Debra Glass's Blog, page 3

Rakehell Has a Release Date!

My new Victorian historical romance, Rakehell, will be released by Ellora's Cave on December 18, 2013. 

Book Description

Lady Primrose Black has a dilemma. Her father-in-law’s dying wish is that she reunite with her estranged husband and produce an heir. She hasn’t laid eyes on Lord Black since their wedding night five years ago, when he left Scarborough Hall in a rage. Nevertheless she resolves to find him, knowing once she does she will have to use every method at her disposal to entice the rake she never stopped loving.

Viscount Adam Black harbors dark needs and he will accept no less than his wife’s complete and utter surrender. Each sensual encounter leaves Primrose wanting more but as she submits to her husband’s every decadent desire, she resolves not to lose him again. For the secret that drove Adam away still haunts him. And this time it could prove fatal for them both.

Inside Scoop: This nineteenth-century heroine explores her naughty side in this Victorian romance with BDSM elements.

A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Click HERE to buy Rakehell from Ellora's Cave December 18Contest: If you'd like to read an excerpt, check out my blog post at Romance Magicians and be sure to leave a comment because I'll randomly select one lucky commenter to win a free download in their preferred ereader format on release day!

Susana is going all out to celebrate the release of A Twelfth Night Tale!

Join me in welcoming historical author, Susana Ellis!  Susana is going
all out to celebrate the release of A
Twelfth Night Tale!

Mummers’ Plays

The term “mummers” originated in medieval times, referring to troupes of actors who would perform during the Christmastide, either in public houses or going door-to-door to offer their brand of entertainment for a few coins, usually plays and songs. Unfortunately, the plays performed have not survived the ravages of time, so no one knows for sure what type of entertainment was performed.

Later, on certain feast days, people would put on masks and celebrate the day by visiting their neighbors. Henry VIII is known to have taken his court social mumming—incognito, of course—but later, when the practice was discredited as immoral, he banned it and brought the custom of masquerades to court instead.

Beginning in the 18th century, however, the plays performed usually centered around a quack doctor, who is asked to bring a dead character—either the hero (usually named George) or the villain—to life. These actors wore outrageously gaudy costumes with bright colors and spangled caps. Mummers sometimes wore masks or face-obscuring hats or painted their faces, as many did not want to be accused of begging. Oftentimes, the mummers were agricultural workers who didn’t have work in the off-season, and mumming could be a quite a lucrative proposition for them.

In some parts of England, mumming was a popular pasttime for All Soul’s Day or even Easter. Plough Monday, which is the day after Twelfth Day (Epiphany) and when the farm laborers are called back to work after the Christmastide, is a traditional day for these Plough Plays in some parts of England and Ireland.

During a time when there was little other entertainment and most likely children home for school holidays, the appearance of mummers at the door was a welcome occurrence for the entire family.

A random commenter on this post will win a Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet. 

Besides the
Grand Prize—a Giant Treasure Box—she is giving away a Twelfth Night Tale Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated) for one
random commenter on each of the twelve
stops of the tour.
Click here for the
Rafflecopter for the Giant Treasure Box!

A Twelfth Night Tale Giant Treasure Box*

A Twelfth Night
Tale
Christmas charm bracelet (silver-plated)

Treasuring
Theresa
mug

Treasuring
Theresa
necklace

Treasuring
Theresa keychain

*In lieu of the
treasure box, a winner from outside the U.S. will receive a gift card from the
book retailer of their choice.

About A Twelfth Night Tale

A wounded soldier and the girl
next door find peace and love amidst a backdrop of rural Christmas traditions.

Without
dowries and the opportunity to meet eligible gentlemen, the five Barlow sisters
stand little chance of making advantageous marriages. But when the eldest
attracts the attention of a wealthy viscount, suddenly it seems as though Fate
is smiling upon them.

Lucy
knows that she owes it to her younger sisters to encourage Lord Bexley's
attentions, since marriage to a peer will secure their futures as well as hers.
The man of her dreams has always looked like Andrew Livingston, her best
friend's brother. But he's always treated her like a child, and, in any case,
is betrothed to another. Perhaps the time has come to put away childhood dreams
and accept reality…and Lord Bexley.

