HER CAPTAIN RETURNS (Regency) Giveaway!

Do you own a Kindle or Nook (or have the aps on your computer)?

Email me by midnight tonight and I will gift you a FREE copy of HER CAPTAIN RETURNS, the first in my Men of the Sea series. Only the first ten people to email me will receive a copy.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

Cheers,
Eliza

Enchanted Chocolate Pot Blog Fest

I received a very interesting email from Sarah at Open Road Media, the publicist of Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. She informed me that the authors recently re-released three books together in ebook format: Sorcery and Cecelia, The Mislaid Magician and The Grand Tour.

Here is what Sarah said...

"Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer began writing to one another "in character" as part of a Letter Game (Wrede as Cecy and Stevermer as Kate), neither author intended for a novel to come of it! After about six months of writing back and forth, they compiled all of their letters and decided they would make a really neat book. It wasn't until this point, when the game was over, that the two went back through their notes and edited everything to fit into a cohesive novel." 

 

So today, I'm giving you the links to the original letters and what they turned into for the book. I love sneak peaks like this into the making of a story. I hope you enjoy it too.

Cecy's Edited and Unedited First Letter to Kate

Kate’s Reply

Isn't that fascinating? I love that these two authors got into character and wrote to each other for entertainment. That they then turned their fun into a book is even more awesome. See how much fun authors are?

After reading the letters, what are your thoughts?

I found it very interesting that in the original letter to Kate, the Cecy is more telling and leading Kate on things that Kate would probably already know, like her age, Reverend Fitzwilliam's full name. Also, the second letter is much more conversational in my opinion, it flows better. I adored how in Kate's reply her personality shines. 

This is a great example of how using letters in fiction can give a 1st person point of view to the reader of our characters.

Can't wait to check out the books!

Kathleen's Historical Erotic Review: Improper Relations by Juliana Ross

IMPROPER RELATIONS

By Juliana Ross

Dorset, 1858

When Hannah's caught watching her late husband's cousin debauch the maid in the library, she's mortified—but also intrigued. An unpaid companion to his aunt, she's used to being ignored.

The black sheep of the family, Leo has nothing but his good looks and noble birth to recommend him. Hannah ought to be appalled at what she's witnessed, but there's something about Leo that draws her to him.

When Leo claims he can prove that women can feel desire as passionately as men, Hannah is incredulous. Her own experiences have been uninspiring. Yet she can't bring herself to refuse his audacious proposal when he offers to tutor her in the art of lovemaking. As the tantalizing, wicked lessons continue, she begins to fear she's losing not just her inhibitions, but her heart as well. The poorest of relations, she has nothing to offer Leo but herself. Will it be enough when their erotic education ends?

22,000 words

I have a confession to make. I fell in love with the cover of this novella. Then I read the blurb and knew I had to read the story. I wasn’t disappointed.

Debut author Juliana Ross is off to a great start in her career with a story that captivates from the first page and doesn’t let up until the last. Not a word is wasted in this erotic novella that reads like a full-fledged novel. Miss Ross tells a story like an artist paints—first with broad strokes and then with fine attention to detail.

Leo and Hannah seem to be complete opposites. He’s a wastrel. A handsome one, but nonetheless, a lazy, debauching-the-servants dissolute nephew of Hannah’s deceased husband, while she, older than Leo by five years, is a prim widow who has explored little in her mundane world other than books shelved in the library. It is this library, her sanctuary of sorts, where she peers down from the loft and spies Leo trysting with a maid in a most shocking manner. Hannah should be scandalized. She should run. But she cannot extract herself from the gripping scene before her.

After Leo finishes servicing the maid, he confronts eavesdropping Hannah and sets his sights on proving he can rouse something in her that she swears does not exist. Deciding there is nothing to lose, Hannah agrees to Leo’s scheme. Soon, she learns she was wrong in both her shallow self-assessment and in his capabilities. Very wrong.

At first, the two don’t appear to bring much to the table other than their carnal appetites—his sated with little thought given to consequence, hers stimulated by delightfully sinful treats never before tried. Soon, their passions move beyond the physical and they are transformed into self-empowered individuals ready to take a stand in life, for themselves and for one another.

Miss Ross’s obvious familiarity with British social history and her wonderful author’s voice give resonance to a smoldering yet tender tale that unfolds in a sensuous world filled with a blend of rich prose and just the right amount of erotic pleasure. One would think Leo would be an unlikeable hero, but I found him to be quite an enjoyable character. The only thing disappointing for me was the ending. It came too soon.

Enjoy a good read by a debut author with a great future ahead of her. 

Video of the Week: Horrible Histories - Plague Song

The black death aka the plague that hit Europe in the middle ages was devastating to the population, wiping out nearly half of the people. But here's a little ditty that makes it sound cheerful :)

Castle of the Week: The Tower of London

I look forward to the day I can visit the Tower of London. In my two completed historical fiction novels (currently unpublished), the Tower plays a major roll in my character's lives. They've either been arrested and placed in prison there, had a family member imprisoned, there or it housed a member of their family who was crowned king or queen.

