Eliza Knight's Blog, page 11
August 9, 2016
Superstitious Minds
In the age of sail, superstition was prevalent with sailors and pirates alike. These bizarre and wild false beliefs are fascinating and great fodder for storytelling. From movies like Pirates of the Caribbean to pirate romances, bits of maritime myths can be found. While today’s mariners have science, technology, communication, and knowledge, sailors of old relied heavily on superstitions and folklore to guide them safely across the vast, powerful oceans.
Red skies at night, sailor's delight; red skies at morn, sailor be warnedOne recurring belief was that women on board were bad luck. They distracted men and kept them from their shipboard duties. If passions were high, dropping an anchor with a woman may occur on the gun deck. Such coupling might have led to the term “son of a gun.” Seagulls and albatross were believed to carry the souls of dead sailors. Killing one of these birds was considered very bad luck. But these birds flying above the masts in groups of three was a sure omen of death. Flowers were considered unlucky to have on board as they could be used for a funeral wreath. Therefore, many sailors believed flowers on a ship also meant someone would die on the voyage. Bananas were the fruit of death. Having bananas on board caused a ship to disappear. But there is truth behind this superstition. Bananas stored in hot hulls fermented quickly, releasing toxic fumes that became trapped below deck. Anyone in the hold would fall victim to the lethal gas. If that weren’t enough, add the venomous spiders that hid among the banana bunches. One bite and it was lights out. No wonder bananas were feared.Here are a few fun mariner beliefs:
Beautiful thief + Sexy Libertine = Wicked fun
Click HERE for moreNo whistling on board. The action stirs up the wind bringing storms.Naked women on board were considered lucky as they shamed the seas into being calm (think figureheads). I know, this is a direct conflict to not having women on board. Pfftth–men.Don’t set sail on Fridays – Christ was crucified on that day. A shark following a ship was a death omen. (We’re gonna need a bigger boat. Na-na-na-na-na-na-ahhhh!) Conversely, dolphins swimming with the ship meant good luck.A bell ringing by itself surely meant someone was about to die. (Sheesh, choppy waters must be a bitch.)Wine poured on the deck would bring good luck. (Tongue splinters.)Rats leaving a ship meant the ship is doomed.Cats, especially black ones, were considered good luck. Cats were also thought to be indicators of weather by their behavior.A silver coin placed under the masthead would ensure a good voyage. (Kind of like a bribe, I’d say.)Avoid redheads. I’m guessing being a sailor was a hard occupation for gingers.An anchor tattoo will keep a man fallen overboard from drifting away from the ship.Gold earrings keep a sailor from drowning. It also ensured payment across the River Styx. (Boy, mariners sure were into bribery.)A baby boy born on a ship was good luck. It is suggested that a boy born on the gun deck was also referred to as a “son of a gun”. Never say pig – it’s bad luck and brings strong winds. It’s also bad luck say good-bye, drown/drowning, good luck, or to mention rabbit, hare, or fox. (The captain’s name in Blood And Treasure is Fox – tee hee.)Don’t disrespect the sea. Never throw a stone overboard as that will surely create capsizing waves.A stolen piece of wood linked into the keel will cause the ship to sail faster. (Because no one wants to be caught stealing.)Like any sea dog worth her salt, I incorporated bits of maritime superstitions and myths into all the books in my Romancing the Pirate series—some obvious and some sneakily inconspicuous—to add flavor and authenticity. They were great fun to write, too. Yes, that was a shameless plug. I am a saucy wench, after all.About the Author
Jennifer 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.
Red skies at night, sailor's delight; red skies at morn, sailor be warnedOne recurring belief was that women on board were bad luck. They distracted men and kept them from their shipboard duties. If passions were high, dropping an anchor with a woman may occur on the gun deck. Such coupling might have led to the term “son of a gun.” Seagulls and albatross were believed to carry the souls of dead sailors. Killing one of these birds was considered very bad luck. But these birds flying above the masts in groups of three was a sure omen of death. Flowers were considered unlucky to have on board as they could be used for a funeral wreath. Therefore, many sailors believed flowers on a ship also meant someone would die on the voyage. Bananas were the fruit of death. Having bananas on board caused a ship to disappear. But there is truth behind this superstition. Bananas stored in hot hulls fermented quickly, releasing toxic fumes that became trapped below deck. Anyone in the hold would fall victim to the lethal gas. If that weren’t enough, add the venomous spiders that hid among the banana bunches. One bite and it was lights out. No wonder bananas were feared.Here are a few fun mariner beliefs:
Beautiful thief + Sexy Libertine = Wicked funClick HERE for moreNo whistling on board. The action stirs up the wind bringing storms.Naked women on board were considered lucky as they shamed the seas into being calm (think figureheads). I know, this is a direct conflict to not having women on board. Pfftth–men.Don’t set sail on Fridays – Christ was crucified on that day. A shark following a ship was a death omen. (We’re gonna need a bigger boat. Na-na-na-na-na-na-ahhhh!) Conversely, dolphins swimming with the ship meant good luck.A bell ringing by itself surely meant someone was about to die. (Sheesh, choppy waters must be a bitch.)Wine poured on the deck would bring good luck. (Tongue splinters.)Rats leaving a ship meant the ship is doomed.Cats, especially black ones, were considered good luck. Cats were also thought to be indicators of weather by their behavior.A silver coin placed under the masthead would ensure a good voyage. (Kind of like a bribe, I’d say.)Avoid redheads. I’m guessing being a sailor was a hard occupation for gingers.An anchor tattoo will keep a man fallen overboard from drifting away from the ship.Gold earrings keep a sailor from drowning. It also ensured payment across the River Styx. (Boy, mariners sure were into bribery.)A baby boy born on a ship was good luck. It is suggested that a boy born on the gun deck was also referred to as a “son of a gun”. Never say pig – it’s bad luck and brings strong winds. It’s also bad luck say good-bye, drown/drowning, good luck, or to mention rabbit, hare, or fox. (The captain’s name in Blood And Treasure is Fox – tee hee.)Don’t disrespect the sea. Never throw a stone overboard as that will surely create capsizing waves.A stolen piece of wood linked into the keel will cause the ship to sail faster. (Because no one wants to be caught stealing.)Like any sea dog worth her salt, I incorporated bits of maritime superstitions and myths into all the books in my Romancing the Pirate series—some obvious and some sneakily inconspicuous—to add flavor and authenticity. They were great fun to write, too. Yes, that was a shameless plug. I am a saucy wench, after all.About the Author
Jennifer 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.
August 2, 2016
FOR THE LOVE OF HISTORICAL ROMANCE by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular first Tuesday blogger
and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth!
Kathleen Bittner Roth!
