Elizabeth Ellen Carter's Blog, page 9
March 21, 2018
Love’s Great Adventure – March Edition
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
Have you checked out the latest edition of Love’s Great Adventure?
Love’s Great Adventure is an online glossy magazine started by my husband and I started in December last year. And boy! Are we having fun showcasing historians, romance authors, memorable characters, costumes, puzzles and more.
We also have competitions and prizes too.
I’m working on the next edition right now and the cover is super hot!
But I’m not letting the grass grow under my feet, in addition to the magazine, I’m writing the first book in the fun, adventurous and romantic new series The King’s Rogues and two super secret projects – a sweet novel and a charming short story – all out before the end of 2018.
If you missed getting this Edition of Love’s Great Adventure on release day, don’t despair, sign up to Elizabeth’s Library Book Club and you’ll get the latest edition and receive links to lots of great reads.
Thank you for the privilege of being in your in box, your home, your ereader.
The post Love’s Great Adventure – March Edition appeared first on EE Carter.
March 1, 2018
Cover Reveal: The King’s Rogues
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
I’m thrilled to announce a new series called The King’s Rogues with the wonderful Dragonblade Publishing.
The King’s Rogues is set around Cornwall 1804-1805.
The hero of the series is Adam Christopher Hardacre a former press-ganged sailor and now an officer. He is asked to put together a group of men in secret service to the crown to thwart French spies rumoured to be in league with smugglers in order to secure intelligence for a planned invasion.
He draws from his own shady past and that of his former comrades-in-arms to defend England.
These men are The King’s Rogues.
And yes – if you think the hero’s name is familiar, Adam Hardacre is the father of Kit Hardacre, hero of the Heart of the Corsairs series…
Titles
Live And Let Spy
Book 1 (September 2018)
Adam Christopher Hardacre + Olivia Collins
Adam, is a man with a wild past. He had been pressed into the navy at the age of 16 at the behest of Squire Denton after the man learns of his daughter Constance’s affair with the young carpenter (and occasional smuggler).
Nearly twenty years in the navy has been the making of Adam. He has learned discipline, been educated and has shown himself brave. He has risen to the rank of midshipman but suffers a bitter disappointment when he learns he has been passed over for promotion by someone with better family connections.
Adam plans to resign his Petty Officer status when he is approached by Lord Stoughton to become one of his spies. There is a mole within the Admiralty. Lord Stroughton tells Christopher that being an outsider makes him the only man he can trust to find out who has been leaking secret intelligence to the French.
Olivia Collins, has been governess to Squire Denton’s daughter from his second marriage for 12 years. Squire Denton is recently deceased. The widow is relocating permanently to London, taking the now 16 year old girl for her season. Olivia’s final act of service is to stay in the house and assist the local family solicitor Fitzgerald to go through and tidy all Squire Denton’s papers.
While looking for her own record of employment, Olivia come across a beautifully carved box that holds a diary belonging to Constance Denton and correspondence between the disgraced daughter in London and her father.
Olivia learns about the ill-fated love affair with the young carpenter Adam Hardacre and Denton’s admission that he arranged for Adam to be pressed into service. The final letter in the stash reveals that Constance died after giving birth to a boy child.
Touched by the story and motivated by justice, Olivia decides to reunite the hand-made box and the diary with Hardacre, only to be caught up in world of intrigue where nothing is to be trusted – least of all, her heart.
Spyfall
Book 2
Nathaniel (Nate) Payne + Susannah Linwood
Nathaniel has returned to Cornwall after escaping a French prison, bringing with him boatload of brandy and useful intelligence about troop movements.
He takes the brandy to the usual rendezvous, an inn called The Headless Woman, only to discover Susannah is the new owner and she does not approve of smugglers and threatens to call the revenuers.
Susannah is a private woman hiding a secret past. She is obviously a lady, not the type of woman to run an inn. Susannah’s forthright maid Peggy is her only companion and protective of her mistress. Nathaniel is intrigued as well as attracted.
Susannah takes in a lodger, a man called Hardacre who claims to be a bird watcher and painter, but he is not who he appears to be.
Caroline, Nathaniel’s on-again-off again married lover, is jealous of his interest in Susannah and sets out to find her secret, certain it is a great scandal.
