Guest Author: Christina Phillips

This week on Unusual Historicals, we're welcoming Christina Phillips as she celebrates the release of her latest Berkeley Heat romance, Captive, set in AD 50 Britain. Here's the blurb:

Trained in sensuality, a Druid priestess finds herself falling for the wrong man—the warrior who’s taken her prisoner…

Having lost her faith when Roman invaders destroyed life as she knew it, Morwyn took a vow of celibacy to spite her goddess. But before she can join up with the rebels, she's captured by a Gaul mercenary whose animal charms and chiseled body will test her conviction... and make it harder to kill him.

Bren, pledged to the true Briton king, has spent three years undercover in the Roman Legion. So when his own unit attacks and brutalizes a fiery Celtic beauty, he saves her the only way he can - by claiming her as his prisoner. But unlike his men, Bren would never take the woman by force, no matter how obviously she burns for his touch.

As they near Roman headquarters, Morwyn resolves to honor her vow of celibacy - but if the Gaul were to ravage her, could she be blamed for enjoying his body? With just a hint of seduction, sooner or later the Gaul will succumb to his exquisite captive...

Romantic Times BOOK Review, 4 Stars

Phillips’ second in the Forbidden series is just as hot as its predecessor. Readers will be held Captive by the magic between Druid priestess Morwyn and Bren.

http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/captive-7

Bookaholics Romance Book Club, 41/2 Stars http://tinyurl.com/4hsu6yq

"Primal and sexy, I love this series.

"Bren('s)... reputation is black and unsavory, but the author gives him a vulnerability and humanity that proves how worthy he actually is. It was fun to read how this sober and serious Bren lightens up under Morwyn’s sensuous attack... When Bren reveals what drives him, I really felt for him. But the best sections are their interactions as they flirt with each other and slowly learn to respect and care for each other...

"Sensual and vibrant, this historical romance is emotional and sexy. I could not put it down and this may be my favorite new time period in historical romance. I can’t wait for the author to write more!"

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When and where is CAPTIVE set?

Set during the first century AD during the early years of the Roman occupation of Britain, my Forbidden series has sexy warrior heroes and magical Druid heroines.

Captive begins six months after Forbidden ends. The heroine, Morwyn, is not only recovering from the realization that the man she once loved brutally betrayed his own people, but has also turned her back on her Druidic heritage. She sets off to join the rebels fighting the Roman invaders but is ambushed and captured by a tough Gaul mercenary. They journey to Camulodunum—present day Colchester in Essex in SE England—which at that time was the Roman capital of Britannia. It was only after the Boudicea revolt in AD 61, when Camulodunum was razed to the ground, that Londinium (present day London) became the capital city.

The hero, Bren, is haunted by his violent past and far from being Morwyn’s bitterest enemy as she imagines, has been undercover in the Roman Legions for the last three years, secretly working for his displaced Briton king, Caratacus. The problem is he can’t tell Morwyn the truth, because the truth could get them both killed.

Were any events in CAPTIVE based on historical fact?

Caratacus was king of the Catuvellauni tribe at the time the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43, and he became leader of the anti-Roman campaign. After some early defeats in the east he moved west into the mountains of Wales where he and his forces continued to aggravate the invaders by using guerrilla tactics. And I wondered… would he have spies in the Roman Legion? It seemed plausible.

Captive is set during AD 51 and the Annals of Tacitus describe how in that year Caratacus rose up against the Roman invaders in what he hoped would be a decisive battle. I was intrigued as to how he and his rebels managed to evade the Romans for so long and Caratacus and his vision for freedom became a vital thread of the book.

I hear you have a trailer for Captive?

Yes, I do! Please take a look. Captive YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSv8pLzsdv4

Embed Code:

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Thank you Christina for visiting today! Remember to leave a comment to be put in the drawing for a copy of CAPTIVE. Perhaps answer: Have you ever read historical erotic romance? What do you enjoy best about really sexy historicals? The winner will be drawn at randomnext Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

FORBIDDEN Winner!

We have a winner for CHRISTINA PHILLIPS' FORBIDDEN guest blog. A free copy of goes to:

STEPHANIE!

Contact Carrie to provide your mailing address. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Guest Author: Christina Phillips

This week on Excerpt Thursday we're welcoming Christina Phillips, whose steamy new release from Berkley Heat, FORBIDDEN, is set Wales during the Roman Empire!

He was a master of seduction--but no match for the magical allure of the woman he wanted most...

Carys knew from the moment she first spied on Maximus in his naked barbarian glory that he was a dangerous Roman centurion--his taut, battle-scarred flesh marking him as a fearless warrior. But her desire for him was as undeniable as it was illicit.

Charged by his emperor to eliminate a clan of powerful Druids in Britain, Maximus never expects his mission to be thwarted by the clan's ethereal princess, Carys, his daring voyeur. Falling under her spell, he doesn't realize her true heritage--until he captures her heart as well as her body.

As Carys's loyalties are twisted, and freedom is no longer her single-minded obsession, an avenging former lover threatens to crush Maximus's people into oblivion. Now Carys and Maximus must overcome the devastation of war and face the ultimate sacrifice if their forbidden love is to survive.

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"The heat between these two crosses cultural boundaries, but the real question is whether they can stay together when the world is yanking them apart. Four Stars." ~ RT Book Reviews

"Maximus is pure, raw male and too sexy for words. I could understand why Carys was enthralled with him and wanted him despite being her enemy. I am also a sucker for star-crossed lovers and a really evil villain. It made this book very thrilling as I hoped Maximus and Carys would be able to evade Aeron's nefarious plans and end up happily together." ~ Bookaholics

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Thank you for having me here on Unusual Historicals today! I'd like to chat a little about the background information on my recent release, FORBIDDEN.

