Eliza Knight's Blog, page 10

MONSTERS AND MADWOMEN – TALES THAT MADE THE VICTORIANS SHIVER ~ By Tara Kingston

Greetings! In the spirit of Halloween and things that go bump in the night, let’s talk about some classic tales that chilled the spines of Victorians sitting around the hearth on a brisk autumn evening.
The Fall of the House of Usher – Edgar Allan Poe’s 1839 short story is a classic Gothic chiller. Roderick Usher and his sister Madeline suffer harrowing fates in this tale of gloom, despair, premature burial and terror.The Invisible Man — H. G. Wells published this science fiction novel late in Queen Victoria’s reign. The 1897 novel is a gripping tale of science gone horribly wrong. Dracula — Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 of gothic horror created one of the most iconic and frightening characters in literature, vampire Count Dracula. Portrayed by a variety of actors in film (including Gerard Butler in Dracula 2000…I do love that movie!), Dracula is by turns seductive and terrifying.
Frankenstein — Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel has been chilling readers for nearly two centuries.
Jane Eyre — Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 novel features a tortured hero, star-crossed love, and a madwoman. Is it any wonder it continues to fascinate readers nearly 170 years after its publication?

Sources:
http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fall_of_the_House_of_Usher
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Invisible_Man
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Eyre
All photographs and images are in the public domain. 

A Little About My New Release, When A Lady Deceives.
I’m thrilled that my Victorian romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives, is now available. Like Nellie Bly, the heroine of When A Lady Deceives is a crusading investigative journalist. Jennie Quinn, star reporter for a London paper, is a daring woman who will overcome daunting obstacles to get the facts and fight for justice. She anticipates the danger of her investigation into an informant’s murder. But she doesn’t expect to fall in love, especially not with a very dangerous man. Here’s a little about the story:
A woman with a secret and a dangerous man forge an undeniable passion.
In Victorian London, reporter Jennie Quinn employs deception as a weapon. Going undercover to seek justice for a murdered informant, she’s drawn into a powerful criminal’s seductive game of cat and mouse. Enigmatic former lawman Matthew Colton is as dangerous as he is clever, but the passion in his kiss is too tempting to resist. She aches to trust him, but she will not abandon her quest for the truth.
Colton is a man with secrets of his own. Thirsting for vengeance, the disgraced Scotland Yard detective has infiltrated the criminal world he’s vowed to destroy. Jennie intrigues him, even as she breaks down the barriers around his heart. He yearns to uncover her secrets—in and out of his bed. Driven to shield her, he’ll risk everything to protect the woman whose love heals his soul.
To read more about When A Lady Deceives and enjoy an excerpt, please click here.


About The Author:
Award-winning author Tara Kingston writes historical romance laced with intrigue, danger, and adventures of the heart. A Southern belle-out-of-water in a quaint Pennsylvania town, she lives her own love story with her real-life hero in a cozy Victorian. The mother of two sons, Tara's a former librarian whose love of books is evident in her popping-at-the-seams bookcases. It goes without saying that Tara's husband is thankful for the invention of digital books, thereby eliminating the need for yet another set of shelves. When she's not writing, reading, or burning dinner, Tara enjoys cycling, hiking, and cheering on her favorite football team. Connect with Tara at www.tarakingston.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTaraKingston

ENCHANTING THE HIGHLANDER Book Trailer!

Releasing in just a few weeks!November 1st!
5 NEW Novellas set in the enchanting Highlands!

Watch the trailer...


   
PROTECTED BY THE LAIRD by Eliza Knight
While on a siege, Laird Douglas Hay discovers a lass’ half-frozen body. Though she’s his enemy, he cannot abandon her. As his captive, she could bring a hefty ransom. He revives her, a task easier managed than dealing with her fiery temper, and the intense desire heating his veins. Taken prisoner by a brutish warrior, Lady Annora Comyn is determined to escape. Secretly, she believes the war between Scots is ludicrous, that the vying for the crown should have ceased when her royal brother was murdered. Annora struggles with the notion of letting men fight their battles, or offering herself as collateral to unite the warring Scots. After all, there are far worse things than having to kiss Laird Hay everyday for ever and ever…
~~~
VEXING THE HIGHLANDER  by Terry SpearLady Aila MacIntosh hopes she doesn’t regret the king’s marital choices for her and her sister. Until one braw Highlander bumps into her at the king’s gathering. He’s as taken with her as she is with him, until she learns he is but a commoner, when she is a lady. The king would never make a match between them. Alban of the Clan Daziel meets a beautiful woman at the king’s court, only she is a lady and out of his reach. When the lady and he meet under awkward circumstances, they chance to overhear a plot to assassinate the king. Their lives spiral out of control and losing his heart to Aila is only one of his pressing concerns. Protecting her from those who wish the king dead—his greatest.
~~~
DEFENDED BY A HIGHLAND RENEGADE  by Vonda SinclairWhen Lady Mairiana MacKerrick witnesses her fiancé, Alec Lindsay, committing a murder three days before their wedding, she decides she must run away. Darack Grant, secretly an outlaw MacGregor, is on a secret mission, but when he finds Mairiana hiding in the stables, he decides to help her escape. He remembers the lovely lass from their one meeting a few years before. Though he was drawn to her, he always saw her as far beyond his reach. Mairiana finds her hidden inner strength and trusts the Highland renegade to protect her on their journey through the Scottish Highlands. On the way, they find an astonishing passion. But Alec will stop at nothing to reclaim his betrothed and destroy Darack, even pin a murder on him.
~~~
TARTANS AND TRYSTS by Victoria RobertsSorcha Gunn has realized the error of her ways and wants to make amends for everything she’s done. But when her cousin mysteriously disappears and Sorcha suspects her father is responsible, she needs to make a choice: betray the man who has given her everything or seek help from his enemy. As captain of the MacKay guard, Doughall Forbes will do anything to protect his clan from the ruthless Gunn laird. The last thing he needs is a wily female luring him into a nefarious trap. But he believes Sorcha, even though he can tell she’s holding something back. He’s determined to help her but soon discovers he’s the one who needs protection…from losing his heart.
~~~
HIS HIGHLAND ROSE by Willa Blair
Iain Brodie is a fierce warrior and passionate lover, but to prove he’s responsible enough to be the clan’s chief, he must find a bride—quickly. One of the three Rose daughters fills his mind—and heart—even when he discovers she is not who she claimed to be. Annie Rose doesn’t want to be a bride, not even deliciously and annoyingly sexy Iain’s. But her father wants an alliance with Iain’s clan, and he’s chosen her to forge it. Then Annie falls under Iain’s seductive spell at the spring known in old tales as the fairy pool. When her father suddenly decides against their match, Iain must risk losing everything he values—the clan he was born to lead and even Annie—his only love.