FOR THE LOVE OF HISTORICAL ROMANCE by Kathleen Bittner Roth
You must love reading historical romance or you wouldn’t be reading this, right? Ever since I swiped my mother’s romance novels off her night stand, historical romance has been my favorite—which is why I chose that subgenre when I began my writing career. If you’ve read any of my novels, it doesn’t take long to figure out that I include at least one very unusual woman in every story, one who dares to dance outside the perimeters of society’s stringent dictates. In Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, (Those Magnificent Malverns series—each book is also a stand-alone), we have such daring ladies in spades. All the Malvern women have a rebellious streak. They think nothing of leaving their side saddles behind to ride astride, be it bareback or using a man’s saddle. They’ve also raced straight through the corridor of their fabulous estate, in the front and out the back a time or two. Why not? Their wild brothers did it first.
I do a lot of research for my stories which is how I discovered that ladies of high breeding, when residing at their country estates, often dispensed with side saddles and borrowed or had made, more fitting (and certainly more comfortable) male attire. Empress Elizabeth of Austria was a famed horsewoman who rode astride whenever she could get away with it.
But these Malvern young ladies aren’t the only daring women in this series. Their grandmother is the most unique, bazaar woman of them all and oh, did I have fun creating her! I fashioned her after Lady Hester Stanhope. Niece to William Pitt the Younger, the unmarried socialite acted as his hostess and personal assistant when he was England’s Prime Minister (he was a bachelor). Noted for her beauty, intelligence and conversational skills, Lady Hester did such a smashing job serving her uncle that upon his death, the government awarded her a lifetime pension, which she promptly used to pursue a scandalous life in the Middle East, dressing in male attire and taking on a string of lovers, one twelve years younger than her. I created a friendship between Lady Hester Stanhope and the Malvern grandmother, and let her share some of the rebellious lady’s escapades in her youth.
If you haven’t read Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, good news! It’s on sale until August 13th for .99! Pop over to Entangled Publishing where a Summer Carnival is in progress with lots of sales going on. Below are just a few of them at 99 cents: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/
PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADYThose Magnificent Malverns novel by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Lady Georgiana Cressington is living a nightmare. Coerced by her father into returning to her childhood home, the young widow becomes a pawn in another of his heartless games. Her return to Summerfield Hall reunites her with the man she once loved before their hearts were shattered by a devastating betrayal.
Sir Robert Garreck, an artist knighted by the queen, lives in a mansion near the family estate Georgiana’s father won in a crooked card game. Rob sets out to regain Summerfield Hall to keep Georgiana’s son from inheriting Rob’s rightful home. However, when he and Georgiana are thrown together, he craves the forbidden lady he never stopped loving. Facing danger and a long-hidden truth, Georgiana and Rob try to claim the powerful love they once had.
HIS PIRATE SEDUCTRESSA Love on the High Seas novel by Tamara Hughes
With her son’s life in the balance, Catherine Fry is forced to locate and steal the priceless Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar. She knows who has it–it’s just a matter of coercing Thomas Glanville, the handsome and incredibly stubborn captain of the ship she’s captured, into telling her the exact location. Fortunately, Catherine knows that there are many ways to get a man to talk…
Captain Thomas Glanville has the cross and he’ll be damned if he’s going to hand it over now that he finally has the means to buy a ship of his own. He’s at the mercy of a fiery woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. But Catherine has no idea who she’s dealing with–and Thomas has his own means of charming a woman into his mercy and his bed…
JUST A KISSIt's in His Kiss novella by Ally Broadfield
Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or she’ll be forced to marry her guardian’s loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesn’t have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title.
Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she can’t refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.
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!
FOR THE LOVE OF HISTORICAL ROMANCE by Kathleen Bittner Roth
You must love reading historical romance or you wouldn’t be reading this, right? Ever since I swiped my mother’s romance novels off her night stand, historical romance has been my favorite—which is why I chose that subgenre when I began my writing career. If you’ve read any of my novels, it doesn’t take long to figure out that I include at least one very unusual woman in every story, one who dares to dance outside the perimeters of society’s stringent dictates. In Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, (Those Magnificent Malverns series—each book is also a stand-alone), we have such daring ladies in spades. All the Malvern women have a rebellious streak. They think nothing of leaving their side saddles behind to ride astride, be it bareback or using a man’s saddle. They’ve also raced straight through the corridor of their fabulous estate, in the front and out the back a time or two. Why not? Their wild brothers did it first.
I do a lot of research for my stories which is how I discovered that ladies of high breeding, when residing at their country estates, often dispensed with side saddles and borrowed or had made, more fitting (and certainly more comfortable) male attire. Empress Elizabeth of Austria was a famed horsewoman who rode astride whenever she could get away with it.
But these Malvern young ladies aren’t the only daring women in this series. Their grandmother is the most unique, bazaar woman of them all and oh, did I have fun creating her! I fashioned her after Lady Hester Stanhope. Niece to William Pitt the Younger, the unmarried socialite acted as his hostess and personal assistant when he was England’s Prime Minister (he was a bachelor). Noted for her beauty, intelligence and conversational skills, Lady Hester did such a smashing job serving her uncle that upon his death, the government awarded her a lifetime pension, which she promptly used to pursue a scandalous life in the Middle East, dressing in male attire and taking on a string of lovers, one twelve years younger than her. I created a friendship between Lady Hester Stanhope and the Malvern grandmother, and let her share some of the rebellious lady’s escapades in her youth.
If you haven’t read Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, good news! It’s on sale until August 13th for .99! Pop over to Entangled Publishing where a Summer Carnival is in progress with lots of sales going on. Below are just a few of them at 99 cents: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/
PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADYThose Magnificent Malverns novel by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Lady Georgiana Cressington is living a nightmare. Coerced by her father into returning to her childhood home, the young widow becomes a pawn in another of his heartless games. Her return to Summerfield Hall reunites her with the man she once loved before their hearts were shattered by a devastating betrayal.
Sir Robert Garreck, an artist knighted by the queen, lives in a mansion near the family estate Georgiana’s father won in a crooked card game. Rob sets out to regain Summerfield Hall to keep Georgiana’s son from inheriting Rob’s rightful home. However, when he and Georgiana are thrown together, he craves the forbidden lady he never stopped loving. Facing danger and a long-hidden truth, Georgiana and Rob try to claim the powerful love they once had.
HIS PIRATE SEDUCTRESSA Love on the High Seas novel by Tamara Hughes
With her son’s life in the balance, Catherine Fry is forced to locate and steal the priceless Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar. She knows who has it–it’s just a matter of coercing Thomas Glanville, the handsome and incredibly stubborn captain of the ship she’s captured, into telling her the exact location. Fortunately, Catherine knows that there are many ways to get a man to talk…
Captain Thomas Glanville has the cross and he’ll be damned if he’s going to hand it over now that he finally has the means to buy a ship of his own. He’s at the mercy of a fiery woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. But Catherine has no idea who she’s dealing with–and Thomas has his own means of charming a woman into his mercy and his bed…
JUST A KISSIt's in His Kiss novella by Ally Broadfield
Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or she’ll be forced to marry her guardian’s loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesn’t have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title.
Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she can’t refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.
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!
