Pam Lecky's Blog, page 19

New Release from Tony Riches – Drake – Tudor Corsair

Today, I am delighted to bring you the news of a new release from Tony Riches. [image error]

 Drake – Tudor Corsair

Book One of the Elizabethan Series

From Tony Riches,

Author of

the best-selling Tudor Trilogy

  New on  Amazon UK ,  Amazon US

Amazon CA  and  Amazon AU

 

[image error]1564: Devon sailor Francis Drake sets out on a journey of adventure.

Drake learns of routes used to transport Spanish silver and gold, and risks his life in an audacious plan to steal a fortune.

Queen Elizabeth is intrigued by Drake and secretly encourages his piracy. Her unlikely champion becomes a national hero, sailing around the world in the Golden Hind and attacking the Spanish fleet.

King Philip of Spain has enough of Drake’s plunder and orders an armada to threaten the future of England.

Drake – Tudor Corsair continues the story of the Tudors, which began with Owen Tudor in book one of the Tudor trilogy.

Author Bio

[image error]Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of best-selling historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the history of the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. Tony’s other published historical fiction novels include: Owen – Book One Of The Tudor Trilogy, Jasper – Book Two Of The Tudor Trilogy, Henry – Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy, Mary – Tudor Princess, Brandon – Tudor Knight and The Secret Diary Of Eleanor Cobham. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on  Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches

 

New Release from Mary Grand – The House Party

It is my great pleasure to bring you news of Mary Grand’s new release, The House Party. I have followed Mary’s writing journey with great interest and was delighted to learn recently that she had signed with Boldwood Books.

[image error]Thank you so much Pam for inviting me onto your wonderful blog. I love and admire your novels so much and so it is a real privilege to be invited on here.

Exciting times for you, Mary. Tell us a little about The House Party.

At the intimate house-warming party for her glorious ‘grand design’, Kathleen confides in her best friend Beth that she is terrified of one of their close friends, but daren’t reveal which one. The guests are a tight-knit group, but Kathleen is convinced one of them is dangerous.

The next day Kathleen’s body is found at the foot of a cliff and Beth must face the sickening truth that she may have been killed by one of their trusted friends. With little help from the police, Beth’s decides to seek answers.

All the friends have secrets they are desperate to hide, but only one of them is ready to kill to keep theirs safe…

[image error]The House Party – Setting

These are some of the historical sites referenced in “The House Party”.

The geography of Beth’s village is based on island village of Carisbrooke. She visits Carisbrooke Castle, famous for its prisoner Charles 1st and the medieval church which was once a Benedictine monastery.

[image error]Another important location is Freshwater Bay, where Victorian poet Laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson lived. It is the site of a murder and tense cliff top walks.

Close to Beth’s home is the island prison which has a deeply disturbing history as a prison for children. Beth has a dark secret related to the modern prison on this site.

 

Mary Grand is the author of four novels and two anthologies of short stories, and writes gripping, page-turning suspense, with a dark and often murderous underside. She grew up in Wales, was for many years a teacher of deaf children and now lives on the Isle of Wight where her new novel, The House Party, which was published by Boldwood on July 21st, is set.

Buy Link: 

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Woman on Ward 13 – New Release from Delphine Woods

[image error]Delphine Woods writes dark historical fiction, where people are rarely who they seem. She has a deep love for the Victorian period, and for women who are prepared to fight back in any way they can. She lives amidst the rolling hills of Shropshire and dreams of a life filled with far-stretching views and open fires, where she can toast her feet as she flicks through the pages of a Gothic mystery or a gripping thriller. Discover her other books on her website or Amazon page, and get two free historical novellas when you join her newsletter.

[image error]Woman on Ward 13:

‘The first thing they question is your memory. You must hold on to it, at any cost.’

1900

Asylum attendant, Katy Owen, hates the isolation, the bars on the windows, and the way the mad women watch her. She should not believe their delusional tales, but when her charge talks of murder, she is drawn into a story of tragedy and conspiracy that threatens her own sanity.

