It gives me the greatest of pleasure to introduce you to historical romance author,
Penny Hampson
Secret agent Phil Cullen is upset when he discovers that the young woman he rescued from Mrs Newbody’s establishment has absconded from his housekeeper’s care without a word. Thinking he has been deceived, he resolves to forget about her… something easier said than done.
The man she wants to forget
Sophia Turner is horrified when she is duped into entering a notorious house of ill-repute. Then a handsome stranger comes to her aid. Desperate that no one learns of this scandalous episode, Sophia flees to the one friend she knows she can trust. With luck, she will never see her mysterious rescuer again.
But fate has other plans…
Months later, Phil is on the trail of an elusive French agent and Sophia is a respectable lady’s companion when fate again intervenes, taking their lives on a collision course.
Traitors, spies, and shameful family secrets - will these bring Sophia and Phil together… or drive them apart?
Heart-warming romance combined with action-filled adventure make this third book in Penny Hampson’s Gentleman Series a must-read for all lovers of classic Regency fiction.
What inspired you to start writing?
Ever since I was a teenager I’ve toyed with the idea of writing, but real life always got in the way. There was always something more important that I should be doing. Then when my circumstances changed, I found that, with a little effort and organisation it was possible to write. Since I started, I’ve never looked back and now I can’t imagine life without planning and plotting stories. As you’d expect for a historian, most of my books are set in the past, usually the early 1800s, but even my contemporary stories have a historical element.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The hardest part of writing A Bachelor’s Pledge was capturing the story. I had lots of ideas in my head, but it was the process of working out which ideas would fit and form a cohesive plot that I found challenging. Sometimes of course, the characters themselves took me in a completely different direction. I would say that, whatever I write, I spend as much time mulling over plot lines as I do actually writing.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I don’t really have a favourite character. As an author, I think you have got to have empathy for all the characters you create, even the really naughty ones, in order to make them believable. I suppose if I had to choose, it would be Sophia. She’s such an independent young woman, who has never really known love and affection. Even when her friends, the Pridhams, shower her with love and care, it takes Sophia a while to come to terms with that - which is understandable because she’s been badly let down in the past by the people who should have cared for her.
If I could be greedy and name a second character, I’d have to confess to having a soft spot for my villain, Ruth Newbody. Yes, she’s dangerous, wicked, and vengeful, but she’s achieved success in a man’s world and she is capable of love. When her background is revealed, I hope it’s clear to readers why she turned out the way she did.
If your book was to be made into a movie who are the celebrities that would star in it?
I think that A Bachelor’s Pledge would make an excellent movie with its intrigue, adventure and romance, not to mention some fantastic locations set as it is in Cornwall and Bath. I can imagine either Nicolaj Coster-Waldau (from Game of Thrones) or James Norton as moody Phil Cullen and Maisie Williams as a determined Sophia Turner. Keeley Hawes would be fabulous as the scheming Ruth Newbody. Tom Hiddleston would make a great Lt Jenson together with Aiden Turner as Lt Ashdown.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
Well, first of all, I hope my readers will come away with a feeling of enjoyment at having read a great action-packed romance story. In these difficult times I think we all need some escapism, and I hope I’ve achieved the balance of feel-good romance, heart-stopping suspense, and thrilling action.
Friendship is also an important theme. Sophia, although she has no family, has some wonderful friends who support her through thick and thin. Phil too, has loyal friends. Friendship has never been so important as it is in today’s challenging times.
Thank you for inviting me onto your blog to talk about my book, Jamie.
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