Rue Allyn: Photography in the Old West + GIVEAWAY

Rue is offering two chances to win a free digital copy of One Night’s Desire. See contest details below.

Susana, thank you very much for inviting me to visit with your followers today to tell them a little about my newest release, One Night’s Desire, and some factoids about nature photography in the late nineteenth century.

A visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in 2008 with a friend who is a superior photographer inspired an important detail of One Night’s Desire. Because I began to share my friend’s interest in photography (although I lack her skill) I started to look into the source of many of iconic images associated with the parks. I discovered that the expeditionary force responsible for mapping and recording the details of the Yellowstone area included a photographer by the name of William Henry Jackson. His pictures are the first of the area and are the foundation for many of those iconic images. You can read about his adventures and see copies of his photographs in Bob Blair’s compilation “The Pioneer Photographer.” The difficulties of transporting photographic equipment to remote locations and the complexities of timing exposures for just the right light, are just two of the small struggles Jackson dealt with in addition to the rigors of a years long expedition in country where survival was risky at best. One story in particular about Jackson balancing his equipment on a cliff side to capture an especially compelling image of a waterfall was especially inspiring. I was so moved that I repeated as much of the action of that story as I could in One Night’s Desire. With digital cameras, we don’t have half the struggle to create photographs that Jackson had. His efforts were truly heroic and contributed greatly to the creation of Yellowstone as a national park. I owe him not only for the inspiration he gave to my story but for the images and places that he preserved.

Giveaway: Two Chances to Win a Free Download of One Night’s Desire.

Leave a comment about this post, photography, the national parks, or any topic you prefer and/or
Leave a review of one of my currently available books at Amazon. Just check my author page for book details.

I’ll be collecting entries throughout the entire One Night’s Desire release tour (June 13 – July 29, the schedule of appearances can be found here. The winner will be announced July 31^st on my blog.

About One Night’s Desire

A WOMAN ON THE RUN: Rustlers, claim jumpers and fire, nothing will stop Kiera Alden from reuniting her family. But an accusation of murder threatens her dreams and sets Marshall Evrett Quinn on her trail. She may be able to escape prison bars and eventually prove her innocence, but she can’t escape Quinn’s love.

A LAWMAN IN HOT PURSUIT: Marshall Evrett Quinn is relentless in pursuit of law-breakers, and pretty Kiera Alden is no exception. Clever and courageous, she evades him until a chance encounter turns the tables. Finally he has this elusive desperado under arrest, but success is bittersweet when she captures his heart.

Excerpt

http://rueallyn.com/2c2ONDexcerpt.html

Available

Amazon

One Night’s Desire and its sister book One Moment’s Pleasure are heavily discounted at Amazon for the entire month of July.

About the Author

Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue and her books at http://RueAllyn.com.

Contacts

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon • Blog

Spotlight on Philippa Carr

Jun24

Philippa Carr is a pseudonym of Eleanor Hibbert (1906-1993), who also wrote under the names of Jean Plaidy (historical fiction), Victoria Holt (gothic romance), and Eleanor Burford (contemporary romance), among others.

Eleanor worked in a jewelry store until she married George Hibbert, who was twenty years older, whereupon she was able to quit her job and begin writing “in earnest.” Her first efforts did not meet with success, but that changed after she took the advice of an editor and began writing romantic fiction. She published 32 contemporary romances under her maiden name before turning to historical fiction, which she wrote under the name of Jean Plaidy. Later, she wrote Gothic-style romances under the name of Victoria Holt and then she produced a series called The Daughters of England (historical fiction) under the name Philippa Carr.

My first introduction to Hibbert’s work was in the late 1960’s and 70’s when I would devour all the gothic romances I could find. Victoria Holt was my favorite; she couldn’t write fast enough for me! In 1973 I discovered Jean Plaidy’s historical fiction; she became my next obsession; I didn’t realize the two were the same person until years later, but I knew I couldn’t get enough of their writing. I don’t recall when I discovered Philippa Carr, but I’m sure by then I was aware of her true identity. And her books went to the top of my TBR list along with the rest. Several years ago, by trolling eBay, I was able to acquire a complete collection of Jean Plaidy and Philippa Carr books for my personal collection.

Good News: Open Road Media is reissuing these titles for today’s historical fiction lovers. The digital version that I received from NetGalley is a collection of the first three titles in The Daughters of England series: Miracle at St. Bruno’s, The Lion Triumphant, and Witch From the Sea.

From the Publisher

Miracle at St. Bruno’s

During the tumultuous reign of King Henry VIII, Damask Farland, named after a rose, is captivated by the mysterious orphan Bruno. Discovered upon the abbey altar on Christmas morning, then raised by monks, Bruno becomes the great man whom Damask grows to love—only to be shattered by his cruel betrayal.

The Lion Triumphant

While the rivalry between Inquisition-torn Spain and Elizabethan England seethes, Captain Jake Pennlyon thrives as a fearsome and virile plunderer who takes what he wants—and his sights are set on Catherine Farland. Blackmailed into wedlock, Cat vows to escape. Fate intervenes when she’s taken prisoner aboard a Spanish galleon . . . unaware that she’s a pawn in one man’s long-awaited revenge.

The Witch from the Sea

Linnet Pennlyon, proud daughter of a sea captain, finds herself in a vicious trap: Pregnancy has forced her to marry the cunning Squire Colum Casvellyn. Once their baby is born, she devotes herself to their son. Yet, little by little, against her will, Linnet finds herself drawn to her passionate, mercurial husband. Dark secrets lurk in their castle, and when a beautiful stranger washes up on the shore, Linnet suddenly finds she’s no longer in control of her family—or her life.

Susana Says: Riveting Reads, 4/5 Stars

Damask, Catherine, Linnet, Tamsyn…are the strong, independent female protagonists in this fascinating saga of The Daughters of England. The first clue that these stories are more along the lines of historical adventures than romances is the use of the first person. The reader’s knowledge of the thoughts of the other characters comes directly from the narrator’s thoughts and beliefs—and because she is sometimes mistaken, the reader finds herself equally astonished when certain truths are revealed.

Damask comes from a wealthy family; her father is a devout Catholic who watches Henry VIII’s gradual power grab from the Church with concern. These are dangerous times for men with consciences, for anyone who disagrees openly with the king may soon find himself bending over a chopping block. Damask, like all girls, must marry, and she finds herself with a choice of her worthy distant cousin and another young man, whose birth was said to be miraculous, and who, unbeknownst to her, harbors lofty ambitions.

Her daughter Catherine finds herself on the Spanish island of Tenerife, the victim of a revenge plot. With little hope of rescue, she tries to make the most of her situation, and when her liberation is finally at hand, she is horrified by the direction it takes and fears that there will be worse problems ahead. Great description of the events leading up to and following the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

Linnet is well on her way to becoming the wife of a worthy businessman when she suddenly finds herself wed to a cocky brute eerily reminiscent of her own father. Although theirs is a volatile relationship, they share a passionate nature, and Linnet is content. But then a beautiful Spaniard washes up on the shore, and suddenly Linnet begins to have doubts about her marriage…and her husband’s mysterious occupation.

These books will take you through a hundred years of English history as though you were there living it yourself. I’d forgotten how much I liked the first-person point of view, since it’s fallen out of fashion in recent years, but in these stories, its use strengthens the link between the narrator and the reader, to the point where you feel you are Damask, Catherine, Linnet, and Tamsyn.