Susannah begins to warm to Nathaniel and is becoming attracted to him but as soon as she is prepared to act on those feelings a mysterious man appears who claims to know all about Susannah’s scandalous past and threatens blackmail.
But betrayal is closer to home than either of them imagine.
Spy Another Day
Book 3
David Manston + Alexandra Gedding
David has left his smuggling days far behind. He is happy with his smallholding by the sea and his burgeoning romance with Alexandra, daughter of impoverished gentry.
Alexandra is not averse to going out to help her brother smuggle in goods to help the townsfolk and has been known to be quite handy with a rapier. However, Alexandra’s twin brother Phillip has fallen into a seriously bad crowd which has graduated to wrecking.
She talks to David, unsure what to do. If she seeks the authorities, the townsfolk will see it as a betrayal.
David tries to find out more about these wreckers from his old confederates including Nathaniel Payne, whom he hasn’t seen in years. Alexandra has decided the best way to keep an eye on her twin is by involving herself more in his plans.
Nathaniel agrees to help and introduces Hardacre as a fellow smuggler to David and Alexandra. Among the four of them they hatch a plan to try to save Phillip from himself and to stop the wreckers for good.
From The Duke With Love
Book 4
Philip Gedding + Abrieann Dillon
In the aftermath of Spy Another Day, The King’s Rogues learn of Napoleon’s involvement in arming and training Irish soldiers. Fears of an invasion being launched from Ireland are proving to be more than rumours.
Hardacre is ordered to take his men to Ireland and abduct Sophie Blanchard the real life balloonist, whom they’ve learned is taking a clandestine trip to Ireland to reconnoiter launching points for airborne troops for the possible revival of France’s Aerostatic Corps.
The capture would be a propaganda coup for the English as well as provide invaluable intelligence. Hardacre picks Philip as his partner as he is the most familiar with Ireland and is well known there as a smuggler.
The heroine is Abrieann, a young Irish woman whose father is one of the captain’s assigned to detachment facilitating Blanchard’s visit. Abrieann is appointed Blanchard’s maid for the duration of the visit.
Hardacre and Philip get jobs as labourers to build gondolas to carry troops across the Irish Sea under Blanchard’s supervision. Philip and Abrieann meet and the attraction is immediate. Hardacre encourages the romance as a way to get closer to Blanchard, but Philip’s feelings are becoming more real.
Hardacre know this and it is causing tensions between the two men. Philip enters the Dillon manor looking for additional papers when he is caught and Abrieann is torn. Will she betray her country or betray the man she loves?
The post Cover Reveal: The King’s Rogues appeared first on EE Carter.
January 26, 2018
Romance and the Everyday Hero
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
We’re coming up to Valentine’s Day (now there’s interesting tale to be told too!). This is the day we all celebrate that ‘many splendid thing’ called love. And one of the ways we describe that dance between lovers, is romance.
But let’s take a step back here.
Originally, the term romance referred not the contents of a book, but rather its form. These original romances were epic adventures full of daring deeds and heroism.
From the 1300s, romance referred to reciting a narrative from the Old French romancier, which meant ‘to translate into French’. Prior to that, it had come from romanicus, meaning of the Roman style.
These narratives, although written, were often performed. Can you imagine everyone gathered around the flicking firelight while one of the household recited the passages from Beowulf or the story of King Arthur? From there we get to chivalric romances – noble knights imbued with honour, fulfilled their quest and returned to claim the hand of the beautiful maiden. The French particularly specialised in tales of courtly love.
Okay the history lesson from the historical romance writer is over.
What about the romance bit?
I’m not a relationship expert, but I do write about men and women and their long and winding journey to the land of a happy ever after – and I have been married for nearly 24 years (to the same man!), so I’ll share with you what I know.
I’ve identified four ways our every day Aussie bloke can be like the hero of a romance novel (and it doesn’t require growing your hair out like Fabio).
1. A hero has a quest
He knows his purpose in life. He doesn’t let life happen to him. He has a clear objective and a clear morality. He knows there is risk. And he takes it any way in the pursuit of the highest good.
In fact the word virtue comes from the same Latin root word as virile, so it’s no accident.
