Writing the Tormented Hero - Ends 10/29

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Enter to win a copy of The Making of a Gentleman - To enter you must be a member of the NOR newsletter, leave the first bit of your email address on the post, and leave a meaningful comment. USA / Canada Shipping only. No P.O. Boxes. Publisher to ship prize. Two winners will be selected. Contest Ends 10/29/2010

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Writing the Tormented Hero by Shana Galen

We all love a tortured hero. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights comes to mind as does the Duke of Jervaulx from Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm. There’s something about these tormented men that makes us, as readers, want to save them. We root for the heroine, hoping her unique qualities will melt the ice around the hero’s heart.

I’ve written many damaged heroes. They’ve felt guilt or remorse, wanted revenge or justice, and felt as though they didn’t deserve to be loved. But I have never written what I would call a tormented hero…until now.

When I first had the idea for the Sons of the Revolution series, it was Armand’s book, The Making of a Gentleman, that initially came to me. I wanted to write a book about a man who’d been lost—imprisoned for twelve years and forgotten after the French Revolution. As the series unfolded, I realized I needed to write Armand’s older brother’s story first. In The Making of a Duchess, Julien discovers Armand tucked away in the garret of a French prison. When he’s rescued, Armand is barely human, unable or unwilling to speak or interact.

That’s where The Making of a Gentleman begins and where my trouble began as well. In theory I loved the idea of the tormented hero, so scarred by his abuse and loneliness in prison that he can no longer speak. He’s little more than a monster and knows it. But as I began to write Armand’s story, I faced a bit of torment myself. How does one write a chapter in the mind of such a tortured soul? How does one make a novel where the hero doesn’t speak for the first few chapters interesting? How does one repair such a man?

In the end, I had to descend into Armand’s suffering in order to better understand him. Could he not speak, or did he refuse? Why did he refuse? What did he fear? And what or who would tempt him to speak again?

Therein lays the mystery in The Making of a Gentleman. As I came to know Armand, and as our heroine Felicity comes to know him, I discovered he has many secrets. Dangerous secrets. Secrets men would and have killed for. It’s no wonder he’s reluctant to speak, especially when his past surfaces again. But as we all know, love is more powerful than fear. Armand cannot resist the charms of Felicity. He wants her more than he wants to save himself. And in the end, he wants to protect her more than anything else.

I love a challenge and writing The Making of a Gentleman definitely took me out of my comfort zone. And perhaps that’s why we love the tortured hero. He forces us to step out of our safe, happy, comfortable world for just a little while. What about you? Are there any tortured heroes you particularly love?

I hope you’ll pick up The Making of a Gentleman. Visit my website at www.shanagalen.com for excerpts and contests.

THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN BY SHANA GALEN—IN STORES OCTOBER 2010

“Galen’s signature sense of humor, expertly blended with deep emotions, will hold readers captive right to the end.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Lively dialogue, breakneck pace and a great sense of fun.”

—Publishers Weekly

Twelve years in prison has stripped him of his humanity…

Armand, Comte de Valère has lost the ability to interact with polite society, until his family hires him a beautiful tutor, and he starts to come alive again… Saving him is her only chance to escape a terrible fate…

Felicity Bennett vows she’ll do whatever it takes to help Armand fight back the demons that have held him captive for so long…

With Felicity’s help, Armand begins to heal, until a buried secret threatens to destroy their growing passion…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shana Galen is the author of five Regency historicals, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold in Brazil, Russia, and the Netherlands and featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. Shana is a happily married wife and mother of a daughter and a spoiled cat and lives in Houston, Texas where she is working on the final book in the Brothers of the Revolution series, The Making of a Rogue, which will be in stores in 2011. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com.

Romance through the Ages - Ends 10/29

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Romance through the Ages

Certain times – and ages – call for reflection. Since today happens to be my birthday, and it’s a landmark one (40, shhhh!), it makes me reflect on the concept of romance through the ages. Does love change as we change?

Mr. Geoffrey Krush, appropriately named, gave me my first ring and asked me to marry him while we were in kindergarten. We were five years old, and rode the bus sitting next to each other. The plastic little lamb ring looked like it came from a penny machine. The crush ended when Geoff moved away. I kept the ring for years, and eventually it was lost.