This volume is a bargain at $9.99 for three full-length novels and a series of exciting adventures to the past. I’m already dusting off the remaining books in this series because I disliked seeing it come to an end.

Amazon • Barnes & Noble

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Hibbert

Georgiana Louis and “The Reluctant Duke” + Giveaway

Jun20

Georgiana is offering a digital copy of The Ruined Marquis, the second in the Spares series, to the most original commenter.

Why I Love the Regency Period

I did an interview on an American radio station last week and the host asked me why I wrote about the Regency period, as there was no Regency period in Australia. I had to laugh, because I rarely write about things I know about. Where’s the fun in that?

Instead I write about places I dream of, times that interest me.

Ever since I picked up Sabrina Jeffries’ To Pleasure a Prince in a secondhand book store, I have been hooked on the Regency period. And it’s not because of the clothes either!

I actually find the clothes to be quite horrible, and don’t write much about them.

Instead, what I love, are the rules, the society and most of all I love the changes within society that began through that period. The way love matches within the aristocracy and gentry became more common, versus the contracted marriages of the the late 18th century.

I love the rules about how a lady must act, the ridiculous double standards for gentlemen.

The Regency period was a time when ladies became more than just a pretty society piece. Ladies who had conversation became more prized, and I think that is what totally enthralls me.

I hope you enjoy my Spares series—I loved writing it. My four, tortured heroes and the women who bring them to their knees.

About The Reluctant Duke

Colin Lyre, recently inherited 10th Duke of Lincoln, has been told his whole life that he is superfluous to his family.

When he must deal with the responsibility and stress that comes with his new title, he flounders rather badly. He is determined do his ‘duty’’ and marry an ‘appropriate Duchess.’

Life throws Colin’s plans wayward when he rescues the beautiful Annabelle from a ball. She makes him realize how much better his life could be, but he doesn’t know if he truly deserves such happiness.

Annabelle wants nothing to do with the responsibility of marrying a title. She simply wants to make a suitable match with a gentleman who can support her family.

Colin is Annabelle’s perfect prince until she realizes what life as his life would be like. However, making the rational decision to stay away from one another is much harder than either of them expects.

Available

Red Rose Publishing

Excerpt

“Thank you so much sir. I need to get out of here before anyone sees me. Can you help me please?” She implored through her ministrations.

“Oh… of… course I can,” Colin stammered, his mind racing with the logistics of how to get her out of the grounds unseen. Why hadn’t he been thinking about that before she mentioned it? He should have been the one to offer aid.

“I can’t be found like this,” Her voice broke on the words and two fresh tears slipped down her cheeks. “No one would ever marry me.”

Colin’s heart all but broke at the pitiful look on her face, for it was indeed true. Her beauty and virginity were the two things that would be her greatest assets on the marriage mart. If people regarded her as damaged goods, no one of any consequence would marry her, no matter how beautiful she was.

“I’ll get you out of here, let’s walk towards the front of the house and you can hide whilst I get a carriage.” Colin put his arm gingerly around the angel, ushering her towards the house.

“I’m Annabelle by the way,” she sniffed as she wiped her face again with his now soaked handkerchief.

“Oh … well…” Colin stammered again, how did this beautiful woman keep flabbergasting him? He’d never been so verbally incompetent in his life.

“I think we’re past polite names do not you? After all, you have probably seen more of me tonight than any one should before marriage.”

Colin was shocked by her honest and far too accurate assessment of the situation. It occurred to him if someone saw them in her current state of ‘dress’ it would be his head on the chopping block, or in the parson’s trap as the case may be.

“I do not want to get married,” he blurted out louder than he should have, stopping her in their rather quick race to the front gate.

Annabelle chuckled at him.

“I did not mean I wanted to marry you, my lord. I just meant that considering the state you found me in and after all you have done for me tonight, the least I could do was introduce myself as Annabelle and not Miss such and such, daughter of such and such.” She sighed loudly. “I hate all that.”

Colin smiled despite himself. Was there really a marriageable female here that did not care about connections? He frowned cynically, he did not think she’d feel the same way when she was properly introduced to him.

“I’m Colin,” he smiled shyly at her. He’d never been introduced as just ‘Colin’ in his entire 26 years. What an odd, exhilarating feeling. ‘Colin’ could be anyone, do anything.

“Colin,” she said his name with a slight huskiness that sent a bolt of desire to his groin.

About the Author

Georgiana Louis is a chiropractor, wife and mother in the real world. However, her passion for writing could not be denied. She fell in love with romance novels at the tender age of eleven. Thousands of books have been read, absorbed and enjoyed since then. More recently, the wonderful world of Regency romance—dashing heroes and beautiful heroines in an era just beginning to accept love matches. Please join her in the fictional world, where everything ends as it should, happily ever after.

Contacts

www.georgianalouis.com

www.georgianalouis.blogspot.com.au

Joan Vincent and The Honour Series

Jun17

It is my pleasure to introduce Joan Vincent, whose Dell Candelight Regencies I used to read years ago. I was so delighted to run into Joan and her sister Vera at the Romantic Times Convention in Kansas City last month and to discover that she is back to writing her fabulous Regencies once again!

Susana Ellis and Joan Vincent at Club RT in Kansas City

I came to write the Honour series in a very roundabout manner. Between 1977 and 1983 I sold eight novels that were published in the Dell Candlelight series. I returned to teaching in 1983 because my daughters needed dental surgery and braces. I still wrote that first year but gave it up when the demands on time and energy from the combination of family, teaching, and learning computers, networking etc. became too great. It wasn’t until 2000 when I retired that I returned to writing at the urging of my sister, Vera. The book I chose to write was one for which I sketched a brief outline before I discontinued writing. In fact, I had described it in such detail that my daughters both remembered me talking about it almost twenty years earlier.

I did some review research on 1808 England. Then I studied my outline, sketched my characters, and began writing. I was surprised that after so many years the story flowed so easily. That is, it flowed until I was in the midst of Chapter Five. In the middle of that chapter I was astounded as I typed one character telling another that Mr. Martin had died. Mr. Martin was the villain. You don’t have much of a book if it is only five chapters long! (This is just one of my many experiences when my characters acted like true children of the mind and did what they pleased no matter what an outline said! Thankfully, I learned this happens to other writers also.)

My sister Vera has always read my books as I wrote them so I visited with her about the problem. Then I decided to let the mind mull it over in its own strange way for a few days. When I returned to the keyboard I found a new villain already in the book and a deliciously evil one at that-—the French master spy Donatien. The only problem was that it completely changed the tone of the book from a sweet regency like my earlier work into something more complex and definitely darker. I thought on it a few more days and came up with the idea of a Napoleonic spy mystery with an element of romance. I revamped my characters and their motivation a bit and learned the hero was an officer in the 15th Light Dragoons with four fellow officers who were very good friends. One of these had a very important part in the book.

By Chapter Seven I knew I needed an English spy but who to pull out of the character hat? Once again I brainstormed with Vera. She came up with the idea of using Andre Ribeymon, Baron de la Croix. Andre had first appeared in Bond of Honour, published in the early 80’s as the six-year-old nephew of the heroine. In 1808 he would be in his early 20’s and ripe for adventure. Of course he would have a good friend to go on escapades with him and Hadleigh Tarrant, the hero in Honour’s Choice came to life. What was truly fascinating was that I later realized Donatien is also in Bond of Honour. He is part of a group that attempted to kidnap Andre.