2. A hero takes responsibility
Not only for himself and his actions, but also for other things about him. He doesn’t leave it for other people to do. A hero is willing and able to deal with an issue, even if it is not of his own making.
A hero has ‘response ability’ which means he has trained and prepared himself to act effectively when the situation calls for it.
3. A hero has courage
A hero knows things aren’t going to go his way all the time. Sometimes the odds are really stacked against him. Sometimes he has to descend to the depths of hell to defeat the foe.
He know what is at stake if he fails. He know what the opportunities are if he succeeds.
He finds his courage because he draws on his purpose, moral clarity and ‘response ability’ to fight for victory.
4. The hero acknowledges that a weak man cannot be a virtuous man
A hero masters his inner beast, the dark force, the capacity for malevolence that lives within his heart. He doesn’t deny it. Instead he acknowledges it and uses it to develop his courage and strength.
Think Luke Skywalker tempted by the Dark Side; Christ’s temptation in the wilderness.
A hero is good because he chooses not to be bad.
A hero who has integrated his darker nature, and mastered it, becomes a formidable man.
What about the heroine?
A true romantic heroine is no helpless damsel in distress. She is an equal partner on this joint quest but acknowledges there are some paths the hero must walk alone.
She encourages the hero to find his inner courage and helps him fully realise his capacity for valour and honour.
A real romantic heroine never betrays the hero. As the adventure becomes dangerous, she is the one person above all on whom he can rely.
And if the heroine herself has dragons of her own to slay, she has enough courage to allow him to step in help, if needed.
What about the real world?
You might say, that’s all well in good in the confines of a book, but how does that translate into the real world.
Well, peel back the cover of your own love story and see that your romantic hero is right there.
He’s the man who goes out to work every day to support his family. There may be days where the job may be emotionally crushing – perhaps even dangerous, but our hero does it because it is the right thing to do for his family.
His quest: to care for his family and help them become the very best they can be.
That is one of many ways our every day hero shows his virtue.
Our bloke is also there to fight dragons – especially when they take the form of rats, cane toads, snakes, leaky taps and jars that just won’t open.
He works to improve himself physically, mentally and spiritually because he never knows when he might be called on to step up. He wants to be a man that other people can rely upon.
Our everyday hero loves his family and he knows there is something special and transcendent in being a hero just for them.
The post Romance and the Everyday Hero appeared first on EE Carter.
January 25, 2018
The Year Ahead
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
I know it is almost the end of January, but I thought I’d share what’s on my plate this year and to thank you all once again for all of your support and encouragement.
I’ve been blown away by the reception to the Heart of the Corsairs series.
This is my first “proper” series and I’ve found it more challenging, demanding, fun, exhilarating, emotional and exhausting all at once.
In each novel, I try to raise the bar in what I’m capable of doing as an author. I’ve tried hard not to shy away from complex characterizations, multi-faceted plot lines I’ve gone much further in exploring deep psychological issues in all of these stories.
Shadow of the Corsairs is yet to come and I’ve set myself a greater challenges – a story which is a prequel to Captive of the Corsairs, so we see the unstable Captain Kit Hardacre at his manic worse. Elias Nash is still trying to find his way in the world and is somewhat unworldly.
Morwena is a character to contend with, she is balancing life in a changing world complicated by her father’s emergent dementia and managing her two brothers – one of whom is quite the villain. She is vibrant, passionate, a tough negotiator and fiercely loyal.
Jonathan is a character I’ve come to adore. There is no other way to describe him, but positively regal. He is measured, level headed, intelligent, curious, talented – which means he has to contend with the chaos of life as one of Hardacre’s officers and his unconventional romance with the passionate Morwena – and that’s on top of dealing with feelings for his late wife and the tragic loss of his children.
I’m right in the middle of writing their love story and to tie things up neatly to come full circle to the beginning of Captive of the Corsairs.
Although the Heart of the Corsairs is a self-contained series, Kit has proved to be such a popular character that I have plans for his legacy to live on. Unfortunately I’m sworn to secrecy at the moment.
I was hoping to surprise you all mid-year with fresh covers for two of my earliest books – Moonstone Obsession (my first historical romance) and its sequel Moonstone Conspiracy.
