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Sherry Ewing

~ Historical & Time Travel Romance Author

Sherry Ewing

Category Archives: 2015

Another Cross-Book Vignette from Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem

25 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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#BellesInBlue, Bluestocking Belles, Mistletoe Marriage & Mayhem, Novella, Regency, Regency Romance, Under the Mistletoe

Welcome to my blog. Today, as part of a blog tour for Mistletoe, Marriage, & Mayhem, fellow Bluestocking Belle Mariana Gabrielle and me are introducing two secondary characters from our novellas.

[This is Part Two of a cross-book blog post. For Part One, go to Mariana Gabrielle’s blog at: www.MariChristie.wordpress.com.]

At a holiday house party, there are always those young people too old for the nursery party (or so they say), but too young to participate in the dancing. At one such occasion, Sophie Templeton, from Under the Mistletoe, a fanciful child who likes to chase butterflies and kiss frogs, hoping one will turn into a handsome prince, meets up with Hugh and Guy Amberly, younger brothers to the heroine of ‘Tis Her Season. The thing about young people of this age, however, is that they are but a few years away from seeking matches of their own. One never knows if a childhood friendship might blossom into romance…

ornament-1986808sophie-200x354

After a trip to the kitchens, and with their lunch in hand, Sophie shows Guy and Hugh the way to the pond.

Sophie sits down a bench and puts on her skates. Calling to Tulip, Sophie glides onto the ice with her pup slipping and sliding in her attempt to follow. Sophie manages a circle on wobbling legs and cups her hands to her mouth. “Come on, boys. The ice is just grand!”

Guy and Hugh put on their skates and join her, as well as the other dozen people of all ages skating at the pond. Guy skates in circles around Sophie until Tulip lunges for his scarf. He plays tug with the pup, both sliding about, more rambunctious than a boy and dog on ice should be, causing a bit of a commotion. Hugh, by contrast, skates sedately, as though he already believes himself too old to have fun. guy-and-hugh-amberly-200x266

Sophie laughs at Guy and Tulip’s antics. Her pup continues to hold onto to the scarf while Guys is pulling her along the ice, all four legs spread wide. Tulip growls her frustration, shaking her head without freeing the scarf from Guy’s grip.

Sophie skates up to Guy and gives him a smile. She is beginning to enjoy his company, whereas, his brother, she could do without. Even his skating appears as if he’s already all grown up.

“No offense intended, but does your brother always act like everyone is beneath him?” Sophie dares to whispers.

 Guy laughs. “Yes.”

The dog drags him farther away from Sophie and the crowds of people, onto a patch of ice that looks none-too-sturdy. He tugs at the scarf to avert catastrophe, but Tulip just thinks he is still playing.

At a loud creak, Guy becomes a bit frantic. “Come along, Tulip. Come on…” He is trying to make himself lighter than he actually is, and slide smoothly toward thicker ice.

The sound of cracking ice echoes beneath Sophie. A worried frown forms. “Guy…” she calls out, trying not to panic.

With a great CRACK, louder than a gunshot, the ice breaks.

“GUY!” Sophie watches in horror, as Guy slips beneath the frigid water. Tulip still holds onto the scarf as she, too, gets closer to the edge.

Sophie skates as near as she dares before she lies down upon the ice to even out her weight. She makes a grab for her dog right before the puppy falls into the water. Sophie tries to toss Tulip to safety, but the dog refuses to let go of the scarf. Rising to a sitting position, Sophie digs the blades of her skates into the ice for leverage, and she and Tulip yank on the fabric to bring Guy back to the surface, then pull him out of the water and off the ice.

Sputtering and stammering, teeth chattering, Guy might as well be frozen solid, as much as help as he can be in his own rescue.

Hugh has all but lost his reason, and has abandoned his skates and is pacing back and forth at the edge of the pond, bellowing any order he can think of, whether or not anyone is listening (and no one is). He dispatches a footman to go to the manor house and bring help. While he has no wish to hear what his mother will have to say about this, rather that than what she will say about not being told.

Guy’s blue lips and trembling has Sophie acting like a mother hen. “We need to get you up to the manor and changed out of these wet clothes.” She unbuttons his coat, pulls her own off, and drapes it onto his shoulders.

“Do not look at me like that,” she protests, seeing his horror to be wearing a girl’s garment. “Better to be warm in my coat than freeze to death before I can get you inside.”

As soon as they are off the ice, Hugh runs over and drapes his own greatcoat over the girl’s pelisse, saying, as though he were not repeating Sophie’s demand. “We must get him back up to the manor house!”

Guy, through chattering teeth, asks, “Tulip?”

“She’s safe,” Sophie replies, “and so are you. Come, Tulip.”

“You s…s…saved my l…l…life, Miss Templeton.”

Sophie hesitates, painfully aware, by his formality, that she had been calling the young gentleman by his given name. “I am certain you would have done the same, Mr. Amberly.”

“P… p… perhaps, but I was not c… c… c… called to. I m… m… must f… find a way to rep… p… p… pay you.”

“I shall tell our father of your heroism, Miss Templeton,” Hugh says, “and surely, he will reward you in some manner as yet unnamed.”

“Oh, no! Really, that is not necessary. My father would never let me accept any form of a reward, when he would say it was my Christian duty to help another.”

“Nevertheless,” Hugh pronounces. “My father, the viscount, will have his say. Perhaps,” he says slyly, cutting his eye at his brother, “he will give you my brother’s hand in marriage.”

“B… b… button your lip, Brother!” Guy snaps, the tips of his ears turning bright red.

“Y… you truly are a n… nasty boy!” Sophie sputters. Embarrassed not only for herself, but Guy, as well, she clamps her lips tight, afraid what else might spew from her mouth. Clearly, Hugh Amberly was in need of a lesson in manners.

“L… l… leave me alone or I will c… c… c… call you out, Hugh,” Guy stammers.

“You will do no such thing, young man!” Lady Effingale bustles up, a thick quilt in her arms, and wraps it around Guy. Completely ignoring Sophie’s presence, she chides, “Inside now, before you catch a lung fever.” She turns to Hugh, “And you! You were supposed to watch over your brother. You will speak to your father as soon as we return to the house.”

Belatedly, she notices Sophie. “I do hope you are not wetted, Miss. Certainly, we will make amends for any items damaged in the event.”

“She saved my life, Mum,” Guy says.

“Is that so?” Lady Effingale raises a brow. “What a very… boyish thing to do. Ah, here we are.” She shuffles her sons through the front door to the manor house. “I’m sure we will see you at supper, Miss Templeton.”

After that, one never knows…

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Meet Sophie Templeton in Under the Mistletoe, by Sherry Ewing, and Hugh and Guy Amberly in ’Tis Her Season, by Mariana Gabrielle, both available in:

mmm-3d-cover

Mistletoe, Marriage, & Mayhem: A Bluestocking Belles Collection

In this collection of novellas, the Bluestocking Belles bring you seven runaway Regency brides resisting and romancing their holiday heroes under the mistletoe. Whether scampering away or dashing toward their destinies, avoiding a rogue or chasing after a scoundrel, these ladies and their gentlemen leave miles of mayhem behind them on the slippery road to a happy-ever-after.

***All proceeds benefit the Malala Fund.***

Pre-order for November 1 delivery

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Goodreads Reviews

 ******************************

This blog post co-written by:

Mariana Gabrielle

www.MarianaGabrielle.com

Sherry Ewing

www.SherryEwing.com

 

_dsf0006-640x960Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling author, she writes historical and time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time.

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The Bluestocking Belles Online:

— Website and home of the Teatime Tattler: www.BluestockingBelles.com

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A chat with our heroines from Mistletoe, Marriage, & Mayhem by Amy Rose Bennett & Sherry Ewing ~ Part Two

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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#BellesInBlue, Amy Rose Bennett, Bluestocking Belles, Mistletoe Marriage & Mayhem, Novella, Regency Romance, Sherry Ewing, Under the Mistletoe

peter-pritchard

This is Peter Prichard from the Regency Morning Gazette, reporting to you from Mrs. Marlowe’s Book Emporium and Teashop. Today I have the pleasure of sitting and chatting with Miss Tessa Penrose, the heroine of Amy Rose Bennett’s ‘All She wants for Christmas’ and Miss Margaret Templeton, the heroine of Sherry Ewing’s ‘Under the Mistletoe’. Both stories are contained within the Bluestocking Belles’ Christmas anthology ‘Mistletoe, Marriage & Mayhem’. This is part two of their interview.

