Suzanne G. Rogers's Blog, page 18

#SALE • GRACE UNMASKED • Sweet Victorian Romance

It’s a countdown deal at Amazon! From Monday, August 15th – Friday, August 19th download Grace Unmasked (reg. $3.99) for only $0.99!

Blurb: On the heels of an unjust accusation, Grace flees from her country village to the anonymity of London. Although she intends to seek sanctuary with her cousin Joe Fiddick, she discovers he’s also suffered a setback and needs more help than she can offer. Desperate, she solicits assistance from Joe’s friend–the notorious rake, Lord Henley. Will the price of the handsome baron’s help be more than she’s willing to pay?

Although it’s a standalone, you can start with The Mannequin, which is Book One of the Mannequin series.

Blurb: When she was a poor country girl in a hand-me-down dress, Rosamund saved the Duke of Swanhaven from the brink of despair…only to fall in love with him. Now a celebrated mannequin for an exclusive London dressmaker, her glamorous life is empty without the man to whom she gave her heart. Can a beastly duke and a beautiful mannequin ever find a fairy-tale ending?

Buy The Mannequin HERE • Buy Grace Unmasked HERE

And, as always, you can count on reading a pure, blush-free romance!

Filed under: Clean & Wholesome, Victorian Romance Tagged: Beauty & the Beast, Clean & Wholesome romance, Grace Unmasked, Pygmalion, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance, The Mannequin, The Mannequin Series, The Secret Garden

Young Love on the High Seas • Duke of a Gilded Age • #free

Duke of a Gilded Age is a Kindle Freebie from Sunday, July 17 through Tuesday, July 19th. If you like turn of the century sweet romantic fiction with a touch of adventure, grab your copy HERE.  To read a sample, click HERE. No blushes, just pure romance.

Blurb: When American-born Wesley Parker inherits a dukedom in 1890, he must learn to be an aristocrat. Assigned to the task is his attorney’s daughter, prim Belle Oakhurst. As they travel to England together on a luxurious ocean liner, their tempestuous relationship encounters more than rough seas. Although Wesley is increasingly attracted to Belle, she is already engaged. While Belle begins to regret her hasty promise to marry, she is bound by honor and duty to keep her pledge. Furthermore, a thoughtless fabrication on her part threatens to expose her as a liar. Neither Wesley nor Belle can foresee that their voyage across the Atlantic will be fraught with peril, and will cost more than one man his life.

Filed under: Victorian Romance Tagged: 1890 New York City, Clean & Wholesome romance, Duke of a Gilded Age, Kindle Freebie, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance

#SALE • THE MANNEQUIN • Sweet Victorian romance

This week, you can read The Mannequin for only 99 cents (or free via kindleunlimited)! This countdown deal is available Monday, July 11 through Friday, July 15, so don’t wait.

~ Suzanne

Blurb: When she was a poor country girl in a hand-me-down dress, Rosamund saved the Duke of Swanhaven from the brink of despair…only to fall in love with him. Now a celebrated mannequin for an exclusive London dressmaker, her glamorous life is empty without the man to whom she gave her heart. Can a beastly duke and a beautiful mannequin ever find a fairy-tale ending?

What reviewers on Amazon are saying: (198 five-star reviews!)

“I loved this story and all its twists and turns.” – maebelle

“[A] poignant tale of love, loss, and heartbreak.” – Juli D

“Engaging, romantic, fast paced, happiness, sadness.” – Colleen CF

“I would compare this to books written by Georgette Heyer or Barbara Cartland.” – Thomas Quarles

To read a sample of The Mannequin, click HERE.

To go directly to Amazon, click HERE.

 

Filed under: Victorian Romance Tagged: Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Clean & Wholesome romance, Countdown deal, Suzanne G. Rogers, The Mannequin, The Mannequin Series, The Secret Garden

Historical Research • Grace Unmasked

When I was writing Grace Unmasked, I did some research on what historical events had taken place in 1883. I was hoping to incorporate something of interest, of course, to add to the historical ambiance. The eruption of the volcano on Krakatoa caught my eye, and triggered a childhood memory. My parents had taken the family to see a disaster movie entitled Krakatoa, East of Java, and I’d been riveted. The plot of the movie didn’t stand out to me as much as the special effects at the end, when the filmmakers sought to portray the explosive eruption and the resulting tsunami. I found a copy of the movie and watched it again. Considering what was available in terms of special effects in 1969, I was still impressed.

I did a little more research on the eruption itself, purchasing a used copy of Simkin and Fiske’s Krakatau 1883. In it, there are many fascinating eyewitness accounts of the event, and facts about the aftereffects. For example, the violent eruption destroyed most of the island of Krakatau. The explosion could be heard over 1/13th of the earth’s surface. The resulting ash cast the Sunda Strait (which connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean) into darkness for almost 24 hours, and giant waves over 40 meters (appx. 131 feet) above sea level destroyed everything in their path. In addition, over 36,000 people were killed. The volcanic dust veil created spectacular atmospheric effects over a vast distance and lowered global temperatures as much as 1/2 degree Celsius in the following year. In fact, temperatures didn’t return to normal until five years later.

News of the disaster traveled quickly because of the telegraph system, and papers around the world carried the story the day after the massive eruption had occurred.

Now, Grace Unmasked is set in England, which is nowhere near Krakatau. So how did this event find its way–albeit indirectly–into the narrative? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

~ Suzanne

On the heels of an unjust accusation, Grace flees from her country village to the anonymity of London. Although she intends to seek sanctuary with her cousin Joe Fiddick, she discovers he’s also suffered a setback and needs more help than she can offer. Desperate, she solicits assistance from Joe’s friend–the notorious rake, Lord Henley. Will the price of the handsome baron’s help be more than she’s willing to pay?

Grace Unmasked is available for the Kindle HERE. 

 

Filed under: Victorian Romance, Writing Tagged: Grace Unmasked, Krakatoa, Pygmalion, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance, The Mannequin

Jessamine’s Folly • Sweet Edwardian Romance • #Freebie

“Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.” ~ Samuel Johnson

After her estate is entailed away, Jessamine Foster has no choice but to live with relatives who detest her. When her aunt gives her an ultimatum to leave, Jessamine accepts a position as companion to Lord Kirkendale’s sister—even though she’s been warned her predecessors can’t seem to resist the earl’s exceptional good looks. Can Jessamine manage to hold onto her job without losing her heart?

To honor a promise made to his dying father, Lord Kirkendale agrees to an arranged marriage to a woman he cannot love. Although he is resigned to a life without sentiment, the arrival of his sister’s new companion awakens a slumbering passion. Can he find a way to secure his own happiness without sacrificing his family’s honor, or will his broken promise result in the ruination of the person he loves most?

This sweet Edwardian romance is free from Monday, June 6th to Wednesday, June 8th, so pick up your copy HERE.

Filed under: Edwardian Romance Tagged: Jessamine's Folly, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance

Eating Elephants and Writing Grace Unmasked

“When eating an elephant take one bite at a time.”

– U.S. Army General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.

How do you write a sequel to a popular book that’s sure to please everyone? You can’t, of course. When I planned the sequel to my bestselling book The Mannequin, however, I re-read the reviews to get an idea what readers enjoyed most. Ultimately, I concluded that lightning rarely strikes twice in the same place. I didn’t want to tell the same story a slightly different way, so I vowed to begin fresh. Easier said than done!

Pygmalion by Jean-Baptiste Regnault, 1786

You see, when I wrote The Mannequin, I didn’t start out to write a novel based on Cendrillon (Cinderella), La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast), or Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. As the story unfolded, however, I wove in some familiar elements, hoping to strike an emotional chord. In the development of Grace Unmasked, however, I wanted to draw on other inspiration. I chose the mythological figure of Pygmalion, a sculptor who falls in love with his creation. Many 20th Century plays, musicals, and movies have been written about Pygmalion, most notably George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, the musical My Fair Lady, and even Gigi.

Actress Mary Anderson as Galatea (1883)

Since Grace Unmasked is set in 1883, I had to find a version of Pygmalion written early enough to warrant a mention in the narrative. I chose Pygmalion and Galatea, a play written by W.S. Gilbert. (Download a .pdf copy from Boise State University website HERE). The three-act blank verse production opened at the Haymarket Theatre in December, 1871, was quite popular, and sparked many imitations. Although Grace Unmasked is not a retelling of the myth, I touch upon a similar theme.

One other interesting aspect of Grace Unmasked is its length. I’d wanted it to be longer than The Mannequin (over 64,000 words), but I hadn’t planned for it to exceed 96,000 words!  As Abe Lincoln said, when asked how long a man’s legs should be, “Long enough to reach the ground.” I wrote until the story was done…for the most part. That is to say, there are a few characters who might warrant a third book in the series.

Excerpt from Grace Unmasked

When Henley entered the breakfast room, he was somewhat startled to see a young lady standing in front of window, looking out at the garden view. He’d known Miss Fiddick would be joining him for breakfast, but he hadn’t pictured her looking quite so fetching from the back. She turned as he cleared his throat, and gave him a beaming smile. Dressed as she was the day before, he hadn’t noticed her even white teeth, tiny waistline, or clear blue eyes. Albeit grudgingly, he acknowledged to himself the girl had possibilities. It was a shame her charms would be wasted as the wife of some country farmer or school teacher. Inwardly he shrugged. Never had anyone’s business been less his problem.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“With the help of liniment, I should survive.”

“I’m very glad.” He gestured toward the chafing dishes and platters of food set up on the sideboard nearby. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Indeed, I am.” She glanced at his arm. “May I help you with your plate?”

“That’s very thoughtful, but Morris will assist me.”

After they were settled at the table, the girl began spouting a long list of things she admired about his lifestyle, including indoor lavatories, hot water, and milled soap. Then came an equally long litany of gratitude, from his leniency regarding her deception, to the kindly ministrations of Ursula, and thereafter for her clothes. He let her conversation flow past, unheeded, as he ate the egg dish Mrs. Evans had prepared.

“Lord Henley, had you heard the quagga has gone extinct?”

He glanced up. “What?”

“The last one in the entire world just died in Amsterdam. It’s rather sad, really.”

His eyebrows drew together. “The quagga, did you say?”

“Yes. It’s a species of zebra, native to South Africa.”

“I’ve not heard of it.”

“I rather doubted you had.”

Her tone held a note of reproach, and he chuckled. “I suppose this is your way of pointing out I’ve been neglecting you?”

“I’d never dream of making such an accusation.”

“No, of course not, but you’re right. You should know that I’m exceedingly absorbed with myself. It’s a personal failing of mine.”

She gave him a little smile. “I shan’t let you off that easily; I expect I was prattling on.” She shrugged. “I’ve no idea how to converse with a baron.”

“Neither do I, actually. Whenever I talk to myself, it’s usually about the weather.”

Blurb: On the heels of an unjust accusation, Grace flees from her country village to the anonymity of London. Although she intends to seek sanctuary with her cousin Joe Fiddick, she discovers he’s also suffered a setback and needs more help than she can offer. Desperate, she solicits assistance from Joe’s friend–the notorious rake, Lord Henley. Will the price of the handsome baron’s help be more than she’s willing to pay?

Grace Unmasked • Book Two of The Mannequin Series is available HERE for pre-order at the special price of $0.99.  Release date: May 31, 2016.

 

Filed under: Victorian Romance Tagged: Pygmalion, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance, The Mannequin

RONE Nominee Needs Your Vote

InD’Tale Magazine’s annual RONE awards are in the voting phase, and A Gift for Fiona needs your vote! The book is nominated in Week Four (May 9 – 15, 2016), under the category Young Adult General, and the author name listed is S.G. Rogers. You must be logged in to your account to vote, so if you’re not already registered, why don’t you take a moment to sign up? It’s free, and you’ll receive a beautiful monthly online magazine listing reviews and articles on all different literary genres. The Week Four link is HERE, so don’t wait! Thanks in advance for your support.

Psst! I’ve Got the Scoop…

Can you imagine winning free and discounted e-books from established (NY Times & USA Today Bestselling authors) and newer, independent authors every day? That’s what you get when you sign up for a free account with BookBub. BookBub sends you daily emails with deals they’ve chosen from thousands of submissions, tailored to the genres you love to read. Even better, you can choose to follow your favorite authors, to be informed when new releases have been published. Just click the link or BookBub icon to be taken to their homepage.

If you’re already a member of BookBub, please consider following me for my new releases. Just click HERE to be taken to my author page. Happy reading! ~ Suzanne

 

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: BookBub, Free & discounted e-books

Grace Unmasked • The Mannequin Book Two

On the heels of an unjust accusation, Grace flees from her country village to the anonymity of London. Although she intends to seek sanctuary with her cousin Joe Fiddick, she discovers he’s also suffered a setback and needs more help than she can offer. Desperate, she solicits assistance from Joe’s friend–the notorious rake, Lord Henley. Will the price of the handsome baron’s help be more than she’s willing to pay?

This sweet Victorian sequel to The Mannequin will be published on May 31st, 2016, but is available to pre-order at the special price of $0.99 HERE.

Filed under: Victorian Romance Tagged: Grace Unmasked, Pygmalion, Suzanne G. Rogers, Sweet romance, The Mannequin