Margery Scott's Blog, page 2

Anna Markland and Fatal Truths

I’m thrilled to welcome author Anna Markland back to my blog (you can see her previous post here). Not only is she a fellow Canadian, she’s one of the fourteen members of Love Historicals, a group of authors I’m honored to be part of.

Thanks for visiting again, Anna. The blog is yours. Take it away.

Thanks for having me as a guest, Margery. Great to visit with a fellow Canadian.

I’d like to talk a bit about the medieval practice of exchanging good faith hostages. It was common for allies to exchange hostages as a guarantee of support. Children were often chosen for this role, especially those of royal houses. They were deemed to be valuable assets that a king would not jeopardise.

There is a well documented incident which illustrates how such an exchange can go horribly wrong.

In February 1119, Eustace and Juliana of Breteuil, formerly allies of Henry, threatened to rebel unless they were given the castle of Ivry-la-Bataille. Juliana was one of King Henry’s many illegitimate children.

Henry promised Eustace the fortress and, to show good intent, exchanged hostages, Eustace and Juliana’s daughters being exchanged with the son of the castle’s constable.

According to the chronicler Orderic Vitalis, Eustace then blinded the constable’s son, whereupon Henry allowed his illegitimate granddaughters to be blinded and mutilated.

Eustace attempted to mobilize his forces and defend Breteuil against an attack by Henry; despite this, Henry took the city and Juliana fled, after unsuccessfully attempting to kill her father Henry with a crossbow.

This tale also illustrates how brutal life could be in those days.

My latest release, Fatal Truths, is based on a hostage exchange. It is the long awaited story of Alexandre de Montbryce, grandson of the hero of my first book, Conquering Passion.

Alex is a rich and powerful Norman nobleman, haunted by a troubled past. He has sworn never to marry.

Elayne arrives from Scotland, masquerading as nursemaid to her own children, handed over by King David as good faith hostages. Neither she nor her children are who they purport to be and only lies can keep them alive.

Here’s an excerpt.

ELAYNE DUNKELD FUMED INWARDLY, but held her tongue as she and the children were ushered into the opulent chamber assigned to them, surprised not to hear a key turn in the lock when they were left alone.

Tears threatened as she sat Claricia on the bed, tossing her playd onto a chair. The warmth of the familiar woolen garment had strengthened her during the interview with the Comte. It was a link with her homeland. She combed her fingers through her hair, stifling the urge to scream out loud.

“What’s wrong, maman?” Henry asked, clamping his arms around her thighs, his head on her belly.

Elayne blinked away her tears. She had to be strong for her children’s sake. She stroked her son’s blonde hair, thankful for once that he and Claricia had inherited their father’s coloring, then lifted him to sit on the high bed. Sitting between her twins, she hugged them to her, finding solace in their warmth. “You cannot call me that, Henry, mo mhac. Both of you must remember. It’s a game. If all is to go well here, no one must know I am your maman. Always call me Elayne.”

“Oui, maman,” they chorused.

No use reprimanding them. They were babes, and bone tired. It had broken her heart to see them in chains. Was she expecting too much? But much had been expected of her. “Your grandpapa Dabíd explained to you why we have been sent here.”

Henry nodded as she pulled off his boots. “We’re stages.”

“Hostages,” she corrected. “Do you remember why?”

Claricia yawned. “Grandpapa was angry with Queen Maud.”

Henry shrugged away from his mother when she tried to help him with his doublet. “I can do it. Grandpapa said we have to be ind—indep—”

“Independent,” Elayne supplied. “Good. I’ll help Claricia while you prepare for bed. Perhaps the servants have put your nightshirt in the armoire.”

Henry wandered over to the armoire, naked in the warm chamber. Elayne smiled wistfully, thinking of the future when her son would be a man—no longer comfortable strutting bare-arsed in front of his mother and sister. She prayed they would all live long enough to see that day.

“I ‘member,” Claricia said, content to let her mother undress her. “Grandpapa was angry ‘cos Queen Maud ‘manded stages even though he promised to help her.”

Henry came back to the bed tugging his nightshirt over his head. “So we’re playing this trick to help Grandpapa.”

Out of the mouths of babes. It was a cruel irony that her father-by-marriage, the great King Dabíd mac Choluim had been only too anxious to consign his bastard’s children to Normandie.

Pick up your copy now on Amazon.

Find out more about Fatal Truths on Anna’s bookshelf and learn more about Anna and her other books on her website and on her page on the LoveHistoricals site. Follow her on Twitter and Like her on Facebook.

Thanks for joining me today, Anna. Best of luck with Fatal Truths. Sounds like a great book. I can’t wait to read it.

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Spotlight Saturday: Shadow of Death: A Laura Nelson Thriller by Patricia Gussin

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Shadow of Death: a Laura Nelson Thriller, written by Patricia Gussin, a new-to-me-author.

 

 

 

Title:      Shadow of Death: A Laura Nelson Thriller

Author:  Patricia Gussin

Genre:   Thriller

 

 

 

Description:

Pull a trigger and everything changes. Medical student Laura Nelson had just finished examining her first patient when she is forced to make a split-second decision that will alter the course of her life – forever. One life will end, and one life will never be the same. But keeping her dreadful secret will be one of the toughest challenges Laura will ever face. With a persistent and perceptive detective hot on her trail and a host of eerie incidents suggesting that maybe her secret isnt really a secret, Laura is drawn into an unseemly web of peril, deceit, and treachery and is forced to risk both her freedom and her sanity. Will her deadly secret come to light, or must she live forever in the shadow of death? Set amidst the upheaval and smoldering chaos of the Detroit riots of 1967, Shadow of Death is a haunting tale of unrest, fear, and consequences. Hailed as a stunning debut novel, Shadow of Death provides a spine-chilling glimpse of what lurks in the shadows.

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble     

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Spotlight: Pleasing the Pirate by Sharon Cullen

Today, I’d like to tell you about historical romance author Sharon Cullen’s latest release, Pleasing the Pirate. I haven’t read this book yet, but I’ll bet it’s fabulous, as her other books are.

Here’s a little about Sharon:

Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romances, The Notorious Lady Anne, Loving the Earl and Pleasing the Pirate. She’s also published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance.

Her other job descriptions include chauffer, laundress, cook and mediator to her three very busy kids, her husband and two dogs. She lives in southwest Ohio with her brood although her dream is to someday retire to St. Maarten and live on the beach.

If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her website. She’s addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.

Blurb:

Two hearts are wrenched between love and duty in Sharon Cullen’s tale of a ruthless pirate and the Scottish lass who fills him with desire for something greater than plunder.

With her clan’s crops burned and their property confiscated, Mairi McFadden is desperate to free her brother from imprisonment so that he can take his rightful place as chief. Her only hope is the fierce English pirate Phin Lockwood, but the buccaneer laughs at her meager funds. His roving eyes, however, tell Mairi there’s something else he’ll take in exchange for her brother’s rescue. Though she burns with hatred for the English, she’ll do anything to save her clan.

The crown has made it clear that Phin has two choices: bring in a certain Scottish traitor or hang. And he’s not about to let a tiny, whiskey-eyed woman get in his way, even if she is pointing a gun at him. When Phin learns that Mairi’s brother is the very man he seeks, he’s more than willing to use the lass as bait. But as the moment of capture draws near, Phin is surprised by his feelings for the courageous beauty who has him considering risking his life—for someone besides himself.

Excerpt:

The sound of large, booted feet made its way toward Captain Phin’s cabin, interrupting her thoughts. The steps were heavy, methodical, steady, moving ever closer. Mairi sat up. Her palms grew moist and her heart thundered. This had to be him. Even his footsteps sounded authoritative.

She jumped up and wiped her free hand on her skirts, wincing at the protestation of her stomach. Transferring the pistol, she wiped off her other hand, then raised the pistol with both hands, sighting down the barrel as her da taught her to do.

The door creaked open and Captain Phin stepped in. All six foot plus of him. He had to duck to clear the doorway and when he straightened, the top of his blond head nearly touched the ceiling.

He locked stormy gray eyes on her. He was wearing a dark blue waistcoat with gold epaulets at the shoulders and absolutely nothing beneath it except a very large expanse of sun-browned skin.

Oh my. She had to remind herself to breathe.

His breeches were tan in color and so tight she saw every muscle in his thighs ripple. Rugged, well-worn boots reached his knees.

Mairi tore her astonished gaze from his body to his face. This was not what she expected when she pictured Captain Phin Lockwood. She’d imagined an older man, face creased by years on the ocean. Bowlegged, bent at the shoulders, a dry voice and rheumy eyes.

This man’s shoulders were impossibly wide and his eyes . . . She swallowed. She’d never seen such beautiful gray eyes.

A dark brown brow was lifted in query, a sensuous mouth twisted in an ironic smile. He crossed his arms over his naked chest and spread his very non-bowlegged legs to accommodate the rocking of the ship.

“That pistol is as big as you are, little one.”

Oh, dear. That voice wasn’t dry at all. It was smooth as the whiskey her da had kept in his study.

Buy Links:      Amazon     Barnes and Noble      Random House

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Spotlight Saturday: Border Wedding by Amanda Scott

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Border Wedding, written by Amanda Scott. I’m enjoying this book as much for the setting (it takes place where I was born and raised) as for the story itself.

 

 

Title:      Border Wedding

Author:   Amanda Scott

Genre:   Historical romance

 

 

 

 

 

Description:

Captured in 1388 in the act of stealing back his own cattle, young Sir William Scott faces hanging, then gets one other choice–to marry immediately his captor’s eldest daughter, the lady Margaret Murray, known by all as Muckle-Mouth Meggie. With the line between England and Scotland shifting daily, the Earl of Douglas wants to win back every inch of Scotland that the English have claimed; whereas the equally powerful English Percies (under Hotspur) want to win back the land between Northumberland and Edinburgh; and the Murray family is caught in the middle, shifting its alliances to try to survive. Uncertain whether she is English or Scottish and abruptly married to Sir William who is staunchly loyal to the cause of Scottish independence but who also has promised he’ll never take up arms against her family, Meg Murray learns two things: first, Will’s word is his bond; second, her favorite brother is spying on Douglas for Hotspur. As Sir Will faces the dilemma of honoring his word to the unscrupulous Murray without betraying Douglas, Meg must choose between betraying the husband with whom she is rapidly falling in love, or betraying her own family and best-loved brother.

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble     iBooks     Kobo

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D’Ann Lindun: A Cowboy to Keep and a giveaway

I’m thrilled to welcome my friend, D’Ann Lindun, back to my blog today (her last visit is here).

Welcome, D’Ann. For readers who don’t know you, can you tell them a little about yourself?

Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, I never thought about writing one until many years later when I took a how-to class at my local college. I was hooked! I began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to me because there’s just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. My particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because I draw inspiration from the area where I live, Western Colorado, my husband of twenty-nine years and our daughter. Composites of our small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, two ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in my stories!

I love to hear from readers! Please contact me at dldauthor@frontier.net

http://dlindunauthor.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DLindunAuthor

http://www.amazon.com/DAnn-Lindun/e/B008DKL9TU

I visited the Denver area once and loved it. One of these days, I’ll venture back there to see the rest the this gorgeous state. Now, the blog is yours. Take it away.

Did you know kids can start rodeoing at 5? Yes, five! In Little Britches Rodeo, kids start that young. They are called Little Wranglers and can participate in these events: Barrel Racing, Goat Tail Untying, Flag Racing, and Pole Bending.

Junior boys, ages 8-13, ride bulls. On the NLBRA website rules for the Senior and Junior Boys’ divisions are virtually the same, except that a Junior Boy is not allowed to wrap the tail of his rope around his hand and is only required to stay on for six seconds.

There is also Junior Rodeo, and the kids who compete there start at 8 and the boys ride calves!

Some of the famous bull riders who have come up through the Little Britches and Junior rodeo ranks include Tuff Hedeman and Lane Frost.

In A Cowboy To Keep, Justin is 13 and desperate…

“Does your mom know you’re here?”

He hesitated. “No.”

“I didn’t think so.” For some reason, that bothered Cody.

“I know who you are,” the kid suddenly confessed. “I wanna ride bulls just like you.”

Cody stifled a sigh. He’d heard it a million times from every wannabe out there. Every fan, every stranger—they all said the same thing when they met him. “I have a school session coming up in June–”

“No, not that. I need to learn from you. You’re the best, and I have to have the best.”

Demanding little upstart. “I’m not giving private lessons. And even if I were, you couldn’t afford me.”

“I could work for you. Feed, carry things, you know, anything you needed.” A hint of desperation filled the kid’s voice, which broke a little. “Please, Mr. Utah, give me a chance. You won’t regret it.”

“What do your folks think about this?” Even though he had a sneaking suspicion this kid’s mother would hit the roof at the idea, Cody felt himself weakening. Maybe because something about the kid reminded him of his own start, when nobody had believed in him but one old man.

“My dad would love the idea, but he’s…gone. My mom works all the time. She won’t even know.” His voice didn’t plead anymore, but his eyes did.

“Don’t you go to school?”

“I’m on spring break.”

“For how long?” Cody couldn’t believe he was even considering taking on this scruffy kid. Then the boy shifted. His jacket fell open, and the big belt buckle again caught Cody’s eye. A championship buckle from the National High School Rodeo Association. Something about it jogged his memory. The organizers made a different style every year. “Are you in high school rodeo?”

“I’m off for two weeks. And, no, I’m not in high school yet.” He said this reluctantly as though Cody wouldn’t consider helping if he knew his age.

“How old are you? Have you rodeoed before?”

“No, I haven’t competed. I’m thirteen and in the eighth grade. I wanna go to the local Little Britches rodeo here in Black Mountain on Memorial Day. I’m going to join the high school team next year.”

Cody didn’t comment. If the kid hadn’t been competing in Little Britches and junior rodeo since he was eight years old, then he was at a huge disadvantage. Boys who were serious about the sport usually got started riding sheep at three or four. By the time they were eight, they were old hands. Though some of the Brazilians taking over the sport hadn’t gotten that early of a start, and they didn’t have any problems. Raw talent could make up for a lot.

Blurb:

After Laney Ellis’ husband is killed by a bull, she is left to run their small cattle ranch and raise their son, Justin, on her own. Despite some of Laney’s worst fears, the dream Justin holds dearest is to be exactly like his dad, a champion bull rider. He finds his chance when world champion bull rider Cody Utah moves in next door.

Although attraction between Cody and Laney flares, neither act upon it. Laney refuses to get her family involved with another bull rider, and Cody has heard rumors Laney trapped Wyatt, her late husband, into a high school marriage by getting pregnant.The last thing Cody wants is children.

A Cowboy to Keep is available on A Cowboy To Keep (The Cowboys Of Black Mountain)“>Amazon.

D’Ann is also offering a digital copy of A Cowboy to Keep to one lucky commenter.

Thanks for spending this time with me, D’Ann. Best of luck with A Cowboy to Keep.

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Spotlight Saturday: Murder for the Halibut by Liz Lipperman

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m reading Murder for the Halibut, written by my friend and loopmate, Liz Lipperman.

 

 

Title:      Murder for the Halibut

Author:   Liz Lipperman

Genre:   Cozy mystery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description:

A sports writing job would have been the perfect catch for Jordan McAllister, but in Ranchero, Texas, all she could reel in was the food column. Though she may not know her way around a kitchen, she has no trouble finding herself in a kettle of fish…

Tempted by the offer of a free Caribbean cruise, Jordan accepts a spot as a judge in a week-long big-time cooking competition aboard the Carnation Queen. She just better hope no one finds out that her famous palate is far from refined.

But there are bigger fish to fry when arrogant chef Stefano Mancini falls face first into his signature halibut dish during the first event. While evidence suggests that the handsome Italian chef’s death was an accident, Jordan thinks otherwise. But she’ll have to keep her wits about her—and the sea sickness pills handy—if she’s going to solve this one…

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble     iBooks     Kobo

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Melanie Atkins – Against All Odds

I’m thrilled to have my friend, Melanie Atkins, on my blog today to talk about her new release, Against All Odds.

Thanks for visiting, Melanie. The blog is yours. Take it away.

Margery, thank you so much for allowing me to guest blog. I have a new book out with Desert Breeze Publishing on Friday, February 21, and I wanted to tell you about it. Against All Odds is a full length romantic suspense set in New Orleans, Louisiana. The book is the third in a trilogy after Blood Bound and Above Suspicion, that came out in 2013. These books are darker than some of my other work, and I loved writing them. Nothing like darkness, romance, and grit to get my blood pumping.

 

Blurb for Against All Odds:



Sienna Wright has it all: an exciting career, a handsome husband who is an ADA, and two beautiful step-children… until a vicious murderer takes all away and sends her tumbling into a terrifying black abyss.

Detective Nate Lincoln’s job is his life, and he jumps at the chance to reclaim his gun and badge once the department reinstates him after a long suspension. His first order of business is to solve the murders of Jeff Wright and his two children, a case that fell through the cracks.

Still shell-shocked after nearly a year, Sienna at first refuses to help Nate. Then someone tries to kill her, and in order to survive, she is forced to break free of her quagmire of depression and trust the man she once loved. Nate isn’t sure he can solve the case, and yet he has to try. He would do anything for Sienna, even if she refuses to admit she still loves him.

Excerpt:



“What else did the major say? We caught a case?”

“Yeah, a cold one. The murdered ADA — Jeff Wright. Remember that one?” Nate settled back in his seat and filled Jack in on the blood-soaked crime scene at the Wright’s upscale home as he negotiated the light Sunday traffic. “Our unit apparently hit a brick wall while I was gone, so Solomon handed it off to Cold Case — a colossal mistake, if there ever was one, because those guys sat around with their thumb up their asses, apparently. LeBlanc said Wright’s wife’s been calling headquarters at least twice a week for the past month, raisin’ hell about it.”

“Wait a minute.” Jack scowled. “I know Sienna. Didn’t you two date before she married Jeff?”

“Yeah, I was still seeing her when she met the bastard.” Nate gritted his teeth at the painful memory. He didn’t like to think about that depressing time in his life. He used to drink and party way too much. “She dated both of us for a while and picked him. Said she wanted someone steadier. Swore I was a bad influence.”

“Whoa.” Jack lifted his eyebrows. “That was cruel, man.”

“What can I say? She was right. And it was for the best, ’cause she loved Jeff.” Nate shook his head. “He made her happy. Two kids — a ready-made family — and a big, fancy house. He gave her a comfortable life. More than I could’ve ever given her. I didn’t have a pot to piss in, much less any kids.”

“Still, her choosing him must’ve gutted you.”

“Yeah, but not as much as losing Jeff and those kids did her. LeBlanc said she had a breakdown after the funeral and moved to Birmingham to live with her aunt. She’s still in Alabama, but right now she’s on the warpath with the DA and has threatened to sue the city ’cause we didn’t close the damned case. So the Major Crimes Section Commander turned it back over to us. He wants us to solve it yesterday.”

“You’d better talk to Solomon, find out why he tossed it to Cold Case.”

“Believe me, I will. I want to know why he gave up on it and has since refused to return Sienna’s phone calls.”

“Not a smart move. Give him my regards,” Jack said with a wry smile as he swung the sedan into the parking garage adjacent to the station.

Nate growled in response, but didn’t voice his true feelings about the case or Sienna. She’d broken his heart when she’d blown him off in favor of Wright, but he didn’t want Jack to know. All he needed was the facts. Sienna, a beautiful, headstrong woman, had been a popular reporter for the Times Picayune, yet she’d crumbled the night Jeff and kids had died. So much so, her doctor had hospitalized her after the funeral and kept her there until he’d found a family member willing to take care of her. Two days later, Sienna left Louisiana for Birmingham, Alabama. Nate had no idea how she was doing now but figured he ought to pay her a visit, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Save me from old girlfriends,” he muttered as he banged out of the car. He hated confrontations with women, thanks to his dealings with his own mother and the crappy way he’d ended his relationship with Sienna. Showing up drunk at her wedding had been the icing on the cake.

The pain of that day still gnawed at his soul.

Jack rounded the hood and clapped him on the back. “Talk to LeBlanc. He’s new, but he can probably unearth a lead or two for you. Something to help break the ice with Sienna.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.” Nate entered the squad room, lowered himself wearily into his chair, and tried to call the Cold Case detective, Alfred Lutz.

No luck. Lutz was out sick and didn’t answer either of his personal phones, home or cell.

Thanks for taking the time to visit with me, Melanie. Fabulous cover, and I can’t wait to read the book.

You can learn more about Melanie and her books on her website, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Spotlight Saturday: The Witch and the Warrior by Karyn Monk

Welcome to another Spotlight Saturday. This week, I’m re-reading a book from my keeper shelf, The Witch and the Warrior, written by fellow Canadian, Karyn Monk.

 

 

Title:      The Witch and the Warrior

Author:   Karyn Monk

Genre:   Medieval romance

 

 

 

 

 

 

Description:

Suspected of witchcraft, Gwendolyn MacSween has been condemned to being burned at the stake at the hands of her own clan. Yet rescue comes from a most unlikely source. Mad Alex MacDunn, laird of the mighty rival clan MacDunn, is a man whose past is scarred with tragedy and loss. His last hope lies in capturing the witch of the MacSweens–and using her magic to heal his dying son. He expects to find an old hag….Instead he finds a young woman of unearthly beauty. There’s only one problem: Gwendolyn has no power to bewitch or to heal. Now she must pretend to be a sorceress–or herself perish. But can she use her common sense to save Alex’s son, and her natural powers as a woman to enchant a fierce and handsome Highland warrior–before a dangerous enemy destroys them both?

Buy links:     Amazon        Barnes&Noble     iTunes     Kobo

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Happy Valentine’s Day

For a romance novelist, Valentine’s Day is a special day. To make it extra special this year, I’ve teamed up with twelve fabulous historical romance authors in a Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt and Giveaway on our group website www.lovehistoricals.com.

All day, we’ll be posting articles particularly appropriate today – memories, recipes, romantic scenes from our novels, etc. Check in often, and be sure to enter the fantastic Rafflecopter giveaway.

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The Valentine Controversy (and a giveaway) with Sydney Jane Baily

Did you know there was a controversy around the origins of Valentine’s Day cards in the US? No? Well, you’re in luck. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome a new friend and fellow historical author, Sydney Jane Baily, to my blog. She has the scoop.

Welcome Sydney. The blog is yours. Take it away.

Good morning on this 43rd day of the Georgian calendar—a day that will live in infamy, February 12, the day that Lady Jane Grey was beheaded nine days after taking the throne in 1554. Not marked in red on your calendar? No, perhaps not. We are so close to Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about a Valentine controversy instead, a dispute from a much more recent century over which no one lost their pretty heads, only their hearts: Who created the first American valentine?

However, first the niceties. How rude of me not to introduce myself! My name is Sydney Jane Baily, and I write Americana historical romance. As you can tell, I love to do research. I have a B.A. in English literature and in history, and an M.A. in English literature with a concentration in Romanticism. (That’s the Shelley, Keats, Byron-type of romanticism, not the bodice-ripper type.) I live in New England and have worked in publishing for a couple decades on the other side of the desk as an editor. I’ve recently fulfilled my writing dreams (October of 2012). My latest release is a boxed set of the first three books in my 1880s Sanborn-Malloy series, set in fictional Spring City, Colorado, as well as Boston, San Francisco, and a few points in between.

Thank you, Margery, for having me guest on your blog. Let’s pour some tea. Delicious! Yes, I’ll have a shortbread cookie. Mm. Now I’m ready to dive in to our Valentine controversy.

In the middle of the 19th century, two people started creating Valentine cards in America, and both, as it turns out, were in the historic state of Massachusetts: Esther A. Howland and Jotham W. Taft. Both claimed the first Valentines. It seems that young Jotham went on a buying trip to Europe and ended up in Germany. There, he saw and admired Valentine cards, which were already popular all over Europe. He brought back the necessary essentials to make cards in America: pieces of lace, tiny paper birds, small pressed flowers. Despite a disapproving Quaker mother, he started making Valentine cards in his home, and by 1844 had a factory in North Grafton, MA.

Esther Howland lived in Worcester, MA, and her father owned a stationery store, so she certainly had the supplies. However, she was still quite young and in Mount Holyoke college in 1847, though she may have already started making cards. One of her father’s associates gave her a European Valentine though we have no knowledge whether that gentleman became the love of her life. In any case, she copied the idea and sold cards in her father’s store. She, too, moved her operation into a factory, and rumor says she developed a $100,000 business.