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The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste

It’s October and what better way to gear up for the holidays than with a spooky tale.
Have you ever been on a boat suspended between the horizon and the ocean? That wondrous place where the blue sea meets the equally blue skies? Or when the sun tucks in for the evening and liquid black blends into the star-studded night? If so, you know how incredibly small you are. Nothing but water for miles and miles can be daunting. When the sea is smooth as glass, it is a peaceful place. But when angry, lashing out with slaps of waves, the sea can be unforgiving. Calm or rough, the ocean is dangerous...and scary.
Mary CelesteThe mysteries of what lies beneath in the deep drink has stimulated the imagination for centuries. Since the first boat cast out to sea, tall tales of monsters, mythical beings, strange happenings, and phantom ships have been told. Some yarns and legends are merely fantastical explanations of odd sea creatures or weather occurrences from superstitious sailors. But some stories are real and unexplainable. One such story is the ghost ship Mary Celeste.
The Mary Celeste was launched in 1861 under her original name Amazon in Nova Scotia. As she prepared for her maiden voyage loaded with a timber cargo bound for London, her first captain Robert McLellan fell ill and died. That should have been an omen. The journey to London under a new captain would go on, but the voyage was hardly a smooth one. She collided with fishing weir causing a gash in her hull and needing repair before she ever sailed out into the Atlantic. Once she finally made it to London, she struck another ship, sinking it. Not really the best start for a brand new ship and it wasn’t the end of mishaps surrounding the vessel. Six years and many captains later, she was run aground by a storm off a Nova Scotia island and abandoned. Declared a derelict, Amazon was sold, repaired, refitted, and renamed Mary Celeste.
On November 7, 1872, the brigantine Mary Celeste sailed out of the New York Harbor and into the Atlantic bound for Genoa, Italy. Risky business considering the Atlantic often churns with volatile weather during the winter months. The cargo, 1701 barrels of denatured alcohol meant to fortify wine. She was captained by master mariner—and, ironically, teetotaler—Benjamin Spooner Briggs of Massachusetts. Along for the voyage was his wife, Sarah, 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, his trusted first mate, Albert Richardson, and six hand-picked crewmen.
Having left the port just eight days after the Mary Celeste, the Canadian brigantine Dei Gratia sailed within sight of the ship nearly one month later on December 5th midway between the Azores and Portugal. Repeated attempts to hail the ship garnered no reply and soon it was realized the aimlessly drifting Mary Celeste was deserted. Not a soul on board. Aside from weathered sails, the main halyard line hanging over the side of the ship, a faulty pump, and the soaking wet interior rooms from open hatches, Mary Celeste was in relatively good condition. She was well-stocked with provisions, her cargo untouched, and her occupants’ personal items still on board. Only the yawl (lifeboat) and a couple pieces of navigational equipment, the chronometer and sextant, were missing.
The last entry in the ship’s logbook on November 25th recorded her location within sight of the Azores island of Santa Maria. That was nine days earlier and 400 miles from where she was found adrift by Dei Gratia’s crew. Imagine boarding a seaworthy ship in the middle of the ocean to find no one on board and not a trace of what happened to them. That would be eerie!
Beautiful thief + sexy libertine = wicked fun
Click here for more!The abandoned ship was sailed to Gibraltar by three of Dei Gratia crew members. Under maritime law, a share of the salvage of ships and/or cargo can be awarded to those who bring them in. But the British vice admiralty court suspected something amiss with the salvage. Perhaps the Dei Gratia crew ambushed and killed Captain Briggs and his family and crew, hoping to cash in a sizable salvage. Eventually, the court found no real evidence of foul play but awarded a much smaller reward.
Theories abound over what happened to the missing Mary Celeste crew, including marauding pirates, sudden waterspouts, an attack by a giant squid, a violent seaquake, and mutiny. All claims have been refuted. So what happened to her crew?
The most plausible explanation is something caused Briggs to order everyone off the ship and into the yawl. Perhaps strong vapors from the alcohol in the hold panicked the captain into calling for an immediate abandon ship. The lifeboat was probably tied to the thick rope that had been found hanging over the side of the ship. Whatever caused the captain to make that decision was likely a false alarm, but somehow the halyard snapped—whether by rough seas, a nefarious act, or something entirely mundane—and the little party was left behind, watching the Mary Celeste sail away without them. Ten people, suspended in the wondrous place between the horizon and the ocean, mysteriously vanished never to be seen or heard from again. More than 140 years later, the mystery still remains.
The Mary Celeste sailed for another twelve years until she was intentionally shipwrecked in an attempted insurance fraud. Seemed her fate all along was a doomed one.
Ghost ships like Mary Celeste have sparked my imagination, as well. One named Gloria is featured in my second full-length novel A Kiss In The Wind in the Romancing the Pirate series.
For a brief video on the Mary Celeste, click the link below.
http://www.history.com/topics/bermuda-triangle/videos/historys-mysteries-the-mary-celeste

About the AuthorJennifer is the award-winning author of the Romancing the Pirate series. Visit her at www.jbrayweber.com or join her mailing list for sneak peeks, excerpts, and giveaways.

