Category Archives: 2017

Throughout time, it has never been too late for love…

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

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Welcome, Time Travelers, to 1181.

You’ve arrived in the year of my novella, The Piper’s Lady, which appears in the Bluestocking Belles’ box set Never too Late. I hope you enjoyed your visit to 1814 when you traveled to Vauxhall & Drury Lane via Susana Ellis’s blog last week here. Did you leave her a comment for our giveaway? Be sure to do so along with leaving one for me here on my blog! But we have lots of time traveling to do so read on…

You’ve now found yourself in medieval, England… Sorry about the war, harsh living condition, and bad drinking water but there is a lot more happening at the time of my story…

Ruler of England
Henry II (1133-1189) is king of England in 1181, and he’s part of the good news. He’s building up our court systems and seems to be very big on the rule of law, something that may catch on. He and Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) had eight children but of course they haven’t all lived to adulthood. One who did is known as Richard the Lionheart (1157-1199). Unfortunately, several of them have led revolts to secure the succession and are eager to acquire power and lands.

Their mother, Eleanor is one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe at this time. Henry II might be called a ruthless ruler in his determination to restore the lands and privileges of his grandfather Henry I, but he has done a good job of strengthening England’s borders with Wales and Scotland. He’s also used the country’s wealth to fund a long-running war with his rivals in France.

Lovers

The tale of Tristan and Iseult is one of the favorite tales at this time. The story is a tragic one about the adulterous love between the Cornish knight Tristan and an Irish princess Iseult (Isolde). However terrible the ending to their story, we love it and believe it will have a substantial impact on Western art and the idea of romantic love.

The Lives of Lovers ~ What they ate…

My characters in The Piper’s Lady are members of the nobility and what they eat is far different from the food of commoners or even kings. They eat plenty of fresh game seasoned with exotic spices and display refined table manners, and have wine on a daily basis. Their servants and the lower classes drink ale or mead. Meals are usually a communal affair and my Knights of Berwyck gather in the Great Hall for their meals.

What they wore…

We care about fashion in 1181, just like your own time. Men wear an inner tunic or shirt with long tight sleeves and drawers or braies. Tailored cloth leggings called chausses or hose (separate garments for each leg) are often worn with an outer tunic that reached to their knees or ankles. A recent innovation the surcoat has been well received and is worn by both men and women.  The knights in my story, wear chainmail to go to war or practice in the lists. Full body armor, which you might think of when envisioning a knight in shining armor, won’t be introduced until later. Women wore an under tunic called a chemise (usually made of linen), over which is worn one or more long tunics (or gowns/kirtles). A close fit to the body, full skirts and long flaring sleeves are characteristic of my characters in The Piper’s Lady. They also wear a veil over their hair that was often parted in the center and hung down in long braids.

Where they live…

My characters from The Piper’s Lady live in a castle called Berwyck located at the England/Scotland border. Note:  although there is in fact a castle located at Berwick-Upon-Tweed, little remains of it in your century as the foundation was torn down to build other structures in the area during intervening centuries. As an author, I decided to change the spelling of the castle name and, as my time traveling ladies will attest, the castle will still be thriving in the future.

 Barriers to Love…

Marriage in 1181 usually happens to gain power, wealth and lands, at least for the nobility. Commoners have to seek permission from their master in order to marry or they will be punished. Lady Coira Easton and Garrick of Clan MacLaren from The Piper’s Lady also have had the problem that Garrick is not a knight. Since he holds no title, Coira’s cousin, Lord Dristan of Berwyck, may not give so readily his permission for the match. But love always finds a way…

 

Giveaway!

Comment on all eight blogs in the tour and be entered to win a $25 gift voucher from Amazon and a print copy of Never Too Late!

You can get to all eight blogs via the time machine page on our Bluestocking Belle’s website once all tour stops are published. Next week you’ll slip through time and find yourself in 1324 via Nicole Zoltack’s blog here!

Fare thee well, time traveler! Try not to land in the midst of the Black Plague, the Great Fire of London or the sack of Rome!

About The Piper’s Lady:

True love binds them. Deceit divides them. Will they choose love?

Lady Coira Easton spent her youth traveling with her grandfather. Now well past the age men prefer when they choose a wife, she has resigned herself to remain a maiden. But everything changes once she arrives at Berwyck Castle. She cannot resist a dashing knight who runs to her rescue, but would he give her a second look?

Garrick of Clan MacLaren can hold his own with the trained Knights of Berwyck, but as the clan’s piper they would rather he play his instruments to entertain them—or lead them into battle—than to fight with a sword upon the lists. Only when he sees a lady across the training field and his heart sings for the first time does he begin to wish to be something he is not.

Will a simple misunderstanding between them threaten what they have found in one another or will they at last let love into their hearts?