Let us continue getting to know you, ladies.

Peter: What is the worst thing that has happened in your life? What did you learn from it?

portrait-of-a-young-woman-gilbert-stuart-200x42Margaret: Losing my mother was extremely difficult as it would be for anyone who has lost a loved one. If I have learned anything from her passing, I would say to treasure every moment that life brings you. You never know how long you shall be here to make even the smallest measure of difference in someone’s life.

Tessa: I too have lost my mother. She passed when I was fourteen. She understood and accepted me despite my wayward disposition and what some may consider, unseemly quirks. I loved her dearly and miss her so keenly sometimes it hurts. The worst part is, I believe she died from a broken heart. So I suppose it is easy to see why I eschew the idea of marriage. A sad lesson to learn at such a young age, isn’t it?

Peter: Describe your ideal mate.

Margaret: The man who I would take to husband would accept me for who I am and not a trophy to be shown off upon his arm. This is most likely the reason I remain unwed. My forward way of thinking that women have a mind and are capable of using it generally is my undoing when it comes to finding a husband.

mary-anne-bloxam-by-thomas-lawrence-200x238Tessa: I cannot think of a single man who would be a suitable match for me, or vice versa for that matter. A long time ago, when I was but a child, I did dream of finding a love match one day. But I am not a princess and my life is not a fairy tale. I am not expecting to meet, or ever want, such a fanciful thing as an ideal mate.

 Peter: Then, you do wish to marry someday?

Margaret: Yes, of course I do. My father would like nothing better than for me to find someone who would suit. He has been busy of late by bringing eligible men to our home in the hopes I might find a common accord with one. There has been one…but I must not divulge such information. I understand spoilers cause a reader to become upset when information is given away before they have a chance to read it for themselves.

Tessa: I think, given my previous response to your question, Mr. Prichard, my opinion on the subject is quite clear.

Peter: What do you want to avoid?

Margaret: Gossip. I despise small minded people who have nothing better to do than whisper behind another’s back. For whatever reason, it seems to follow me no matter how much I try to avoid it.

Tessa: I am used to a small degree of gossip about me, however, creating a scandal that would bring shame upon my family is something I wish to avoid at all costs. As I mentioned, my younger sister, Emma, is about to make her debut and securing a match is very important to her. She is such a pretty, lively girl, and so I fear she will be easy prey for unscrupulous rakes when she enters society. Unfortunately, my brother is friends with more than few such men. I pray they will be on their best behavior around Emma. If they are not, they will have me to answer to!

Peter: Thank you so much for meeting with me today and being so open to a discussion about your lives.

Margaret: Thank you, Mr. Prichard, for this opportunity. I see Mrs. Marlowe is sending someone with some tea and biscuits. I do hope you shall stay to have a cup with us.

Tessa: Yes, thank you, Mr. Prichard. I too have enjoyed talking to you and sharing a little a bit about our Christmas box set, Mistletoe, Marriage & Mayhem. And please, do stay for tea!

For Part One of this interview, be sure and pay a visit to Amy Rose Bennett’s website and don’t forget to leave a comment. We would love to hear back from you! For part one, click here.

Amy Rose Bennett’s Author Bio:

Amy Rose Bennett has always wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. An avid reader with a particular love for historical romance, it seemed only natural to write stories in her favorite genre. She has a passion for creating emotion-packed—and sometimes a little racy—stories set in the Georgian and Regency periods. Of course, her strong-willed heroines and rakish heroes always find their happily ever after.

Amy is happily married to her own Alpha male hero, has two beautiful daughters, and a rather loopy Rhodesian Ridgeback. She has worked as a speech pathologist for many years, but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling—writing romance.

Connect with Amy Rose Bennett:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads

 The Bluestocking Belles Website

To learn more about Sherry, click on any of the tabs above on her website!

Mistletoe, Marriage, and Mayhem: A Bluestocking Belles Collection is releasing on November 1, 2015

 mmm-3d-cover

In this collection of novellas, the Bluestocking Belles bring you seven runaway Regency brides resisting and romancing their holiday heroes under the mistletoe. Whether scampering away or dashing toward their destinies, avoiding a rogue or chasing after a scoundrel, these ladies and their gentlemen leave miles of mayhem behind them on the slippery road to a happy-ever-after.

All She Wants for Christmas by Amy Rose Bennett

A frosty bluestocking and a hot-blooded rake. A stolen kiss and a Yuletide wedding. Sparks fly, but will hearts melt this Christmas?

When confirmed bluestocking, Tessa Penrose, is thoroughly compromised at a Yuletide ball by Jasper, the Earl of Arlington, she is none to pleased to have to marry him. But not only her reputation is at stake. Can Tessa trust this disreputable rogue with a secret she will do anything to hide?

One thing is certain: she dare not trust her husband with her heart.

Under the Mistletoe by Sherry Ewing

When Margaret Templeton is requested to act as hostess at Captain Sander Morledge’s Christmas party and possibly agree to marry him, she did not think she would see the man who once held her heart. Frederick, Viscount Beacham had never forgotten the young woman he had fallen in love with, and his feelings are evident when he sees her at a holiday gathering.

In a swirl of Christmas miracles and joyous celebration, will the two finally put down their differences and once again fall in love?

***All proceeds benefit the Malala Fund***

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |

Amazon AU  |  Amazon CA  |   Amazon UK

Don’t forget to join us on Facebook on November 1, 2015 from 4-9 p.m. EST for the Bluestocking Belles release party. You won’t want to miss it! Join the fun here

The Ambassador’s Missing House Guest

21 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Bluestocking Belles, Caroline Warfield, Historical Romance, Regency Romance

I’d like to welcome my friend and fellow Bluestocking Belle Caroline Warfield to my blog today. Caroline’s next novel, Dangerous Weakness, releases on September 30 and is available for pre-order. I love Caroline’s story telling and I’m sure her latest and greatest will be another book hangover in the making! Let’s sit back and see what she has in store for us today…

The following scene did not take place in Dangerous Weakness, but it could have if the hero and heroine were not otherwise engaged.

European Quarter, Constantinople, 1818

Sir Robert Liston His Majesty’s ambassador to the Sublime Porte, seat of Ottoman imperial power, employee of the Levant Company and happily married man stretched his arm to ease the tension in his shoulder and worried about his house guest. The Marquess of Glenaire, he thought, not for the first time, has taken leave of his senses.

The marquess also interfered with the work of the embassy, which is to say, the work of commerce. Reports had to be written. Huddled over a cramped desk in the sitting room of his wife’s private apartments abused Liston’s aging joints badly, but he soldiered on. He was not, he insisted to his wife, cowering. Senior diplomats do not cower. He simply needed to avoid the Marquess of Glenaire in the hopes the man would calm down before he caused a diplomatic crisis.

Glenaire had exhibited great agitation after Liston arranged a visit to the Topkapi Palace the day before. As soon as the meeting ended, he importuned Liston for an immediate return even though they had been shown the door quite firmly. One did not make demands on Ottoman officials. Neither did one forbid a duke’s heir—who was also a rising star in the foreign office—to seek an audience at the court. One could only delay a meeting in hope a cooler head might improve the outcome.

Glenaire lost his senses over John Thornton’s daughter. Liston shook his head, dropped his quill, and rose carefully to ease the ache in his knees. The sky outside his window looked orange over the towers and onion domes of the city. It would be dark soon. That should keep the marquess indoors if he has any sense left. He let out a deep breath. If.

 “A man of Glenaire’s stature ought to know better,” he had told Lady Henrietta in the privacy of their boudoir the previous night. “The Thornton woman has somehow managed to worm her way into the Seraglio itself, by all accounts she did it by her own free choice. The marquess acts like he plans to drag her out bodily.”

