Showing posts with label medieval romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medieval romance. Show all posts

My Highlander Released!! 99 Cent on !0 Other Books!!!

MyHighlander_Medium
My Highlander
December 2017
Many want him dead, but he is her prisoner for now.
Quinn’s mission is to steal a woman from a clan and escort her to his brother, Cormac, the chief of their clan, so he can marry her. But Quinn’s brother has tried to have him murdered before, and Quinn suspects Cormac is hoping the woman’s clan kills him this time, if the mercenaries they sent with him don’t do the deed first.
Avelina’s cousin warns her that the storm sank a ship and a warrior lays on the shore, badly injured, but armed. Armed with a sword of her own and with her wolf companion, Avelina finds Quinn and rescues him from the incoming tide, but now she must hide him from her kin before they learn he planned to steal her cousin away. If he survives his injuries and her kin, he must deal with his traitorous brother before it is too late.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0789C2YJJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/my-highlander
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-highlander-terry-spear/1127662652?ean=2940158606199
iBooks:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/my-highlander/id1325972641?mt=11
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Spear_My_Highlander?id=jxRDDwAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/768505
Image may contain: 4 people, text

Merry Christmas!!!!!

https://terrylspear.wordpress.com/werewolves/
https://terrylspear.wordpress.com/jaguar-shifters/

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears: http://www.celticbears
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear
signature line email Seal Wolf Undercover, Cougar Undercover, Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas, My Highlander 300 x120

The Viking's Highland Lass up for Preorders!

160f3-theviking27shighlandlass28533x80029 
Book 7 in the series!
Gunnolf was left for dead when he was young as he went on one of his kin’s raids, but finds his way to the Highlands and a home with the MacNeill Clan. The clan’s seer warns him he must rescue a woman in need, only he rescues the wrong woman. Yet, Brina is in need. Her father, wounded in battle by Gunnolf’s own kind, must oust the tyrant who has taken his place if he is to rule. Yet he needs Gunnolf’s help, but Gunnolf learns Brina’s father had killed Gunnolf’s brother.
Brina is torn between hating the Viking who has rescued her, and knowing that his kin had killed her grandfather in an age old tale of fighting between their people, and loving the man who took her under his protection, and the wolf cub she insisted on rescuing.

Now, Gunnolf must make a choice: wed the lass as her father has insisted and restore her father’s position as chief of his clan when he’s not sure her father is trustworthy, hoping he can obtain a peace between his people and hers, or leave well enough alone and stay with the MacNeill Clan, his family for the past ten years. The problem is one sweet Highland lass that makes him want a woman—this woman—to warm his bed and have his bairns and to protect and cherish, when having a wife was the furthest notion from his mind…until one prediction changed his whole life.
***

So for now, preorders are up at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Vikings-Highland-Lass-Highlanders-Book-ebook/dp/B01C9JCKCA
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-viking-s-highland-lass

I will have it at the other sites as soon as I can. And it will also be in print.

Have a great day!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Guest: Kris Kennedy + Giveaway!

Kris Kennedy is an award-winning, New York and self-published historical romance author who writes high adventure, super-sexy historical romance.  She also writes scorching hot contemporary romance under the pseudonym, Bella Love.

Q: Welcome, Kris! Thank you for being our special guest today! Please tell us about your latest release.
A: I’m so excited about THE KING’S OUTLAW, and the whole anthology, CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR.  It has four, entirely new, complete historical romances by me and fab historical romance authors Jennifer Haymore, Eliza Knight, and Ms. Vonda Sinclair herself! 
We each wrote a sexy story with a captured theme, an Irish or Scottish hero, and an abduction.  We also each wove the story around a legendary dagger that has, or will, affect the lives of all the heroes and heroines.
Q: I enjoyed writing a novella to fit into this anthology so much! What inspired your story?
A: Ummm….Celtic warriors! J   A captured heroine.  Outlaws.  The Crusades.  A hard, desperate man with a questionable mission, and the innocent, fiery woman who stops him in his tracks.
THE KING’S OUTLAW took its time in coming to me.  Over the past year, in pursuit of this Captured story, I wrote 5 other stories, 100 pages and more of each, all intended for the anthology, but none were right.  I kept writing and knowing I wasn’t writing the Captured story.
Partly, that was because there’s a jeweled dagger that’s central to all the stories, and since my story was appearing first, I knew I wanted to set up a compelling, exciting ‘story’ for it.  But I also had to keep the storyline relatively tight—no sprawling 400 pg epics here!    And of course, it had to be über-sexy. All within a ‘captured’ theme.
I wrote and wrote, but kept writing around the story, until I wrote what is now the opening scene with Tadhg, the Irish hero of THE KING’S OUTLAW.  He’s on the docks in a grubby little French seaport, trying to get out of town before he’s captured by the villain, and, boom, the story took off.
I guess I was waiting for hero to show up and kick someone’s arse.  And then save someone’s arse.  The heroine’s, more specifically. J
I really loved the challenge of this story, and when it came together, it came together fast and tight. Really fun!
Q: I love the story you ended up with! How do you choose names for your characters?
A: Names are vital for a lot of writers, myself included!  Get the right name, the story can come together.  But if you get wrong one, the character can sort of…hang back.  It’s like they’re standing in the wings, but they didn’t hear their name called, so they never step forward onto the story ‘stage’.
Oh, Creativity, you crazy thing, you.
That’s as true for villains as for heroes and heroines. The wrong villain name can make the bad guy go all wishy-washy.  Not what you want in a bad guy! 
In the process of writing one of my other books, DEFIANT, the story languished for a long time, lying flat on the page, and the heroine was so ‘meh’ it hurt, until the hero suddenly called her ‘Eva’ in one scene—out of the blue!—and suddenly (another boom) there it was, the story.   Everything changed after that.  I rewrote everything but the word ‘the.’  ;)  All because my heroine showed up via her name. (Many thanks to Jamie Lost, the hero in DEFIANT, for seeing her so much more clearly than I.)
In my Captured story, THE KING’S OUTLAW, the hero’s name came to me at once when he was on the docks (see above :) ).  In fact, I typed his name a few times before I realized I’d actually named him!   Still, I toyed with renaming him, because I worried ‘Tadhg’ might be too clunky, hard to mentally pronounce, and thereby pull readers out of the story.
But every time I tried to change his name, he disappeared. Stepped off the stage.  So, he won.  Tadhg he remained.  (fyi: it’s pronounced /Tay-g/ J )
Q: That is fascinating. I also find the character, when I'm writing, must have the right name. Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?
A:  My buddy, author Erin Quinn, suggested it!  I was toying with The Outlaw or The King’s Man, and she suggested a middle ground: THE KING’S OUTLAW.
Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?
A: Writing when it’s flowing.  :) Seriously, writing feels like a physical space to inhabit, a creative well, or a cave?, or…I’m not sure of the proper metaphor, but it’s definitely a ‘place’ I can enter when I’m deep in the story, and it’s flowing.
Q: Which element of story creation is your favorite?
A: They’re layers, and while I’m doing any one of them, I love it the most. J
Characters are vital—they’re the life-blood of a romance—but characters only show up in the midst of a ‘story world,’ by responding to the events & challenges of that world, so plot is essential too. Or maybe I should say, stakes are important.  Whatever is happening to the character, (i.e. the plot) has to matter A LOT…to them.
Sitting in front of a TV eating nachos is not going to build a compelling heroine, not unless she’s been trying to get off nachos. (Which can be hard to do….) 
You need someone to break down the door and kidnap her (or the nachos) to get ‘compelling.’   Or you need the phone to ring and someone tell her news that wrecks—or hints at the coming wreckage—of her life as she knows it.  Something must launch her into situations she’s unable to avoid, situations that require actions & thoughts she’s never thought herself capable of before.  
And for that, you’ve got to have the right tests. Situations that push her past her existing limits, that bring out the best—and the worst—in her.  That’s plot.
So, short story long…I love all the elements!
Q: Which element of this story was the hardest for you?
A: Once I found the hero Tadhg in THE KING’S OUTLAW, it all came together.   Up until then…I’d say figuring out how I was going to get the backstory in was a big struggle.  It was a momentous backstory, and for a long time, I couldn’t figure out how to present it, and still keep the story moving forward, inside a tight timeline. 
Q: What is your writing process or method?
A: Oh…talking about my writing process would be a bad idea.  And by ‘bad,’ I mean ‘horribly embarrassing.’ 
It’s possible I’ve been an experiment for the Powers That Be: “Hey guys, I have a fun idea. Let’s design the most inefficient creative being that’s ever existed, k?  Winner gets a beer!” 
All I can say is, I hope it was a good beer.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: A new series, CONQUERORS AND OUTLAWS!  Eee!!  They’ll all be scorching hot historical romances with dangerous, determined heroes and the women they can’t avoid, upend, or, in the end, resist. 
THE KING’S OUTLAW is the first. 


Next (and available for pre-order now!) is CLAIMING HER, a scorching hot Elizabethan-set story that takes place beyond the Pale in Ireland.  Aodh Mac Con is a tattooed, conquering hero bent on seduction, and all his attention is bent on Katarina, the heroine who everyone has seriously underestimated.
CLAIMING HER is up for preorder at Amazon and iTunes/iBooks, and coming soon everywhere else.
And I’m also at work on a re-release of another one of my earlier books, DEFIANT.  I’m editing and honing it, and it should be available in a few weeks!
My newsletter will ensure you get all the latest news and deals, so sign up now: http://eepurl.com/krTUb
I also plan to get back to writing some of my contemporary romances, after I release the next few historicals. Yes, I write contemps too!

