Saga
Saturday—The Duchess of Gracechurch Trilogy—Catherine Kullmann
Thank you for your invitation to
contribute to Saga Saturday, Rachel.
I
love to read novels set in the same world so that, although not a direct
series, they interlock, providing a glimpse of how characters’ lives continue afterwards.
I suppose it satisfies my eternal longing to know what happens next. When I
started to write Regency novels, I found myself faced with the same question.
One book led to another and before I knew it, I had a trilogy. Set against the
background of the Napoleonic wars, The Duchess
of Gracechurch Trilogy tells of love, loss and second chances. It
celebrates family, friendship and love in all its guises. mybook.to/DoGBoxSet
Some
characters slip into your books unplanned and unheralded only to play a pivotal
role in the story. So it was with Flora, the young Duchess of Gracechurch. We
meet her first in 1804 in The Murmur of
Masks, and later in Perception &
Illusion, but her own story
revealed itself slowly. A devoted mother and good friend who champions young
wives whose husbands are ‘distant’, it becomes clear that her own relationship with
her husband Jeffrey is far from perfect.
In
1815, when The Murmur of Masks ends,
Flora and Jeffrey are in their thirties. I began to wonder what her future life
might be like, after her children had left home. Modern solutions of a friendly
divorce or ‘conscious uncoupling’ were not possible at the time. Short of
killing off Jeffrey, I could see no hope for Flora’s future happiness. Then I began
to wonder about Jeffrey’s story. Why had he neglected his young bride? What if,
after all these years, he wanted to change their relationship? Would it be
possible and could I make it plausible? What might trigger such a radical
change of heart? Would he be able to convince his wife and children of his
sincerity, and would Flora risk her hard-won peace of mind? The Duke’s Regret is their story.
The Murmur of Masks
and Perception & Illusion can be
read in either order, but The Duke’s
Regret should be read last to avoid spoilers for the first two books.
Blurbs
The
Murmur of Masks
Desperately in
need of security, following the sudden death of her mother and unaware that his
affections are elsewhere engaged, a distraught Olivia accepts Jack Rembleton's
offer of a marriage of convenience. When Olivia meets Luke Fitzmaurice at a
ball given by the Duchess of Gracechurch, Luke is instantly smitten but Olivia
cannot respond. An unexpected encounter with Luke at a masquerade ten years
later leads to a second chance at love. Dare Olivia grasp it? Before she can
decide, Napoleon escapes from Elba and Luke joins Wellington's army in
Brussels. Will war once again dash Olivia's hopes of happiness? mybook.to/MurmurofMasks
Perception
& Illusion
Cast out by her
father for refusing the suitor of his choice, Lallie Grey, accepts Hugo
Tamrisk’s proposal, confident that he loves her as she loves him. But Hugo’s
past throws long shadows as does his recent liaison with Sabina Albright. All
too soon the newly-weds are caught up in a comedy of errors that threatens
their future happiness. When a perfect storm of confusion and misunderstanding
leads to a devastating quarrel with her husband, Lallie feels she has no choice
but to leave him. Can Hugo win her back? Will there be a second, real happy end
for them? mybook.to/PerceptionandIllusion
The
Duke’s Regret
A chance meeting
with a bereaved father makes Jeffrey, Duke of Gracechurch realise how hollow
his own marriage and family life are. Persuaded to marry at a young age, he and
his Duchess, Flora, live largely separate lives. Now he is determined to make
amends to his wife and children and forge new relationships with them. Flora
does not know how to respond to her husband’s suggestion. Can Jeffrey break
down the barriers between them and convince her that his change of heart is
sincere? mybook.to/DukesRegret
Author Bio
Catherine Kullmann
was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted
mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years
before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public
services and in the private sector.
Catherine has
always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the
foundations of our modern world were laid. Her books are set against a
background of the offstage, Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the
situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society. She also blogs about
historical facts and trivia related to this era.
You can find out
more about Catherine’s books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) where she
writes about Regency facts and trivia at www.catherinekullmann.com
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