1. Consider Lennox’s pursuit of Viola. Why does he want to marry her? What other methods could he use to win her? Do you think he would have succeeded in marrying her, if William hadn’t been in town?

2. The story in The Irish Devil is told from the perspective of several different characters. Did you find yourself empathizing with one character more than the others? If so, which character and why? Who, other than William, would you most like to seduce and why?

3. The town of Rio Piedras is an uneasy balance between a company town, focused on a silver mine, and a local transportation hub. Discuss the various roles the town plays in the story—the importance of its size, location, etc. If you could walk the streets of Rio Piedras, what places would you like to see? Would you be concerned about Apache attacks?

4. To what extent does it matter that the novel is set during the 1870s? Imagine a similar story unfolding today. In what significant ways might the characters’ lives be different?

5. Discuss the relationship that exists between Viola and Hal. In what ways are they important to each other? Would they have done as much for each other if they weren’t siblings?

6. Everyone keeps secrets but some secrets are more painful than others. Do you agree with Viola’s reasons for not telling her father and Hal about her mother’s treason? Should she have told William or kept it a secret from him too?

7. Do you think William is overly sensitive about being Irish? How does this affect his dealings with Viola? Is his behavior plausible?

8. Viola is a widow, and considered sexually experienced, yet she is surprised by William’s sexual appetites. What changes do their intimacies cause in Viola’s attitudes toward herself? Toward William? Do you think she would have reacted the same, if the story took place today?

9. At what point in The Irish Devil does Viola fall in love with William? At what point do you think she realizes that she’s in love with him?

10. Allow yourself to play novelist for a moment and imagine William and Viola’s lives in the years beyond the events of The Irish Devil. What does the future hold for them? How would you want their lives to unfold? Chart the future lives of the novel’s other major characters as well.

Additional questions:

1. What do you think of William as a hero? Sexy? Too dominant? What was it about him that appealed to you the most?

2. What do you think makes a really interesting villain?

3. Why do you think erotic romance has turned into such a hot genre?