The first contemp romance I wrote, SPIN, was intended solely as an experiment, a straight-up sexy story, minimal plot, just sexy fun times, with a slightly damaged, albeit upbeat, heroine.  I got what I wanted.
The second, OUTSIDE THE LINES, definitely has more meat on its plot bones. Sort-of a mystery, sort-of a thriller, still lots of sexytimes with a seriously alpha businessman hero. 
I plan to write more of the second type, because it was a lot of fun!  And I’ll “meat-up” the mystery/thriller angles in future stories.  Those books are under the Bella Love pseudonym (http://bellalovebooks.com/)
Q: Would you like to ask readers a question?
A: Oh, yes!  Here’s a ‘what if…’ I’ll give you an excerpt from THE KING’S OUTLAW, and you tell me what YOU would do next!    
Setup
Magdalena has just confronted a corrupt town official and been saved from his wrath by a mysterious stranger.  Things seem to have taken a turn for the better, but Magdalena is about to discover the true consequences of joining up with outlaws: they might do anything. Anything at all.
Northern France, January, 1193
…Voices broke out from the other end of the quay.  They turned.  The reeve’s assistant and a few other men were coming up the quay, one looking even more officious than he. Following them were a few armed men.
Goddammit.
“Mother Mary,” she whispered.  “What more can go awry?”
Tadhg shared the query.
There was nothing for it; he made his decision in a heartbeat.  
Sliding his hands up her arms, he spun her and almost flung her up against the side of the nearest building, then reached up and tore off her headdress.
“Good God,” she cried.  Her hands flew up to capture the silky veil, but he already had it off and was tugging off her distinctive cloak next.
“Mon Dieu,” she gasped next, grappling for the cloak, but he’d already fisted it and the silky veil together in his hand, down by his hip.  He stretched out an arm and planted his palm on the wall, blocking her face from the visitors now hurrying down the quay.
“Kiss me,” he said.
Her shocked face stared up at him.  “I b-beg your pardon?”
“Kiss me, then run.”
“What?”
“If you kiss me, you’re a whore.  If you stand there staring, you’re a merchant with a pouch of stolen seals in her hand.”
A second’s pause, then she pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.
Dizziness and heat swooped in like hunting birds for Magdalena, dispelling sense and reason and anything else that might have been of use to her at the moment.  She had barely touched her lips to his when he descended without mercy, his mouth hard and slanting.  There was no prelude, no warning, no kindness or care, no quarter given.  She was a whore and he was having her.
He played the ruse exceptionally well.
He plowed her open with teeth and tongue, explored the depths of her wet mouth with sinful abandon.  She could do nothing but cling to him, her hands around his neck, her head forced back, her spine cupped, her body…thrilling.
Madness. Madness, all.
The hand not holding her cloak and wimple closed around her hip and began to tug up her skirts.  She made a feeble attempt to stop him, but his grip grew fierce, and he yanked the gown up, dragged it up the side of her leg until she felt cool air on her shin and calf.
Her head spun as if she’d been twirled like a top.  Picked up by a bird and sent flying.
Her knees grew weak, but she did not break that kiss.  She could not.  He’d become a field of energy, the way metal filings pulled toward iron, or one drop of water clings to another.  She was affixed to his kiss, to his chest, which she’d somehow pressed up against, to his shoulders, which she’d somehow wrapped her arms around, to his tongue, which was tangled with hers, his hot male breath, his cunning male hand, his hard male knee now making all manner of incursions between her thighs, and she, she, reveling in it.
***

So, Reader, tell me…what do you do next?
One commenter will win either a copy of DEFIANT OR CLAIMING HER. (Winner's choice.) EVERYONE WHO ENTERS, PLEASE LEAVE SOME FORM OF YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN. THANKS!

Please visit Kris at: http://kriskennedy.net

CAPTURED BY A CELTIC WARRIOR is coming out in a week, and you can preorder now, at a special preorder price of 99 cents! It is available at these online book retailers! 

Guest: Ashley York - The Norman Conquest Series

I'm so happy to be back on your blog. I've just released the second book in The Norman Conquest Series and wanted to give your readers a little bit of background. The series takes place after William of Normandy has been crowned King of England but the actual crowning at Westminster Abby did not make the people of England accept him as their king. The struggle to get the rest of England to cooperate was an ongoing task for William. It ended up requiring strong arm tactics that demonstrated little regard for the people living there. One of the most heinous of strategies was The Harrying.

“In his anger at the English barons, William commanded that all crops and herds, chattels and foods should be burned to ashes, so that the whole of the North be stripped of all means of survival. So terrible a famine fell upon the people, that more than 100,000 young and old starved to death. My writings have often praised William, but for this act I can only condemn him.”