Both her cards and Taft’s are in museums, but the weight of evidence goes to Mr. Taft as the earlier creator of the Valentine card in America. Huzzahs for Mr. Taft!

Boxed Set blurb:

This boxed set contains Book One: An Improper Situation, Book Two: An Irresistible Temptation, and Book Three: An Inescapable Attraction in my Sanborn-Malloy Series of historical romances set in 1880s America. Currently, it’s available exclusively at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Boxed-Set-Sanbo...) and is in digital format only.

If you like Americana romance that takes you from the rugged terrain of Colorado to the civilized, old world city of Boston and the burgeoning city of San Francisco with its wild Barbary Coast, then you will enjoy these stories. Not exactly trains, planes, and automobiles, but steam trains, loyal steeds, and a variety of carriages transport my characters hither and yon as they battle evil men, encounter scheming, jealous women and packs of wolves, run for their lives from flying bullets and runaway carriages, and save each other with selfless disregard for their own safety. Through it all, the heroes and heroines of these stories love each other with a fiercely bold and enduring passion.

Excerpt from Book One of the Boxed Set: An Improper Situation

“I am a ninny,” Charlotte muttered to herself, turning around and heading past Boston’s oldest burial ground where the rich and famous enjoyed their eternal slumber. With her head down, feeling as though she wanted to turn off her brain for just a little while, she had barely gone five steps when she bumped into the very man himself.

“One thing I should tell you about living in the city,” Reed said, crossing his arms as he stopped to look at a flustered Charlotte, “is that you have to look where you’re going.”

She thought of his proposal. She thought of Helen. She thought of the unknown Celia. She touched her bonnet to make sure it was still in place, giving her a moment to stay the words that wanted to start bubbling out of her mouth like water from a fountain. Don’t babble, she warned herself.

“I apologize for treading on your foot, Reed.”

He didn’t smile. “I’ve sustained no injury. But I’m surprised to see you walking. You have a penchant for a certain ridiculous violet-colored vehicle, don’t you?”

Charlotte colored. So he had seen her get into Jason’s carriage. And it had irritated him as she’d suspected.

“I needed a ride. Mr. Farnsworth was kind enough to give me one.”

“I offered you a ride. Surely, you don’t think your aunt would find it any less improper for you to be driving around unchaperoned with Farnsworth than she would with me.”

“I guess that depends on the chaperone. And I didn’t particularly care for the one you’d chosen.”

Reed narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about, Charlotte?”

“The ever-present Mrs. Belgrave.” She wished she didn’t sound so peevish whenever she mentioned the woman.

He shrugged. “You are talking in riddles. It is always back to Helen, no matter how many times I tell you that she means nothing to me. I have not had the same assurance from you regarding Farnsworth. I know he has kissed you.”

She blanched.

“Yes, that’s the exact look that told me so. Was he familiar with you yesterday in his carriage?”

Her mind went immediately to Jason’s hand across her ankles. Her eyes widened.

“Damnation, Charlotte,” Reed swore. “I am not a man to give up, but I am being sorely tested.”

He walked past her, not looking at her again. Not even saying goodbye. She watched his tall figure moving rigidly away and she felt physically sick. Disregarding the other people strolling the path, she called out to him.

“Reed Malloy, don’t you walk away from me.” Please.

He stopped in his tracks but didn’t turn around. Perhaps he was weighing his options, she thought. Was it worth it to turn and face her? Was she worth the trouble? He had offered her his hand in marriage. She could certainly take the first step. She took one, then another.

“Reed,” she said again, more steadily.

He turned, but his face was still forbidding. Charlotte walked closer until she was only an arm’s length away, and then she looked up into his blue gaze and struggled to find the right words—words that would erase the distant look from his dear face and replace it with the loving one she was used to.

Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment and tell me your favorite period of history to win a digital copy of my first book, An Improper Situation.

Only one? For me, it would be a tie between the Old West and the Civil War South.



The Sanborn-Malloy Historical Romance box set is available in print and digital on Amazon

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Can’t wait to read this series, Sydney. Thanks so much for visiting, and please come back soon.

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