Beth Elliott's Blog, page 7

A fortune in jewels

Since their father remarried, he has not given Nell and Sophie any money.This means they cannot escape life with their hostile young stepmother. Fortunately, their Aunt Sophie finds out. She takes them to London and summons the family lawyer to discuss their situation.It turns out they will inherit a respectable sum each on their marriage or when they reach the age of 25 years. That is no help to Nell, who desperately needs funds NOW.But then the lawyer informs them that their childless Aunt Ele...

The kindness of strangers.

 A little tale as it's the only thank you I can offer to kind strangers.
Researching a major setting for my novel, which takes place in Istanbul, I needed to visit a royal pavilion, which has the grand name of 'The Pavilion of Mirrored Poplars'. It contains a number of splendid mirrors, a gift from the Republic of Venice to the Ottoman Sultan in 1718. This charming place was the favourite retreat of Sultan Selim III, who was a poet and musician. He came here to compose his musical work. In his ho...

Plotting, pantsing, head-banging !

A little stone house on a hillside surrounded by fields of neatly combed vines, stretching down into the valley and across the plain. A few ribbons of trees, marking the roads; here and there the rooftop of a farm in the midst of its vineyards. So rural, so peaceful, such a splendid change after years slogging in a grey city in rainwashed northern England. 

                                     Vineyards at Domaine de Pech-Ménel, Quarante

But even rural retreats under a sparkling blue sky have thei...

You CAN go back to Constantinople

 thanks to LUME BOOKS

putting the story of Olivia, her brother Richard, and handsome but haughty diplomat Selim on special offer today.

The action takes place in Constantinople, with boat rides up the Bosphorus, bears in the woods, spies and strange customs, as well as kidnapping, a visit to the harem and ...well lots more fun.

Scandalous Lady

Beth Elliott

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A VERY YOUTHFUL ADMIRER

Persuaded at last to give up her Quakerish grey gowns and tightly pinned hairstyle, Nell arrives at the Assembly Hall transformed – and is an instant sensation.
While the young gentlemen are enthusiastic, some of the young ladies are goaded into jealous competition. But one youthful admirer is an unlikely champion, and the happiest of beings on this evening.

Nell was struggling to maintain her composure. It was difficult to appear unaware of the stares people were casting at her and the heads dra...

Travel from your armchair

 As the days grow longer, the birds are chirping and a few early bees buzzing among the newly opened flowers, and we also feel the stirrings of Springtime. After the long period of lockdowns, we want to escape, see different places and get away from our local limited area. But we can't risk undoing the progress made so far in quelling the Covid plague, so patience is still necessary.

However, armchair travel is unlimited. And through a book, we can slip away to anywhere in the world, even to any ...

A SPECIAL OFFER ON AN ENJOYABLE BIT OF ESCAPISM

If you want a few hours of escape from the current restricted way of life, you could join Arnaut and Louise, a totally mismatched pair of messengers, racing between England and France, dodging blades and bullets as they attempt to carry out a vital quest. 

            THE RAKE AND HIS HONOUR is currently on a Special Low Price.

THE RAKE AND HIS HONOUR

You can read a conversation with Louise in Author Karen King's 'Meet the Characters' Blog on 4th March.

https://karenkingauthor.wordpress.com/

 

Interview with Jean M Roberts : THE BOOKS DELIGHT

              AUTHOR INTERVIEW: BETH ELLIOTT

A couple of excerpts.   See below for a link to the full interview

JMR- How did you come to be a writer of historical romance? Did you always want to be a writer?

BE- Far away and long ago always attracted me, so through school and then over the years I wrote stories in various historical times and mostly in far off settings. When I wrote with the aim of getting published, the Regency era felt like a familiar place to set the tale. We still have so much ...

READ FOR FREE

                                     

               Prequel to   SCANDALOUS  LADY         

 The story begins when Olivia has nearly reached Constantinople.   But how did she manage to escape from the strictly  chaperoned life of a debutante and set off to travel abroad, like her role model, Lady Hester Stanhope?

 

London, November 1810

Olivia was admiring her new hat in the pier glass, when the drawing room door opened and two middle-aged ladies sailed into the elegant entrance hall. The look they c...

Travel research

SAFRANBOLU 

an ancient town on the Silk and Spice Road

 famous for its Saffron             and its timbered houses

    

Going off the beaten track is my idea of enjoyable travel. The usual reason for any visit is to do research for a story. In this case, the museum-city of Safranbolu provided a perfect setting and rich details of Ottoman life for a couple of my tales set in Turkey.

The local style of architecture set the standard for all Ottoman architecture throughout the empire. So the environment ...