Sally’s going Naked again. No….not that kind of naked. Sally MacKenzie is back again with her latest Naked book–The Naked Viscount. Sally will be giving away a signed copy of The Naked Viscount to one lucky commenter.

I’ve been with Sally at various conferences and events and one thing is always true. Readers greet Sally with a smile. I’m delighted that readers will soon (June 1, for certain) find Sally’s The Naked Viscount on the bookstore shelves.

“Ah, another naughty, naked hero to brighten MacKenzie’s irresistible romance.
There’s plenty of sizzle, delicious repartee (filled with double entendres),
excitement and mystery to satisfy anyone who needs a bit of love and laughter to
brighten their day.”–Kathe Robin, RT Book Reviews

So let’s give a big Risky Regencies welcome to my pal, Sally MacKenzie!

Welcome, Sally. Tell us about your latest Naked book, The Naked Viscount.
Here’s the story from the Viscount’s back cover copy: After eight London Seasons, Jane Parker-Roth is ready to quit the dull search for a husband in favor of more exciting pursuits. So when she encounters an intruder alone in her host’s townhouse, she’s not about to let the scoundrel escape–especially when she discovers she’s wrestling Viscount Motton, the one noble she wouldn’t mind meeting in the dark. And when their struggle shatters a randy statue of the god Pan, even more mischief ensues. The viscount is indeed searching for evidence of a scandal, but the shocking clues inside the nude statue are far from what he expected. The same can be said of Jane, who shows a talent for interfering in his affairs. And as his quest becomes more than a little bit improper, he finds the impetuous lady has a talent for impropriety as well.

Did you come across any interesting research writing The Naked Viscount?
Hmm. I’d have to say the most interesting thing was the drawing that became the inspiration for the sketch Jane and Motton are looking for in The Naked Viscount. I was leafing through Vic Gatrell’s City of Laughter; Sex and Satire in Eighteenth-Century London when there on p. 404 I saw Thomas Rowlandson’s pornographic print, Lord Barr…re’s Great Bottle Club. Very eye-opening, indeed. I knew Rowlandson drew pornography, so that part wasn’t a surprise. But this particular print…there’s a lot going on there. Perhaps it’s just me, but I tend to picture our forebears as stiff and formal like the portraits I’ve seen in art galleries and school history books. This sketch is more “peers gone wild. “

We’re all about being risky. What is risky about The Naked Viscount?
You Riskies were in the back of my mind as I was writing this book–it has “risky” written all over it. Did I mention the pornographic inspiration? And then there are the Pan statues with the prodigious penises in which the clues are hidden. And all the visual jokes as our lovely heroine goes about finding the clues–while our manly hero gnashes his teeth. And then there’s the aphrodisiac… I suspect there is really no such thing as a true aphrodisiac, but by then my characters were on a roll.

You recently attended the RT Book Reviews Convention. Can you tell us about it? What was the most outrageous part of the Convention? Can you share any photos?
Well, I had a novella, “The Naked Prince,” due May 1, so I spent more time than usual in my hotel room. Wednesday I was part of a group that hosted the Midnight Mad Hatters Historical tea, which was great fun except for the midnight part. Here’s a picture of me with my friend (and one of the other hosts), Kristina Cook/Kristi Astor. And here’s another picture of me at the event–my borrowed hat appears to be trying to escape. I had a lot of laughs during the historical panel I was on–“Bringing Historical Characters to Life.” The panel was moderated by Kristi, and my fellow panelists were Courtney Milan, Victoria Dahl, Sylvia Day, and Victoria Alexander.
Perhaps the craziest thing happened before the Faery Ball. I write for Kensington Zebra, and “they” (I think the idea came from one particular editor) thought it would be fun if some of the Zebra authors made a grand entrance at the ball as a herd of zebras. Here we are–I’m the one with the tan “hooves” on the far right. Two of the zebras are editors, but I won’t say which two!

What is next for you?
I’ve got two more Naked stories coming. My novella The Naked Prince will be out in February 2011 in the anthology An Invitation to Sin. Jo Beverley is the lead author; Vanessa Kelly and Kaitlin O’Riley join me rounding out the list. Then The Naked King is scheduled for June 2011.

And now for some questions: 1. Do you think of historical figures as very proper folks, always polite, never speaking in contractions? Or are they just like us, only wearing less comfortable clothes? 2. I know I can never write with a completely historical perspective–heck, I’m an American writing about English nobility for goodness sake. Where do you think the line is between strict historical accuracy–dirty hair, bad teeth, and all–and romance?

Great questions, Sally. Go at ’em, Risky Readers, and remember that one lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a signed copy of The Naked Viscount.