The second ring came from Vaughn, who was two years older and lived at the end of our cul-de-sac, when I was in fourth grade. My father insisted that I give back the graceful thin gold band with the red ruby. When Vaughn refused to take it, I stashed it inside of my R2D2 toy: the little robot’s chest compartment acted as the perfect hiding spot.

Love becomes more complicated in junior high and high school. One goes from incessant wonderings of “does he like me?” to “I could never live without him.” I’ve heard some wish for that “lightning strike” of romance again, that all-powerful, consuming love.

Does it exist as an adult?

Some keep that young love, finding a lasting romance early, and they grow together over time. For me, coming into my own with increased self-confidence of my early ’20s created an explosion of choices. I possessed the power to decide who I wanted to date, and unfortunately, not all those choices were the most wise. Ah, the 20s contained the most heartbreak: The most vulnerable/risk-taking, and truly thinking, “This may be the one,” only for it not to happen. Now, the experiences have become groundwork for characters. I know what it’s like to have my boyfriend break up with me on New Year’s Eve, right before the party we were supposed to attend. Rather than sharing a magical kiss at midnight, I lay in the darkness of my room, crying, and listening to the sounds of fireworks and celebrations around me.

Thankfully, those times live in the past.

Then comes marriage and children – a whole new wealth of changes and loving. Love these days is tender and kind, and I do admit that there are still times, after 10 years, when I look at my husband and get that flutter through my stomach and the telltale ache in the palm of my hand.

So while reflecting on love through the ages, tell me: How has love and romance changed for you over time, and how do you reflect that in your writing? Is there a certain age of character that you enjoy reading and/or writing about?

Foul-mouthed Mr. Darcy - Ends 10/30

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Dear readers,

I’m very happy to be guest blogging at Night Owl Romance and thank you, Tammie for inviting me back. This time I’m promoting my new book My Darcy Mutates…which is a collection of 14 Pride and Prejudice-inspired steamy short stories.

When you read your favourite books, will your mind spin with a lot of “what-if” and cross-over scenarios about the characters? That’s what happened to me when I read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Here is an excerpt from the book, a cross-over of Pride and Prejudice and Kitchen Nightmare. Be warned, the excerpt and the book are for adult only!

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“Where the bloody hell are you, Darcy?”

Elizabeth’s voice startled him from his reflection. Darcy was about to reply when the pantry door was pushed open with such a force that the hinges nearly flew apart. He was confronted with the sizzling hot vision of the pocket-sized dessert goddess wearing a red, silky halter top and tight white jeans. No wonder her chocolate sells so well. I wouldn’t mind visiting her shop every day if she wears clothes like this while serving me.

Darcy calmed his thoughts and spoke politely. “What can I do for you?”

Elizabeth walked a step closer to him, her hands on her hips. It was a most distracting sight for Darcy. As he was still sitting, his eyes were almost on the same level as her cleavage. And what cleavage! She was furious and breathing so hard that Darcy couldn’t help hoping the seam of her top would burst.

“What can you do for me? Can’t you wash your mouth out and rewrite your script for Charles a little bit more politely? Did you know that you had him saying ‘Fuck you!’ over 40 times in that script? Jane has a delicate heart, and she can’t take all this foul language and yelling.”

Lord, I’d love to fuck you too, again and again! Darcy thought. He was exhausted. He hadn’t been able to sleep well for months now, due to the erotic dreams he was having about this woman. On top of that, the shooting hadn’t been going smoothly, as Charles was too damn distracted by his angel. And now this woman was thrusting her breasts in front of him, invading his space with her sexy scent. He wanted to pull her onto his body and stop her yelling with violent kisses.

But he chose not to do that…yet. The pantry was not the right place. Instead he replied politely again. “It’s the truth. You want us here to rescue Longbourn, and we need Jane to act like a boss. Otherwise, there will be no Longbourn Restaurant any more.”

“Can’t you make the pill a bit sweeter to swallow? Do you have to ask Charles to swear every three minutes?”

“But that kind of television sells. I bet the footage with Jane in tears and Charles comforting her will shoot the ratings rocket-high.”