Buy Links:

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Blog Swap with my guest Ariella Moon

19 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by in 2017, New Releases

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Today I would like to welcome my guest Ariella Moon. Ariella and I are swapping blogs today to feature our latest releases. Read on for an excerpt from Ariella’s latest novel, The Amber Elixir. Isn’t her cover just stunning?

Excerpt:

Glynis, a priestess of Avalon, Viviane’s handmaiden and more, shook her head. “All this because you stole Merlin’s spell book.”

“Merlin challenged me to steal the tome, remember? I bested him, and he retaliated by imprisoning me in ice!”

Glynis’s knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip on the cloth bundle she carried. “Challenged? We are no longer nine years old, nor Merlin eleven. He is King Arthur’s Mage now, and you are the Lady of the Lake. The time for childish games has long passed.”

“I—”

“Merlin encased you in ice! You could have died.” Hurt and fury tinged Glynis’s words. “For all I knew, you had died.”

“Had I not cast a spell forward in time, and brought back the one person who could free me—”

“Lady Fenella paid a high price for helping you. We all did.”

“Glynis, I—” She stepped towards Glynis, but the priestess backed away, rocking the barge. Rebuffed, Viviane breathed in the cold acrid air then rubbed her arms inside her heavy cloak. In a softened voice she said, “My remorse knows no bounds.”

“You appear unharmed.” Glynis brushed back an errant lock of her pale blond hair. “Merlin’s spell must have protected you from the cold.”

“He cast it so I would suffer…just enough to remind me he is the master, and I, the apprentice.” The memory of Merlin’s cruel punishment—his betrayal—still shivered her core.

Glynis shook her head. “After three years of formal apprenticeship—”

“Each dark moon.”

“It has come to this. Why did Merlin imprison you here? Surely he knew your sanctuary would be ruined.”

“Spite. Revenge. Jealousy.” She frowned at the water’s unnatural green bloom.

“Mayhap.” Glynis’s eyebrows pinched together.

“’Tis the only explanation.” Viviane fumed.

“Merlin is impulsive, but he acts with purpose.” Glynis adjusted the sack. “Mayhap he wondered why you needed a sanctuary on another isle. Was Avalon not enough? Were your priestesses such disappointments, that even Avalon’s lake provided inadequate escape?”

Viviane stepped closer. “You never disappointed me.”

Glynis averted her gaze.

“No lessons, no rituals fully prepared me for becoming Lady of the Lake. I came to the sanctuary to remember my roots.” She frowned as she spied a scorched stump, the sad remains of an ancient pine she used to sit beneath. Viviane’s voice fell to a husky whisper. “I clung to the part of me that is still human.”

“But your one true desire had been to become a goddess—the Lady of the Lake.”

Viviane uttered a harsh laugh. “As usual, I had not fully thought through the consequences—such as outliving the people I love.”

High color bloomed in Glynis’s cheeks.

Blurb:

 Viviane, the new Lady of the Lake and High Priestess of Avalon, accepts a challenge from Merlin unaware her bold actions will have tragic consequences. Two of her priestesses are turned to stone. A forbidden love deserts her. Now alone, she has six young handmaidens to train and protect.

When Morgan le Fay demands assistance with a spell that could change the balance of power in the Two Realms, Viviane refuses her. But what if Morgan’s secret knowledge could restore the stone priestesses? Would an alliance with the sorceress prompt Viviane’s love to return? Or will the gamble cost her all she holds dear?

Buy Links
Amazon US | Barnes and Noble | Kobo
Amazon AU | Amazon CA | Amazon BR | Amazon DE | Amazon ES | Amazon FR | Amazon IN | Amazon IT | Amazon JP | Amazon MX | Amazon NL | Amazon UK

About Ariella Moon

Ariella Moon draws upon her experiences as a shaman to create magical Young Adult fiction. Her series include The Two Realms Trilogy, a medieval Scotland and Fairy fantasy romance, Two Realms Novellas, origin stories of characters and magic in the Two Realms, and The Teen Wytche Saga, a series of sweet contemporary paranormal romances. Ariella’s “Covert Hearts” appears in Second Chances: A Romance Writers of America Collection.

Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students that mistook her for a leaning post, marred her youth. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. She lives a nearly normal life doting on her extraordinary daughter, two shamelessly spoiled dogs, and a media-shy dragon.

Ariella loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at:

http://www.ariellamoon.com
http://www.ariellamoon.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/ariellamoon.author
http://www.goodreads.com/AuthorAriellaMoon
http://www.pinterest.com/ariellamoon/
http://instagram.com/authorariellamoon

Find my excerpt from The Piper’s Lady within the Bluestocking Belles box set, Never Too Late here.

 

Cover Reveal for Caroline Warfield

03 Sunday Sep 2017

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Cover Reveal!