The Harrying was essentially a slash and burn technique and it began with York but much of northern England was affected. Any environmentalists will recognize those words. It's the technique used in South America, for example, to take down the rainforests. William ruined the land the people lived off in order to make it impossible for them to survive. It was unusually cruel but this is the man who supposedly beat his future wife when she rejected his proposal. I find that hard to believe, however, because he trusted her with everything. When he was in England, it was Matilda than oversaw his Norman lands and surrounding areas. She ruled in his absence.

This area is where Peter must travel at the King's orders and comes across the Irish princess, Brighit. The desolation of the area reflects Brighit's own feelings about having left her beloved Ireland.

The Norman Conquest Series

The first in the series, The Saxon Bride is about John, the man who killed the brother of King Harold, Leofwine. He is betrothed by King William to Rowena, who just happens to be the daughter of Leofwine. Talk about awkward. A Norman and a Saxon being forced to marry would be difficult enough but throw in the murder of the bride's father? How could they ever work that out?






The Saxon Bride
Amazon   BarnesandNoble   Apple  KOBO  



The second book is The Gentle Knight. It tells the story of Peter, John's close friend, who returns to Normandy after the end of the first book to find his lover died in childbirth just as his own mother had delivering him. Quite a blow. King William sends him north to the disputed area of York for information. Peter comes across a young lady from Drogheda Ireland, Brighit, in need of some assistance. She is determined to follow through with her father's dying request and take her vows at the Priory. The developing attraction the two have for each other is not something either one of them needs.

The Gentle Knight
Apple    Kobo    Amazon    Barnes and Noble



The third book will be about Brighit's brother, Tadhg. He was the sixth son of the seventh son of the seventh son. If any of you are Irish and know the legend, it's the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son who is supposed to have magical powers. After Tadhg, only Brighit was born. This is where the connections to the Godwinsons really gets played out.


So I'm still accumulating feedback about the title. Should this book be called The Seventh Son? That was my first inclination but technically it's about the sixth son—Tadhg. So maybe it should be called The Sixth Son? I'd love your opinions. Thank you, Vonda, for having me here today. 

Thank you for being our guest, Ashley! It's always a pleasure when you visit Fierce Romance!

Please visit Ashley online:

Guest: Ashley York - The Gentle Knight

Welcome, Ashley! Please tell us about yourself.


I have wanted to be a writer since the sixth grade. My first story was a mystery and I discovered that my classmates loved it and it kept them guessing. I was a voracious reader, even at a young age, and loved the history in the novels I picked up. I was so enthralled with that history that I decided to get my MA in History. The early medieval period is my favorite, as you can tell from the novels I write.

Although my works are fiction, I often like to incorporate authentic places, events, and people to increase the reader’s enjoyment. One of the more valuable lessons I have learned as a writer is the importance of using real history with the flair of artistic license. You’ll discover a world of fiction wrapped around historical people and events! I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I delight in writing them.

I live in New England with my husband, two cats and a yellow Labrador named Caledonia.


Q: Congratulations on your new release. Please tell us about it. Do you have a review you could share with us?
A: The Gentle Knight is the second book in The Norman Conquest series. It's about Peter, John's friend from The Saxon Bride, and an Irish princess. 
A medieval soldier returns home to find his lover died in childbirth just as his own mother had. Believing he is cursed, Peter of Normandy turns from love. When he must give escort to an Irish princess more noble than many knights, he struggles with his decision to live a solitary life. Can he take the chance that his love won't be a death sentence and possibly make them stronger? 

Padraig MacNaughton's death bed decree rips his daughter from the shelter of her protective Clan. Forced to take vows at a Priory in England, Brighit finds herself in the hands of lecherous mercenaries with their own agendas. Dare she trust the Norman knight to see her safely to her new life as a nun? Even when she finds in him the fulfillment of all she's ever wanted? 
Or will honor and duty eclipse their one chance for happiness? 
I found this story passionate, captivating and fun to read! It really kept my interest until the last page. I love medieval romance, so The Gentle Knight was perfect for me! A great historical romance set in England, fast paced, filled with passion, danger and intrigue. "