1957

Iris Lowe is a nurse on the infamous psychiatric ward 13. After one patient receives her first visitor in over 50 years, Iris suspects there might be more to her story than meets the eye.

As she battles against buried secrets, Iris unearths harrowing and heart-wrenching atrocities that span almost a century.

But is it too late to serve justice?

Woman on Ward 13 is a captivating Gothic time-slip novel, the first in the new series, The Iris Lowe Mysteries.

Link to UK Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woman-Ward-13-haunting-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B088RJDHTK

A Conversation with Author Carolyn Hughes

Today, I am delighted to welcome into the Library fellow historical fiction author ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Carolyn Hughes.  She has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.

 You are very welcome, Carolyn, p lease introduce yourself: 

[image error]Hello, I’m Carolyn and I write historical fiction. (Sounds like we’re in a meeting for Writers Anonymous…) I’ve been writing all my adult life, but have come to publication only relatively recently when I am, alas, quite old!

I was born in London, but have lived most of my life in Hampshire. After a first degree in Classics and English, I became a computer programmer, in those days a very new profession. It was fun for a few years, but I left to become a school careers officer in Dorset. But it was when I discovered technical authoring that I knew I’d found my vocation. I spent the next few decades writing and editing all sorts of material, some fascinating, some dull, for a wide variety of clients, including an international hotel group, medical instrument manufacturers and the Government.

It wasn’t until my children flew the nest, many years ago, that creative writing and, especially, writing historical fiction, took centre stage in my life. I have a Masters in Creative Writing from Portsmouth University and a PhD from the University of Southampton.

I have now written four historical novels: Fortune’s Wheel (published 2016), A Woman’s Lot (2017) and De Bohun’s Destiny (2019) are the first three books in my MEONBRIDGE CHRONICLES series set in 14th century Hampshire (in southern England). I am currently writing the fourth book in the series.

My fourth written-but-not-yet-published novel is called The Nature of Things, and is the book I wrote for my PhD. It portrays the lives of seven principal characters across the entire 14th century. I am currently editing it (alongside writing the fourth CHRONICLE), and hope to publish it before too long. I am, by the way, self-published, under my own imprint Riverdown.

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

I write historical fiction, currently set in medieval England. Why? Well, when I had to choose what to write as the creative piece for my Masters in Creative Writing, I sought inspiration among my old scribblings, and rediscovered the fading handwritten draft of about 10,000 words of a novel I’d written in my twenties. Set in 14th century rural England, it was about the lives of peasant families. The novel’s plot wasn’t terribly good, yet I was really quite drawn to its period and setting. I had a light bulb moment and, a few days later, I was drafting an outline for the novel that eventually became Fortune’s Wheel. 

Actually I’d long been intrigued by the medieval period, for its relative remoteness in time and in our understanding of it and also, I think, for the very dichotomy between the common present-day perception of the Middle Ages as “nasty, brutish and short” and the wonders of the period’s art, architecture and literature. The briefest of investigations quickly convinced me that I wanted to know more about the period, and I suppose I also realised that, by writing historical novels, I’d have the opportunity both to find out more about the medieval past and to interpret it, which seemed like a thrilling thing to do.

Are you an avid reader? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?

I do read quite a lot. I do of course read a lot of textbook type books, researching the background for my novels. That tends to be my daytime reading. But I also read fiction, and that is my night-time reading! As for genre, well, yes, I do read historical fiction but I’m also pretty fond of modern crime novels, and also some types of psychological thrillers, domestic noir and the like. Very occasionally I might read a romance, as long as it’s not too fluffy (my own novels do definitely include a fair dollop of romance, though there isn’t always a happy ending). What I don’t really like is fantasy in any form.

Are you a self-published/traditional or hybrid author?

As I said, I’ve come to writing, or rather publishing, quite late in life. I’ve written creatively on and off all my adult life, but for years work and family were always my main focus, and it wasn’t until the children flew the nest that I realised writing could take centre stage. Even then, although I wrote some short stories, and one and a half contemporary women’s novels, my writing was rather ad hoc, and my tentative attempts to approach agents met only with rejection.