July 26, 2016
GROUNDBREAKING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS ~ Part ONE by Tara Kingston
Welcome back to History Undressed, one of our regular Tuesday bloggers, Tara Kingston!!!
Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines Throughout History
GROUNDBREAKING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS ~ Part ONE
by Tara Kingston
Greetings! I’m Tara Kingston, historical romance author and lover of all things Victorian. I’m fascinated by history through the ages, especially the bold, brilliant women who helped shape our world, and I’m delighted to be a monthly contributor to History Undressed. I’ll be sharing facts about daring women through history—some famous, some not so well-known, but all remarkable with their own unique contributions.
Today’s post takes a look at several Victorian women whose accomplishments paved the way for female journalists and editors. In an era where women still didn’t have the right to vote, these American women smashed barriers in journalism.
Sarah Josepha Hale ~ The editor of America’s first women’s magazine, Boston Lady’s Magazine, Sarah Josepha Hale became the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1837, a position she would hold for four decades. During Hale’s years as editor, the popular publication featured topics such as women’s education and women’s employment in addition to engravings and fashion plates. In addition to her achievements as an editor, Mrs. Hale was the author of the children’s poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and her letter to Abraham Lincoln influenced the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.
Sara Payton Willis Parton ~ Using the pen name Fanny Fern, Parton published columns in a variety of publications. By 1855, she was the highest-paid columnist in the United States, earning $100 a week for her publication in the New York Ledger. She also published books, including two novels, and was a co-founder of Sorosis, a New York City club for female artists and writers.
Margaret Fuller ~ A prominent literary critic at the New York Tribunein the 1840s, Margaret Fuller became America’s first female foreign war correspondent in 1848.
Amelia Bloomer ~ An advocate for dress reform, women’s rights, and temperance, Amelia Bloomer launched her own newspaper, The Lily, in 1849.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett ~ African-American journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, became co-owner of the Memphis Free Speech in 1892. Later, she became a co-founder of the NAACP.
Jane Cunningham Croly ~ Using the pen name Jennie June, Jane Cunningham Croly wrote columns for publications including the New York World, and later became a magazine editor. In an era when women left their careers after marriage, Mrs. Croly continued to work even after she became mother to five children.
Next month, I’ll be taking a look at investigative journalists such as Nellie Bly and Ida Tarbell. Nellie Bly’s adventures provided inspiration for the heroine of my soon-to-be released historical romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives. I can’t wait to share more about that story and the life of the real-life investigative reporter whose daring exploits made her a pioneer in journalism.
Enjoying some summer reading time? Check out my Secrets & Spies series. The three books in the series are available for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Here’s a link to the first book in the series: Secrets, Spies & Sweet Little Lies on Kindle
Here’s a little about the story:
A heart's destiny cannot be denied when a daring Union spy abducts a beautiful runaway bride he suspects of being a traitor.
Emma Davenport was a model senator’s daughter: prim, proper, but hell-bent on escaping the dreaded fate of spinsterhood that awaited her under wartime Washington’s all-too watchful eye. She was going to be a bride, and no one was going to stop her. Not even the daring renegade who steals her from a train transporting her to a forbidden marriage. Her heart tells her this mysterious desperado is a dangerous man, but the pleasure of his touch is a more potent threat than any weapon.
Union Army Major Cole Travis is a highly trained operative, as skilled with deception as he is with a gun. Keeping a beautiful traitor from her rendezvous with a treacherous scoundrel shouldn’t be a challenge for the battle-seasoned spy—but he’s not the only one after his tempting captive. Emma Davenport must be kept out of enemy hands at all costs. Drawn to this woman whose innocent allure may be just another weapon in her arsenal, Cole risks his neck to shield her. Soon, however, protecting her from his own heart’s desire becomes another story entirely.
To Read More About these pioneering female journalists and editors:https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd9.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd10.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd12.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd13.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd15.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd21.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd23.htm
All photographs are in the public domain.
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
In a world where a man’s loyalty doesn’t depend on the color of a uniform, danger, intrigue, and passion are facts of life for the men and women of Tara’s Secrets & Spies series, historical romances set against the backdrop of the Civil War.
Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines Throughout History
GROUNDBREAKING AMERICAN JOURNALISTS AND EDITORS ~ Part ONE
by Tara Kingston
Greetings! I’m Tara Kingston, historical romance author and lover of all things Victorian. I’m fascinated by history through the ages, especially the bold, brilliant women who helped shape our world, and I’m delighted to be a monthly contributor to History Undressed. I’ll be sharing facts about daring women through history—some famous, some not so well-known, but all remarkable with their own unique contributions.
Today’s post takes a look at several Victorian women whose accomplishments paved the way for female journalists and editors. In an era where women still didn’t have the right to vote, these American women smashed barriers in journalism.
Sarah Josepha Hale ~ The editor of America’s first women’s magazine, Boston Lady’s Magazine, Sarah Josepha Hale became the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1837, a position she would hold for four decades. During Hale’s years as editor, the popular publication featured topics such as women’s education and women’s employment in addition to engravings and fashion plates. In addition to her achievements as an editor, Mrs. Hale was the author of the children’s poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and her letter to Abraham Lincoln influenced the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863.
Sara Payton Willis Parton ~ Using the pen name Fanny Fern, Parton published columns in a variety of publications. By 1855, she was the highest-paid columnist in the United States, earning $100 a week for her publication in the New York Ledger. She also published books, including two novels, and was a co-founder of Sorosis, a New York City club for female artists and writers.
Margaret Fuller ~ A prominent literary critic at the New York Tribunein the 1840s, Margaret Fuller became America’s first female foreign war correspondent in 1848.
Amelia Bloomer ~ An advocate for dress reform, women’s rights, and temperance, Amelia Bloomer launched her own newspaper, The Lily, in 1849.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett ~ African-American journalist and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett, became co-owner of the Memphis Free Speech in 1892. Later, she became a co-founder of the NAACP.
Jane Cunningham Croly ~ Using the pen name Jennie June, Jane Cunningham Croly wrote columns for publications including the New York World, and later became a magazine editor. In an era when women left their careers after marriage, Mrs. Croly continued to work even after she became mother to five children.
Next month, I’ll be taking a look at investigative journalists such as Nellie Bly and Ida Tarbell. Nellie Bly’s adventures provided inspiration for the heroine of my soon-to-be released historical romantic thriller, When A Lady Deceives. I can’t wait to share more about that story and the life of the real-life investigative reporter whose daring exploits made her a pioneer in journalism.
Enjoying some summer reading time? Check out my Secrets & Spies series. The three books in the series are available for Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Here’s a link to the first book in the series: Secrets, Spies & Sweet Little Lies on KindleHere’s a little about the story:
A heart's destiny cannot be denied when a daring Union spy abducts a beautiful runaway bride he suspects of being a traitor.
Emma Davenport was a model senator’s daughter: prim, proper, but hell-bent on escaping the dreaded fate of spinsterhood that awaited her under wartime Washington’s all-too watchful eye. She was going to be a bride, and no one was going to stop her. Not even the daring renegade who steals her from a train transporting her to a forbidden marriage. Her heart tells her this mysterious desperado is a dangerous man, but the pleasure of his touch is a more potent threat than any weapon.
