Sizzling Book Club Chat Today: A Night of Scandal by Sarah Morgan

Sizzling Book ClubTune in today at 8pm EDT for the Sizzling Book Club Chat for Sarah Morgan’s A Night of Scandal! 8pm Eastern? Isn’t that Really Freaking Late in the UK? Yup! But Sarah Morgan wants to chat with as many US readers as possible at 9pm EDT because the series was just released in the US, so she’s cranking up the tea intake.

The window below will go wild with discussion and commentary. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on this book, and about Harlequin Presents, and where Sarah Morgan hid that sheikh. See you then!

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  1. Liz says:

    came in to catch the end of the chat, and it was already over.  teaches me to not check the site earlier in the day.

  2. Ros says:

    Well, I’m in the UK and am not made of awesome, unlike Sarah Morgan, so I couldn’t stay up for the chat but thanks, everyone, it was really fun to read!

    I just wanted to add something because I don’t think the question about sequels ever really got answered.  This book is the first in an 8-book series – see details of all the books here: http://www.iheartpresents.com/the-notorious-wolfes/ and I thought that they did a really great job of the continuity in the series.  In the UK versions, you get a little snippet between the books tracing Jacob’s story until the final denouement in the last book.  You also get brief appearances of the brothers/sister in other books – Nathaniel and Katie appear two or three times later on.  I felt like it was a very realistic picture of a family who do live separate but connected lives.  So yes, Sarah had do to a lot of setting up in her book, but it’s totally worth it for the rest of the series (which are all excellent, btw).  As far as I know there are no plans for Katie’s sister to get her own book, but there is a supermodel heroine in one of the later books.

  3. Ros says:

    Also, check out all the awesome UK covers here: http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/offer-main.asp?id=77

  4. Sarah Morgan says:

    Thanks Ros, what a star you are! The questions came faster than I could type (and I was typing quickly! My fingers thought they were in the Olympics) and I did indeed miss some. Apologies for that, but we will FIX IT (because that’s what writers do) and this morning, with the help of more strong coffee, I’ll be going through the questions again and posting the missing answers here. So if you asked a question and I didn’t answer it, check back later. And if you didn’t ask one and wished you had, put that here too. And if it’s simply too embarrassing to ask in public – although I don’t think SBTB counts as public, does it? – then just email me sarah @ sarahmorgan.com

    Also thanks to Ros for posting the link to the special Notorious Wolfes website. As well as book and character information there are author interviews, a family tree and as the lovely Jayne from Harlequin said last night, there will be a video. With Fabio. And mantitty……sorry, just kidding, no Fabio or mantitty (actually there might be mantitty), but an evening with SB Sarah is a corrupting experience…..

    Back soon
    Sarah

  5. Sarah Morgan says:

    SB Sizzling Book Club chat – Extra (that’s a BOGOF, buy one get one free)

    Please note that any views expressed here are my own and may not be worth much as I was still awake at 3.30am scrolling through the questions I missed. I’m posting two questions here and I’ll do more later or the post will go on and on forever (a bit like me)

    Katherine asked: How much sequel bait did you have to insert?

    Some. This was the first in a series of 8 books so I was asked to mention the other siblings, just enough to hint at their characters and create a picture of this big, dysfunctional family. It’s a fine balance – you can’t have siblings appearing from nowhere in future books but at the same time you don’t want info dump. Nor do you want to start to flesh out a character that another author may see differently. Although all 8 of us did talk – a lot. LOL.

    Tee asked: where do you hide the condoms in these ritzy places?

    Ah, condoms. My characters get up in the morning, brush their teeth and eat breakfast but I don’t always describe every detail because the reader would die of boredom. Unless it is obvious that there is no condom use (such as much regret, screaming and gnashing of teeth afterwards, closely followed by a Secret Baby), I assume condom use but just don’t spell it out unless it is pertinent to the story (in the book I’ve just finished, it’s pertinent so it’s right there in the text).

    In this case Wolfe Island is also occasionally rented out as an exclusive holiday pad. These things are provided along with fluffy dressing gowns. Nathaniel and Katie ended up in the bedroom for that scene. They weren’t suspended from a coconut tree with no access to amenities. A friend of mine stayed in very smart hotel recently (envy) and there were condoms. Much as I want to promote a safe sex message, I won’t compromise the intensity of the scene by describing every detail if it isn’t appropriate. But you are making me think perhaps I need a disclaimer at the beginning ‘condoms were used in the making of this book’. Unless it’s a Secret Baby, in which case I could say ‘condoms weren’t used in the making of this book and boy was THAT a mistake.’