***

Well, what do you think about the pantry encounter between a modern day Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet? Speculate on what will happen next by commenting below, and you get a chance to win an ebook of My Darcy Mutates… and a lovely bookmark from Korea I bought during a recent hiking trip there. You’ve to register for Night Owl Romance’s newsletter to enter and leave the first part of your email address on the post. The contest will close on 30 October 2010 and is open to readers worldwide.

You can visit Enid’s website http://www.steamydarcy.com for sales information about My Darcy Mutates…

Why did those women wear dresses? - Ends 10/29

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Why did those women wear dresses? by Mary Wine

Thanks so much for having me here today. I’m celebrating the release of my latest book…Highland HelcCat. For those of you who got your hands on a copy of ‘To Conquer a Highlander’ this newest release will pick up where that book ended. Connor Lindsey will be looking to follow his friends example and marry, only he already has a betrothed. The only problem is…she’s in love with another man so he decided to take her sister instead….

As I’m writing and researching these books, I thought I’d share a little information on just why women ended up in dresses. I mean, it’s sort of interesting to me when I look back all the way to ancient Egypt and see what people are wearing. When you’re looking that far back there’s one point that is most important, function. Sure, those ancient Egyptians liked fashion as much as we do today but for the general population, clothing was about practicality. If you’re living in a dessert, with no sunscreen and limited water for washing…I can see how a light weight robe that covered all those places sand can get into …would be an ideal garment. Sand fly’s everywhere and it’s logical to see how wrapping my head up might keep those little grains out of my hair.

Now going up through the ages, you see a lot of robes. Some of this is due to the fact that spinning techniques for fiber were rough and you didn’t get an ultra fine thread such as we have today. What that meant was that you didn’t want to cut the fabric because it would unravel. Think of burlap. So the lengths of fabric would be woven and sewn together to make a boxy looking robe.

But that robe didn’t protect the inside of the thighs. This is where I see a splitting of fashion between the genders. The reason goes back to functionality. Men harvested the fields, using hand tools and the stalks of the plants most likely were very rough on unprotected skin. The easiest solution is to pull the tail of the robe up in front and tuck it through a belt, but with time people began to sew the fabric into something that would do the job…like pants. These came in very handy for riding horses to. I shudder to think of riding in a robe…

So why did that leave women in skirts? Well…these people didn’t have time for chores that didn’t need doing…Who cleans a clean house? I’ve got my hands full cleaning when it’s dirty! I believe the same was true for them. Women were in the home, so a longer length robe kept the legs warm. Just like anything else, when it’s just always been that way, it’s easy to say it’s correct. I your mother wore a long robe and her mother did too…I can see how it began to be considered a woman’s garment. The kilt is not a skirt but that’s another topic.

Thanks for having me today and drop by my website for excerpts of what I have coming next. Check out the cover for Highland Heat (which is coming out next Spring!)…it’s my favorite! MaryWine.com

HIGHLAND HELLCAT BY MARY WINE—IN STORES OCTOBER 2010


“Hot enough to warm even the coldest Scottish Nights…”

—Publishers Weekly Starred Review of To Conquer a Highlander

He wants a wife he can control…

Connor Lindsey is a Highland laird, but his clan’s loyalty is hard won and he takes nothing for granted. He’ll do whatever it takes to find a virtuous wife, even if he has to kidnap her…

She has a spirit that can’t be tamed…

Brina Chattan has always defied convention. She sees no reason to be docile now that she’s been captured by a powerful laird and taken to his storm-tossed castle in the Highlands, far from her home.

When a rival laird’s interference nearly tears them apart, Connor discovers that a woman with a wild streak suits him much better than he’d ever imagined…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary Wine is a multi-published author in romantic suspense, fantasy and western romance; now her interest in historical reenactment and costuming has inspired her to turn her pen to historical romance. She lives with her husband and sons in southern California, where the whole family enjoys participating in historical reenactment. For more information, please visit http://www.marywine.com/website/.

The Alure of Demons - Ends 10/15

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Enter to win one of two prizes. Prize One: 1 copy Del Fantasma: Demonade and 1 eCopy Del Fantasma: Tiger Juice ebooks. Second Prize: 1 eCopy Del Fantasma: Demonade ebook. 

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The Alure of Demons

Paranormal books have been popular now for sometime. We've read dark, demonic characters, vampires, werewolves, djinn, who are the hero or heroine of a romance. I confess I'm still not tired of paranormal characters yet.

