Meet a telegrapher & a Brit in
Elizabeth Camden’s
historical romance
A Dangerous Legacy
Bethany House
*****
The Story
Lucy Drake’s mastery of Morse code has made her a valuable asset to the American news agencies as a telegrapher. But the sudden arrival of Sir Colin Beckwith at rival British news agency Reuters puts her hard-earned livelihood at risk. Newly arrived from London, Colin is talented, handsome, and insufferably charming.
Despite their rivalry, Lucy realizes Colin’s connections could be just what her family needs to turn the tide of their long legal battle over the fortune they were swindled out of forty years ago. When she negotiates an unlikely alliance with him, neither of them realizes how far the web of treachery they’re wading into will take them.
Introducing Lucy & Colin
Brief physical description.
Lucy Drake is pretty, smart, and determined.
Sir Colin Beckwith is talented, handsome, and insufferably charming. He is also hiding a shocking secret that has the potential to destroy his reputation.
Resembles…
This image of Tom Hiddleston is how I imagined Colin when I wrote the book.
Here are a bunch of pix of Rachel McAdams from Sherlock Holmes…..Lucy looks like her both in physical appearance, but also the way she projects smart, inquisitive determination.
Strengths and weaknesses.
Lucy is a telegrapher whose mastery of Morse code has made her a valuable asset to the American newspaper agencies. She also uses that skill to secretly eavesdrop on the telegraphic communications of the villains who swindled her family out of a fortune. Lucy is smart and shrewd, but her single-minded determination to win the lawsuit means her life has an anemic quality, lacking the warmth and fun a normal woman her age should be able to enjoy.
Sir Colin Beckwith is newly arrived in America. To outsiders, he appears to be at the pinnacle of success, but he secretly battles a crippling weakness from his service in the Boer War. Colin and Lucy quickly spot one another’s vulnerabilities. They have each other over a barrel, and must choses to either work together, or each hang separately.
Your inspiration for these characters
I was inspired to write this novel after reading a terrific book called The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century’s Online Pioneers, by Tom Standage. The book describes how telegraph operators who worked for newspaper agencies worked 24-hours a day, and often began chatting with one another during slow times. What a great way for characters to meet!
My hero, Sir Colin Beckwith, grew up on an isolated estate in the countryside, and as a boy he learned Morse code simply to hear cricket scores. As he awaited the cricket scores he became entranced by the tragedies, triumphs, and revolutions happening all across the globe. The telegraph machine became his lifeline to the wider world, and sparked his desire to work for Reuters.
Quirk (if any)
Lucy and Colin are both news junkies, although they didn’t use that term in the early 20th century. They both chose to work for news agencies due to their insatiable curiosity about what is happening in the world. The first thing they both do each morning is click into the news wires to see what’s happened overnight. This common bond is what sparked the initial attraction between them, and their ability to communicate in Morse code also plays a huge role in the unfolding plot.
Background to the story
Lucy Drake’s family was swindled out of a forty-million dollar inheritance, but she has one final chance to win the lawsuit and deliver justice for the people of New York City. I love a good Charles Dickens story, and that was the vibe I aimed for in A Dangerous Legacy, complete with fascinating villains, heroes battling overwhelming odds, and a heroine desperate to put a generations-long vendetta to rest.
Thank you, Elizabeth. Love that you have Colin loving cricket! Just like any Englishman worth his salt 🙂
Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Camden @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Elizabeth’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: A Dangerous Legacy or Koorong
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October 30, 2017 at 11:29 pm
Nowadays, I try to avoid the news because the vast majority of it is negative and opinionated. I generally catch the major headlines and then move on. This books sounds intriguing!
October 31, 2017 at 12:00 am
I avoid the new most of the time. I agree with the previous poster. Most of it is slanted and biased anyway.
October 31, 2017 at 12:06 am
I think I fall somewhere in the middle. I usually watch the news every morning, but also look at things online that might be a bit less biased. I just try not to get bogged down with it all. On the weekends, I tend to avoid it.
October 31, 2017 at 12:46 am
I’m a news junkie who avoids the news. It’s kind of the same reason I don’t keep Oreos in the house. I have no self control so it’s better to have none than binge on it and make myself sick. (Because yes, the news makes me sick. I can feel my blood pressure rise after five minutes.)
October 31, 2017 at 12:56 am
I love that Tom Hiddleston and Rachel McAdams are your image of Colin and Lucy! It makes me want to reread the book just to envision them like that the whole time. They suit there personalities so well. Especially Lucy as Rachel McAdams.
I’m not always caught up to date on the latest news but here and there I’ll try to at least be aware of things that are happening.
October 31, 2017 at 12:57 am
I avoid the news because I get tired of the slant added to it.
October 31, 2017 at 1:05 am
I avoid the news as much as I can.
October 31, 2017 at 1:28 am
I’m fine with the news . . . when it’s not doom, gloom, mud-slinging, politics, and complaining. So I’ve pretty much avoided it for the last two years. But I’d had classes in college in which we were required to read a certain number of articles from foreign newspapers per week, and then it was enjoyable to seek out the fun and strange happenings of the world (such as when a 30-foot giant squid was found floating somewhere in Australian waters, though when I think of it, that must be 10 years ago already).
October 31, 2017 at 1:45 am
I like to watch the news to keep up with what is going on. I cannot just sit and watch talk news all day long. I guess I would not be considered a news junky (my husband is the news junkie in our house). Thanks for the chance to win.
October 31, 2017 at 2:31 am
REL!!! Just HAD to come by to leave a comment because Elizabeth doesn’t know this, but I am one of her biggest fans. I have yet to read a book by her that hasn’t totally hooked me from start to finish. She is unique and creative in her plots and her heroes and heroines are the same way, making me miss them when all is said and done.
