Maggi Andersen's Blog, page 38

New Regency series! Unmasking Lady Helen Published in two days! Enjoy a snippet!

Enjoy a snippet: “I’m glad you find this amusing.”“As do you,” Peyton said with a chuckle.“Perhaps a little,” Helen agreed, a quiver in her voice betraying her. “This has all been very silly. A terrible idea of yours.”“I believe it was yours,” he said.“I intended to spend the night behind the sofa, you will remember.”“As if I’d allow you to do a foolish thing like that.”“You would have no say in it, sir.”“No? You’re in here with me, though, aren’t you? Perhaps you prefer my company to the sofa’s?”She huffed. “You are not making sense. It must be the lack of fresh air.” 
Amazon  

Available for Pre-order. UNMASKING LADY HELEN Book One in the new Regency series, The Kinsey Family.

Buy Links
Cover by Erin Dameron-Hill Sometimes the biggest risk we take is with our hearts.

1821 London
At twenty-four, Lady Helen Kinsey has her future carefully mapped out. A life of gentle quietude in the country caring for her unmarried brothers and walking with her dog. It does not include marriage, a dream she banished after her first Season. But when a handsome earl enters Kinsey House in London on a mission to find out why their footman was poisoned, she finds herself drawn into solving the mystery. And despite resistance on her part worthy of an army maneuver, she is irresistibly drawn to the earl himself.
After Whitehall receives a letter warning of a plot against the Crown, Jason, Captain Lord Peyton, is sent to investigate. Surely the famous explorer, Lord Lawrence Kinsey could not be behind it. He is engrossed in roaming ancient libraries and tombs in the East and bringing back their treasures for the museum. But after Peyton finds a fragment of a burned letter it appears that something dangerous lurks in Kinsey House, and Peyton becomes determined to keep the defenseless family safe, and one member particularly. Lady Helen has built a wall around herself and holds him at arm’s length. But arm’s length is not where Peyton wants to be.
As the mystery unfolds it becomes imperative for Peyton and Lady Helen to work together, very closely indeed.

New Release by Diane Scott Lewis! Hostage to the Revolution.

My guest today is Diane Scott Lewis telling us about her exciting new release HOSTAGE TO THE REVOLUTION. Welcome Diane!
 Amazon In the later eighteenth century, the status-quo was ripped apart by the poor and middle class in France who demanded equal rights with the rich who were stifling them with high taxes. In 1789 the French Revolution was born with all its accompanying atrocities. I didn’t wish to rehash the exact events—most of this novel takes place in England—but created a young woman, Lisbette “Bettina” Jonquiere, daughter of a count, who is dragged away by a trusted (she thinks) major domo to protect her from the dangers in Paris after her father’s sudden death. Her life of luxury vanishes and she must learn to survive with only her wits and courage. I didn’t write a fluff piece, but through thorough research, a story with all the grit and authenticity of the era. This portion takes place in my first novel, Escape the Revolution. This blurb explains ESCAPE THE REVOLUTION (also titled The False Light and then Betrayed Countess): Forced from France on the eve of the French Revolution, Countess Bettina Jonquiere must deliver an important package to further the royalist cause. In England, she discovers the package is full of blank papers, the address false and she’s penniless. Bettina toils in a bawdy tavern and falls in love with a man who may have murdered his wife. Tracked by ruthless revolutionaries, she must uncover the truth about her father’s murder—and her lover’s guilt—while her life is threatened.
The novel grew so huge, I had to cut the last third, beef up that part of the story, and generated a sequel. For those who enjoyed the first novel, but lamented there was no Happily Ever After, I hope you’ll read this dénouement to the story that showcases Bettina’s further trials and triumphs—and perhaps that happy ending.
Here’s the blurb for HOSTAGE TO THE REVOLUTION:
In 1796, ruined countess Bettina Jonquiere leaves England after the reported drowning of her lover, Everett.  In New Orleans she struggles to establish a new life for her children. Soon a ruthless Frenchman demands the money stolen by her father at the start of the French Revolution. Bettina is forced on a dangerous mission to France to recover the funds. She unravels dark family secrets, but will she find the man she lost as well? I hope fans will enjoy both of these novels. I think readers will be satisfied with a trip through sultry New Orleans, and a France torn apart by war during the rise of Napoleon. But most importantly, a young woman’s determination to forge a new life while reconciling with her past in a turbulent time. To purchase Thanks for hosting me, Maggi. It's exciting to be posting to readers in Australia.


Diane.

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Life in Bath, England in Jane Austen's Time.