When Fortune’s Wheel was ready to be published, it met with some interest from the traditional publishing industry but no one wanted to take it on. I had a good friend, also a writer of historical fiction, who was doing very well for herself as a self-published author and she tried to persuade me to do the same. But I was too scared to go it alone, in case I messed it up, and eventually went with SilverWood Books, essentially a publishing services company, who produce very high quality books. SilverWood also published A Woman’s Lot but, by the time De Bohun’s Destiny was ready to go, I was ready for a change. I won’t go into all the ins and outs of why I chose to embrace self-publishing but it was largely about cost and being in control. It was also a steep learning curve. I spent most of 2019 in a state of high anxiety (and a degree of panic) over whether I was doing the right thing, and I have spent the past nine months or so coming to grips with the mysteries of marketing, something I never thought I’d want to do but I do (almost) enjoy. I certainly do enjoy being in complete control of my books, and I don’t skimp on the basics of professional editing and cover design. Becoming a self-publisher was definitely the right choice for me, and now I wouldn’t even consider trying for a traditional deal.

Has your country of origin/culture influenced your writing?

I can’t actually imagine setting my books anywhere else but England. And that’s not because I don’t love other countries—I’m especially fond of France, and Scotland—but because I feel “at home” in England. And I suppose, because I came to serious writing relatively late in life, and because I chose to write historical fiction set in a particular country and region of that country, I have invested quite a lot of effort and emotion in building an understanding of the history and mores of that place, which I feel I will continue to run with, rather than move to any form of “pastures new”. Having said that, for my as-yet-unpublished novel, The Nature of Things, although it is set initially in medieval Hampshire and Sussex, the story does move to France and Italy for a while, and then has a spell in Kent, before returning finally to Hampshire.

What part of the writing process do you find most difficult? How do you overcome it?

In answer to the question—is it original writing that is most difficult? Or the editing? Or something else?—I might answer “all of it”!

As it happens, I’ve found writing this current book really quite a challenge. All my books have multiple point-of-view characters, and several story threads that dovetail together towards the end. The books are very much character-focused, which means I’m having to understand and juggle the motivations, anxieties and transformations of several individuals. I’m also weaving together the different story threads. I find both of these elements of story-telling quite difficult to manage at times.

So, simply writing can be “difficult”. And so it should be really, else why bother to do it at all!

If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?

I was a technical author (a different sort of writer) for thirty years, and I loved my work. If I hadn’t done that, I might have liked to be something like a curator in a museum—surely handling old and interesting artefacts all day long would be wonderful! But I’m retired now, so writing is essentially “what I do”. If I’m not actually at my desk, you might find me gardening, though my other half does most of that these days. But I enjoy a bit of gentle pruning, and I do have a number of shaped box hedges that require annual clipping. Other than that, I walk most days—we live in the Hampshire countryside, which makes walking a real pleasure, and I like to take photographs of the changing flora I see. And of course I read…

Please tell us about your latest published work. 

Rather than just tell you about my most recent book, I’ll tell you about the three Meonbridge Chronicles, as they are the first three in a series. It’s not essential to read them in sequence but I think it probably helps in order to understand the Meonbridge “world”…

[image error]Fortune’s Wheel, The First Meonbridge Chronicle (2016)

How do you recover from the havoc wrought by history’s cruellest plague?

It’s June 1349. In Meonbridge, a Hampshire manor, many have lost their lives to the Black Death, among them Alice atte Wode’s beloved husband and Eleanor Titherige’s widowed father. Even the family of the manor’s lord and his wife, Margaret de Bohun, has not entirely escaped.

But, now the plague has passed, the people of Meonbridge must work together to rebuild their lives. However, tensions mount between the de Bohuns and their tenants, as the workers realise their new scarceness means they can demand higher wages and dictate their own lives.

When the tensions deepen into violence and disorder, and the men—lord and villagers alike—seem unable to find any resolution, the women—Alice, Eleanor and Margaret—must step forward to find a way out of the conflict that is tearing Meonbridge apart.

[image error]A Woman’s Lot, The Second Meonbridge Chronicle (2018)

How can mere women resist the misogyny of men?