This beautiful cover for Caroline Warfield’s 2017 Christmas Novella comes with the announcement that the book is available for pre-order from various retailers.

Love is the best medicine and the sweetest things in life are worth the wait, especially at Christmastime in Venice for a stranded English Lady and a dedicated doctor.

About the Book

Lady Charlotte Tyree clings to one dream—to see the splendor of Rome before settling for life as the spinster sister of an earl. But now her feckless brother forces her to wait again, stranded in Venice when he falls ill, halfway to the place of her dreams. She finds the city damp, moldy, and riddled with disease.

As a physician, Salvatore Caresini well knows the danger of putrid fever. He lost his young wife to it, leaving him alone to care for their rambunctious children. He isn’t about to let the lovely English lady risk her life nursing her brother.

But Christmas is coming, that season of miracles, and with it, perhaps, lessons for two lonely people: that love heals the deepest wounds and sometimes the deepest dreams aren’t what we expect.

Pre-order links:

Amazon  |  Smashwords

About the Author

 Traveler, poet, librarian, technology manager—award winning and Amazon best-selling author Caroline Warfield has been many things (even a nun), but above all she is a romantic. Having retired to the urban wilds of eastern Pennsylvania, she reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures while she nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart. She is enamored of history, owls, and gardens (but not the actual act of gardening). She is also a regular contributor to History Imagined, a blog at the intersection of history and fiction, and (on a much lighter note) The Teatime Tattler, a blog in the shape of a fictional nineteenth century gossip rag.

Her current series, Children of Empire, set in the late Georgian/early Victorian period, focuses on three cousins, driven apart by lies and deceit, who must find their way back from the distant reaches of the empire.

Click here to find out more here.

Medieval Monday with guest Elisabeth Hobbes

29 Monday May 2017

Posted by in 2017, Medieval Monday

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Hello everyone and welcome to another Medieval Monday! We’re continuing our medieval author introductions this week. My guest today is Elisabeth Hobbes who will tell you why she enjoys writing medieval romances. Enjoy!

Why I write Medieval Romance

I’m sure my love of the Middle Ages is mainly due to where I’m from. The city of York has a rich history dating back to the Vikings and Romans but many of the surviving buildings are medieval. We have The Shambles (the low rows of cottages looming towards each other that housed the city’s butchers) the magnificent Minster and Guild houses, streets of Medieval buildings too numerous to mention and the magnificent gated walls which still encircle the town. I spent most of my teenage years wandering around the city looking for a handsome Roman or Viking to sweep me off my feet. Sadly this never happened but growing up somewhere like that it was impossible not to develop a passion for the period as I walked to and from school past castles and ruins imagining the lives and loves of the people who came before me.

The Medieval period had very clearly defined conventions, social structure and strict codes of behavior, and transgressing these had real, life threatening consequences. Not for my characters the genteel Regency ballroom and risk of being ‘cut’ by the Ton. Put a foot wrong in my world and you’ll find yourself on the wrong end of the sword not a snapping fan! It was a time of conquest and conflict, tournaments and battles. Life was harsh and dangerous, life expectancy was low but the period gave rise to the code of chivalry and some of the greatest architecture still standing.

Bio:

Elisabeth’s writing career began when she entered her first novel, Falling for Her Captor, into Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. She finished in third place and was offered a two book contract. She has since written five novels for Harlequin Mills & Boon with settings and eras ranging from the turbulent events of post-Conquest Cheshire to the thrilling tournaments of thirteenth century York.

As well as writing Elisabeth is a part time teacher and full time mum to two children. She spends whatever spare time she has reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book.

Elisabeth’s other hobbies include horse riding, skiing, Arabic dance, fencing and exploring dreadful tourist attractions, none of which has made it into a story yet. She loves ginger mojitos, historical fiction and has a fondness for dark haired, bearded heroes.

Elisabeth lives in Cheshire because her car broke down there when she was house hunting and she never left.

Find Elisabeth at:

viewAuthor.at/ElisabethHobbes
Amazon Author page

 

Happy Book Birthday ~ Nothing But Time

16 Tuesday May 2017

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Today I’m celebrating the release of my newest book: Nothing But Time, A Family of Worth Book One. This prequel has been a long time in the making in preparation of publishing the release of the very first manuscript I ever wrote, One Moment In Time, which will feature Gwendolyn’s brother. You can find more information on Nothing But Time on the tab above or here.

Enjoy this short excerpt of Gwendolyn’s thoughts when she first see Neville Quinn, the Earl of Drayton. I hope you enjoy my newest novel and thank you for your support.


Excerpt:

Gwendolyn peeked through lowered lashes at the man who had held her attention. She had not meant to be caught staring at him but she could in no way pull her gaze from his. With a single glance, her heart fell, silently crying at the injustice of it all. No man should be so handsome, nor should she experience a connection with a complete stranger clear on the other side of the room. She gazed into the depths of her tea wondering if perhaps it was laced with something that caused her infatuation with a stranger.