The Scent of Roses by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular first Tuesday blogger  and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth!  Kathleen Bittner Roth! 
THE SCENT OF ROSESby Kathleen Bittner Roth
Budapest, Hungary became my home six years ago. This expat is forever tied to the U.S., but I have felt compelled to live in other parts of the world and experience a country’s history and heritage. I’ll start with a trip outside the city—my journey to Krakow, Poland.

Keleti Train Station, Budapest
My friend and I boarded a train to Krakow from the Keleti Train Station in Budapest. The facility, built in 1881, was considered the most lavish station in Europe at the time, and is still beautiful today. How novel—a slumber party aboard a sleeper train, and we’ll arrive first thing in the morning, fresh and ready to explore Krakow and its surroundings.Near dusk, and about an hour outside of Budapest, a sweet scent of roses enveloped us. Bushes laden with lush, powdery-pink blooms appeared for miles beside the tracks, so thick it seemed as though delicate, tinted clouds had fallen from the sky. I have never seen such a sight. We closed our eyes and breathed in the intoxicating perfume that swept through the train, feeling as though we floated on a fragrance created exclusively for us.
Then a jarring thought gripped me: My God, we’re riding the very rails that carried Jews, Gypsies, and political prisoners beyond Krakow to Auschwitz and Birkenau! Hundreds of thousands of innocents on their way to their deaths. Hundreds of people packed in each car—women, men and children cramped so tightly together they were forced to stand the entire trip with no food, water or toilets. Even the dead and dying could not fall in the crush. Suddenly, the small compartment we occupied didn’t seem so cramped.And what of the roses?Had these fragrant flowers lined the tracks back then? After all, wild roses can regenerate for decades. I choked back tears, and turned to my friend whose countenance told me she held similar thoughts. “Do we really want to visit Auschwitz?” I asked her.We grew silent for a long while as we gazed at the blur of pink, and breathed a scent no longer light and sweet, but suddenly heavy and funereal. Then, strange as it may seem, we came to the conclusion that we had to honor those who traveled these tracks before us by remaining focused on their plight during our train ride, and commit to visiting the camps upon our arrival. What would our decision produce? Would it heal any lost souls? Would it heal us? We didn’t know, but we felt fractured, scarred by the past, and compelled to see our journey through to the end.
Eventually, we left the roses behind and traveled for a long while beside a lovely river. We didn’t know which river, but the countryside was beautiful. Bucolic. I wondered if the farmers who lived alongside this lazy river back then, or the people in these tiny villages, knew what horrors the trains carried. Had anyone realized they were death trains? Had anyone ever wandered close enough to the tracks to hear the wailings of the forsaken? Had there been any cries to even be heard at that stage of the journey? After all, the trains were nothing more than windowless cattle cars, their doors nailed shut once the people were packed inside, and the only light to be had was what seeped through cracks in the boards. Interior of boxcar used to transport Holocaust victims
Dear God, how could this have happened?While my friend did fairly well with sleeping in her little bunk, I slept fitfully. I awoke once feeling disoriented. For a moment, as the clickety-clack of wheels against rails filled my ears, I didn’t know if I was on a train some sixty six years ago or now. I felt like a dark-haired teenager, confused and wondering where we were going, and what and why everything was happening. It was almost as though I had inculcated a miasmic memory that still hovered above the tracks. I came fully awake feeling desolate. I could barely breathe. I curled up on the other end of the bed, next to the window, and gulped in fresh air until my racing heart found some semblance of normalcy.But my mind refused to wander elsewhere. Hundreds of thousands of people rode these very rails to their deaths. What were they thinking? How were they feeling? A great sob welled up in my chest, one that wouldn’t release—at least not yet. Had the guards and engineers aboard those trains known what was happening? Had they known these people were to be worked until they dropped or would be gassed within hours of arrival if they were too old, too young or infirm? Did they know that any twins or ‘little people’ aboard would be used for hideous experiments by the death camp’s macabre Dr. Josef Mengele, ironically known as The Angel of Death? Or were these workers kept naive, only informed of their own jobs, and they saw nothing beyond where the train disappeared from sight? I would tend to think so, since it would have compromised the Nazi program of creating an Aryan society of healthy blue-eyed blonds had word leaked out of what they were up to. AuschwitzSuddenly, I had a deep sense that for whatever reason, I was meant to ride this train, that I was meant to have these experiences. That I was meant to know and understand what the Hungarians had suffered through (Hungarian Jews comprised the greatest number sent to Auschwitz, but don’t forget the Gypsies and political prisoners—nuns, priests, businessmen, housewives. Any Hungarian labeled a spy became a political prisoner to be gotten rid of). I’ve learned a great deal about the history in this part of the world, through my travels and by meeting Hungarians who have their histories to share. I have a story in mind that I hope will honor those who were taken from their homes in Budapest. I have four books to complete first, and then the story begins.

Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.


PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY is book two in Those Magnificent Malverns series: A young widow returns to her childhood home after a forced absence and faces her first and only love, but despite their powerful attraction, danger compels her to remain his forbidden lady.  ORDER YOUR COPY!



THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malverns series: When a proper Victorian miss awakens next to a handsome stranger, she must rely on the man's benevolence as she struggles to regain her memory and hold onto her heart. ORDER YOUR COPY!

The Ghostly Stories Behind the Once Upon A Haunted Castle Collection

Happy Release day to wonderful collection mates! Today is the release of our fun anthology: ONCE UPON A HAUNTED CASTLE.
'Twas a dark and stormy night in the Highlands... 5 Scottish Castles... 5 Restless Ghosts... 5 Epic Love Stories.
In our own words, check out a bit about the history of the ghost stories in our epic anthology!
Dunstaffnage Castle, the setting for Eliza Knight's LAIRD OF SHADOWSA funny thing happened to me: two friends approached me with ideas that meshed perfectly. Ruth A. Casie wanted to do a ghostly Celtic collection and Madeline Martin wanted to write about Scottish ghosts that help a hero and heroine fall in love. Immediately my mind exploded with ideas! I’d worked with Kathryn Le Veque and Terri Brisbin and thought they’d be perfect for the project, too!
I love a good ghost story, and in my travels to Europe, I’ve often felt the otherworldly presence of those who lived in the past. One of my favorite castles in Scotland is Dunstaffnage Castle, and I was lucky enough to visit there on my last trip! The history behind it is fascinating and haunting. There is this tale of a glaistig, or green lady, who haunts the grounds of Dunstaffnage. She is called the Ell-Maid of Dunstaffnage, but no one knows who she might have been. She appears in green, gliding over the walls, and through the forest. Her appearances often were brought on by tidings of joy or sadness within the family. This gave me an idea—in fact, it sparked a whole series! LAIRD OF SHADOWS is the opening book in my new MacDougall Legacy series (and will be releasing with bonus/expanded scenes in January 2017). In this story, we learn the origin of the Ell-Maid of Dunstaffnage… It was exciting to write this story, and I can’t wait for you all to read it, and to see what happens as I follow the MacDougall family throughout generations in my new series!
In Eliza Knight’s LAIRD OF SHADOWS, a decade old vow and an attack of Vikings brings Lady Elle Cam’béal to Dunstaffnage Castle seeking the help of the new, handsome, provocative laird with a beastly temper—Beiste MacDougall. As battles and treachery rain down upon them, Beiste and Elle find an unlikely ally in a ghost, and discover that a few stolen moments of passion can bring light from the shadows… 
Find later Castle, the setting for Kathryn Le Veque's DEEP INTO DARKNESS
In my novella, DEEP INTO DARKNESS, I drew a huge amount of inspiration from one of my favorite poets, Edgar Allan Poe. This was also my first story set in Scotland and I really wanted to do it right - creepy castle + Poe = Delicious Eeriness! 
I've done novellas based on Poe's works before, so it's really my interpretation of his poetry. In this case, the 'host' that narrates one of Poe's most famous poems, "The Raven", is also the host in my story. He's an old Viking who takes in two travelers for the night. And that's when the fun happens. I loved my hero and heroine so much that I had to write a full-length novel for them - THE RED LION will be released October 4th so readers can see how Jamison and Havilland met. But the bottom line is that I had a great time writing about a highlander hero and a great time writing a Medieval ghost story. I hope readers enjoy!
In Kathryn Le Veque's DEEP INTO DARKNESS, Findlater Castle in the Scottish Highlands becomes a place of mystery and doom for Jamison Munro and his wife,Havilland. Traveling across the highlands one dark and stormy night, they stumble upon a lonely Host in Findlater Castle, a pathetic soul waiting for his wife to return to him. It is a terrible tale of a tragic love story that the Host tells the travelers but when Havilland becomes curious about mysterious tapping sounds that go on in the middle of the night, she soon realizes the danger that she and her husband are in. It becomes a race against time for Havilland to free a trapped spirit and save both their lives in the process.
Duntulm Castle, one of the castle's in Terri Brisban's UPON A MISTY SKYE

When invited to contribute to this collection, I was lost! LOL! All I knew was that it must somehow involved Duntulm Castle, which I’ve visited several times and is known to be haunted. Once I was set on that location, I looked at the clans in the area and knew that the MacLeods and the MacDonalds were rivals for control of the Isle of Skye for centuries. A perfect choice for battling families. . . and forbidden love!
    I kept hearing the opening line of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as I was planning out my story – “Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers. . . .” Of course, I wanted a ‘happily-ever-after’ so I adapted my Romeo and Juliet to make sure that happens! I suspect I will revisit the MacLeods and MacDonalds of Skye again....
In Terri Brisbin’s UPON A MISTY SKYE, Alexander MacDonald and Isabel MacLeod were not supposed to meet or fall in love or marry. Now that they have, both of their parents plan to separate them, by any means possible. But the ghost of Duntulm Castle has other plans for the forbidden lovers and those who stand in the way of true love.
Castle of Park, the setting for Madeline Martin's A GHOSTLY TALE OF FORBIDDEN LOVE

I’ve always loved haunted castles and the stories behind them. When first starting coming up with the idea for A Ghostly Tale of Forbidden Love, I read through all the ghost stories in Scotland until I came to one about Castle of Park. There were two ghosts: one of a monk who had been walled into the castle and left for dead, and another of a woman in green who was a servant – she’d  fell in love with the laird, ended up pregnant and then leapt to her death after having been fired. Then I thought, what if I saved the servant? Don’t worry – there still ends up being a second ghost to placate history, but who will it end up being?  
I actually was fortunate enough to stay for two nights at Castle of Park while in Scotland a couple weeks back. While I didn’t see any ghosts, the stay was absolutely magical.
In Madeline Martin’s A GHOSTLY TALE OF FORBIDDEN LOVE, Gavin MacDuff is a laird with a cruel and bitter aunt he’s sworn to protect. Senara is the new lady’s maid at Castle of Park and has sacrificed everything for the betterment of her family. Their paths tangle and lead to a road of hidden longing and secret passion – all of which is threatened by the power of one ghost who is fixed on revenge.