1352: In Meonbridge, a resentful peasant rages against Eleanor Titherige’s efforts to build up her flock of sheep. Susanna Miller’s husband, grown melancholy and ill-tempered, succumbs to idle gossip that his wife’s a scold. Agnes Sawyer’s yearning to be a craftsman is met with scorn. And the village priest, fearful of what he considers women’s “unnatural” ambitions, is determined to keep them firmly in their place.

Many men hold fast to the teachings of the Church and fear the havoc the “daughters of Eve” might wreak if they’re allowed to usurp men’s roles and gain control over their own lives.

Not all men in Meonbridge resist the women’s desire for change—indeed, they want it for themselves. Yet it takes only one or two misogynists to unleash the hounds of hostility and hatred…

[image error]De Bohun’s Destiny, The Third Meonbridge Chronicle (2019)

How can you uphold a lie when you know it might destroy your family?

It is 1356, seven years since the Black Death ravaged Meonbridge, turning society upside down. Margaret, Lady de Bohun, is horrified when her husband lies about their grandson Dickon’s entitlement to inherit Meonbridge. She knows that Richard lied for the very best of reasons—to safeguard his family and its future—but lying is a sin. Yet she has no option but to maintain her husband’s falsehood…

Margaret’s companion, Matilda Fletcher, decides that the truth about young Dickon really must be told, if only to Thorkell Boune, the man she’s set her heart on winning. But Matilda’s “honesty” serves only her own interests, and she’s oblivious to the potential for disaster.

For Thorkell won’t scruple to pursue exactly what he wants, by whatever means are necessary, no matter who or what gets in his way…

If you would like to know more about Carolyn and her work, please check out her links below:

Facebook: CarolynHughesAuthor

Twitter: @writingcalliope

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hs2rrX

Website and blog: www.carolynhughesauthor.com

I also post a blog occasionally at http://the-history-girls.blogspot.com

Buy my books at https://amzn.to/2UGOkXm (UK) https://amzn.to/2IqeeZ3 (US)

Why not join “Team Meonbridge”? http://bit.ly/joinmeonbridge

 

Luminous: Blog Tour with Samantha Wilcoxson

Today I’m delighted to host Samantha Wilcoxson on her blog tour for her fabulous new release, Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl. I recall many years ago seeing a documentary about the girls who worked with radium. It was rather shocking, so I am delighted to see Samantha pick up the mantle to tell their story. The book is now on my Kindle and I am really looking forward to getting reacquainted with the story.

You are very welcome, Samantha, please introduce yourself:

[image error]Thank you, Pam. I am excited to be here to introduce my new novel, Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl. Until I started writing this book, I had focused entirely upon 15th and 16th century history, so this has been a fascinating change. Researching Catherine Donohue was a very different experience from studying Tudor era historical figures. It has been an amazing experience to hold letters that Catherine wrote, visit her hometown, and even correspond with the son of her lawyer. Catherine’s story is one that I was surprised more people hadn’t heard of, and that was why I needed to write about it.

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

While I have recently jumped into a new era, historical fiction has always been my chosen genre. I was one of those weird kids who read history books for fun, and I have never grown out of it. Writing historical fiction allows me to explore the emotive side of the historical facts. When I am writing, I try to put myself and my reader in the mind of a historical figure and truly experience events as they did. Part of this includes digging into the mindset of other times and looking at events and beliefs from their point-of-view rather than my own. It is a very enriching process.

Are you an avid reader? Do you prefer books in your own genre or are you happy to explore others?

Reading might be the only activity that I love more than writing. I especially love biographies and other historical books, followed closely by late 19th and early 20th century literature. However, I am also happy to pick up an occasional mystery or dystopian novel. The work of my fellow independent authors is always high on my list, because they tend to have an intellectual facet that is not always present in mass marketed novels. I enjoy any book that encourages me to think critically.

Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

I have several favorite authors who have each, in their own way, influenced my writing. CJ Sansom probably tops the list, because I greatly admire his ability to capture history in an accurate and interesting way while also compelling the reader to feel strongly for the characters. Writers like Edith Wharton and Charlotte Bronte also stir up that emotive feeling in their readers that I admire and strive for.