At that point I had seven strong hero types and an excellent villain in Donatien. I had this vision of my seven posed like the men in that old 80’s western The Magnificent Seven—the 15th Light Dragoons in their regimentals (Bellaport, Danbury, Merristorm, Vincouer and Goodchurch for those unfamiliar with the Honour series), Andre in his guise as a dandy and Hadleigh in his staid Brummel style-dress. I also had six more stories—one for each of my other heroes—come to me full-blown in which each man in turn would battle Donatien and also find his true love.

The Honour Series was not a nine-month term baby but more a month in gestation. Writing about how it came to be has reminded me of how many pillars underpin a book! And I haven’t even told you about the two gentlemen from the Royal Agricultural Society in Britain who helped me, via email, track down where and when the Agricultural Society met in 1809. It is a minor point in Choice but one I wanted to have it correct. It almost takes a village to write a book.

Honour’s Choice, the story of an older woman and younger man, came into existence long before the so-called cougar trend began. Anyone who reads the story would hardly think of Sarah as a cougar in any guise. Her knowledge of herbal medicine led me to a lot of research on the topic and many calls to my sister-in-law who is a nurse and who plied doctors with questions for me. I can’t really remember when I realized Hadleigh had a fascination with insects, but that aspect of his life has also led me to many books on bugs I never thought I’d read. Hadleigh and Sarah have struck a strong chord with all who have read their story. That has been true from the first very rough draft, although sadly, I’d have to admit I’m not certain why. I am very glad I wrote their story and hope those who read it enjoy it as much as I did.

About Honour’s Choice (The Honour Series Book Two)

She’s the only one who can help when a spy hunt goes terribly wrong.

1809 England. Hadleigh Tarrant joins in the hunt for government bullion thieves. Captured and tortured by their leader Donatien, Hadleigh is left to die. Sarah, Lady Edgerton, a middle-aged widow, nurses the critically injured Hadleigh when he is found near her home despite the danger to her reputation. Their hearts choose each other, but Hadleigh is haunted by the tragedy of his parent’s marriage and fears that love will cause him pain worse than that of any torture. Sarah, trapped by the years between them and secrets that would turn him from her forever, tries to hide her love and do what is best for Hadleigh by giving him up. Donatien, the malicious French spy reappears determined to purloin military secrets. He is also intent upon a revenge that threatens Sarah and Hadleigh’s growing love and their very lives. Hadleigh must unmask the spy before he and Sarah can decide between dishonour and Honour’s Choice.

4* Review from RT Book Reviews

Available

Amazon • Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Joan Vincent lives with her husband in Kansas. Her hobbies include sewing for and playing with her young grandchildren, quilt making and quilting, flower arranging, and research. Her husband claims her favorite hobby/passion is filling an ever-increasing number of bookcases with books on all facets of 18-19th century English, French, and Spanish life and politics.

JV Website

Facebook

blog

Joan’s earlier Regencies are available at Regency Reads.

The Audacious Miss
A Bond of Honour
The Curious Rogue
The Education of Joanne
Never To Part
The Promise Rose
Rescued By Love
A Scheme For Love
Thomasina

Episode #15: Lady P On Assignment in 1814 Kent

Jun13

Susana: Lady P, who is still visiting her daughter’s family in 19^th century Kent, heard some rather juicy gossip about the scion of a prominent family in the area and decided to investigate, intending to present the results of her investigation to me in an attempt to make reparations for making free with my credit card to buy gifts for her grandchildren prior to her return to her own time period.

Lady P [interrupting]: Although I know Susana well enough to know that it is not the money that concerns her; it’s something called the Prime Directive. So silly really, to think that something as innocuous as the Laugh and Learn Learning Puppy could cause the end of the world. [Shaking her head] In any case, I sent a note to Lord Rutherford to call upon me at my son-in-law’s home in Thanport at his earliest convenience, and he was pleased to do so.

* * * * * *

Lady P: I am much obliged to you, sir, for your prompt response to my invitation.

Rutherford [bowing]: You indicated that it was a matter of some urgency?

Lady P: Yes, indeed. Rumor has it, my lord, that you are a sapskull.

Rutherford [eyebrows raised]: A sapskull, madam? Indeed? And how did you come to that conclusion?

Lady P: Although perhaps it is merely a ploy to draw attention from your dabbling in the area of espionage.

Rutherford: Espionage? Really, my lady. I think you’ve been reading too many Minerva romance books.

Lady P [waving an arm]: Do not be alarmed; your secret is safe with me. I am more concerned about your attentions toward a certain highly-regarded young lady in the area.

Rutherford [rather stiffly]: If you mean Miss Marsh…I suppose it is no secret that I am courting her.

Lady P: It is hardly flattering to Miss Marsh that you spent so many years sniffing after Lady Phoebe and only turned to her when Lady Phoebe became engaged to another.

Rutherford: I was not sniffing after Lady Phoebe. She has never been more than a friend. I was merely waiting until Miss Marsh attained an age to marry. [Under his breath: Shocking how meddlesome older ladies can be!]

Lady P [with narrowed eyes]: What was that about older ladies?

Rutherford: Nothing ma’am. Are you quite finished with your interest in my affairs?

Lady P: Not even close, my lord. Then you waited on the sidelines while Miss Marsh received countless offers of marriage…surely any sensible man would have made an effort to fix his interest with the woman he intends to marry. What if she’d have accepted one of them? Where would you be, then?

Rutherford: I had the situation well in hand. If it appeared as if she were interested in another gentleman, I would have stepped in.

Lady P: Why did you decide on Miss Marsh? What are the qualities you saw in her that gave you the impression that she would make a suitable wife for you?

Rutherford: I have known her all her life. She is a well-behaved, proper lady who has all the attributes I desire in a wife. Furthermore she is used to taking her lead from me. I wish to live a well ordered life. With Miss Marsh there will be no surprises.

Lady P: I understand, however, that Miss Marsh has turned down your offer of marriage.

Rutherford [running a finger down his cravat]: That is true. A fit of pique, only.

Lady P: But you persist in pursuing her. What makes you think you can prevail upon her to change her mind? Miss Marsh appears to be a young lady who knows her own mind. I doubt she will be easily importuned.

Rutherford: I have been busy during the past couple of years. Once I spend some time dancing attendance on her, I’m sure she’ll come around. After all, we have been close friends for years.

Lady P: What can you offer Miss Marsh that her other suitors could not?

Rutherford: I beg your pardon, my lady, but these questions are extremely intrusive. [To himself: not to mention something I don’t wish to think about.]

Lady P: How have your feelings changed toward Miss Marsh since your return to Kent?

Rutherford: Really, these questions are outside of enough. My feelings toward Miss Marsh are no concern of yours. All anyone need know is that I intend to make her my wife. You can tell that to Lady Blanchard. [Rutherford mutters behind his hand: Now if I can only convince Anna. I wish I knew why the devil she is being so difficult.)

[A maid comes in and whispers in Lady P’s ear.]

Lady P [to the maid]: Tell my daughter I’ll be along shortly. [to Lord Rutherford]: I do beg your pardon, Lord Rutherford, but a domestic squabble requires my attention. Before you depart, however, there is one last point of curiosity I should like you to satisfy, if you would be so kind.

Rutherford [rolling his eyes]: By all means, my lady. I have no wish to leave your curiosity unfulfilled.