Union Army Major Cole Travis is a highly trained operative, as skilled with deception as he is with a gun. Keeping a beautiful traitor from her rendezvous with a treacherous scoundrel shouldn’t be a challenge for the battle-seasoned spy—but he’s not the only one after his tempting captive. Emma Davenport must be kept out of enemy hands at all costs. Drawn to this woman whose innocent allure may be just another weapon in her arsenal, Cole risks his neck to shield her. Soon, however, protecting her from his own heart’s desire becomes another story entirely.
To Read More About these pioneering female journalists and editors:https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd9.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd10.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd12.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd13.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd15.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd21.htmhttps://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/womenwithdeadlines/wwd23.htm
All photographs are in the public domain.
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
In a world where a man’s loyalty doesn’t depend on the color of a uniform, danger, intrigue, and passion are facts of life for the men and women of Tara’s Secrets & Spies series, historical romances set against the backdrop of the Civil War.
July 22, 2016
Summer of History Giveaway!
A couple of things I love to do is introduce my readers to other great books in the genre. So what's better than having a chance at winning one of my books this summer? How about a chance to win books and prizes from 18 other top writers of historical fiction today? Best of all, it's just in time for you to kick back, put your feet up, and enjoy the warm weather with a great book. Pick five books that you'd like to win!
If you haven't yet had a chance to read my book, PRISONER OF THE QUEEEN, now is your chance to enter to win a free copy!
Kindhearted Katherine Grey knows well the peril of being born with royal blood. As Henry VIII’s grandniece and one of the heirs to the English throne, her noble birth has doomed her to live among the schemers and seducers of the king’s court—barring her from the peaceful life that she truly desires.
After her sister fails to keep the throne, and a new queen rises to power, Katherine finds herself surrounded by adversaries. Since Queen Elizabeth sees her as a threat, and court conspirators see her as an ally, Katherine is forced to play a game she knows she cannot win. And when she reunites with the man she truly loves, Katherine has even more at stake. With treachery at every turn and the life she dreams of within reach, Katherine must make an impossible choice: Will she submit to the queen’s authority, or will she pursue love no matter the cost?
July 21, 2016
NEW RELEASE! Ever My Love: The Lore of the Lucius Ring
I'm thrilled to announce the release of EVER MY LOVE, and so excited to be a part of this collection!
An infamous pirate... A revered Captain... A dangerous heist... A sizzling proposition...
Meet Captain Titus Graves and Lady Antónia Burke in BREATH FROM THE SEA, the Tudor segment!
I’ve always been fascinated by female pirates, and being of Irish heritage, I was so thrilled to finally bring one to life! In Breath from the Sea, my heroine, Antónia, is the granddaughter of Grace O’Malley (Granuaille), one of the most infamous female pirates in history. She was Irish, and did in fact meet with Queen Elizabeth I, gaining a pardon for her son, Viscount Mayo, along with a stipend! She played both sides of the coin in the Irish rebellion. Her daughter did marry the Demon of Corraun, who is my heroine’s father (though there is no record of his children, convenient for me!).
I do hope you enjoy this story, and how a bit of history has been weaved in with our legend of Theodosia and Lucius!
The heart of a legend. The only chance for love. The hope that the Fates will be kind before time runs out.
The long-awaited sequel to the original multi-genre USA TODAY bestselling collection, With Dreams Only Of You: The Legend of the Theodosia Sword, has finally arrived. Welcome to EVER MY LOVE: THE LORE OF THE LUCIUS RING, a multi-genre new material collection unlike any other romance collection available today.
Six of the top authors in their genres bring you this powerhouse collection based upon the common thread of a cursed ring, passed down through the female line descended from Theodosia herself. Only a woman may bear the burden of the ring said to curse she who wears it. When the owner of the ring finds love, the stone remains crimson and assures her life-long happiness. But if she does not find love by her twenty-fifth birthday, the ring will turn dark and she will be forever cursed with loneliness.
Join the descendants of Theodosia as they grapple with a family legend that follows them through centuries of hope, heartache, adventure, and romance in seven amazing segments:
In ancient Rome - The ring, and its curse, begin with the beautiful Theodosia.
Medieval England - The ring finds its way into a notorious outlaw's possession only to curse the woman he loves.
The Scottish Highlands - The ring escapes with a little girl... and the curse follows.
Tudor England - The ring once again becomes the prize for the lawless when an infamous female pirate tries to steal it from a Queen’s Naval Captain.
Georgian Era - Twin sisters vie for the ring - and for the Duke of Axminster.
Regency England - The ring enters the proud and proper Regency set where the curse finds new life.
Modern Times - Mistaken identity, soul mates, and the last chance for the ring to fulfill its destiny.
Seven unique and powerful brand-new stories take the legend of the Lucius Ring through the ages. Discover how each woman finds her own love, peace, and happiness. The ring that can tear them apart is also the one that binds them.
The heart of a legend. The only hope for love... will each lady find her destiny before time runs out?
Read it!
AmazonB&NITunesKobo
An infamous pirate... A revered Captain... A dangerous heist... A sizzling proposition...
Meet Captain Titus Graves and Lady Antónia Burke in BREATH FROM THE SEA, the Tudor segment!
I’ve always been fascinated by female pirates, and being of Irish heritage, I was so thrilled to finally bring one to life! In Breath from the Sea, my heroine, Antónia, is the granddaughter of Grace O’Malley (Granuaille), one of the most infamous female pirates in history. She was Irish, and did in fact meet with Queen Elizabeth I, gaining a pardon for her son, Viscount Mayo, along with a stipend! She played both sides of the coin in the Irish rebellion. Her daughter did marry the Demon of Corraun, who is my heroine’s father (though there is no record of his children, convenient for me!).
I do hope you enjoy this story, and how a bit of history has been weaved in with our legend of Theodosia and Lucius!
The heart of a legend. The only chance for love. The hope that the Fates will be kind before time runs out.
The long-awaited sequel to the original multi-genre USA TODAY bestselling collection, With Dreams Only Of You: The Legend of the Theodosia Sword, has finally arrived. Welcome to EVER MY LOVE: THE LORE OF THE LUCIUS RING, a multi-genre new material collection unlike any other romance collection available today.
Six of the top authors in their genres bring you this powerhouse collection based upon the common thread of a cursed ring, passed down through the female line descended from Theodosia herself. Only a woman may bear the burden of the ring said to curse she who wears it. When the owner of the ring finds love, the stone remains crimson and assures her life-long happiness. But if she does not find love by her twenty-fifth birthday, the ring will turn dark and she will be forever cursed with loneliness.
Join the descendants of Theodosia as they grapple with a family legend that follows them through centuries of hope, heartache, adventure, and romance in seven amazing segments:
In ancient Rome - The ring, and its curse, begin with the beautiful Theodosia.
