Eliza Knight's Blog, page 16
January 26, 2016
What Would Time Travel Feel Like? (Excerpt from HIGHLANDER UNDONE)
Less than a week until HIGHLANDER UNDONE releases!!! What do you think it would feel like to time travel? I think it would be almost painful... Below is an excerpt from the book in which Moira is experiencing time travel for the first time. Enjoy!(**Note, cuss words were symboled out for this excerpt, but are present in the book!)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The USA Today Bestselling Highland Bound series continues in Book Five -- Highlander Undone.
Continue Ewan and Shona's tale... And find out what happened to Rory!
With Logan and Emma away from the castle, Shona and Ewan are left in charge. The passion of their honeymoon is interrupted by an unexpected visitor seeking revenge on Rory MacLeod, who leaves them in desperate need to find the missing man. Unbeknownst to them, Rory has been transported to the future, where he is reunited with his long lost love, Moira, twin sister to Shona. Their attraction to each other still burns bright. As fate would have it, the four of them end up on a journey through the Highlands in an attempt to clear Rory's name, and solve the mystery behind Moira and Shona's birth. Passion. Love. Adventure. Danger. And a little bit of humor.
A picture I took at Urquhart Castle--the inspiration for Castle Gealach in the Highland Bound series.EXCERPT: ...the moment she turned around, the room started to pulse in an out, as though some unseen force pressed in on her space. Her foyer started to fade. The faces of Rory, Shona and Ewan, too. What was happening? She put her arms out, bracing for a swoon. But she didn’t feel faint. She felt… heavy. As though she wore a suit of rocks, holding her in place and pushing her down. Her vision blurred, and then the space around her turned black. She screamed, falling forward, and reaching out her hands to brace herself but not landing. From somewhere off in the distance she could hear Rory and Shona calling to her, telling her to remain calm. To breathe easy. How the hell did they expect her to breathe easy when the world around her had literally disappeared? Then she heard Shona’s panicked words, muffled, and the soothing tones of Ewan as he tried to comfort her.“What the hell is happening?” Moira cried. Was it an earthquake? Did a bomb rock their street? Oh, poor Mrs. MacArthur! Not even her broom could save her from this.There was wind, like a tunnel. Birds. Then nothing. Then birds. Then nothing. Then wind and the rustling of… Were those trees? Trees?They didn’t sound at all like the small trees on her block… No, this rustling sounded like the great oaks of the Highlands where she liked to hike in the Cairngorms.The blackness started to fade, and nausea kicked in as the world around her continued to pulse. Faster and faster. The world grew brighter. She felt like she was being birthed—as gross and weird as it was—as if she was being pushed from one world to the next. But that was impossible.They must have drugged her. Must have done something. This was all a setup.And then she was falling forward again, growing intense, and she had just enough time to brace herself as she landed in warm grass.There were several thuds around her. She didn’t waste time in scrambling to her feet, shoving off the ground as though it were on fire. Grass. Trees. Brush. She was in the woods. The bloody woods! She turned in a circle—okay, it was a clearing in the middle of the woods. No signs of civilization.“What the f@*& just happened?” she shouted, not one for cussing normally. But whateverthef@*& just happened warranted a lot of f@*&ing cussing!
HIGHLANDER UNDONE © 2016 Eliza Knight
Want to read more??? Pre-order your copy today from one of the below etailers!
Highlander UndoneAmazon
B&N
ITunes
Kobo
Check out Eliza Knight's New and Upcoming Releases!
Releasing February 16th!Taken by the Highlander
(in the Captured by a Celtic Warrior Anthology)
Releasing March 31st!Claimed by the Warrior
January 25, 2016
Video of the Week: Urquhart Castle Loch Ness
Castle Gealach in my Highland Bound series is based on Urquhart Castle. Check out this awesome video and fly over and through the setting of the HB world!
Check out Eliza Knight's New and Upcoming Releases!
Highlander UndoneAmazon
B&N
ITunes
Kobo
Releasing February 16th!Taken by the Highlander (in the Captured by a Celtic Warrior Anthology)
Releasing March 31st!Claimed by the Warrior
Check out Eliza Knight's New and Upcoming Releases!
Highlander UndoneAmazon
B&N
ITunes
Kobo
Releasing February 16th!Taken by the Highlander (in the Captured by a Celtic Warrior Anthology)
Releasing March 31st!Claimed by the Warrior
January 24, 2016
Castle Window View & Excerpt from Highlander Undone!
Highlander Undone
, Book 5 in my Highland Bound series will be releasing in one week! Today I'm sharing with you an excerpt of the opening chapter!ABOUT THE BOOK:
The USA Today Bestselling Highland Bound series continues in Book Five -- Highlander Undone.
Continue Ewan and Shona's tale... And find out what happened to Rory!
With Logan and Emma away from the castle, Shona and Ewan are left in charge. The passion of their honeymoon is interrupted by an unexpected visitor seeking revenge on Rory MacLeod, who leaves them in desperate need to find the missing man. Unbeknownst to them, Rory has been transported to the future, where he is reunited with his long lost love, Moira, twin sister to Shona. Their attraction to each other still burns bright. As fate would have it, the four of them end up on a journey through the Highlands in an attempt to clear Rory's name, and solve the mystery behind Moira and Shona's birth. Passion. Love. Adventure. Danger. And a little bit of humor.