Andrew
has returned from the Peninsula with more emotional scars to deal with than
just the lame arm. Surprisingly, it's his sister's friend “Little Lucy” who
shows him the way out of his melancholy. He can't help noticing that Lucy's
grown up into a lovely young woman, but with an eligible viscount courting her,
he'll need a little Christmas magic to win her for himself.

Available

Ellora's
Cave • Amazon
• Barnes
& Noble • Kobo

Excerpt

All
Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

A Blush® Regency romance from Ellora’s Cave

Chapter One

The Barlow Home

near Charlbury, Oxfordshire

23 December 1813

“It’s so kind of you to call, Lord Bexley. The
flowers you sent are simply lovely, are they not, Lucy?”

Unable to miss the warning tone in her mother’s
voice, Lucy sat up straight in her chair and smiled sweetly at their caller.

“Oh yes indeed. They are undoubtedly the most
beautiful I’ve ever received, my lord.”

Of course, she did not mention that they were
the first flowers she’d ever been sent by a gentleman. And considering that
there were few opportunities to meet eligible gentlemen in the quiet little
neck of the woods where the Barlows resided, the arrangement was quite likely
to remain the only floral tribute to come her way.

Her caller beamed with pleasure. “They were the
best I could find at the florist, but of course they cannot hold a candle to
your beauty and sweetness, Miss Barlow.”

Lucy swallowed and forced herself to reply.
“You embarrass me with your flattery, my lord.”

“Not at all,” he insisted. “You were quite the
belle of the Christmas Ball last evening, Miss Barlow. I was much envied to be
allowed the honor of two dances with you when so many gentlemen had to
be turned away.”

The “Christmas Ball” was merely a small
celebration at the local assembly rooms. Her mother had encouraged her to favor
Lord Bexley, but in truth, Lucy herself had not found him objectionable. He was
an accomplished dancer and quite distinguished-looking, in spite of the fact
that he had at least twenty years over her.

At eighteen, she was of an age to be out in
society, and Lord Bexley, a wealthy widower from Warwickshire, was undoubtedly
the most eligible gentleman in the county. Recently out of mourning, he was
seeking a new wife and a mother to his three children, and as Mrs. Barlow kept
telling her, Lucy should be flattered that he seemed to be favoring her for the
role.

Well, she was flattered. Wasn’t she? The
number of young ladies far exceeded that of eligible gentlemen, and she didn’t
wish to be left on the shelf. With her family in financial difficulties and
four younger sisters to be married off, Lucy knew she owed it to them to marry
well and do what she could to find her sisters suitable matches as well.

She was prepared to do her duty and make the
best of it, but somehow, when she thought of marriage and children, it was not
the kindly Lord Bexley who came to mind. It was the face of the strapping,
dark-haired Adonis with laughing gray eyes who lived on an adjoining estate
with his younger sister—her bosom friend Jane—who had teased her unmercifully
from the time she learned to walk. She couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t
been in love with Andrew Livingston—she’d even asked him to marry her at the
age of five when he’d been twelve and about to leave for Eton. He’d laughed and
quipped that it would be like marrying his sister, and she’d nursed a broken
heart ever since.

She sighed as she frequently did when she
thought of Andrew and his affianced wife, and her mother glared at her.
Fortunately, Phillips wheeled in the tea cart and Mrs. Barlow’s attention was
mercifully diverted.

“Please do the honors, Lucy. An excellent
opportunity to practice your housewifely skills.”

Lucy flushed. Could her mother’s intentions be
more obvious? But Lord Bexley did not seem to notice. He smiled kindly at her
somewhat shaky inquiry as to his preferences, and thanked her graciously when
she brought him his tea and a plate of cherry tarts.

“Quite charming,” he commented as he regarded
her with obvious approval. It was unclear whether he was speaking to her or to
her mother, and Lucy wasn’t sure how to respond.

Fortunately, there was a shriek followed by the
sound of fierce arguing from the back rooms of the house. Lucy turned
instinctively to the door, which was promptly thrust open and filled by the
figure of her sister Lydia, who was breathing hard and wringing her hands in
agitation.

“Do come, Lucy! Lila and Louisa are having one
of their rows again, in the kitchen of all places. Lila broke one of Cook’s
mixing bowls, and Cook swears she’ll leave if someone doesn’t stop them and you
know you’re the only one who can, Lucy!” She flushed when she saw Lord Bexley
and her mother’s angry face. “Oh…pardon me, I didn’t realize we had a guest.”
She backed out into the hall, shooting Lucy a pleading look as she did so.