Medieval England - The ring finds its way into a notorious outlaw's possession only to curse the woman he loves.
The Scottish Highlands - The ring escapes with a little girl... and the curse follows.
Tudor England - The ring once again becomes the prize for the lawless when an infamous female pirate tries to steal it from a Queen’s Naval Captain.
Georgian Era - Twin sisters vie for the ring - and for the Duke of Axminster.
Regency England - The ring enters the proud and proper Regency set where the curse finds new life.
Modern Times - Mistaken identity, soul mates, and the last chance for the ring to fulfill its destiny.
Seven unique and powerful brand-new stories take the legend of the Lucius Ring through the ages. Discover how each woman finds her own love, peace, and happiness. The ring that can tear them apart is also the one that binds them.
The heart of a legend. The only hope for love... will each lady find her destiny before time runs out?
Read it!
AmazonB&NITunesKobo
July 12, 2016
Women and Piracy
Women as pirates? You bet. There are a few notable female pirates—Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Grace O’Malley, Ching Shih, and more. But why turn to piracy? For the same reasons as men, only many had to do so incognito.
Anne BonnyWomen’s equality has always been a topic of discussion. Whether it be in opportunity, pay, rights or freedom, the fairer sex has struggled with gender discrimination for, like, ever. You can bet, if men had few options in life, women had fewer. There were only a handful of professions a woman could fill that was morally acceptable—milliners, seamstress, laundress, confectioners, food vendors, midwives, and, of course, domestic servants. In that, it stands to reason that those jobs were not as plentiful as the women to fill them. And if a girl was lucky enough to land a job, she often faced very low wages, poor treatment, and was often the target of wanted sexual attention or abuse. A woman not born into the upper echelons might hope to marry into a wealthy, respectable family and even play a role in the family business or estate management. But she would occupy a small percentage of her demographic. Being well-off didn’t ensure a lifetime of security and most women fell into the poor or middle-class social caste. Therefore, there were more women scratching out a life of survival than their privileged sisters. From raising families to politics, no matter the era, women’s roles in society is a veritably complex subject. When times were hard. Being a woman made them harder. Being a poor woman was worse. The same lure of a better life, adventure, earning a wage, and learning a trade that appealed to men also appealed to women—especially if she was begging for food or forced into thieving or prostitution. Going to sea, though extremely harsh, was actually a better choice than staying on land. Bonus, there were regular meals. Most of the time. It wasn’t always young women making the decision to gamble on impersonating as a seaman, either. Sometimes girls followed their lovers or wives followed their husbands to sea rather than be destitute and/or alone.
She dressed as a lad and was caught.
Click here for more! Women were not accepted on pirate ships. They were considered bad luck and a distraction. (I’ve was once told this when I asked my employer to move me to a predominately male part of the company. Humph.) Remember, voyages were long. There was the danger of sexual assault and in-fighting among men over a woman. The fairer sex (along with young boys) were not allowed to sign the ship’s articles. But did that stop the few determined, intrepid ladies. Nope. They faked it, dressed and behaved like young men.How did they get away with it? They would change their name, cut their hair, bound their breasts with cloth tightly around their bodies, and wear loose fitting clothes, all to appear more masculine. Since the crew slept in their clothes and bathing was practically nonexistent, the chance anyone would see her naked was slim. Menstruation wasn’t much of an issue. The likely reason is that low body fat and improper nutrition restricts the body’s periodic menses. How convenient.Like with any other occupation, women, posing as new sailors, would “learn the ropes” of sailing. The unforgiving conditions and daily chores strengthened their bodies. These ladies kept up with their male counterparts while avoiding casting suspicion upon their gender. No wilting flower could survive as a seaman, living essentially a lie as a man. To be a pirate meant the woman would be extraordinary. She have to not only be tough, but daring and courageous. And that very well could be scarier than any male pirate.About the Author
Jennifer 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.
Anne BonnyWomen’s equality has always been a topic of discussion. Whether it be in opportunity, pay, rights or freedom, the fairer sex has struggled with gender discrimination for, like, ever. You can bet, if men had few options in life, women had fewer. There were only a handful of professions a woman could fill that was morally acceptable—milliners, seamstress, laundress, confectioners, food vendors, midwives, and, of course, domestic servants. In that, it stands to reason that those jobs were not as plentiful as the women to fill them. And if a girl was lucky enough to land a job, she often faced very low wages, poor treatment, and was often the target of wanted sexual attention or abuse. A woman not born into the upper echelons might hope to marry into a wealthy, respectable family and even play a role in the family business or estate management. But she would occupy a small percentage of her demographic. Being well-off didn’t ensure a lifetime of security and most women fell into the poor or middle-class social caste. Therefore, there were more women scratching out a life of survival than their privileged sisters. From raising families to politics, no matter the era, women’s roles in society is a veritably complex subject. When times were hard. Being a woman made them harder. Being a poor woman was worse. The same lure of a better life, adventure, earning a wage, and learning a trade that appealed to men also appealed to women—especially if she was begging for food or forced into thieving or prostitution. Going to sea, though extremely harsh, was actually a better choice than staying on land. Bonus, there were regular meals. Most of the time. It wasn’t always young women making the decision to gamble on impersonating as a seaman, either. Sometimes girls followed their lovers or wives followed their husbands to sea rather than be destitute and/or alone.
She dressed as a lad and was caught.Click here for more! Women were not accepted on pirate ships. They were considered bad luck and a distraction. (I’ve was once told this when I asked my employer to move me to a predominately male part of the company. Humph.) Remember, voyages were long. There was the danger of sexual assault and in-fighting among men over a woman. The fairer sex (along with young boys) were not allowed to sign the ship’s articles. But did that stop the few determined, intrepid ladies. Nope. They faked it, dressed and behaved like young men.How did they get away with it? They would change their name, cut their hair, bound their breasts with cloth tightly around their bodies, and wear loose fitting clothes, all to appear more masculine. Since the crew slept in their clothes and bathing was practically nonexistent, the chance anyone would see her naked was slim. Menstruation wasn’t much of an issue. The likely reason is that low body fat and improper nutrition restricts the body’s periodic menses. How convenient.Like with any other occupation, women, posing as new sailors, would “learn the ropes” of sailing. The unforgiving conditions and daily chores strengthened their bodies. These ladies kept up with their male counterparts while avoiding casting suspicion upon their gender. No wilting flower could survive as a seaman, living essentially a lie as a man. To be a pirate meant the woman would be extraordinary. She have to not only be tough, but daring and courageous. And that very well could be scarier than any male pirate.About the Author
Jennifer 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.
July 7, 2016
Dunnottar Castle: The Setting for STOLEN BY THE LAIRD
Dunnottar Castle is a mesmerizing, magical place, set high up on a cliff. When I was doing research for my new book. STOLEN BY THE LAIRD, I watched many videos on the castle. And this was one of them!