Lady Henrietta merely smiled and said, “He has every sign of a young man in love. Such creatures rarely rely on reason.” His lady had no opinion about whether Miss Thornton’s presence in the Sultans household had been her “free choice” meant more or less scandal, but she allowed that the woman’s interesting condition would certainly give the tabbies something to chew on. Liston spared little thought for Miss Thornton’s reputation. His duty lay in making sure Glenaire did not create tension with the palace. Tension always boded ill for commerce, and those who paid his salary cared very much about commerce and trade. Unfortunately, he saw little he could do to prevent it.

A scuffle in the hallway interrupted his gloomy thoughts.

“Here now, what is this? Who is upsetting my wife’s private quarters.”

“My apologies, Sir. I thought you best hear this directly from the source.” Liston’s secretary stood in the door, one hand tightly clamped on the arm of a street urchin, the other hand running in agitation through what little hair remained on his head. Liston recognized the boy.

“You there—you’re the lad who sweeps our steps. I hope for your sake the matter is important or I’ll have you caned for impertinence.”

The boy yanked his arm away and stood straighter with great dignity, both arms at his side and two skinny legs poking out below his short trousers. “Important, sir. The English Lord did not return. I offer to guide but he say no. I told this one— He cocked his head toward the secretary. “He do nothing. Now dark come.”

“Glenaire is gone? Did he take a guard? How long has he been gone? Didn’t you try to stop him?” Liston demanded of the secretary.

“He left around four, Sir, and he took no guard. I checked. All servants are accounted for.” The secretary looked miserable. “I told him three times you were not available today and we might arrange an audience tomorrow. He didn’t like the answers, Sir.”

And then you hid most likely, cowered like a— Liston didn’t finish the thought. “Get my sword cane and arrange an escort. I need to see Sahin Pasha immediately before the damn fool causes an incident.”

“No can do English sir,” the urchin piped up.

Liston stopped his rush to the door and stared at the boy. “What do you mean?”

“No sword in cane. The English lord, he took it.”

Liston took a deep breath and let it out. I like that cane, blast Glenaire’s eyes.

Hurrying down the stairs Sir Robert considered his future. Short term he faced two possible disasters. If one occurred he would have to soothe an affronted Ottoman official and try to minimize whatever damage Glenaire caused. I dearly hope the besotted young fool didn’t try to storm the Seraglio. In the second, worst case, he might have to find a way to explain how he managed to lose the Duke of Sudbury’s heir and Castlereagh’s protégée. Long term? I’m getting too old for this. Maybe I should retire.

Genre

Regency romance, historical romance

Heat rating

R for brief sexual content, 3-4 out of 5 flames

Giveaway

Caroline will give Kindle copies of both of her earlier works, one each to two randomly selected people who comment within the next 24 hours.

Blurb

How far will he go to protect her? How far will she run from her fears?

If women were as easily managed as the affairs of state—or the recalcitrant Ottoman Empire—Richard Hayden, Marquess of Glenaire, would be a happier man. As it was the creatures—one woman in particular—made hash of his well-laid plans and bedeviled him on all sides.

Lily Thornton came home from Saint Petersburg in pursuit of marriage. She wants a husband and a partner, not an overbearing, managing man. She may be “the least likely candidate to be Marchioness of Glenaire,” but her problems are her own to fix, even if those problems include both a Russian villain and an interfering Ottoman official.

Given enough facts, Richard can fix anything. But protecting that impossible woman is proving to be almost as hard as protecting his heart, especially when Lily’s problems bring her dangerously close to an Ottoman revolution. As Lily’s personal problems entangle with Richard’s professional ones, and she pits her will against his, he chases her across the pirate-infested Mediterranean. Will she discover surrender isn’t defeat? It might even have its own sweet reward.

Excerpt

As soon as the sky lightened enough to see, long before dawn, he rose and began to assemble the remains of his clothes. He pulled up his pantaloons and picked up his shirt.

“Is it morning?” Lily’s voice, muffled by his greatcoat, interrupted him.

“Almost. The earlier we get to the Park, the better.”

He turned his back to her and examined his shirt. A particularly nasty stain covered the front. It would have to be burned.

“I need help,” she murmured.

At least she isn’t wailing.

He pulled the shirt over his head and turned to her. She lifted her shift back into place, covering her sweet breasts, but she groped in vain to fasten her chemisette. He would have her clothing burned also.

He knelt, closed the garment with a few short movements, and rose abruptly. He did not need the graceful slope of the back of her neck where she held up her glorious auburn hair to lure him to her. That dance had been done, binding him to her with silken cords.

He put on his jacket and handed her hers. The tailored riding habit did not look at all alluring. Yet, here he stood, his life in tatters.

They would marry of course. Not once in the entire night had he conjured a way out. They would marry. He pulled her to her feet and watched her fasten her skirt.

“We may still make Chadbourn Park before anyone rises if we set out now,” he said.

“Except the servants,” she retorted.

“They don’t matter. We can contain the scandal.” He picked up his coat and swung it around her.

She looked up then, hopeful.

“We will marry of course,” he told her. “Quickly, but not so abruptly as to cause comments.” He walked toward the door, expecting her to follow.

“I beg your pardon,” she called out to him. “We will what?”

He turned on his heel. “Miss Thornton, you will be the Marchioness of Glenaire. That is far from ideal, and the difference in our state will no doubt cause talk. We will have to endure it.”

“Why?” she demanded. “Why this ‘far from ideal’ demand? Has Lady Sarah refused you?”

“Don’t be coy, Miss Thornton. You have led me into folly at every step. After last night I have no choice. I shall have to marry you. My family—”

“Your family would have kittens if I married you, which I will not.”

“You have respectable, if not the highest, breeding, you will show to advantage when properly dressed, and you will do well as a diplomatic hostess. My family, I was going to say, will have to deal with it.” He stalked away. “So will you.”

“I will not,” Lily shouted after him. He ignored her.

She isn’t a fool. She will leap at the chance to be a marchioness. Does the damned woman think she deserves poetry also?

Buy Links for Dangerous Weakness (Kindle Only):

US  |  Aus  |  Canada  |  Euro  |  India  | UK

Carol Roddy - AuthorBio:

Caroline Warfield has at various times been an army brat, a librarian, a poet, a raiser of children, a nun, a bird watcher, an Internet and Web services manager, a conference speaker, an indexer, a tech writer, a genealogist, and, of course, a romantic. She has sailed through the English channel while it was still mined from WWII, stood on the walls of Troy, searched Scotland for the location of an entirely fictional castle (and found it), climbed the steps to the Parthenon, floated down the Thames from the Tower to Greenwich, shopped in the Ginza, lost herself in the Louvre, gone on a night safari at the Singapore zoo, walked in the Black Forest, and explored the underground cistern of Istanbul. By far the biggest adventure has been life-long marriage to a prince among men.

She sits in front of a keyboard at a desk surrounded by windows, looks out at the trees and imagines. Her greatest joy is when one of those imaginings comes to life on the page and in the imagination of her readers.

Caroline’s Social Media:

Visit Caroline’s Website and Blog

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Email Caroline directly at warfieldcaro@gmail.com

She can also be found on

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Welcome Author Lisa Ricard Claro

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Guest Author

Today I’m doing a blog swap with Author Lisa Ricard Claro. So sit back, relax, ,and lets learn a little about Lisa and her work.

BIO: Lisa Ricard Claro is an award-winning author and Pushcart Prize nominee with published articles and stories spanning multiple media. She resides in Georgia with her husband of more than three decades and counting, is mother to three (a ruggedly handsome son and two stunningly beautiful daughters—Lisa might be a little biased), and dreams of one day living at the beach. Seriously dreams of it. As in, she’s already decorating her dream beach house. In addition to an array of sand dollars and seashells, she keeps a framed sign hanging in her office: Sandy Toes and Salty Kisses Welcome Here. While Lisa is a fan of storytelling in all genres, Romance is her favorite because she believes everyone deserves love, acceptance, and a happily-ever-after.

Tell us about yourself.

Well, first, I’d like to thank you, Sherry, for doing this blog swap with me. I’m so happy to be here today—and thanks for your appearance today over at my blog, Writing in the Buff!

