Maybe you’ve heard, but my new book, Along Came a Duke, is part of new series, Rhymes with Love. I thought I’d share with you a bit of insider info and get you ready to jump into the world of Kempton, England.
I started this new series for a variety of reasons—I had felt that the Bachelor Chronicles had run its course. While at first, I thought about doing another spin-off series with Lord Andrew and his band of misfits from Lord Langley is Back in Town, but then I got hit with another idea: a village in England that is cursed.
Before you get to alarmed that this series is going to be paranormal, it is not. The curse was only the starting point.
The first peek at the steamy stepback!
Like any idea, the spark or the curse, in this case, began brewing around in my imagination, and suddenly I saw the entire village. High Street—with its tidy row of shops, the lane running up the backside of the village from the vicarage and St. Edwards, a wonderful stone church dating back to Norman times, with its tall tower that had weathered centuries. And spinsters and young ladies with nothing to do. Not a single gentleman will marry them. And most haven’t the means to go to London.
Then I realized what the true heart of this series must be—it wasn’t the curse, but the friendships, the deep, abiding friendships these women would forge.
Far better for storytelling than just a mere curse.
The more I wrote, the more I fell in love with how these friends looked out for each other, viewed each other as sisters more than friends, and how they would find their place in a world that usually gave unmarried women a skeptical eye. 
The first three stories revolve around Tabitha Timmons, Daphne Dale and Harriet Hathaway. None of them are prepared for marriage, courtship or even a flirtatious glance, but what they lack in guile and intrigue, they make up for in sheer determination, spunk, and humor.
Look out London, here comes the spinsters from Kempton! And happy reading!
P.S. And why is the series called Rhymes with Love? Because the titles of the first three books are all taken from nursery rhymes: Along Came a Duke, And The Miss Ran Away with the Rake, and If Wishes were Earls.
As you will notice, the cover for Along Came a Duke even sports the perfect tuffet on which to eat curds and whey while awaiting a duke.
And finally and most importantly, if you haven’t heard, the digital version of Along Came a Duke is on pre-sale for $4.99 at Kindle and Nook.
CONTEST:
To get ready for the May 29th release of Along Came a Duke, I am giving away four prize packets—each of which will include an advanced reader’s copy of Along Came a Duke, as well as an autographed copy of one of Julia Quinn’s books. The prize packet will also feature tons of author swag and bragging rights to have been one of the first to read Along Came a Duke.
To enter, answer the following question before midnight PDT, May 12th: Which is your favorite nursery rhyme?
I liked Jack & Jill even if they fell down the hill–I’m an only child so having a brother to do stuff like that with sounded like fun.
New series sounds great! Can’t wait to read the first book (LOVE the step back–oooo la la!) 🙂
Little Bo-Peep
Mary had a little lamb…it was the first one I learned as a child so it has always been a fave!
I sort of liked Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. Love the theme of this new series.
Since you have a new series coming soon, I guess I better get cracking on my reading of Lizbo books still sitting on my ever-growing TBR mountain range…I still have several of the Bachelor Chronicles left to read. Shame, shame on me….the hurrier I go, the behinder I get….
I always felt sad for “Humpty Dumpty”!! Poor guy!! This sounds like a great series..look forward to reading it! 🙂
I loved you Bachelor Chronicles books, but I’m glad to see you changing things up and building a new series in a new “world”. My favorite nursery rhyme is The Little Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe. Looking forward to reading your next book.
Mary had a little lamb.
This is the house that Jack built
Old Mother Hubert
Hey Diddle Diddle
New series sounds great!
I always loved the old woman that lived in a shoe. And I have to say I think I read Lord Langley at least 4 times. Was one of the best books I read last year.
Being Dutch (as in: from Holland), I’m not so good at English nursery rhymes.
I’ve lived in the US for a year as an exchange student. One evening I was babysitting my host’s 5-year-old granddaughter. Before going to sleep, she wanted me to tell her nursery rhymes. The horror on her face when I said I didn’t know any in English! In the end, we turned it around. She told me the English nursery rhymes. It was lots of fun!
Is Itsy bitsy Spider a nursery rhyme? If not then Mary Had A Little Lamb.
The new series sounds great. And the cover and stepback? WOW!
I always loved “Mary Mary Quite Contrary” and “The Grand Old Duke of York”.
Thank you for giving us all this amazing opportunity.
I also wanted to say how much I love the cover art and step back. Absolutely beautiful!!!