Relieved for an excuse to terminate the social
call, Lucy muttered her excuses and scrambled out of the room. But not before
she heard her mother’s mortified apology and Lord Bexley’s soothing reply that
he found it quite agreeable to discover a young lady so accomplished in the
maternal skills.

Goodness, he really was intent on courting her!
She should be flattered. She was a sensible girl, and it was pointless to set
her cap at Andrew Livingston, in any case. Lord Bexley would be an excellent
match for her. His three daughters could not possibly be as troublesome as her
two youngest sisters, after all.

She gritted her teeth and hurried to the
kitchen, the ineffectual Lydia as usual trailing behind her. The second eldest
Barlow daughter was as helpless as their mother at controlling the two youngest
children. When Lucy married and left the house, as she would in time, her
bookish middle sister Laura was going to have to take up the reins.

About
the Author

A
former teacher, Susana is finally living her dream of being a full-time writer.
She loves all genres of romance, but historical—Regency in particular—is her
favorite. There’s just something about dashing heroes and spunky heroines
waltzing in ballrooms and driving through Hyde Park that appeals to her
imagination.

In real
life, Susana is a lifelong resident of northwest Ohio, although she has lived in
Ecuador and studied in Spain, France and Mexico. More recently, she was able to
travel around the UK and visit many of the places she’s read about for years,
and it was awesome! She is a member of the Maumee Valley and Beau Monde
chapters of Romance Writers of America.

Contacts

Web site • Email • Facebook • Twitter • Linked In • Pinterest • Google+
• Goodreads

Susana’s Parlour (Regency Blog) • Susana’s Morning Room (Romance Blog)

 

 

Cover Reveal! Rakehell by Debra Glass Coming Soon From Ellora's Cave

The cover gods have definitely smiled on me with this scrumptious cover for my upcoming Ellora's Cave, historical release, Rakehell.  Look for Rakehell in December 2013 or January 2014! 

Rakehell

Debra
Glass

Lady
Primrose Black has a dilemma. Her father-in-law’s dying wish is that she
reunite with her estranged husband and produce an heir. She hasn’t laid eyes on
Lord Black since he left Scarborough Hall in a rage on their wedding night five
years ago. Nevertheless, she resolves to find him, knowing once she does, she
will have to use every method at her disposal to entice the rake she never
stopped loving.

But Viscount
Adam Black harbors dark needs, and he will accept no less than his wife’s
complete and utter surrender. Each sensual encounter leaves Primrose wanting
more, but as she submits to her husband’s every decadent desire, she resolves
not to lose him again. For the secret that drove Adam away still haunts him.
And this time, it could prove fatal for them both.

Inside Scoop: 
This nineteenth-century heroine explores her naughty side in this
Victorian romance with bdsm elements.

A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

 

Blog Blast at Southern Magic

Southern Magic is celebrating this month our Romance Readers Luncheon by giving away books and other goodies, including the grand prize of a Kindle Fire HD 7″ Tablet.  To win the tablet, be sure to comment throughout the month. On September 30, we’ll draw from everyone who commented (*see blog for exceptions – sorry) and announce the grand prize winner.

Go to http://romancemagicians.blogspot.com/

 

Romance Magicians Blog Blast - Win a Kindle Fire HD!

Romance Magicians: Starting The Blog Blast with a New Avon Princess: ...: We’re starting off this Blog Blast right with the introduction of a new Avon Impulse author. Codi Gary and I have a few things in commo...

Guest Blogger and Author Juli D Revezzo on Unrecorded History

Today I'm welcoming my friend and author Juli D Revezzo to the blog! Juli's books are  filled to the brim with evocative world building and wonderfully crafted characters. So, without further adieu, Heeeerrrrrrrrrreee'ssss Juli . . .

What
do you get when you mix a nice studious woman with a war from hell? Well…. I
asked that question in my novel Passion’s
Sacred Dance, coming out from The Wild Rose Press. Stacy Macken has known
all her life the stories her family has to tell. Somewhere back in their early
days the story claims they were witness to a battle fought between the Irish
gods, The Tuatha dé Danann, and their
enemy Balor of the Evil Eye.

I
trawled through all the versions of the Medieval story I could find and there’s
really not a whole lot to go on. So when Stacy told me “Scholars! Believe me, they
don’t know everything.” I wondered is it true? Could there be more to the story
than the general populace knows?