Caerlaverock Castle, the setting for Ruth A. Casie's THE MAXWELL GHOST

When I wrote The Guardian’s Witch I developed a character, Jamie Collins. He’s the hero’s close friend, confidant and at times conscience.  I’ve wanted to give Jamie his own story I just didn’t know what it would be until we started planning this collection. Castles, highlanders, ghosts, these were the elements that screamed Jamie Collins to me. When I sat down the story almost wrote itself.
My story is about Jamie and Laura Reynolds, two childhood friends who find themselves trying to solve a double murder not only to bring the murderer to justice, but to put a ghost to rest. Jamie and Laura’s relationship turns from friends to lovers but their whole story couldn’t be told in a novella. I have so much more to tell you about them that I had to write a full-length novel for them - THE HIGHLANDER’S ENGLISH WOMAN will be released in December. Readers will be able to see how Jamie and Laura’s relationship is tested and who helps Jamie along the way. This was a fun story to write. I hope you enjoy reading about them.
In Ruth A. Casie’s THE MAXWELL GHOST, traitors, deception, murders and ghosts run rampant at Caerlaverock Castle. Jamie Collins, a man of reality not hocus pocus, serves Lord Herbert in exchange for a his own farm.  Laura Reynolds, the Herbert's distant cousin comes to the castle to solve the murders and put the ghost to rest. The two, long-time friends find their destinies intertwined with hidden passions, but all is in jeopardy when Laura becomes the murderer’s next target. Jamie will find he needs some ghostly assistance to save Laura and declare his love.



Want to read more? Check out our anthology, now available in ebook and print!
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Around The World With Nellie Bly ~ by Tara Kingston

Between November 1889 and January 1890, Nellie Bly, a 25-year-old reporter for the New York World, set a record for traveling the globe in seventy-two days, beating the time of the journey portrayed in the Jules Verne novel, Around the World in Eighty Days.
Nellie Bly’s journey was a fascinating endeavor:
~ Nellie Bly traveled light. She carried one piece of luggage that measured sixteen inches wide and seven inches high. 
~ When editors at the New York World were rumored to have selected a man for the trip, Bly responded with a challenge: “Very well. Start the man and I’ll start the same day for some other paper and beat him.”
~ She sailed from Hoboken Pier on November 14, 1889.
~ While on her journey, Nellie Bly met Jules Verne, the author of the novel that inspired her feat.

~ Bly’s journey included stops in Calais, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, and a return to New York.
~ Crowds cheered Nellie Bly on throughout her journey from San Francisco to New York City.
~ The New York World marketed a parlor game inspired by Nellie Bly’s journey, “Round the World with Nellie Bly.”
~ Nellie Bly had competition during her journey. The Cosmopolitan newspaper dispatched reporter Elizabeth Bisland from New York, traveling in the opposite direction as Bly. She completed the journey, but took four and half days longer.
~ Nellie Bly arrived in New York City on January 25, 1890, seventy-two days after she departed.

~ Nellie Bly’s account of her journey, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days” is available in the public domain.
To read more about Nellie Bly, check out these sources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/index.html
http://mentalfloss.com/article/52745/nellie-blys-72-day-trip-around-world
http://www.biography.com/people/nellie-bly-9216680
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/world/world.html

Photographs of Nellie Bly used in this post are found in the Library of Congress (in the public domain).

Click here to learn more about When A Lady Deceives
A Little About My New Release, When A Lady Deceives.
I’m thrilled that my Victorian romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives, is now available. Like Nellie Bly, the heroine of When A Lady Deceives is a crusading investigative journalist. Jennie Quinn, star reporter for a London paper, is a daring woman who will overcome daunting obstacles to get the facts and fight for justice. She anticipates the danger of her investigation into an informant’s murder. But she doesn’t expect to fall in love, especially not with a very dangerous man. Here’s a little about the story:
A woman with a secret and a dangerous man forge an undeniable passion.
In Victorian London, reporter Jennie Quinn employs deception as a weapon. Going undercover to seek justice for a murdered informant, she’s drawn into a powerful criminal’s seductive game of cat and mouse. Enigmatic former lawman Matthew Colton is as dangerous as he is clever, but the passion in his kiss is too tempting to resist. She aches to trust him, but she will not abandon her quest for the truth.
Colton is a man with secrets of his own. Thirsting for vengeance, the disgraced Scotland Yard detective has infiltrated the criminal world he’s vowed to destroy. Jennie intrigues him, even as she breaks down the barriers around his heart. He yearns to uncover her secrets—in and out of his bed. Driven to shield her, he’ll risk everything to protect the woman whose love heals his soul. To read more about When A Lady Deceives and enjoy an excerpt, please click here.

Pirate Company and Crew

Every member of a pirate crew was important. Skills and seafaring knowledge may vary but, generally speaking, it took many men to sail a ship. Add to that, to expertly be ready for action. Discipline, responsibility, and working together ensured success, or at the very least staying afloat.
Here is a brief look at what made up a crew.