Lady P [with a saucy grin]: Can you tell me where I might find a copy of that book Miss Marsh found in the library? You know, the one with all the—er—fascinating illustrations? I have a novelist friend who would give her eye-teeth to have one.

Rutherford [clearing his throat] I believe I must take my leave of you, madam. It’s been a pleasure, of course.

Lady P [winking and offering her hand]: Indeed it has, Lord Rutherford. I wish you well in your endeavor to win Miss Marsh’s affections. Perhaps a match between you is not quite so ill-conceived as I thought.

Rutherford: À bientôt, my lady. [softly cursing as he walks out the door]

About The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh

Since she was a young girl, Anna Marsh has dreamed of Sebastian, Baron Rutherford asking for her hand in marriage. But that was in another life when her brother Harry was alive, before she vowed to secretly continue the work he valiantly died for. Now as Sebastian finally courts Anna, she must thwart his advances. Were he to discover her secret, he would never deem her a suitable wife…

Sebastian has always known Anna would become his wife someday. He expects few obstacles, but when she dissuades him at every turn he soon realizes there is much more to this intriguing woman. Somehow he must prove to her that they are meant to be together. But first he must unravel the seductive mystery that is Miss Anna Marsh…

Available for pre-order on Amazon.com

Susana Says: Fabulous Read, 5/5 stars

On the surface, Anna Marsh appears to have everything a young lady could wish for. She’s beautiful, accomplished, well-mannered, and sought after by countless eligible gentlemen. She’s also a wealthy heiress. But Anna is not a typical debutante. She has a secret life that she is determined never to give up, even if it means she must remain unmarried the rest of her life. In any case, the man she’s always loved, Sebastian, Lord Rutherford, seeks a biddable, compliant wife, which she knows she’ll never be.

Sebastian, Lord Rutherford has been waiting for Anna to mature into a desirable young lady, and now that she has, he’s ready to pop the question. But when he doesn’t get the answer he expects, he becomes all the more determined to win her heart. But how can he truly love Anna when he doesn’t really know her? The question becomes: is he a suitable husband for her?

Anna is a strong, independent woman determined to make more of her life than the typical society maven. There were times in the beginning when I wanted to slap Rutherford silly for taking Anna for granted for so long, but, on the other hand, there is nothing quite like seeing a man grovel to appease his lady, and Rutherford manages to do so quite satisfactorily.

There is a very sweet secondary romance in this story, and also a mystery to solve originating from Anna’s “secret life.”

The Secret Life of Miss Anna Marsh is the second in a series, following The Seduction of Lady Phoebe. The book stands well on its own, however. This review was written from an ARC provided by the author, who, incidentally, has the first book on pre-order. Ella Quinn is a wonderful new talent in the Regency world, and this Regency devotee looka forward to enjoying her future works.

About the Author

Ella’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of twenty-nine years. They have a son and granddaughter, Great Dane and a Chartreux. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make St. Thomas, VI home.

Ella is a member of the Romance Writers of America, The Beau Monde and Hearts Across History. She is represented by Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency, and published by Kensington. Her debut novel The Seduction of Lady Phoebe, will release in September 2013

Contacts

Website: (Up soon) www.ellaquinnauthor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor

Twitter www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Blog http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpresscom

The Lady P Series

Episode #1: Susana’s Adventures With Lady P: The Introduction

Episode #2: Lady P Talks About… Pride and Prejudice?

Episode #3: Lady P and the Duchess Who Lost a Billion Dollars

Episode #4: Lady P and the Face On the $100 Bill

Episode #5: In Which Lady P Discovers Sparkly Fabrics and Ponders Violating the Prime Directive

Episode #6: Lady P Dishes the Dirt on the Duchess of Devonshire

Episode #7: The Political Exploits of Lady P and the Duchess of Devonshire

Episode #8: Lady P and the Prince Regent’s Illicit Marriage

Episode #9: In Which Lady P Depletes the Cooking Sherry During Her Discussion of Caroline of Brunswick

Episode #10: Lord Byron: Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know

Episode #11: In Which Lady P Talks About Hannah More and the Rights of Women

Episode #12: Lady P’s Revelations Regarding George III and His Peculiar Progeny

Episode #13: Lady P Discusses the Luddite Uprising, the Assassination of Spencer Perceval, and the General Unfairness of Life

Episode #14: In Which Leticia, Lady Beauchamp, Pops In For an Interview On Her Personal Acquaintance With Princess Charlotte of Wales

Episode #15: Lady P On Assignment in 1814 Kent

Lady P Quizzes Jane Livingston, the Hero’s Sister From “A Twelfth Night Tale”

The Gossip Sheet With Star Scrivener Amylynn Bright + GIVEAWAY!

Jun3

Susana is offering one lucky commenter a game of Monarchs of England: The Classic Game of English Royalty directly from England (2-4 players, ages 7-adult). Please include your email address on your post.

I met up with His Grace, the Duke of Morewether, and Lady Penelope at the fashionable wedding of their good friends and brother, Lord Dalton and Lady Olivia. I was able to convince them to dish on the newlyweds.

Amylynn Bright
Reporting for the The Gossip Sheet

The Gossip Sheet: The couple is so obviously in love. How did the newlyweds meet?

His Grace: I wasn’t there, but I understand she quite literally threw herself at him.

Lady Penelope: That’s not it at all. Don’t tell salacious lies. The poor woman fainted from exhaustion on Bond Street. My brother caught her. It was really quite romantic.

HG: And then he took her right home and put her to bed. (The duke waggled his eyebrows)

LP: That’s true only in the sense that she was unconscious.

HG: Apparently the smooching didn’t happen until days later.

LP: Your Grace! I assure you and your readers that nothing untoward happened.

HG: Right.

TGS: So when did you finally think they would end up together?

HG: Oh that’s easy. As soon as he started showing up at my house drunk and trying to fight me.

LP: From what I understand gentlemen try to fight you all the time. Are you suggesting you’re a great, all-knowing duke? That you’re the greatest matchmaker in London?

HG: No, but when one of my best friends appears and threatens to clock me, I can usually deduce a woman is at the root of the trouble.

LP: It’s more likely the result of the fact that you’re so hittable, your Grace.

HG: Oh, then perhaps you’re suggesting you’re the better matchmaker?

LP: Well, she was my friend first.

HG: (snorts) If you were such a good friend, why was Lady Olivia and her brother living on the streets of London then?

LP: (cough) I think we’re getting off track of the question. You wanted to know when I thought they were meant to be together. I’d say after their first dance. You know you’re right, your Grace. Henry did start acting like quite the ass about then.

TGS: Were there any bumps along the way before the wedding?

HG: Bumps?! Good lord, there were veritable upheavals along the way.

LP: Indeed. Between the threats on her life, and then mine – it’s a miracle, really.

HG: Remember that ridiculous debacle at the docks?

LP: Oh that part was really quite exciting, I thought.

HG: That’s because you were warm and dry, not shoved into the Thames.

LP: (shakes her head) You weren’t shoved.

HG: What do you know? You were safe on your boat.

LP: You have to admit, we ladies were awfully heroic, don’t you think?

HG: (grumbled something unintelligible)

TGS: So you both think the bride and groom are well suited for each other then?

HG: Well, since she’s not interested in me, then yes, she should end up with Dalton.

LP: Most definitely. They’re just lovely together. I couldn’t be happier for them.

TGS: What advice would you offer the couple as they start married life?