The reviews have been very positive. I'll post a few excerpts:
" I loved her first book The Saxon Bride in The Norman Conquest Series! I was not disappointed with the second one The Gentle Knight. Again, she really wrote another beautiful medieval story filled with strong emotions and rich characters.... Beautiful chemistry between Peter and Brighit!
" I started reading this book and I just couldn’t put it down. A fast paced story that is filled with danger, passion, intrigue and love."
" Another spectacular read by Ashley York in The Gentle Knight (The Norman Conquest series, book 2. I totally devoured this book. It has so many twists and turns and at times a major heart string puller so have your Kleenex nearby. It's a major page turner that is superbly written..."
Q: Awesome reviews! What inspired this story?
A: I have to admit that I recently re-read a review that had mentioned a hope to hear more about Peter and I can't remember if that's where I got the idea or not. I did love Peter in The Saxon Bride. He was able to say all those things to Rowena that she needed to hear but John was too rigid to say them. He needed his own story and with a wonderful, strong heroine like Brighit. She's also driven to do what honors her father and family. Peter has his work cut out for him in trying to win her over.
Q: What is the story behind the story?
A: Well, one thing is that Brighit was originally Brenna. That was the name I always used in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) but someone I have the greatest respect for felt very strongly that it sounded too modern. Another little tid bit is that when Rae Monet Inc designed my cover, I was not thrilled with the snow but loved the Norman soldiers on horseback. I figured I would mention snow in the book. Anyone who's read the story is probably scratching their heads because there is no story without the snow storm.
Q: Why do you write romance?
A:  I'm a romantic through and through. Naturally romance is my favorite genre to read. When I was first married, my sister in law gave me a book about a fierce Highlander. He was so passionate and in love with the heroine but then he went away to fight, leaving her alone and pregnant.  She goes off for a new life in the unsettled wilds of the new world. I couldn't tell you the year or what battle he goes away to but I loved their passion. I wish I knew what the name of it was.  I'm a fast reader so I didn't care for the smaller books. It had to be big...so you know I found Diana Gabaldon.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing romance?
A: I love finding the words to convey what I see in my head. I have a vivid imagination and really work to have a reader feel like they're there. One review said  "The story is great, plot thick, and the characters feel alive. I wanted so badly to be in this book. " That was my goal and I'm glad she connected with them.
Q: How did your story’s setting impact your plot or characters?
A:  I learn more and more about the time period because I never stop researching. The next in the series is set in Ireland which is a totally different setting than England circa 1075 but with overlapping characters from both of these books.
Q: Why did you choose your setting and why was it perfect for your book?
A:  This book starts at Drogheda Ireland so I needed a town that:  1) dates back to 1075 2) isn't too far from where they would have departed to England from 3) wasn't that far from Hill of Tara and Meath. It's perfect for the book because this was relatively speaking a calmer location than some in Ireland but because she's Irish royalty, she needs to be near the High King's locations, etc. Her genealogy is really fun to do, too. She is connected to some very big names. That will come out more with her brother's story, The Seventh Son.
Q: Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?
A: I chose it because Peter's a great warrior. He can follow and he can lead without any qualms. the expression maybe "I'm a lover not a fighter" but Peter was both. In battle he's fierce. In the bedroom he's gentle.
Q: Please tell us about your favorite character in the book.
A: Right now I'm just loving Peter. He had a really bad upbringing with an abusive father who reminded Peter daily that his mother had died delivering him.  Peter ends up as squire to William of Normandy which is where he meets John.
Q: Thank you so much for being our guest today, Ashley! Would you like to ask readers a question?
A:  This story recounts the Irish legend that I had grown up with and that is the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son has special powers. In this story, Brighit is the seventh child, the only girl and the last child. Her brother, Tadhg, is the sixth son of the seventh son of the seventh son. The next book is about him. Should that title be The Sixth Son (which Tadhg technically is) or should it be The Seventh Son? 

Ashley is giving away an ebook copy of The Gentle Knight to one lucky commenter!

Here is an excerpt from A Gentle Knight:
"Ivan, sit with your men or be gone from the room."
The innkeeper reappeared with a well-browned pheasant, speared with a knife, on a wooden platter. This time he was followed by a gray-haired woman, probably his wife. She carried a tray of dark bread and offered the upper crust to Peter. Her head bowed slightly.
"My thanks," Peter said.
Mort smiled, no doubt pleased by the deference being shown Peter. The man had probably informed the couple of the honor they were being paid by the presence of one of the King's own favored knights.
After properly serving the knight, the couple brought in the victuals for the other table.
Peter removed the knife and cut the meat. He pierced a small, juicy piece and offered it to Brighit.
Her warm eyes held his for a moment before accepting it, the pink tip of her tongue catching the liquid that dripped off it.
The tension in his body doubled.
"My thanks."
"I hope you find everything to your liking."
"It is very good," Brighit said.
The innkeeper's wife topped off Brighit's mug.
"Is there no one else here? Are there no wenches about?" Peter asked.
The gray-haired woman paused beside him and searched his face before responding. "A young woman helps sometimes."
He waved his hand to decline the mead, opting to continue with his own filched libations. He took a long sip. The sudden, delicious warmth in the room may have been from the fire, but he suspected it was not. Release would be sweet. "Will she be here tonight?"
Brighit frowned at Peter. He speared another piece of meat.

Please visit Ashley online at:

www.ashleyyorkauthor.com 
Twitter:  @ashleyyork1066,  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley1066york?ref=hl 
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  http://amzn.to/1H6UL5w , 
GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE  http://bit.ly/1CUE4er,  
Apple    Kobo    Amazon    Barnes and Noble  

Historical romances… Escape To The Pleasures Of The Past

Historical romances may be about the past, but they’re not dead! Just look at the current popularity of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander television series on Starz.  Network executives renewed the series for a second season based on overwhelming viewer response after just the first episode!

