History Lovers Grand Tour!

Welcome to the History Lovers Grand Tour & Scavenger Hunt!

—International—

As the name implies, we’re a group of readers and authors who love both history and romance, especially when they’re combined in a delightful story. If you feel the same, you’re welcome to join us on our Facebook page and converse with us about historical romance fiction.

Below you’ll find authors of historical romances set in a wide variety of time periods. Perhaps by participating in our Grand Tour you’ll discover some new authors for your future reading pleasure. Hop around to your heart’s content, feel free to comment on the posts, hunt for answers to the authors’ questions, and perhaps you’ll be one of our 25 lucky prize winners (see contest details below)…although you’re already a winner if you find a new story to read, do you not agree?

The theme for this tour is Courting Rituals, and for my post, I’ve chosen to talk about the art of stealing a bride.

Highland Stolen Brides

For my Highland heroes, courting seems to begin unexpectedly. For Magnus in THE HIGHLANDER'S REWARD, he sweeps up his heroine in the middle of a battlefield. While physical attraction might have sparked from the start, neither were of a mind to get together. It just so happened that in order to keep her safe, Magnus determined he had to marry Arbella--a feat which took some manner of skill. In other words--his courting was a bit of a manipulation. However, Arbella found him charming, and while she agreed to marry him, she also vowed to run away. But then...he laid on the charm.

Magnus took Arbella for a ride through the Scottish Highlands atop his magnificent warhorse. They rode together, sharing body heat and sparks of desire. When he found out that she was a non-meat eating sort of lass, he went out of his way to be sure she had as many fruits and vegetables and bread as her belly could handle.

Sweetest of all, however, was that Magnus agreed not to consummate their nuptials right away. A request Arbella made in hopes of dissolving their marriage, but which soon becomes a feat unto itself. Especially when Magnus continuously flaunts his glorious physique. She wants him to kiss her. But kissing a man, making love to a man, that one does not plan to stay married to is wrong. Is it not? Maybe remaining married wouldn't be so bad after all...

And then we have Blane, Magnus' playboy younger brother. He's charged with locating Arbella's English sister Aliah and bringing her safely to the Highlands. A task he completes with flourish--and a wife. Blane tricks his love interest into thinking he's English so she'll go with him. 'Tis not until they are nearly to their place that she realizes he's a man she should be scared of--and so Aliah takes courting into her own hands, and shoots him. Ah, it was love at first blow.

Blane and Magnus' cousin Daniel has run away from his duties, and falls headlong into the charming arms of a dirty peasant. Er...wait a minute--a bit of soap and water reveals she's a noble lass through and through. Daniel helps Myra with her mission to find the Bruce, and helps unload her of an unwanted fiance. Why not trade a nightmare of a marriage for one filled with passion?

Vowing not to ever get involved with a simpering female and laughing at his male relatives for doing so, Ronan Sutherland doesn't court ladies--he beds them. Until Julianna continually challenges him in mind, body and spirit. She's kicking ass and taking names, and he wants in. What better way to court a lady then to help her chase down her enemies?

When Brandon Sinclair -- cousin to the afore mentioned heroes -- saves a beautiful temptress from a burning fire, he gets a heck of a lot more than he bargained for. The English king's mistress. But it isn't her prior position that puts a fire in his blood, but her intelligence, gentle heart, and the need to help her heal from past wounds. Brandon becomes her friend first, and then sweeps her off her feet. After all, a lady would rather be ravished by a handsome Highland warrior than a stinky old meanie.

The premise behind each book in the series is that the bride is stolen away from something--a fiance, a lover, the church, her family, etc... But why the stealing, you say? To me this ups the conflict and really makes it hard to get the characters to fall in love—but the journey is satisfying, powerful, addictive. Highlanders were sort of known for stealing their wives, whether from the English or a neighboring clan they were warring with. Women were a commodity that were used often in vendettas and to gain alliances. But of course, my series is romance, and I wanted to give everyone a happy ending. I also made sure that my heroines were able to stick up for themselves and fight back.

Now onto the prize!!!

The prize I am offering is a signed print copy of THE HIGHLANDER'S REWARD (Book One: Stolen Bride series) or an e-copy (vendor of choice), winner's choice--and this is how you qualify for a chance to win--leave a comment at this blog with your answer to the my question below. But that's not all--you can enter to win the grand prize as well, by visiting the other authors in the tour and our History Lovers Grand Tour page (see below).

Here’s my question for the scavenger hunt: What is Arbella's eating preference?

Click on the History Lovers Grand Tour page to fill in the answer, and you may continue on from there. Enjoy!

She belonged to another… But was destined to be his…

Lady Arbella de Mowbray abhors the idea of marrying an English noble occupying Scotland. When she arrives in Stirling, she is thrown into the midst of a full battle between the Scots and the English. Besieged by rebels, she is whisked from her horse by a Highland warrior who promises her safety. But when he kisses her she fears she's more in danger of losing herself.