HG: I always find it’s best—

LP: (Interrupts) Don’t listen to him. I hear he can’t even keep a mistress. I’d tell my brother and dear sister-in-law to get me a niece or nephew right away.

HG: Oh for God’s sake! (wanders off)

About Miss Goldsleigh’s Secret

When Henry Cavendish, Marquess of Dalton, leapt to catch the fainting woman before she hit the cobblestone, he never thought that one chivalrous act would set his well ordered life on end. His ingrained need to protect her has every bit as much to do with her enchanting beauty as it does his desire to wipe the hunted look from her startling blue eyes. He thinks he has everything in hand, but the lady has secrets that puts everything he loves at risk.

Olivia Goldsleigh just wants to live without terror, but a gunshot in the night proves things can always get worse. The beautiful and god-like Lord Dalton swears to protect her, to make the danger go away. She wants the man, the life, the family, the bliss he promises, but her secrets are certain to destroy them all.

Amazon

About Lady Belling’s Secret

Francesca Belling is torn between two worlds—her past infatuation with her brother’s best friend and her future obligations. She never intended to end up in the bed of her longtime crush, Thomas Wallingham, but that’s exactly where she finds herself.

Unfortunately, mail is slow during a war. She thought he knew everything. He had never suspected.

Thomas has always wanted to be a part of the Belling’s family but he was too foolish to grab the chance when she threw herself at him before. Instead, he ran off to war. Emboldened by his new-found appreciation for a grown-up Francesca, he finds that dream is within his reach.

If she thinks he’s running away this time, she has no idea what she’s in for.

Amazon

About the Author

Amylynn read her first romance novel in 2008 after being a lifelong literary snob. By the time she was done, she was hooked. Inspired, she challenged herself to write an entire manuscript from start to finish. Lady Belling’s Secret became the first in a three series set.

She is an Arizona native and lives in the same house her husband owned before they were married. Amylynn fears she will never call another state home unless someone tells her husband there are forty-nine others to choose from. In reality, she’d settle for a walk-in closet.

Her family consists of the aforementioned husband, two beautiful children, two dogs, two cats, some fish, and a hankering for a panda. She’d like it mentioned she’s never been in prison but we’ll see how that panda thing works out.

Contacts

Facebook • Twitter • Blog • Website • Amazon Author Page

Colette Cameron: “Highlander’s Hope” and Author Interview + GIVEAWAY

May23

A hearty welcome to Colette Cameron, a fellow Regency romance author! Colette is offering a $10.00 Amazon gift card drawing to anyone that comments and also connects with her on Twitter, Facebook, or follows her blog. Just leave a comment here explaining how you connected and leave an email address so she can contact the winner.

Susana, thank you so much for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to be here!

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, or perhaps, I should say it came easily for me. That’s before I decided to try my hand at writing a romance novel. A notice that someday I’d write a book had floated around in the back of my mind for years. Not a romance novel of course. I couldn’t write one of those. All that dialogue! So what did I sit down and write? You guessed it. A historical romance

Once I started writing Highlander’s Hope, I was addicted. This what I was meant to do! Next to raising my three children, it’s been the most challenging and rewarding experience I’ve ever had.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing in February 2011. That nagging notion to write a book became more persistent, so one day, I plopped myself in front of my computer and starting typing away. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing—or what I was getting myself into.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Critique partners are a must! I didn’t have any for Highlander’s Hope.

Learn all you can about the publishing industry and about the craft of writing. I know many people have an innate gift for writing but here are still the mechanics that must be mastered. Attend workshops and conferences, join writers groups like Romance Writers of America, and read, read, read. Read books in the genre you write in to stay abreast of what’s currently being published. Read books on the craft of writing. Read articles and blogs of other writers. You will be amazed at how much you’ll learn and how many other writers and authors are willing to help you.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I haven’t suffered from writer’s block yet, though I had times where I’ll get stuck on a plot point. I let my mind play around with it a bit—sometimes it takes a few days—and then, all of a sudden, a solution will pop into my mind. That happened at the doctor’s office the other day. Poof, right in the middle of reading a book about life during the Regency era, I read something that triggered a whole scenario. It solved a plot problem and gave me a good three or four chapters of material.

What comes first: the plot or the characters?

I hadn’t thought about that before. For my first three books, it has been the characters. I have another nine planned, and most of those I already know who at least one of the main protagonists is. I do have notes for several story plots though, and I don’t have characters for all of them yet.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A friend of mine calls me a linear panster. It’s an oxymoron but it works for me, because I do write from beginning to end—I just don’t know exactly where I’m going along the way. Sometimes that’s great. I’ll write something that astounds me. Other times I write something that doesn’t move the story forward, and I end up cutting it. Even those cut scenes have value though. I’ve used phrases, ideas, or parts of them for some of my other work. I like to post them on my blog for my readers to enjoy too.

All my books start with a single scene or idea, and the book develops around it. I do have ideas or plot points that I want to include in my books, but I also love seeing where my characters and the story take me. I couldn’t possibly come up with some of the things in advance that emerge as the story progresses. I often wonder, “Where did that come from?”

For my last two stories, I’ve completed Goal, Motivation and Conflict charts for my hero and heroine. I also have a questionnaire of over fifty questions I complete for each of them. By having both those items in my writer’s toolbox, I really know my characters. I don’t get stuck wondering what they’ll do or say.

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

Yvette is allergic to anything alcohol. Her pets are named after Roman or Greek Gods and their names all begin with “A”.

Ewan plays the bagpipes, and has four younger siblings.

Are you working on something at present that you would like to tell us about?

I’m currently working on The Earl’s Enticement. It’s the third book in my Blue Rose Trilogy.

The story is about Adaira (Addy) Ferguson, an outspoken Scottish aristocrat who cares more for horses than she does society’s conventions. She wears breeches, swears, and mistaking him for his blackguard brother, abducts Roark (Rory) Marquardt, The Earl of Clarendon.

What are you reading now?

I’ve been doing a lot of reading on Regency history lately. Right now I’m reading “What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew.”

What is your favorite food? Least favorite? Why?

My favorite food is Chicken Alfredo or Spinach Tortellini in Alfredo sauce. I love pasta in any kind of white sauce. I loathe peas and mushrooms. Ugh! When I was little, I was forced to eat canned peas. My great grandmother told me I’d like them when I grew up. Nope. Still don’t like peas. Mushrooms remind me of slugs and they taste like dirt. Betcha wish you hadn’t asked me that question!

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

I never set out to be a romance author. In fact, romance is the one kind of book I thought I’d never be able to write.

If your publisher offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming project, where would you mostly likely want to go? Why?

I’m so glad you asked. Scotland. I need to do research for my six book Regency Highlander series.

Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, would you consider straying outside your genre?

I only write Regency historical right now, though with the highlanders, I suppose you could say I write Scot’s highlander historicals too. I do have a couple ideas for a historical paranormal and a contemporary too.

What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I’d like to get The Earl’s Enticement completed and submitted and complete a stand-alone novel that is begging to be written.

Every writer dreams of getting “the call.” What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first?

We had just gotten home from camping. I’d submitted a full manuscript the day before we left. When I checked my email, there was an email from Soul Mate Publishing saying they wanted to publish Highlander’s Hope. Naturally, I remained calm and oh, so casually mentioned my good fortune to the hubby and daughter.

That’s a colossal lie. I vaguely remember running outside and jumping into my husband’s arms, completely incoherent and crying. He thought someone had died.