Then she went into this whole long history. It
seems her family had really been involved, and going all the way back to the
ice age! The problem with characters is they can’t do the research for you for however
much they try to convince us they’re know it alls. ;) I dug into to good ole Google
and my collection of books on the Celts, and you know, they really did go very
far back into history. While they harried the Greeks and Romans, it’s possible
they’ve been around a lot longer than that. So it was easy to build a whole
history for the family, to have them show up fighting the same battles their
ancestors did—and who’s to say the battles didn’t come because two sets of gods (ie. Balor and the Tuatha dé Danann) were at
each other’s throats again? After all, don’t we know that history—to paraphrase
the old adage—isn’t always written about accurately? My goodness, even the
scholars don’t always agree with each other!

It was definitely a fun idea to play with. I got to
mix Stacy’s modern life with the Celtic and Classical history I’ve been
studying for years, and watch things like Spartacus and Warrior Queen and tried my
best to recreate the eras involved. J I hope you enjoy the
result.

Passion’s Sacred Dance.

 Battling
mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery.
When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the
attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her
savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the
Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking
their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up
anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her
property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family
diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in
time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take
control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding
love might only complicate things.

Excerpt:

Aaron planted his stance against the ground like the roots of a great oak tree,
and pulled out his harshad. He flipped the handle over in his hand and two
flail-like ends emerged. The ends cut through the glass wall, and snaked around
the lawyer’s throat like metal ropes, before tightening.

The lawyer’s face began to turn red. Rendered
immobile, he stumbled easily as Aaron gave the handle a hard tug. Stacy
screeched as she tripped along with him. Aaron stepped through the wall, pried
Bradley’s fingers from Stacy’s flesh, and shoved her protectively behind his
back.

“Do me a favor,” he ground out between clenched
teeth. “Call the number I gave you yesterday. They’ll  do us more good
than 9-1-1.”

Stacy turned and ran for the hall as the
lawyer  hissed out, “You should learn not to get involved,  unsavory
one.”

Aaron swallowed his relief when he heard Stacy slam
the door against the wall. He turned his attention back to the cackling lawyer.

“I would give you the same warning, human.” Aaron
studied the man in earnest, his voice calm.

“You  have no idea what you’re involved in.”

“I should say the same to you.”

“Oh, I know the depths of their malevolence.” He
tugged Bradley’s shirt collar down to reveal the glowing green eye tattooed on
his chest. The lawyer’s breathing became more shallow, and sweat trickled from
his temple.

“Do you know what you’re dealing with? Think long
and hard about which side of the debtors’ line you’ll be on when the battle
comes.” He slung the lawyer around, towards the back door. “Tell your masters
this ground will carry my brand when all is said and done, or I shall gladly
hound them to the ends of their unnatural lives!”

*sigh* I love a good warrior, don’t you? Would you
like to read more? If so, Passion’s Sacred Dance is available now at Amazon and
coming soon to The Wild Rose Press store and other retailers.

For more on these and other books visit Juli at: http://julidrevezzo.com/

And Juli’s Amazon page and author page at The Wild Rose Press.

I’m also on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

Pintrest: http://pinterest.com/jewelsraven/

Shelfari:http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002694572/Juli-D-Revezzo/

twitter: @julidrevezzo

 

Beaux and Belles - Courtship in the Antebellum South by Debra Glass

Welcome to the History Lovers Grand
Tour & Scavenger Hunt!

—International—

As the name
implies, we’re a group of readers and authors who love both history and
romance, especially when they’re combined in a delightful story. If you feel
the same, you’re welcome to join us on our Facebook page and
converse with us about historical romance fiction.

Below you’ll
find authors of historical romances set in a wide variety of time periods.
Perhaps by participating in our Grand Tour you’ll discover some new authors for
your future reading pleasure. Hop around to your heart’s content, feel free to
comment on the posts, hunt for answers to the authors’ questions, and perhaps
you’ll be one of our 25 lucky prize winners (see contest details below)…although
you’re already a winner if you find a new story to read, do you not agree? 

As part of the History Lovers Grand Tour Scavenger Hunt, I'm posting on courtship and dating in the Antebellum South. I'll be giving away a digital copy of my erotic historical romance, Lover for Ransom, set in Reconstruction Era Tennessee to one lucky commenter. Be sure to visit the other authors' blogs to entered for prizes both big and small!