The Captain
The captain, having proven himself worthy of the title, was elected by the crew. He was a good leader, cunning, and courageous. He took command of the ship during battle, determined when to give chase and when to seek safer waters. The crew looked to him to find treasure, be that a prized ship, goods, or riches, and to keep them alive.
The Quartermaster
The quartermaster, who was also elected, was just as important as the captain, possibly more so. He was the voice of the crew, representing their best interests. He was usually the most trusted member of the crew and may have been seen as the captain’s equal. He handled the plunder. This meant that he determined what goods would fetch a fine price in port and allocating fair shares to the crew. Though he distributed the booty, he also doled out justice and punishments. Rationing food and drink fell to him, as well.
Navigator, aka Sailing Master
This seaman knew the sea and stars. He had to be literate, good in mathematics, and be able plot courses, especially in dangerous waters, reefs, and shoals.
Surgeon, aka Barber
Scarce and highly sought after, the surgeon tended to the injured and sick. He was a busy man treating illnesses such as dysentery, fever, and venereal diseases. He also had a nice variety of tools and knives used for surgical procedures. *shivers*
Master Gunner
He was in charge of the shipboard guns and ammunition. It took years of experience to become a master gunner. Gun crews had to work together quickly and with precision. The master gunner trained and oversaw the gun crews to ensure not only their effectiveness but their safety, too.
Boatswain (Pronounced Bosun, often spelled bo’sun)
The boatswain was like a department manager. He supervised all deck activities, crewman working the decks, the ship’s rigging, sails, anchors, and carrying out any other duties asked of him by one of the ship’s officers.
Cook, aka Barbeque
A pirate’s gotta eat and the cook was the guy that prepared the meals.
Carpenter
If it was wood, the carpenter was responsible for its maintenance. Namely the ship’s hull, yardarms, and masts. He quite literally kept the ship afloat by plugging holes, filling seams, and repairing damage caused by battle, worms, weather, rocks, and rough seas. Sometimes, the carpenter was also the ship’s surgeon.
Lesser known crew:
First mate - the second-in-command to the captain, which he chooses. Incidentally, the first mate does not outweigh the quartermaster. Many crews didn’t have first mates or, because they were second-in-command, might be interchangeable with the quartermaster, depending on the abilities of  the pirate filling the role. Other mates, such as a bo’sun mate or gunner mate, would act as apprentices.
Helmsman - the fellow at the wheel
Cooper - the barrel maker was in charge of maintenance and repairs of all casks, which held food, water, and, of course, the rum.
Coxswain - in charge of the ship’s launch boats
Prize crew - pirates assigned to take over the command of a captured ship
Topman - this sailor wouldn’t be squeamish of heights. He worked high up in the masts on rigging.
Watch - one or more men on deck duty that watched for land sightings, ships, or anything afoul, be it bad weather, shifts in tides or wind, or unwanted visitors. Watch can also mean the shift of shipboard duties
Anchor watch, stand-by watch - one or more men who were on deck duty while the ship in anchored and/or while the rest of the crew is on shore. They watched for
Rope maker - you guessed it, he makes and repairs ropes. And there is a boatload of rope on a ship, pun intended.
Armourer - in charge of all small arms—muskets, blunderbusses, pistols, etc. Crewmen didn’t carry these weapons on them. They were stored until needed.
Supercargo, aka Cape-merchant - handles the business transactions of cargo
Cabin boy - a young boy who served as valet to the captain
Fo’c’sle jack - any crewman who is not an officer
A.B.S. - simply put, able-bodied seaman
Musicians - as non-essential as they were, those with musical talent, even just a tiny bit, were favored. They played jigs and sea shanties for merriment and roused fighting spirit during battles.
Everyone on board played a role in the crew. They all worked hard.  It’s no wonder they partied hard, too. Pass the rum!

About the AuthorJennifer is the award-winning author of the Romancing the Pirate series. Visit her at www.jbrayweber.com or join her mailing list for sneak peeks, excerpts, and giveaways.

WHAT IT TOOK TO SURVIVE THROUGHOUT HISTORY by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular first Tuesday blogger  and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth!  Kathleen Bittner Roth! 


WHAT IT TOOK TO SURVIVE THROUGHOUT HISTORY by
Kathleen Bittner Roth

Historically, right before one is to “make it,” to realize his or her lofty dream, there exists a kind of dark, sticky space that causes people to feel that, alas, it is impossible to pass through and get any farther.

No matter how hard one had struggled up to this point, here is the critical turning point where most people gave up.

They quit.

They caved in.

They packed it in. And in the quitting, they lost a vital part of themselves - and a future filled with self-empowerment and peace.

Only about two percent of the population throughout the entire history of the world has managed to make it through that sticky space and on to fulfilling their dreams and goals. If you think you cannot possibly be part of the two percent, you can. The secret to success is simple, but not necessarily easy. It is commitment. And commitment means to never give up.

Here’s the secret successful people knew throughout history: It all begins with our thinking. What we think, we literally become. There is a simple order to this. Thought produces feelings, not the other way around. It is our feelings that will cause us to take action. It is the action we take that produces the form of our life goals. The sticky space I spoke of is usually found right before we keep on keeping on by taking action. Most people fail because they fail to take action and their dreams die.

The thing is to be aware of this before we commit to our goals and successful people throughout history knew this: Do our goals flow with our purpose in life? We all have a life purpose to fulfill. We also have free will.


