Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks for visiting my FAQ page.  Below is a list of the questions readers have been most curious about over the years, but I'm always on the lookout for new topics.  If your question isn't answered here, just click on the link at the bottom of the page and ask.  Who knows?  Maybe your burning question is tomorrow's next FAQ.

Are your books a series? 

I hope my historical novels are more about community than chronology.  More or less by accident, I have built a world of characters who know one another, and are appropriate to the time and place in which they live—so yes, they bump into one another from time to time!  Many of them reappear throughout the dozen or so works Pocket has released—some quite frequently.  George Kemble, for example, made his debut in my first book, My False Heart, and has reappeared in half the others.  Bentley Rutledge, my readers’ favorite heartthrob, created mischief and mayhem in three or four books before getting his comeuppance in The Devil You Know—a title which seemed deliciously perfect for him.  He still turns up once in a while.  (Obviously, I have a hard time letting go.)

But what about the Sins, Lies & Secrets trilogy?

In what order should I read your books?

I think you should read the book that most appeals to you, and see if you like it.  Not all authors appeal to all readers.  If you simply must read in precise order, then click here for the downloadable book list, and read them in that order, top to bottom, inserting my Tea for Two novella between Virtue and Gentleman. If you would rather just see a few titles which linked by character or family, click here. 

Are you ever going to write a book about (fill in the character of your choice)?

I get this question about almost every secondary character I’ve ever written—and I love that.  The favorite contenders seem to be Zoë Armstrong, Lord Robert Rowland and his brother Lord Mercer.  Also Lord Linden and Major Winthrop from My False Heart.  I hope that I have a chance to write about all these characters, but the reality is, I might die of old age before I get all of them finished.  Also, your publisher has to agree that a character is interesting enough to merit their own book.  I’ll keep you posted.

What about George Kemble?  Will we ever get his story?  Is he gay?

I couldn’t say.  Kemble is a very private man.  I think I told as much of his story as he would wish in his sister Sidonie’s book, The Devil to Pay.  We will be seeing Kemble again, along with his nemesis/sidekick Max de Rohan in the summer of 2007 as they go skulking about in the docklands in search of a notorious smuggler.  This time they don’t get their man, but it’s a pretty good story. 

How can I get a copy of A Woman Scorned?  The used book stores are charging a fortune.

Don’t pay a fortune!  The Scot in me won’t sleep at night.  A Woman Scorned was finally reissued in June of 2006, so while you might not find it on the store shelves, any bookstore can get you a copy at the regular retail price.  To help them out, give them the ISB number from the backlist.  (Click here.) 

Do you do all your research on-site?

I try!  For the most part, I only set books in places I have seen firsthand, and yes, as much as possible, I do my research there.  I have a terrible travel-bug, and writing helps pick up the tab for my addiction.

Some of your books have different covers.  Why?

In the U.S., some of my earlier mass market books have been reissued with updated covers.  Inside, however, nothing has changed, so don’t buy another copy!  If you live in the U.K., the covers will be quite different from the U.S. versions.  Also, some U.K. editions will be in hardback, and there is even a recorded edition or two.  These are generally not available in the U.S.  Most titles are also available in e-book editions.

Are you ever going to write another contemporary?

Never say never.  I really enjoyed the one contemporary novella I wrote.  Still, my first love is historicals, and I don’t anticipate that will ever change. 

Have another question for Liz?  Click here to send an email!