My newest release has a heroine who is half demon. Trudy lives on life force, and can easily kill a human. Her life is a balancing act--surviving but trying to do no lasting harm, because she has a moral core where killing others is not acceptable, not who she wants to be. But she can't be free of her nature, so she struggles with life. And therein lies my interest in her. Her survival requires her to take--but she lives her whole existence built around not taking too much, not killing.

How many women can understand living a balancing act? Our issues are more mundane, careers, family, interests. But still we stress. Sometimes it seems hard to schedule in a needed haircut or exercise hour. There's laundry and errands and cupcakes for the second grade party! We stay up late finishing chores, then go to bed and think about things we need to do tomorrow. Paranormal heroes and heroines are in conflict with their world on a larger scale than we are, yet deep within we can understand their struggle. Their very nature makes it alluring to give in to the wild side, commit those selfish acts...who hasn't felt like that? We understand that allure.

Time and time again we turn our back on that call of the wild and do the responsible thing. Our paranormal heroes and heroines fight their nature and do the right thing. And in romance fiction, they get their reward.

My story is a romance, so it has a happy ending. But more than that, my heroine doesn't fix everything by herself, she has the help of friends and loved ones. I think that is a great key to balancing life.

I hear chatter that the paranormal romance genre is passe but I don't really believe it will fade completely away. I think characters with a dark side resonate with us on a deep level and will continue to be written and read because of the intense conflict that surrounds them. I know I will continue to look for those dark demonic characters who live on the dark edge of romance fiction.

My new release: Del Fantasma: Demonade

Blurb:

Trudy lost her beloved sisters in eighteenth century Vienna, but she is a survivor. As a half human daughter of the demon Asmodeus, she is a psyvamp, ever young and beautiful. Unlike her dead sisters, she does not engage in relationships with men, instead she moves from club to party, city to city, stealing small amounts of life force from intoxicated young men, never staying long in any one place. She is lonely, but friendships do not work for one like her and relationships with men seem to be deadly for her kind.

The Del Fantasma is a unique place, friendly, where she can relax after her nightly hunts and alleviate a little of her loneliness. But Cody introduces her to a man, Professor Gabriel Di Russi, a former priest, a scholar of demonology who once was part of a secret priestly society that studied demons for the Church. He is not like the drunk young men she feeds from, or like the dying old men she sometimes marries. Gabriel is both fascinating and frightening, and he wants to interview her--and she agreed!

What has she done?

Buy Link: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/new-releases/del-fantasma-demonade/prod_316.html

Guys with Guitars - Ends 10/15

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Guys with Guitars by Olivia Cunning

I don’t know what it is about guitarists that I find so sexy. Perhaps, it’s the way they take charge of their instrument—fingers pressing flesh, I mean, strings firmly against a solid form. Maybe, it’s the passion they put into each note; each strum; each fingering.

It could be the release of creative energy flowing from their body while they perform.

Or that untouchable, element of mystery that surrounds them. An air of the forbidden.


Oh who am I kidding? It’s the whole package. I love guys with guitars. [Image: Guitar Hottie 1] My admiration for musicians began at an early age. Rock music has been a mainstay in my life for as long as I can remember. I can still remember Iron Butterfly’s In A Godda Da Vida throbbing through the entire house when I was a small child. And The Doors. Hendrix. Black Sabbath. The Eagles. Apparently, when you’re exposed to guitar-rich music as a toddler, it makes a lasting impression. I still can’t get enough of it.

In my debut novel, Backstage Pass, the hero is the lead guitarist of the fictional rock band, Sinners. Brian Sinclair takes charge of his guitar and makes it submit to his will. While, he presses his heroine, Myrna Evans, against his solid form (frequently) she doesn’t submit quite so easily. At least not emotionally. Physically, she’s all systems go and who can blame her? The man is delicious, and tender. Romantic. Creative... both on stage and off.

Brian definitely puts passion into each note he plays. Everything about this man is passionate. Myrna can’t help but respond to that passion, no matter how hard she tries to fight her affection.

Here’s Myrna’s reaction the first time she sees Brian perform on stage:

Myrna couldn’t take her eyes off Brian, not even to blink. She watched him stalk the stage, playing his guitar as if it were an extension of his fingers. It was almost as if he were making love to it. –from Backstage Pass

And later, when he dedicates a guitar solo her before a crowd of thousands:

Myrna no longer felt like she was standing in a jam-packed stadium. Brain was making love to her and recording notes on her body with a pen. On stage, Brian had his eyes closed while he played. Myrna felt a connection between herself and the man on stage. She wondered if he was thinking of her while he played for all these people. –from Backstage Pass What woman wouldn’t melt if a sexy rock star dedicated a unique composition to her? Brian is definitely full of creative energy and nothing makes it flow from his body like making love to uninhibited Myrna. The first time they get intimate, Brian composes a song on her naked body. The same one he dedicated to her on stage. And he doesn’t stop there. He composes song after song with Myrna in his arms. She’s his muse and he intends to make her his in every capacity.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be the obsession of a sexy musician? Have you ever wanted to be included as one of the band and see what goes on behind the scenes? Just grab an all access Backstage Pass to the excitement, the fun, the passion and the emotion and go on tour with Sinners. Be prepared for a wild ride!

BACKSTAGE PASS BY OLIVIA CUNNING—IN STORES OCTOBER 2010

Five stunning guys, one hot woman, and a feverish romance… For him, life is all music and no play…

When Brian Sinclair, lead songwriter and guitarist of the hottest metal band on the scene, loses his creative spark, it will take nights of downright sinful passion to release his pent-up genius…

She’s the one to call the tune…

When sexy psychologist Myrna Evans goes on tour with the Sinners, every boy in the band tries to seduce her. But Brian is the only one she wants to get her hands on… Then the two lovers’ wildly shocking behavior sparks the whole band to new heights of glory…and sin…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised on hard rock music, award-winning author Olivia Cunning has been known to travel over a thousand miles to see a favorite band in concert. She discovered her second love, steamy romance novels, as a teen—first, voraciously reading them and then penning her own. She lives in Hastings, Nebraska. For more information, please visit http://www.oliviacunning.com

What makes a hero? Ends 10/8

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What makes a hero? by Reece Butler

 As Reece Butler I write erotic cowboy romance with a happily-ever-after. Cowboy Sandwich, Cowboy Double-Decker and the first in my historical Bride Train series, Barefoot Bride for Three.

When you look for a romance, what type of hero do you want to read about? Not men who sit in an office in front of a computer all day. That’s too much like real life.

No, we want to read about men who build things or feed, protect and defend us.

These men go out in all kinds of weather. They face nasty things head on so they can Get The Job Done.

They ride horses and drive tractors, cement mixers, and all sort of trucks, police and emergency vehicles. Add all the machines required by the men in all the types of our armed forces and I could fill a book.

I’d rather write a book about heroic men. As you can tell by my published books, my favorite heroes are cowboys. Tall cowboys with wide shoulders wearing snug jeans. I found a way to mix my love of cowboys and happily ever after with erotic romance.

Back in the Wild West there were a lot of heroic men. Just surviving in those days took efforts few of us city folk can understand. It was a hard life, and only hard men prospered. It was also a mainly bachelor existence. Montana Territory in the late 1860s had about a hundred men for every decent single woman.

Back East, sweethearts had lost fiancés and husbands, either in the war or to the gold fields. Many wanted a family or to escape the life set forth for them, but how?

The government wanted to settle the west but single men were too wild to create towns. The West needed the civilizing influence of women.

Hmmm, what if the government encouraged the two groups to meet? Trains already headed east full of cattle and gold. Why not fill the cars on the return trip with women seeking marriage? Call it a Bride Train and advertise the stops along the way. The women could search for a husband and, by the time the train reached the end of the track, it would be empty.

Well, not quite. A few women would arrive at the end of the line without finding a suitable man to marry. They’d be uppity, willing to chance danger in order to get what they want. Just the sort of heroine to suit my hard Western heroes.

Since I write erotic romance, my fictional town of Tanner’s Ford has many bachelors eager to marry. Because of the amount of work required to run a ranch, three men often share a partnership. When the adventurous Bride Train heroine marries one, is it fair to have the other two partners spend their nights alone?

What’s better than one hunky cowboy hero? Three, of course!

Visit Tanner’s Ford and see what happens when a barefoot bride-to-be gets locked up in the town jail!

· Reece Butler’s website: www.reecebooks.net · e-books Barefoot Bride for Three, Cowboy Sandwich and Cowboy Double-Decker is available from Siren-BookStrand Inc. at http://www.sirenpublishing.com/reecebutler/

 · Cowboy Combo, containing Cowboy Sandwich and Cowboy Double-Decker, is available in print through Siren-BookStrand Inc. through the above link, as well as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Amazon: Click the Covers!

   

What Did They Wear? - Ends 10/5

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CONTEST: Answer one or all of the questions below and get into a drawing to win a download of The Spurned Viscountess, a Georgian historical romance with gothic tones, by Shelley Munro. Contest ends 10/5/2010


What Did They Wear? by Shelley Munro

Fashion is an interesting concept. Like me, you're probably aware of current trends in clothes, books, movies, household items and gadgets even if you don't follow the latest fads. With our modern methods of communication, it's easy to keep up with new developments, and we discuss and pick apart new crazes in minute detail.

Recently I've started writing historical romances again. My favored eras are Georgian England (the 1700s) and 1940 England during World War II. There's an element of research that comes with writing any book but, with historicals, the study becomes just that bit more difficult. Ferreting out the small details to color a book with atmosphere means a lot of reading and research.

When it comes to fashion, there are actually quite a few sources to help the modern-day writer.

1. Garments in Museums and Private Collections.

Many museums have collections of clothing where a visitor can study the construction and fabrics.

Victoria & Albert Museum, London - http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/index.html

Museum of Costume, Bath - http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/default.aspx

2. Portraits.

Portraits are an excellent source since they show people of all backgrounds. The aristocrats tended to wear their best finery when they sat for portraits. Servants and lower classes were often depicted in ordinary clothes - the ones that didn't make it to museum collections.

National Portrait Museum - http://www.npg.org.uk

Erddig, National Trust house (Yorkes, the owners, were unusual in that they commissioned portraits of their servants.) http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-erddig.htm

Note - portraits don't usually depict extreme forms of fashion and artistic license sometimes came into play, meaning paintings can be a little misleading.

3. Periodicals

Newspapers of the day often described the clothes worn by the upper classes to balls and social functions, they mention the clothing worn by wanted persons and also advertised garments for sale. Magazines such as The Tatler, Lady's Magazine, London Journal and many more offer us these details.

4. Poems, Novels and Plays

Many 18th century poems allude to costume and fashion. The poems were popular, which tells us that people of the time were very interested in costume.

Books of the day mention fashions and habits of the day as do plays.

5. Diaries and Letters

Diary keeping was a common occurrence during this time and many interesting details can be gleaned from old diaries. People corresponded (those who could write) on a regular basis. Many letters have survived and provide interesting details as to the fashions of the day.

6. Domestic Bills and Accounts

Old records are available since most households kept account books, detailing expenditure. From these we can learn a lot about clothing and the costs. People altered and mended clothing to keep up with trends.

Of course, just because our fashion sources state this is what people wore, it doesn't mean that's what they donned without exception. Like most people, some of my clothes are modern while I own others that aren't fashionable. I keep wearing them because they're my favorites or because I can't afford to purchase new clothes. It was the same back in the eighteenth century.

They also had extremes of fashions. In the 18th century it was the Marconis. The Marconis did their Grand Tours in Italy and brought back news ideas. Here's a quote from English Costume in the Eighteenth Century by C. Willet and Phillis Cunnington.

“They make a most ridiculous figure with hats an inch in the brim that do not cover but lie upon the head, with about two pounds of fictitious hair formed into what is called a 'club' hanging down their shoulders. The end of the skirt of their coat reaches the first button of their breeches which are either brown striped or white; their coat sleeves are so tight that they can with difficulty get their arms through their cuffs… Their legs are covered with all the colors of the rainbow. Their shoes are scarce slippers…”

Article Source: English Costume in the Eighteenth Century by C. Willet and Phillis Cunnington.

While clothes aren't a huge part of my recent release, The Spurned Viscountess, my heroine Rosalind has problems with her apparel. I won't give away the details but, in one scene, she wore a brown open robe with bright yellow petticoats and likened herself to a bumblebee. At the start of the book, she wore a blue riding habit trimmed with gold. In other scenes, I mention gloves, lace caps and cloaks.