 Jane Austen set her novel Persuasion in Bath at a time when that city was the hub of society. It was the last novel she wrote, published six months after her death in 1817.
Life in Bath, England, in Jane Austen’s Time by Maggi Andersen
By Maggi Andersen


The golden age of Bath was the eighteenth century. It was then the most popular health and pleasure resort in England. It was transformed early in the century from a dull and dirty provincial town into a glittering social center by Richard Nash—Beau Nash as he came to be called. John Wood, the architect, and his son beautified the city with fine new streets—Royal Crescent, Queen Square, North and South Parade.
A daily routine of occupations and amusement was drawn up for visitors. Those wishing to bathe in the waters did so between 6 and 9 a.m. It was a social gathering, and ladies and gentlemen waded together clad in the fullest of bathing costumes, the ladies pushing before them little floating trays holding handkerchief, snuff-box, sweets, and nosegays of flowers. After this came the drinking of the waters in the Pump Room while musicians provided music. Then breakfast, on offer to the public in the Assembly Rooms, followed by a service in the Abbey church. Between that and dinner at 3.00 p.m., the time was spent shopping, driving about in a gig or chaise, and calling on acquaintances.
After dinner, the pump room was again filled with society, parading in their best clothes, before taking tea and spending the evening at the theater, ball, or gaming tables.
Life in Bath was governed by strict regulations for behavior and social etiquette set up by the acknowledged ‘King of Bath’, Beau Nash. His slightly humorous set of rules was pasted up in the Pump Room.
Here are two of them:
That the elder ladies and children be content with a second bench at the ball, as being past or not yet come to perfection.
That all whisperers of lies and scandals be taken for their authors.

Two of my novels have been set at least partially in Bath.

THE DUKE’S MYSTERIOUS LADY
AT THE EARL’S CONVENIENCE

English Historical Fiction Authors: Joining the Gentry from Maria Grace

English Historical Fiction Authors: Joining the Gentry: by Maria Grace The Regency era gentleman was a fairly rare bird. During the era, the gentry class only made up about one and one half per...

Interview with Historical & Contemporary Romance Author Maggi Andersen by MYSTERYTHRILLERWEEK.COM

Interview with Historical & Contemporary Romance Author Maggi Andersen
Posted on June 20, 2017 Posted in Historical, InterviewTagged Australian authors, Author, Baxendale Sisters, contemporary romance, Historical romance, Interview, Maggi Andersen, Mystery Thriller Week, Regency period, Romance, Spies of Mayfair, The Barron's WifeLeave a comment





Please welcome Maggi Andersen, historical and contemporary romance author from New South Wales, Australia. She has a BA and Master of Arts in Creative Writing, loves local wildlife, and pens the Regency, Baxendale Sisters, and Spies of Mayfair series.  And she has an AWESOME WEBSITE. Please check it out,  Maggiandersenauthor.com






Now, let’s learn a little more about our friend, Maggi…


*What’s it like living in Australia?
It’s great! Australians are known for their easy-going attitude to life. I grew up close to the beach and my childhood was all sun, sand, and sea. My brother and I roamed free in those days. Now I live in a bustling village in the Southern Highlands near Sydney, where the spring and autumn are glorious and it sometimes snows, but lightly and rarely! It’s wine country, with rolling green hills, some covered in vines, horse studs and farms. The highlands has many endangered bird species and a large koala population. Old inns, and their ghosts, still operate in the historic villages nearby where the stage coaches once passed through during the 1800s. When I feel I need to break out of my self-imposed writer’s cocoon, I head to Sydney for a writer’s conference or Melbourne to visit family.

This is great. Would love to visit there one day. My wife has a cousin, uh, somewhere over there. Sorry memory fails me at the moment. 








Here’s some additional pics…












*What led you to read the books of Georgette Heyer and Victoria Holt?
My mother loved them, and she handed them on to me. We reread them many times over and had lengthy discussion on each one. It was a special thing to share with her, with lovely memories now that she is no longer with us.
It’s lovely to share the joy of books with others, especially another family member. 


A book is a gift you can open again and again. -Garrison Keillor

*What do you love most about the Georgian and Regency worlds?
There is so much to write about. The history, manners, culture, fashions, gardens, mansions, and food aside, there was also the extravagant and extraordinarily self-indulgent Prince Regent, plus the lengthy Napoleonic wars. There was also the pulsating underworld where crime and vice of every kind flourished. The colorful Georgian era was less mannered, but equally as fascinating. Some of the people who existed in these eras seem larger than life, like Beau Brummel, who was a profound influence on men’s fashion and their bathing habits in the early 1800s. He was befriended by the Prince of Wales, but was always on the verge of poverty, which was then labeled ‘dun territory’. He lost the Prince’s friendship and left England a broken man. Young gentlemen were dangerously idle. Great gamblers, there are many instances where huge estates and wealth were lost at the gaming tables and the races.
I love what you’ve done with your historical series. It not only brings history alive, but it also transports you there in many ways. 