A view of the Loch Ness from inside Urquhart Castle--the inspiration for Castle Gealach in the Highland Bound series. Imagine Shona here!
EXCERPT:
Scottish Highlands
Nearly spring, 1544
Winter had been quiet. Too quiet.Shona Fraser ran a finger over the frost-slickened stone outside of her bedchamber window, the crystals melting in the wake of her heated fingertip. Below, in the courtyard, the castle was slowly coming to life. The blacksmith and tanner, the armorer and the fletcher, all trudging toward their work huts, their footsteps leaving prints on the frosty ground. Servants stumbled their way toward the castle, their breaths puffing in clouds. Workers headed toward the fields to tend the thawing earth.Spring was coming. The days were growing warmer. No longer was a fur-lined mantle required unless the sun had set.A misty film covered the ground as the sun slowly burned off the remnants of frost. Within a few hours the rising sun would warm the air by twenty degrees or more.Why, just yesterday, Shona had traipsed barefoot in her small medicinal herb garden, though not for too long.“It’s quiet,” her husband Ewan said, coming up behind her. He pressed his lips to her bare shoulder, his hands sliding over her hips, settling into place.Moments like this, tender and comforting, made her pause and give thanks. A slow smile crept on her lips as she leaned her head back onto his shoulder. She knew all too well that precious moments such as this could be shattered like a hammer hitting glass. “Our enemies have been hibernating just like the animals.”“Aye. With spring dawning, they will soon awaken.”
Shona nodded, leaning her head back and reaching up to dredge her fingers in her husband’s luscious hair. “But maybe we dinna have to awaken just yet."
HIGHLANDER UNDONE © 2016 Eliza Knight
Want to read more??? Pre-order your copy today from one of the below etailers!
Highlander UndoneAmazon
B&N
ITunes
Kobo
Check out Eliza Knight's New and Upcoming Releases!
Releasing February 16th!Taken by the Highlander
(in the Captured by a Celtic Warrior Anthology)
Releasing March 31st!Claimed by the Warrior
January 19, 2016
Bold...Brilliant...Brave...Heroines Throughout History: CIVIL WAR NURSES 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 new 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 touches two areas of interest that are dear to my heart—the American Civil War and remarkable women. My Secrets & Spies series looks at Civil War espionage, but I’m quite intrigued by the women who put their lives on the line to nurse the wounded. Here’s a bit about some of the brave, bold women who served as nurses during the Civil War…some are common names, while the contributions of others were fascinating to discover.
CLARA BARTON Dubbed the “Angel of the Battlefield”, Clara Barton delivered supplies to the frontlines and tended the wounded on the fields of battle, including during the Battle of Antietam. After the war’s end, she worked to identify missing soldiers through a nationwide campaign. Years later, in 1881, she founded the American Red Cross.
DOROTHEA DIXThe social reformer devoted many years of her life working for better treatment of the mentally ill, but during the Civil War, she was appointed the Union’s Superintendent of Women Nurses in 1861. During her years of volunteer service, her duties included recruiting females into the nursing ranks at army hospitals and setting up field hospitals. After the war, she resumed her efforts on behalf of the mentally ill.
LOUISA MAY ALCOTTPerhaps best known as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott served as a Union nurse at Georgetown’s Union Hotel Hospital from December 1862 through January 1863. Stricken with typhoid pneumonia, her service was cut short. After her recovery, she wrote a book, Hospital Sketches, based on her experiences at the hospital she dubbed the “Hurly burly Hotel”.
Courtesy of the National Library of CongressHANNAH ROPESA social reformer and abolitionist, Hannah Ropes became the Head Matron at the Union Hotel Hospital in 1862, tirelessly advocating for better care of the wounded. Mrs. Ropes served there during the weeks when Louisa May Alcott served as a nurse at the hospital. Both she and Louisa May Alcott were stricken with typhoid pneumonia in January 1863. Louisa May Alcott recovered, but Hannah Ropes died on January 20, 1863.
HARRIET TUBMANThe renowned conductor of the Underground Railroad served as a nurse to African-American troops and a spy behind the front lines during the Civil War. Many years after the war, she was awarded a nurse’s pension by the government.
SUSIE BAKER KING TAYLORThe daughter of slaves, Susie Baker King Taylor served as a teacher and nurse during the Civil War. Born in 1848, she was a teenager when she served as a nurse at the country’s first hospital for African-American soldiers in South Carolina, working with Clara Barton. Years later, she published an account of her experiences, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp.