But it turned out that the surprise was on me as my former publisher announced I was getting rights to my first three books.
So I’m delighted to say Moonstone Obsession and Moonstone Conspiracy are back on the shelves as Amazon Kindle Unlimited titles for the first time.
Look at these gorgeous covers. I’m indebted to Dar Albert for her amazing work. For the first time ever, I love the Moonstone Conspiracy’s cover. If you buy me a cup of coffee I’ll tell you the full tragic tale of the horrid first cover…
In the next week or two, my first Medieval romance, Warrior’s Surrender will also be back on the shelves with a new cover. Here it is:
But that’s not the only surprises I have for you. As always there will be another beautiful Bluestocking Belles Christmas anthology – so do join us on February 10 for a Facebook party.
We have a surprise for you, but I can’t tell you more, so you’ll just have to come along and find out the news first hand.
Speaking of news first hand, the next edition of my magazine, Love’s Great Adventure will be out in mid-March and boy, do we have a treat for you!
In May, I’ll be in the United States for RT and if you’re attending as an author or a reader, please do come up and say hello. This will be my first trip to the United States, so I’m nervous and excited.
And… I have a new standalone title coming out in August. This will be a full-length title and part of a loosely connected series and you’ll love the theme and some of the big names in historical romance will be taking part. I’m hugely honoured to be included in their number.
So, we get to the final quarter of the year and it is then I hope to have the first title of a new series out. I’m really excited about this series. It’s going to be filled with adventure, romance, intrigue and, hopefully, a little humour as well.
Before I sign off for now, I’d like to thank my darling husband for his incredible support. My alpha hero is also my beta reader, critique partner and structural editor – as well as editor for Love’s Great Adventure – and life with him is Love’s Great Adventure.
Well, I think my 2018 dance card is well and truly filled!
I love to hear from readers, so please to say hello. You do me a huge honour in allowing my fevered imaginings into your lives.
The post The Year Ahead appeared first on EE Carter.
December 30, 2017
WIN! A Revenge of the Corsairs Prize Pack!
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
I’m delighted to launch the pre-release of Revenge of the Corsairs, the long awaited sequel to Captive of the Corsairs!
Find out what happened to the crew of the Calliope after Sophia and Laura were rescued from Al-Min. Join Laura and Elias on their journey to love amid the nightmare of Laura’s abduction.
To get in the mood for this story, watch the trailer below and then check out the details of a great competition I’m running!
To celebrate my first release for 2017, I’m giving away a great prize pack!
All you need to do is scroll down and answer the quiz, then submit your details for a chance to win! Here it is:
The prize pack includes – a signed print copy of Captive of the Corsairs, a vintage Turkish-inspired espresso cup and saucer, ground coffee – and few secret surprises! The competition is open internationally (US, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand). A winner will be drawn on January 10!
Winners will be announced on January 10 – release date for Revenge of the Corsairs!
Have fun with the quiz!
Loading…
The post WIN! A Revenge of the Corsairs Prize Pack! appeared first on EE Carter.
December 24, 2017
Merry Christmas and Congratulations Dina, Rhonda & Brooke
#text-block-2 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
Thank you hugely to Annie Seaton who has organised a lovely a blog hop and I’m delighted to announce that Dina S is our grand winner. She wins our grand prize of a $150 gift card and Rhonda L wins 30 ebooks! And Brooke Bumgardner has won her choice of any one of my ebooks.
Merry Christmas everyone!
I’m going to take some time off and catch up with friends and family. I look forward to catching up with you for an amazing 2018!
. { }
. { }
#text-block-5 { margin-bottom:0px; text-align:left; }
Created for book lovers
Join Elizabeth’s Library Book Club today for free reads, exclusive excerpts, competitions and more!
#mk-button-6 { margin-bottom:15px; margin-top:6px; margin-right:15px; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button { display:inline-block; max-width:100%; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button { background-color:#ff0202; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button { background-color:#ff0202; color:#fff!important; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button .mk-svg-icon { color:#fff!important; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button:hover { background-color:#ed0202; } #mk-button-6 .mk-button, #mk-button-6 .mk-button:active { box-shadow:0px 3px 0px 0px #cc0202; margin-bottom:3px; }
Join Now!