One of the most exciting times in a nineteenth century girl's life was when she became of age to attend balls and begin courtship. 

Rigorous courtship rules were designed to protect the girl's reputation from any stain of impropriety. 

Courtship and dating were not the same thing. Dates were casual affairs where a young couple would decide whether to pursue the relationship or not. Courtship was serious stuff and usually the next step toward exclusivity, engagement and marriage. 

Courtship was often more about a business merger than romantic love. 

Prior to entering into courtship, the young male hopeful would first have to obtain permission from the head of the female's family before he could pay his addresses formally to his intended. 

Particular parents would thoroughly investigate the beau's family, his wealth, and connections. Those who didn't measure up were turned down in spite of the couple's wishes.

But all was not lost if the couple wasn't given permission and still wanted to be together. They could always defy propriety and carry on a scandalous clandestine relationship or even (gasp) elope. Elopements doubtless had many an anxious mother reaching for her smelling salts.

Young women were discouraged from entertaining suitors belonging to lower social classes. But this worked both ways. Young men looking for brides, desired women of their same class who possessed property. A Caswell Matrimonyist writing in the Raleigh Register of
October 12, 1809, states: “If he is informed that she is rich but not pretty he
replies, "Let beauty be hanged; property is my object."

In Gone With the Wind, when Ashley Wilkes marries his cousin, Melanie Hamilton, thus keeping property and wealth within the family, Scarlett assumes he couldn't have possibly married that plain wren for love and must therefore still be secretly in love with her.

Courtship of the antebellum era included writing letters, and paying visits to the girl's home, which were always chaperoned. Elaborate schemes were often concocted to steal a kiss or two when the chaperone nodded off or temporarily looked the other way.   Beaux were often
permitted to take their sweethearts for a carriage ride, to be seen together at church, or to go for a
walk. Among the
Southern aristocracy daughters customarily accompanied the family to a ball
rather than be escorted by a suitor. Among the lower classes, the young
men would most likely "gallant the girls to the frolic."

Courtship almost always led to marriage and once a proposal was tendered and accepted, engagements were short and were not announced, as is today's custom, other than to a few family members and friends. 

Many of these formalities evolved at the onset of the war due to the wedding craze as belles wanted to marry their beaux before they went off to war. 

Lover for Ransom is set two years after the war and open courtship between my characters, Ransom Byrne and his sister's teacher, Cathleen Ryan, doesn't start until the end of the story, but they do steal several opportunities to spend time alone which most certainly would have further stained Cathleen's already dubious reputation as a suffragette and a Yankee. 

An Excerpt From: LOVER FOR RANSOM

Copyright © DEBRA GLASS, 2013

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Don’t you ever read anything for pleasure?”

She toyed with the earpieces of her glasses, her mind fixed
on the way his velvety drawl had played havoc with the word pleasure. She cleared her throat. “There
are far too many important things to read to waste my poor eyesight on
frivolities, Mr. Byrne.”

He closed her book, set it on the table and stood. Cathleen
flinched as his leg brushed hers when he passed on his way to the bookcase. He
opened it and pressed his fingertip to his lips in thought as he perused its
contents.

Cathleen studied his casual stance. His weight shifted to
one leg and his head cocked to the side. He looked back at her, stared so long
it made her insides quiver and then turned back to the collection and removed a
slender book from the shelf.

“I shall read to you then,” he said with a smile and he
returned to his chair. “To protect your poor eyesight from…frivolities.”

Cathleen gulped as his long fingers opened the book and he
thumbed through the pages. It looked like a child’s volume in his hands and she
couldn’t help but wonder what he’d chosen.

“Ah, here,” he said, placing his elbow casually on the
armrest of his chair to hold the book at a comfortable height. “It was many and
many a year ago, in a kingdom by the sea, that a maiden lived there that you
may know by the name of Annabel Lee.”

Edgar Allan Poe. Of course she was familiar with the famed
Baltimore author. But she’d read his works in braille, and certainly had never
heard them read aloud by a man with such a hauntingly husky voice. This
night—this moment, with the clock’s pendulum ticking off the seconds in time
with the poem’s meter and the flickering glow of the lamp—seemed to be made for
the dark, beautifully macabre poem about a woman who’d died before her time.

