You Just Never Know

A few weeks back when I was writing posts about parasols, I decided to have a quick look at some of the advertising circulars I have from Ackermann’s Repository and La Belle Assemblee, to see if there was any mention of parasols from any of the shops advertising in it. The first one I picked out, at random, was the Advertisements section from January 1811’s Ackermann’s. As I (carefully) flipped though its pages, I noticed an advertisement for books...in particular,

“In a neat Pocket Volume, handsomely printed, and embellished with superb Plates of Ladies’ Dresses, price 5s.; or on fine Paper, with coloured Plates, 7s 6d.

THE MIRROR OF THE GRACES;

or,

THE ENGLISH LADIES’ COSTUME

IMPARTING  the Art of combining TASTE, FASHION, and ELEGANCE, with MODESTY, ECONOMY, and JUDGMENT IN DRESS; also the Means of adapting the various ARTICLES OF FEMALE EMBELLISHMENT to different Ages, Forms, and Complexions, and preserving Beauty, Health, and Loveliness throughout Life, without the aid of injurious Cosmetics, or any spurious assistance from the Toilet.

Founded upon Principles agreeing with the Feelings of Nature and the Rules of Propriety.

COLLECTED BY A LADY OF DISTINCTION

who has attentively studied what is considered truly graceful and elegant amongst the most refined Nations of Europe."

I will admit that I gave a bit of a jump...because this little gem can actually be found in reprint form at your favorite on-line book retailers (or free to view online at https://archive.org/details/mirrorgracesore00distgoog) It was republished under the name Regency Etiquette  and subtitled The Mirror of Graces (1811)—a rather misleading title, since it has almost nothing to do with etiquette. It was undoubtedly popular back in its day—the advertisement noted that there would be a delay in its release because the bookseller had been forced to go back to press to satisfy the large number of pre-ordered books, and subsequent (and possibly pirated) editions were published in New York, Edinburgh, and Boston. I recommend you have a look—the style can be a little heavy-going (and unintentionally amusing to modern readers) but it’s a fascinating precursor to today’s fashion and beauty magazines and self-help books...and a mirror not only of “the graces”, but also what society’s expectations were of women in that time.

Another book you might have heard of is also due out in reprint form...By Jove is now available in a print edition, if e-books aren’t your cup of tea. ☕ ☺

The By Jove party continues: Book View Café

I’m still happily celebrating the re-release of my contemporary fantasy, By Jove, into the world...and thought you might be interested in learning a little about its new publisher, Book View Café...because, as BVC’s  motto reads, you can never have too many ebooks.

Book View Café is really a pretty cool concept: it’s a cooperative publisher, meaning that the author-members of BVC fill all the roles of a trade publisher—we edit, proofread, format, create book covers, do marketing, distribution, and publicity, maintain social media accounts, and even run an on-line store— www.bookviewcafe.com—to sell our books (though they’re also available at ebook retailers such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, and Kobo. Some books are also available in print editions. The only thing BVC does not do is accept submissions: all books published by the cooperative belong to members.

Because Book View Café was founded by a group of fantasy and science fiction writers as a way to republish books to which they’d gotten publication rights reverted, you’ll notice that most of the 300+ books available in BVC’s lists are genre fiction—in addition to science fiction and fantasy you can find romance, mysteries, thrillers, young adult, and a smattering of non-fiction and memoir as well as a number of short story compilations by BVC members...some of those members being science fiction luminary Ursula K. Leguin, Vonda N. McIntyre, Sarah Zettel, Sherwood Smith, Laura Anne Gilman, Patricia Rice, and more—lots more.

So the next time you’re looking for a good book, you really can’t do better than to stop by Book View Café.  But when you do, give yourself an hour or two to get lost in the books...

Thank you for celebrating with me!

Happy Book Birthday to Me! (again)

I am delighted to announce that By Jove re-releases today from Book View Café!

Here's the bee-yoo-tiful new cover!

And here’s the new blurb:

After three soul-destroying years of teaching unenthusiastic middle-schoolers, Theodora Fairchild is thrilled to be a student again, pursuing her doctorate in Latin. She’s sure John Winthrop University will be the intellectual home she’s always longed for, the place where she’ll finally fit in. But her teaching days aren’t quite over: Theo starts giving "humanities" lessons to sweetly nerdy post-doc Grant Proctor--and loses her heart.

But nobody in the Classics Department is quite who they seem . . . not even Grant. Theo's arrival rekindles an ancient rivalry between two powerful enemies, and Theo herself is the prize. After she unwittingly betrays Grant to his oldest foe, she’s determined to rescue him—and herself— before it’s too late.

Because even gods can die—or wish they were dead.

By Jove was first released in 2014. But I was able to get publication rights back from its first publisher, and have shaped it a little more to my taste as well as giving it a bit more of a polish, and I’m delighted with the result. I’m also able to market it more clearly: though it does contain a love story and a happily-ever-after ending, it really isn’t a romance—it’s as much about how my protagonist, Theo Fairchild, grows into and learns to understand herself as it is about her relationship with Grant...and of course, about a strong heroine learning to trust herself and save the day, because that is the type of story closest to my heart.

So if you haven’t had a look at By Jove before, I hope you’ll do so now. It’s available from Book View Café in both MOBI and EPUB formats as well as from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple ibooks, and Kobo.  A new print edition will be coming in April.

And...as part of my celebration,  I’ve put Skin Deep on sale for 99¢ for the month of February at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and Apple and Kobo...so if you’re curious about my non-YA, non-historical works, now is a good, easy-on-the-pocketbook time to check them out.

Thank you for celebrating with me!

Book-ish News

Taking a pause on the discussion of the further past to focus on news from the more recent past...and the future.

First, the recent past: this past weekend I was thrilled and delighted and very, very honored to win the Best Paranormal Romance Award for Skin Deep in the 2016 Golden Leaf Contest, sponsored by the New Jersey Romance Writers chapter of RWA. Here’s my pretty award (and a gold leaf pin)...but the best part was how I found out that Skin Deep had won.

At the awards ceremony held at NJRW’s annual conference, it’s the tradition for the wonderfully talented NJRW member Anne Walradt to read aloud a sample from each category’s winning book before the title is announced—and wow, can that woman read. So when it came time for the Paranormal category winner to be announced, I was completely taken aback—then blown away to hear my words so beautifully read. So a sincere thank you, NJRW, not only for the award but for Anne’s wonderful reading.

And in future news, I’m very happy to announce that my adult contemporary fantasy By Jove will be coming out in a new edition on February 7, 2017 from Book View Café. Stay tuned for details (the new cover is in the works!) over the next few months.

Okay, back to the past!

Having a Regency Summer House Party, You?

Ah, the summer house party, where ladies and gentlemen flirt to their heart’s content over games on the lawn and walks in the garden. Where the moonlight inspires sweet kisses. Where alliances are announced and matches are made. Where a young lady’s mistaken cry can banish a handsome rake to Jamaica.

Wait, what?

Welcome to Summer House Party, a new anthology of traditional Regency romance novellas by bestselling authors well known in the genre. I’m delighted to be part of this set from Mirror Press, which also features stories by the incomparable Donna Hatch and the beloved Sarah M. Eden. Here’s what you’ll find.

“The Paupers’ House Party” by Sarah M. Eden--It’s a rare event that Edward Downy and his brother are invited to a house party by a member of the ton. But when they arrive, Edward quickly realizes this house party is different than any other. All invited guests are quite destitute, fallen members of Society barely hanging onto their homes. The hosts of the house party, the Warricks, then make a stunning announcement—they intend to gift all their properties to one fortunate guest. As the guests race to impress the Warricks, Edward finds a fast friend in Agatha Holmwood, who shares his same aversion to the horrible expectations. But their growing fondness for each other only makes the game more painful.

“A Perfect Match” by Donna Hatch--Genevieve attends a summer house party hosted by her best friend who can't wait to introduce her to a gentleman she wants to marry, Christian Amesbury. After meeting him, Genevieve determines Christian is perfect . . . for her. Torn between loyalty to her best friend and the yearnings of her heart, Genevieve must first escape the attention of a powerful lord who's obsessed with her and who tries to rob her of any hope for a happily ever after.

“An Engagement of Convenience” by Regina Scott--Kitty Chapworth is nearly a spinster, and an orphan living on the charity of her uncle, with nothing to recommend her for the marriage mart. Her primary purpose is relegated to acting chaperone for her cousins until she can see them successfully married. Kitty remains focused on her duty even though she knows her future is bleak. When Quentin Adair returns from a long ten years working in Jamaica and proposes a wild charade to Kitty, she agrees, although the plan might reawaken her old feelings for Quentin. Can a reformed rake convince the perfect chaperone to overlook propriety for love?

Kitty is a bit of a spitfire. Here’s a taste of her with her cousin Lucy after Quentin proposes his “engagement of convenience.”

Lucy was welcoming the latest arrivals, an older couple with two giggling debutantes who immediately eyed Quentin as he passed. Kitty wanted to shout “Engaged!”

Which was only slightly better than “Mine!”

The book launches today on Amazon. 

Love and Larceny Launches!

I’m delighted to announce that Love and Larceny, Book 5 in the Lady Emily Capers, is now out as an e-book. This story follows Daphne Courdebas, the last of our intrepid friends, alas, to find a beau.

But even an Amazon can fall hard.

Daphne Courdebas is known for her daring. So when her former teacher now countess Lady Brentfield asks her, her sister Ariadne, and their friends Lady Emily Southwell and Priscilla Tate to return to Brentfield Manor to investigate things that go bump in the night, Daphne is ready. But once again, things are not as they seem at Brentfield, especially when it comes to Daphne’s new friend, Wynn Fairfax. Wynn is determined to prove himself to the lovely Amazon. What’s a lady known for saving the day to do when she finds her own heart in jeopardy?

Here’s a snippet:

Daphne climbed into the secret passage beside Wynn. “Which way tonight?”

He seemed surprised to see her, which was silly given the fact that he had come to find her. Who else did he think would answer his knock?

“Daphne,” he said, tone somber, “I didn’t come to explore. I have something I must say to you.”

“Can you say it while we walk?” she asked, pushing past him. “I have a terrible urge to move.” She lifted her skirts to clamber up the steps to the main passage.

Immediately, the darkness closed around her, and she realized Wynn and his candle had remained behind. Glancing back at the glow below, she called, “Wynn? Is something wrong?”

“No.” She could hear the sigh in his voice. The space brightened as he climbed up to join her.

“I can refuse you nothing,” he said, and for once he didn’t sound all that pleased about the matter.

“That’s because you’re a good friend,” she assured him, reaching out to take the candle from his grip. “Perhaps we should remain here in the west wing, as that is where Emily is concentrating her efforts.”

“Indeed,” he said, still with that defeated tone. “Lead the way. You can count on me to follow. That seems to be my role.”

Daphne frowned at him, then held out the candle. “Do you want to go first? You can have the light.”

“No,” he said. “I need to find the light inside me.”

Daphne shook her head. “You’re in an odd humor tonight. Perhaps we’ve stayed up too late. I’ll try to get you back by a reasonable hour.”

“I’m no invalid,” he snapped.

“Well, certainly not.” She turned and raised the candle high so they could both see their way. “But everyone needs a good night sleep now and then. You can’t expect to be at your best if your brain is muddled.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with my brain either,” he said behind her. “What I seem to lack is conviction.”

“About what?” she asked, remembering to lower her voice. They were passing over her mother’s room, and she doubted she could be convincing as a dream two nights in a row. Then she felt Wynn’s hand on her shoulder, pulling her to a stop.

“The only place I lack conviction is about you, Daphne.”

Balancing carefully, she turned to face him. “About me?”

In the candlelight, she could see that his dark brows were down, those sea-green eyes intent on her face. Indeed, every part of him seemed tense, as if he were about to jump a fence or shoot a bow.

“Daphne,” he said, “there is so much I want to tell you, but I know how difficult it can be for you to stand still and listen. Perhaps it’s better if I show you.”

He pulled her close and kissed her.

Once again her world exploded, and she found herself trembling with the sheer wonder of it. The sweet pressure of his lips, his arm stealing about her waist, made her head spin in the most delightful way. Was this how all young ladies felt when they were in love?

Wait. She wasn’t in love. This was Wynn.

She broke from his embrace and shoved him away from her. “What are you doing?!”

He teetered on the beam, off balance and leaning hard on his bad leg. As she watched, horror dawning, he toppled to one side and crashed through the plaster to disappear into the darkness below.

When the daring Daphne first appeared in A Dangerous Dalliance, the original version of Secrets and Sensibilities, I knew I wanted to tell her story someday. It’s taken years (a lot of years!) to finally have the opportunity. I hope you’ll agree her story was worth waiting for.

Find it at

Smashwords  

Barnes and Noble  

Amazon  

The (Al)lure of the Selkie

In Tuesday’s post announcing Skin Deep’s release I mentioned something about always having had a thing for selkies, so I thought it might be fun to take a look at selkie legend and folklore.

For those who aren’t familiar with them, selkies are a type of shape-shifter, a magical creature that can take the form either of a seal or a human.  They’re a Celtic creature, from the islands and west coast of Scotland as well as the east coast of Ireland. But unusually for shape-shifters, they don’t just change from one form to another: in order to assume his (or her) human form, a selkie takes off his or her skin and puts it on again when it’s time to return to the sea. In human form they’re said to be very beautiful, dark-haired with shining eyes—so beautiful that humans who see them often fall madly in love with them. But they also often have rough skin on their hands as well as webbed fingers.

The most common stories about selkies usually involve a human happening upon them at one of their dances, for selkies were said to gather on beaches at the full moon to take off their skins and dance together in the moonlight. Smitten by their beauty, the human (usually a fisherman out late at night to check his nets) would sneak over to where the selkies had left their skins and steal the one belonging to the fairest selkie maid, forcing her to remain in her human shape. Though she would beg for him to return her skin he always refused, and would somehow convince her to marry him (maybe she figured that if she stayed close to him she would be able to find her skin again.) They would marry and raise a family together...but years later the selkie would find the place where her husband had hidden her skin  (often led there by one of her own children, who has no idea what the soft furry cloak he or she has found is) and snatch it away to return to the sea...though in some of the stories she would return to visit her children.

It’s a beguiling image, isn’t it—the beautiful selkies, laughing and smiling as they dance on the beach with the sea glittering beyond them in the moonlight, the smitten fisherman watching them from behind a boulder, perhaps? I’m not sure if that’s the image that drew me, or the fact that seals are pretty neat creatures to begin with...but the selkie legend has always held a strong fascination for me, so it was inevitable I’d write about them one day.  But in Skin Deep, I’ve turned the selkie legend more than a little upside down...and given it a happily ever after ending.  Want to find out how?  You can find it in ebook format at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo...and in print also at Amazon. Or if you’re feeling lucky, you can take a chance at winning one of ten copies I’m giving away through Goodreads.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Skin Deep

by Marissa Doyle

Giveaway ends May 15, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Any fellow selkie fans out there? Or is there another shape-shifter legend that has you fascinated?

Release Day for Skin Deep!

Sometimes it's what's on the outside that matters...

That’s the tag line for my newest book, Skin Deep, which I’m very happy to announce ships today from all the usual online retailers—Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo—and in paperback as well!

Skin Deep is a contemporary paranormal romance (yes, that means adult not YA, but the level of steam is restrained) with a bit of a twist: while the hero is a selkie (I have been obsessed with selkie folklore since childhood), the heroine does not fall into the usual human-with-no-powers role often seen in shape-shifter romance. Unbeknownst to her, Garland Durrell has a strange gift: the quilts she creates are imbued with magic. She’ll have to learn to use that gift to save the man—er, selkie—she loves as well as the town that is her new home from an evil entity bent on destroying them—and claiming her magic for itself.

As much as I lurrrve writing historical settings and characters, this book was just as fun to write. It’s set on Cape Cod, near which I grew up and where I still spend a lot of time, and writing a setting I know so intimately was both easy and hard—easy because all I have to do is close my eyes and I’m there, but hard because I needed to make readers see it as well and not just assume you would feel the contours of the land, the colors of the ocean, and the scents and sounds that I do.

In addition, I’m a quilter (though not with my heroine’s talent!), and again it was both easy and difficult to bring the tools, the processes, and most of all the sensibilities of the craft to life in a story.

And of course, there’s that thing I have for selkies...but we’ll talk more about that later. ☺

Skin Deep has already received a 4 ½ star/Reviewers Top Pick designation from Night Owl Reviews; I hope NineteenTeen readers will give it a try!  You can read an excerpt on my website to get a feel for the story...and just for fun, I’ve created several quilt templates that can be downloaded so that you can color and create your own enchanted quilts.

Have fun, and thank you for celebrating with me!

 

Available This Instant: Instant Frontier Family

When my publisher said my next book would be out January 1, I laughed. Imagine burly distributors stocking books on New Year’s Day! But thanks to technological advances, Instant Frontier Family was available in an instant and can now be found at online retailers and booksellers near you.

Maddie O'Rourke's orphaned half brother and half sister have arrived safely in Seattle, with a man they hope she'll wed! Though Michael Haggerty's not the escort she planned for, Maddie allows him to work off his passage by assisting in her bakery…and helping care for her siblings. But she'll never risk her new-found independence by marrying the strapping Irishman, or anyone else. 

In New York, Michael ran afoul of a notorious gang. Traveling west was a necessity, not a choice. The longshoreman grew fond of his young charges, and now he's quickly becoming partial to their beautiful sister, too. So when danger follows him, threatening Maddie and the children, he'll do anything to protect them, and the future he hopes to build.

Of course, neither of them was too sure about love to start:

Michael followed her into the kitchen. “With dozens of suitors to choose from, you haven’t found one to your liking?” he asked, trying for a light tone. “Are your standards so high, Maddie?”

She chuckled as she pulled a canister from under her worktable and pried off the lid. “Sure-n I could find more than one fellow in that lot to marry, if marriage was important to me.” She jingled the coins she drew from her skirts and dropped them into the tin with a clank. “As it is, if I marry I have to share all this. Why would I want to be doing that, when it’s my efforts that earned it in the first place?”

He couldn’t argue with her there. He knew the law generally granted any money a woman earned to her husband. But to be so coldhearted about it? That didn’t make sense.

She cocked her head, watching him. “You look disappointed in my answer. Did you think I should give up my dreams to marry? You never let love get in the way of your goals, did you now? You wouldn’t have let your Katie sway you from your intended course.”

“I fell in love,” he admitted, “but I never lost sight of my goals. If I had been willing to compromise my values, I might be married by now.”

“Love is compromise from what I can see,” she said, going to the washbasin, wetting a cloth and wringing it out. “You work and work to put food on the table and clothes on your back, until there’s no time left for love. Sure-n but we’re better off without such heartache.” She tossed him the rag, and he caught it in one hand. “Use that to clean off the counter. I’ll go up to check on Ciara and Aiden, and then I’ll start the baking for this evening.”

In the act of pushing back into the shop, Michael paused. “More baking?”

She laughed. “You make it sound as pleasant as the rack. Yes, more baking. That’s my job. This is a bakery, and I bake. I was hoping for a lady to come with Ciara and Aiden to help, if you recall.”

And she’d gotten him instead. “I’m sorry I can’t be more use to you,” he said, “but I’ll do what I can.” Feeling inept for the first time in his life, he went to clean off the counter, wiping away the crumbs and scrubbing at the drips of icing. Yet her words refused to leave him.

He wanted to agree with her that love meant heartache. He’d certainly had his fill. But some part of him whispered that more might be possible, if he would but try once again.

He had been so focused on his task that he didn’t see her move into the room. Instead, he felt her hand on his arm.

“Good enough, Mr. Haggerty,” she said. “Another minute and you’ll rub right through the wood.”

He relaxed his hand, feeling her grip soften. She was close enough that he could see a dusting of freckles across the tip of her nose, as if ginger had escaped some of her cookies. Cinnamon-colored lashes fluttered over eyes as dark as fresh-roasted coffee.

Michael mentally shook himself. Working in the bakery must have addled his brain, because all he could think about was that her kiss would taste as sweet as her cooking.

Interested to see what happens when Michael and Maddie share their first kiss? Purchase your own copy at

My publisher's website

Amazon

Barnes and Noble  

Kobo 

iTunes 

An independent bookstore near you

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)

And look for more information on Instant Frontier Family on Friday.

An Engagement on the Frontier

I’m tickled pink to announce the release of the third book in my Frontier Bachelors series for Love Inspired Historical, Frontier Engagement. Library Journal called it absorbing, touching, and heartwarming, and Huntress Reviews gave it five stars. But I love the story because I had so much fun writing it.

You see, James Wallin is a bit of a card--witty, charming, with a smile that could coax the birds from the trees. He prides himself on his team of fast horses, his style, his clever response to any situation. Until he meets lady who distrusts charm above all things. Here’s the blurb:

James Wallin's family is depending on him to find a schoolteacher for their frontier town. Alexandrina Fosgrave seems to be exactly what he needs to help fulfill his father's dream of building a new community. If only James could convince her to accept the position. 

Rina has traveled west to seek a fresh start, not to find a groom. But after she's stranded in the wilderness with James, he offers her his hand in marriage to protect her reputation. Both are afraid to fall in love, but maybe an engagement of convenience could make them reconsider… 

Here’s a sneak peek of how James and Rina get along together (or not!):

The crossing denied them, he managed to turn the wagon and team and go back the way they had come. Sure enough, a tiny trail, little more than the width of the wagon, led off the existing track. He clucked to the horses, who eased the wagon onto the trail. At least it had stopped raining. He could see the way clearly, past rocky hillsides and thick forest.

The lady beside him was stonier, face set and arms crossed over her chest. Surely he could make her smile again.

“Fine day for a drive,” he ventured.

“Not from where I sit,” she replied.

He leaned closer, gave her his best smile. “Not too late to turn back.”

“I fail to see how you can even turn!” she protested.

“Oh, I’d figure something out,” he said, straightening. “I always do. Just say the word.”

“The word, Mr. Wallin,” she grit out, “is onward.”

So they were back to being prickly again. He sighed. “Is that one of the rules for a teacher—excessive formality? Otherwise I’m certain I’d be James by now.”

“You didn’t give me permission,” she pointed out.

“I didn’t ask it either, Rina,” he replied.

Her lips tightened. “No, you did not, but I doubt my new employers would approve.”

“A shame they aren’t here, or to see you cavorting through the forest with an eligible bachelor.” He wiggled his brows at her.

She regarded him coolly. “We are not cavorting,” she informed him. “We are driving on a public road in full view of anyone who might drive by.”

He glanced around at the trees, then back at her. “Very proper, unless you consider the fact that this is more a trail than a road, and we aren’t likely to see another human being for miles.”

“But we could,” she insisted. “That is the point, Mr. Wallin.”

“James,” he corrected her.

“Fine,” she said. “James. But I think it is clear by our actions that we are not attempting to be clandestine. Therefore, our behavior is completely aboveboard.”

She had the cutest little nose. At the moment, it was high in the air, as if she had no doubt of her convictions.

“So, as long as it’s done in the open, it’s proper?” he asked her.

“Precisely.”

“Good.” He pulled on the reins to halt the horses.

Rina put a hand to the sideboard as the wagon jerked to a stop. “What are you doing?”

“Attempting to persuade you to come home with me,” he said, and he bent and kissed her.

Interested? You can find Frontier Engagement for a limited time at fine stores like Barnes and Noble and Wal-Mart. You can also order online at

Harlequin  

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iTunes

Indiebound (a bookstore near you)

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)  

Waxing Eloquent about Eloquence and Espionage

Sometimes, your heroine takes over the book.

When I first started writing the Lady Emily Capers (and didn’t realize that’s what I was doing), I made Ariadne Courdebas the girl who perpetually has her nose in a book and her hand on the dessert. The first book in the series, now titled Secrets and Sensibilities, was published before I had read any of the Harry Potter series, but I certainly recognized Hermione Granger as a kindred spirit. So with Ariadne’s love for all things literary, it wasn’t surprising that her character had a great deal to say in, Eloquence and Espionage, which launched on June 22. Take the moment she met the man of her dreams:

Ariadne would always remember the moment her life changed. She’d been with her dear friend, Priscilla Tate, whose betrothal to the Duke of Rottenford was to be announced that very night. Such a momentous occasion would have been cause for celebration, but for two things: Priscilla had decided she loved someone else, no less than the duke’s personal secretary, and someone had been blackmailing her with vague threats of dire consequences. Quite clichéd, actually. Ariadne would have added more specifics: demands for her family jewels, perhaps an order to walk naked past St. George’s Hanover Square on Sunday morning. Still, even with unimaginative threats, it had taken the combined forces of Ariadne’s older sister Daphne, Priscilla, and their acknowledged leader Lady Emily Southwell to uncover the culprits and bring them to justice.

But that night, while trying to outwit their nemeses, Ariadne had noticed a gentleman following her and Priscilla. He was tall and broad-shouldered, and he carried himself like a celebrated thespian, full of brash confidence and bravado. He’d been dressed like a Roman centurion, hair black as midnight streaming down to his shoulders and face hidden by a dark leather mask. And Ariadne had offered to distract him so Priscilla could make her escape and save the day.

He’d been standing at the top of the stairs where a balcony braced His Grace’s massive ballroom. Ariadne had approached cautiously, trying to conceive of the appropriate opening gambit in this sort of situation. Priscilla was the one gifted with the ability to sway a gentleman’s thoughts. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she had long curly hair of a lustrous gold, green eyes bright as emeralds, and considerable curves that she dressed to accentuate.

Ariadne was not so blessed. Her straight hair was merely light brown, and she generally wore it in a bun at the top of her head with a few contrived curls framing her round face. That night, she’d worn it undressed and flowing down her back, in keeping with the white diaphanous silk robes and laurel wreath that made up her costume of Athena, goddess of wisdom. Her eyes were an ordinary blue that was not dark enough to be termed sapphire or bright enough to be called cornflower. And her figure, to her ongoing consternation, tended to look more plump than perfect.

Had she been cast in one of Mr. Sheridan’s wonderful plays, she would likely have been the understudy to a minor character. So she thought it particularly bold of her to sashay up to the powerfully built centurion and say, “Have you no legions to lead that you must chase after us, sir?”

He was surveying the ballroom, bare arms crossed over his bronze breastplate, scarlet cloak draping his back, quite as if he had not noticed her approaching. Now his gaze swung to meet hers. The mask shadowed his eyes, but she thought they were dark, brooding.

Quite suitable, actually.

“And how could a gentleman fail to follow where beauty leads?” he countered with a practiced drawl. The perfection of it sent gooseflesh up inside her long white evening gloves.

“Yes, my friend is particularly lovely,” she acknowledged with a smile. “I would offer to introduce you, but she is promised to another, I fear.”

He straightened, raising his head above hers and making her feel surprisingly petite. “Why would you think I meant your friend?”

His Grace’s elegant ballroom was terribly warm from all the bodies crushed inside it, but she didn’t think its coziness was making her face feel as if she were on fire. For a moment, she couldn’t think of a thing to say. That was generally the case with her and boys. She remained tongue-tied; they tended too often to speak of unimportant matters such as horses and carriages and hunting.

As if he knew how his words had affected her, he leaned closer, raising his hand to touch her cheek below her mask with tender fingers, and she found herself trembling.

“You do not give yourself enough credit, my dear,” he murmured, and her breath hitched in her chest. “I imagine entire legions would march to the ends of the earth at one word from those pearly lips.”

Her nerves evaporated. Ariadne sighed. “Oh, and you were doing so well. My lips are not pearly, sir. No woman would appreciate that compliment. Who wants to think of her lips as white and round?”

His fingers touched her lips, soft as a feather, then withdrew. “I meant because they are delectably plump.”

Ariadne rolled her eyes. “Plump? I cannot think why I would approve of that adjective being applied to any part of my person.”

He straightened. “So you are proof against seduction.” She thought he sounded disappointed.

“I am proof against poor imagery,” she replied. “Syntax too. And don’t get me started on misplaced modifiers.”

Ariadne may be proof against poor imagery, but will she truly prove immune to the charm of her centurion? Find out in Eloquence and Espionage, on sale now from

Amazon

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Smashwords

And be advised, Marissa and I intend to spend next week being less than eloquent, as in we will be off celebrating with our families. Look for the next post on July 7.

Warming Up the Wilderness

Would-Be Wilderness Wife, the second in my Frontier Bachelors series set around pioneer Seattle, was just released, and I couldn't be happier with the reception.

RT Book Reviews gave it 4.5 stars and a Top Pick for March. “Plenty of drama and a mystery that will keep readers turning pages.”

But I was truly humbled by the 5 star reviews from the delightful Britt Reads Fiction and the amazing Huntress Reviews.  Said the latter:  "The character of Catherine is a strong one. No simpering miss here! She is intelligent, brave, and knows what she wants. She is also wise enough to know when to bow to another's expertise; such as when a large cougar appears and she does not know how to shoot. Drew's character is a perfect match for Catherine. Family is very important to him. This gentleman is brave, skilled, and has much honor. I cannot express how great this story is, nor can I recommend it highly enough. Absolutely wonderful!"  

I hope you’ll agree.  Here’s a little taste:

He carried himself as proudly as a knight from the tales of King Arthur her father had read to her as a child. His rough-cut light brown hair brushed the top of the door jamb, his shoulders in the wrinkled blue cotton shirt reached either side. He took a step into the room, and she was certain she felt the floor tremble.

Finding her voice, she raised her chin. “I can help you.”

He walked down the narrow room toward her, the thud of his worn leather boots like the sound of a hammer on the planks of the floor. The blue apothecary bottles lined up on the shelves behind the counter chimed against one another as he passed. He was like a warrior approaching his leader, a soldier his commanding officer. Mrs. Witherspoon, waiting on a chair for the doctor to reset her shoulder, clutched her arm close, wide eyed. Others stared at him or quickly looked away.

He stopped beside Catherine and lay his fingers on the curved back of the chair where the elderly Mr. Jenkins snoozed while he waited for his monthly dose of medicine. Scars crossed the skin of the massive hand, white against the bronze.

Up close, Catherine could see that his face was more heart-shaped than oval, his unkempt hair drawing down in a peak over his forehead. His liberally lashed eyes were a mixture of clear green and blue, like the waves that lapped the Puget Sound shores. The gold of his skin said he worked outdoors; the wear on this clothes said he made little income from it.

He was easily the most healthy male she’d ever seen, so why did he need medical assistance?

“Are you a doctor?” he asked. Everything from the way he cocked his head to the slow cadence of the question spoke of his doubt.

Her spine stiffened, lifting her blue skirts off the floor and bringing her head level with his breastbone. She was used to the surprise, the doubts about her vocation here in Seattle. Even where she’d been raised, a few had questioned that the prominent physician George Stanway had trained his daughter to be a nurse. More had wondered why their beloved doctor and his promising son had felt it necessary to get themselves killed serving in the Union Army. At times, Catherine wondered the same thing.

“I’m a nurse,” she told their visitor, keeping her voice calm, professional. “I was trained by my father, a practicing physician, and served for a year at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. I came West with the Mercer expedition. Doctor Maynard was sufficiently pleased with my credentials to hire me to assist him and his wife.”

“So you’re a Mercer belle.” He straightened, towering over her. “I didn't come looking for a bride. I need a doctor.”

A Mercer belle. That, she knew from the newspapers back East, was synonymous with husband hunter. Obviously her credentials as a medical practitioner meant nothing to him.

Well, he might not have come to the hospital seeking a bride, but she hadn't come to Seattle after a husband either. She’d already refused three offers of marriage since arriving two weeks ago. Her friend, Madeleine O’Rourke, had turned away six. Even her friend Allegra had had to argue with two would-be suitors before she’d wed her childhood sweetheart, Clay Howard, a successful local businessman, only two days after landing.

None of them had left the East Coast expecting such attentions. When Seattle’s self-proclaimed emigration agent, Asa Mercer, had recruited her and nearly seventy other women to settle in Washington Territory, he’d talked of the jobs that needed filling, the culture they could bring to the fledgling community. Already some of her traveling companions were teaching schools in far-flung settlements. Others had taken jobs they had never dreamed of back home, including tending a lighthouse. They were innovative and industrious, just as Catherine had hoped she’d be when she’d journeyed west.

“I’m not interested in marriage either, sir,” she told him. “And I assure you, I am perfectly suited to deal with medical emergencies. Now, what’s the trouble?”

~~~

Would-Be Wilderness Wife is available from fine retailers such as

Love Inspired Historical at Harlequin  

Amazon  

Barnes and Noble  

Kobo  

iBooks

An independent bookstore near you   

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)  

A Good Story Is Timeless

What’s your favorite historical period?  Marissa and I started this blog because we have a fascination for the nineteenth century, and England.  But the nineteenth century is often called the “long” century, because the attitudes in it could be seen as spanning the late 1700s to the early 1900s.  And within that time, as you probably noticed from just in Marissa’s fashion forecasts, everything from fashion to technology to religion made some drastic changes.

Then there’s the difference between what was fashionable in England and what was popular in America.  And Marissa has found plenty to love lately in the World War I era.

So what’s your favorite?  I have a soft spot for the Regency period, no doubt about that.  But I've always loved stories about the way west along the Oregon trail, and I enjoy a good medieval yarn about bold knights and noble ladies.  And who doesn't love a cowboy?

The amazing variety of historical settings available to authors is one of the reason I’m so pleased to be part of the new boxed set, Timeless:  Historical Romance Through the Ages.  Together, the stories range from Regency England to early 1900s Chicago, from Minnesota during the Sioux Uprising to post-Civil War Missouri.  And two stories are set in Montana, one in a Civil War era mining camp and one on a 1890 ranch.   

Give it a try, and tell me which you love most.

Buy now on Amazon.

And where is Marissa, you might ask? She’s off this week.  She’ll post next Tuesday, we’ll both be off the last week of August, I’ll post September 5, and we’ll be back to our normal posting schedule September 8.  Happy reading!

Quiz: Name that Prof!

In my new release By Jove, Theo Fairchild is thrilled to find herself working toward her doctorate in the very prestigious Classics Department at John Winthrop University in Boston. The faculty are at the top of their field, the best of the best...for a very good reason!

I’ve put together a little quiz I’m calling Name That Prof; let’s see if you can figure out just why the faculty members that Theo meets in By Jove seem strangely familiar...

1. Professor Arthur Waterman, Theo’s advisor, swims laps every morning in the university’s pool, keeps tanks of pet tropical fish, and wears a large diver’s watch. He just might bear a passing resemblance to:

A. Jacques Cousteau

B. Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea

C. Michael Phelps’s older brother

2. Professor Henry Forge-Smythe, who teaches Theo’s class in Pre-Roman History, walks with crutches, has a very beautiful wife, and when not teaching indulges in a metalworking hobby. He kind of calls to mind:

A. Long John Silver

B. Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths

C. Tiny Tim Cratchit, thirty years later

3. Department secretary June Cadwallader is fond of peacock blue, dislikes female students, and does her best to rule the Classics Department (and its chairman) with a rod of iron. She is somewhat similar to:

A. Ivana Trump

B. Hera, queen of the Greek pantheon

C.Cersei Lannister

4. Renee Frothington-Forge-Smythe, wife of Professor Henry Forge-Smythe, loves shopping, reading romance novels, and the color pink. She reminds you a bit of:

A. Barbara Cartland

B. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love

C. Kim Kardashian

4. Professor Di Hunter teaches Greek, coaches the women’s field hockey team, and is quite disgusted when she happens upon Theo and Grant sharing their first kiss. She might make you think of:

A. Katniss Everdeen

B. Artemis, the Greek goddess of the chase

C. Queen Elizabeth I

5. Professor Paul Harriman also teaches Greek, plays several instruments, and has cut quite a swathe through the hearts of the female students at John Winthrop. He is somewhat reminiscent of:

A. Justin Bieber

B. Apollo, the Greek god of music and poetry

C. Brad Pitt in a gladiator costume

6. Professor Bellow, who directs the Classics Department’s museum, has a habitually somber expression, a dog named Kirby, and prefers to lurk in his office in the basement of Hamilton Hall. He rather resembles:

A. Riff Raff (okay, so how many of you know who he is? ☻)

B. Hades, god of the underworld

C. Your creepy Uncle Hubert

So...are you sensing a pattern here?

Don’t forget, By Jove is on sale for its introductory price of $.99 through tomorrow, June 28, so now is a great time to buy it before the price goes up.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple itunes

Kobo

And I’m still on tour (blog, that is) so do stop in and say hello!

A brief note about our upcoming schedule: Regina will be taking next week off, then alternating weeks for posts over the next two months so that we can enjoy summer fun with our families. Have a good Independence Day vacation!!

By Jove is here!!

I am thrilled, delighted, and generally dancing in my chair to announce that By Jove, my very first book for adults, releases today from Entangled Publishing! It’s a kind of a romance, kind of a contemporary fantasy, and totally a book of my heart. Most authors have books of their hearts—stories that for one reason or another mean a little bit more to them no matter what others think. By Jove is one of mine, and I hope you’ll give it a chance to find its way into yours!

What’s it about?

For Theodora Fairchild, returning to graduate school after three years of teaching Latin to unenthusiastic middle schoolers is a dream come true. The professors in the Classics Department at John Winthrop University in Boston are the best in their field; the classes are varied and intellectually stimulating…and she meets brilliant, sweetly nerdy post-doc Grant Proctor.

As she gives in to her feelings for Grant, someone seems determined to keep them apart—no matter the consequences. Things are not quite what they seem in the Classics Department, and someone there has plans for Theo that don’t include Grant. When Grant disappears, surviving the semester becomes only one of Theo’s worries; her wits and wisdom may be the only things that can save the man she loves.

Why did I write it?

I wrote this book before Bewitching Season was even thought of, which is quite a while ago...so it’s really, really cool to have this story finally see the light of day. It was inspired by a dream—yes, really!—which is why I always keep a light-up pen and notebook next to my bed. That actual dream doesn’t appear anywhere in the book, but it’s amazing how a small thing can inspire an entire book. I also studied Latin for eight years in high school and college and loved it almost as much as Theo does, so it was probably inevitable I’d write about Latin some day.

Where can you get it?

You can get By Jove now as an ebook at all the usual sales outlets...and today through June 28, it’s at Entangled's special introductory price of 99 cents. So if you think you’d like to give By Jove a try, now is the time!!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Apple itunes

Kobo

Anything else?

Yup!

I'll be doing a blog tour over the next few weeks, so if you'd like to follow along, I'd love to see the friendly faces of regular NineteenTeen readers on my journey through the blogosphere. The schedule can be found here...do stop by!!

If you'd like to read the first chapter of By Jove, it's right here on my website as well as on Entangled Publishing's site.

And thank you for happy-dancing with me on my book birthday!