The post Merry Christmas and Congratulations Dina, Rhonda & Brooke appeared first on EE Carter.
December 18, 2017
Tuesday Book Club: White Hot by Paula Quinn
In addition to publishing the world’s best historical romances, Dragonblade Publishing also publishes amazing fantasy stories as well – and Paul Quinn’s has Dragons! Ah, dragons the psychological embodiment of that which terrifies us and compels us into adventure… what’s not to love?
Anyway, without further ado, here’s Paula in her own words.
My wonderful guest, Paula Quinn
What were you like at school?
What a great question! I was too busy being a “dreamer” to be popular. Never bullied anyone. If I had a teacher I liked then I did well in her/his class. My favorite classes in High School were English because I had a teacher who asked us to write and recite poetry once a week. Oh, how I loved it. I think I loved it so much, I made a few of my friends love it too!
What inspired you to write?
Gosh, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t think of writing. My mom always made up stories and read to us kids. When I was 7, I was obsessed with a woman on cable TV called Leslie th Shreve. She told stories using puppets and props and had kids come on the show. I was on that show several times! I’ve since reconnected with Leslie on FB. I also had several teachers in my earlier school days who made up stories. I still remember some of them! I remember being at the hospital for something when I was about 11 years old. After I was treated my mom took me to the gift shop and asked me what I wanted. I went to the book rack and picked a copy of Jaws by Peter Benchley. Yes, I read Jaws before the movie came out. The Exorcist too—and everything Stephen King wrote. I don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t reading. That love carried over to writing. And the rest is history. Oh, don’t get me started on history. I LOVE IT! (What a fabulous story! You remind me so much of my goddaughter who at the age of 7 loved watching classic films and found a copy of Herman Wouk’s Winds of War and decided, she was going to read that for her free reading time at school – Elizabeth).
Which writers inspire you?
I don’t get too much time to read anymore, but writer’s who inspired me when I was younger were Marion Zimmer Bradley, David Eddings, Raymond E. Feist. I started on horror, Stephen King, Peter Straub, and then moved on the fantasy, and then to romance – Rosemary Rogers, Julie Garwood and too many to name.
What inspired you to write this story?
I had Jacob White in mind when I wrote books 1 and 2, SCORCHED and EMBER. I love writing families! Jacob is the brother of the heroine in EMBER. In SCORCHED, the hero, Marcus fights against being a man but in WHITE HOT, Jacob fights against what he has always wanted to be, a dragon. I enjoyed writing the different perspectives of both heroes.
How much research do you do?
Oh, too much! There is so much info on the internet, it can get overwhelming. Give me a quite library with a stack of reference books and I’m happy.
Can you give us a blurb to let us know what the story is about?
Musician and heartthrob Jacob White doesn’t need the blood of Drakkon running through his veins to know he turns heads when he steps into a room. He’s crafted in long, lean muscle beneath alabaster skin and a mane of silky white shoulder length hair. He has it all, fame, fortune, and now, thanks to his blood being altered, he can soar through the sky, dance with the stars, and breathe fire. It’s all he’s ever wanted—until he awakens after his first night as Drakkon and looks into the eyes of a woman whose courage and determination truly change his life.
River Wray’s life on the small Isle of Harris has been plagued by memories brought upon her family by a dragon her father claims to have seen many years ago. Now, after another dragon has burned her farm and eaten her cattle she must rely on a gorgeous, mysterious dragon shifter to keep her and her family safe. Soon, his fiery touch and smoldering glances become all she can think about, until they’re no longer enough. But should she give her heart to an immortal, a man whose passionate kiss makes the stars sing, and even if she can, can love survive the Red Drakkon coming for revenge?
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Being Drakkon enables Jacob to do many things, including reading minds. In White Hot, Jacob develops a relationship with River, first as Drakkon, using telepathy. It made for some very interesting conversations between them.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
I always use character inspirations, and for Jacob, it would be a younger Travis Fimmel. sigh.
What book/s are you reading at present?
My own as I write it. 
December 16, 2017
It’s A Stitch Up!
In other words, pick your best valley girl voice: “OMG, like that is just sooo backwards, ungh.”, “WTF, that’s like sooo oppressive.”