Lucien, my hero, isn't very adventurous with his clothing. He wears a lot of black breeches, plain waistcoats and jackets. He never powders his hair, scorning the fashion.

Charles, a secondary character, is very fashionable with the latest in lace trimmed shirts and embroidered waistcoats. He powders his hair and is always dressed as is proper for the occasion.

Do you like to follow fashions? Is there a particular item of clothing or fashion you just had to possess while you were growing up? What favorite item of clothing would you like your ancestors to see?

Here's the blurb for The Spurned Viscountess.

She must marry him.

Cursed with the sight and rumors of witchcraft, Rosalind's only chance at an ordinary life is marriage to Lucien, Viscount Hastings. She doesn't expect love, only security and children of her own. Determined to go through with the wedding, she allows nothing she encounters at the gloomy Castle St. Clare to dissuade her.

He wants nothing to do with her.

Recently returned from the Continent, Lucien has no time for the English mouse his family has arranged for him to marry, not when he's plotting to avenge the murder of his beloved Francesca. He has no intention of bedding Rosalind, not even to sire an heir.

Dark secrets will bind them.

Though spurned by her bridegroom, Rosalind turns to him for protection when she is plagued by a series of mysterious accidents and haunted by terrifying visions. Forced to keep Rosalind close, and tempted into passionate kisses, Lucien soon finds himself in grave danger of falling in love with his own wife…

The Spurned Viscountess is now available from Carina Press.

Purchase link: http://ebooks.carinapress.com/3A52715B-1906-49C0-B791-53547422387D/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID=B0F62E03-2FCB-4C6C-8FD3-92ADB2474FA0

Shelley Munro lives in New Zealand and enjoys both writing and reading historical romance. While she's interested in fashion, she doesn't always follow it, preferring to forge her own path and make her own style. Just ask her husband! You can visit Shelley and learn more about her books at http://www.shelleymunro.com

Romancing the Stone Cold Killer - Ends 10/10

Posted by Night Owl Reviews in

11 comments

Romancing the Stone...Cold Killer

I've read and enjoyed all kinds of romance novels: paranormal romance, historical romance, contemporary romance, humorous romance (aka ChickLit), but my favourite romance involves that element of danger and suspense. So it's no wonder that when I decided to write a romance novel that it would be a romantic suspense.

I think it's the tension I love. Or should I say, tensions. In a romantic suspense, there is that element of sexual tension that you'll find in most romance novels, the kind that makes you want to scream, "Just kiss him already!" Then there's the tension that stems from impending danger, the kind that makes you want to scream, "Run! Get out of there! Don't trust that guy!" You can also find this element of tension in many historical romances.

I love creating tension. In everything I write. I want you to stay suspended at times, unsure of what will happen next. I want to feed you small bits of tension, just enough to let you know there's more to come. Then―BAM―I slam you with a twist that makes your stomach churn. That's my goal. That's what makes a romantic suspense work.

In Lancelot's Lady, there is tension in multiple formats, from Rhianna's nervousness about her job interview, to her confusion at ending up on an island that isn't what she'd thought, to meeting the owner of the island, a man who isn't happy to see her there, to the introduction of Winston Chambers, a sleazy PI with insatiable needs who, at first, seems only interested in blackmail.

But Winston Chambers isn't just after money. He's seen Rhianna's photo and has grown peculiarly attached to her. He has desires. And needs. Needs that money can buy, but that leave him dissatisfied in the end. Winston has control issues. He wants to control women. He's greedy, seedy and very dangerous. He's got his sight set on Rhianna...and he'll do whatever it takes to own her.

In Lancelot's Lady, you'll find enough tension to hopefully keep you reading and enough passion to keep you yearning for more. Romance novels are an escape from the everyday life of work, children, finances and responsibilities. It's a guilty pleasure and a guilty right. And it's a way to dream, regardless of how "realistic" a romance novel is. Above all, romance novels remind us that there is love in this world. We just have to be open to it.

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com.

Prizes and Giveaways: Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

What's your favourite sub-genre of romance: paranormal, historical, chicklit, romantic suspense, etc? Why?