AMANDA AKINA nurse at the Armory Square hospital in Washington between April 1863 and July 1864, Amanda Akin kept a detailed diary of her experiences. Shortly before her death in 1909, she wrote a book about her recollections, The Lady Nurse of Ward E, under her married name, Amanda Akin Stearns.Thousands of brave women served the Union and the Confederacy as nurses during the Civil War. The women I’ve highlighted are a sampling of the courageous females who offered care, comfort, and compassion to the wounded during the war, often at great personal risk.To learn more about Civil War nurses and the contributions of the women I’ve highlighted, here are some sites you might enjoy:http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history/clara-bartonhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2011/07/scenes-from-the-hurly-burly-hotel-louisa-may-alcotts-civil-war.htmlhttp://www.historynet.com/louisa-may-...http://americanhistory.si.edu/documentsgallery/exhibitions/nursing_1.htmlhttp://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/nov05/angel.htmlhttp://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/harriet-tubman.htmlhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Susie_King_Taylor.aspxhttp://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/dorothea-lynde-dixhttps://www.aahn.org/gravesites/ropes.htmlhttp://www.civilwarprimer.com/2012/03/hannah-ropes-the-other-woman-behind-little-women/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/susie-king-taylor-1848-1912http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-diary-of-civil-war-nurse-opens-at-the-american-history-museum-163467159/?no-ist
***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. [Buy link to Book One, SECRETS, SPIES & SWEET LITTLE LIES] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GK677PY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
CLARA BARTON Dubbed the “Angel of the Battlefield”, Clara Barton delivered supplies to the frontlines and tended the wounded on the fields of battle, including during the Battle of Antietam. After the war’s end, she worked to identify missing soldiers through a nationwide campaign. Years later, in 1881, she founded the American Red Cross.
DOROTHEA DIXThe social reformer devoted many years of her life working for better treatment of the mentally ill, but during the Civil War, she was appointed the Union’s Superintendent of Women Nurses in 1861. During her years of volunteer service, her duties included recruiting females into the nursing ranks at army hospitals and setting up field hospitals. After the war, she resumed her efforts on behalf of the mentally ill.
LOUISA MAY ALCOTTPerhaps best known as the author of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott served as a Union nurse at Georgetown’s Union Hotel Hospital from December 1862 through January 1863. Stricken with typhoid pneumonia, her service was cut short. After her recovery, she wrote a book, Hospital Sketches, based on her experiences at the hospital she dubbed the “Hurly burly Hotel”.
Courtesy of the National Library of CongressHANNAH ROPESA social reformer and abolitionist, Hannah Ropes became the Head Matron at the Union Hotel Hospital in 1862, tirelessly advocating for better care of the wounded. Mrs. Ropes served there during the weeks when Louisa May Alcott served as a nurse at the hospital. Both she and Louisa May Alcott were stricken with typhoid pneumonia in January 1863. Louisa May Alcott recovered, but Hannah Ropes died on January 20, 1863.
HARRIET TUBMANThe renowned conductor of the Underground Railroad served as a nurse to African-American troops and a spy behind the front lines during the Civil War. Many years after the war, she was awarded a nurse’s pension by the government.
SUSIE BAKER KING TAYLORThe daughter of slaves, Susie Baker King Taylor served as a teacher and nurse during the Civil War. Born in 1848, she was a teenager when she served as a nurse at the country’s first hospital for African-American soldiers in South Carolina, working with Clara Barton. Years later, she published an account of her experiences, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp.
AMANDA AKINA nurse at the Armory Square hospital in Washington between April 1863 and July 1864, Amanda Akin kept a detailed diary of her experiences. Shortly before her death in 1909, she wrote a book about her recollections, The Lady Nurse of Ward E, under her married name, Amanda Akin Stearns.Thousands of brave women served the Union and the Confederacy as nurses during the Civil War. The women I’ve highlighted are a sampling of the courageous females who offered care, comfort, and compassion to the wounded during the war, often at great personal risk.To learn more about Civil War nurses and the contributions of the women I’ve highlighted, here are some sites you might enjoy:http://www.redcross.org/about-us/history/clara-bartonhttp://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2011/07/scenes-from-the-hurly-burly-hotel-louisa-may-alcotts-civil-war.htmlhttp://www.historynet.com/louisa-may-...http://americanhistory.si.edu/documentsgallery/exhibitions/nursing_1.htmlhttp://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/nov05/angel.htmlhttp://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/harriet-tubman.htmlhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Susie_King_Taylor.aspxhttp://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/dorothea-lynde-dixhttps://www.aahn.org/gravesites/ropes.htmlhttp://www.civilwarprimer.com/2012/03/hannah-ropes-the-other-woman-behind-little-women/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/susie-king-taylor-1848-1912http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/the-diary-of-civil-war-nurse-opens-at-the-american-history-museum-163467159/?no-ist***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. [Buy link to Book One, SECRETS, SPIES & SWEET LITTLE LIES] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GK677PY/ref=series_rw_dp_sw
January 18, 2016
Martin Luther King Jr.
Today we celebrate the life and dream of Martin Luther King Jr. Please watch the below video, a documentary about his iconic and influential life.
January 12, 2016
Pirates Have Sailed into Port
Ahoy! I’m Jennifer Bray-Weber, author, beach bum, rum drinker and pirate diva. I am honored to be a new addition to History Undressed. Every second Tuesday of the month, I will offer boatloads of pirate topics, facts and overall revelry for your enjoyment. From time to time, I’ll even share my booty, er, plunder, um, swag. I’m so excited to be a part of the blog, I’m shivering in me timbers! I know, I know...bad pun.
Pirates are a fascinating bunch. The more I researched them, the more I became obsessed. Here are ten reasons why I love those scallywags.
It's a pirate's life for me!1. Because I can call them scallywags. No, seriously. Pirates work hard and they play harder. My kind of folks.
2. Pirates are clever and strategic tacticians. Prowling the seas is a business, not just an adventure.
3. They are courageous. Whether in battle or from the hardships of sailing, they face the real likelihood they will not survive. Yet, it is the life they choose.
4. Loyalty is in their blood. They are a brotherhood unlike any other. When the world is the enemy, they have each other’s backs.