If you weren’t an author, what would you be up to?

You will often find me distracted by my teenage children, home improvement projects, lake life, and volunteer work. As for another occupation, I can’t imagine doing anything besides writing and am blessed to spend my days doing something I love.

If you could travel back in time, what era would you go to? What draws you to this particular time?

[image error] Radium Girl Memorial

Had you asked me this question more than a year ago, I would have undoubtedly stated that I wished to visit the time of the Wars of the Roses, and I still would love to be able to witness a snippet of that history and answer some burning questions. However, now that I have begun writing early 20th century history, I find that I am enjoying it a great deal and am discovering a wonderful ease of connecting to those who lived lives that were in many ways quite similar to my own. While I had planned a medieval trilogy to work on next, I find that I am drawn instead to another 20th century protagonist. I would love to travel back and experience first-hand the differences in my own life compared to the women who lived a century ago.

You have been chosen as a member of the crew on the first one-way flight to Mars – you are allowed to bring 5 books with you. What would they be?

I hope I may cheat and include series!

CJ Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake series

Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Hillary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell series

Now I’ve left myself having to choose between Sharon K Penman’s Welsh and Henry II trilogies! Oh, and A Tale of Two Cities…. Can I just bring a Kindle? [Haha, OK!]

Please tell us about your latest published work.

[image error]Luminous is the story of Catherine Donohue and the hundreds of women like her who were dehumanized by the radium industry in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Catherine worked at Radium Dial in Ottawa, Illinois while in her twenties, and the radium paint she used there caused her to suffer a multitude of serious health problems before dying at a tragically young age. In this biographical novel, I explore her life, her relationships, and her legal battle against Radium Dial. My hope is that more people will learn about the women’s struggle, not only to sympathize with those in the past, but to encourage us all to think more about workplace exploitation and human rights violations that continue in our own time.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Luminous-Story-Radium-Samantha-Wilcoxson-ebook/dp/B085ZWBFCQ

Luminous on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52288751

Samantha’s blog: https://samanthawilcoxson.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/carpe_librum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlantagenetEmbers/

 

 

#Review | Footprints in the Sand (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries #2) by Pam Lecky #FootprintsInTheSand #TheLucyLawrenceMysteries @pamlecky

Chicks,Rogues and Scandals

Hello Sunshines! I am super excited to be sharing my review of this amazing book with you all; Footprints In The Sand by Pam Lecky, this is the second book in the; Lucy Lawrence Mysteries and I absolutely love it. Go on then grab that cuppa and enjoy,  I hope you will love it as much as I do!

Footprints in the Sand by Pam Lecky

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Series: The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries #2

Format: ebook/ paperback

Cairo 1887: A melting pot of jealousy, lust and revenge. Who will pay the ultimate price?

Lucy Lawrence throws caution to the wind and embarks on a journey of self-discovery to the land of the pharaohs.

Travelling to Cairo as the patron of the charming French Egyptologist, Armand Moreau, Lucy discovers an archaeological community plagued by professional rivalries and intrigue. It is soon apparent that the thriving black market in antiquities threatens…

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Footprints in the Sand (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Book 2) by Pam Lecky – Review

@DavidsBookBlurg Review of Footprints in the Sand.

David's Book Blurg

Today I’m going to be reviewing Footprints in the Sand (The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries Book 2) by Pam Lecky.

Here’s the blurb

Cairo 1887: A melting pot of jealousy, lust and revenge. Who will pay the ultimate price?

Lucy Lawrence throws caution to the wind and embarks on a journey of self-discovery to the land of the pharaohs.

Travelling to Cairo as the patron of the charming French Egyptologist, Armand Moreau, Lucy discovers an archaeological community plagued by professional rivalries and intrigue. It is soon apparent that the thriving black market in antiquities threatens Egypt’s precious heritage.