When and where is FORBIDDEN set?

My debut release with Berkley Heat (out this month) is set in AD 50 in Cymru (ancient Wales). My inspiration for this story came while I was tackling some admin one night--a fully formed vision appeared in my mind of a Roman centurion and his Druid priestess lover, who had been cursed to an eternity apart by the villainous High Druid.

I'd never written a historical before, but that scene wouldn't leave my mind. My Roman hero haunted me (not that I'm complaining!!) and since I always enjoy a challenge when it comes to stretching my writing muscles I decided to spend some time with Maximus and Carys.

Why chose Wales?

The reason I chose Wales as my setting was because of its links to the Druids, and the fact the Isle of Anglesey--then known as the Isle of Mon--was the Druid stronghold. I wanted the odds stacked overwhelmingly against Maximus and Carys being able to declare their love for each other and having her a Druid--and a Druid princess at that--fit perfectly.

Claudius, the Roman Emperor at the time, hated Druids with a passion and wanted all trace of them wiped out across his Empire. Couldn't be better for the purposes of my plot! I now had historical back up for my Romans' determination to hunt down and eliminate the elusive clan of Druids who had escaped them during the initial invasion.

Why Druids?

While there's plenty of written and archaeological evidence when it comes to the Romans, there's not so much when it comes to the Druids. Caesar explains this lack of documentary evidence when talking of the Gaulish Druids: "they consider it improper to entrust their studies to writing." And the written accounts we do have of them are invariably from the Roman viewpoint--so there's likely to be some prejudice going on there!

I read and researched as much as I could find about Druids of that period. They were widely respected as the priests of Celtic society, held responsibilities for lawmaking, were the keepers of knowledge and wisdom and were known as magicians. But there's little detail as to their daily lives and so in the end I let my imagination run wild within the context of the world we know they inhabited.

What are you working on now?

I'm currently working on another ancient historical romance set in a different century, and also hope to write two more stories in the "Forbidden" series. Be sure to visit my blog for regular updates! You can also find me on Twitter and on Facebook.

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Thanks so much for stopping by today, Christina! Readers, if you would like to win a copy of this steamy historical treat, leave a comment or question for Christina. What would you most like to know about Wales and Druids in the ancient times? Are gladiators and Roman warriors appealing to you as romance heroes? I'll draw a winner at random next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Excerpt Thursday: Christina Phillips

This week on Excerpt Thursday we're welcoming Christina Phillips, whose steamy debut with Berkley Heat, FORBIDDEN, is set Wales during the Roman Empire! Join us on Sunday when Christina will be here to answer questions and give away a copy.

He was a master of seduction--but no match for the magical allure of the woman he wanted most...

Carys knew from the moment she first spied on Maximus in his naked barbarian glory that he was a dangerous Roman centurion--his taut, battle-scarred flesh marking him as a fearless warrior. But her desire for him was as undeniable as it was illicit.

Charged by his emperor to eliminate a clan of powerful Druids in Britain, Maximus never expects his mission to be thwarted by the clan's ethereal princess, Carys, his daring voyeur. Falling under her spell, he doesn't realize her true heritage--until he captures her heart as well as her body.

As Carys's loyalties are twisted, and freedom is no longer her single-minded obsession, an avenging former lover threatens to crush Maximus's people into oblivion. Now Carys and Maximus must overcome the devastation of war and face the ultimate sacrifice if their forbidden love is to survive.

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Carys held her breath as her secret lover entered the sparkling waterfall, buried deep within the leafy shadows of the forest.

She pressed her fingers against the rough bark of the tree, and inched a little farther along the branch where she lay hidden from his sight.

From this angle she had a perfect view of his magnificent naked body. Even from this distance she could see the numerous battle scars that marred his tawny skin, but they marked him as a warrior. A hero who faced death without reservation and emerged triumphant.

He was the enemy of her people. And yet she couldn't tear her fascinated gaze from him.

They had never met. They would never meet. Such a catastrophe didn't bear thinking about. Yet she thought of this tough, brutal warrior constantly. Ever since she had first stumbled across his irregular bathing ritual three moons ago.

He turned within the shimmering rainbows of the waterfall, fingers raking through his short black hair. Carys released her breath in a shaky gasp and her body moved restlessly against her perilous ledge. The men of Cymru had long, flowing hair. How would it feel to touch such severely cropped hair? Sharp, like the points of reeds? Or--not? She couldn't imagine. And yet she imagined endlessly.

His hands massaged his broad shoulders, and Carys's fingers dug into woody crevices as she fantasized rubbing her own fingers over his knotted muscles. It had been fifteen days since he had last been to the waterfall. She knew because she had waited here, each morning.

But the wait had been worth it, and her imagination hadn't enhanced his powerful muscles, his commanding height or his dark, exotic beauty. Her breath shortened as her heart rate accelerated, and her thighs tightened around the branch in reaction.

Slowly his hands slid over wet skin, fingers trailing through the sprinkling of dark hair that dusted his impressive chest. Her only lover, whose possessive grip she had finally escaped three years ago, possessed no body hair aside from on his head. How would it feel to press against a masculine form so unlike any she had previously seen?

The tip of her tongue slid over her lips as her secret lover sluiced water over his rigid stomach. Carys stretched to the very edge of her branch, risking safety and the threat of discovery, but temptation was too great.

Sweet Cerridwen, she had never wanted a man so much as she wanted this one. But she knew better than to ask her goddess to intervene, for intervention would cause untold suffering to her people.

But still, she wanted this man. With all that she was.