And now there’s a new group called the Historical Romance Network on Facebook and Twitter, which hopes to promote a love of historicals, whether your taste runs to Regency, Victorian, Medieval, Scottish, Roman, Egyptian, American Cowboys, or anything that’s happened in the past.  Pirates, knights, Vikings, gladiators, take your pick!

As an author who writes Victorian romance for Red Sage Publishing with my series The Disciplinarian (Secrets, Volume 15), The Disciplinarian’s Daughter (Secrets, Volume 31) and The Bet (Secrets, Volume 27), I’m thrilled to see this renewed interest in historicals. Historical authors put countless hours into research to make sure what we write about is accurate.  For my Roman epic, Conqueror Vanquished (Ellora’s Cave), every fact about the Roman army I included in the story (what soldiers wore, how they fought, what they ate, the forts they built) is accurate. Setting a story in the past actually makes it more fun to write, since you can immerse a reader in a world long forgotten.

Here are some links to the Historical Romance Network, including a video they created which you might enjoy:

Twitter: @HistRomNet   

I hope you’ll ‘escape to the pleasures of the past’ and try a historical romance. You might like it!

Until next month,
Leigh



Guest: Ashley York - The Saxon Bride

Always an avid romance reader herself, Ashley York enjoys bringing history to life through vibrant and meaningful characters, writing historical romance novels full of passion and intrigue set in the 11th and 12th century British Isles. Her newest release, The Saxon Bride, is the first in The Norman Conquest Series.

When she is not writing, talking about writing, or thinking about writing, Ashley relaxes with visits to the local pubs listening to live Celtic tunes. She lives in southern New England with her husband, three children, and 3 very spoiled animals.

Q: Welcome, Ashley! Thank you for being our guest today! Please tell us about your latest release. Do you have a review you could share with us?
A: My latest release is The Saxon Bride. It's the first in The Norman Conquest Series which has two more books in it. The series takes place circa 1074 in war torn England and looks at the combining of two very unique cultures - the Normans from the continent and the Saxons that have the power at the time - three cultures with the next book which is about Peter and includes an Irish family.
The Saxon Bride: In war torn England the battle lines between Saxon and Norman are clearly drawn. The Saxons must fight for everything they have in the hopes of winning their country back from the Normans who are determined to break their resistance. 
Rowena Godwinson, the sole remaining member of the defeated royal family, stands proudly against the Normans that would trample them underfoot but her nobility and grace make her an ideal pawn in the Norman King William’s play for power with the Saxon people. When he decrees she marry a powerful Norman knight, her subjugation appears to be complete. The handsome soldier with the kind brown eyes and gentle touch is a threat to her determination to defy the interlopers. Can she hold firm to her Saxon heritage and refuse to give in to his advances? 

John of Normandy wants only to prove himself worthy of the king's trust. He is rewarded for his service and loyalty with land, titles and a Saxon beauty for a bride. John balks at the marriage, driven by the secret guilt of knowing Rowena's father would still be alive if not for him. However, John's reluctance is soon replaced by a burning desire to please this woman and win her over as well as her people. 

As their people look to them for guidance and peace, can John and Rowena find a love that unites all of England?