Our life purpose is going to be difficult to attain. It is meant to be. The ease of it is in moving out of what is called “life issues”. Life issues are the opposite of our life purpose. They are the things that stand in our way. In truth, they are the fool things that stop us.



Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, had a life purpose. His was to become a world-class speaker; his destiny was to touch the lives of millions through his words. But when he learned to talk as a child, he stuttered! The stuttering was an issue against his life purpose. When he was learning to overcome the stuttering, he must have hit that “sticky space”. He could have given up, become a victim of his impairment. He did not. He never gave up.

Two young officers, helicopter pilots, were held prisoner in a Viet Cong prison during the war in Viet Nam. One evening, the perfect opportunity for escape arose. They slipped out of their cells and under a moonless sky found the still, murky waters where they could swim to their freedom.

“We are going in circles,” the one called to the other after swimming for hours in total darkness.
“Keep swimming,” the other whispered. “Keep the shoreline we seek in your mind’s eye.”

After a long while, the one stopped swimming. “We are doomed,” he said, growing weaker with his very words.

“No!” growled the other, renewed energy spurning him on. “Don’t think that way. Don’t give up. Keep swimming.”

Soon, he could no longer locate his partner’s voice. Still, he continued on. Finally, he reached the opposite shore just as the gray haze of dawn permeated the black shroud of night that had protected him. Exhausted, he crawled under a low bush and fell asleep.

He awoke to a dull and cloudy day. Peering through the bushes he spied his buddy. "Oh, God," he groaned. For there was his friend, floating face down in the murky water—only nine feet from shore.
Never give up.

Author John Grisham, on the bestseller list for years, was rejected by sixteen agents and fifteen publishers. I saw him on a talk show after his initial big hit. He said it was actually his second book. His first published book didn’t sell well. In fact, he said he had over nine hundred copies buried in his backyard that he’d bought up himself and couldn’t give away! But he kept on writing.

Never give up.



The publisher who accepted Jane Austin’s first book, Northanger Abbey, sat on it for six years before Ms. Austin wrote back and asked of its fate. The publisher responded that he was under no obligation to publish it. He refused to release it, to the public or to her, and it was not published during her lifetime. She just kept writing.

Never give up.



Elizabeth Barrett Browning received this rejection: “This is the work of an inexperienced imagination…” but she kept writing and submitting, with one thought in her mind—seeing her books on library book shelves.

Never give up.



Agatha Christie made the rounds of virtually every publisher she could find. Finally, after four long years, she was accepted and wrote on to become one of the most financially successful authors of all time.

Never give up.

It is rare for an author to be accepted the first time out by the first publisher. Most all famous authors were rejected again and again, and some quite cruelly. Take these few for example: Louis L’amour, the western author who never went beyond the third grade, was rejected over 350 times.

W. Somerset Maugham received this rejection: “There is some ability here but not very much.”
One of William Faulkner’s rejections read thusly: “…you don’t seem to have any story to tell and I contend that a novel should tell a story and tell it well. Yours does neither.”

Or how about George Bernard Shaw’s first rejection: “…It suffers, in our opinion, from the fatal effect on a novel, of not being very interesting.”




Never give up. Keep your mind focused on your goal. Your feelings will be stimulated by your thoughts. Action will follow. The reality, the form of your committed goal, will come to pass.
No matter what it is you are putting your heart into remember the words of words of Sir Winston Churchill in his famous speech to Parliament during World War II: “Never, never, never, never, never give up!



Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.


PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY is book two in Those Magnificent Malverns series: A young widow returns to her childhood home after a forced absence and faces her first and only love, but despite their powerful attraction, danger compels her to remain his forbidden lady.  ORDER YOUR COPY!



THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malverns series: When a proper Victorian miss awakens next to a handsome stranger, she must rely on the man's benevolence as she struggles to regain her memory and hold onto her heart. ORDER YOUR COPY!

NELLIE BLY, Pioneering Journalist ~ by Tara Kingston

Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines Throughout History ~Nellie Bly



Today, I’m taking a look at the fascinating reporter known as Nellie Bly, a pioneer of investigative journalism. In an era when women were expected to tend home and hearth, Nellie Bly’s undercover investigations exposed corruption, inhumane conditions in a mental health facility, and poor working conditions in factories.
Five Facts about Nellie Bly:
~ In November 1889, Nellie Bly embarked on a journey around the world. Striving to travel the globe in less than the eighty days that it took fictional character Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, Nellie Bly employed an assortment of transportation, including ship, horse, rickshaw, and burro to accomplished the feat. Her journey took seventy-two days and six hours, which at that time was a world’s record.