 I’m a wife of 35 years, mom to three grown kids, and companion to two dogs and two cats. I live in a suburb of Atlanta, and though I grew up in New England, I do love the South—so much so, that my novel, Love Built to Last, takes place in North Georgia in the fictional mountain town of Bright Hills. I write contemporary hometown romance, and there is a rescued dog and/or cat in every book. Sometimes the rescue is part of the plot (Pirate the dog in Love Built to Last), and sometimes the dog/cat has been in their forever home for years (Pavarotti the cat in Love to Win). I believe you can tell a lot about people—even the fictional ones—by how they treat animals. When I’m not writing, I’m either hanging out with my family and friends, or reading. I also do volunteer work for the Georgia SPCA.

What are you reading now?

I just finished Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann. Before that I read Unwritten by Charles Martin, and up next is Perfect Touch by Elizabeth Lowell. I’ll read anything and everything. Romance is my favorite, of course.

 Tell us about your current series.

 Love Built to Last is the first book in the Fireflies series. It began as an award-winning short story, and I always knew it was perfect for a full-length novel. It’s the story of Maddie, who can’t let go of her dead husband, Jack. She’s certain he still advises her on everything, including Caleb, the hunky carpenter who is remodeling her kitchen. Caleb is a single dad and a widower, and while he and Maddie have their widowhood in common, their coping process has been quite different. She’s afraid of letting go of Jack, and Caleb fears that embracing a new life might hurt his son. Add matchmaking families, a three-legged dog, and then a disaster thrown into the mix, and Maddie and Caleb have to earn their HEA…maybe with a little help from Jack.

 What is your next project and when will it be released?

 Love to Believe is the second book in the Fireflies series. I don’t have a firm release date from my publisher yet, but the expectation is December 2015 or January 2016. The third book in the series, Love to Win, is supposed to release around April or May 2016.

 Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.

 Caleb Walker is an architect turned carpenter. He loves his work, but his favorite job is that of father to his five-year-old son. One of his greatest strengths is that he knows who he is, and he’s comfortable in his own skin. He’s a family man at his core, and he knows this. One of his weaknesses is that he’s so focused on protecting his son from emotional hurt that he’s afraid of new relationships. He’s built an insular world for himself and his son, and letting new people in is hard for him to do.

 Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.

 Maddie Kinkaid is a kindergarten teacher who lost her husband, Jack, when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a drunk driver. Maddie is convinced Jack continues to give her advice. One of Maddie’s strengths is her capacity for empathy and understanding, and her acceptance of others. As a kindergarten teacher, she adores children and has an innate understanding of how to relate to them. One of her weaknesses is her inability to let go of the past. She’s not certain of whom she is without Jack, and she’s in no great hurry to figure it out. This, of course, is at the heart of her journey.

What’s next for you?

 Well, Love Built to Last released in June, so I’m still working hard to get the word out about it. I’ve done a couple of radio interviews, I’ll be doing a lot of blog hopping over the next couple of months, and participating in author book signing events. Anyone out there who lives near the Snellville, Georgia Barnes & Noble, please come out to the author event on September 12th—I’d love to meet you! The upcoming releases of Love to Believe and Love to Win will keep me busy, as well, and I’m working on the first book in a brand new series. There’s a lot going on right now, and I’m happy to be so busy.

Where can readers find you?

 My website is www.LisaRicardClaro.com. Visit me at that address and you’ll find excerpts from all three books, as well as my blog, Writing in the Buff, where I post three times a week—Monday is Pawsitive Pondering, which features quotes by dogs and cats, Wednesday I render the Naked Truth, and anything goes, and Friday is Observations From the Tub, where I post about those what-the-?? things that pop up in the news and in life. I keep it fun, and always respond to comments by readers. Come on by!

 Where can readers find your books? Print/eBook?

Love Built to Last is available in both print and eBook versions. Links are below!

Thanks again for participating in this blog swap with me, Sherry. I hope your readers will link over to my blog so they can see what you’ve offered for today’s Naked Truth. Click here for the link   And I look forward to engaging people here, so if you’re reading this, I hope you’ll leave a comment!

Excerpt from Love Built to Last:

 “Whoa, there, fella.” Cal pulled back. The gray beast dropped to a sit and thumped his tail. The errant tongue hung sideways from his smiling doggy mouth.

“Meet Pirate, very aptly named by TJ. We found this poor guy hunkered down in the alley outside Caravicci’s and decided he needed rescuing.” She handed Cal a frosty glass of sweet tea, urged Pirate off the porch to do his business, and took her place on the steps next to Cal. Pirate obliged and trotted off to sniff at the edge of the woods, making it his mission to pee on every bit of flora in sight.

“Huh. In this light he looks like he’s missing a leg.”

“That’s because he is. Dr. McManus said he was born that way, so he doesn’t know the difference. And he has conjunctivitis in his left eye, but it looks a lot better now that it’s been cleaned up and he’s getting medicine for it.”

Cal looked from Pirate to Maddie. “You’ve had a busy day.”

She laughed. “We had a great day. Pizza and video games at Caravicci’s, a dog rescue, a visit to the vet, a very exciting tee-ball game—which we won, by the way—and macaroni and cheese, and brownie sundaes at the Kinkaids’. We arrived back here around eight. TJ took a bath, played with Pirate, and crashed on the couch. All in all, a very pleasant Saturday.”

“You made it fun for TJ, and easy for me. Thank you.”

She smiled, engaging not only her splendid mouth, but those eyes that never quite lost their sadness. They glowed now in the meager light. For that moment, the perpetual grief that held her in thrall gave way to something else.

Luminous. It was the only word that came to his mind to describe her.

He knew the moment his heart opened. The rush cascaded into him, over him, and snatched his breath.

He took her face in his hands before the moment passed, before he talked himself out of it with all the stupid excuses he’d labeled as reasons and repeated like a mantra for the last week. Dante’s words floated back to him: With the right woman, a second’s long enough.

And beneath the callused pads of his thumbs, the skin of her cheeks warmed and grew pink with his touch. The pulse at the base of her throat whirred like a hummingbird’s wings. He paused, gave her the chance to pull away, half expected her to. Instead, like a miracle, she leaned toward him, the barest fraction of an inch. His gaze dropped to her mouth, spellbound, when her lips parted.

Buy Links: for Love Built to Last:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Black Opal Books  |  Kobo  |  AllRomace

Social Media:

Website  |  Amazaon  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter

The Merry Marquis in a minor key by Jude Knight

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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#BellesInBlue, Bluestocking Belles, Jude Knight, Merry Marquis, Regency Romance

Today I would like to welcome Jude Knight and the Marquis of Aldridge to my blog. Jude will be giving one random commentor a free copy of her soon to be released novel A Baron for Becky. Let’s sit back and enjoy learning more about the Merry Marquis. He is quite the character and I know you’ll fall in love with him as much as I did…

The Marquis of Aldridge was sitting over a glass of brandy in the private parlour of an exclusive inn half-way between Margate and London. The letter in his hand sent his strongly arched brows plunging towards one another in a frown.

His latest meeting with his father, the Duke of Haverford, was behind him, a reunion with his lovely mistress ahead. He had eaten a substantial and tasty dinner and the business of the duchy, which followed him everywhere, was largely finished for the night.

This letter was meant to be entertainment; light relief after the strain of three weeks with His Grace. Questions from a newsheet correspondent? He’d expected an interrogation on his amorous adventures, and planned to formulate replies that would curl the impudent questioner’s toes. Not that he’d send them, of course. His family did not answer to the newsheets. But he’d enjoy imagining their effect.

These questions were not at all amusing; their answers even less so. He thought the answers anyway. How not?

1. What impression do you make on people when they first meet you?

Mostly, people don’t meet me. They meet the Marquis of Aldridge. Or they meet the Merry Marquis. And the impression is made before we are ever in the same room.

Aldridge has a duchy to run. Those in my service, those I do business with; they know I expect efficiency, honesty, and commitment. And I reward it well.

As for the Merry Marquis, what it is to have a reputation! Debutantes are warned off me, which saves me from their artlessness, feigned or real. Widows and bored wives search me out. Which saves me the trouble of looking for them.

People meet me for the first time knowing what they want from me, and that colours their impression of the person they meet. None of them want to know me; the real me.

