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Inside the Writer's Garret

Jessica Cale and her new #HistoricalRomance, Virtue's Lady

4/9/2015

3 Comments

 

The Southwark Saga

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Jessica Cale's historical romance series, The Southwark Saga, is set in Britain during the restoration.  I'm pleased to have her as my guest today to tell you about Virtue's Lady, the second book of the series and  why she chose this exciting period of time in British history for her story.



Romance and the Restoration

With so many British historical romances set in the nineteenth century, you would be forgiven for thinking nothing happened in England before the Regency. Although the nineteenth century was a time of progress, change, and those famous balls at Almack’s, I decided to set my new historical series two hundred years earlier in the seventeenth century.

The Southwark Saga begins in 1671, eleven years after the restoration of Charles II. The Restoration is an exciting period to read, write and research. It was a time of change and was characterized by cataclysmic events, such as the English Civil War that saw the execution of Charles I and the exile of his son with a significant part of the Court. The Plague killed an estimated 200,000 people between 1665 and 1666 and was chronicled in Defoe’s nightmarish Journal of a Plague Year. The last of that was wiped out by the Great Fire of London, which incinerated most of the medieval City of London over a four day period, destroying 13,200 houses and 87 churches including St. Paul’s cathedral, and killing or displacing thousands of people. After the fire, London was rebuilt with a new street plan designed by Christopher Wren, and began to take on the shape it is today, with the new St. Paul’s Cathedral as its crowning glory.

There were also many larger than life figures who we still remember to this day. Charles II, “The Merry Monarch” had more mistresses than there are days in the week and several illegitimate children, and when the Great Fire threatened to consume the entirety of London, he and his brother, the Duke of York, fought the fire themselves. Diarist Samuel Pepys meticulously recorded his daily life in the 1660s, providing an invaluable resource for historians, while John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, kept people laughing with his bawdy verse. Lower down the chain you’ll find Solomon Eccles, a composer who had a religious awakening and spent his days nude with a dish of burning coals on his head, urging passers-by the repent as they did their shopping.

The Restoration is a wonderful time to set fiction, and particularly romance. With the Civil War behind them, London was in the mood to celebrate. The theaters reopened and women were allowed onstage, providing cheap entertainment to people of any class most nights of the week. The rigid social structure and excessive manners of the nineteenth century had not set in yet, and the social mobility of the time was second to none. Courtesans regularly rose above their stations, such as Nell Gwynn, who rose from an orange seller of humble birth to become Charles II’s favorite mistress.

The poor could still marry with little more than a declaration and a witness. Highwaymen haunted the forests and roads around the city, and execution at Tyburn was a real threat to them and anyone caught stealing anything worth more than a shilling. For excitement, color, and danger, you’ll be hard pressed to find a time better for fiction than the seventeenth century.

Tyburn, the first book of The Southwark Saga, follows Sally Green, a French immigrant and Covent Garden prostitute as she tries to escape her unfortunate circumstances. Hero Nick Virtue is a private domestic tutor turned highwayman who saves her though it means risking his life.

The second book is Virtue’s Lady. In this follow-up to Tyburn, Lady Jane Ramsey attempts to marry out of wealth when she falls for Nick’s brother, Mark, an ex-convict and carpenter who lives in the slum in Southwark. Five years after the fire, Mark is still struggling to adapt his business for a city that no longer wants wooden houses, and the last thing he needs is an earl taking shots at him for ruining his daughter.

I wrote both books with the aim to show you what the Restoration was like from the ground up. You’ll feel the dirt, smell the river, and taste the terrible, terrible coffee right along with the characters as you are introduced to a new world in historical romance. I invite you to join me in the seventeenth century, and I very much hope you’ll enjoy The Southwark Saga.



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Virtue’s Lady

From toiling for pennies to bare-knuckle boxing, a lady is prepared for every eventuality.



Lady Jane Ramsey is young, beautiful, and ruined.

After being rescued from her kidnapping by a handsome highwayman, she returns home only to find her marriage prospects drastically reduced. Her father expects her to marry the repulsive Lord Lewes, but Jane has other plans. All she can think about is her highwayman, and she is determined to find him again.

Mark Virtue is trying to go straight. After years of robbing coaches and surviving on his wits, he knows it’s time to hang up his pistol and become the carpenter he was trained to be. He busies himself with finding work for his neighbors and improving his corner of Southwark as he tries to forget the girl who haunts his dreams. As a carpenter struggling to stay in work in the aftermath of The Fire, he knows Jane is unfathomably far beyond his reach, and there’s no use wishing for the impossible. 

When Jane turns up in Southwark, Mark is furious. She has no way of understanding just how much danger she has put them in by running away. In spite of his growing feelings for her, he knows that Southwark is no place for a lady. Jane must set aside her lessons to learn a new set of rules if she is to make a life for herself in the crime-ridden slum. She will fight for her freedom and her life if that’s what it takes to prove to Mark—and to herself—that there’s more to her than meets the eye. 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Virtues-Lady-Southwark-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00VC6B9SS/



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Jessica Cale is a historical romance author and journalist based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com. 



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Tyburn (The Southwark Saga, Book 1): Notorious harlot Sally Green fights for survival in Restoration London. When a brutal attack throws them together, Sally is torn between the tutor who saves her and the highwayman who keeps her up at night; between new love and an old need for revenge. Winner of the Southern Magic Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence 2015. 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PQV6H9Q

3 Comments

Barbara Freethy and The Incredible Callaways #NewRelease #Series

4/6/2015

1 Comment

 
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I'm excited to be a part of New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy's Incredible Calloway Tour. 
 The Calloways, Barbara’s new connected family series, follows each of the eight siblings in a blended Irish-American family as they find love, mystery and adventure, often where they least expect it!
The Tour includes lots of great prizes. Enter the rafflecopter at the bottom of this post for a chance at $100 Amazon Gift Certificate and visit Novel Publicity for more chances to win!


Barbara is here today with a blog about strong women characters; characters like Sarah in On a Night Like This,  book #1 of the series

Tea Bags, Hot Water, and Strong Women

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One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Eleanor Roosevelt: "A woman is like a tea bag. You don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water." 

This quote perfectly describes the heroines in my new connected family series:  The Callaways. I love to write about ordinary women who get caught up in extraordinary adventures. My heroines don't always know what they're made of until they're tested. 



While we sometimes associate strong female characters with over-the-top roles like vampire slayer or some other kick-ass profession, I believe most women, even the quiet ones, have a superhuman core of strength that enables them to change the world they live in and also to change the men who love them. In my books, the heroine's strength is enhanced, not only by a new and powerful romantic relationship but also her personal journey to find herself.

In the first book in the Callaway series, ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS, the heroine, Sara, has grown up in a troubled family and is estranged from her father. She grew up next door to the chaotic, fun-loving Callaway family and often envied the relationships she saw on the other side of the fence. She also had a huge crush on the second oldest male in the family, Aiden Callaway.

While Sara was a studious, serious girl in high school, Aiden was the charming rebel. As teenagers they were not ready for each other, but now they meet again as adults and both are facing pivotal moments in their lives.  

Aiden is recovering from an injury he acquired as a smokejumper and grieving for the loss of his best friend, who died during their last jump together. Sara has come home to repair the relationship with her father, only to discover that there are family secrets that will change everything she thought she knew about her past and her parents.

Sara has to find the strength within herself to risk her heart on a man who could quite possibly break it, to face a terrible lie and to find a way to forgive her father. Aiden also has to find a way to deal with the secret that took his friend's life. Together these two characters find strength within themselves and also draw strength from each other, which is, really, what love is all about.  

As a reader, I love books that have layers:  romance, mystery, adventure and surprises. As a writer, I strive to bring those same elements to all of my stories. My heroines have to be as strong as the heroes. And I always hope that they inspire my readers in some way, too.  

I grew up reading books about strong female characters, and I know those reading experiences helped shaped some of my own attitudes about the kind of woman I wanted to be.  

Who are some of your favorite female characters? And what do you love most about them? 



*****

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Barbara Freethy has been making up stories most of her life. Growing up in a neighborhood with only boys and a big brother who was usually trying to ditch her, she spent a lot of time reading. When she wasn’t reading, she was imagining her own books. After college and several years in the P.R. field, she decided to try her hand at a novel. Now Barbara is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author loved by readers all over the world. Her novels range from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Learn more on her website, Facebook page, or in her Street Team.


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About the Callaway Blog Tour & All Its Great Prizes! This is the week you finally meet the Callaways! Not only are they all over the web as part of their extraordinary blog tour, but they are also out and about in your neighborhood. That's right; we're celebrating the print launch with Ingram by throwing a party all over the world! Make sure to follow this tour closely for your chance to win gift cards, swag, autographed books, and other incredible prizes.

All the info you need to join the fun and enter to win amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment—easy to enter; easy to win!

To Win the Prizes:

  1. Purchase any of the Callaway novels by Barbara Freethy (optional)
  2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest on Novel Publicity 
  3. Visit today’s featured social media event (that's where the HUGE prizes are)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
1 Comment

Jennifer Anderson Finding You #NewReleases

4/1/2015

2 Comments

 
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I'm so pleased to have  Jennifer Anderson in the house today. Her new adult novel, Finding You released last week with Turquoise Morning Press.  She's here to tell you all about the new book, and also to 'fess up about her shopaholic tendencies.


In with empty hands. Out with armloads.

I’m not sure what it is about a nice day, but while most are out riding bikes, gardening or something, outside, I’d rather be in a store shopping. Maybe it’s the lure of bare legs and shorts. Or spring colors splashed across my chest (as in a nice shirt!). But it calls to me. Nagging me all day until I buy something.

For instance, last Sunday, it was a decent day and I was able to go outside and watch my son play soccer but while I cheered him on, I mentally prepared a shopping list or things I didn’t need. And even after we were home and I was so tired from the long day and the end of the weekend fall on the couch slump, I still found a reason to hit the store. My son needed underwear. Honestly, I had to buy him under garments. I mean, he only owned like 5 pairs that fit and we were heading out of town and the kid cannot go commando! He could but what kind of a mother would do that.

But even after I prepared a mental list of items I needed, I still only managed to purchase one item that I actually needed (under roos) and a basket full of stuff I didn’t need (fingernail polish in a rainbow of colors).

Am I the only one? What do you do when it’s nice out? I should have been inside writing the follow-up novel to Finding You, but the call of my plastic credit card was enough to send this girl outside
I’m not sure what it is about a nice day, but while most are out riding bikes, gardening or something, outside, I’d rather be in a store shopping. Maybe it’s the lure of bare legs and shorts. Or spring colors splashed across my chest (as in a nice shirt!). But it calls to me. Nagging me all day until I buy something.

For instance, last Sunday, it was a decent day and I was able to go outside and watch my son play soccer but while I cheered him on, I mentally prepared a shopping list or things I didn’t need. And even after we were home and I was so tired from the long day and the end of the weekend fall on the couch slump, I still found a reason to hit the store. My son needed underwear. Honestly, I had to buy him under garments. I mean, he only owned like 5 pairs that fit and we were heading out of town and the kid cannot go commando! He could but what kind of a mother would do that.

But even after I prepared a mental list of items I needed, I still only managed to purchase one item that I actually needed (under roos) and a basket full of stuff I didn’t need (fingernail polish in a rainbow of colors).

Am I the only one? What do you do when it’s nice out? I should have been inside writing the follow-up novel to Finding You, but the call of my plastic credit card was enough to send this girl outside




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A long-lost grandfather dies, leaving Jessica Crispin a sizable inheritance. The only catch? She has to find her mom, whom she hasn’t seen since she was two, and she only has thirty days to do it.

Enlisting her best friend Violet, Jessica sets out on a road trip determined to solve a mystery fed by deceit and misinformation from people she thought she could trust.

On the way, she meets Jackson, whose kindness and sexy pale blue eyes make her wish he would come along for the ride.

Clues from her mother lead her far from home and to a secret Jessica never imagined. And as the deadline looms, Jessica must make peace with the ghosts of her past and risk dreaming of a future pursuing her secret passion with Jackson by her side.


Available at these e-book retailers:
iBooks    http://apple.co/19tTGcu
Amazon   http://amzn.to/1DdeEdJ
Barnes&Noble   http://bit.ly/1FXET8t
ARe   http://bit.ly/1Eij1UF
Smashwords   http://bit.ly/1F4QG1D
Kobo   http://bit.ly/1F4QKP0

An Excerpt from Finding You

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“Excuse me. But can I help you guys.”

Our heads popped up, looking at the person who spoke. If we’d broken down on a dusty highway in the desert, I might have thought he was a mirage and not the gorgeous guy who stopped to offer help.

College changes a girl’s perspective when it comes to guys. Athletes, they hate being called jocks, don’t have much time to date with practices, games and mandatory study hall and quiet hours. Musicians were okay but unless I liked smelling like an ashtray and waiting in a long line of groupies to say hello, I tended to avoid them.

Smart guys were the ticket. Not rocket scientists but more like the quiet, intellectual type that attended classes, wore clean clothes, held open doors, and enjoyed reading a good book. And this guy who stopped to help two stranded girls didn’t give off a creeper vibe but a knight in shining armor vibe. Full dark brown hair that didn’t require much maintenance rested above a firm jaw and a brilliant smile. I held back a groan because the scenario was too good to be true.

As quick as we popped up, we popped back down.

“Oh my god. Do you see what I see?” I whispered from behind the trunk lid.

“I don’t know. Was it a hot guy with a smile that could melt off my panties?” Violet wanted to be a writer like her mom, except she was aiming for more romance and chick lit.

Maybe even borderline erotic.

We each moved around to opposite sides of the car, Violet to the driver’s side and me closer to the man candy who’d stopped to help us out.

“Um…hi,” I offered inching closer and closer to where he remained examining my flat tire. He bent down, pushing his dark sunglasses on top his head full of dark, run-your-fingers-through hair. The lean muscles cording his bicep bulged as he griped the tire. Was it hot out here or just him?

“Do you have a jack and spare?”

I blinked in his direction, processing his words among all the eye feast. If I waited longer, I’d look like a lunatic.

“Um.

He rose from a squatting position. His pale blue gaze met my dumbfounded look. And too soon, he pulled his glasses back into place, shutting me off from seeing his eyes.

“That’s what it’s called.” Violet yelled over the top of the car. “That sounds way better than tire thingy.”

 

 

 


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