She had watched his companion leave their table and Gwendolyn needed to stifle a satisfied smile the moment he was left alone. His clothes suggested he was wealthy, for they were immaculate. His hair was a deep rich auburn and she could see where the light of the dining room reflected the hints of red within the depths of his locks. His eye color could not be determined from this distance but that did not matter in the least. He was the first man who had ever made her heart flip end over end. Such an emotion certainly never happened with her husband and she knew it ever would.

Nothing But Time, A Family of Work: Book One
Genre: Regency
Heat Level: Steamy

Buy Links:
Amazon US  |  Barnes and Noble  |  iBooks |  Kobo  |Amazon AU  |  Amazon BR  |  Amazon CA |  Amazon DE  |  Amazon ES  |  Amazon FR  |  Amazon IN  |  Amazon IT  |  Amazon JP  |  Amazon MX  |  Amazon NL  |  Amazon UK

One lonely kitten needs a home!

29 Saturday Oct 2016

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Hollystone Hall is not only filled to capacity with guests attending a house party, but there are kittens running amuck and getting under foot everywhere you turn! Read an excerpt from my novella, A Kiss for Charity, within the Bluestocking Belles upcoming holiday box set, Holly and Hopeful Hearts.

Excerpt:

Nicholas shrugged out of his jacket and threw it upon the chair by the fireplace. A soft muffled sound, followed by the movement of the garment, had him peering over the back of the chair. He picked up his coat and saw a small ginger tabby kitten curled up in a fur ball of fluff. Its tail twitched.

“Mew.”

The poor little thing was the color of marmalade, with dark stripes from the tips of its ears to the end of its tail. Bright green eyes stared up at him.

“Mew,” the kitten repeated.

Nicholas had always been fonder of dogs than cats, but he picked up the animal all the same. “Where did you come from?” he asked.

Blanche would just love this little baby to coddle. The small beast began to purr ferociously, content when Nicholas began to scratch behind its ears.

Nicholas tugged at his cravat with his free hand until he heard a soft knock at his door. Unsure who was disturbing him, he went to the door to open it, and the feline took the opportunity to scamper out of his arms and out the door.

The fact that the kitten decided not to remain in his company was hardly something to be concerned about. The lady who stood at his open door, however, was.

He frowned. Apparently the silent signals he had been giving the woman were not clear enough, since she now took a chance of being found out by knocking at his door at this hour.

“Grace…” Her name came out of his mouth before he could take the word back.

“Nicholas…” His name, as it passed her lips, almost caused his heart to stop its beating.

He opened the door wider to let her decide if she would enter or not. Apparently he was a glutton for punishing himself because he had no idea what the hell he was doing allowing her entrance into his bedroom of all places.

 A Kiss for Charity by Sherry Ewing

Young widow, Grace, Lady de Courtenay, is more concerned with improving her mind than finding another husband. But how was she to know that a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would spark her interest and make her yearn for love again?

Lord Nicholas Lacey has been on his own for far too long after losing his wife in a tragic accident. After a rare trip to a masquerade, his attention is captivated by a lovely young woman. Considering the dubious company she keeps, perhaps she might be interested in becoming his mistress…

From the darkened paths of Vauxhall Gardens to a countryside estate called Hollystone Hall, Nicholas and Grace must set aside their differences in order to let love into their hearts. It will take more than a dose of holiday cheer to see these two on the road to finding their happily-ever-after and a kiss for charity may just be what they both need.

A Kiss for Charity is one of eight novellas within the Bluestocking Belles 2016 holiday box set, Holly and Hopeful Hearts, with 25% of the proceeds benefiting the Belles’ mutual charity the Malala Fund. Release date November 8, 2016.

Holly and Hopeful Hearts  a Bluestocking Belles Collection

When the Duchess of Haverford sends out invitations to a Yuletide house party and a New Year’s Eve ball at her country estate, Hollystone Hall, those who respond know that Her Grace intends to raise money for her favorite cause and promote whatever marriages she can. Eight assorted heroes and heroines set out with their pocketbooks firmly clutched and hearts in protective custody. Or are they?

Buy Links

Amazon US  | Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Smashwords

 Amazon AU  |  Amazon BR  |  Amazon CA  |  Amazon DE  |   Amazon FR  |  Amazon UK

KITTEN GIVEAWAY
Looks like the little tabby kitten in A Kiss for Charity
has adopted Grace as her new owner.
Enter my giveaway for your chance to win one of your own!
The winner for the stuffed tabby kitten will be announced at the Belles’ Facebook event on November 13th.

 Join our Hopeful Hearts Ball Facebook  here