A man of structure and a woman of impulse fires long suppressed passions.

Lady Rebecca Thatcher cares nothing for fashion or societal dictates. Her destiny in life is to fight for those less fortunate, be it woman, child, or animal. And when a young boy appears from the trees, clutching her skirts, addressing her as Mama with a vile villain on his heels, it incites every instinct in her to protect. Her priority is to get him where he belongs.

Having married off his youngest sister, the Duke of Ryleigh can finally begin the task of locating a suitable bride of his own. But his well-ordered plans are thrown into chaos by a note from his sister informing him she no longer wishes to be a countess (as if she had a choice) and has vacated to the family’s seat in Dorchester. On Ryleigh’s way south, he encounters a carriage with a broken wheel carrying Lady Rebecca, his sister’s long-ago schoolmate—the one responsible for turning his genteel and compliant sister into a hoyden he hadn’t recognized when he took her out of school seven years before.

Ryleigh’s sense of honor will not allow him to look the other way as he and Rebecca are bound for the same destination. She is just as he remembers—unwieldy and uncaring of what anyone thinks—and now? Unmarried with bastard children. Certainly not duchess material.

Wild Women Authors is delighted to welcome back author Kathy L. Wheeler and The Duke’s Detour, the latest addition to the Rebel Lords of London series. With Kathy today is Lady Rebecca Thatcher

Good morning, Rebecca. Let’s start with where you’re from. Exford, England UK

Tell us a bit about The Duke’s Detour. I’m a bit of an odd duckling for my time period. Some people refer to me as an Amazon, though I’m quite small in stature. I was at St. James Park, a place women are discouraged from visiting, when this young boy rushed out from the trees and hugs my legs and calling me, “Mama.” You can imagine my surprise.

What did you think the first time you saw the Duke of Ryleigh? Frankly, he was an arrogant arse. And, admittedly, I secretly admired him. Of course, I was fifteen at the time.

What was your second thought? I was not duchess material. I’m certain he felt the same.

Was it love at first sight? Certainly not.

What do you like most about him? I think I admire his dedication in looking after his sister. She is my closest friend, you know.

How would you describe the Duke? As I said, he is arrogant beyond tolerance. He is regimented and does not like to stray from the rigid schedule he sets forth for himself. But there is a softer side too.

How would Ryleigh describe you? In our most intimate moments, he calls me his “warrior woman”. I’m not certain why, unless it’s to describe how I detest society treating women and children so shabbily. He says I was ill, though I’ve never been ill a day in my life, just ask Papa. My maid told me he wouldn’t let anyone near me.

What is your biggest fear? Marrying for less than love. I fear I’m long in the tooth and Papa has promised never to force me into marrying someone I didn’t wish. But I’m afraid, I was put in quite the quandary, and society being what it is…

How do you relax? I abhor being indoors. In Exford, I do not have the restraints I have in London [where] the air is thick with coal. I prefer the country. The sea air in my face.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Now, we’d like to spend some time with Kathy.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I love the 80s movie: American Dreamer. The author has a jerk for a husband. She enters a writing contest and wins. Her husband denounces her at every turn but she goes to Paris on her own. While there, someone steals her purse, she chases him down and gets hit by a car. When she wakes, she believes she is the character in the book of the contest she’d won.

What event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? The independence, despite the time period, is something I admire of the heroine in this book. I divorced when my only child was two. I had to step in where there was no one else. We were also so close. I’m not that close to my own mother, sadly, but the relationship Rebecca has with her charges is directly correlated to the relationship I have with my daughter and her two boys.

Tell us a bit about your publisher. Chisel Imprint is my own company. This entire series is self-published, but that does not mean that I work alone. My editor has been with a couple of NY houses. My critique partner is an editor with TWRP. I’m very blessed. All writers know, it takes a village.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? At the top of the list is Julie Ann Long’s Lady Derring Takes a Lover; Cathy Maxwell’s A Seduction at Christmas; Valerie Bowman’s The Legendary Lord. Of course, I reread a lot of stuff. Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Amanda Quick, Jayne Ann Krentz, etc…

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves?Currently, I’m working on some Flaming Shorts for my Bloomington Series, which are contemporary. Very fun and very hot.

A bit more about our guest: Kathy L Wheeler graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a BA in Management Information Systems and Vocal Music minor. She loves the NFL, NBA, musical theater, reading, writing and karaoke. She belongs to RWA’s Greater Seattle and Contemporary Romance Writers chapters, and the Regency Fiction Writers.

She lives with her musically talented husband in the Pacific Northwest, a recent migrant from Oklahoma. She has one grown daughter (who has two adorable boys), and a neurotic dog, Angel!

Find Kathy all over social media.

https://kathylwheeler.com

https://twitter.com/kathylwheeler

https://pinterest.com/kathylwheeler

https://bookbub.com/kathy-l-wheeler

https://linkedin.com/in/kathy-l-wheeler

https://instagram.com/kathylwheeler

https://facebook.com/kathylwheeler

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrlnvpCGGe6_SvIrZRIyj4A

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5804151.Kathy_L_Wheeler

https://www.amazon.com/Kathy-L-Wheeler/e/B07C87Y2GK

To Purchase The Duke’s Detour, go to: