ALISON STUART NEWS...
Notes from Alison's Typewriter is the place to go for all Alison's news and updates on books... exclusive content, contests and more!
|
I am excited to welcome Renée Dahlia to Ms. Stuart’s table. Renée’s debut novel releases on 25 March with Escape. Set in Amsterdam in the mid-Victorian era, To Charm a Bluestocking evokes a discussion around early female education. I asked Renee about her story... What inspired this novel? My great-grandmother was one of the first graduates of medical school in Holland. I thought about what challenges she would have faced, and how many of those challenges still resonate today. The heroine in To Charm a Bluestocking wants to be a doctor, but medical training in England is not open to female students. She is forced to travel to Europe, where attitudes were less strict. There she meets two friends and they have a series of adventures. In the course of writing our books, there is always a fascinating piece of research that we stumble on. What stands out for you? Amsterdam in the 1880s was a hot bed of social change. The university opened its doors to a wider patronage, and included women in its intake. Not many women were educated beyond primary level, and only those whose parents could afford private tuition were able to attend university. The first female doctor graduated in 1875, and only twenty graduated prior to 1910. In July 1886, the poor neighbourhood of Jordaan saw the Eel Revolt occur. Eel pulling, a form of entertainment that ranks up there with bull fighting, had been forbidden by the authorities. An eel would be tied to a rope, then suspended across a canal. Contestants would boat underneath and try to pull the eel free, often falling into the canal to the amusement of onlookers. Organisers in 1886 went ahead with the contest, and police moved it to disperse the crowd. It soon turned ugly, and after two days of sword fighting between police and eel pullers, 26 people were dead and 136 wounded. Legend says that the eel involved was kept and sold at auction in 1913. Only a year later, the Orange Riots of 1887 occurred when socialist groups faced off with the police. I placed my characters into the Orange Riots. Similarly in England, there was the London Matchgirls Strike of 1888. About TO CHARM A BLUESTOCKING She wants to be one of the world’s first female doctors; romance is not in her plans. 1887: Too tall, too shy and too bookish for England, Lady Josephine moves to Holland to become one of the world’s first female doctors. With only one semester left, she has all but completed her studies when a power-hungry professor, intent on marrying her for her political connections, threatens to prevent her graduation. Together with the other Bluestockings, female comrades-in-study, she comes up with a daring, if somewhat unorthodox plan: acquire a fake fiancé to provide the protection and serenity she needs to pass her final exams. But when her father sends her Lord Nicholas St. George, he is too much of everything: too handsome, too charming, too tall and too broad and too distracting for Josephine’s peace of mind. She needed someone to keep her professor at bay, not keep her from her work with temptations of long walks, laughing, and languorous kisses. Just as it seems that Josephine might be able to have it all: a career as a pioneering female doctor and a true love match, everything falls apart and Josephine will find herself in danger of becoming a casualty in the battle between ambition and love. Read an excerpt...‘Yes, here on the front page. I will read it to you.’ She unfolded the newssheet and began to read. Socialists Riot in the Streets A massive demonstration turned ugly when socialists and Orangists, loyal to King William III, clashed yesterday alongside the Port of Amsterdam. The two groups rioted, ending in a standoff outside the socialist pub, Ship and Anchor, which was raised to the ground by revengeful Orangists. Among the great scenes of chaos, several Orangists were injured by the mob and four socialists were killed as they tried to defend the Ship and Anchor. The publican at the Ship and Anchor was counted among the dead. The King’s military was dispatched to deal with the rioting mob, but it was several hours before the situation was diffused. The Ship and Anchor has been completely destroyed, while many other shop fronts have been smashed and vandalised. *** Photos of the eel riot here: http://dawlishchronicles.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/blood-in-streets-amsterdam-1886.html And here: http://www.24oranges.nl/2016/09/11/the-eel-riots-of-1886-ended-with-26-people-and-1-eel-dead/ ABOUT Renée DahliaRenée Dahlia is an unabashed romance reader who loves feisty women and strong, clever men. Her books reflect this, with a side-note of dark humour. Renée has a science degree in physics. When not distracted by the characters fighting for attention in her brain, she works in the horse racing industry doing data analysis. She writes for two racing publications, churning out feature articles, interviews and advertorials. When she isn’t reading or writing, Renée wrangles a husband, four children, and volunteers on the local cricket club committee. 
Today's guest is Cecelia Mecca who is showcasing her latest #historicalromance THE THIEF'S COUNTESS. With over 30 mostly 5 star reviews on Amazon, this is not a book to miss!
Cecelia is giving away a digital copy of THE THIEF'S COUNTESS to one lucky reader. Scroll down to enter the #Rafflecopter contest. 
Historical Romance
Date Published: 3/1/17
The Reiver
Sir Geoffrey has dedicated his life to exacting revenge on the men who killed his parents and stole his birthright. The son of a baron, he has been reduced to stealing the resources he needs to reclaim his family legacy. Just when he’s on the verge of success, his uncle asks him to put his plans on hold to help protect a wealthy countess. It’s a distraction Geoffrey resents, even more so when he meets Lady Sara. The gorgeous, complicated and alluring lady is everything he’d want in a woman—and everything he can’t have.
The Countess
With her betrothed coming to claim her hand in marriage and a distant cousin intent on usurping her earldom, Lady Sara Caiser feels beset by controlling, unwanted men. As if that weren’t enough, her father’s deathbed request was for two lawless border reivers to serve as her protectors. Despite her misgivings, an undeniable attraction pulls her into Sir Geoffrey’s arms. The man she thought nothing more than a thief is more dangerous than she believed, for he’s noble, caring and sinfully attractive. As the threats against her continue to mount, Sara must decide what’s more important—her duty or her heart.
About the Author 
A former English teacher, Cecelia combines two of her passions, romance novels and the middle ages, in debut novel The Thief’s Countess. Combining alpha male types and strong female heroines, Cecelia transports readers to an admittedly romanticized time of knights and castles.
After reading Johanna Lindsey and Judith McNaught, she started a manuscript twenty years ago when medieval romance was at its height of mainstream popularity. Picking it back up in 2015 when vampires and highlanders reigned supreme, Cecelia stuck to the genre she loved and brought medieval England back to life.
She lives in Northeast, Pennsylvania with her husband and two young children where she can be found either planning a Disney trip, watching period dramas or convincing her children to watch Star Wars. She is firmly House Stark and Gryffindor.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
There is never a dull moment when you are in the company of Elizabeth Ellen Carter. Her love of telling stories set in the past ranges from Ancient Rome to the catacombs of Paris and with her latest book, THIEF OF HEARTS, to the glamorous 1890s A fun story for the season. Will Caro unmask the The Phantom, the most audacious diamond thief since Raffles?    December 1890 London, England Some seriously clever sleight of hand is needed if aspiring lawyer Caro Addison is ever going to enjoy this Christmas. To avoid an unwanted marriage proposal, she needs a distraction as neat as the tricks used by The Phantom, the audacious diamond thief who has left Scotland Yard clueless. While her detective inspector uncle methodically hunts the villain, Caro decides to investigate a suspect of her own – the handsome Tobias Black, a magician extraordinaire, known as The Dark Duke. He's the only one with the means, motive and opportunity but the art of illusion means not everything is as it seems, in both crime and affairs of the heart. As Christmas Day draws near, Caro must decide whether it is worth risking reputations and friendships in order to follow her desires. BUY THE THIEF OF HEARTS He turned the card over and with a thumbnail flicked a tab made of the same backing as the playing card. Even up close the addition was difficult to see. Tobias placed the card on his lap and pulled out a deck of cards. He flicked the edge of the deck of cards towards them. Each time the Queen of Hearts stood out. “I want you to think I can read your mind, but in reality...” Tobias split the deck and showed them the Queen of Hearts and then the other half of the deck. The card that had been just before the Queen of Hearts was fully a third shorter than the rest of the cards. He put the pack together and flicked through the deck once more. “I make you see what you want to see. I suspect The Phantom does the same.” “You mean his crime scenes are illusions?” Margaret asked. Tobias gave her a smile and Caro wished oddly that its brightness shone on her too. “I think so. From what I read in the newspapers... no sign of entry or departure?” he asked. Caro confirmed it with a nod. “That tells me he’s creating an illusion of invulnerability. But it is an illusion. A trick. He wants to force the attention of the police away from something else – in the same way a magician will use a gesture or an action to distract you. “Find out what that is then you will find his sleight of hand and that will be his vulnerability.” Tobias stood. “Now, if I’ve sated your curiosity, I’ll take my leave of you. My crew and I have our last show this evening.” Caro rose and Margaret did also. Tobias took Margaret’s hand and bowed over it then released it. Then he took Caro’s and held it. Then his eyes held hers for a moment and he dropped a kiss on the back of her hand. “I’m so glad it was you who paid me a visit... instead of a representative of Scotland Yard.” “Not at all, Mr Black,” she replied, her voice a little huskier than usual, “you have been more than gracious with your time. “Call me Tobias.” He was flirting with her! Caro kept the smile to herself as he escorted them both to the entrance of the theatre. “Just one more question, Mr Black,” Caro asked. “You wouldn’t happen to know how someone might dispose of a suite of diamonds would you?”  About The Thief of Hearts