2. Do you wish to marry? If so, what is your idea of a good marriage? Do you think that will happen in your life?

Marry? Good God, no. I have no wish to marry. I will do so, of course. In time, I must take a wife. I will choose her for her lineage, the lands or wealth or allies she brings to the duchy, her potential to be an excellent duchess. It sound cold put so bluntly, and the idea leaves me cold.

I have seen good marriages. My cousin and my half-brother both made love matches. Even after three years and children, both couples are hopelessly besotted. More than that, though. They are good friends. They like being together. They admire and respect one another.

They live my idea of a good marriage: a relationship of equals, passionately in love but also closely bonded in affection. I cannot expect that, of course. I shall be Duke of Haverford, and shall, in due course, offer myself on the marital altar for the benefit of the duchy.

I think I shall be a dreadful husband. I hope I shall be kind to my wife.

3. What are you most ashamed of in your life?

Ah. I could give a list. A top ten list, perhaps? One of the worst things I ever did was turn my back on a woman whose virtue I took. She rejected me when she realised I meant to make her my mistress. She had thought my words of love sincere.

It starts further back, does it not? The fault was not being offended at her rejection, but in seducing her at all. At the time, I convinced myself that she was not as innocent as she appeared; that I could give her a better life as my mistress than she had as an old lady’s companion; that if I did not seduce her someone else would.

I was sure she must know I was lying when I said I would adore her forever. Already, though I was still in my teens, I had a reputation. But she believed me. To my eternal shame.

I was a cad. That is the long and the short of it. I… What can I say? I’ve never since knowingly taken an innocent to my bed. I’ve never since made promises I didn’t intend to keep, or lied about my feelings. But that doesn’t make my crime the less.

No wonder she believed His Grace my father when she came seeking help after she found herself with child. He told her that I denied parentage. He lied. He never told me of her plight; never gave me the opportunity to provide for my child. Even had that been his only crime against me and mine, I would hate him for that.

he saved herself, and the little girl. When we met again—she despised me, of course, though not more than I despised myself. But she is a generous woman. She is polite when we meet, and she allows me to be an uncle to my… to her daughter. I am grateful for that.

4. Tell me about your best friend. How did you meet? What do you like about this person? What do they like about you?

I met Overton at Eton—two boys bonding over a shared dislike for lumpy, burnt porridge. In hindsight, putting it in the headmaster’s bed might not have been the cleverest move. We were seen creeping out of his rooms, and spent the next week on our stomachs in the infirmary.

I admire Overton. He has suffered so many losses, but he just keeps going. He has brought his estate back from the brink of ruin, given his people a future, and built the mill he inherited into the centrepiece of a thriving trading enterprise.

And he has stuck with me through thick and thin. He says I amuse him. I tell him somebody has to. If it wasn’t for me, he’d stay up there in Lancashire and never have any fun!

5. What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

Here lies Anthony Grenford, who gave pleasure to many and harmed as few as he could. He died aged 99, shot by a jealous husband.

6. What is your greatest fear?

I am the Marquis of Aldridge, heir to the Duke of Haverford. The men of our family do not feel fear. I distinctly remember the first time His Grace told me that. I must have been four or five. I had climbed down the crag below the castle to retrieve a ball. On my way back up, a rock slid from under my feet, and I almost fell. I froze. I held onto that cliff face so hard it’s a wonder it did not crumble.

And there I stayed. It could only have been minutes, but it felt like hours before my nurse found me, and called for help, and half the castle turned out to rescue the heir. Including His Grace.

His Grace came down the rope himself. He wouldn’t let me reach out for him. He castigated me for crying. He told me that I’d got myself down and I was going to get myself up. He told me that we do not feel fear.

I was more afraid of His Grace than I was of falling. After I reached the first hold, then the second, then the third… it became easy again. He beat me when I reached the top, for running from my nurse. But he did instruct my mother to have me breeched. And I did retrieve the ball.

A Baron for Becky

Genre

Regency romance, historical romance

Heat rating

R for implied sexual content, 2 out of 5 flames

Giveaway

Free copy of A Baron for Becky to random commenter

Book Blurb

Becky is the envy of the courtesans of the demi-monde – the indulged mistress of the wealthy and charismatic Marquis of Aldridge. But she dreams of a normal life; one in which her daughter can have a future that does not depend on beauty, sex, and the whims of a man.

Finding herself with child, she hesitates to tell Aldridge. Will he cast her off, send her away, or keep her and condemn another child to this uncertain shadow world?

The devil-may-care face Hugh shows to the world hides a desperate sorrow; a sorrow he tries to drown with drink and riotous living. His years at war haunt him, but even more, he doesn’t want to think about the illness that robbed him of the ability to father a son. When he dies, his barony will die with him. His title will fall into abeyance, and his estate will be scooped up by the Crown.

When Aldridge surprises them both with a daring proposition, they do not expect love to be part of the bargain.

Excerpt

Becky lost her next thought as he whisked her into a curtained alcove and proceeded to kiss her. She thought she knew kisses. Rough and clumsy connections, rude invasions of her mouth as the man who had purchased the right violently mauled her breasts and buttocks. Those weren’t kisses. This; this was a kiss: a firm but gentle invitation to a duet, patiently coaxing a response and then turning to a dance, a partnership of giving and taking that spun music through every vein in her body. Becky forgot where she was, almost who she was, as she melted against him, lost in a world of sensation.

Sarah. Campaign plan. She pulled back, and Aldridge let her go.

“Something on account,” Aldridge suggested.

“Perhaps.” She peeked cautiously around the curtain and then hurried away down the silent hall.

Aldridge next approached her after dinner, sitting on the other side of the love seat she’d deliberately chosen in a shadowed corner of the great parlour, out of the direct view of the earl, who was playing the pianoforte, and the countess, who was turning the pages of music for him.

“I love that shade of blue on you, Mrs Darling.,” he said.

She blushed. Her lovers had seldom bothered to compliment her, though extravagant, excruciatingly bad, poetry had been written to The Rose of Frampton by those who didn’t have her in their keeping.

“It needs something else, though,” Aldridge commented. He pulled out a tissue-wrapped package. “Not the diamonds and sapphires I thought of buying, but it is just the colour of your eyes. I had to see it on you.”

‘This’ was a shawl in patterns of blue, so fine it was small enough when rolled to fit into his jacket pocket, but large enough to wrap warmly around her shoulders. She jumped up to examine it in the mirror, and he followed her, standing inches away, but leaning forward to breathe on her ear as he said, “Exquisite.”

She should refuse the gift. Proper ladies did not take gifts from gentlemen. But they both knew she was not a lady, and she was well used to gifts with a price tag attached.

“Something on account?” she asked.

“Not this time. A present, given freely, with no expectation of reward. Because I admire you, lovely Rose.”

She had to remind herself of every rumour she had heard about the man. And even then, if she’d not heard him working his charm on Smite’s men, she might have unravelled as he clearly expected. No wonder he had left such a string of broken hearts behind him.

It would be a mistake to give in too easily.

“And in return,” she told him, “I freely give you my thanks, my lord.”

She was rewarded with a moment’s stunned amazement before the amused look reappeared. “Well played, Mrs Darling,” he murmured.

Buy Links:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  iBooks | Smashwords  | Amazon AUS  | Amazon UK

Author Bio:

Jude Knight writes strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, villains you’ll love to loathe, and all with a leavening of humour.

Jude Knight is the pen name of Judy Knighton. After a career in commercial writing, editing, and publishing, Jude is returning to her first love, fiction. Her novella, Candle’s Christmas Chair, was released in December 2014, and is in the top ten on several Amazon bestseller lists in the US and UK. Her first novel Farewell to Kindness, was released on 1 April. It is number one in a series: The Golden Redepennings.

Jude’s Social Media:

Follow Jude on Twitter

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Welcome Bluestocking Belle Jude Knight & Stephen Redepenning, 7th Earl of Chirbury

05 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Bluestocking Belles, Historical Romance, Jude Knight, Regency Romance

Please give a warm welcome to fellow Bluestocking Belle Jude Knight to my blog on this Fabulous Friday! Let’s sit down with a nice cup of tea and learn a little more about Stephen Redepenning who is sure to give us insight into the many complexities that make him such a determined man!

An interview with Stephen Redepenning, 7th Earl of Chirbury, shortly after he returned to England to take up his title.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Being accepted by my wife’s people, the Métis. The marriage was a trade agreement; I never expected to find happiness in it. We learned to love one another. Her people, though, held themselves aloof. I didn’t know how to break through their reserve. My wife told me to just be myself.

Then one day, I was out on a hunting expedition with her brothers. I was talking to two of her brothers, and I didn’t know why they were laughing. Then I realised that the youngest brother was behind me, mimicking everything I did. He was good! Did a perfect imitation of a stuck-up Englishman with a walking stick up his… Well, when I laughed too, it broke the ice, and after that we were great friends. I miss them.

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sitting by a fire with my wife holding my hand, bed on our minds, and our children asleep nearby. There’s nothing like it. In fact, looking back, those perfect moments were littered through my life like jewels on a string, and I didn’t value them half enough at the time.

What is your current state of mind? Coldly determined. I don’t expect ever to find happiness again, but I will do my duty, and I will have my revenge.

What is your favorite occupation? Walking through my own woods in the early morning.

What is your most treasured possession? A sash my wife wove for me. She made several, but this one was for special occasions. I wore it when our children were baptised. I wore it at their gravesides. I keep it on my bed, and it is the first thing I touch in the morning.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My wife. I cannot imagine ever finding that deep sense of companionship with anyone else.

What is your favorite journey? My favourite journey is a short one; down through the woods to the pond where my cousins and I spent summer days when we were boys. The walk reminds me of my childhood.

What is your most marked characteristic? Determination

When and where were you the happiest? In Canada during the years my family were alive

What is it that you most dislike? Injustice of any kind. I hate seeing the strong prey on the weak. It makes me furious when people use their power to hurt others.

What is your greatest fear? That people will find out that I can’t live up to the demands of my role. That things will spiral out of control, and I won’t be able to fix them.

What is your greatest extravagance? Good brandy

Which living person do you most despise? I have little time for people of the ton generally. I don’t much like my nephew, but I consider his father to be a complete waste of space. My sister isn’t a lot better. She is frivolous, silly, and stupid. She makes a huge fuss about a life that doesn’t, to my mind, have anything to recommend it.

What is your greatest regret? Not arriving home in time to protect my wife and children from the Indians who raped my wife and murdered her and my babies.

Which talent would you most like to have? I’d like to be able, just once, to let go and enjoy myself. I’d also like to be able to play the pianoforte. I love to hear it played well, but I don’t have the talent myself.

Where would you like to live? At Longford Court. This is the place I consider home; it’s where my aunt and uncle more or less raised me.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Knowing that I’ve failed to do something it was my duty to do.

What is the quality you most like in a man? Honesty

What is the quality you most like in a woman? The same — but honest women seem very hard to find.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Cowardice. So often, I have to scourge myself to do something I dislike or fear.

What is the trait you most deplore in others? Disloyalty. If someone commits to something, they should do it. I hate turncoats worse than anything.

What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty. I’m slow to trust — experience has taught me that many people are just out for themselves. But once I trust, I give my all, and I expect the same from my friends.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Captain Singleton. He had a freedom that I admire. He didn’t care what other people thought; he just lived.

Who are your heroes in real life? My uncle Henry is my hero.

Which living person do you most admire? He’s also the person I most admire. And next to him, I admire my servant, John Price. John is the bravest, most loyal person I know. He has been with me through everything. I have trusted him with my life more times than I can count.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Hope. It’s just hiding your head in the sand. Life ends in tragedy. Everyone dies. Everyone leaves you.

On what occasions do you lie? I seldom lie. I despise lying. But if I need to lie to get my revenge, I’ll do so.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d be more spontaneous.

How would you like to die? I’d like to either just slip away in my sleep when I was very very old, or be shot and killed instantly after successfully defending something I believed in.

What is your motto? I protect what is mine — Quod meum defendere.

Jude Knight Bio

Jude Knight started writing fiction when she was still at school, but went on to spend many years as a commercial writer. In late December 2012, she came home from her mother’s funeral determined to finally achieve the dream her mother had always supported.

After more than a year collecting ideas, doing research, and creating plots and character sketches, she stopped procrastinating and started writing. Her first novella was published just before Christmas in 2014, and – to Jude’s awed surprise – hit several Amazon bestseller lists in both the US and the UK, at one point reaching the top 2 in the US and the very top in the UK. 2015 is the year of the novel, with one in April, one in August, and one in October. Jude is also part of a collaborative group of writers, the Blusetocking Belles, so watch for their boxed set just before Christmas 2015.

Jude chose 1 April as the launch date for Farewell to Kindness in honour of all the people who told her that she’d never achieve anything if she didn’t get her head out of a book.

In Jude’s books, you’ll find strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, and villains you’ll love to loathe. The novel plots tend towards the gothic, with a leavening of humour, and some insights into the similarities and differences between now and way back then.

Jude thinks her Mum would have liked them.

Farewell to Kindness

For three years, Rede has been searching Canada for those who ordered the murders of his wife and children.

Now back in England, he has inherited an Earldom from his cousin George, and is close to finding the investors who ordered the deaths in an attempt to destroy Rede’s fur trading enterprise. He travels to his country estate in Longford, West Gloucestershire, to be close to the investigation.

He does not need the distraction of an overwhelming longing for the lovely widow who lives in one of the cottages he owns. A widow, moreover, with a small daughter whose distinctive eyes mark her as George’s child.

For six years, from the night Anne blackmailed George at arrow-point for an income and a place to live, she has been in hiding with her sisters and daughter.

She hides from the scandal of her daughter’s conception. More importantly, she hides from the Earl of Selby, who has sinister plans for the sisters. He no longer has legal rights as guardian to the older sisters, but the youngest sister is still only 18. He cannot be allowed to find her.

The last thing Anne needs is an inconvenient attraction to the local Earl. Rede is everything she has learned not to trust: a man, a peer, a Redepenning. If he finds out who she is, she may lose everything.

As their attraction builds against a backdrop of the village Whitsun Week festivities, several accidents make Rede believe his enemies have found him, and Anne wonder whether Selby has found her.

To build a future together, they must be prepared to face their pasts together – something their deadly enemies have no intention of allowing.

Farewell to Kindness is Book 1 in the series The Golden Redepennings.

Candle and Min, hero and heroine of my free novella, Candle’s Christmas Chair, make a cameo appearance in Farewell to Kindness.

Buy Links

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/farewell-to-kindness

iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/farewell-to-kindness/id974225678

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121346576

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/522691

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Kindness-Golden-Redepennings-Book-ebook/dp/B00TXRW4KA/

 

Social Media

Follow Jude on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JudeKnightBooks

Like Jude on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/judeknightbooks

Subscribe to Jude’s blog: http://judeknightauthor.com

Subscribe to Jude’s newsletter: http://judeknightauthor.com/newsletter/

Follow Jude on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/judeknight

 

Why I write historical romance!

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Tags

Historical, Historical Romance, Reading, Sherry Ewing, Writing

st-george-by-solomon-joseph-solomon-copyright-royal-academy-of-arts

What is it with this pictures that just speaks romance? I don’t know about you, but it tugs at my heart strings and fulfills every romantic notion in me. A handsome knight vanquishes the beast at his feet as he rescue’s a fair damsel in distress. Truly, what is there not to love?

I am a true romantic at heart and believe in that happily ever after ending to every story. I better, considering my passion for writing. As a romance author, it’s my job to pull my reader’s into the world I’m building with my characters. I want those readers to become vested in the journey that make up my character’s lives and to give them that I’m-sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat-heart-pounding-action as they wait for what I have in store for them next. I want them to feel the tension of my characters when they glance at each other from across a room, or experience the first zing that sends a current of sensation racing up their spine at their first touch, the anticipation of when they lose their breath as their lips touch. I want them to laugh, cry, cheer, and even yell out at the injustice of it all. If I do my job right, you dear reader, will be living right there with those characters and I hope I’ve made you “sigh.”

The reason why I write historical romance is because I love to read historical romances. From medieval knights storming the castle walls to rescue a damsel in distress, to Dukes and their ladies in Regency England, to ladies of today traveling back in time to find the one man who sets their hearts to flight no matter the century they live in. I’ve been reading romance novels since I was a teenager so it was only natural I would write in this same genre.