“For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams of the
beautiful Annabel Lee,” Ransom continued.

Cathleen closed her eyes, picturing a pair of young lovers
walking hand in hand on a stormy beach. Ransom’s voice transported her and she
felt the anguish of the author who’d lost his love only to find himself
frequented by her ghost.

“And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side, of my
darling—my darling—my life and my bride, in the sepulcher there by the sea, in
her tomb by the sounding sea.”

Eyes still closed, Cathleen sat in the stillness, absorbing
the song contained in the words. When her lashes fluttered open, she was
surprised at the tear that traced down her cheek. Blushing, she swept it away.
“Very nice, Mr. Byrne.”

He raised his eyebrows in mock warning.

She giggled. She
actually giggled. Closing her eyes for a split second, she struggled to
compose herself. She was acting like a bashful schoolgirl. “Ransom,” she
corrected, her voice but a breath.

In that instant, something had suddenly changed between them
and she was at a loss to decipher it.

Staring, he inhaled. “With your hair loose, you reminded me
of the woman in that poem.”

Her eyes widened. “Dead?”

He chuckled without mirth. “No. Wild and windswept.”

This time, Cathleen did begin to smooth her hair down.

“No,” he said. “No. Don’t touch it. It’s perfect the way it
is.” He must have realized he’d said too much. “I mean, it’s only you and me.
There’s no need for pretense.”

Cathleen nodded. Her gaze fell to the brown leather covered
book in his hand. “Do you believe such love exists?”

He snorted and closed the book. “This was the fancy of a man
who imbibed too much and who thought too much. Love like that is for the young
and foolish—for people who haven’t experienced the things I have.”

Cathleen gnawed her bottom lip. “Are you referring to your
time during the war?”

He suddenly looked uncomfortable. His big and masculine
exterior seemed incongruous with his sudden unease. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I saw
and did things no living human being should ever have to see or do. Things
that’ll make you hate yourself.”

Cathleen didn’t know how to respond. Newspapers told of the
hardships and combat. She’d seen soldiers boarding trains to join the fighting.
She’d watched neighbors don their widow’s weeds. She herself had received a
telegram informing her that her brother had been killed. But even when the war
had come into her very home, it had always seemed a distant thing. But these
Tennesseans had lived the war. This
man had fought it. Federal troops had occupied their home. While on the train,
she’d overheard tales about frightening guerilla raids from both sides, about
men who didn’t live by any code of decency, who took what they wanted and
killed indiscriminately. These families had lived day to day, wondering if their
hard-earned food stores, their homes or even their very lives would be taken
from them.

“No,” Ransom continued. “The war was anything but glory.”

Still, Cathleen remained uncharacteristically silent. While
she pitied the plight of these people, in her eyes, the war had been a
necessary evil, a vehicle through which an entire race had broken the bonds of
slavery and declared themselves free. And yet, she didn’t feel free to admit
her thoughts on the matter to Ransom Byrne. Not tonight.

“What about you, Cathleen?”
he asked, his gaze finding and holding hers, daring her to correct him. “Do you
believe in that kind of love?” His tone was almost mocking.

Realizing he’d shifted the conversation back to the poem,
she let out a laugh. “Of course not. In fact, I don’t agree with marriage at
all and I shall never marry.”

“How did you come to this conclusion?”

“Contrary to what you might think, I haven’t chosen a life
of spinsterhood because I am bookish and outspoken, not to mention plain.” She
straightened, confused at the way a belief she’d always maintained with pride,
now hurt. “No. I simply do not accept as true that a woman should have to marry
and live out her days in subjugation.”

“Subjugation?” he asked and then laughed. “I’ve always
thought that was the other way around. All the married men I know are pretty
beholden to their wives.”

“That’s but a puerile joke. We all know that marriage gives
husbands rights to a woman’s livelihood and even her body, if he so chooses to
claim them. For a woman, marriage is nothing but legalized…rape.”

This time, both his eyebrows shot up. “That’s a mighty
strong word.”

“A married man can demand his rights anytime he chooses.
Therefore, if a woman is forced into coitus with him, it is legalized rape.”
Cathleen lifted her chin, awaiting an argument. It was a strong word. But he needed to know how she felt about
subjugation. She needed him to know
it.

Instead, he surprised her. “Don’t you ever feel desire?”