5. They love passionately. After all, tomorrow is never a guarantee.
6. Pirates are self-governing. They sign articles—a code of conduct—they are expected to follow. If they break the rules, they face just punishment. They vote on important matters, like who’ll be captain. And spoils are divided equally and fairly depending upon rank.
7. Superstition is rampant. Just like most sailors, they are a superstitious lot. This makes for fun pirate tales.
Sexy, wicked fun8. Pirates are bad boys. Need I say more?
9. They live free, relentless in pursuit of adventure and wealth.
10. And because pirates capture my fancy in movies and television. Some of my favorites: Pirates of the Caribbean (naturally), Black Sails, Captain Blood, Buccaneer’s Girl, Crossbones, Against All Flags, and Goonies, just to name a few. Let’s not forget Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride) and Captain Shakespeare (Stardust). And how about sea adventures like Master and Commander, Mutiny on the Bounty, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Do you have a favorite pirate or sea adventure movie?
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.
Pirates are a fascinating bunch. The more I researched them, the more I became obsessed. Here are ten reasons why I love those scallywags.
It's a pirate's life for me!1. Because I can call them scallywags. No, seriously. Pirates work hard and they play harder. My kind of folks.2. Pirates are clever and strategic tacticians. Prowling the seas is a business, not just an adventure.
3. They are courageous. Whether in battle or from the hardships of sailing, they face the real likelihood they will not survive. Yet, it is the life they choose.
4. Loyalty is in their blood. They are a brotherhood unlike any other. When the world is the enemy, they have each other’s backs.
5. They love passionately. After all, tomorrow is never a guarantee.
6. Pirates are self-governing. They sign articles—a code of conduct—they are expected to follow. If they break the rules, they face just punishment. They vote on important matters, like who’ll be captain. And spoils are divided equally and fairly depending upon rank.
7. Superstition is rampant. Just like most sailors, they are a superstitious lot. This makes for fun pirate tales.
Sexy, wicked fun8. Pirates are bad boys. Need I say more?9. They live free, relentless in pursuit of adventure and wealth.
10. And because pirates capture my fancy in movies and television. Some of my favorites: Pirates of the Caribbean (naturally), Black Sails, Captain Blood, Buccaneer’s Girl, Crossbones, Against All Flags, and Goonies, just to name a few. Let’s not forget Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride) and Captain Shakespeare (Stardust). And how about sea adventures like Master and Commander, Mutiny on the Bounty, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Do you have a favorite pirate or sea adventure movie?
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.
January 5, 2016
Wild and Passionate Ladies of an Era by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Welcome back to History Undressed, our first Tuesday blogger and author, Kathleen Bittner Roth! She's here today with another riveting post. Enjoy!
WILD AND PASSIONATE LADIES OF AN ERAby Kathleen Bittner Roth
I have a predilection for collecting stories of eccentric women throughout history who were daring enough to step outside the dictates of society. One woman in particular is dear to my heart, the willful daughter of an earl, Lady Hester Stanhope (12 March 1776—23 June 1839).
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. Never to return to England, wild and daring Lady Hester went off to sea, eventually heading for Constantinople, but she never arrived—her ship crashed on the rocks in Rhodes.
She lost every stitch of clothing and had to borrow those belonging to the Turks'. That's when she discovered how she loved the way they dressed—the men, that is. Lady Hester refused to wear veils and thereafter, never wore anything but men’s robes, turbans, and slippers. She tramped about in the desert for several years, slept in the tents of Bedouin sheikhs, traipsed through Turkish palaces, visited a Pasha or three and learned to smoke a water pipe. She also thought nothing of taking a string of lovers, including one twelve years her junior. Her archeological expedition in 1815 was hailed as the first modern excavation of its kind. Soon, she was referred to as the Queen of the East.
In my Victorian series, Those Magnificent Malverns, which takes place in the countryside of Kent, the elderly grandmother, Mum, as she insists on being called, is my representative of these unconventional women who lived during the Regency and Victorian periods. All the stories Mum regales about her past are based on actual events belonging to Lady Hester Stanhope. I simply made Mum Lady Stanhope’s best friend in my stories and had her tramping about the Middle East alongside her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malvern series and is currently on sale for .99: 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. BUY LINKPORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY is book two in Those Magnificent Malvern series and is due to release in May 2016 (cover not yet available): 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.
CELINE, book one in the When a Heart Dares series, is on sale now! BUY LINK
WILD AND PASSIONATE LADIES OF AN ERAby Kathleen Bittner Roth
I have a predilection for collecting stories of eccentric women throughout history who were daring enough to step outside the dictates of society. One woman in particular is dear to my heart, the willful daughter of an earl, Lady Hester Stanhope (12 March 1776—23 June 1839).
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. Never to return to England, wild and daring Lady Hester went off to sea, eventually heading for Constantinople, but she never arrived—her ship crashed on the rocks in Rhodes.
She lost every stitch of clothing and had to borrow those belonging to the Turks'. That's when she discovered how she loved the way they dressed—the men, that is. Lady Hester refused to wear veils and thereafter, never wore anything but men’s robes, turbans, and slippers. She tramped about in the desert for several years, slept in the tents of Bedouin sheikhs, traipsed through Turkish palaces, visited a Pasha or three and learned to smoke a water pipe. She also thought nothing of taking a string of lovers, including one twelve years her junior. Her archeological expedition in 1815 was hailed as the first modern excavation of its kind. Soon, she was referred to as the Queen of the East.