When the Egyptian Museum is burgled, Lucy is determined to solve the case, much to the annoyance of the local inspector of police, and the alarm of Mary, her maid. But when an archaeologist is found murdered in the Great Pyramid, Lucy is catapulted into the resulting maelstrom. Can she keep her wits…

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New Release from Catherine Kullmann – The Potential for Love

 

Hi Pam, and thanks for inviting me to come and talk about my new book. The Potential for Love. It is set in England in 1816, and is a love story with a difference.

Where a modern woman must balance the demands of her career and her relationships, for a Regency woman they were one and the same thing. Until she married, she was expected to live with her parents, generally with very little real independence. Only through marriage could she attain a certain autonomy and control of her life, but only provided she made the right choice of husband. That is, if she had a choice; for many women, like Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice who accepts Mr Collins solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment, any husband is better than none.

[image error]Arabella Malvin, the heroine of The Potential for Love, has a choice. Tired of the life of a debutante, waiting in the wings for her real life to begin, she is ready to marry but, “Marriage was not without its dangers. A wife was a ‘feme covert’, a woman whose very being or legal existence was suspended, and incorporated and consolidated into that of her husband. All she owned would become his—she would become his in the eyes of the law.” Arabella doesn’t want “to be my husband’s satellite, subservient in all things.” But how is she to find a man who will agree to the type of marriage she wants, one of love, laughter, and a bond that was much more than two signatures on the marriage register?

Embarked on her fourth Season ( I suppose a modern parallel would be her final year at university), Arabella finds herself courted by different men, including Lord Henry, the younger brother of a Marquess, Stephen Naughton, an up and coming Member of Parliament and the rector’s son, and Thomas Ferraunt a major newly returned from occupied France. Each offers a different future. Will she decide for the glittering life of the ton, a future as a political hostess or a quieter, provincial life—comfortable but not wealthy— with Thomas?

As she struggles to make her choice, she is faced with danger from an unexpected quarter while Thomas is stunned by a new challenge. Will these events bring them together or drive them apart?  Will Arabella be able to combine career and marriage?

The Potential for Love is available now from Amazon as eBook and paperback. http://mybook.to/ThePotentialForLove. The paperback can also be ordered from all good bookshops.

[image error]Catherine Kullmann was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector.

Catherine has always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the foundations of our modern world were laid. Her books are set against a background of the offstage Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society. She also blogs about historical facts and trivia related to this era.

You can find out more about Catherine’s books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) at www.catherinekullmann.com or follow her on Facebook at fb.me/catherinekullmannauthor or Twitter: https://twitter.com/CKullmannAuthor

New Release from Anna Campbell: The Highlander’s English Bride

It’s always a treat to hear about Anna’s books, so I am delighted today to bring you news of her latest which is released tomorrow. To whet your appetite, Anna is going to tell us all about the setting for The Highlander’s English Bride. Take it away, Anna!

 

The Setting for The Highlander’s English Bride by Anna Campbell

I’m an Aussie who has always had very itchy feet. The last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to do a big European trip, involving extended stays in the UK. This year, for various reasons, I was unable to make it – and as it’s turned out that with the world going mad around me, I’m very glad that’s the case! I’m hoping that by next year, things will have settled down again and I can go back to being a globetrotter.

One of the nice things about being a writer is that at least we can visit exotic foreign lands in our imagination.  It’s not quite as good as going there, but it comes a close second!

[image error]The Highlander’s English Bride, book 6 in my Lairds Most Likely series, comes out on 30th March and writing it allowed me to spend time (at least in my head!) in two of my favourite places. London and the beautiful west coast of Scotland.

The hero and heroine of this story move in scientific circles and the book opens in a grand country manor not far from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Originally, those opening scenes were set at the Royal Observatory, where my hero is announcing the discovery of a new comet. Although I haven’t visited the site, I spent a lot of time on-line working out the practicalities.

Unfortunately, after deciding the internal configuration of the Octagon Room was perfect for my story, I then checked the outside view and realised that if I wanted my hero and heroine caught up to no good in the gardens, the Octagon Room was of no use to me whatsoever. It was upstairs. Sigh. If London society was to discover Hamish and Emily sneaking past the reception room, my protagonists would need to have wings. Thank goodness for plan B which was to invent a house perfect for my needs, although I must admit to a pang when I had to ditch all that wonderful research.