In today’s world, a sense of chivalry takes on a different form but it’s just as much appreciated now as it was in days long since passed. I, for one, am always thankful when a gentleman opens the door for me and flowers are always a pleasant surprise. I suspect one day (when the time is right and hopefully before the second coming) the next man will eventually show up in my life who will fill the rest of my days with the kind of love I’ve always been looking for. My son tells me that apparently in order for me to meet said man I need to get out more and get away from all this writing I’ve been doing for the last several years. Otherwise, he’ll never find me. I only laugh and respond that my knight in shining armor should already know where I live!

Until this magnificent knight shows up to sweep me off my feet, I’ll continue to write about those men who make my heart go pitter patter. Hopefully, you’ll fall in love with those handsome rakes too. It’s why I write and I hope I’ve tempted with you with my work so you’ll come back for more. It’s been one heck of a journey so far with my fourth novel about to be published in July 2015. Thank you for joining me on this crazy yet wonderful ride!

An Interview with Bluestocking Belle Caroline Warfield

15 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Tags

Bluestocking Belles, Caroline Warfield, Historical Romance, Regency Romance

It’s my pleasure to once again introduce another fabulous Bluestocking Belle author Caroline Warfield. I just recently read her book, Dangerous Works, and let me tell you I couldn’t put it down. Talk about a book hangover!! I can’t wait to read her most recent release. Let’s learn a little bit about Caroline and her new book Dangerous Secretes and thanks for being on my blog today!

How long have you been writing?

A very long time—I wrote my share of fan fiction in elementary school, and I ‘ve produced my fair share of professional writing, mostly for library publications. I once worked as a tech writer. I didn’t start writing fiction, however, until my forties. I think I lacked the courage. Once I identified myself as a writer of romance, it got easier. Membership in a local RWA chapter exposed me to good writing, good advice and good friends.

What genre (s) do you write?

I write historical stories. I have a medieval historical novel I work on in fits and starts and I have three finished (but unpublished) middle grade novels that take place in the first half of the twentieth century.

My published works are entirely romances set in the regency era but differ from traditional regency in story line and settings. My most recent is about a reluctant baron who is also a down on his luck major. He is not the powerful duke typical of many romance tropes. He has fled to Rome to hide from some rather nasty mistakes. He won’t go to friends for help because he doesn’t want them to know what he has done. When a woman hires him to be her interpreter, he gets an opportunity for redemption. There are no London drawing rooms, no carriages in Hyde Park, and no complex marriage strategies. There are formal dinners and a ball, but they take place in a Roman Palazzo, not a London townhouse.

What genre do you like to read?

I am a voracious reader. Lately I read a lot of historical mysteries. I still read historical romance and historical novels. Yes, there is a theme to that. History is my chosen fantasy world. I often have a biography or other historical non-fiction going at the same time.

Do you feel that writing and reading in the same genre helps or hinders your writing?

To the extent that it feeds my imagination, it helps very much. As long as I am able to go below the surface and consider how real people might have lived their lives in the era I’ve chosen to write about, it helps. If I start repeating other writers’ stories too closely, I’ll know it is hurting.

What is your favorite part of writing?

The best of it is imagining the characters, finding ways to put them to the test (or as some writers say “torture them”;). I love to get that first draft down. I more or less write by the seat of my pants. I can’t plan the entire plot of a book because I don’t know where the characters want to take it until I start to write. I begin with the characters and get to know and care them. I also usually begin with a clearly thought out ending and a setting.

I’ve learned to look for the key turning points, especially what Bell calls the “Mirror Moment,” and, of course the black moment. Once I have the bones of a framework in mind, I just write. I have to track the outline as I go, fleshing out the scenes and tracking timelines, ages, places and so on.

What is your least favorite part of writing?

Editing. I always do at least two editorial passes but I don’t like it. I don’t self publish because I believe the work needs the tender mercies of a good editor, something I am not. I may eventually hire an editor for self-publishing but so far the economics haven’t been there for me.

How many books have your written? Do you have a series planned?

I have two published works. Dangerous Works and Dangerous Secrets are loosely connected. Each one stands alone, but some characters appear in both books.

Tell us what else you have for us coming in the future and where readers can find you.

Dangerous Weakness, the third book in the series tells the story of the Marquess of Glenaire. He is the interfering brother of Dangerous Works and managing friend in Dangerous Secrets. He means well but he always thinks he knows what is best for everyone. There is nothing he can’t fix, or so he says. In Dangerous Weakness, I had fun humbling him. The story also takes him to some dicey Mediterranean ports and the Ottoman Court in Constantinople. The manuscript is at Soul Mate Publishing and it may be on the schedule for publication late in 2015.

I am currently writing a prequel to the series about the Earl of Chadbourn, whose wedding occurs in Dangerous Works. It is a holiday novella.

Dangerous Secrets

Regency-set Historical,

Soul Mate Publishing, March 18, 2015

Sensuality Level moderate

Rome 1820

Major Lord James Heyworth fled to Rome. Behind him lie disgrace, shame, and secrets he is desperate to keep even from powerful friends in London. He accepts employment as an interpreter just to have money to eat. Nora Haley, his employer is a widow. She came to Rome to help her dying brother and protect his daughter. She can’t trust any man who drinks. She had enough of that in her marriage. She fears deception will destroy everything she desires. Either one, however, will dare anything for the tiny girl in their care. Will love—and the truth—bind them both together?

Ah. No tower. The niece is imprisoned in a—Good Lord!

“You are taking me to a convent?” he gasped.

“Of course.”

“I must have been ‘much the worse for drink’ indeed, if I agreed to that.”

“You did agree. You gave me your word,” she insisted.

And so it begins.

Buy Links:

US http://tinyurl.com/ph56vnb

UK http://amzn.to/1Gd9Im9

Canada http://amzn.to/1bbDxde

Euro http://amzn.to/1LrSLru

Fabulous Friday Interview with Jude Knight

27 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Tags

Historical Romance, Jude Knight, Regency Romance

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce fellow Bluestocking Belle Jude Knight who has a new release coming out for our reading pleasure. Let’s learn a little about her along with her new book, Farewell to Kindness. Thank you Jude for being a guest on my blog!

How many books have you written?

I’ve written two historical romances, and am currently working on another two. I’m a commercial writer by trade, and have written many non-fiction books. But story-telling is my passion. I published a novella, Candle’s Christmas Chair, just before Christmas last year, and my first novel Farewell to Kindness is published next week. I have two more novels in progress. I’m currently writing Encouraging Prudence, and researching for A Raging Madness.

What genre (s) do you write?

I write historical fiction set in Regency (or technically late Georgian) British society. My novella was a sweet traditional. My novels have a mix of romance, thriller, and mystery.

What genre do you like to read?

I read sf, historicals, mystery, contemporary, and just about anything else. As long as it is well-written and has authentic convincing characters, I’ll read it.

Is there a special place where you like to write?

I can write anywhere, but at least half of Farewell to Kindness was written on the commuter train to and from work. And much of the rest was written on my knees in bed.

Do people you know end up as characters in your books?

Characteristics of people I know end up in my characters. If I’m upset by something, or thrilled by something, I store it away and deal with it by writing it into a story. When I was writing Candle’s Christmas Chair, I wrote into one character some behaviours that were annoying me at work. People loved the character and want her to have her own story, which was a bit of a shock to me.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’d have to say ‘yes’. I plot carefully, and I do extensive character questionnaires. Then my characters take over and do what they want, and I scurry to catch up. Both Candle and Farewell finished where they were meant to, but neither took the expected route. And Farewell’s major villain was a complete surprise to me, and caused some major rewriting.

What do you consider are your hero’s strengths and weaknesses? Your heroine?

Rede’s greatest strength is his integrity. At the start of the novel, he is trying to be untrue to that integrity in order to pursue his revenge, but his courage, another great strength, allows him to face his fear of loss and be true to himself. His greatest weaknesses are inflexibility and impatience with those who don’t share his values. He needs to learn to consider the views of others.

Anne’s greatest strengths are loyalty and courage. In the novel, she is torn between her loyalty to her sisters and her growing loyalty to Rede. Her greatest weakness is fear: fear of what people will say and do to her and particularly to her sisters.

 Do you have a series planned?

Yes. Farewell to Kindness is the first book in The Golden Redepennings. The second book is A Raging Madness, which will be published in December, and which stars Rede’s cousin Alex. Alex is the injured soldier in Farewell to Kindness.

 What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Write and keep writing. And when you’re not writing, read. Set a daily word count and stick to it. Make writing what you do whenever you’re waiting for an appointment or a bus; whenever you have a few minutes to spare. If you write 200 words a day, In a year you will have a novel. So just write.

 Tell us what else you have for us coming in the future and where readers can find you.

After Farewell to Kindness, Encouraging Prudence (Prue and David’s story), and A Raging Madness (Alex and Ella’s story) in 2015, I plan to publish Lord Danwood’s Dilemma (Simon and Sophia’s story) and the stories of two of Prue’s sisters in 2016.

The first three all take place in 1807. Lord Danwood’s Dilemma, and the stories of two of Prudence’s sisters follow in 1808. In 1809, the last of the Virtue sisters finds her happy ever after. More stories follow in 1810.

And so it goes. 1811 is a very busy year, and in 1812, the Mountain King and six of his ten children arrive home from Central Asia to take the London Season by storm, which begins the series In the Halls of the Mountain King.

I’ve plots through to 1820, and several that haven’t matured enough to have a setting or a date yet.

See more about me and my stories on judeknightauthor.com

Farewell to Kindness

Regency noir (On prerelease; on sale from 31 March 2015)

Price: US99c to 8 April 2015; USD3.49 from 9 April 2015

For three years, Rede has been searching for those who ordered the murders of his wife and children. Now close to end of his quest, he travels to his country estate to be close to the investigation.

He is fascinated by the lovely widow who lives in one of the cottages he owns. A widow who pays no rent. A widow, moreover, with a small daughter whose distinctive eyes mark her as as the child of his predecessor as Earl.

Six years ago, Anne blackmailed Rede’s predecessor at arrow-point for an income and a place to livein hiding from her guardian’s sinister plans for her and her sisters. He no longer has legal rights over her, but the youngest sister is still only 18. He cannot be allowed to find her.

Rede is everything she has learned not to trust: a man, a peer, a Redepenning. If he discovers who she is, she may lose everything.

To build a future together, Rede and Anne must be prepared to face their pasts.

Heat: PG13 edging towards R in places

Preorder links:

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/farewell-to-kindness

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/farewell-to-kindness/id974225678

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1121346576

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/522691

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Kindness-Golden-Redepennings-Book-ebook/dp/B00TXRW4KA/

Jude Knight bio:

Jude Knight writes strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, villains you’ll love to loathe, and all with a leavening of humour.

Social Media Links:

Follow Jude on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JudeKnightBooks

Friend Jude on Facebook: http://facebook.com/judeknightbooks

Subscribe to Jude’s blog: http://judeknightauthor.com

Subscribe to Jude’s newsletter: http://judeknightauthor.com/newsletter/

Follow Jude on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/judeknight

A Chat with Our Characters by Sherry Ewing and Jude Knight

12 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by SherryEwing in 2015

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Tags

#BellesInBlue, Bluestocking Belles, If My Heart Could See You, Jude Knight, Medieval Romance, Regency Romance, Sherry Ewing

peter-pritchardThis is Peter Pritchard of Regency Morning Gazette, and I am reporting today from the Crock and Bull Inn, a mysterious accommodation house that has appeared in a number of counties simultaneously, and that is currently providing lodging to a vast cast of characters written by the eight Bluestocking Belles and their guests.

Part 1 of my report will be on Sherry Ewing’s blog, and part 2 on Jude Knight’s.

I am with Amiria of clan MacLaren and wife to Lord Dristan, first Earl of Berwyck, and Anne, Countess of Chirbury, wife to Stephen Redepenning, eighth Earl of Chirbury. Lord Dristan is also known as the Devil’s Dragon, and Lord Chirbury as The Wild Trapper Earl.

The two noble ladies normally inhabit different fictional worlds and different eras. Lady Amiria is normally found in the twelfth century and between the pages of If My Heart Could See You by Sherry Ewing. Lady Anne is from the early nineteenth century, and Farewell to Kindness (to be published 1 April) by Jude Knight.

Thanks to a magical time-spanning ever-expanding coaching inn, and a shared adventure in the nearby woods, the two ladies have found much in common and have become friends.

PART 1

Thank you, Amiria and Anne, for sparing the time to talk to me today, busy as you are with the wedding that the Bluestocking Belles are hosting today and the ball this Saturday, March 14th.

Amiria: ’Tis a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.

Anne: Good morning to you, and to your readers. I am happy to be here.

Lady Amiria, it must have come as quite a shock to travel across time. Were you surprised?

One does not normally plan on such an occurrence when walking with one’s husband in the woods near one’s own home. Apparently, there are places where one must needs watch one’s step.

Then you’ve done a bit of time traveling before?

(Amiria gives a merry laugh) Oh my goodness no, but Dristan and I do know of another such lady who has crossed such a barrier to find love in the twelfth century.

You must mean Katherine, Riorden de Deveruax’s wife and your husband’s prior captain of the guard. Has she joined you in the Regency era as well?

Aye, Katherine has become a good friend, although I have not seen her here at the coaching inn. Riorden, however, seems to have fallen through time to join us in this crazy journey, along with my younger brother Patrick. He is Riorden’s squire. They seem to be adjusting well to their mishap, but I shall not say another word about any more time traveling. To do so, would give away certain spoilers to future adventures with the knights of Berwyck.

Lady Anne, you had a less startling trip to the inn, but you have noticed some peculiarities about it.

For one thing, Peter, it is able to spawn any rooms that the guests need, which you must admit is very strange. For another, it seems to span many times. Lady Amiria and her husband, and their friend Riordan, are not the only ones here from medieval times. Most guests, however, come from my own century – but from many different times in the reign of our beloved monarch, George III, and even (if I correctly understand some of the hints I’ve heard) the reign of his successor, who is currently the Prince of Wales.

This must lead to some interesting discussions.

Not really. We seem to be unable to talk about anything that has happened between our own time and the times of the people we are talking to. For example, my cousin-in-law, Mrs Julius Redepenning came to the inn with us out of the year 1810, but her husband thinks it is still 1806, and prior to their marriage. It is both sad and amusing. He is a naval officer, you know, and on duty in the Far East. He left Mia on the day of their wedding, and they haven’t met since. But here in the inn, he is pursuing her without any idea of who she is.

But you don’t have the same difficulty talking with Lady Amiria.

No. The restriction only applies for those who know one another in their lives outside of the inn.

Ladies, tell us a little about your time here at The Crock and Bull Inn.

Amiria: Well, I am not sure where to begin, as there have been so many people showing up at this magical inn that it has been hard to keep up with all of them. Rooms have been appearing and musical instruments for the ladies to play upon. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed such entertainment. ‘Tis far superior than any bard who has come to perform in my hall.

Dristan has been enjoying the brandy of this time period, and I must admit that I, too, tasted a most pleasant ale. He has been wise to stay away from a man called Aldridge who seems to have a never-ending supply of the stuff. Dristan has threatened to take a bottle back with us, although Riorden suggested he leave it behind so as to not mess with the fabric of time, as Lady Katherine would attest. He would do well to heed Riorden’s advice; otherwise he and I will have speech that will not be to his liking.

Anne: My husband Rede has been greatly enjoying the time spent with his cousins. Lieutenant Julius Redepenning, as I said, is from our past. Major Harry Redepenning has come to the inn from a time in our future, and seems to have had some very unpleasant experiences in recent years. His behaviour at the inn has been less than exemplary, but Rede says it has been good for him to be able to relax.

The Marquis of Aldridge is also a cousin of Rede’s; the son of Rede’s aunt, the Duchess of Haverford. I would say that he is the despair of Aunt Eleanor’s heart, except that his brother Jonathan is just as bad, and their father, His Grace the Duke, is ten times as bad. Oh, please do not print that. I would not wish to distress Aunt Eleanor for the world.

To see Part Two of Lady Amiria and Lady Anne’s interview, please go to the blog of Bluestocking Belle Jude Knight at this link:  http://wp.me/p58yDd-i1

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