In my Victorian series, Those Magnificent Malverns, which takes place in the countryside of Kent, the elderly grandmother, Mum, as she insists on being called, is my representative of these unconventional women who lived during the Regency and Victorian periods. All the stories Mum regales about her past are based on actual events belonging to Lady Hester Stanhope. I simply made Mum Lady Stanhope’s best friend in my stories and had her tramping about the Middle East alongside her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malvern series and is currently on sale for .99: 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. BUY LINKPORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY is book two in Those Magnificent Malvern series and is due to release in May 2016 (cover not yet available): 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.
CELINE, book one in the When a Heart Dares series, is on sale now! BUY LINK
December 22, 2015
A Brief History of Toothpaste and the Toothbrush by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Welcome back to History Undressed, member of our blogging team, Kathleen Bittner Roth! Today she's got a great post on the history of toothpaste and the toothbrush. Enjoy!
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOOTHPASTE AND THE TOOTHBRUSHI can still remember being five-years-old and standing on a stool to reach the sink. I would lean over and with the water trickling from the faucet, brush my teeth for as long as I could get away with it. We used tooth powder back then, a strong, peppermint flavored triturate held cupped in the palm of my hand. The reason we used that strong, tongue-bracing powder instead of a milder toothpaste was because with six kids in the family, a tube of toothpaste wouldn’t have lasted a week. Nor would the culprit squeezing from the middle have gotten caught.I would dip my wet brush into the mix, then scrub and suck. I loved sucking the tart sweetness off those bristles dipped in the tasty solution until my tongue would wrinkle and I was ejected from the bathroom. I had questions back then. Who invented the toothbrush? What did they use before toothbrushes came about or did they just let their teeth fall out? Who invented toothpowder or did they use soap?
Actually, until 1945, toothpastes did contain soap which was replaced by other ingredients, one of which is sodium lauryl sulphate, commonly used today.
Who actually invented toothpaste I wondered? The Egyptians were said to use emulsions to scrub their teeth way back in 5,000 BC – before the toothbrush was invented. China and India used pastes on their teeth at about 500 BC, as did the Romans and Greeks, but the dating is sketchy for them. Had you used toothpaste back then, you’d likely have inadvertently ingested some of the following ingredients: Ground pumice stone, ground ox hooves, ground eggshells, charcoal, crushed oyster shells, and salt. The Romans and Chinese apparently had a great penchant for sweet-smelling breath—they loaded their rough pastes with herbs and mints, even crushed iris flowers.
Let’s move up to modern times, say the 1800’s, when pastes in England began to be sold commercially. Chalk was added, as were ground betel nuts. Although salt was still used, ground ox hooves and oyster shells became a thing of the past. Mind you, I’ve thus far described powdered “pastes” requiring a little added water at the time of use. So when did we get to the stage of pastes in tubes? Around 1850 a Crème Dentifrice was developed, and in 1873 Colgate began producing toothpaste in a jar. It wasn’t until 1890 that Dr. Washington Sheffield managed to squeeze the emulsion into a tube and sell his patent. Mass production ensued thereafter (nonetheless, my father insisted on the strong powder while we were young. Indeed, we would’ve put him in the poorhouse using anything in a tube—we were a creative, feisty bunch).When did the actual brushing of teeth with a tool come about?
Archeologists have found that Babylonians used frayed sticks to scrub their teeth as far back as 3500 BC. Egyptian tomb raiders have found toothsticks buried alongside their owners. The actual toothbrush design was thought to come out of China around the fifteenth century. It was made of bristles from a pig’s neck attached to a piece of bamboo. Once the British got hold of this handy device, they switched from harsh bristles to softer horse hair or even feathers.
Move along to 1780 and you’ll find Englishman William Addis designing the first modern-style toothbrush using cattle bone. However, he went back to using boar bristles. By around the mid-1840’s three rows of bristles were added instead of the one. All this time, natural bristles were used (I’m hoping they boiled the heck out of them first). It wasn’t until nylon was invented in the 1930’s when things changed, and the toothbrush you see today is a direct descendant from back then.
And there you have it…the toothbrush dates back to 3500 BC and toothpaste dates back to 5000 BC. Eventually, the two got together and the modern-day toothbrush with all its ergonomic designs came into being.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TOOTHPASTE AND THE TOOTHBRUSHI can still remember being five-years-old and standing on a stool to reach the sink. I would lean over and with the water trickling from the faucet, brush my teeth for as long as I could get away with it. We used tooth powder back then, a strong, peppermint flavored triturate held cupped in the palm of my hand. The reason we used that strong, tongue-bracing powder instead of a milder toothpaste was because with six kids in the family, a tube of toothpaste wouldn’t have lasted a week. Nor would the culprit squeezing from the middle have gotten caught.I would dip my wet brush into the mix, then scrub and suck. I loved sucking the tart sweetness off those bristles dipped in the tasty solution until my tongue would wrinkle and I was ejected from the bathroom. I had questions back then. Who invented the toothbrush? What did they use before toothbrushes came about or did they just let their teeth fall out? Who invented toothpowder or did they use soap?
Actually, until 1945, toothpastes did contain soap which was replaced by other ingredients, one of which is sodium lauryl sulphate, commonly used today.