I have one review so far:
 "The Saxon Bride a great historical romance to recommend! Ms. York is a very descriptive writer, I could feel the tension between the Normans and the Saxon’s distrust. I’m looking forward to her next book in this series."
Q: What inspired this story?
A:  I was taking a little holiday with my sister and she told me about a woman that kept contacting her boyfriend - her name was Abigail. That was all it took. I just imagined a manipulative, self-centered woman and Abigail was created. Then I needed to have a hero who would thwart her advances (John) and it grew from there. 
Q: What is the story behind the story?
A: A Norman knight who is happy with life as a soldier is ordered to marry a Saxon princess who's orphaned because he killed her father. He leaves her to return to the fighting rather than stay and do his husbandly duties. When he returns five years later, he is enamored by a beautiful woman who turns out to be his wife but she won't be giving in easily to a man who left her untouched.
Q: Why do you write romance?
A: I always loved reading romances that were set in historic, distant places with exotic people that come together under all different circumstances. I loved to learn what made the characters tick and how, despite all the odds, they'd end up happily together. I love the emotion, the turmoil, the conflicts, the seduction...the whole thing.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing romance?
A: I strive to create from my own imagination the elements that make other readers enjoy what I did - the emotion, the turmoil, the conflicts, the seduction, the consummation, the ever after...
Q: How did your story’s setting impact your plot or characters?
A: The setting is everything - I'm Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and English - the area just sets my imagination going. There would be no story if the Norman knight hadn't been given the charge  to win over the Saxons and winning over his wife should have been the easiest but the Saxons were proud people and not easily subjugated which is who Rowena symbolizes to me.
Q: How do you choose names for your characters?
A: For The Bruised Thistle, I was learning Scottish Gaelic and these were actual names in our text- Iseabail and Seumas, Iain, Calum.
The Saxon Bride, which I started writing after The Bruised Thistle, is actually about the relatives of the heroine, Iseabail. Since her brother's name, Iain, means John, I knew there had to be a John in there. I always thought the name Rowena was pretty.
Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?
A: Scotland - my very Irish father would have preferred I say Ireland but there's just something about Scotland. It's hard to explain. Both countries have been treated poorly by the English but the idea that Scotland was right there and had no distance to protect itself from their edicts makes it so much more tragic to me. They're just amazing. I know they're pragmatic and we all are just romanticizing but I can't help thinking about the pride and fortitude of people who more than once were pushed aside from their rightful place as the Monarchy - don't get me started.
Q: Which element of this story was the hardest for you?
A: This is a spoiler if you haven't read The Saxon Bride but writing about the baby dying. It broke my heart. I cried through the writing of the whole scene. I was blessed with three healthy children but death during childbirth was always a very real possibility during this time period.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be an author?
A: I come from a family of writer want-to-bes. The desire is definitely there it's the actual doing that's the challenge. I am blessed with a situation that supports my desire.
Q: What is your writing process or method?
A: I'm new so I'm still developing my process and it changes as I push myself to write better and write more. I am pretty disciplined with my work time although my family would say I need to learn how to stop for the day. It's just hard with deadlines and people working with you that have limited availability, or if there are computer issues. Resolving these things can become the prime focus and take you away from spending time with friends and family.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Working on Peter's story and Iain's story. Need some good titles if anyone has any ideas.
Q: Would you like to ask readers a question?
A: Do you have a favorite time period that you like to read?
Ashley is giving away an ebook of The Saxon Bride to one lucky commenter. Please remember to leave your email address to enter so we can contact you.
Please visit Ashley online:

Guest: Ashley York & The Bruised Thistle



http://www.amazon.com/Bruised-Thistle-Order-Scottish-ebook/dp/B00HAF9TI2/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1395605763
New England native Ashley York writes historical romance novels full of passion and intrigue set in 11th and 12th century Ireland, Scotland, and England. Her debut novel, The Bruised Thistle, is the first in The Order of the Scottish Thistle series.
Ashley is a member of Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, Hearts through History Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. After pursuing an MA in History, she has realized her lifelong dream of bringing history to life through vibrant and meaningful characters.

When she is not writing, talking about writing, or thinking about writing, she enjoys going to sessions with live Celtic Music. She lives in southern New England with her husband, three children, and 3 very spoiled animals.


Q: Welcome Ashley! Please tell us about your latest release. Do you have a review you could share with us?

A:   My debut novel is The Bruised Thistle which is the first in The Order of the Scottish Thistle Series.

Iseabail MacNaughton, the orphaned daughter of a Scottish laird, is forced to flee her home and seek assistance against her lecherous uncle, who has usurped her family’s land. When she meets Seumas, a strong and valiant mercenary, she cannot help wondering if he could be the one to stand with her against her uncle. But with a price on her head and enemies on all sides, her trust is not something she can afford to give lightly… 
Seumas MacDonell is a man wounded in body and soul, driven by guilt. When he rescues Iseabail from one of his men, he cannot deny the attraction he feels for her, despite the wound that left him unable to act on it. In the hope of finding redemption for his sins, he agrees to help Iseabail…but will his feelings for her prove to be the ultimate obstacle to his salvation?

"Powerful, and brilliantly written with engaging, and charismatic characters. The storyline is compelling, complex, and intriguing to say the least. A must read and a keeper. You will stay up all night reading BRUISED THISTLE. Well done indeed!! This was my first read by the author but it will not be my last."
Q: Way to go on the great review! I have this book on my Kindle and am very much looking forward to reading it! What inspired this story?
A:  I took a history class on the Middle Ages and the first thing the professor did was have us brain storm what we thought of when we heard the term "medieval." Nothing was off limits - knights, dragons, princesses, whatever we came up he wrote on the board. When we were done, it was clear that we believed they were very superstitious, ignorant, and different from us. He then went on to show us over the next 15 weeks how very wrong we were.
I thought about the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and how they struggle to fit in again, the challenges they face, and compared that with a medieval soldier.  That's Seumas. He has to deal with his guilt, his injury, and find a way to live, a purpose for his life. That's where Iseabail comes in.
She was "privileged" by today's standards but her uncle, whom she should have looked to for protection, used her for his own purposes. The challenge of how to deal with the abuse is something else I believe transcends time. How does she deal with her own guilt, her own worth, how can she find a way to move beyond what's happened to her.
Q: Fascinating! Why do you write romance?
A:  I love romance. I love to see couples in love, I love to hear their stories about how they met and that look in their eye when the talk about each other, I love the romantic movies: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, PS I Love You, and The Princess Bride. I think romance makes life a little easier to get through.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing romance?
A: Creating characters that readers can care about. I loved writing about Seumas and Iseabail but was really surprised at how much the reader's related to Calum. They loved him. I'm so glad because I thought he was a pretty great character, too.