Take a look inside Brody and Guinevere's world!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She was supposed to be his prize... But not all rewards are sweet...Laird Brody Keith, Marischal of Scotland, has been asked by his future king to travel with William Wallace to Dunnottar Castle, where they will seize the castle back from the English. If he completes his mission, the castle, the land and all it holds, will be his. Brody is more than eager to sink his blade into the hearts of his enemies after the brutal murder of his sister and father. But what he doesn't count on is finding an English lass in need of his protection...
Lady Guinevere has led a less than pleasant life in Scotland over the past year, and now she can either run for her life or accept the proposal of a man who should be her enemy. Survival bids her to acquiesce, but that doesn't mean she has to play nice. Except, she's coming to adore the people whom she's always been told she should hate, and respect the man who risked his life for her.
Joined for a mutual purpose, Brody and Guinevere seem doomed from the start, but as time passes and their true enemies draw closer, they'll form an alliance that not even the devil himself can break.
READ IT! Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKOGPSMB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stolen-by-the-laird-eliza-knight/1123683107Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stolen-by-the-lairdITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1106258109
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Todaybestselling indie author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies. Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.comor her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com
July 5, 2016
A LIVING HOUSE OF TERROR by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Welcome back to History Undressed, our regular first Tuesday blogger and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth! Kathleen Bittner Roth!
A HOUSE OF TERRORThe former Headquarters of Two Terrible Regimesby Kathleen Bittner Roth
My late husband Hans, was German, born well after WWII. For whatever reason, I never asked Hans how he felt about Hitler and the people who joined in with him. About a year before my husband passed away, we were sitting in a restaurant across from each other when I finally gathered the courage to ask the question I had hesitated to ask for so long.
“I have tried to wrap my mind and heart around what it would be like to live under the radical leadership of a man like Hitler. After spending so much time in Germany and visiting your parents, I don’t understand how people could’ve let this happen. How has this terrible part of Germany’s history affected you?”
I saw pain flash through Hans’s eyes. He said, “I don’t get it either, Kathleen. How could a cultured people who raised up the likes of people like Goethe, commit such abominable acts?" He said, and rightly so, that at first the people did not know Hitler was insane, or that he was up to no good, because he’d brought Germany back from the brink of total bankruptcy, had given everybody jobs, and had rid the country of communism. By the time the people realized the truth, it was too late.As I said, Hans was born after the war, but when he went into the first grade, he was told by the teacher that all Germans had to accept historical guilt for what Hitler had done. Frightened, Hans ran away from school. He told his parents, “I didn’t know that guy, why should I feel guilty?”
Even at the age of six, Hans knew his own mind and refused to accept responsibility for a war that was over before he was born, and for what Hitler had done. But when questioned further, Hans told me he’d always felt pain for what had occurred.
I thought of his parents, both German teenagers during the war, one living in Southern Hungary, the other in what is now northern Serbia. They were young innocents caught up in a war they wanted nothing to do with run by a political party they wanted no part of. Both of these teenagers ended up in the hands of Russians—the supposed co-liberators of the war.
His parents were sent to concentration camps not so very different from what the Nazis had set up. Shoeless during the Siberian winters, and with barely enough to eat, both nearly died of mysterious illnesses. By sheer will alone, they managed to survive years in those cold, horrid Russian camps.
We were living an idyllic life along the Adriatic Coast of Croatia when Hans took ill. We rushed him to a specialized hospital in Hungary but he passed two months later. I had to remain in Budapest to take care of legal matters. As part of my grief process, I would walk and walk around the city. I thought of the Hungarians who had it particularly rough during the Communist era, and whose population dwindled during Russia’s wieldy grip. Although there were no death camps like those the Nazis constructed, there were prisons, both the Gulag and local ones. Sadly, Russia was little different from the Nazis in her terrible rule of Eastern Europe.
There is something called The Terror Museum in Budapest which is located not far from me. It was the actual headquarters of the Nazi command, followed by the Russian command. The museum is living proof of what went on under both the Nazi and Russian rule. It took a long while for me to work up the pluck to enter that museum. I finally realized that I had a responsibility to what happened to those who died during this terrible time. I found the museum equally split between the Nazi occupation of Budapest, and the Russian occupation. Both were devastating. Judging by the name, I thought the Terror Museum would resemble a Hollywood movie, exaggerated and overdone.I was wrong.
Everything in the museum was real, the artifacts were real, and the actual black and white films were real. So was the conference table surrounded by slick military uniforms of the Russian and German commands? I was guided to the basement where the torture rooms were left just as they were when the Russians took over from the Nazis, and left as they were when communism fell. I have Hungarian friends who were tortured down there, most for crimes against the state they never committed.
In the end, I left feeling as though I’d gone to a kind of mass that paid homage to those who died during those terrible times. I noticed that as I filed out of the building, those exiting with me appeared to be in the same state of reverence. We left in silence and continued our silence into the street. About two blocks away, I started thinking, were those angels painted on the walls as I exited? Were there statues of cherubs?
I shook my head as if to clear the cobwebs. To this day, I don’t know if I saw these seraphim and cherubim painted on the walls or if they had symbolically gathered in the reverent corridors of my mind.
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!
June 30, 2016
New Release! STOLEN BY THE LAIRD by Eliza Knight
Happy Thursday! I'm thrilled to announce the release of my newest novel, STOLEN BY THE LAIRD!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She was supposed to be his prize... But not all rewards are sweet...
Laird Brody Keith, Marischal of Scotland, has been asked by his future king to travel with William Wallace to Dunnottar Castle, where they will seize the castle back from the English. If he completes his mission, the castle, the land and all it holds, will be his. Brody is more than eager to sink his blade into the hearts of his enemies after the brutal murder of his sister and father. But what he doesn't count on is finding an English lass in need of his protection...
Lady Guinevere has led a less than pleasant life in Scotland over the past year, and now she can either run for her life or accept the proposal of a man who should be her enemy. Survival bids her to acquiesce, but that doesn't mean she has to play nice. Except, she's coming to adore the people whom she's always been told she should hate, and respect the man who risked his life for her.
Joined for a mutual purpose, Brody and Guinevere seem doomed from the start, but as time passes and their true enemies draw closer, they'll form an alliance that not even the devil himself can break.