Yes, I’m feeling it
this very instant.

 

Ransom Byrne has been ravaged by guilt since an illness rendered his little sister blind. The former Confederate cavalry officer has resolved to make amends by hiring a Yankee tutor who’ll hopefully restore order to his sister’s life. Once accomplished, he’ll be free to leave Byrne’s End.

From the moment she steps off the train in Tennessee, Cathleen Ryan makes a startling first impression. With her feminist ideas, the irrepressible Bostonian quickly outrages everyone—especially Ransom. He deems the bespectacled teacher too uptight and prim for his tastes. Appearances, however, are deceiving. She tenders decadent proposals that shock and intrigue him, and sultry nights spent submitting to his every illicit request offer them both love and redemption.

But when her steadfast convictions attract the attention of dangerous men, Cathleen risks losing her chance of becoming more than just a lover for Ransom.

A Romantica® historical erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Ebook 

Ellora’s Cave | Amazon Kindle 

B&N | ARE

 

The prize I am offering is a digital download (reader's choice of formats) of Lover for Ransom! One lucky commenter will randomly be chosen from a drawing to win!

Here’s my question for the scavenger hunt: If a couple could not obtain permission from the head of the household to court, what scandalous step could they have taken in order to marry?

Click on the History Lovers Grand
Tour page to fill in the answer, and you may continue on from there. Enjoy!

History Lovers Grand Tour Authors

Rue Allyn • Amylynn Bright • Collette Cameron • Téa Cooper • Beverley Eikli •
Susana Ellis • Aileen Fish • Debra Glass • Amy Hearst • Evangeline Holland • Piper Huguley • Eliza Knight • Kristen Koster • Cora Lee • Georgie Lee • Suzi Love • Denise Lynn • Deborah Macgillivray • Barbara
Monajem • Shelly Munro • Ella Quinn • Eva Scott • Shereen Vedam • Elaine Violette 

Prizes

1.     
Each author will offer a prize for a contest,
the specifics of which is set up entirely by her. The contest will be open to
all participants, regardless of geographic location. For logistical purposes, authors may substitute a digital prize (gift
card, etc.) of equal value for another prize that might prove difficult to mail
to a distant location.

2.     
The Grand Prize for the Scavenger Hunt will be
awarded to the participant with the most correct answers to the authors’
scavenger hunt questions.  In case of a
tie, the winner will be chosen randomly.

3.     
The winners will be posted on the History Lovers Grand
Tour page the following week.

Scavenger
Hunt Details

·       
Click on the above links to each author’s blog.
The blog tour entry can be identified by the graphic in the upper right corner
of the post. If it is not the top post, look for the graphic in a prominent
location on the sidebar, and click on it to find the blog tour entry.

·       
Read the blog post and the author’s short answer
question at the end. Locate the answer to the question, then click on the link
to the History
Lovers Grand Tour page and type in the answer next to the author’s name. Be
sure to fill in the your name and email address!

·       
You may go back to same page and read more of
the author’s post (excerpt, etc.) or you may click on another author’s name on
the answer sheet and repeat the process.

·       
When you are finished, check to make sure the
spaces for your name and email address are filled in correctly, and submit your
answer sheet to the tour coordinator. If you submit an incomplete answer sheet,
you may come back later and make another submission with the remaining answers
when you have more time.

·       
Any questions about the scavenger hunt should be
directed to the tour
coordinator .

 

It's Heart of Dixie Romance Readers' Luncheon Time Again!

What:
2013 Romance Readers' Luncheon

Please join us in celebrating romance and romance readers at our 16th
Annual Romance Reader's Luncheon! This is your chance to mingle with
authors and fellow readers, win fabulous door prizes and raffle baskets,
and support a good cause by purchasing books at our charity book fair.

You don't want to miss this great annual event.

Where:
Von Braun Center, South Hall Meeting Rooms




When:

Saturday, June 8th 2013

Registration check in starts at 10:45.

Hotel Information:
N/A




Registration Costs:

Registration is $25 per person. Additional information and registration forms coming soon!

Email luncheon@heartofdixie.org with questions about this event.

Location Details:

Von Braun Center South Hall
Meeting Rooms 1 & 2

Driving Directions
Parking (The P2 lot is the closest to the event.)

Speaker Information:

This year, we welcome Bestselling Author JT Ellison!

