novels by Sherrill bodine
As a child I was scolded by my aunt for telling my younger cousin that at night her Bonnie Braid doll and my Terri Lee doll came alive and played together. I wove elaborate adventures that took place in the garden between our houses. Often the dolls owned by friends on the next block came and joined them. I created a world she believed. She wanted to be a part of that world so she got out of bed nearly every night, rushing into the yard trying to catch them at play. My cousin was my first fan.
In High School my grandmother scolded me for “Day Dreaming” in class, thus the C- in Math. I couldn’t help myself! Scenes and characters spouting dialogue I made up for them ran through my head like a movie I couldn’t stop until I created the perfect happy ending. One story would end, and then another immediately burst into life, filling my thoughts with how to help these characters reach their happy ending.
The C- remained on my record but the A in Journalism and being asked to join my High School newspaper helped my grade point average. As I was ready to leave for college, my grandfather advised, “Stop Day Dreaming. Write down all these stories in your head.” Release! Freedom! The world became big, bigger, biggest! No limitations to my day dreams except the breadth and depth of my imagination. Only one of my 19 published novels have seamlessly gone from my head onto paper. It was exhilarating to know exactly every word of that novel. And my editor only changed three words in her edit for Fawcett Regency.
“My mantra which I share with all writers is work hard, never surrender”
The other eighteen novels have been rewritten many times before I was satisfied with the result, although, always the scenes were in my head evolving into the world and characters I wanted to create. My mantra which I share with all writers is work hard, never surrender ( the sign over my desk reads “just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly”) and hope for some luck. Although I have found that luck comes to those who are out there doing what they love – WRITING.
The Regency Series
Regency Books: “A talented author with a real gift for linking the modern reader to the glamorous past”
ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS
THE RAKE’S REDEMPTION AND SCANDAL’S CHILD
The men of the Regency period are all irresistible! I loved Dominic, the Marquis of Aubrey, the moment he came to life in THE RAKE’S REDEMPTION. His love story with Juliana will touch your heart. I did not realize I would fall so madly in love with his half-brother, Jules, Comte de Saville, I HAD to give him his own book SCANDAL’S CHILD and a love with Kat which matched his passion and spirit. The glamorous regency period and the machinations of cupid are an irresistible combination!
A SOLDIER’S HEART AND THE DUKE’S DECEIT
The Battle of Waterloo was such an important event in the regency period I felt compelled to write about the circumstances surrounding it and bring to life Lord Matthew Blackwood, an idealist with the heart of a lion. His love story and marriage to Miss Serena Fitzwater is a whirlwind before he is called back to Wellington’s staff but when he returns he is not the same man. Exploring that relationship with all its complexities was an exciting adventure into the meaning of true love.
It was not until Serena confronted her brother-in-law, Richard, soon to be the Duke of Avalon with “it is my fondest wish that when your tiny heart is finally given, the lady crumbles it to dust” that I knew what his story must be.
Two very different brothers each fighting their demons and the women who will give them the strength to succeed.
THE RAKE’S REDEMPTION
LOVE CAN COME CRASHING INTO YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
It was not in Juliana’s nature to lie. Yet, the only way to lure her exhausted overworked brother to London was to insist she was on the marriage mart again … though her heart would forever belong to her dear Will who died in battle a month after their marriage. Only Fate could have foretold the curricle accident that found her gazing into the blue eyes of Dominic Crawford, the Marquess of Aubrey.
Imagine a mere kiss leaving her senseless! After all, she was no green miss . . .she had been married. It was that kiss, so different from Will’s that awakened feelings Juliana never knew she had , toward a man with a secretive manner and dark past who might never love her.
SCANDAL’S CHILD
TRUE LOVE IS OFTEN SCANDALOUS
As her brother and sister prepare to make their Society debut, Kat Thistlewait vows to sit on the sidelines like a proper young lady. Fate has other plans, though, and when Kat tries to save her mischievous twin brother she lands herself in a compromising position with battle-scarred and world weary French nobleman Jules Devereaux.
Knowing that no lady of quality would ever overlook his imperfections, Jules agrees to marry Kat in order to save what little reputation she has left. A marriage of convenience isn’t what either desires. A daring duel which puts all in danger exposes the truth - love grows from the most unlikely of beginnings.
A SOLDIER’S HEART
NOTHING IS FAIR IN LOVE OR WAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE ONE AND THE SAME
The boldness that made Lord Matthew Blackwood an excellent soldier had readied him for his chosen battle of the heart. Blissfully, no fight was necessary. Miss Serena Fitzwater surrendered quickly to this handsome stranger who captured her body and soul.
A storybook courtship, a whirlwind marriage…then sadly, Matt was called back to the war. But the wounded hero who later returned was no longer the fairy-tale knight of Serena’s first flush romance. This was a stranger.
In truth, Serena, too, had changed. The naïve young bride had blossomed. And now, the true battle of hearts would begin: for they must take the threads of yesterday and weave a new beginning.
THE DUKE’S DECEIT
IT HAD BEEN AN INNOCENT LIE, BORN IN THE FACE OF DESPERATION
When Mary Masterton informed the handsome stranger that they were engaged, he had no reason to doubt her. After all, his head injury had resulted in complete memory loss. Mary, however, remembered clearly the stable fire and the mysterious rider who had saved her horses … and who had unwittingly become her fiancé to thwart the advances of a vile and loathsome suitor.
His signet ring became their clue to his true identity: he was Richard, Duke of Avalon and when he insisted that Mary accompany him back to London, she vowed to reveal the truth… even though she had fallen hopelessly in love. If only the truth were as simple as deceit.