~ Working for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, Nellie Bly’s daring undercover investigation of a mental institution exposed deplorable treatment of the mentally ill. Feigning amnesia and insanity, she was committed to the Women’s Asylum on Blackwell’s Island in New York for ten days. Her subsequent exposé prompted an investigation of the asylum and reforms to the treatment of patients.
~ Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran in 1864 in Pennsylvania. The third of her mother’s five children, she was considered the most rebellious child in her family.
~ In 1885, her rebuttal to a column in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that criticized working women brought her to the attention of the paper’s editor, who hired her and gave her the pen name, Nellie Bly.
~ Working for the Pittsburgh Dispatch, Nellie Bly published articles on the experiences of factory girls and traveled to Mexico to serve as a foreign correspondent. After her return, she was assigned to the women’s page, covering subjects such as fashion and gardening, prompting Nellie to leave Pittsburgh to New York.
These are only a few facts about Nellie Bly’s trailblazing life and journalistic accomplishments. Next month, I’ll take a more detailed look at her experiences on her travels around the world.
To learn more about Nellie Bly, check out these sources:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/world/peopleevents/pande01.html
http://www.biography.com/people/nellie-bly-9216680
https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/youngandbrave/bly.html
Photographs of Nellie Bly used in this post are in the public domain.
   Click here to learn more about When A Lady Deceives
News About My New Release, When A Lady Deceives.
I’m thrilled that my Victorian romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives, is now available. Like Nellie Bly, the heroine of When A Lady Deceives is a crusading investigative journalist. Jennie Quinn, star reporter for a London paper, is a daring woman who will overcome daunting obstacles to get the facts and fight for justice. She anticipates the danger of her investigation of an informant’s murder. But she doesn’t expect to fall in love, especially not with a very dangerous man. Here’s a little about the story:
A woman with a secret and a dangerous man forge an undeniable passion.In Victorian London, reporter Jennie Quinn employs deception as a weapon. Going undercover to seek justice for a murdered informant, she’s drawn into a powerful criminal’s seductive game of cat and mouse. Enigmatic former lawman Matthew Colton is as dangerous as he is clever, but the passion in his kiss is too tempting to resist. She aches to trust him, but she will not abandon her quest for the truth.
Colton is a man with secrets of his own. Thirsting for vengeance, the disgraced Scotland Yard detective has infiltrated the criminal world he’s vowed to destroy. Jennie intrigues him, even as she breaks down the barriers around his heart. He yearns to uncover her secrets—in and out of his bed. Driven to shield her, he’ll risk everything to protect the woman whose love heals his soul.
To read more about When A Lady Deceives and enjoy an excerpt, please click here.

Entangled Summer Carnival Photo Booth!

Step right up to the Entangled Summer Carnival Photo Booth! Who doesn’t wish they could step back in time and dress up in some of those fantastic fashions? Our Scandalous and Select Historical authors are talking about which historical figures they would dress up as for our historical photo booth. Let us know who you would want to dress up as and snap a photo of yourself for your photo album.

I have a passion for collecting stories of eccentric women throughout history who dared to step outside the dictates of society. If I were to dress like any of these women, I would choose the most willful one of the bunch. Daughter of an earl, Lady Hester Stanhope (12 March 1776—23 June 1839) was niece to William Pitt the Younger. She acted as his secretary while he was prime minister of England. The government knew that Lady Hester Stanhope was the brains behind Pitt, so upon his death, she was awarded a lifetime pension, which she promptly used to pursue an outrageous life in the Middle East. Off she went by sea, only to have her ship crash on the rocks in Rhodes. She lost everything but the clothes on her back, and had to borrow from the Turks. That's when she discarded tight corsets and heavy layers of fabric and took on their manner of dress—the men’s dress, that is. Thereafter, Lady Hester never wore anything but robes, turbans, and slippers while she tramped about in the desert, slept in the tents of Bedouin sheikhs, traipsed through Turkish palaces, and learned to smoke a water pipe. Oh, and for a while, she took a British lover twelve years her junior. I simply had to weave unconventional Lady Hester Stanhope into my series Those Magnificent Malverns, so I created an eccentric grandmother who’d been Lady Hester’s accomplice on those scandalous desert journeys.



If I could dress up as a historical figure, I’d pick Lady Jersey of the Regency period. She’s perfect for me because I write Regency period historical romances. Lady Jersey was one of the patronesses of Almack’s, the exclusive club where young ladies hoped to find a desirable marriage match. Gaining a voucher to Almack’s was like a Quest for the Holy Grail. Only the patronesses—a select group of ladies—decided who could cross the club’s threshold. For a night at Almack’s, I’d love to dress as Lady Jersey in an exquisite ball gown. My dream gown would be cerulean blue crepe with short sleeves over a slip of white satin. The bodice would be cut low and adorned with silver beading, and the hem would be delicately embroidered with silver flowers. My hair would be in the Grecian style with soft curls around my face and the back pulled into a chignon and decorated with a simple wreath of white flowers. A diamond necklace, diamond drop earrings, two diamond bracelets, long white gloves, and white satin slippers would complete the outfit. Who wouldn’t feel beautiful wearing this for a night out?


I would dress as Anne Bonny, a pirate in the 1700s. She disguised herself as a man and sailed the seas with her lover, Jack Rackham. Anne was a strong woman who fought alongside her brethren as an equal. She was tough and demanded respect—although she dressed as a man, many knew she was a woman. You could almost say she was a pioneer in feminism before the word actually existed. What a woman!



If I could dress up as any famous historical figure it would have to be Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. I’ve always found this woman fascinating, and strong of character, and the fact she’s related to Diana, Princess of Wales is just another boon against her name. For a woman who married at just 17, she became one of the most famous, and at time scandalous figures of the Georgian period. She partook in political speeches, was a leading fashion icon (which many tried to emulate) and gambled away what we would consider small fortunes. She fell in love with a future prime minster of England and had love affairs. Who’d not want to dress up as the Duchess of Devonshire, if only for a day.



Though Catherine the Great is often remembered for her scandalous personal life, her accomplishments as the Empress of Russia were remarkable, which is why I choose to dress up as her. Well, that and the amazing gowns and jewels she owned. Catherine wasn’t a native of Russian, but just six months after marrying the Emperor, with the help of her loyal guard, she was able to oust her husband and become the empress. During her rule, she triumphed over several uprisings, greatly expanded Russia’s territory, and was an enlightened ruler who wrote several books, was a champion of the arts, and was responsible for amassing much of the treasures that are housed in the Hermitage Museum. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the rumors about her engaging in inappropriate activities with a horse are not true.