Aloha to Connie Mason, Mia Marlowe, and WAKING UP WITH A RAKE

The Hawaiian word of the day is

 ala

It is wake.

E ala, ua ao, us malamalama.

Wake, it is light, it is bright.

Mia Marlowe joins us today to celebrate her new romance novel (and series) with Connie Mason, WAKING UP WITH A RAKE, Book 1 in the Royal Rakes.   

First a quick note of thanks to Kim for the lovely couple of days she squired me and my fam around Oahu last May. We had such an incredible time with you. Thanks again from the bottom of my heart! And now on to the topic at hand which is… 

How a Regency Hero Ties the Knot

No, I’m not talking about his neck cloth, though there were so many different ways to wear a cravat, the topic probably deserves its own blog post! I’m talking about the “Parson’s mousetrap,” being “leg-shackled,” “riveted,” or becoming “tenants for life.” In other words, getting married during the Regency era, the time period in which WAKING UP WITH A RAKE is set. 

There were three ways to go about it. The first and arguably most correct way was to have a fairly short engagement period, often less than a month, culminating in the “reading of the banns” on three consecutive Sundays prior to the wedding. The purpose of the banns was so that any legal impediment to the union might be brought to light before the couple said “I do.” 

Church weddings were short affairs with relatively few people in attendance. Invitations were not typically sent to distant guests, though friends and family would be notified after the ceremony had taken place. In the Anglican Church, weddings had to be conducted between 8 AM and noon. No romantic candlelit evening ceremony for a conventional Regency bride. 

Leighton's SIGNING THE REGISTER
Public Domain

The second way to wed was by special license. This was an expensive option since it had to be procured from the Archbishop of Canterbury at a cost of over 20 guineas! But it was the preferred method of the aristocracy because it meant they could dispense with the banns, have the wedding at home or wherever they chose, and at any time of the day. And in case you’re wondering, the legal age for marriage during the Regency was 21, but in 1823, it was lowered to 14 for men, 12 for ladies. 

The third, and the scandalous way to wed was to elope to Gretna Green. Scotland still recognized the old “handfast” marriage, circumventing the need for the banns or a license. Any couple could declare their intent to be married before a witness (usually the blacksmith since his shop was at the crossroads of the town) and they were declared man and wife.

Here’s a snippet from the wedding scene in WAKING UP WITH A RAKE:

Silence reigned for half a minute. In the church rite, the vicar read the vow from his book of services and the couple recited after him. Rhys looked askance at MacDermot. “Aren’t you going to lead us?”

“How should I know what ye intend to promise the lady?” He pronounced the word as if it were “li-dey.” “I’m no’ a real priest, ye ken. Speak but the words in yer heart, man, and I’ll pronounce ye marrit when the pair o’ ye reach an end of yer jawin’.”

“Are you sure this is legal?” Rhys asked.

“Oh, aye. Folk been marryin’ this way in these parts since the Flood. Once ye leave the presence o’ the anvil, ye’ll be marrit before God and man.”

Rhys tipped his head in a gesture that suggested he was still dubious about the whole process, but he was willing to proceed. He met Olivia’s gaze directly.

“Olivia Marguerite Symon, I have nothing you could want. No fortune compared to the one you’re leaving in your father’s house. No title. Once my father dies and my brother ascends to the marquisate, I’ll be plain Mr. Warrington.” A frown marred his brow. “Come to think of it, I can’t even offer you a good name because I’ve soiled mine rather badly up to this point.”

He squeezed her fingers and gazed at her earnestly.

“So all I can offer you is myself and hope it’s enough,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. “I’ll try mightily not to shame you with bad behavior, though you know as well as I, I’ve had little practice with good. I’ll provide for your comfort as best I can and protect you as long as I have a beating heart. I’ll stand by you, in sickness or in health. I’ll love you with my body and honor you with all that is in me. And if by some miracle we reach old age together, I’ll sit beside you as the shadows fall and hold your hand, until we are dust.”

Olivia’s mouth gaped a bit and tears trembled on her lashes. Who would have guessed her rake had the soul of a poet?

“These things I vow,” Rhys said. “Am I enough?”

And if you’d like to read more, you know what to do! ;-) Thanks for letting me drop by, Kim!

WAKING UP WITH A RAKE BY CONNIE MASON AND MIA MARLOWE – IN STORES JANUARY 2013

The Fate of England's Monarchy Is In The Hands of Three Notorious Rakes. 

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched...to seduce the dukes' intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap... After he's blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender...

ABOUT THE AUTHORS 

Connie Mason is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels. She was named Storyteller of the Year in 1990 and received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews in 1994. She currently lives in Florida. Mia Marlowe is a highly acclaimed new voice in romance whose debut novel released in Spring 2011 from Kensington. She lives in Boston, MA. Together, they are working on the next book in the Royal Rakes series, Romanced By a Rake, which will be in stores in June 2013. For more information, please visit conniemason.com, miamarlowe.com and find Mia on Twitter, @Mia_Marlowe, and on Facebook at this link.

To Purchase Waking Up with a Rake:

Amazon Barnes and Noble 
Books-a-Million 
Chapters/Indigo 
IndieBound 
Sourcebooks 
Discover a New Love

Mahalo, Mia, for your guest post!   Sourcebooks is giving away a print copy of WAKING UP WITH A RAKE to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about waking up in the morning - what time?  Are you an eager beaver or a grumpy goose?

I have to get my kids up at 6:45 am and I am a grumpy goose!

2.  Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American residents.   I'll giveaway a "wake up" Hawaiian souvenir to one international reader.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 2, 10 pm.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 3.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii