FOR THE LOVE OF HISTORICAL ROMANCE
by
Kathleen Bittner Roth
You must love reading historical romance or you wouldn’t be reading this, right? Ever since I swiped my mother’s romance novels off her night stand, historical romance has been my favorite—which is why I chose that subgenre when I began my writing career. If you’ve read any of my novels, it doesn’t take long to figure out that I include at least one very unusual woman in every story, one who dares to dance outside the perimeters of society’s stringent dictates. In Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, (Those Magnificent Malverns series—each book is also a stand-alone), we have such daring ladies in spades. All the Malvern women have a rebellious streak. They think nothing of leaving their side saddles behind to ride astride, be it bareback or using a man’s saddle. They’ve also raced straight through the corridor of their fabulous estate, in the front and out the back a time or two. Why not? Their wild brothers did it first.
I do a lot of research for my stories which is how I discovered that ladies of high breeding, when residing at their country estates, often dispensed with side saddles and borrowed or had made, more fitting (and certainly more comfortable) male attire. Empress Elizabeth of Austria was a famed horsewoman who rode astride whenever she could get away with it.
But these Malvern young ladies aren’t the only daring women in this series. Their grandmother is the most unique, bazaar woman of them all and oh, did I have fun creating her! I fashioned her after Lady Hester Stanhope. Niece to William Pitt the Younger, the unmarried socialite acted as his hostess and personal assistant when he was England’s Prime Minister (he was a bachelor). Noted for her beauty, intelligence and conversational skills, Lady Hester did such a smashing job serving her uncle that upon his death, the government awarded her a lifetime pension, which she promptly used to pursue a scandalous life in the Middle East, dressing in male attire and taking on a string of lovers, one twelve years younger than her. I created a friendship between Lady Hester Stanhope and the Malvern grandmother, and let her share some of the rebellious lady’s escapades in her youth.
If you haven’t read Portrait of a Forbidden Lady, good news! It’s on sale until August 13th for .99!
Pop over to Entangled Publishing where a Summer Carnival is in progress with lots of sales going on. Below are just a few of them at 99 cents: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/
PORTRAIT OF A FORBIDDEN LADY
Those Magnificent Malverns novel by Kathleen Bittner Roth
Lady Georgiana Cressington is living a nightmare. Coerced by her father into returning to her childhood home, the young widow becomes a pawn in another of his heartless games. Her return to Summerfield Hall reunites her with the man she once loved before their hearts were shattered by a devastating betrayal.
Sir Robert Garreck, an artist knighted by the queen, lives in a mansion near the family estate Georgiana’s father won in a crooked card game. Rob sets out to regain Summerfield Hall to keep Georgiana’s son from inheriting Rob’s rightful home. However, when he and Georgiana are thrown together, he craves the forbidden lady he never stopped loving. Facing danger and a long-hidden truth, Georgiana and Rob try to claim the powerful love they once had.
HIS PIRATE SEDUCTRESS
A Love on the High Seas novel by Tamara Hughes
With her son’s life in the balance, Catherine Fry is forced to locate and steal the priceless Ruby Cross of the Knights Templar. She knows who has it–it’s just a matter of coercing Thomas Glanville, the handsome and incredibly stubborn captain of the ship she’s captured, into telling her the exact location. Fortunately, Catherine knows that there are many ways to get a man to talk…
Captain Thomas Glanville has the cross and he’ll be damned if he’s going to hand it over now that he finally has the means to buy a ship of his own. He’s at the mercy of a fiery woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. But Catherine has no idea who she’s dealing with–and Thomas has his own means of charming a woman into his mercy and his bed…
JUST A KISS
It's in His Kiss novella by Ally Broadfield
Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or she’ll be forced to marry her guardian’s loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesn’t have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title.
Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she can’t refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.
Kathleen Bittner Roth thrives on creating passionate stories featuring characters who are forced to draw on their strength of spirit to overcome adversity and find unending love. Her own fairy tale wedding in a Scottish castle led her to her current residence in Budapest, Hungary, considered one of Europe’s most romantic cities. However, she still keeps one boot firmly in Texas and the other in her home state of Minnesota. A member of Romance Writers of America®, she was a finalist in the prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Find Kathleen on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest and www.kathleenbittnerroth.com.
THE SEDUCTION OF SARAH MARKS is book one in Those Magnificent Malverns series: When a proper Victorian miss awakens next to a handsome stranger, she must rely on the man's benevolence as she struggles to regain her memory and hold onto her heart. ORDER YOUR COPY!
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