What are your favorite pastimes?

I enjoy gardening, bird watching and amateur photography.

What is the one modern convenience you can’t do without?

Hot water and toilets.

How did you pick the names for your characters?

I did a search of Scots first names for Ewan. I wanted something a bit different but not really odd. Ewan sounds like a strong name, and as I got to know him, he name really seemed to fit him. McTavish just sounded lovely. His English title, Viscount Sethwick, I made up. I always wanted a son names Seth, but my hubby didn’t like the name.

I wanted Yvette to have a French name because her mother had been French. Ironically, it wasn’t until after I named her that I realized I’d picked yet another name that rhymes with several family names: Collette, Minette, Georgette, and Annette. No…, I’m not kidding!

Stapleton is a nice hardy English name.

What’s something unusual you found during your research?

Yvette is allergic to spirits (alcohol) which was a bit of a problem during the Regency era. Water wasn’t safe to drink, so people generally didn’t drink it. Even children drank coffee, tea, and spirits. Poor Yvette, does drink a lot of tea!

I also had to research marriage laws because her stepbrother tries to force her to marry him. Stepsiblings could legally marry, but there were a whole list of other marriages that were deemed illegal. For instance, if a man’s wife died, he couldn’t marry her sister.

And then there was the delightful Scots Canon Law I used to get Ewan and Yvette married without a ceremony. Scots church law allowed anyone to over see the exchanging of vows. In Scotland, irregular marriages included simply proclaiming your were married in from of witnesses.

What’s first thing you look for when you are choosing a romance novel to read? Why?

Okay, so you’ve picked out a book to read.

Can you tell me something that really annoys you after you’ve bought a book and started to read it…or maybe even finished it?

About Highlander’s Hope

She was the heiress determined never to marry.

Shipping heiress Yvette Stapleton is wary of fortune hunting men and their false declarations of love. She’d rather become a spinster than imprisoned in the bonds of marriage. At first, she doesn’t recognize the dangerously handsome man who rescues her from assailants on London’s docks. Her reaction to Lord Sethwick’s passionate kisses soon have her reconsidering her cynical views on matrimony.

He was the nobleman who vowed to make her his own.

Not a day has gone by that Ewan McTavish, Lord Sethwick and Laird of Craiglocky, hasn’t dreamed of the sensual beauty he danced with two years ago; he’s determined to win her heart. On a mission to stop a War Office traitor, he unwittingly draws Yvette into deadly international intrigue. To protect her, he exploits Scottish Canon law to declare her his lawful wife—without benefit of a ceremony. Yvette is furious upon discovering the irregular marriage is legally binding, though she never said, “I do.”

Amidst murder and betrayal, Ewan attempts to win Yvette’s forgiveness. But is it too late? Has his manipulation cost him her love?

Excerpt

Take a peek at several excerpts posted on my blog below.

http://www.blueroseromance.com/2013/04/final-excerpt-of-highlanders-hope.html?spref=tw

About the Author

In February 2011, Collette decided to sit down and write a Regency suspense romance. She wrote Highlander’s Hope, the first book in her Blue Rose Trilogy. She has a BS in Liberal Studies and a Master’s in Teaching. She’s been married for 30 years, has 3 amazing adult children, and 5 dachshunds. Her puppy, Ayva, sits on her lap while she writes. Ayva also nibbles at and lies on the keyboard. Collette loves a good joke, the beach, trivia, birds, shabby chic, and Cadbury Chocolate. She just finished The Viscount’s Vow, the second book in the series. It releases from Soul Mate Publishing next year. You’ll always find dogs, birds, quirky—sometimes naughty—humor, and a dash of inspiration in her novels.

Contacts

Web site • Blog • Facebook Fan Page • Facebook Page • Twitter • Google+ • Linked In • Pinterest

Soul Mate Publishing Author’s Blog • Goodreads

Cheryl Holt’s Love’s Promise Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour GIVEAWAY!

May20

Blog Tour Schedule

5/13 Rambling from this Chic: excerpt 1/giveaway

5/14 Harlie’s Book Reviews: review and excerpt 2/giveaway

5/15 Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance: review and excerpt 3/giveaway

5/16 Confession of a Romaholics: review and excerpt 4/giveaway

5/17 Romancing the Book Reviews: review and excerpt 5/giveaway

5/20 Susana’s Parlour: review and excerpt 6/giveaway

5/21 bookworm2bookworm: review and excerpt 7/giveaway

5/22 Rockn’ the Muses: excerpt 8/giveaway

5/23 Saucy & Sinful Reviews: excerpt 9/giveaway

5/24 Romantic Crush Junkies Reviews eZine Blog: review and excerpt 10/giveaway

Lord Trent Series

Charles Sinclair, the Earl of Trent, is England’s most notorious roué. He never sired any lawful children with his aging, bitter wife. But he has many illegitimate children scattered across the kingdom.

His oldest son, Phillip, is on a quest to find his lost half-siblings, to create a family with them and to fix any damage inflicted on their lives by their father’s licentious conduct. The three books, Love’s Promise, Love’s Price, and Love’s Peril tell the stories of four of Lord Trent’s lost children.

Finally coming in 2013, Cheryl’s long-buried trilogy—three fabulous novels filled with heartbreak, dashing characters, drama, passion and love—will sweep you away!

About Love’s Promise (Book 1)

With the death of his older brother, Michael Wainwright, Viscount Henley, has become heir to his father, Duke of Clarendon. The Wainwright men are renowned cads, and as his brother’s will is read, it’s discovered that he sired an illegitimate son and has left the eight-year-old boy his entire fortune. Michael decides to bring the boy to London so he can be showered with all the wealth and status guaranteed by his inheritance. But first, he has to gain custody from the boy’s aunt, who is determined to keep her nephew away from Michael’s dissolute family.

Frances “Fanny” Carrington has always lived in a small village in the country. As a newborn, she was left in a basket on the church steps and raised by the vicar and his wife. But they’ve died, and Fanny is in dire straits, struggling to raise her nephew, to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. When she begins to receive correspondence from Michael, asking for custody, she can’t help but be suspicious. For years, the Wainwrights have refused to claim her nephew or provide financial assistance to him. She’s alarmed by their sudden interest. What can it mean?

As Michael finally meets Fanny, their attraction is swift, blatant, and dangerous. He can’t fight the need to have her at any cost, and gradually, he lures her into his decadent life of affluence and privilege. But she’s never possessed the callous nature required to thrive in the cut-throat world of the aristocracy, so she can never understand the peril she faces from those who would do anything to keep them apart…

Excerpt 6

CHAPTER TWO

“Where are you off to now, Fanny?”

Frances Carrington, called Fanny by her family, glanced over at her sister, Camilla. Though Fanny was twenty and Camilla twenty-five, Camilla acted like a petulant adolescent, and Fanny often felt as if she was Camilla’s mother.

“It’s so beautiful outside. I thought I’d walk to the village.”

“You just went yesterday,” Camilla complained. “I swear, you’re restless as a hen when the fox is lurking. What’s the matter with you?”

“The vicar’s wife is supposed to pay me for the mending I completed.”

“How can you take that old biddy’s charity?”

“It’s not charity. I worked hard on that sewing, and I won’t apologize for it.”

“Aren’t you a bloody saint?”

It was a constant quarrel between them. Camilla wouldn’t lift a finger to earn any money, despite how dire their situation, but she was quick to criticize when Fanny did anything that might alleviate some of their financial distress.