But ‘chronology snobbery’ is not all that’s wrong with this.
As a historical romance author, I do my utmost to accurately reflect life in eras gone by, so it is offensive, disrespectful and disheartening to see history deliberately distorted and our parents, grandparents and great grandparents maligned.
First of all, the graphic below is misleading because it leaves out some context – and context is everything (and Snopes can be your friend.)
The devil in in the details and this misleading graph leaves them out…
And once you unpack the ideas, you see it makes perfect sense and creates some valuable life advice which is valid even today.
Secondly, keeping in mind that in 1949, the world was still recovering from war. Especially in Britain, where the economy was devastated, people were still using ration books and would continue to do so until 1954. World War Two ended in 1945 and Britain wouldn’t come close to recovering until the early 1960s.
Thirdly, there was no ‘fast fashion’ where you spend less on a T-shirt than a Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks. If you wanted a new outfit in the latest fashion, then you would have to make your own.
Fourthly, not every woman born before 1970 was a gifted seamstress – that’s another myth – some were great, some were good, some were average, some were dreadful.
Falling into the latter category was my grandmother, who was born in 1925 and therefore was aged 24 when the Singer book came out. She was not a very good cook either. My grandfather was better in both of those tasks than my grandmother. I remember her telling me that the only thing she really excelled at was cleaning, but she would never do it for other people because she wasn’t a maid. She also said she attended sewing classes with her sister-in-law and it was a complete disaster because they had clubbed together to buy fabric, so it was exactly the same pattern, but then they lost track of which piece belonged with each dress!
From Snopes, I’ve reproduced the full paragraph from Singer Sewing Book by Mary Brooks Pickens interspersed with my 2017 translation. I can’t believe it needs said, but there you go, I’m not sure the past 70 years have made us much brighter:
Never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisical attitude. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.
2017 Translation: “Pay attention at work and in your job. Give it the full seriousness it deserves. If your attitude is right, you’ll get better results.”
Never try to sew with the sink full of dishes or bed unmade. When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so that your mind is free to enjoy your sewing.
2017 Translation: “If your head is full of things distracting you from your work, then you’re not going to give it your best. Don’t let little things fester. Get them out of the way, you can start your work day with a clear head and concentrate on the task at hand.”
When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Go through a beauty ritual of orderliness. Have on a clean dress. Be sure your hands are clean, finger nails smooth — a nail file and pumice will help. Always avoid hangnails.
2017 Translation: “Dress for success. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. If you feel confident – both inside and out – you will feel prepared for whatever the day brings. Being well groomed is not just vanity, it prevents you from being distracted from your job.”
Keep a little bag full of French chalk near your sewing machine where you can pick it up and dust your fingers at intervals. This not only absorbs the moisture on your fingers, but helps to keep your work clean.
2017 Translation: “Make sure your workplace is set up conducive to doing good work. Keep your desk /work space tidy.”
Have your hair in order, power and lipstick put on with care. Looking attractive is a very important part of sewing, because if you are making something for yourself, you will try it on at intervals in front of your mirror, and you can hope for better results when you look your best.
2017 Translation: “Prior preparation prevents piss-poor performance. Are you testing and measuring, so you have sufficient data to do the best job possible. Are you regularly reviewing your performance to make sure you’re meeting your KPIs? Do you feel dissatisfied with the job you’re doing? Are you physically and mentally prepared?”
P.S. And for today’s non-sewers, does anyone go clothes shopping for themselves looking like a slob? Does no one make at least a token effort before they go out any more?
P.P.S. The sentence above beginning with ‘Looking attractive’ is deliberately omitted in the graphic. See how those restored sentence changes the context?
If you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should.
2017 Translation: “By being organised and prepared, you can better cope with unexpected demands that come your way in life without falling into tears, yelling, panicking or having a tantrum.”
Now, tell me that those few paragraphs of nearly 70 year old wisdom, aren’t important to your life today.
Perhaps the lesson for us all is to not mock sage advice of years gone by, but understand the context the advice is given and look at the timeless wisdom beneath.
I wish that didn’t need to be said, but apparently it does.