Who actually invented toothpaste I wondered? The Egyptians were said to use emulsions to scrub their teeth way back in 5,000 BC – before the toothbrush was invented. China and India used pastes on their teeth at about 500 BC, as did the Romans and Greeks, but the dating is sketchy for them. Had you used toothpaste back then, you’d likely have inadvertently ingested some of the following ingredients: Ground pumice stone, ground ox hooves, ground eggshells, charcoal, crushed oyster shells, and salt. The Romans and Chinese apparently had a great penchant for sweet-smelling breath—they loaded their rough pastes with herbs and mints, even crushed iris flowers.
Let’s move up to modern times, say the 1800’s, when pastes in England began to be sold commercially. Chalk was added, as were ground betel nuts. Although salt was still used, ground ox hooves and oyster shells became a thing of the past. Mind you, I’ve thus far described powdered “pastes” requiring a little added water at the time of use. So when did we get to the stage of pastes in tubes? Around 1850 a Crème Dentifrice was developed, and in 1873 Colgate began producing toothpaste in a jar. It wasn’t until 1890 that Dr. Washington Sheffield managed to squeeze the emulsion into a tube and sell his patent. Mass production ensued thereafter (nonetheless, my father insisted on the strong powder while we were young. Indeed, we would’ve put him in the poorhouse using anything in a tube—we were a creative, feisty bunch).When did the actual brushing of teeth with a tool come about?
Archeologists have found that Babylonians used frayed sticks to scrub their teeth as far back as 3500 BC. Egyptian tomb raiders have found toothsticks buried alongside their owners. The actual toothbrush design was thought to come out of China around the fifteenth century. It was made of bristles from a pig’s neck attached to a piece of bamboo. Once the British got hold of this handy device, they switched from harsh bristles to softer horse hair or even feathers.
Move along to 1780 and you’ll find Englishman William Addis designing the first modern-style toothbrush using cattle bone. However, he went back to using boar bristles. By around the mid-1840’s three rows of bristles were added instead of the one. All this time, natural bristles were used (I’m hoping they boiled the heck out of them first). It wasn’t until nylon was invented in the 1930’s when things changed, and the toothbrush you see today is a direct descendant from back then.
And there you have it…the toothbrush dates back to 3500 BC and toothpaste dates back to 5000 BC. Eventually, the two got together and the modern-day toothbrush with all its ergonomic designs came into being.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
November 17, 2015
A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion
Today is the day! I'm so thrilled to announce the release of an epic novel that has been long in the works:
A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion.
A Year of Ravens is told in 7 parts by myself and 6 authors of the H: Team! Just as with our award-winning collaboration last year, A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii , was told in progressing parts, so is Ravens. I really think you'll enjoy it!
Below, I've shared an excerpt from my part, The Daughters, and I do hope you'll enjoy it!
Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Briton... and these are their stories.
A calculating queen foresees the fires of rebellion in a king's death.
A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war.
An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter.
A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people.
A conflicted young warrior finds himself torn between loyalties to tribe and to Rome.
An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions.
A pair of fiery princesses fight to salvage the pieces of their mother’s dream as the ravens circle.
A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Britons who cross paths during Boudica’s epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?
Excerpt:
KEENA
My name means brave.However, I was anything but, and I knew it.“You have everything to fear of this world, Daughters,” my mother said as we hunched by the river, miles from the battlefield, our lathered horses greedily drinking up the offered water. The waning light of the setting sun surrounded us, and the cold was bitter. Tall grasses stirred in the breeze, batting wearily at my shoulders while only the occasional glimmer of light broke the sullen darkness of the waters, rippling when Mother dipped her hands into the depths. She cupped her hands, pulling the icy liquid to wash the blood from her face.I never thought victory was possible. All through the thirteen years since my birth, our people had struggled against Roman edicts. No swords. No way to protect ourselves but to rely on the Romans. Thank the gods our hunters were good with arrows and slingshots. And thank the gods as well for mother’s insight, that she continued with our tribe’s secret training and hoarding of weapons—had she not, we might have perished a year ago. No, I never thought victory possible. But I know our defeat for a certainty now.Our people had been slaughtered. And Mother was injured, cut deep in a place I’d seen kill warriors slowly. A wound I’d tended on many in the last year, in the healing tents where I'd honed my skills.“What have I to fear?” My sister, Sorcha, said, her voice haughty as it often was when she was scared. She tugged her lean-muscled shoulders back, oblivious to the muck that still marred her skin from battle, now covered in a crust of dirt and sweat from our frenzied ride away from the field. Lost now. Everything and everyone lost. The Iceni, all shadows of the past . . . except for us. “We will hide in the mists. Raise a new army. We will come back at the Romans harder than before. We will make them live in fear.”Mother looked at Sorcha as if wanting to believe her, but when she turned to me, her expression was guarded. “Yes. Perhaps you’re right. We need to keep running.”We had been running since the battle's end yesterday, only stopping briefly to rest as night fell and continuing on as a blood-red dawn rose. Now another night was falling, and Sorcha had come up with a plan, a haphazard one. We would seek refuge and assistance in the north with Venutius, the estranged husband of Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes. Since he didn’t support the Romans, he was the most likely ally we’d be able to find at a safe distance from the battlefield. At the very least, he could keep us hidden from Rome until mother was healed. Mother attempted to mount her borrowed horse, refusing Sorcha’s help at first, though it was painfully obvious she needed the assistance.“Mother,” I said softly, touching her shoulder.A shuddering sigh of defeat escaped her. Not another word was exchanged, but she allowed both Sorcha and myself to lift her mighty body up onto the saddle. Sorcha mounted the prized mare of one of our warriors—that warrior was likely dead now. Andecarus was his name, and I heard Sorcha whisper it to the horse.With a deep sigh, I climbed onto the saddle behind my mother. We had but two horses, and with the both of us sharing this one while Sorcha rode the other, it made the journey slower. My muscles were sore. My head was heavy. My sister, strong and determined, sat tall before us. As the horse walked, every sway of my body jarred the aches in my bones. It was worse for my mother, who leaned over the withers of our mount. I gripped the reins around her middle when the leather slipped from her fingers. I had insisted on riding behind Mother; told her that as a brave fighter, I would take up the rear guard—but it wasn’t bravery. I was too afraid to be in the front with Sorcha. Too afraid that Sorcha would sense my fear that we had reached the end and call me a coward for thinking it.Sorcha . . . My older sister was the most capable girl I’d ever met. Even before we’d both grown breasts, she was always the leader. Like Mother.