Fanny was galled at being forced to rely on the paltry coins the vicar’s wife doled out, especially when the sanctimonious woman enjoyed flaunting her elevated position and how it contrasted with Fanny’s reduced one.

For three decades, Fanny’s father had been the vicar. They’d lived in a fine house next to the church, had been respected members of the community, so when she knocked on the rear door of the parsonage, she felt like a supplicant or a beggar. She’d be invited in to see the new minister writing his sermons at what had been her father’s desk. His wife would be sitting on the sofa in what had been Fanny’s mother’s parlor.

At one humiliating point, Fanny had sold her mother’s wedding ring to the vicar in order to purchase food. He’d given the ring to his wife as a gift, and whenever Fanny stopped by, she cruelly waved it under Fanny’s nose.

The tonic was bitter to swallow, but in the past few years, she’d suffered so many indignities that one more hardly registered. She could tolerate the other woman’s condescension if it helped her support her nephew, Thomas.

“Camilla, please,” Fanny scolded. “Watch your language.”

Fanny gestured toward Thomas who was across the room at the dining table, practicing his letters.

“He’s heard worse,” Camilla said.

“Yes, he has,” Fanny agreed, “but we needn’t broaden his base vocabulary.”

“Don’t tell me how to speak to my own boy.”

Fanny couldn’t win the argument, so she didn’t try.

“I’ll be back in a few hours. If she pays me as she promised, I’ll bring some stew meat with me.”

“Meat, bah!” Camilla sniped. “Fat and gristle is more like.”

Camilla was always angry that they couldn’t afford the quality of victuals that had been their typical fare in better times. Her sense of entitlement—as well as her gnawing hunger—made her surly.

Though she never said as much, she seemed to blame Fanny for their poverty, as if their father’s death, and Camilla’s subsequent plunge to indigence, had somehow been Fanny’s fault. Fanny was weary of defending herself over the calamities, and she was eager to be away.

She grabbed her shawl and bonnet, and she stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection as she tied the bow under her chin.

With her slender torso, heart-shaped face, and bright green eyes, she recognized that she was attractive. Her hair was long and blond, an unusual shade of luxurious gold, the color of ripened wheat. Since they had no servants, she rarely styled it, finding it quicker to simply brush the lengthy tresses and pull them back with a ribbon.

But her looks didn’t matter, and she shouldn’t continue to pretend that they did. Her lack of a dowry insured there would be no husband, no family of her own. She’d never even had a beau, and circumstances had compelled her to accept that she never would.

Still, it was amusing to dream of a different life, one filled with pretty gowns and tons of delicious food, where there was no need to worry over the least little problem.

She wasn’t a woman prone to vanity, but there was no concealing the fact that her dress was shabby and plain, her bonnet tattered and torn. She couldn’t help but wish that she had a fashionable outfit to wear into the village, but cash was scarce and new clothes a frivolous extravagance.

She slipped out and hurried down the path to the lane, when Thomas called to her from their decrepit cottage.

“Aunt Fanny! May I come with you?”

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Susana Reviews Love’s Promise

Susana Says: Good Read, 4 out of 5 Stars

Love’s Promise is one of those books that draws me in so deeply that I don’t want to stop for anything, not even meals! Holt’s books have a tendency to make me feel as though I’m there myself, walking in Fanny’s shoes and feeling her attachment to her nephew, her desperation to keep him near and ensure his wellbeing, and then, later, her wildly fluctuating feelings for Michael, the man who seems destined to shatter all of her hopes and dreams.

Fanny is a great heroine, resourceful, determined, with a big heart. She can’t be bought with coin or jewels, as Michael discovers to his chagrin. The only leverage he can find to lure her to his bed is the promise of being near to her nephew. Her love for young Thomas makes her vulnerable, and Michael has no scruples against using it to get what he wants.

And therein lies the rub. While some say that rakes make the best heroes (or husbands), a rake who is too depraved just doesn’t ring true. As the son of a depraved duke, perhaps there is some justification for Michael’s selfish, cruel behavior throughout most of the book. Neither he nor his sister Anne knew love from either of their parents, so why would they know enough to want it for themselves, let alone be able to recognize it when it came? In the case of both siblings, it took the steadfast love of another to force them to come to terms with the superficiality of their lives and values and give them the impetus to reach out and risk everything for love.

If you are looking for a lighthearted romp in Regency ballrooms, this is not the story for you. The Regency world portrayed here is dark and cruel and filled with heartless villains in every corner. Between the debauched aristocrats who hop from bed to bed ruining young ladies right and left with no concern for anything but their own pleasure and the cruelty of nearly everyone else, this is not the book for the faint of heart.

It’s always been a cruel, cruel world, and the Regency one was no exception. There are times when you doubt that Fanny and Michael will ever have their happy ending; there are so many obstacles keeping them apart and you on the edge of your seat. But I guarantee you won’t want to put this one down. Holt’s fast-paced dialogue, paired with the emotional turmoil, will keep you turning the pages all the way to the end.

Giveaway

Cheryl Holt is giving away ten (10) print copies of Love’s Promise, the first release in her historical romance Trent Trilogy. The giveaway is open to US, Canadian, and international readers. Click here for the rafflecopter.

About the Author

Cheryl Holt is a New York Times, USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of thirty-five novels.

She’s also a lawyer and mom, and at age 40, with two babies at home, she started a new career as a commercial fiction writer. She’d hoped to be a suspense novelist, but couldn’t sell any of her manuscripts, so she ended up taking a detour into romance, where she was stunned to discover that she has an incredible knack for writing some of the world’s greatest love stories.

Her books have been released to wide acclaim, and she has won or been nominated for many national awards. She is particularly proud to have been named Best Storyteller of the Year by the trade magazine, Romantic Times Book Reviews.

Her hot sexy, dramatic stories of passion and illicit love have captivated fans around the world, and she’s celebrated as the Queen of Erotic Romance, which is currently the fastest selling sub-genre of women’s fiction. Due to the ferocity of some of her characters, she’s also known as the International Queen of Villains.

She received degrees in music, languages, and education from South Dakota State University, and her juris doctorate was obtained at the University of Wyoming. Her colorful and chaotic employment history includes such variety as public school teacher, cook, bartender, lobbyist, and political activist. She also did brief stints in metro-Denver as a deputy district attorney and administrative law judge.

“…a master writer…” —Fallen Angel reviews

“Best storyteller of the year…” —Romantic Times Magazine

Contacts

www.cherylholt.com

https://twitter.com/theCherylHolt

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Official-Cheryl-Holt-fanpage/292658201347

Regency Romance With a Gothic Twist: Interview With Elf Ahearn, Author of “A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing”

May9

Today I am pleased to welcome Elf Ahearn to Susana’s Parlour. She writes “Regency romance with a Gothic twist” and her book, A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing is currently available (see below).

She’s giving away a free copy to the commenter who gives her the best response to her question about their favorite and/or most-hated food. (Just for the record, I detest lima beans too, Elf!)

What inspired you to start writing?

My friend, a beautiful fellow-journalist named Susan Baker, and I decided to form a literary society. At our first meeting only three of us met, me, Susan and this guy named Dave. We read scraggly little fragments of our fiction to one another and offered lame criticism mostly based on good reporting skills. Susan’s piece was incredible, though. It was a story about a crabby old woman befriended by a guy who takes the time to talk to her—to find out what made her so upset.

After that first meeting Susan left the paper for a job at the front desk of a factory. The pressure to make deadlines, she said, was killing her. In fact, I’d noticed that for hours sometimes, she’d just sit and stare at an empty screen on her monitor.

Despite her move, we decided to hold another literary society meeting. When that day dawned, however, Susan couldn’t make it, and Dave had to write an article about a planning and zoning meeting. “It’s just you, Elf,” Susan said, “You have to carry the torch.”

A few weeks passed and Susan and I decided that the ideal excuse for a get-together was to celebrate our birthdays. She just couldn’t muster the energy to write for a literary society anymore, she told me. The weekend before the scheduled date, I was staying with my boyfriend, (now my wonderful husband) when my sister called. Susan had telephoned with the message that she wouldn’t be able to meet for our birthdays after all. I didn’t call her back. I figured I’d phone her Monday.

So, Monday came and I dialed Susan’s number. Her roommate picked up. Over the weekend, the roommate told me, Susan drove to the far end of a parking lot in Poughkeepsie. She aimed her car at the brick wall of a church and hit the gas. The impact killed her.

Susan’s father approached me at her memorial service. He had a package for me—a birthday present from her. When I unwrapped it I found a red journal with lined pages. At the center of its cover, delicately surrounded by a picture of a smiling sun, curling flowers and puffy clouds, were the words, “Seize the Moment.” I’m not going to say that I write for Susan or even that I write for her memory, I write because I have to and I write because, as she so permanently proved, the moment is now.

How long have you been writing?

I wanted to be a writer when I was a kid, but my spelling was atrocious. Teachers left snarky notes all over my short stories—always about the spelling. My father had an expression, “xysizzle.” That’s what most three-syllable words looked like after I got through with them. So, I was afraid to write. Then a man named Steve Jobs teamed up with another guy named Bill Gates. They invented this magical machine that made it possible for me to write without anyone knowing what a terrible speller I am. Steve, Bill—you’ve made a lot of money—but still, I owe ya.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Take classes! It’s amazing how much teachers know. But, if they’re not supportive, ditch ‘em. Nobody, but nobody, needs to hear how much they stink.

What comes first: the plot or the characters?

I ascribe to the “big bang” theory of plotting. At the climax of my novels, I want gnashing of teeth and rending of clothes, fire, thunder and a whole lot of other dramatic stuff. Ergo, I usually have the end in mind before I start, but the characters push me around before I get there.

What is your work schedule like when writing?

I’m most creative at night, in bed. I don’t want to count the number of times my husband has gently pried the computer from my sleeping fingers.

What is your favorite food? Least favorite? Why?

Lima beans and creatures of the sea are the bane of my existence. Otherwise, I’m not picky.

What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

Naturally, I’d like to be on the New York Times Bestseller List with movie executives licking my toes for a chance to make a film of A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing. On the off chance that that doesn’t work out, I’d like to see the last two books in the Albright Sisters series published. Crimson Romance, the publishers of Rogue, already purchased Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower. That’s the second book in the series. Hopefully, they’ll be interested in taking them all on.

Every writer dreams of getting “the call.” What were you doing when yours came? Who got to hear the good news first?

My friend, Liz Shore, got the call first and I was super excited for her because she’d been through heck in a hand basket, and she earned that contract. Then two days later, Jennifer Lawlor, my editor at Crimson Romance, sent me an email accepting Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower. I asked about A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing and a few hours later she wrote back saying they wanted that book as well!

Strangely, the news depressed me. Weird, right? I wandered around the house for a few hours totally unnerved. At last, I called my husband. He was so thrilled that I finally allowed myself to be happy. After that, I called Liz and we screamed for like fifteen minutes.

I’d love to hear from Susana’s Parlour readers. How about telling me what your favorite/most hated foods are? The best answer gets a free digital copy of A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing.

About A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing

In Lord Hugh Davenport’s opinion, women of the ton perpetually hide behind a mask of deception. That’s hard for Ellie Albright, the daughter of an earl, to swallow—especially since she’s disguised herself as a stable hand to get back the prized stallion her father sold to Hugh to pay a debt. If Hugh learns her true identity she’ll lose the horse and her family will go bankrupt. Somehow, though, losing Hugh’s affection is beginning to seem even worse.

Already only a step away from being snagged in her own web of lies, Ellie’s deceit threatens to spin out of control when Hugh’s mother invites Ellie and her sisters to a house party. Now Ellie has to scramble to keep Hugh from knowing she’s the stable girl he wants to marry, while simultaneously trying to win his trust as herself. Can she keep her costumes straight long enough to save her family? And even if she does, will it be worth losing his love?

Available on

Amazon.com (Kindle), iTunes (iPad, etc.), Barnes & Noble (Nook) and BookStrand.com.

Visit me at www.elfahearn.com or become a pal at Facebook by going to elfahearnauthor.

Excerpt

A stiff breeze swept up the massive stone edifice bringing the scent of heather, gorse, and a tinge of the dank salt sea. The beauty of it sobered her. “My God, it’s magnificent,” she said, feeling the sun’s warmth and the chill of the breeze on her cheeks. For miles around she saw only the dip and rise of the yellowed moors disappearing into soft, distant gray.

Hugh joined her cliff-side. He settled on a patch of thin, wind-whipped grass. Ellie plopped down beside him and took a deep whiff of the heather he’d picked for her on the trail. “Ah,” she said. “It smells like England.”

Hugh broke off a branch of the plant and put it between his teeth. “Tastes like her, too,” he said. Ellie laughed.

Then they grew silent, listening to the rustle of grass, feeling the hot sun, and breathing the rich smell of sweet flowers and fecund herbs.

“This is my day,” said Hugh, lying back in the grass. “You may have a piece of it.”

Ellie swatted him with the stalk of heather. “I shall take your captain’s salute on horseback.”

“And I shall take this moment, right now,” he said, closing his eyes.

They were silent again. Ellie lay back and snuggled into the grass. The cool wind couldn’t reach her here – just the thick heat of the sun. She closed her eyes, too.

A fly tickled her forehead. She brushed it away. It came back and tickled her again. She opened her eyes in time to see Hugh leaning over her, the branch of heather in his teeth. He flicked it away from her face.

“You’re the annoying fly,” she said, lunging to pull the heather from his mouth. He caught her wrists and rolled onto his back. She struggled, enjoying the feel of his large, callused hands. “I suppose if I were really clever,” she said, giving up and leaning on his chest, “I could get that branch without using my hands.”

“Oh yes, and how would you do that?” replied Hugh, a glint in his eye.

Ellie leaned over and, bringing her face close to his mouth, pulled the heather from his teeth.

A bolt of electricity raced through her. She hadn’t meant to be so intimate—hadn’t anticipated the heat of his flesh against hers, or the soft velvet of a corner of his lips. Her heart beat fast and her face grew hot. She looked away, dropping the heather from her mouth. “I’m never getting married,” she blurted.

Hugh studied her. “Then I’m not either.”

Gently, he brushed a bit of heather from her lips.

The caress stirred a small fire. She closed her eyes and lay back down on the grass. Joy washed over her. “That’s wonderful,” she sighed. Hugh’s hand closed on hers.

About the Author

Elf Ahearn, yes, that is her real name, lives in New York with her wonderful husband and a pesky (yet irresistible) cat. Learn more about her at www.elfahearn.com or friend her on Facebook.