*If you could send yourself back to those time periods what would you do?
Marry a duke of course.  Seriously, I would hope to be a member of the ton, the Upper Ten Thousand in society. Life could be very hard for the lower classes. If I was born without money or family, I’d be an actress, I always wanted to tread the boards.
Splendid! I always enjoy the answers to this question. 

*What are your top three experiences writing about these times?
Creating the three books in The Spies of Mayfair Series. A Dangerous Deception, A Spy to Love, and A Secret Affair . They were enjoyable to write, I loved the heroes and heroines, and researching interesting historical facts which included Napoleon’s escape from Elba, The Peterloo Massacre, and the famous Hope diamond, the blue diamond of the French Crown, stolen from King Louis XIV in 1791.
Awesome! Can’t wait to read all of them. 












*Tell us about your new release, The Baron’s Wife.
My new release The Baron’s Wife has just hit an historical mystery bestseller list on Amazon! Another of my favorite stories to write, it’s set during the late Victorian era, teetering on the brink of the 20 th Century, when so much was changing. Women were fighting for their right to vote, to gain access to university degrees and have other freedoms allowed to men. It would take many years for these things to be realized. My heroine, Laura Parr was involved in the Suffrage movement when she met her hero, Baron, Nathaniel Lanyon. She puts these dreams on hold after he sweeps her off her feet, marries her and takes her to his home, an ancient abbey in Cornwall. Laura soon discovers all is not as it seems in her new home. There’s a mystery surrounding Nathaniel’s first wife’s death. Nathaniel had been confident he could offer Laura a happy life, but the past comes back to claim him.
This sounds like an intriguing story!





*What was a courtship like at the time of Laura Parr and Baron, Lord Nathaniel Lanyon?
For a strictly raised young lady such as Laura, her future marriage partner, and her courtship was often chosen and managed by the parents. Her father must first approve of the suitor and her mother would make sure she was chaperoned until the wedding. Many couples were virtual strangers when they married.
Wow. That’s amazing. The thought of my parents choosing my spouse makes me cringe.


*Is this a standalone or part of a series?
The Baron’s Wife is a standalone novel. It’s my third Victorian mystery romance. The first two are The Folly at Falconbridge Hall and The Diary of a Painted Lady.
I already downloaded this one!


*What else are you working on?
At present, I’m working on a new Regency series, The Kinsey Family, Unmasking Lady Helen, Book One. The story is filled with mystery, suspense and romance, Ancient Egyptian tombs, and art forgery. I hope to have it published by August. Also, my contemporary romantic suspense novella Finding Daniel is part of a boxed set coming in February 2018.
Sounds great, keep us posted. 


Thanks Maggi!


A Baron’s Wife: https://books2read.com/u/bzpXE9Amazon Author page:http://lrd.to/9bwVEjmPBkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggiandersenauthor/Twitter: @maggiandersenGoodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2786221.Maggi_AndersenWebsite: http//www.maggiandersenauthor.com

The Baxendale Sisters Series is coming soon in a boxed set!

Meet the Baxendale family and learn of the five sisters journey to matrimony. Four have been nominated for awards.
LADY HONORLADY FAITHLADY HOPELADY CHARITYLADY MERCY
Cover by Erin Dameron-Hill.
Reviews:LADY HONOR’S DEBT
“I really enjoyed this novel. It was fun, thrilling, and romantic! A wonderful story filled with fantastic characters that you can’t help but fall in love with!” Amazon Reviewer.
LADY FAITH TAKES A LEAP
“I enjoyed the story and characters, it was well written, and flowed wonderfully. I liked the little bumps and surprises that popped up along the way. A wonderful story!”
Reading Alley
LADY HOPE AND THE DUKE OF DARKNESS
“I do wish to thank Miss Anderson for giving us the gift of her talent.” Amazon Reviewer.
THE SEDUCTION OF LADY CHARITY
“Ms. Andersen has created a wonderfully intriguing cast of characters. THE SEDUCTION OF LADY CHARITY can stand alone but readers might find themselves returning to the first book of the series just to see what they might have missed from Ms Andersen’s original stories.”  InD’Tale Magazine
THE SCANDALOUS LADY MERCY
“Andersen writes an adventurous regency book that one wishes to keep reading, even after the story is done. This novel is part of a series but is a fantastic standalone work.” InD’Tale Magazine.

