Ever since Avon published KISS ME QUICK and KISS ME AGAIN, people have been asking me if I was going to be writing books about Drury and Buggy.

Now, happily, I can say, "YES!!"

Harlequin will be publishing Drury's story, tentatively titled A LOVER'S KISS (ISBN # 978-0373-29508-1), in the summer of 2008 as a Harlequin Historical. Buggy's story, tentatively titled THE VISCOUNT'S KISS, should be out in the summer of 2009, also as a Harlequin Historical.

Why the delay? Here's the story of Margaret's Interrupted Regency Series:

When I was writing KISS ME QUICK and KISS ME AGAIN, I didn't realize readers were going to be so interested in the fates of Drury and Buggy. When I finished KISS ME AGAIN, it was time to make some serious decisions about my life and career.

You see, the final book in a contract is actually submitted months before it appears on the shelves, so I have to make career decisions based on what I know at that time. When I finished the final manuscript for KISS ME AGAIN, I was then out of contract with Avon Books, and also at Harlequin. I did write proposals for two books, one about Drury (a character I really liked) and one about Buggy, a character I also enjoyed (he seems to me to be a more intelligent version of Foz from my Restoration books). I also had proposals in at Harlequin.

However, I had been struggling with trying to write for two publishers for some time. I hadn't taken much time off in several years. I was suffering, and I thought my writing was, too. The time had come for me to write for just one publisher, so I had a big decision to make.

At the time, my decision seemed like a no-brainer: Harlequin bought my first book, and several more, so I had a considerable backlist there; they'd always been tremendously supportive of me and my career; and I could write medievals, my favorite time period. The thing that gave me the most pause about leaving Avon was "abandoning" Drury and Buggy, even though at the time, I had no idea how popular Drury and Buggy would be. Heck, I'd given Drury my grandmother's maiden name. But I had a decision to make, and I made it based on what I felt and what I knew at that time.

Nevertheless, my readers continued to write to me expressing their frustration and disappointment that I hadn't written about Drury and Buggy, and the hope that I could someday. To be honest, these bothered me. A lot. Not only because I hate disappointing my readers, but because I loved Drury and Buggy, too.

Then things changed, as they do in the publishing industry, and my publishing schedule left a gap. I could, my editors offered, write for Harlequin Historical again to bridge that gap. I immediately thought of Drury and Buggy, since these books need not have anything to do with the books I was writing for HQN. My editors agreed, and suddenly I had the chance to write the books my readers had been asking for, about characters still vividly in my mind.

Like I've said all along, never say never in this business! And so now I'm back in the Regency, delving into Drury's past, given him headaches and heartaches. I'll be honest and confess it's a challenge getting back into the Regency, but I'm delighted I can finally give Drury and Buggy their own happy endings. Drury's story, tentatively titled A LOVER'S KISS, is scheduled for release in August, 2008, which means it will actually be on shelves at the end of July. It's now available for pre-order at Amazon. Buggy's story, tentatively titled THE VISCOUNT'S KISS, should be out in the summer of 2009. I'll be posting more information as I receive it, but as always, my newsletter subscribers get announcements first, as well as cover sneak peaks.