Q: Why did you choose your setting and why was it perfect for your book?
A: I visited Scotland and fell in love with everything about it. I started researching and just found more and more amazing facts. It's such a tragedy that their history has been marred by conquest. They've been treated terribly by the conquerors, making them turn away from everything that made them who they were. I took a class in Gaelic and the teacher, an MA in Celtic languages, couldn't really explain why Ireland's language was able to stay so intact when the Scot's was so fragmented. It's because the English outlawed their language! They outlawed bag pipes, kilts, clans…don't get me started. How could I not write about them and during a happier time in their history when things could still have gone either way for them.

Q: Scotland is fascinating and heartbreaking. How do you choose names for your characters?
A: I was taking a Gaelic class and these were the names on the CD's. Seumas is pronounced the same as Shamus and Iseabail is pronounced Ish-uh-bel.

Q: Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?
A: I chose the title of my book about four years ago. I like to choose the title right away. The thistle is the national flower (?) of Scotland so if someone were an injured Scot…it just made sense to me.
Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?
A: The ocean - the coast of Maine, probably, and Scotland is very much like it. I want to go to Cape Breton - I think that would be a great place to go, too.

Q: Please tell us about your other books.
A: My next book is from The Norman Conquest Series. It's about a Norman soldier, very loyal to King William, who is wed to the last remaining Godwinson (that's the family William deposed when he conquered England). Very interesting chemistry. The clash of cultures, and how they melt into one unique country.
Q: Sounds incredibly interesting! When did you know you wanted to be an author?
A: When I was 8 or 10 years old, I wrote a poem based on a picture I'd seen on a Reader's Digest Magazine. My mother was never a big supporter of me but she just acted like it was the best thing I'd ever done. I never stopped after that.
Q: What is your writing process or method?
A: This is the way The Bruised Thistle and The Saxon Bride both started out - I got a scene in my head and said "what if…" and it went on from there.
Q: Please describe your journey to publication.
A: I became a member of our local chapter of Romance Writers of America and started going to meetings and workshops. I learned pretty quickly that paranormals books were the thing, and medieval books did not sell. Since I wanted to write in the 11th and 12th centuries, I looked into indie publishing.
Getting involved with Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter was the best thing I ever did. I started taking classes and learning about self-publishing. I even entered the Golden Claddagh Contest and had the nicest judges with such helpful comments. I finalled in the Historical category. I'm still a member there.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale?
A: That there were established writers out there who were willing to answer my questions at the drop of a hat. The community of well-know, best selling authors at CHRW is the nicest group of people I've ever met. They (including you) guided me, encouraged me, and got me to the point where I was able to get published.
Q: Would you like to ask readers a question?
A: "What do you like the most about romance novels? The characters? The love scenes? The HEA?"

Ashley is giving away an ebook copy of The Bruised Thistle to one commenter! Be sure to leave your email address in some form so we can contact you if you win.
Here is a wonderful excerpt of The Bruised Thistle:
"Ye have been hiding much, I see." His voice was deep and quiet. Husky.

She lowered her eyes and dried her hands. The room was suddenly very hot. She wiped at the water slipping down her neck. "M'lord, I do not—"
Seumas put his finger to her lips to silence her and gently took her chin, turning her face from one side to the other, inspecting her. Their eyes met, and she saw his admiration. "Ye are truly lovely, Iseabail." He stroked her cheek, slower this time. "Why do ye sleep on the castle floor with the dogs?"
"We came in from the cold, like everyone else."
"Ah, but ye are not from this area. I hear it in yer voice. Ye sound like a Scot, a Lowlander to be sure, but ye are not from around here."
She struggled to remember the story she and Calum had made up in case they were ever caught, but his hand was warm, making it hard for her to think.
"Nor do you dress like a peasant. That gown is for a noblewoman."
He was too observant. "No, m'lord, I am—we are traveling east—"
He stroked her cheek again. "And yer skin is smooth. Not like one who has to work to survive."
She had to distract him. "We have no place to call home. Our parents are both…dead." The word caught in her throat as the realization struck her hard. Both of them dead—they were truly alone in the world.
His gaze was intense, measuring the truth of each word. She would not be telling him that they had been living in the woods because they were being hunted down like dogs or that her uncle had put a price on their heads.
"I beg your pardon." The story they had worked out came flooding back. She took a deep breath, stood tall, and recited their well-planned fable. 
The Bruised Thistle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.
Please visit Ashley online:


Twitter:  @ashley1066york