We then move to Bloomsbury and Mayfair. I’ve always had a great fondness for Bloomsbury, not just because of its intellectual connections, but also because it was the first place I stayed in London. But Bloomsbury then and now can’t compete with Mayfair’s fashionable status. It seemed a nice way to compare and contrast my middle-class heroine with my aristocratic hero.

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The second half of the book is set on the west coast of Scotland, north of Oban, which is when I let my yearning for the Highlands take over. I’ve visited Scotland many times, and for the last three years, I’ve done a long writing retreat on the beautiful island of Eigg, just south of the Isle of Skye. It nearly broke my heart to have to cancel this year’s visit, but I’m already booked for next year. I’ve included a couple of photos so you’ll understand my pain!

While Hamish’s estate, Glen Lyon, is on the mainland, I borrowed many things from Eigg for my descriptions. Not least the way the stars burn so large and clear in the sky. In the Hebrides, the light pollution is so low that on a fine night, you feel like you can see to the edges of the universe. When it’s a full moon, the light is bright enough to keep you awake. In fact, the pollution is so low altogether, that the air is like cold champagne. It’s far enough north that most years, they can see the northern lights. A gorgeous part of the world.

Hamish builds an observatory in an old peel tower on his estate – these Dark Ages defensive structures are more a feature of the Borders than of the Highlands, but I’ve always wanted to feature one in a story since I heard about them in grade eight history. I also interweave elements of the strong Viking influence in this part of the world into the story’s background. Norsemen were up and down this coast for hundreds of years, and they left their mark in place names, in surnames, and in local genetics. When longships are cutting edge technology, the Hebrides move much closer to the centre of the world than they’ve since become in our age of land travel. Hamish is a descendant of Viking raiders and looks like it – I had Chris Hemsworth in mind when I wrote him!

[image error]The Highlander’s English Bride ends up in a manor house based on Inveraray Castle, the Campbell clan seat. Beautiful grey stone with gothic windows in the Scottish baronial style. There’s even a little china cabinet room like the one at Inveraray. And like Inveraray Castle, Lyon House overlooks a beautiful sea loch. After their many trials and tribulations, it was a pleasure to settle Hamish and Emily there to enjoy their happy ending. Perhaps they’ll invite me to tea next time I’m in the neighbourhood!

I’m drawing to the end of my Lairds Most Likely series – there’s The Highlander’s Rescued Maiden and The Highlander’s Christmas Lassie left to come, before I move back to Mayfair in a much more dedicated way for my next series. It’s been wonderful timing revisiting my memories of the glorious Highlands while I’m stuck at home as Australia goes into lockdown!

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Blurb:

An impossible pairing…

Hamish Douglas, the mercurial Laird of Glen Lyon, has never got along with independent, smart-mouthed Emily Baylor. Which wouldn’t matter if this brilliant Scottish astronomer didn’t move in the same scientific circles as Emily and if her famous father wasn’t his mentor. But when Emily looks likely to derail the event which will make Hamish’s career, he loses his temper with the pretty miss and his recklessness leaves her reputation in ruins.

A marriage made in scandal…

Emily has always thought her father’s spectacular protégé was far too arrogant for his own good. But what is she to do when the only way she can save her good name in society is to wed the unruly laird? Reluctantly she accepts Hamish’s proposal, but only on the condition [image error]that their union remains chaste. That shouldn’t be a problem; they’ve never been friends, let alone potential lovers – except that after they marry, Hamish reveals unexpected depths and a host of admirable qualities, and he’s so awfully handsome, and now the swaggering rogue admits that he desires her…

From the ballrooms of London to the grandeur of the western Highlands, a battle royal rages between these two strong-willed combatants. Neither plans to yield an inch – but are these smart people smart enough to see that sometimes the greatest victory lies in mutual surrender?