The Tower of London was built by William the Conqueror in the late 11th century after his Battle of Hastings victory. The Tower is situated along the River Thames, and can be accessed by boat through Traitor's Gate. The castle consists of the White Tower, an imposing building. Tall, solid, thick with four towers. All who've looked upon this great fortress have felt overwhelmed by its sheer power and what it stood for. There are numerous outbuildings, thick outer walls, and perhaps most daunting--Tower Green. Some of the more famous executions on Tower Green were: William Hastings, Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey (the nine days queen). Tower Green was for private executions--still observed by many notable witnesses. Tower Hill was a public execution spot that could be seen by anyone who pleased. William Wallace was executed on Tower Hill as was Guy Fawkes.

The Tower has served as a prison, a house, a fortress, home for the crown jewels, the royal mint, the treasury, the royal menagerie, and home to many scandals. Every heard of the two princes of the Tower? The young princes entered the fortress and were never seen or heard from again, their remains never found. It is said once you're locked in, there is no escaping--although a few notables have in fact done just that.

Want to escape the Tower yourself? There's an ap for that! Not kidding... I just found it, looks awesome!

Some pictures...

The White Tower

St. John's Chapel inside the Tower

The Tower of London outer wall

Traitor's Gate

Less Like Shane, More Like Mr. Darcy By Celia Hayes

Welcome back to History Undressed, guest author Celia Hayes! If you missed her two wonderful previous posts they are located here:  True to the Union & Goliad--The Other Alamo. Today she has another great post written for us! Enjoy!

Less Like Shane, More Like Mr. Darcy

I think very fondly of re-enactors when I am working up a book. I consider them as open-air historians. What better way is there to get an idea of how something was accomplished; starting a fire from flint and steel, to learn the heft and feel of an 1836 Colt Paterson revolver and the method of loading it with lead ball and black powder, or how a gentleman of the 1830s on the Texas frontier might have combined the height of fashion with local accessories. Re-enactors do exacting research about every finicky detail, and the results can be viewed in detail and in three dimensions.  Movies and television are a less than satisfactory substitute. This is because of the dimension thing, and often because the movie costumer doesn’t take nearly enough care to be faithful to a specific period. Visualizing the clothing worn on the American frontier may be an especial challenge, since nearly 70 years’ worth of genre movie westerns have fixed a certain image in the imagination – that of the cowboy, who was really only peculiar only to a very limited part and for a relatively short period of time.

Thinking ‘old west’ and most readers and movie goers have the image of form and fashion set in the last quarter of the 19th century, never realizing sartorially speaking, it wasn’t all John Wayne and Shane. Quite often, it was rather more like Mr. Darcy. No cowboy hats or boots, no jeans, nothing like what people are used to think of as "western" dress, which reflects a much later, post-Civil War and industrial era. A movie costumer could fit out a movie set on the early 19th century frontier with costumes taken from a Jane Austen or Charles Dickens movie, and it would be perfectly authentic … but with certain allowances given. Far west outposts like Texas were not entirely cut off from communication and fashion - from Europe or anywhere else - but local influences, economic necessity and custom did add certain rustic touches.

The Anglo-American gentlemen of early Texas and the far west wore the same fashionable tail-coats, neck-cloth, starched shirt-collar and tall top-hats or billed caps as anywhere else in America, Britain and Europe. They indulged in the same ornate waistcoats with the obligatory watch, watch-chain and fob, depending on taste or income. Sometimes they varied the wardrobe with wide straw planter’s hats, or a sash of vividly colored silk around the waist – but that was a very male bit of a splash and most often worn for best. It was also common for work and every-day to assume a hunting coat made of heavy canvas or buckskin, trimmed with fringe. This was a loose-fitting, A-line and wrap-around garment, often secured with a belt or sash at the waist. Such every-day wear was often accessorized with a huge hunting knife, boots and fancy spurs with Mexican-influenced jingle-bobs on them. (Yes, their spurs did go jingle-jangle.) The taste for large hunting knives was also a frontier influence – especially the Kentucky or Bowie knife, which could be almost as large as a small sword. Routinely carrying a single pistol or a pair of them on a belt holster was something which came at a later date, with the invention and widespread popularity of a practical repeating pistol, rather than a single-shot weapon.

Sometimes a gentleman preferred shoes, or brogans, rather than boots, worn with leather leggings – and when shoes were unavailable or an existing pair gone beyond repair, then Indian-style moccasins or buckskin leather served as footwear. There were a small minority of gentlemen – usually fur-trappers and others who spent much of their lives beyond the farthest frontier – who did go all the way toward wearing Indian-style buckskin shirts and leggings, for comfort and utility. But in the main and with the exceptions noted, the gentlemen of the frontier dressed very much in the same style as their contemporaries elsewhere.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Celia Hayes lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is the author of six novels set on the American frontier: To Truckee’s Trail – an account of the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada, the Adelsverein Trilogy – which tells the story of the German settlements in the Texas Hill Country, and Daughter of Texas, and Deep in the Heart, a two-part account of a woman’s life during the years of the Republic of Texas. Visit Celia at www.celiahayes.com

Video of the Week: The French Revolution ("Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga)

In light of my post on Versailles yesterday, and because I LOVE LOVE LOVE history set to modern music, this week's video is on the French Revolution--a parody of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga! Awesome!