Bottom line: Elizabeth Camden is on my must-read list, and trust me — it’s not that long of a list! 😉
Hugs and thanks for the fun spotlight.
Julie
October 31, 2017 at 2:54 am
I avoid the news like the plague. It’s usually all bad and it seems each news source tries to outdo the others in wanting to shock the audience with graphic and detailed information. Plus, they’re all biased so I doubt any of them are being truthful in what they report.
October 31, 2017 at 3:42 am
I look at the news online, but you never know what is real news anymore. i take it with a grain of salt. Your book souns fabulous! Thank you formthe giveaway opportunity.
October 31, 2017 at 3:43 am
I like staying somewhat informed but I’m sick of all of the political news, so I just skim over it.
October 31, 2017 at 4:24 am
I check the local news site a lot and stay informed on things going on in my area…as for national news, I get sick of all the politics, so I tend to avoid that.
October 31, 2017 at 4:27 am
I do not watch television news and instead get information from World Magazine, talk radio and Facebook.
October 31, 2017 at 5:53 am
I pretty much avoid the news. Whatever news I get is just what my friends share on facebook.
October 31, 2017 at 6:40 am
I know it’s terrible, but I tend to avoid the news.
October 31, 2017 at 6:45 am
I used to be a news junkie but for the last couple years I’ve stoppwd watching much. It’s all just full of negative and depressing stories, that usually aren’t even the whole truth anyways.
October 31, 2017 at 7:30 am
I used to enjoy reading the newspaper but not so much anymore. There are too many depressing things going on in the world today. It seems like the newspapers and reporters delight in the negative and hardly ever report on anything that is uplifting. They’re all trying to scoop each other, so often they don’t stop to check facts and actually think about what is going on.
Thanks for the review, Rel. This book sounds fascinating.
October 31, 2017 at 8:35 am
I’m afraid we don’t watch the news on TV much anymore. We often go to the source for the news conferences not regurgitated lies about them.
October 31, 2017 at 10:22 am
I fall somewhere in the middle of those extremes. I read a daily newspaper and a bit online, plus sometimes hear news on the radio. I rarely watch TV news. Sometimes a little goes a long way! Too much “news” is sensationalized.
October 31, 2017 at 11:34 am
We can’t get any channels on our TV so it’s pretty easy to avoid the news at home. I do sometimes read the local news on the internet and I hear plenty about disasters at work since that is what I/we do – respond to disasters and food shortages in the world.
October 31, 2017 at 2:07 pm
I tend to ignore the news as it makes me depressed. I prefer to read books instead!
October 31, 2017 at 3:55 pm
I avoid the news. It’s often so slanted and just depressing. Thanks for this Character Spotlight…..it’s always fun getting to know the story behind the story 🙂
October 31, 2017 at 4:00 pm
I love to learn. To me the news is a source of intrigue that spurs a learning moment. I am chooser on the things I will delve into and read or watch when it comes to news. But when I do, that’s when I become a “junkie”.
November 1, 2017 at 12:28 am
I’d say I’m in the middle. I like to keep informed by reading trending news articles.
November 1, 2017 at 1:08 am
I avoid the news like the plague usually. I prefer to hear news from friends and family, and if I am interested, I look deeper into it online.
The cover of this book is gorgeous, one of my favorite Camden covers! It’s been on my to read list for ages!
November 1, 2017 at 1:44 am
I used to be a news junkie, but I prefer to avoid most of it now, other than stories on the internet that I seek out to read. It seems to not matter what tv channel we are on, but they have all the same stories, said in almost the same way. Often I have read the stories a week or 2 earlier on the internet. I feel like we just get someone’s spin instead of actual news. Elizabeth’s book covers are so gorgeous and unique!
November 1, 2017 at 5:00 am
I would say that I am somewhere in the middle. I like to be aware of things going on in the world, but I can’t take in too much of the negativity. This book sounds so interesting and I love Elizabeth’s writing. Thanks for the character spotlight and the giveaway!
November 1, 2017 at 5:00 am
I’m not a news junkie, but I do make sure to stay at least informed about national news and local events (at least the important ones, according to the TV news station).
November 1, 2017 at 12:46 pm
I prefer to avoid it but my husband watches it all the time so it’s hard to avoid!
November 1, 2017 at 3:13 pm
I don’t watch the news and what little I do hear of it is from my husband. He gets his news from the internet sites or reads the local paper. Otherwise, I want to be oblivious…lol!
Thank you for the giveaway chance Rel! I’ve read a couple of Elizabeth’s books before and fell in love with her writing. 🙂
November 1, 2017 at 4:08 pm
As much as I would like to read a paper copy of the New York Times regularly to feel savvy and sophisticated, I’m just not that girl. I don’t watch the news much either. It’s more word of mouth and major headlines for me.
November 2, 2017 at 4:54 am
I’m somewhat a news junkie. Mostly local happenings.
November 3, 2017 at 6:32 am
I scan the headlines daily, but overall I don’t really get overly involved with the news.
I can’t wait to read this book. Every Elizabeth Camden book is a delight!!!!
November 3, 2017 at 7:42 am
I tend to avoid the news, other than the headlines. Definitely not a news junkie.
November 3, 2017 at 12:39 pm
Definitely Not a news junkie. Would love to hear more GOOD news on the news!!
November 5, 2017 at 6:25 am
I like to keep up with news, especially economic/finance related articles, usually online. Otherwise I follow a few centrist news sources.
November 6, 2017 at 11:22 am
I’m a news junkie, but working on balance in my life.