 

Social media links:

Website is www.annacampbell.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnaCampbellFans/?pnref=lhc

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-campbell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/296477.Anna_Campbell

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-Campbell/e/B002NKV1HQ/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084WSDY2Y/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084WSDY2Y/

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B084WSDY2Y/

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-highlanders-english-bride-the-lairds-most-likely-book-6/id1499652346

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-highlander-s-english-bride-the-lairds-most-likely-book-6

About Anna Campbell:
[image error] Photo Credit: Robyn Hills http://www.robyngraphs.com.au

I live on the east coast of Australia and I write historical romance for a living. So far, I’ve had 35 books released, a mixture of traditionally published titles with Harper Collins and Hachette, and my indie releases which have included two substantial series, The Dashing Widows and The Lairds Most Likely. Writing full-time is a dream come true. I was the kind of kid who always had her nose in a book – I still do when I get the chance! So producing stories for people from all around the world to read is my definition of the perfect job. To date, my books have been translated into 24 languages, which proves that love really is the universal language! At present, I’m winding up the Lairds Most Likely series which began in 2018 with The Laird’s Willful Lass. After The Highlander’s English Bride, I’ll release The Highlander’s Rescued Maiden and a Christmas story called The Highlander’s Christmas Lassie. In 2021, I’m planning on returning to London and society glamour and scandal with a brand-new series that I’m really excited about. Watch this space!

A Conversation with Author Tonya Mitchell

This evening in the Library we have ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Tonya Mitchell who has dropped in to say hello and to share some insights into her life as an author.

Thank you, Pam. I’m a great fan of your books. I’m thrilled to have found your Lucy Lawrence series.

Thank you! You are very welcome Tonya, please introduce yourself: 

[image error]I received my BA in journalism from Indiana University. My short fiction has appeared in The Copperfield Review, Words Undone, and The Front Porch Review, as well as in various anthologies, including Furtive Dalliance, Welcome to Elsewhere, and Glimmer and Other Stories and Poems, for which I won the Cinnamon Press award in fiction.

I am a self-professed Anglophile and I am obsessed with all things relating to the Victorian period. I am a member of the Historical Novel Society North America and reside in Cincinnati, Ohio with my husband and three wildly energetic sons. A Feigned Madness is my first novel.

Which genre do you write in and what draws you to it?

I read voraciously as a child. There was never a time I wasn’t reading something. When I was eight-years-old, I told my mom I wanted to write a book. I had no idea what I wanted to write, mind you, I just knew I wanted to write books. I cherish To Kill a Mockingbird to this day. I still remember the first time I read it, the colour of the couch, the way the sun shone through the window. But it wasn’t until I read Jane Eyre in high school that I really started gravitating to historical fiction. History fascinates me in ways few other things do. It’s so intriguing, because as a reader I’d think: Wow, things were really like this? How did these people cope? How did they survive? I love seeing characters in those tight spaces, battling it out with the cultural beliefs, social mores, and injustices of their time—particularly women, who had so little power. I think I became a lover of all things British when I started reading—devouring actually—Agatha Christie novels. The combination of mystery inside, oftentimes, an English manor house hooked me every time. And who doesn’t love Miss Marple?

Are you a self-published/traditional or hybrid author?

I’m lucky enough to be traditionally published by a small press. My debut will be out this fall. I wanted to go the traditional route simply because I wanted to walk into a bookstore one day and see my book there. That’s been a dream for as long as I can remember. Getting published was a hard road for me, though. I had lots of fits and starts along the way, lots of imposter syndrome. I’d read an excellent book and think: How the hell can I do this? Who am I kidding? There have also been changes in the publishing industry that have made it harder to get published traditionally. The Big Five in the US tend to see debut authors as a huge risk, so if you don’t stand out from the get-go, and I mean stand out amongst the brilliant, already-successful authors with big followings, chances are you won’t get far. It’s very competitive.

Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

In a nutshell, the authors who were writing what I most wanted to read. After Jane Eyre, I began looking for other dark stories: Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker. At some point along the way, I figured out that gothic was really what I loved. From there, I went on to read Shirley Jackson, Margaret Atwood, and Laura Purcell. If there’s something dark and murky about it, something uber twisted, chances are I’m going to love it. What that says about my mental state, I’m not sure