I think I always went back to London Bridge.. but when I had my daughter and did some reading/researching I’m not at all sure anymore since they have such a violent history. Like the Grim stories …
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/ for those interested.
p.s. Love Love Love your stories – can’t wait for the new ones!
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…. which could be the beginnings of a book if it was a young woman and the kids weren’t all hers.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
I think my favorite is Humpty Dumpty; for the following reasons:
1. When I was a kid, I had a record that was a sort of nursery rhymes history, what the rhyme was based on, and this was one of the rhymes.
2. _Through the Looking Glass_ made Humpty and his cravat (or belt) a true fashion icon.
3. _The Big Over Easy_ – undertook to solve the question of his death – murder, suicide, or accident.
My favorite nursery rhyme was always “Itsy Bitsy Spider”…not that I am a big fan ofspiders mind you, but I like the reminder that persistance is the goal, and that with it, we can achieve our goals!
I liked Jack and Jill. They did things together and I thought that was neat! They went up the hill together and came down together. Cool!
Twinkle twinkle little star… My girls always sing it for me.
My favorite nursery rhyme is
Little Jack Horner.
I suspect because it speaks of Christmas and I love Christmas. Question though, It has struck me that you have used the same letter for first and last names in this new book series and in at least one I read recently, is this intentional, comfortable, coincidence? I rather like it myself.
I have two favorites…Itsy, Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle Little star. I have a younger sister and would always recite them to her. What a time that was. Seems like yesterday.
My favorite is buckle my shoe which is more a song but I sing it to my son every night n he learns his numbers on top of mommys sing lol
My favorite fairy tale as a child was Along Came A Spider because as a girl I liked creepy crawly things much to my older sisters’ horror!
As I became older on reflection my favorite story tale is Stone Soup. Most people are familiar with the German version but I prefer the French and Hungarian fairy tales which are about strangers or soldiers returning from war and both groups having faced danger and hunger.
Both show how they overcame the fear by villagers of people they feared but came to give help to and because of that they all ate well!
Today more than ever we all need to reflect on that and see others clearly and not judge by their outer appearance and reach out a helping hand in our own small way.
“Mary Had A Little Lamb”. My mother’s name was Mary and she had NINE little lambs. She also loved telling us nursery rhymes….especially that one!!
Hickory Dickory Dock! I said this one and many others to my sons over and over again when they were little. Memories!
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, i love it as a child and sing this to my nieces, great lesson in the art of sharing 🙂
Congratulations on the new book, im so excited to read it!
Old Mother Hubbard – the whole nursery rhyme – such funny nonsense!!
Humpty Dumpty and Mary Had A Little Lamb. Congrats on the upcoming series, can’t wait!
My would have to be “twinkle twinkle little star”
in spanish my name means star so my mom would sing it too me all the time and say it was made just for me her twinkle little star 😀
Itsy Bitsy Spider! It has hand gestures!
i think the humpty dumpy is my favorite nursery rhyme just because it reminds me of myself always falling and bummpung my nogging on something thankfuly i never cracked my head open lol : )
Tongue Twisters: She sells seashells down by the seashore and Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
One two buckle my shoe three four shut the door five six pick up sticks seven eight lay them straight nine ten a big fat hen
My boys would shout the last line as loud as they could and thought it hilarious.
The new cover is beautiful. So happy about the new series. Thanks!
Hmm, well, the amateur astronomer in me probably has to go with Twinkle Twinkle little Star… 🙂
Lois
Mother Goose! I love her story.
Sing a Song of Six Pence.
An amusement park I used to go to had several displays of different nursery rhymes. Sing a Song of Six Pence was one of them.
when annoyed with my brother as a kid, jack & jill worked for me particularly after learning what was meant by crown 🙂
Ride a cock horse to Bambury Cross!
Either Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. These three are probably the most romantic of them all. Oh, and Snow White and…..
I like John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.
Hm. Well, I’m going to have to say…Mary Had a Little Lamb because that’s the first one I learned how to play on the piano 😛
little miss muffet
Thanks for the AWESOME giveaway! PLEEEEASE PICK ME!!!! hehehe!
One of my favorite nursery rhymes would have to be There Was a Crooked Man!
There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together in a little crooked house
My favorite rhyme is not as popular as some but I always liked it alot because of my name 🙂 my favorite is Monday’s Child Poem! So excited about your new book and can’t wait to read it!