The Chicago Series
Yes, I write about real people but I change the names to protect the guilty – the innocent don’t need protecting! Chicago is full of fascinating characters – come meet them in my Chicago Series! Begin with the sexy fun of Talk of the Town ( chosen as a Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Read”) – the mystery deepens in A Black Tie Affair – and you have it all plus happy endings in All I Want Is You!
TALK OF THE TOWN
“What a hoot! Laugh-out-loud rollicking romance…Juicy gossip, fashion advice, delish recipes, and sexy romps; Talk of the Town is destined to be the talk of romance readers everywhere!” SingleTitles.com
GOSSIP QUEEN DETHRONED!
Darlings, what a to-do at the Daily Mail today! After fifteen years as Chicago’s gossip guru, Rebecca Covington has been demoted from divulger of secrets for the city’s elite to headlining recipes in the Home and Food section. Apparently, a touchy senator is threatening legal action for Rebecca’s latest extramarital scoop. But Windy City rumor has it that new CEO and dreamy Pierce Brosnan look-alike David Sumner downgraded Rebecca in favor of fresher, younger blood on the social beat.
Industry insiders expect Rebecca to fight her denouement and inquiring minds have already seen the feisty maven trading quips and searing glances with her arresting new boss. Rebecca swears she’ll reclaim her shining star status, but can the dishy diva even cook? And how can she ignore David’s arousing effect on her sensibilities?
Don’t miss a trick, darlings. Sparks are going to fly.
A BLACK TIE AFFAIR
“A Black Tie Affair is a charming romantic romp I thoroughly enjoyed…Sherrill Bodine has found a way to open a glamorous world everyone can delight in.” BLOGS.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM
SUITED FOR SEDUCTION
Fashion curator Athena Smith will do anything to get her perfectly manicured hands on the Clayworth family’s celebrated couture collection for her exhibit. So when she’s called in to make sure the gowns are the real deal, she’s ecstatic …until a dress she’s examining turns out to be loaded with toxins (talk about killer threads!) and Athena faints, only to wake up face-to-face with the One That Got Away, notorious Chicago bachelor Drew Clayworth.
Drew still believes Athena betrayed him all those years ago, and he’s sure he can’t trust her. But when the priceless gowns go missing, she offers to help track them down. Reluctantly allied in the quest, Drew and Athena are soon stunned by the barely restrained passion still sizzling between them … and memories both bitter and sweet. Is their new partnership just a business arrangement? Or is this something more than … A Black Tie Affair
ALL I WANT IS YOU
“4.5 stars! Get ready for fun, mayhem, mystery and romance in this more-genres-for-your-money read. Bodine has filled her book with quirky characters and a fabulous Windy City setting. A flawless narrative and fantastic love story round out the latest from this talented author.” ROMANTIC TIMES BOOK REVIEWS
SHE’S STEALING HIS HEART
Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. The right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O’Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has had an unrequited crush on since childhood – and the man who helped ruin her father.
ONE KISS AT A TIME
Connor knows that Venus has never forgiven him for what happened between their families. But business isn’t personal, even though Venus’s father’s betrayal still cuts him like a knife. So when Venus proposes a deal – she’ll return his family’s brooch if he helps clear her father’s name – he reluctantly agrees. As action-packed days turn into flirtatious fall nights, it isn’t long before old memories resurface … and new desires ignite. Can two young lovers leave the past behind? Or must they first admit that all they’ve ever really wanted … is each other?
Additional Novels
MY LORD’S LADY
FOR A LORD AND LADY, FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT … AND THEY ARE ABOUT TO GET VERY FAMILIAR
Brought together at the start of the London social season, Lady Georgina and Lord Vane are immediately at odds. The Lord’s cool countenance annoys Georgina to no end, while Lord Vane has no desire for his orderly routine to be upended by the passionate Lady Georgina. Forced together while under quarantine, will they overcome their mutual dislike? Are they destined to be at each other’s throats ... or lips?
WRITTEN IN THE STARS
“This timeless love story filled with magic is a seamless fusion of past and present. The eloquent tale of two women, and the journal and birthmark that connects them both, makes this an amazing read.” Romantic Times Book Reviews
ONE LIFETIME WAS NOT ENOUGH
It’s 1601, and Lady Elizabeth York has arrived at Dunham Castle to marry Carlyle, heir to the Duke of Lennox. But it’s Will Grey, Carlyle’s illegitimate half-brother, who awakens a passion within Elizabeth that she’s powerless to resist. Scorned and bitter, Carlyle places a curse more powerful than time itself on the young lovers.
Generations later, as archeologist Cordelia Ward searches for a treasure aboard a sunken ship, two men pursue her heart – salvager Innis Foley and treasure hunter Morgan Murphy. But she’s haunted by a murderous nightmare in which one of those men is a killer.
Can a journal that belonged to her ancestor, Lady Elizabeth York, show her which man is her enemy, and which is her soul mate? Or will an ancient curse prove to be stronger than a love that conquers time?
THE CHRISTMAS BALL
THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE MISTLETOE
Outshone by a gregarious stepsister and overbearing stepmother, Lady Athena Cummins is used to fading into the shadows. Beloved only by her youngest sister Persephone, Athena has accepted her destiny as a spinster. But Persephone has a different scheme in mind, and conspires to send Athena out for one night of fun at Lord Finchley’s masquerade Christmas Ball. The masked beauty catches the Lord’s eye but, determined to avoid the wrath of her stepmother, Athena leads Lord Finchley on a wild chase to discover her true identity.
