We’re thrilled to have Sarah Granger with us today as part of her book tour. Scroll down for an interview and a fabulous giveaway – $15 Amazon gift card and a copy of  The Unforgiving Minute.

• Title: A Minor Inconvenience
• Author: Sarah Granger
• Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
• Release Date: 14 January, 2014
• Genre: M/M Historical Romance

Duty, honor, propriety…all fall in the face of love. 

Captain Hugh Fanshawe returned from the Peninsular War with a leg that no longer works properly, thanks to a French musket ball. Now his fight against Napoleon is reduced to quiet, lonely days compiling paperwork at Horse Guards headquarters.

His evenings are spent dutifully escorting his mother and sister to stifling social engagements, where his lameness renders him an object of pity and distaste. But his orderly, restricted life is thrown into sudden disarray with the arrival of Colonel Theo Lindsay.

Theo is everything Hugh is not-a man of physical perfection and easy yet distinguished address. Surprisingly to Hugh, Theo appears to be interested in making his acquaintance. Lindsay turns out to be a most convivial companion, and Hugh finds great pleasure in his company. Their friendship deepens when they become lovers.

In spite of himself, Hugh falls desperately in love. But when a French spy is suspected at Horse Guards, Hugh discovers nothing is as it seems.and the paper he shuffles from day to day could be the instrument of his lover’s death.

Warning: Contains gallant English officers in love, dastardly French spies, skintight pantaloons (sometimes on the floor) and gleaming tasselled Hessians.

Author Interview

What are the main themes of your book?

I didn’t set out with any particular themes in mind, but found those that emerged as I wrote were to do with duty and integrity.

Hugh is a man of deep integrity. Duty is almost the only thing he has left and he clings to it, but even if that weren’t the case, he would never lightly fail to discharge what he regards as his duty. Theo, too, is an honourable man; he does some things which may be considered dishonourable, but he believes them to be justified.

When certain plot developments occur, Hugh has to reconsider where his duty lies and what integrity means.

Who or what inspired your story?

I love Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances, so that’s a very direct influence and indubitably why I first considered writing a romance set in the Regency.

It’s a little more difficult to pin down precisely what inspired this story. It occurred to me that a spy romp might be rather fun, and as I began to sort through the shape that might take, the characters came into focus. That was when I realised that this wouldn’t be the book I’d originally envisaged. Hugh is the character least likely to romp I’ve ever encountered, though I think Theo makes some progress with him on that front during the course of the book!

What do you like best about your primary characters?

Apart from their uniforms, you mean? I greatly admire Hugh’s loyalty, his courage in the face of adversity, and also his quiet dignity. Theo is rather fun to write with his confidence and flirtatiousness. I like the fact that on the very rare occasion Theo lets us see beneath that surface, it’s clear that he’s a perceptive and considerate man who is capable of great kindness – towards those he cares for, at least.

What are their worst peculiarities?

Hugh can be a little unaware of the world around him at times. That’s the polite version. I was reduced several times during the writing of this to castigating him as an absolute blockhead. 

Theo is perhaps a little too used to being charming, handsome, and well-received wherever he goes.

How does your main character evolve?

At the beginning of the book, Hugh is quietly resigned to the way his life is now circumscribed by his injury and situation. He’s isolated, lonely, and has no idea of the fondness with which those close to him regard him.  By treating him as a equal, independent man rather than a cripple, Theo enables Hugh to rediscover himself, to the point where he is ready to take control of his life rather than simply allow life to happen to him.

What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?

While I didn’t set out to send a message, I find the book to be full of hope – not only the hope that a quietly decent person can find their happiness despite obstacles, but also the way Hugh comes to feel like a full person again, one who is worthy of Theo’s love, and one who is able to find his way in life once more.

What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your book?

I’ve had many kind, complimentary comments and have appreciated every single one. As I have to choose one, I’ll quote this from Sarah Madison’s review:

“It is rare that one finds an author that truly understands the genre in which she is writing. Sarah Granger masterfully captures the essence of the Regency Romance as perfected by Jane Austen and imitated by every Regency writer since.”

Where can we purchase it?

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | B&N | Kobo | All Romance eBooks | Samhain Publishing

About Sarah Granger

Sarah Granger is a sucker for a happy ending. She believes, however, that characters will only fully appreciate their happy ending if they’ve suffered along the way.

Sarah lives in the Cotswolds, an idyllic part of the English countryside with gently rolling hills, dry stone walls of golden stone and fields dotted with sheep. She has shamefully broken with local tradition by not having a rose growing around her front door. When she isn’t writing, Sarah enjoys walking in the countryside with her elderly black Labrador.

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