I had a request to do trivia on this book. Thanks to the person who requested it! It helps me to know what book to do trivia on if people let me know which book they’d like to see in one of these posts. 🙂
Next up are the books in the South Dakota Series (Loving Eliza, Bid for a Bride, and Bride of Second Chances). If you’d like to see a book featured I haven’t done yet, let me know. I’m more than happy to do trivia on any of them, and it’s more fun to do them on books people are interested in.
- Originally, I was going to name the book Ruined by a Kiss, but since I also write historical western romances, I eventually went with Ruined by the Earl. That way, people would know right away the book was a Regency. This is why most of my Regencies contain a nobleman’s title.
- Logan is my most controversial hero of all time. Either people love him or they hate him. There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground when it comes to him. He was written to be a comical type of character, and about half of the people I come across don’t like my sense of humor, so the fact that this character rubs a lot of people the wrong way doesn’t surprise me. I have a weird sense of humor. I find humor in things most people don’t.
- My favorite scenes in this book are the ones between Logan and Melissa’s brother, Malcolm. Malcolm’s serious nature is the perfect balance to Logan’s carefree attitude. Often while writing a book, I’ll pick characters that end up balancing each other out, and these are two of them.
- Melissa wore all black on her wedding day. This was inspired by a romance I had read in the 7th grade. The heroine wore a black dress to protest her marriage, and I thought the idea was so funny that I put it in this book.
- Logan’s older brother didn’t exist when I started the story. But when I put in the scene where Malcolm took Logan out to do a duel, I had to explain why Logan didn’t kill him. To do that, I gave Logan an older brother who had suffered as a result of a duel.
- One of my kids had picked up an interest in juggling during the time I was writing this book, so I decided to take what I had learned from him and applied it to Melissa. This is why she juggled objects in her free time.
- Since most of my Regency heroines don’t know “the book” that teaches gentlemen how to pleasure a lady exists, I thought I’d have one who found it and read it. This is why I opted to have Melissa sneak around and search through Logan’s things. Yes, she was a snoop, but it was the only way she was going to find this book. Logan never would have told her about it.
- Melissa’s apprehension about meeting Logan’s brother is based on how I felt when I met my friend’s grown autistic son. I wasn’t sure how to act and worried I might unwittingly say or do something wrong. Since then, I had a better appreciation of how people must feel around my deaf son when they first meet him.
- Marybeth, one of Logan’s sisters, has a name and personality based on my own sister (Mary Beth). My sister is really outgoing and talks a lot. As my mom used to put it, she has the “gift of gab”.
- I felt that Logan needed a friend but also needed someone who would be able to handle someone like him. In my opinion, Logan is a likable person, but he does joke around quite a bit. A person would need a good sense of humor and have a pretty mellow attitude in order to get along well with him. That’s why when someone mentioned bringing Logan back while I was writing Kidnapping the Viscount, I knew I had finally found someone to be Logan’s friend. The hero in Kidnapping the Viscount had the perfect personality to be friends with him. Sometimes it takes me a couple of years to complete something I really want to do for a character. I never think of my books as 100% over when I finish them. I always leave a small opening for the future in case something like this pops up.
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Thank you for the trivia. I actually always liked the Logan character even if he was not the best person in Love lessons with the Duke but then you get to understand that he really did want to help Camden in his weird way. However you do mention in that book that Logan does not have sisters. Is it because you had not yet come up with his backstory yet? Also I very much enjoyed him in Kidnapping the viscount. Would you ever consider writing a story for Ms Duff’s over serious brother? Have a great day
You have a great eye for detail, Alie! My editor and I missed that. I went in and adjusted Love Lessons in the Duke so Logan says, “I don’t have a sister of marrying age.” Thanks for letting me know that inconsistency was there!
I’m glad to hear you like Logan. I enjoyed his character. I felt the need to write his book because of how he came across in the Love Lessons books. You’re right. I didn’t mention any sisters for him because when I wrote that scene, I intended for him to be an annoying character who was only there to pester Camden and that he’d feel even more at a loss on how to get a wife.
But as the story progressed, I realized Logan was an insecure character who desperately wanted a friend but came on too strong. In real life, this type of person would turn most people off, including me. Yes, he was trying to be helpful, but he went about it the wrong way. One of my goals for him in Ruined by the Earl was for him to realize that he would be better off saying less and listening more. That’s why I wrote this at the end of Ruined by the Earl: “It was his new goal. He was going to start thinking before speaking, and he was only going to speak when he had something worth saying. Melissa did that kind of thing, and she got along quite well with other ladies. Maybe the same would eventually work for him, and he’d get along with some gentlemen.”
Ever since then, I was looking for a way to bring him into another book and show that his change had worked. I was thrilled when someone mentioned bringing Logan back for Kidnapping the Viscount. Even though he was still looking for something mischievous to do, at least he’d matured enough to have a friend.
Regarding Ms Duff’s brother, I would love to write a story about him. I’m just looking for the right plot to fall into my lap. 🙂
Thank you, thank you for doing trivia on Logan. He has always been one of my favorite characters. I can’t imagine anyone not liking him. He’s like a little boy or small puppy who just wants to be loved. The scenes between him and Malcolm were great. One of my favorite parts was at the end when he and Melissa are hugged by her parents and he thinks “what a fun family” they will be bringing their children into. I was so happy for Logan. I also thought your portrayal of his brother and their relationship was touching.
I would love to read a book someday where Logan and Malcolm have to team up and work together and defeat a common “enemy.”
You have already done trivia on two of my favorite books, which this was one, His Redeeming Bride the other, so I might as well throw a few other ideas out there again. I see you will be doing Bid for a Bride which is also a favorite of mine so I thank you in advance and am looking forward to it.
A Bride for Tom, which was the first book I ever read of yours, and which started me as a life long fan and follower. The Accidental Mail Order Bride, The Earl’s Wallflower Bride, The Marriage Contract, and or Boaz’s Wager. Really I could go on but must stop somewhere.
I admire how you can juggle writing so many wonderful books, treating us to these blogs and trivia and homeschool your children. I’m in awe. Thanks for writing.
First of all, I have to say I LOVE the idea of Logan and Malcolm having to team up to defeat a common enemy. That would be so much fun! Let me think on how I can make something like this work in a future Regency series. I think there would be some funny moments as the two struggle to come to some kind of agreement. 😀
The way you saw Logan was exactly how I saw him. All Logan really wanted was to belong somewhere in London. His family had to stay in the country, so he was all by himself. Thank you for sharing all of your thoughts on Logan. Everything you said is exactly what I hoped others would see.
Oh good! I love that list you gave me! I’m going to write them down.
I can imagine the fun already between Malcolm and Logan. Maybe they have to travel together, the Inn is full and there is only one bed! One gets hurt or takes ill and the other must nurse him, Logan must teach Malcolm to shoot as well as he can and they have to revisit that whole duel again. The book will have to make an appearance somehow. I can hardly wait for the fun to begin:) Thanks for writing.
LOL I can just see Logan and Malcolm having to share the same room. Oh my gosh! That would be too funny. I would love it if I could squeeze that in. I’m sure if Logan were to say something like, “Melissa doesn’t snore,” it would gross Malcolm out because he hates even thinking of Logan being NEAR his sister.
You have me laughing so hard right now. 😀