The last thing Magnus Sutherland wants is to marry the beautiful English lass he saved. As the laird of his clan, he has a responsibility to his clan and allies. But when Arbella is attacked by one of his own men, he determines the only way to keep her safe is to make her his. A decision that promises to be extremely satisfying.

Magnus brings Arbella to his home of Dunrobin Castle in the Highlands. And that’s where the trouble begins… Their countries are at war and they should be each other’s enemy. Neither one considered their mock marriage would grow into a deeply passionate love. What’s more, they were both unhappily betrothed and those who've been scorned are out for revenge. Can their new found love keep them together or will their enemies tear them apart?

“Eliza Knight has crafted a wonderfully entertaining, emotional and sensual read. I loved the sizzling romance and the exciting adventures. Magnus, the hot Highland hero, stole my heart just as he did Arbella’s.” Vonda Sinclair, Award-Winning author of Scottish romance

Excerpt:

As Magnus raised the light around the space, he paused on the small bed in the corner.

“’Twill be a tight fit,” he said with a chuckle.

Arbella’s lips twitched in the semblance of a smile, but truthfully she was too nervous to smile genuinely. His words only brought to mind the fact they’d been married before the eyes of God and even with his promise to keep her virtue intact, he was legally her husband and if he chose to, he could demand his husbandly rights.

He set the candle down on the table and started to disarm himself. A large pile of various weapons formed on the floor beside the table. A rather messy heap. She had to stop herself from organizing the pile into a corner where it wouldn’t be in the way.

Then he sat down and started to unlace his boots completely pulling her thoughts from anything but his actions.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a little shrill. They were supposed be pretending, not truly undressing.

He glanced at her briefly before returning to his task. “Taking off my boots.”

“Why?”

He exhaled loudly and sat back, his eyes narrowing on her. “What’s wrong?”

“You are undressing.”

“Aye.”

“But you promised.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach, trying to keep the soup down.

“And I intend to keep my promise. But that doesna mean I’m going to sleep in my boots with my sword strapped to my back.”

His words made sense and with the confused and annoyed expression on his face she understood she’d been overreacting.

She nodded and turned toward the bed. They would both never fit on the small mattress. Perhaps if he was a normal sized man, but Magnus was a giant. “Well I intend to sleep fully clothed.”

“Whatever suits ye, lass.”

He was so close his voice startled her. Arbella whirled around to see that he stood a foot away from her—nude.

Her eyes glued to the muscles of his chest, the light sprinkling of hair, his shoulders and she dare not look further.

“I prefer to sleep in my skin.” He walked around her and she caught a glimpse of his sculpted arse.

Her mouth fell open, breath caught. She’d never seen a man’s arse before…and never dreamed it would look so…look so…nice. Arbella snatched back her wayward hand that had reached out to touch him.

Magnus dove onto the bed, his head buried in the pillow, his arms beneath it. His face was turned away from her and she took a moment to observe his long legs, his strong back. But looking at him only made her blood burn hot. Her desire for him stronger.

She chewed her lower lip, her gaze focused on his god-like body.

“Will ye join me, lass?”

She jerked her gaze up to see his eyes on her and full of merriment.

“N—No.”

Eliza Knight is the multi-published, award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com Twitter: @ElizaKnight and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor

History Lovers Grand Tour Authors

Rue Allyn • Amylynn Bright • Collette Cameron • Téa Cooper • Beverley Eikli • Susana Ellis • Aileen Fish • Debra Glass • Amy Hearst • Evangeline Holland • Piper Huguley • Eliza Knight • Kristen Koster • Cora Lee • Georgie Lee • Suzi Love • Denise Lynn • Deborah Macgillivray • Barbara Monajem • Shelly Munro • Ella Quinn • Eva Scott • Shereen Vedam • Elaine Violette 

Prizes

1.      Each author will offer a prize for a contest, the specifics of which is set up entirely by her. The contest will be open to all participants, regardless of geographic location. For logistical purposes, authors may substitute a digital prize (gift card, etc.) of equal value for another prize that might prove difficult to mail to a distant location.

2.      The Grand Prize for the Scavenger Hunt will be awarded to the participant with the most correct answers to the authors’ scavenger hunt questions.  In case of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly.

3.      The winners will be posted on the History Lovers Grand Tour page the following week.

Scavenger Hunt

·        Click on the above links to each author’s blog. The blog tour entry can be identified by the graphic in the upper right corner of the post. If it is not the top post, look for the graphic in a prominent location on the sidebar, and click on it to find the blog tour entry.

·        Read the blog post and the author’s short answer question at the end. Locate the answer to the question, then click on the link to the History Lovers Grand Tour page and type in the answer next to the author’s name. Be sure to fill in the your name and email address!

·        You may go back to same page and read more of the author’s post (excerpt, etc.) or you may click on another author’s name on the answer sheet and repeat the process.

·        When you are finished, check to make sure the spaces for your name and email address are filled in correctly, and submit your answer sheet to the tour coordinator. If you submit an incomplete answer sheet, you may come back later and make another submission with the remaining answers when you have more time.

·        Any questions about the scavenger hunt should be directed to the tour coordinator .