EXCERPT:
Brody pushed the door open the remainder of the way and came face to face with four Englishwomen. They huddled by the window, dressed in Sassenach gowns, hair once styled as though they were attending a great feast, jewels at their necks, and tears adorning each face except for one.“Och, but I’ve died and gone to Hell,” he muttered.Everyone knew Englishwomen were as shrewish as… well as, an Englishwoman, and as cold as dead fish.All four stared at him, wide-eyed, mouths hung agape.Much like fish, he thought.They were pretty enough, especially the one with the long flowing blonde locks. Though it looked as though her locks had seen better days, perhaps not to have been torn from whatever fancy knot they’d been in.“Who are ye?” he asked in not too kind a tone. He didn’t want any shrewish behavior, simply facts.The blonde stepped forward, squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye with her piercing blue—nay more green than blue—eyes. She was the only one who didn’t cry. As though she’d been expecting him. The lass was beautiful, even if she was a harpy. Her bone structure was delicate, but her eyes sharp, and the way she frowned, well, he guessed her tongue to be just as barbed. The gown accentuated the curve of her hips and the swell of marginal breasts—he refused to call them the perfect size, for she was English, and he denied finding anything about her to be flawless.“Who are you?” she retorted.Och, a fiery little fish. “I asked ye first.”“Well”—her gaze roved from the top of his head down to his boot tips and he felt more than a little assessed—“I think it is plain to see I outrank you, savage, so you must answer me first.”At her bold words the ladies in her presence all paled, one covered her mouth, another pinched her own arms and the third nodded approval.Brody chuckled, taking a menacing step forward. “Then I suppose we have found ourselves at an impasse, fishy, for I do believe I outrank ye.”“Fishy? Ye insult me.” She shook her head and regarded him with something akin to disgust. “Impossible.”Her revulsion almost had him checking himself. How odd, and why should he even wonder at her manners? She was English after all. Every woman he’d ever met up to this point had fallen at his feet. Brody was known for his charismatic tongue, his lovemaking abilities. Well, this fish wouldn’t know those things. And from the looks of her, she’d be too uptight to enjoy the pleasures he could have given her, if he wanted to, which he wouldn’t.Brody puffed his chest and took several steps forward. “I assure ye, madam, given your current situation, anything is possible.”Two of her ladies fainted dead away and the third stepped in front of the blonde, only to be shoved behind, a sharp word from the Grande Fishy’s mouth.Then she turned back to him, pursing her lips as though she were contemplating a truce.Before she could speak, he cut her off. “I dinna make deals, lass. If ye dinna believe me, then take a look out your window at the kirk yonder.”“So you intend to kill us then?” Despite the stubborn set to her jaw and shoulders, her lower lip quivered.Och, but why did that slight tremble have to tug at his heart? “We shall see what comes to pass.”
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKOGPSMB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stolen-by-the-laird-eliza-knight/1123683107Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stolen-by-the-lairdITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1106258109
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Todaybestselling indie author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies. Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.comor her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She was supposed to be his prize... But not all rewards are sweet...Laird Brody Keith, Marischal of Scotland, has been asked by his future king to travel with William Wallace to Dunnottar Castle, where they will seize the castle back from the English. If he completes his mission, the castle, the land and all it holds, will be his. Brody is more than eager to sink his blade into the hearts of his enemies after the brutal murder of his sister and father. But what he doesn't count on is finding an English lass in need of his protection...
Lady Guinevere has led a less than pleasant life in Scotland over the past year, and now she can either run for her life or accept the proposal of a man who should be her enemy. Survival bids her to acquiesce, but that doesn't mean she has to play nice. Except, she's coming to adore the people whom she's always been told she should hate, and respect the man who risked his life for her.
Joined for a mutual purpose, Brody and Guinevere seem doomed from the start, but as time passes and their true enemies draw closer, they'll form an alliance that not even the devil himself can break.
EXCERPT:
Brody pushed the door open the remainder of the way and came face to face with four Englishwomen. They huddled by the window, dressed in Sassenach gowns, hair once styled as though they were attending a great feast, jewels at their necks, and tears adorning each face except for one.“Och, but I’ve died and gone to Hell,” he muttered.Everyone knew Englishwomen were as shrewish as… well as, an Englishwoman, and as cold as dead fish.All four stared at him, wide-eyed, mouths hung agape.Much like fish, he thought.They were pretty enough, especially the one with the long flowing blonde locks. Though it looked as though her locks had seen better days, perhaps not to have been torn from whatever fancy knot they’d been in.“Who are ye?” he asked in not too kind a tone. He didn’t want any shrewish behavior, simply facts.The blonde stepped forward, squared her shoulders and looked him straight in the eye with her piercing blue—nay more green than blue—eyes. She was the only one who didn’t cry. As though she’d been expecting him. The lass was beautiful, even if she was a harpy. Her bone structure was delicate, but her eyes sharp, and the way she frowned, well, he guessed her tongue to be just as barbed. The gown accentuated the curve of her hips and the swell of marginal breasts—he refused to call them the perfect size, for she was English, and he denied finding anything about her to be flawless.“Who are you?” she retorted.Och, a fiery little fish. “I asked ye first.”“Well”—her gaze roved from the top of his head down to his boot tips and he felt more than a little assessed—“I think it is plain to see I outrank you, savage, so you must answer me first.”At her bold words the ladies in her presence all paled, one covered her mouth, another pinched her own arms and the third nodded approval.Brody chuckled, taking a menacing step forward. “Then I suppose we have found ourselves at an impasse, fishy, for I do believe I outrank ye.”“Fishy? Ye insult me.” She shook her head and regarded him with something akin to disgust. “Impossible.”Her revulsion almost had him checking himself. How odd, and why should he even wonder at her manners? She was English after all. Every woman he’d ever met up to this point had fallen at his feet. Brody was known for his charismatic tongue, his lovemaking abilities. Well, this fish wouldn’t know those things. And from the looks of her, she’d be too uptight to enjoy the pleasures he could have given her, if he wanted to, which he wouldn’t.Brody puffed his chest and took several steps forward. “I assure ye, madam, given your current situation, anything is possible.”Two of her ladies fainted dead away and the third stepped in front of the blonde, only to be shoved behind, a sharp word from the Grande Fishy’s mouth.Then she turned back to him, pursing her lips as though she were contemplating a truce.Before she could speak, he cut her off. “I dinna make deals, lass. If ye dinna believe me, then take a look out your window at the kirk yonder.”“So you intend to kill us then?” Despite the stubborn set to her jaw and shoulders, her lower lip quivered.Och, but why did that slight tremble have to tug at his heart? “We shall see what comes to pass.”
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EKOGPSMB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stolen-by-the-laird-eliza-knight/1123683107Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stolen-by-the-lairdITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1106258109
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Todaybestselling indie author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies. Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.comor her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com
June 22, 2016
Seeing the World in Blue and White by Sherrie Hansen
Welcome to History Undressed, guest author, Sherrie Hansen! She's written a great post for us today about Scotland! Enjoy!
Seeing the World in Blue and White by Sherrie Hansen
I’ve been hearing Scottish accents in my head for over a decade, and now, after returning from my second trip to Bonnie Scotland, my mind’s eye is just as steeped in images of the highlands and islands I’ve been writing about.
Our trip was a flurry of wildflowers and walled gardens, castles and keeps, and lochs and legends. My mind is whirling with the characters and construct of a new story, ancient ghosts and curses, and modern day longings and desires set to clash like pitchforks and swords at Culloden.
One of my characters is the “rightful” heir of a castle and as fascinated and enamored of Scotland as I am, the other is there only because she could find no other way to wiggle out of her duties as the legal heir of a castle she cares nothing aboot.
Even more exciting is the sense of déjà vu I feel about the Wildflowers of Scotland books I’ve already written.