J.T.
Ellison is the bestselling author of nine critically acclaimed novels,
multiple short stories and has been published in over twenty countries.
Her novel THE COLD ROOM won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback
Original of 2010 and WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE was a RITA® Nominee for Best
Romantic Suspense of 2012. She lives in Nashville with her husband and
the ghost of a poorly trained cat.

Additional authors attending:

Alicia Hunter Pace

Andrea Laurence

Bambi Lynn

C.J. Redwine

Carla Swafford

Cathy MacRae

Daco

Dani Wade

Debby Giusti

Debra Glass

Fred Arceneaux

Katherine Bone

Kerri Nelson

Kim Law

Kimberly Lang

Kira Sinclair

Lexi George

Linda Howard

Linda Winstead Jones

Lynn Raye Harris

Pamela Hearon

Renee Andrews

Rhonda Nelson

Robyn Corum

Sabrah Agee

Kerry Freeman

Susan Carlisle

Vicki Lewis Thompson

List of authors subject to change without notice.  

Debra Glass is Guest Blogging with Delilah Devlin

Visit Delilah Devlin's blog to read an excerpt from Debra Glass ' Lover for Ransom starring the historical romance's scene-stealing secondary character - an attitudinal horse named String Bean.  http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2013/05/08/guest-blogger-debra-glass/

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

I was tagged by the supremely talented Naima Simone in this Blog Hop thing where writers answer questions about themselves
and then tag others to reveal all the juicy details of what they’ve got coming
up next? So, here’s the skinny on my next historical romance Rakehell
that should be out sometime later in 2013.

I don’t have a cover for it yet, but I’ll treat you to the
updated cover for my short read, Lover by
Chance – Didn’t cover artist Trish Pickyme Schmitt do a wonderful job on this cover?

1). What is the working title of your next book?

Rakehell – I’ve always loved this term for a rascal,
rogue, scoundrel, libertine and have been intending to write a book with the
title for several years. And my hero, Adam Black, is very much up to the task of
being deemed a Victorian era rakehell.

2). Where did the idea come from for the book?

This story was inspired by several
different elements, but mostly, Dorian Gray and Adam Driver’s portrayal of a
quirky dom on HBO’s Girls.

3). What genre does your book fall under?

Rakehell is an erotic historical set in Victorian England and will
have bdsm elements similar to Badcock and Slave to
Fashion.

4). What actors would you choose to play the parts of your characters in a
movie rendition?

Adam Driver as Viscount Adam Black, the eldest son of the Earl of
Scarborough. Some actors just have an “it” factor that makes them stand out in
salient contrast to their other castmates. Driver’s swarthy, devilish looks and
his portrayal of a sexually domineering character on Girls first caught
my attention. Though his look would have been unconventional in Victorian
society, he would have attracted the attention of ladies with his subtle,
smoldering sexuality. Quiet, dominant, dark, and with eyes filled with harbored
secrets, Driver would make the perfect rakehell.

Click HERE to read Driver’s interview in GQ Magazine.

Since the hero’s presence in Rakehell is so strong, I needed an
equally stalwart heroine. Strength and maturity has been forced upon Primrose
Black and she’s risen to the task. The one thing the Viscountess is missing,
however, is the love of her husband who deserted her on their wedding night. For
inspiration for my determined but damaged heroine, I chose Bella Heathcote (Dark
Shadows 2012). Her delicate build, wide eyes and plush lips give her the look of
an innocent. But her strong jawline reflects a stubborn nature she’ll need to
stand toe to toe with her wayward husband.

Learn more about the hauntingly beautiful actress who inspired my character
at http://www.bella-heathcote.com/.

5). What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

An aristocrat who discovers he's not the true heir to the familial estate
finds love in an arranged marriage.

6). Who is publishing your book?

Ellora’s Cave

7). How long did it take you to write the first
draft of the synopsis?

Synopsis? Seriously? Only my characters are into bdsm. Not me!
I’m only eight thousand words into what will most likely be a fifty-five
thousand word book. If I stay focused, it’ll take around six weeks.

8). What other books would you compare this story to within your
genre?

Badcock, Having
Patience , Slave to Fashion

9). Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The title Rakehell.

10). What else about the book might pique the readers'
interest?

Besides smoldering love scenes? The romance, of course! Two
characters who overcome past secrets and learn to trust within a relationship
that will offer them a happily ever after.