Jack and Jill is my favorite although I was confused as to what “crown” did Jack break – his head? His tooth? If he indeed was wearing a crown, wouldn’t he have someone else get the water? This really confused me when I was a child.
rockabye baby, twinkle twinkle, and the one that says and the blackbird picked off her nose – lol!
Jack and Jill is my favorite nursery rhyme.
Congrats on your new book. I love the cover and the stepback. 🙂
Congratulations on the new book – what a great cover 🙂
Love the idea of a nursery rhyme theme … My personal favourite from when I was a child was “Old King Cole” – he just sounded so happy! It sounded like a great time all round – music, food, a pipe…
Some of the rhymes are just icky, though – Peas Porridge Hot, Peas Porridge Cold, Peas Porridge in the pot, nine days old??? Yuck!
My favorite was “The Brook Song” by James Whitcomb Riley. I remember my grandmother reading it to me whenever I stayed the night at her house. Not the traditional nursery rhyme, but it’s one of my favorite memories of my grandmother.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is my favorite nursery rhyme.
Thank you so much for this absolutely fabulous giveaway !!! My favourite nursery rhyme is definitely Jack and Jill I love the idea that he falls down but she is so sweet and kind and helps him ,much like a heroine in a book saving a hero ! Congrats on your new book and again thank you for the lovely contest !
Well I really didn’t have a favorite until one day, my 4 year old son who has Autism came home one day singing bah bah black sheep. It wasn’t the whole thing. Getting him to sing some was a miracle. That’s my favorite and my next one is twinkle twinkle little star for the same reason. Now he looks up at the sky and looks for stars.
Little Boy Blue
There was an old woman who swallowed a fly LOL
I love There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly and There Was a Little Girl Who Had a Little Curl…
I think my all time favorite was Ring around the Rosie, but in the third grade our teacher, Miss garrow, an ancient spinster, told us that it was sung by children as they threw rose petal on the decaying bodies of Plague victimes to help with the smell. Pretty gruesome huh? So I changed it to Rubin Rubin I’ve been thinking, what a grand world this would be if all the boys were all sent sailing far across the Northern sea. Even that lost its luster when Ronnie Morgan kissed me right on the lips! Third grade! I wonder if he grew up to be a pervert like I always thought.
It has to be “Sing a SOng of Sixpence,” which I recited endlessly to my granddaughter. She’s just turned 2, and when she sees me of Skype she holds the tip of her nose to indicate it’s time to sing that rhyme! We have a whole choreography to it.
“Rock a Bye Baby”
While I won’t say ‘favorite’ I will say it still creeps me out to this day. You always remember the creepy ones. lol
Thanks for the giveaway!
Humpty Dumpty!
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star!
I’m sighing over the stepback. I wish stepbacks were included with ebooks.
I think my favorite nursery rhyme is Hey Diddle Diddle–there’s a moon (I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid), a fiddle (love music), and running table-ware (adventure!).
One of my favorite nursury rhyme and which I often find myself singing to is Ring Around the Rosie.
Hi Elisabeth my favourite is humpty dumpty. I always feel sympathy with them
My favorite nursery rhyme was always Hey Diddle Diddle, still do!
I am very much looking forward to the new series, May 29th is circled on my calendar.
I do have to say though, I would love it if John and Molly’s story was told!!!
Peas porridge is my favorite.
Mary had a Little Lamb.
I love the cover, it gorgeous.
it’s been so long it’s hard to remember many nursery rhymes off hand. 😉 enjoyed the rhythm & “color” of cat & the fiddle & thought the garden of mary mary quite contrary to sound like a nice place to visit 🙂
Whoa…this is awesome giveaway. The prize is totally amazing. I’d love to win it.
I think I would choose Mary had a Little Lamb 🙂
Thank u for this awesome giveaway.
i love Twinkle, twinkle, little star 🙂
Peas, porridge hot! It’s just so much fun to say 🙂
Hickory Dickory Dock!! Haha I had a little mouse clock as a child in the playroom–so cute!!
Thanks for the giveaway!!!
The Owl and the Pussy Cat is my favourite.
Coincidently, last weekend I read a book of nursery rhymes (I was visiting with my niece) and spent the entire time saying ‘Those aren’t the words I remember’.
Three Little Kittens! I often sang it to my niece before she goes to sleep. She’s the only one who appreciates my horrible voice. 😀
Little Miss Muffet. I just like the words muffet, tuffet and whey!
Humpty Dumpty! I remember I was fascinated by that story when I was a little kid.
Congrats on the new series.
Twinkle twinkle little star… and hickory dickory duck..
love them.
I cannot wait to get your next book. B-)
I love the itsy bitsy spider.
When it would rain I would say the spiders got washed away when I was younger. my mom and dad got a kick out of it.
I do enjoy the other ones.
Thanks for the great stories and the contest.
Hey Diddle Diddle was one of my favorite nursery rhyme – to think a cow could jump over the moon! Wow what a feat! We need to dream big when we dream and keep on dreaming!
Hickory Dickery Dock, my grandmother sang it to me as a little girl
Little Boy Blue I think is my favorite, I just can see a tired little guy fairly collapsing under a haystack to catch 40 winks instead of doing what he probably thinks is a very boring job.
Mary, Mary quite Contrary
My favorite is Queen of Hearts:
The Queen of Hearts,
She made some tarts
All on a summer’s day.
The Knave of Hearts,
He stole the tarts
And took them clean away.
The King of Hearts,
Called for the tarts
And beat the Knave full sore.
The Knave of Hearts,
Brought back the tarts
And vowed he’d steal no more.
There is totally a romance novel in that one! Perhaps a Duke of Hearts? Just saying hehe.
BTW Elizbo, you are always blessed by the graphic team at Avon! Love the cover!!
I don’t have a nursery rhyme, i never had trouble falling asleep as long as i have a company and a little light.
Ps, i hope it’s open for international..
Can’t wait to read this series!
I like: “I wishes were horses
Beggars would ride;
If turnips were watches
I’d wear one by my side.”
that is “If”
as I sigh sheepishly
Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir;
Three bags full:
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
Here’s my favorite:
A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?
Always thought it was good advice to live by.
Can’t wait to read this new series of yours!!
I’ve always loved Hey Diddle Diddle. It’s always reminded me of Goodnight Moon and that is my favorite children’s book 🙂
I love Nursery Rhymes hard to name just one fav. One of my favs is the one with lady with rings on her fingers and bells on her toes and the one about the dapple grey pony. Thanks for sharing with us!
twinkle twinkle little star . I love that one. cool giveaway !! 🙂
My favorite nursery rhyme has always been Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I love and now my kids all love it too.
Little Boy Blue, because it always reminded me of the painting The Blue Boy, who looked exactly like my school girl crush.
Ahhh! I can’t wait for Along Came A Duke!! My favorite nursery rhyme is ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’. Now that I look at the title, I giggle inappropriately.
My favorite nursery rhyme was Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I can’t wait for Along Came A Duke to come out!!
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Georgie Porgie pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play
Georgie Porgie ran away.
Said to be after George Villiers, a late 18th century gentleman who made a habit of sneaking into the bedrooms of other men’s wives. But don’t quote me on that… Looking forward to your new book! It’s been too long since the last one. ;0)
Higgledy Piggldy, My Black Hen,
She lays eggs for genetlemen,
Sometimes nine and sometimes ten,
Higgledy Piggledy , My Black Hen.
Also, what I say when my dogs start barking :
Hark, Hark, The Dogs Doth bark,
The beggars are coming to town.
Some in tags and some in rags and one in a velvet gown.
The new series sounds fun. =)
It’s really hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll go with “Hey Diddle Diddle.”
My favorite nursery rhyme is:
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary had a little lamb.
Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker’s man
It was one of the first “games” I played with my niece & nephews.
MARY, MARY QUITE CONTRARY …..fits my personality.
I would say Little Miss Muffett. That always stuck with me when I was a child.
nursery rhythms are age appropriate for our household now. The first one that came to mind that I always liked is Hickory Dickory Dock.
Ring around the rosie
When I was young, I loved to sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider!!
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Looking forward to reading Along Came A Duke and love the cover especially the step back. I have more then one favorite nursery rhyme and they are This Little Piggy, Peter Pumpkin Eater and What Little Boys are Made of. I remember when I was a child, teasing my little brother that boys were made of snakes and snails while girls were mad of sugar and spice.
My favorite nursery rhyme, which I’m not even sure would be considered one was the old lady who swallowed the fly, just because I remember being so grossed out by the thought of swallowing a fly.
But if that one doesn’t count then throw me in for Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, just because I really thought he lived inside the pumpkin with his wife and was really sad when we would carve jack o lanterns at Halloween, because I thought we were destroying his house.
Oh add Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I remember camping out in the back of our house when we lived in Toutle and singing it at the top of our lungs. My cousins, my sister, my brother and myself would start at different times. It was really cute.