As I spotted each of the wildflowers I’ve featured in Thistle Down, Wild Rose, Blue Belle, Shy Violet, and Sweet William, and the castles and kirks that provide a backdrop for each of the stories, the characters have come to life for me all over again.
One of the highlights of the trip was the day I left a copy of Shy Violet with a random staff member at Eilean Donan’s Castle Café, where many scenes in the book take place. A few days later, on our way back from the Isle of Skye, we stopped once more to eat lunch. The recipient pulled me aside, and in her delightful Scottish accent, said “I’ve begun to read yer book, and I’m loving it! Ye’re a very good author, and I thank ye so much.”
The whole time we were at Eilean Donan Castle, I kept catching glimpse of people who looked like Nathan or Violet. William and Lyndsie, the stars of Sweet William, felt very close to me when we were on Skye - walking around the mysterious Fairy Glen at Uig, watching the cows graze on Claigon Coral Beach near Dunvegan and dipping a toe in the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle. Because I know what happens to William while he’s on Skye, I had a deep, sense of foreboding until we were on our way home, and I knew everything was okay.
There’s a magical connection between Scotland and me. I’m a Blue Belle, and always will be. (For those of you who don’t know me, I have a B&B and Tea House called the Blue Belle Inn.) Loving the blue and white Saltire of Scotland is a natural extension of my love of blue.
If you’ve yet to fall in love with Scotland, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of one of my Wildflowers of Scotland novels and see if the highlands and islands of Scotland resonate with you like they do me.
Age old castles and blue-watered bays,White sandy beaches and quaint cottage stays.A rainbow of colors and chocolates, hand-dipped,A valley of bluebells and sheep, freshly clipped.
Legends galore, buried treasure, and more… In the Wildflowers of Scotland novels, that’s what’s in store.
Twenty-four years ago, Sherrie Hansen Decker rescued a dilapidated Victorian house from the bulldozer’s grips and turned it into a B&B and tea house, the Blue Belle Inn. Sherrie and her husband, Mark, who is a pastor, live in 2 different houses, 85 miles apart. Sherrie writes murder mysteries and novels whenever she’s not working at her B&B – or trying to be a good pastor’s wife. Her contemporary romantic suspense novels include Night and Day, Love Notes, and Thistle Down, Wild Rose, Blue Belle, Shy Violet and Sweet William, her Wildflowers of Scotland novels.
You can see what’s she’s up to at: https://www.facebook.com/BlueBelleInn http://sherriehansen.wordpress.com/ www.BlueBelleInn.com or www.BlueBelleBooks.com https://twitter.com/SherrieHansen https://www.pinterest.com/sherriebluebell/
Sherrie’s new release is Sweet William .
He’s a real sweetheart. She’s a wee bit tart. When Minnesota farm boy, William McKnight, and sassy Scot, Lyndsie Morris, are forced to work together in the kitchen of Rabbit Hill Lodge, the atmosphere is as charged as an episode of Chopped. Will someone get cut, or will they find a recipe that works? Things just start to get spicy when an angry bull butts his way into the picture, and Lyndsie has to decide if she loves William more than everyone and everything she holds dear.
Seeing the World in Blue and White by Sherrie Hansen
I’ve been hearing Scottish accents in my head for over a decade, and now, after returning from my second trip to Bonnie Scotland, my mind’s eye is just as steeped in images of the highlands and islands I’ve been writing about.
Our trip was a flurry of wildflowers and walled gardens, castles and keeps, and lochs and legends. My mind is whirling with the characters and construct of a new story, ancient ghosts and curses, and modern day longings and desires set to clash like pitchforks and swords at Culloden.
One of my characters is the “rightful” heir of a castle and as fascinated and enamored of Scotland as I am, the other is there only because she could find no other way to wiggle out of her duties as the legal heir of a castle she cares nothing aboot.
Even more exciting is the sense of déjà vu I feel about the Wildflowers of Scotland books I’ve already written.
As I spotted each of the wildflowers I’ve featured in Thistle Down, Wild Rose, Blue Belle, Shy Violet, and Sweet William, and the castles and kirks that provide a backdrop for each of the stories, the characters have come to life for me all over again.
One of the highlights of the trip was the day I left a copy of Shy Violet with a random staff member at Eilean Donan’s Castle Café, where many scenes in the book take place. A few days later, on our way back from the Isle of Skye, we stopped once more to eat lunch. The recipient pulled me aside, and in her delightful Scottish accent, said “I’ve begun to read yer book, and I’m loving it! Ye’re a very good author, and I thank ye so much.”
The whole time we were at Eilean Donan Castle, I kept catching glimpse of people who looked like Nathan or Violet. William and Lyndsie, the stars of Sweet William, felt very close to me when we were on Skye - walking around the mysterious Fairy Glen at Uig, watching the cows graze on Claigon Coral Beach near Dunvegan and dipping a toe in the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle. Because I know what happens to William while he’s on Skye, I had a deep, sense of foreboding until we were on our way home, and I knew everything was okay.
There’s a magical connection between Scotland and me. I’m a Blue Belle, and always will be. (For those of you who don’t know me, I have a B&B and Tea House called the Blue Belle Inn.) Loving the blue and white Saltire of Scotland is a natural extension of my love of blue.
If you’ve yet to fall in love with Scotland, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of one of my Wildflowers of Scotland novels and see if the highlands and islands of Scotland resonate with you like they do me.
Age old castles and blue-watered bays,White sandy beaches and quaint cottage stays.A rainbow of colors and chocolates, hand-dipped,A valley of bluebells and sheep, freshly clipped.
Legends galore, buried treasure, and more… In the Wildflowers of Scotland novels, that’s what’s in store.
Twenty-four years ago, Sherrie Hansen Decker rescued a dilapidated Victorian house from the bulldozer’s grips and turned it into a B&B and tea house, the Blue Belle Inn. Sherrie and her husband, Mark, who is a pastor, live in 2 different houses, 85 miles apart. Sherrie writes murder mysteries and novels whenever she’s not working at her B&B – or trying to be a good pastor’s wife. Her contemporary romantic suspense novels include Night and Day, Love Notes, and Thistle Down, Wild Rose, Blue Belle, Shy Violet and Sweet William, her Wildflowers of Scotland novels.
You can see what’s she’s up to at: https://www.facebook.com/BlueBelleInn http://sherriehansen.wordpress.com/ www.BlueBelleInn.com or www.BlueBelleBooks.com https://twitter.com/SherrieHansen https://www.pinterest.com/sherriebluebell/
Sherrie’s new release is Sweet William .
He’s a real sweetheart. She’s a wee bit tart. When Minnesota farm boy, William McKnight, and sassy Scot, Lyndsie Morris, are forced to work together in the kitchen of Rabbit Hill Lodge, the atmosphere is as charged as an episode of Chopped. Will someone get cut, or will they find a recipe that works? Things just start to get spicy when an angry bull butts his way into the picture, and Lyndsie has to decide if she loves William more than everyone and everything she holds dear.