I'd hoped that I would become a warrior, too, since my father was one, and I looked like him. But I could barely cut a hunk of venison, let alone cut an enemy with a sword. My only skill seemed to be for the healing arts—at best, I'd make a budding priestess. Sorcha, now—she was a master with a blade.
READ MORE!
Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01634AIGC
Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01634AIGC
ITunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1046038429
Barnes and Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-year-of-ravens-eliza-knight/1122740953
Kobo:https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-year-of-ravens-a-novel-of-boudica-s-rebellion
A Year of Ravens is told in 7 parts by myself and 6 authors of the H: Team! Just as with our award-winning collaboration last year, A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii , was told in progressing parts, so is Ravens. I really think you'll enjoy it!
Below, I've shared an excerpt from my part, The Daughters, and I do hope you'll enjoy it!
Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Briton... and these are their stories.
A calculating queen foresees the fires of rebellion in a king's death.
A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war.
An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter.
A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people.
A conflicted young warrior finds himself torn between loyalties to tribe and to Rome.
An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions.
A pair of fiery princesses fight to salvage the pieces of their mother’s dream as the ravens circle.
A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Britons who cross paths during Boudica’s epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?
Excerpt:
KEENA
My name means brave.However, I was anything but, and I knew it.“You have everything to fear of this world, Daughters,” my mother said as we hunched by the river, miles from the battlefield, our lathered horses greedily drinking up the offered water. The waning light of the setting sun surrounded us, and the cold was bitter. Tall grasses stirred in the breeze, batting wearily at my shoulders while only the occasional glimmer of light broke the sullen darkness of the waters, rippling when Mother dipped her hands into the depths. She cupped her hands, pulling the icy liquid to wash the blood from her face.I never thought victory was possible. All through the thirteen years since my birth, our people had struggled against Roman edicts. No swords. No way to protect ourselves but to rely on the Romans. Thank the gods our hunters were good with arrows and slingshots. And thank the gods as well for mother’s insight, that she continued with our tribe’s secret training and hoarding of weapons—had she not, we might have perished a year ago. No, I never thought victory possible. But I know our defeat for a certainty now.Our people had been slaughtered. And Mother was injured, cut deep in a place I’d seen kill warriors slowly. A wound I’d tended on many in the last year, in the healing tents where I'd honed my skills.“What have I to fear?” My sister, Sorcha, said, her voice haughty as it often was when she was scared. She tugged her lean-muscled shoulders back, oblivious to the muck that still marred her skin from battle, now covered in a crust of dirt and sweat from our frenzied ride away from the field. Lost now. Everything and everyone lost. The Iceni, all shadows of the past . . . except for us. “We will hide in the mists. Raise a new army. We will come back at the Romans harder than before. We will make them live in fear.”Mother looked at Sorcha as if wanting to believe her, but when she turned to me, her expression was guarded. “Yes. Perhaps you’re right. We need to keep running.”We had been running since the battle's end yesterday, only stopping briefly to rest as night fell and continuing on as a blood-red dawn rose. Now another night was falling, and Sorcha had come up with a plan, a haphazard one. We would seek refuge and assistance in the north with Venutius, the estranged husband of Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes. Since he didn’t support the Romans, he was the most likely ally we’d be able to find at a safe distance from the battlefield. At the very least, he could keep us hidden from Rome until mother was healed. Mother attempted to mount her borrowed horse, refusing Sorcha’s help at first, though it was painfully obvious she needed the assistance.“Mother,” I said softly, touching her shoulder.A shuddering sigh of defeat escaped her. Not another word was exchanged, but she allowed both Sorcha and myself to lift her mighty body up onto the saddle. Sorcha mounted the prized mare of one of our warriors—that warrior was likely dead now. Andecarus was his name, and I heard Sorcha whisper it to the horse.With a deep sigh, I climbed onto the saddle behind my mother. We had but two horses, and with the both of us sharing this one while Sorcha rode the other, it made the journey slower. My muscles were sore. My head was heavy. My sister, strong and determined, sat tall before us. As the horse walked, every sway of my body jarred the aches in my bones. It was worse for my mother, who leaned over the withers of our mount. I gripped the reins around her middle when the leather slipped from her fingers. I had insisted on riding behind Mother; told her that as a brave fighter, I would take up the rear guard—but it wasn’t bravery. I was too afraid to be in the front with Sorcha. Too afraid that Sorcha would sense my fear that we had reached the end and call me a coward for thinking it.Sorcha . . . My older sister was the most capable girl I’d ever met. Even before we’d both grown breasts, she was always the leader. Like Mother.