  6. Sarah Morgan says:

    SB Sizzling Book Club chat – Extra (cont)

    Chelsea S also asked about birth control. I hope I answered that in the previous comment but if not then come back to me.

    John and others expressed surprise that the tape from the ‘lift incident’ hadn’t been leaked.

    When you’re writing a story there are always any number of paths you can travel with the plot. That’s what makes it exciting, (and occasionally a nightmare!).  The paparazzi had already played a role and later in the book I was trying to keep the focus on Nathaniel and Katie’s developing relationship – their internal problems.  And although there are unscrupulous people who would automatically sell something like that to the press there are also Good People with High Moral Standards who wouldn’t do that. And fortunately they work for Rafael Wolfe!

    Of course someone might leak it in the future……LOL

    Emily asked ‘Did they fight after the Sapphires because of length? She rushed him without giving him the chance to celebrate.’

    With my fingers falling over themselves last night I wasn’t able to answer this in sufficient detail so I’ll do it now.  Length is never an excuse (!). Size shouldn’t matter in a Harlequin Presents (….I’ve been totally corrupted after just half an hour live book chat with SB Sarah).

    Winning the Sapphire was important to Nathaniel for personal reasons (spoiler risk here so no details..) and although it was a high point professionally, it was also a sad moment for him. Since childhood, his response to difficult situations has been to act his way through them and this was the relationship block for Katie who was only interested in the man, not the movie star.

    On Wolfe Island and in Rio they had managed a fairly normal relationship and he had started to open up to her, but from the moment they land in LA, Nathaniel changes back to the film star and shuts everyone out, including Katie (emotionally. She wasn’t locked out of the house or knocking on the Beckhams’ door asking for refuge LOL). Up to that point she had been very supportive, but for her that was her wake up call and she believed that they were never going to have an equal, well balanced relationship. So although it was a high point, it was also a low point. Katie had her own needs and a healthy dose of self respect. In that scene she had exciting news that she wanted to share, but he didn’t appear to care and she was badly hurt and decided that he was never going to change.

    Carin asked about the timeline for publication

    Usually a book will appear in print around 9/10 months after its finished. That timeframe is occasionally shorter (but would be unlikely to be much shorter because of the logistics) and may be longer, depending on scheduling. The book I’ve just finished will actually be published AFTER the one I’m going to write next because it’s part of something different (gosh does that even make sense?) so they will hold it.

  7. Sarah Morgan says:

    Katherine asked how much of the Presents format is prescribed.

    There isn’t a format and there are many different voices and styles within the line, but a Presents always contains certain key elements like the alpha male, exotic locations, intense emotional conflict. It’s an escapist, ‘aspirational’ read – think of it like winning the lottery and having amazing sex thrown in. And a private jet. And an island. And possibly ham (sorry – that goes back to the book chat)

    So how does a ‘continuity’ (a multi-author series of linked books) work? Usually authors plot their own books. With a continuity like Notorious Wolfes, the overarching story is created by the editorial team and they did an amazing job because I can tell you it’s hard enough making one book coherent without trying to link eight of them! It’s a massive undertaking. If I had to plot 8 connecting books you would be able to hear me scream from across the Atlantic.

    Each author is given a detailed document (cue to hyperventilate) containing background to the series and a synopsis for each character. The author then takes that story and makes it their own. And sometimes it changes because it isn’t until you start writing something that you can tell if it works. So there will be plenty of liaison between author and editor. You can make small changes, but nothing that will throw the whole series out of balance so we do work closely with the editors and with each other. And it’s a challenge, but it is also FUN.

    When we were writing Notorious Wolfes we had an email loop and it was exciting creating something bigger than just one book and you won’t find a funnier, brighter, more supportive bunch of people than the Presents authors – not just the Wolfe authors, but all of them. The Presents sorority rocks!

    Have I missed any questions? If so just post them here and I’ll answer them. Or email me. I’ve only dealt with the questions that came up during my part of the chat so if there is anything else anyone wants to talk about just shout out!

    One final thing – no, I was not in my pyjamas for the book chat. That would definitely have sent me to sleep. I was wearing stilettos because lovely shoes are the one aspect of the Presents heroine’s accessible to me (not JUST stilettos. What if there had been a fire??) I’m still waiting for the private jet and when it arrives in my life SB Sarah can use it for the next live book chat. Along with champagne. And ham.

    Thank you to everyone for joining in – it was great fun!

  8. Chelsea says:

    Wow, can I just say again how full of awesome Sarah Morgan is! Thanks so much!

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