My Gothic Romance Novel, The Baron's Wife is an Amazon bestseller with some great reviews!

 BUY LINKS

Amazon Review: "When twenty-two-year-old Laura Parr meets thirty-two-year old Nathaniel, Lord Lanyon, a baron with a troubled past, in summer, 1899 he reminds her of Heathcliffe, a character from Wuthering Heights. The hackney carriage they share is involved in an accident. “Really, I don’t think this is necessary,” Laura protested when he lifted” her into his arms and carried her across the road. “And she a strapping female, who prided herself on being athletic and strong” whose father, a member of parliament, allowed her to attend lectures at university. Interested in women’s rights she does not want to marry, instead she plans to find employment and move into a flat in Bloomsbury.
Nathaniel, a widower whose wife died in mysterious circumstances, is confident of Laura’s passionate nature. “It was evident in the flash of her beautiful green eyes and her wilful mouth that he wanted badly to kiss but for a young lady as gently reared as her it could only mean marriage.” Nathanial woos her, tells her his wife would be “his partner in life”, weds her and takes her to Wolfram Abbey his country seat in Cornwall.
Laura believes her husband desires her but does not love her. Lanyon thinks: “Poor girl, what kind of future have I given her in a moment of madness? He would never be able to give fully of himself or to give her what she needed. Laura had given up so much for him. Compassion gripped him. He would do anything in his power to protect her.”
From the beginning of this spine-chilling Gothic Novel, with beautiful word pictures of Cornwall, the author skilfully creates fear and suspicion. The twist at the end is a fiendishly clever one which I did not anticipate. The Baron’s Wife deserves the five stars I have awarded it.

In print! The Duke's Mysterious Lady by Maggi Andersen

For those who like to read print books, THE DUKE'S MYSTERIOUS LADY has been re-edited for print with a great new cover!

Available from Amazon stores:
Available in e-book. 

E-book cover by Erin Dameron-Hill
Print cover by Josephine Blake

Here's a snippet:


Her breath caught in her throat. What did this powerful man, this Duke, want with her? Her feet faltered on the path, but the footman was poised to re-enter the building through another door. As she ran after him, she lost a shoe. She bent and thrust the slipper back on, fearing she might lose him. She found him waiting for her before a pair of tall doors. His cold, impersonal glance swept over her before he knocked.A deep voice answered, “Come.”With a flourish, the footman threw the doors open, then paused. She realized with horror that he had no name with which to announce her. “The woman ye found on the road, Y’grace,” he said.She winced, burning with embarrassment and allowed herself to be ushered into the room. When the door clicked shut behind her, she felt strangely abandoned.After the austerity of stone passages, the breakfast room was warm and welcoming with the rich aroma of coffee in the air. A brightly patterned carpet covered the parquetry floor. The late morning sun sparkled on diamond-paned windows with a view of the distant woods. She wished she was in those woods and not here.Anywhere but here, at this moment.The source of her discomfort rose from his seat at the table. He’d apparently rescued her. She did not recognize him. Would he know her? If he didn’t, what plan did he have for her? Best get that out of the way immediately. She straightened her shoulders and stepped forward.

New Release! Victorian romantic mystery THE BARON'S WIFE by Maggi Andersen

Amazon
After Laura Parr marries Baron, Lord Nathaniel Lanyon, he takes her to live in his ancient home in Cornwall. A dark cloud hovers over Wolfram. The death of Nathaniel’s first wife has never been solved, and some of the villagers believe him responsible. Struggling to understand the distant man she married, Laura tries to uncover the truth. With each stone unturned, she comes closer to danger.
Lord Nathaniel Lanyon had decided never to marry again. But when he meets Miss Laura Parr, the daughter of Sir Edmund Parr, one rainy afternoon, he realizes almost immediately that he must have her in his life. And the only way he could was to marry her.
Nathaniel believes that his troubled past is behind him and he can offer Laura a good life at Wolfram. However, he knows he can never offer her his heart. But as soon as they come to live in the ancient abbey, the past returns to haunt him, revealing secrets that he thought had been buried forever.
Reviews.
“A Gothic romance in the classic style, the author is a master at creating ominous atmosphere and multilayered characters.” Coffee Time Romance and More.
“The plot was interesting and the added mystery kept me riveted. The novel kept me wondering until the end.” The Romance Studios.
“It was hard to put the story down as the mystery kept just out of reach, drawing the reader in further to the storyline. [It] kept me up way too late into the night following the puzzle of Wolfram Abbey. I look forward to seeing more from Maggi Andersen.” Siren Book Reviews.
Previously published as Night Garden.