I'd hoped that I would become a warrior, too, since my father was one, and I looked like him. But I could barely cut a hunk of venison, let alone cut an enemy with a sword. My only skill seemed to be for the healing arts—at best, I'd make a budding priestess. Sorcha, now—she was a master with a blade.
READ MORE!
Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01634AIGC
Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01634AIGC
ITunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1046038429
Barnes and Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-year-of-ravens-eliza-knight/1122740953
Kobo:https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-year-of-ravens-a-novel-of-boudica-s-rebellion
November 4, 2015
Historical Fiction Review & Giveaway: Spirit of the Highway by Deborah Swift
Spirit of the Highway (Highway Trilogy, Book II) by Deborah SwiftPublication Date: September 30, 2015Endeavor Press eBook & Paperback;
292 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction/Young Adult
England 1651. England has been engaged in a bitter Civil War for nearly ten years. Ralph Chaplin, a farmer's son, has fallen for beautiful copper-haired Kate. There is only one problem -- he is a Roundhead soldier and she is a Royalist lady.
Tired of bloodshed, Ralph volunteers to fight, sensing that the Battle at Worcester will be a chance to finish the fighting for good. He longs for peace, so he can forge a secure future and find a different, more equal way of life for himself and Kate.
But war is not what he imagined, and soon he has made a deadly enemy; one who will pursue Ralph and those he loves, and wreak vengeance. What's more, Ralph finds he has just as many enemies at home, as on the battlefield.
Told by Ralph's ghost, Spirit of the Highway is the stand-alone second part of the Highway Trilogy based on the real life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, highwaywoman and heiress.
AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY
Praise for Deborah Swift"The past comes alive through impeccable research, layers of intriguing plot line, an understanding of the complexities of 17th century politics and the sheer power of descriptive prose." -Lancashire Evening Post
"characters you can really get interested in" -The Mum website
Praise for Shadow on the Highway (Book One, Highway Trilogy)"Shadow on the Highway is an awesome work of YA historical fiction. It is definitely my new favorite Deborah Swift book!" -So Many Books So Little Time Blog
"Swift brings layers of historical and imaginative detail to her stories and I highly recommend as a light read for any adult and for teenagers interested into foraying into historical fiction." -Hook of a Book Blog
"Shadow on the Highway is an exciting peek into the English Civil War from both sides of the fighting... I very much look forward to the next two books in this trilogy!" -Historical Tapestry
My ReviewThis was an intense and gripping tale about struggle with self, with love, with what is right and what is honorable. This is a different way of telling a story--the main character is a spirit. Perfect for the season!
Ralph is impulsive, and he's struggling with a bit of post-war issues, which most people who've seen what he's seen would. He is working on his anger, on being so quick to put up his fists, and in the end, he did manage to gather the will within himself not to do so, but it cost him greatly.
There were several characters in this story that I really despised: Downall, the Snopes, Ralph's sister Elizabeth, and Copthorne. Man did I really hate those guys. Ralph has so many people against him, and not enough on his side, which is mostly because of his impulsiveness, and his reckless behavior and way of thinking. Thank goodness for his good friend Cutch, his sister Abigail and Kate, his love, who are willing to stick their necks out for him time and again.
The book was fast-paced (I read it in two days), and filled with adventure and heartache. Though it is categorized as a YA Historical, I think it read well for an adult, too. I learned a lot about a time period I'm not familiar with--the Civil War in England. It was fascinating to learn about--all while being entertaining.
I did not read the first book in the series, and I don't think you have to (though I will be going back to read it). I can't wait to read the third installment, as the book sort of ends on a cliffhanger. I have to find out what happens to Kate and Abigail and Elizabeth!
About the AuthorDeborah Swift is the author of three previous historical novels for adults, The Ladyís Slipper, The Gilded Lily, and A Divided Inheritance, all published by Macmillan/St Martinís Press, as well as the Highway Trilogy for teens (and anyone young at heart!). Her first novel was shortlisted for the Impress prize for new novelists. She lives on the edge of the beautiful and literary English Lake District - a place made famous by the poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | GOOGLE+ | PINTERESTBlog Tour ScheduleMonday, October 26
Guest Post at Passages to the Past
Tuesday, October 27
Review at Book Nerd
Spotlight & Excerpt at Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, October 28
Review at History From a Woman's Perspective
Thursday, October 29
Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Monday, November 2
Review at The Maiden's Court
Tuesday, November 3
Spotlight & Excerpt at Brooke Blogs
Thursday, November 5
Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Friday, November 6
Review at Bookramblings
Review at Just One More Chapter
Guest Post at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
GiveawayTo win a signed paperback of Spirit of the Highway please enter the giveaway via the GLEAM form below. Three copies up for grabs!
Rules
Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.Giveaway is open internationally.Only one entry per household. All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. Spirit of the Highway
