THE SUGAR BARON'S RING - Lorri Dudley - One Free Book

Bio: Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts, with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

Welcome back, Lorri. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

God is awesome, and I’m so blessed to be able to write. Wild Heart Books has signed me for another three books in the Leeward Island series. I’m already plotting and writing the next sequence. For a change, I plan in the future to create stories with the settings in the colder climate of Boston. Specifically, I’d like to write during the Boston Brahmin era when Harvard was a theology school, Boston represented “A city on a hill,” and increasing wealth through trade and a growing textile industry caused conflict between the philanthropic, Bostonian aristocrats and the industrious, self-starting immigrants.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have been married to an amazing God-fearing man whose strengths are the exact opposite of mine, which helps us complement each other well. He’s a visionary entrepreneur who runs several companies and reads business books and financial statements for fun. We have three amazing and active boys who each have very different personalities, even though we’ve tried to raise them the same. The one thing they have in common is that they all got their dad’s height.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Typically, I have a craft book (on writing) and a spiritual development book going at all times. I leave one in my car that I read while I’m waiting to pick up kids, and I have one that sits at the breakfast table. Due to focusing on writing deadlines, I’ve become a binge reader of fiction books, especially when traveling. I’ve been known to take down five or more books while on vacation. While reading, I’m noting character arcs, structure, and story layering. I’m not certain I’ll ever see a book the way I used to before I began writing. However, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

What are you working on right now?

Right now, The Captain’s Quest is my work-in-progress, which expands upon Lottie’s friend Priscilla from book two, The Merchant’s Yield. In this book, we get to explore a deserted isle in the British Virgin Islands. Priscilla Middleton attends a party to keep her friend out of trouble but winds up needing to avoid becoming a gossip column headline. She boards her brother’s ship to feign being in his company for the evening instead of taking part in the debacle. Before she can speak to her brother, he’s put on leave, the ship sets sail, and the man in charge is not at all who she expects. After that, book five (still to be titled) will be a follow up on the Duke’s son Max, from The Duke’s Refuge. Stay tuned…

It all sounds wonderful. What outside interests do you have?

Due to having three boys, I’ve learned to love all things sports and can now tell you what a half-nelson is in wrestling, a scrum in football, a pick in basketball, and what it means to go to X in lacrosse. When I’m not driving them to games and practices (which as of late I’ve had a break from), then I enjoy painting and pastels. I used to be an art teacher before I ventured out to start my dream of writing. Also, my husband and I are involved in our church and mentor young married couples, which we’ve discovered strengthens our marriage, too.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’ve always adored the island of Nevis and its sister island St. Kitts. I’ve been fortunate to travel to the Leeward Islands on a couple of occasions, and the natural beauty takes your breath away. In The Sugar Baron’s Ring, there is a stint in Bristol, England, which is a port where a lot of England’s sugar barons resided. I had fun showing the contrasts between the freedom of island life and the proper refinement of the British Quality, including the sights, smells, and customs. My favorite was Hannah’s childhood memory of servants as “the people who lived inside the walls.”

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Jesus would be my first choice, but if it had to be a historical figure in the era in which I write, I would choose Hannah More. A writer, abolitionist, fighter for the poor, and a woman of strong Christian convictions, she sought reform in a spiritually divided age. I would ask how she pushed to make traditional Christian values popular while remaining engaging and relevant. I’d like to thank her for investing in the lives of poor women and children, starting schools and teaching them in the parishes. And I’d love to hear stories of the dissention she faced in trying to convince secularists that religion would improve the quality of their laborers because they’d learn to be honest and industrious.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

That the road to getting published is long, but a gratifying one. There are a lot of pieces that have to fall into place in the writing puzzle before a picture is formed, including industry trends. I have four full novels that served as my learning curve that may never leave my computer, and that’s okay. It’s part of the growing process.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

My boys have reached an age where I can no longer protect them from the world. I have to let them venture out to become their own persons, knowing that I did my best to train them up and trust God that they won’t depart from it. I’ve had to relinquish control and spend a lot more time on my knees during this new phase of life. It’s interesting how trust and releasing control will slip in as themes within my books as if I’m trying to teach myself a lesson.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Learn everything you can about the craft—read, go to conferences, and follow blogs on writing.

Don’t let criticism get you down. Read it, walk away, grieve a little if you need to, and then go back and learn from it. God can use it as a way to stretch you and keep your pride in check.

Pray for your publisher. God has a way of sending that blessing down the line.

Tell us about the featured book.

Hannah Rose Barrington is the island misfit. Orphaned at a young age, Hannah struggles to provide for her future, while her guardian, a weak-hearted island drunk, bleeds Hannah of her father’s inheritance. Caught between the classes of elite planters and white beggars, Hannah yearns to find a place to belong.

University life has never been Bradlee Granville’s forte. His only hope to graduate is to impress his professors by documenting his travels. After claiming unforeseeable circumstances, he delays his final exams and sets out early on his Grand Tour. However, when his ship wrecks off the coast of the Leeward Islands, Bradlee is left without means to return to England, a mounting deadline, and ruined journals.
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When Hannah rescues passengers from a ship breaking apart in the bay, she’s unexpectedly drawn to the witty charm of one of the men. Helping him settle into island life will be a pleasure. However, as creditors, like sharks, begin to circle and her guardian’s desperation becomes life-threatening, Hannah finds herself in need of rescue. Will Bradlee look past her pitiful situation to see who she truly is—the sugar baron’s daughter?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Off the Coast of Nevis, Leeward Islands, March 1829

If he lost his journal, he lost his future. Bradlee Miles Granville’s hand grasped thin air as the leather-bound book slipped from his fingers. His writings were his only chance to prove he wasn’t an irresponsible disgrace to his family name. The journal landed with a thud and skidded across the weathered floorboards, dangerously close to the spilt tankard of ale. Bradlee’s shoulder slammed against the ship’s rail. He winced. The hull emitted a groan followed by the crack of splintering wood. The eerie sounds raised the hair on the back of his neck and tingled his scalp, distracting him from the pain.

“Zounds!” Colin Fitzroy pushed himself up from off the deck and frowned at the black stripe from the contents of Bradlee’s inkwell, now staining his white muslin shirt. Whether his impeccably groomed Gand Tour companion and valet swore due to the ship hitting bottom or over his ruined shirt was still to be determined.

  

The scraping of the ship’s bottom as it ground against what must have been a coral reef held the same pitch as fingernails down slate and continued for almost a full minute. The stench of ale and rum wafted under his nose, blending with the briny air. Inebriated sailors cursed as the contents of their tankards puddled about their feet. The billowing white sails deflated, and the familiar whistling of the wind ceased along with any forward progression.

The ship could merely be stranded on a reef, or it could be capsizing.

Blood surged through Bradlee’s veins, quickening his pulse. He hooked Colin under his arm, dragging him to a stand.

Colin’s eyes widened. “The ship didn’t just… Please tell me…” He raked a hand through his windblown hair and groaned.

Nice way to leave us wondering. How can readers find you on the Internet?

https://lorridudley.com/

https://www.wildheartbooks.org/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Barons-Ring-Leeward-Island-ebook/dp/B082MRWPQF/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Barnes & Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sugar-barons-ring-lorri-dudley/1135493552?ean=2940163593354

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-sugar-baron-s-ring

Apple Store: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1491200041

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-leeward-islands-series-the-sugar-baron-s-ring-by-lorri-dudley

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50700841-the-sugar-baron-s-ring?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=5nj4MOgBrX&rank=1

Thank you, Lorri, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to see where the story takes us.

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