Created for book lovers
Join Elizabeth’s Library Book Club today for a bonus magazine, free reads, exclusive excerpts, competitions and more!
Join Now!
The post It’s A Stitch Up! appeared first on EE Carter.
December 13, 2017
Love’s Great Adventure Starts Here
Merry Christmas!
Well, I’m a couple of weeks early, but I do want to share a Christmas gift – the first edition of my glossy online magazine called Love’s Great Adventure.
It’s especially for you filled with character interviews, guest author interviews, historical features, games and puzzles and a brand new read!
The Lady’s Maid’s Secret is a fun serialised story about an ambitious lady’s maid and her schemes to see justice done for her new mistress who has been at the mercy of bounders, swindlers and thieves.
Have fun on the puzzles page where there are interactive crossword and word search games to play.
And of course there are excerpts from my stories.
Love’s Great Adventure is a quarterly magazine and we have a a jam-packed second edition already planned.
The only way to be sure of getting Love’s Great Adventure is to subscribe.
Just click the link below and you will receive Love’s Great Adventure in your inbox this Friday!
Created for book lovers
Join Elizabeth’s Library Book Club today for free reads, exclusive excerpts, competitions and more!
Join Now!
The post Love’s Great Adventure Starts Here appeared first on EE Carter.
December 11, 2017
Tuesday Book Club: Saving Shadow by Laura Beers
It’s my pleasure to introduce a new-to-me author Laura Beers. She writes Regency suspense, so we have something in common already! So welcome Laura!
What were you like at school?
I was always the good kid at school. From a young age, I knew I wanted to go to a good college, so I worked hard to get into BYU. In middle school, I had no friends, partly because I was 5’-9” in 6th grade and my mom forced me to have a perm. However, in High School, I played three varsity sports, participated in ASB, joined a bunch of clubs and was on homecoming court.
What inspired you to write?
I always wanted to be a writer, but I also wanted to be an astronaut, spy, princess and lawyer. It was hard to narrow down my dreams.
Which writers inspire you?
There is no way I can name all of the writers that have inspired me along the way, but to name a few: Jennifer Moore, Rebecca Connolly, Sarah Eden, Elizabeth Johns….
What inspired you to write this story?
I love to day-dream and this one story kept popping into my head. It was about a daughter of a duke who had a photographic memory, and was a hard-core agent of the Crown. I kept dwelling on it until I decided it would make an awesome story. Now, it is turning into an amazing series.
How much research do you do?
Researching is a constant battle because you always want to verify everything is historically accurate, but you also need to have done a bunch of research before you even start writing the story.
Can you give us a blurb to let us know what Saving Shadow is about?
Born with a perfect memory, Lady Elizabeth Beckett has become one of the world’s most notorious spies, despite being the daughter of a duke. She is shielded only by her code name: Shadow. When young ladies of High Society begin disappearing from London, Eliza has no doubt who is orchestrating these crimes; a heinous man she has been investigating for years. Vowing to save them before they are sold to the highest bidder, she must risk everything to stop him.
Lord Sinclair was perfectly content being the second son of a marquess, but when his brother is murdered, he is thrust into a position he has not been prepared for and does not desire. As an agent for the Crown, he is expected to retire now that he is the heir, but he’s been granted special permission for one more mission… to obtain justice for his murdered brother.
Used to keeping secrets, Lady Eliza and Lord Sinclair must learn to open up to each other when they are assigned as partners to bring down the same ruthless man and his brutal empire of abduction and slavery. As Eliza’s tainted past becomes too much for her to bear alone, can she learn to trust her new partner with her secrets, her life, and possibly her heart?
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Lady Elizabeth Beckett has sought after adventure but was not prepared for the life of an agent to the Crown. She begins to feel more of an assassin than a spy. After a near death experience, she becomes hardened by her role within the agency and has her heart set on revenge. Luckily, Lord Sinclair is a ruggedly handsome Earl and as he helps Eliza overcome her past, she helps him overcome his.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
(Katherine Pierce/Eliza) (Henry Cavill/Benedict)
What writing project are you working on next?
My 2nd book of The Beckett Files, A Peculiar Courtship, is being released December 1st.
Lord Jonathon Beckett’s mission is simple: retrieve Lady Hannah and place her under the protection of the Crown. But he isn’t prepared for the havoc she inflicts on his world, making him question whether his duty as an agent of the Crown should always come before his heart.
Lady Hannah’s father has documents exposing a French traitor to the Crown. Willing to do anything to silence him, the traitor’s primary target has become Lady Hannah. Keeping her safe means locking her away from Society, but she refuses to stand idly by, letting others put their lives on the line to protect her. Instead, she will stop at nothing to learn to defend herself, even at the risk of losing Lord Jonathon’s protection, or his affections.
With a sinister scheme in play to collapse the English government from within, Lord Jonathon must protect Lady Hannah from the French spies intending to use her as a pawn in their game of treachery. But can he protect her from herself?
Tell us something unique about you that they wouldn’t guess from just looking at your photograph?
I have sweet dance moves that truly embarrass my kids when I break them out in public.
Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
Sadly, I do not have plans to create a trailer.
What is your favourite positive saying?
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.” -Mary Anne Radmacher
What is your favourite book and why?
Becoming Lady Lockwood. It has a handsome captain, smart protagonist, dastardly French officers, a swoon worthy ending and amazing secondary characters. It is a book I read over, and over again.
What is your favourite quote?
“I don’t know how my story will end, but nowhere in my text will it ever read…I gave up.”
What is your favourite movie and why?
Wonderwoman. Need I say more?
Excerpt:
“So, we are in agreement then?” he said as one side of his mouth curled upwards. “When we are alone you will call me Benedict.”
“But it is still improper,” she said hesitantly. He could tell that she was swaying in his favor.
“Eliza,” he said as he walked towards her. She took a step back and found herself against a wall. He continued his advance until he was right in front of her. As he placed his hand on the wall behind her, he slightly leaned in, and she sucked in a breath. “You and I are partners for the foreseeable future, and it would be easier on me if you would call me Benedict. Do you not agree?”
“I suppose,” she said softly.
“Benedict,” he said teasingly. “Will you say my name?”
She shook her head, but her eyes never left his and it appeared she was stifling a smile. “I fear you are a conceited man since you so desperately want to hear your own name.”
He leaned closer. “I’m waiting.”
Eliza rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, pausing for a moment, her lips curling in amusement. “Benedict.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Was that so hard?”
Her eyes were roaming his face as she asked, “Do you always insist on your partners calling you by your given name?”
“No, I just wanted to hear my name on your lips,” Benedict replied honestly.
“And do you always brazenly flirt with your partners?” Eliza asked, her eyes twinkling.
Benedict could see she was trying hard to pretend she was unaffected by his nearness, however, the blush on her cheeks gave her away. He chuckled. “No, my dear. You have bewitched me, and I find myself longing to be near you.” With his free hand, he slowly caressed his fingers down her right arm. Eliza’s arm erupted with goose bumps, but her voice remained steady.
“Well, I assure you, my lord, that I did not cast a spell on you.”
He kept glancing at her lips. “How could you not?” His words came out breathless.
Her blush deepened, and she had not pushed him away yet, which was a good sign. Benedict noticed her eyes kept darting to his lips. All he had to do was lower his head. It would not take long. Would she welcome his kiss? He could not take his eyes off her lips and slowly started to lower his head.
Eliza quickly retreated away from the wall, knocking down a nearby table in the process. “Are you ready for a walk?” She spoke hurriedly and breathlessly as she righted the table.
Benedict stood there for a moment while he was recovering from what had just happened. Maybe Eliza was not as affected by him as he was by her? After a moment, he pushed off the wall and went to meet her at the door. As she was putting on her gloves, he leaned down to her ear and whispered, “Next time I will not let you get away so easily.” His lips lightly brushed her ear as he whispered to her.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaura.beers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorL_B
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Beers/e/B0753S2Q6B/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.) https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Shadow-Beckett-Files-Book/dp/1943048355/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510943705&sr=1-1&keywords=saving+shadow
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36083751-saving-shadow
Created for book lovers
Join Elizabeth’s Library Book Club today for free reads, exclusive excerpts, competitions and more!
Join Now!
The post Tuesday Book Club: Saving Shadow by Laura Beers appeared first on EE Carter.
