!
    Love James Bond but I have to confess I've only seen the "new" ones (with Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig).

    spav05(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  21. Congratulation!!! yes, i am a bond fan. Sean Connery was the best. Thank you for the wonderful contest. Would love to win this book as i havent gotten a chance to get it yet.

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  22. I was and still am a Bond fan, my favorites are Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. I love the sophistication mixed with the brute strength of James Bond, and his ability to get the better of the bad guys, no matter what happens.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

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  23. Congratulations on the book! I like James Bond. He's very charming.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  24. I was not much of a bond fan, having grown up with Roger Moore, who was kind of lifeless. I have enjoyed Daniel Craig though tremendously. Yum!
    lvsgund at gmail.com

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  25. I hate to say it but I never liked Bond. I've only ever seen one movie and that was because I was forced to watch it. I don't know why, I just could never get into it. Though I did want to watch Casino Royale with Daniel Craig, but somehow I never got around to it.

    iqb99(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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  26. I don't think I have watched a Bond movie. Although there are many of the actors who are very inspiring :)
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  27. I'm a Bond fan with having only seen about 1,5 movies. lol So what I mean is that I always liked James Bond in his neat and handsome tux with the sports car, but I found the movie not really realistic or serious. I prefer my action/spy movies to be better developed. But Bond for me is def. Pierce Brosnan :-D

    stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

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  28. I am definitely a Bond fan. I think it's a combination of Bond's intelligence and confidence that makes him a great character.
    penfield716(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

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