Australians suffer a little bit of cognitive dissonance when it comes to celebrating Christmas. First of all, being in the southern hemisphere, we celebrating in the middle of our summer but happily sing about ‘dashing through the snow’, Frosty the Snowman and that the ‘snow lay all about, deep and crisp and even’. Another thing we missed in our local customs was being outside of the TV ratings periods. Conventional wisdom had it that in the depths of bitter winters, people would gather around the electronic hearth and watch television. And since Christmas fell right in the middle of the northern hemisphere’s TV ratings period, all the best TV shows had a Christmas episode. They were fun and whimsical, often suspending current storylines for something a little bit light-hearted and fun. So, in that Christmas spirit, I wrote The Thief of Hearts, a veritable Christmas punch of few Hercule Poirots, Girl’s Own Adventures stories, a dash of While You Were Sleeping and other Christmas-themed rom-coms. Why Did You Set It in Victorian England? Many of our Christmas customs started with the Victorians, including our beloved Christmas tree and the fun Christmas crackers. Victorian England was a fascinating era. They were very mindful of their past and had built up quite a romantic imagery of its chivalry – just look at the pre-Raphaelite works as examples of high Victorian romanticism and yet they were very technologically advanced and sophisticated. Many of the things we take for granted today, inexpensive mass-produced consumer goods, electricity, telephony, stored music, motorised transport, photography and film, even the concept of television had their origins in the 19th century – no wonder Steampunk has become such a popular sub-genre of sci-fi! There were high hopes for the upcoming 20th century as being the most accomplished century yet. The groundswell for true equality for men and women was beginning and within a relatively short space of time, women were fully enfranchised and were open to the same job opportunities. Late Victorian England was time of man-made wonders and magic falls into that neatly. Why write a mystery? One of my favourite authors is Agatha Christie. I love the way she blended mystery and romance in many of her stories. If you look at Poirot and Miss Marple, there are often secondary characters who begin or advance a romance through the story and, with the solving of the mystery have their happily ever after. I thought it would be fun to do something like that for The Thief of Hearts, so the mystery is very much front-and-centre but there is a definite romance between Caro Addison, an aspiring lawyer and Tobias Black, a magician and former solider whose paths are destined to cross. There is more than one mystery in The Thief of Hearts. There is the obvious one in the mysterious diamond heists where the thief as apparently left no clue, but there is also one a little closer to home and that is what are Bertie’s real intentions towards Caro? She is positive that he is planning to propose. While her mother would be delighted by the news, Caro herself is having second thoughts. She loves Bertie, but she’s not ‘in love’ with him – so to avoid an unpleasant scene with someone she likes, Caro invents reasons not to be alone with him. The Thief of Hearts is full of misdirection.
It is always a pleasure to welcome my friend, Amy Rose Bennet to my table.
Amy's latest historical romance is THE ICE DUCHESS and to celebrate, Amy is offering an Amazon gift card of $20 (USD) and a KINDLE copy LADY BEAUCHAMP’S PROPOSAL: Scandalous Regency Widows, Book 1 will be gifted to a random commenter/participant during the tour. Scroll down to enter the Rafflecopter 
The Ice Duchess
Scandalous Regency Widows: Book Two
By
Amy Rose Bennett
The Ice Duchess (Scandalous Regency Widows, Book 2) by Amy Rose Bennett:
Georgiana Dudley, the ‘Ice Duchess’, has just emerged from mourning after a nine-year marriage of convenience to the Duke of Darby, her twin brother’s lover. Deeply hurt by a scoundrel a decade ago, Georgie swore she would never turn her head for any man, let alone another rakehell. But then she encounters the wickedly handsome and all too charming Rafe Landsbury, the Earl of Markham and against her better judgment, her interest is reluctantly aroused. An affair may be impossible to resist but dare she trust Lord Markham with her most intimate secrets... and her heart?
Society believes Rafe to be a diplomat but for many years he has been working on the Continent as a spy for the Crown. Leaving the shadowy world of espionage behind, he returns to London with the intention of finding a wife. When he is paired with the frosty yet fascinating Duchess of Darby at the piquet table during a ton ball, he is intrigued. Do-or-die man that he is, he’s certainly not going to let her cool demeanor dissuade him from pursuing her.
When Rafe’s dark past returns to endanger Georgie, he is determined to protect her at all costs, even if that means hiding who he once was. With the stakes so high, both Georgie and Rafe must decide if love is a risk worth taking...
Length: Novel (109,500 words)
Heat Level: Steamy to hot. This story is a Regency romance with open-door love-making scenes and frank language is used.
Additional information: This novel can be read as a stand-alone but is part of a loosely linked series, Scandalous Regency Widows.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aO2SNh
Georgie took her seat at one of the piquet tables in the card room and removed her gloves, hoping that Phillip, Lord Maxwell, wouldn’t notice her slightly trembling fingers when he joined her. It seemed absurd to be so nervous. Where was her famous sang-froid?
It probably didn’t help that a hush had descended over the card room as Jonathon had escorted her in, and at this very moment, she could feel at least a dozen pairs of eyes, if not more upon her. The unvanquished Ice Duchess—the woman who barely ever lost a game—was about to play cards again. Of course people were going to notice.
Curse her brother and Helena. She would have attracted much less notice if she had simply decided to dance after all. Lemonade in the ladies’ retiring room seemed more appealing by the second. And where in heaven’s name was Phillip? She glanced about the room but could not spy Helena’s husband anywhere.
Not only that, she could see Jonathon disappearing out of the card room, no doubt chasing the dapper young buck he’d been making calf’s eyes at earlier.
If Phillip didn’t appear within the next thirty seconds, she would cut and run.
“May I join you, Your Grace?†A soft baritone drew Georgie’s attention away from the ornately arched doorway of the card room and back to the table.
She glanced up. And it was all she could do not to gasp.
A dark-haired, lean-jawed rake was smiling down at her. Her dastardly brother and friends had set her up after all.
Blast them all to hell.
Drawing in a steadying breath she summoned a slight smile. Her well-practiced, cool duchess’s smile—a smile that had sustained her for almost a decade in the face of such obvious raw masculinity. Thank God she still had it.
“And you are?†she asked smoothly, arching an eyebrow. “I believe we’ve never been introduced.†She thought she knew most rakes of the ton and she had only been away from London for a year. But this tall, handsome man with smoke-gray eyes and a dark velvet voice, she didn’t know at all.
The corner of his wide, well-shaped mouth lifted into a smile. “Forgive my boldness, Your Grace. I am Rafe Landsbury, Lord Markham. Lord Maxwell has been... detained and offers his apologies. He asked me to stand in, in his stead.†His eyes held hers—a question or perhaps it was a spark of challenge flared in their gray depths. “If you don’t mind of course.â€
As if she could refuse with everyone watching. She’d gleefully strangle Phillip, Helena and Jonathon later for putting Lord Markham up to this. They probably thought she’d build up a rapport with the man over cards. Then he’d suggest they dance or perhaps peruse the supper table together. His large hand would touch her elbow, the small of her back. His fingers would brush against hers as he passed her a glass of champagne... She knew all the ploys he would use to try and get her hot and bothered. But she wouldn’t fall for any of them. Never again. Just because she was a widow, it didn’t mean she was fair game.
Lord Markham was still watching her expectantly so she affected a small tinkling laugh and shrugged a shoulder. “Of course I don’t mind. Please, take a seat.â€
“Thank you, Your Grace.â€
Georgie tried not to stare as the nobleman folded his long, lean frame onto the damask covered Adams chair opposite her. Markham, Markham. No, not a memory of him stirred at all. Where had such a man been hiding for the last decade? He exuded such a quiet self-assurance as he watched her reach for the deck of cards, a completely unexpected and most disconcerting wave of heat swept over her face.
She hadn’t blushed in years. What is wrong with me?
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 been a speech pathologist for many years but is currently devoting her time to her one other true calling—writing romance.
Website and Blog: http://AmyRoseBennett.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyRoseBennett
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AmyRoseBennett/
An Amazon gift card of $20 (USD) and a KINDLE copy LADY BEAUCHAMP’S PROPOSAL: Scandalous Regency Widows, Book 1 will be gifted to a random commenter/participant during the tour.
The Giveaway runs from September 30th to October 11th. Starting and ending at 12:00AM EDT. Best of Luck to all contestants!
I am delighted to welcome Sara Turnquist to Ms. Stuart's table. Sara's wonderful historical romances sweep from the American Civil war to 19th century eastern Europe, to her latest release THE GENERAL'S WIFE set in ancient Egypt. I cornered Sara to ask her a few questions about herself and her writing process.
What would we find under your bed?
Honest, you would only find my wrapping paper box and our ornament box. What was the scariest moment of your life? When my 2 year old went head first down our stairs. Do you listen to music while writing? If so what? Most often, yes. Mostly instrumental. I actually love to listen to the music of Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and The Dark Crystal. I did listen to a lot of Celtic Woman when writing my debut novel. It just inspired me more for that novel. What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year? I’d like to decide once and for all if I need an agent. And if so, secure one. How long did it take you to write this book? Wow…though this is my second book published, it was the first book I ever wrote. So, I’m going to say a couple of years. Now I can finish a book in 4-6 months.
To celebrate the release of THE GENERAL'S WIFE, Sara is offering a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Scroll down for details of how to enter...
THE GENERAL'S WIFE
Ismene, a beautiful, somewhat naïve, young noblewoman, is torn from her childhood home in Greece and her first love. Bound by honor and duty, she marries Pharoah's chief military commander, Alistair. Though determined to remain true to the man she left behind, her new husband stirs feelings in her she cannot ignore. Attempting to accept this brazen new culture, it isn't long before she discovers that the locals don't like her. The Alexandrian mob starts making anonymous threats.
This face-less group will stop at nothing to achieve its goal of driving out the unwelcome Greeks. In the midst of these heightening attacks, the general must leave for battle. Ismene fears that she is on her own. Evidence of a spy within her own household arises. It soon becomes apparent that one of these Egyptian rebels wants her dead. The safety of Ismene, and possibly the entire ruling class of Egypt, hangs in the balance. Read an excerpt...
A din of whispered conversation among the servants could be heard, but only just. No one wanted to speak out for fear of enraging the general further. Many of the servants were unable to read Greek and had no idea what important message was scarred into their master's most prized sanctuary. As if the vandalism alone wasn't enough to evoke a great anger in him, the message itself had pushed him closer to the edge of violence. They had never seen their kind master in such a state.
“What is everybody...” Ismene's voice interrupted their musings. No one, not even Alistair, had even noticed that she had arrived at the grand estate, least of all made it all the way out to the gardens. Her voice, which started light and happy, trailed off as she noticed the source of everyone's fixation. There were many audible gasps as the servants, like Alistair, turned and saw Ismene's paled face, her mouth moving as if trying to form words, though none came forth. Alistair rushed over to her, “Ismene, don't look...it's...” he said, trying to turn her away, to go back in direction she had just come. It was only then that he realized—the message—it was for her. Ismene and Alonah came to the gardens each day to check on her tiger lilies. This wall faced the entrance into the gardens closest to her bedchambers, the entrance she came through every day. How did anyone outside of his house and Pharaoh's know that? His heart sank. There was a leak in one of these houses.
Buy Links
About Sara Turnquist
Sara is originally from middle TN. After a short stint in Memphis, where she earned a degree in Biology and began a career as both a Zoo Educator and a Sleep Technician, she then followed a dream to work for a large zoo in Orlando, FL as an Educator. Once she and her husband started their family, they moved back to Tennessee. Sara and her husband now enjoy a full life with their three beautiful and very active children. Sara enjoys many creative outlets – singing, piano, drawing, drama, and organizing anything. And even though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word continued to draw her to write. She has always been an avid reader and, for many years, has been what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write Historical Fiction. Sara has made several trips overseas to the Czech Republic. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The Lady Bornekova, set in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Sara is also a member of the ACFW.
FIND SARAH Website Twitter: @sarat1701 Facebook: Sara R. Turnquist, Author - Pinterest: Win a $50 Gift Card... |
Alison StuartAlison writes historical romances and short stories set in England and Australia and across different periods of history. Archives
October 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed