Weekly Announcements - 11 Sept 2010

As we continue to revamp our contributor line-up, we'd like to introduce another fine author joining our ranks. Please welcome Victorian author Anthea Lawson, the husband-and-wife writing team who penned ALL HE DESIRES and the RITA-nominated PASSIONATE! Here's more about this fantastic addition to our blog:

Anthea is one-half of the writing team Anthea Lawson--husband and wife authors who live in the Pacific Northwest. They love unusual locales and situations. Their first Victorian-set romance, PASSIONATE, was released from Kensington books in October 2008. It features a botanical expedition to Tunisia, and was a nominee for the prestigious RWA RITA award for Best First Book. Their second novel, ALL HE DESIRES, was released in November 2009. Set partially on the Isle of Crete, ALL HE DESIRES "deftly combines danger, desire, and a deliciously different Victorian setting into a sexy version of Victoria Holt's classic gothic romances." ~ Booklist Reviews.

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Congratulations to long-time contributor Karen Mercury, who sold a M/M/F story set in during the California gold rush to Siren/Bookstrand. Her new release will hit the shelves in January 2011, title TBD.

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Zoe Archer's WARRIOR has certainly made a splash for its debut last week. The first of the four-part "Blades of the Rose" series received great reviews over at Fresh Fiction (WARRIOR is one of the best books I have read in years.) and The Misadventures of Super Librarian (This is the stuff of old-fashioned Saturday matinees, Errol Flynn movies and Indiana Jones.). Congratulations!

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As part of the New Voices competition and the reopening of Haltwhistle Library celebrations, Michelle Styles will be giving a workshop on "Creating a Page-Turning Read" from 10:30-11:30 am on Saturday, September 18. The workshop is free but limited to 25 spots. Contact the library on 01434 321863 for more details.

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Carrie Lofty will also be giving a workshop on September 18, from 9:30-noon for Mad City Romance Writers in the Middleton Library in Middleton, WI. The topic will be Starting the (Academic) Year off Right. Hope to see you there!

And although this doesn't have anything to do with Unusual Historicals, Carrie is quite happy with the artwork for her June 2011 apocalyptic paranormal romance, NIGHTFALL, co-written with Ann Aguirre under the name Ellen Connor.

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Join us Sunday when Harlequin Historicals author Lila DiPasqua will be here to chat about her debut, a short-story collection based on classic fairy tales called AWAKENED BY A KISS, set in 17th century France. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Jeannie Lin's "THE TAMING OF MEI LIN" guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Christina Phillips, Sarah Parr, and Zoe Archer will be our guests. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

ALL HE DESIRES Winner!

We have a winner for Anthea Lawson's ALL HE DESIRES guest blog. A free copy goes to:

Mary McCall!

Contact Carrie to provide your mailing address. The book must be claimed by next Sunday or another winner will be drawn. Please stop back later to let us know what you thought! Congratulations!

Guest Author: Anthea Lawson

Welcome to our weekly author spotlight on Unusual Historicals! Anthea Lawson is the pseudonym of a husband-wife writing team whose romances are set in the early-Victorian period and feature travel to exotic locales. Their first book, PASSIONATE, centered on a botanical expedition to Tunisia, and was nominated for a Best First Book RITA in 2009. Their November 3rd release, ALL HE DESIRES, returns to the Mediterranean for more romance and adventure.

Far from home and her noble relatives, Miss Caroline Huntington has been injured in a fall from her horse. Called to her side, Alex Trentham knows he must assist her, though he has not practiced as a physician for a long while. Just to see so lovely a woman in a state of undress is a hard test of his self-control. Caroline is all that is warm and feminine, beautiful and pure.

Brave to a fault, she does not flinch under his hands, and soon she is on the mend. Alex struggles to hide his feelings, knowing that his dark past shadows any hope of a future. But Caroline's radiant innocence is dangerous to a worldly man, and she seems achingly eager to experience all the pleasure he could show her...

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Your new release, ALL HE DESIRES, opens on the Isle of Crete. Tell us more!

The British were such travelers, and their empire spanned the globe. What were these people doing when they weren't going to balls and riding around Hyde park in carriages? They were off seeing the world. We picked Crete because it was rich in mythology, a site of major archaeological discoveries, and also because it had a sunny climate with sparkling oceans. We started the novel while on vacation (a five-day downpour on the Oregon coast), and the setting reflects our own wish for clear skies and warm sunshine. We also did a lot of research on the Mediterranean basin for our first book, so Crete was "on the map" so to speak.

Originally, we thought we'd have an archaeologist hero, but characters don't care what the author plans for them. They often have their own history and personality that the writer discovers as the story is unfolding. It turned out that our hero, Alex Trentham, is not an archaeologist; he is a handsome, passionate and most unwilling doctor with a mysterious past. We still have an archaeological dig, but it is not the focal-point in the story we had originally imagined.

Your first book, the RITA-nominated PASSIONATE, also featured an unusual setting: Tunisia. What draws you to these exotic locales?

The rain-drenched winters of the Pacific NW! Seriously, we take any chance to dive into research about warm, dry climes. The sound of the drizzle outside transmutes to rustling branches in an olive grove, glints of sunlight off the sea, the scent of oranges. For those who prefer London, much of PASSIONATE and half of ALL HE DESIRES is set firmly to the world of the ton. After all, we can't abandon the balls and teas entirely.

In addition to your interesting locales, you've chosen a less-usual time period. What draws you to the Victorian era?

It's a time of great change and energy, where the British were fanning out all across the globe as amateur scientists and observers as well as simply traveling for pleasure. There's an endless wealth of wonderful, exciting stories to be told against that backdrop.

What's one of the most unusual scenes in ALL HE DESIRES?

Definitely the love scene that's completely in the dark. No light at all. That was a fun challenge to write, and all the hotter for it. You'll have to read the book to find out why!

What are you working on now?

We're musicians as well as writers, and are having a great time with our new series which is set against the glittering backdrop of 19th century musical celebrity. Musical stars have been bad-boys in every era, and the 1800s are no exception. We are excited about the concept, and the first book is turning out to be everything we hoped and more.

Finally, tell us a little bit about writing together.

It's both satisfying and challenging and we'd have it no other way. Both of us bring our strengths and weaknesses to the process, and together we do better work then either of us could do alone. It's great to have your life-partner also be a creative partner, and when a new book comes out and readers respond positively to the story, our joy is even greater because it is a shared joy. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to create together in this way.

Thanks for having us here at Unusual Historicals! Please come visit us at our website, follow us on Twitter, and friend us on Facebook. ALL HE DESIRES hits the shelves November 3rd. Pick up a copy and let us know what you think!

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Reviews:

"This husband-and-wife team's second novel sweeps from the shores of Crete to the streets of London...readers will enjoy the characters and the beautiful descriptions in this nice tale." -- Romantic Times

"I find this to be a wonderful example of historical romance. Ms. Lawson tells a powerful love story and draws the reader in within the first chapter. This tale comes with a high recommendation from this reviewer." -- Coffee Time Romance

"This entertaining Victorian romance stars an intriguing lead male and an intrepid heroine...fans will enjoy Anthea Lawson's exciting mid nineteenth century tale, as Caroline and Alex make for a wonderful historical." -- Harriet Klausner

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Yay for Mediterranean adventure! If you'd like to secure your chance to win a copy, leave Anthea and Lawson a comment or question. I'll draw a winner of one signed book in one week. Void where prohibited. Good luck!

Weekly Announcements - 30 Oct 09

Margaret Mallory is giving away signed copies of her Nov 24th release, KNIGHT OF PLEASURE, the second of her "All the King's Men" series from Grand Central. See her contest page for details!

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SCOUNDREL'S KISS, Carrie Lofty's Spanish-set medieval romance, received its first review. Working Girl Reviews says: "Reading this extremely well plotted novel was much like watching a really great action adventure movie. Add to that elements of betrayal and deception, a few well placed love scenes, and political intrigue and you have a genuine nail-biting, can't-put-downable reading experience." SCOUNDREL'S KISS hits the shelves on January 5th and is available for pre-order.

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Join us Sunday when Unusual Historicals welcomes the return of RITA-nominated husband and wife team Anthea Lawson. They'll be chatting about their November 3rd release ALL HE DESIRES, set in Crete and London! They'll also be giving away a copy. Don't miss it!

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We'll also draw the winner of Isabel Roman's 19th century Russian romance, KISS OF SCANDAL. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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And stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Amanda McCabe, Elizabeth Lane, Jennifer Linforth, and Margaret Mallory will be our guests. We hope you'll join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...

Excerpt Thursday: Anthea Lawson

Today on Excerpt Thursday we're welcoming back Anthea Lawson as this RITA-nominated husband and wife team celebrate the November 3rd release of their newest exotic romance. In ALL HE DESIRES, a troubled English doctor, self-exiled on the Isle of Crete, meets the one woman who can bring him out of the shadows and into the light. Anthea and Lawson will be joining us on Sunday to discuss their latest release and give away a copy. I hope you'll join us!

Far from home and her noble relatives, Miss Caroline Huntington has been injured in a fall from her horse. Called to her side, Alex Trentham knows he must assist her, though he has not practiced as a physician for a long while. Just to see so lovely a woman in a state of undress is a hard test of his self-control. Caroline is all that is warm and feminine, beautiful and pure.

Brave to a fault, she does not flinch under his hands, and soon she is on the mend. Alex struggles to hide his feelings, knowing that his dark past shadows any hope of a future. But Caroline's radiant innocence is dangerous to a worldly man, and she seems achingly eager to experience all the pleasure he could show her...

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"This husband-and-wife team's second novel sweeps from the shores of Crete to the streets of London...readers will enjoy the characters and the beautiful descriptions in this nice tale." -- Romantic Times

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In this excerpt, Caroline Huntington has been thrown from her horse and is finally found after dark by her friend, Maggie, with help from an older Frenchman who has been living on the island.

Crete, 1848

"Thank you, Monsieur Legault," Maggie said. "Your assistance tonight has been invaluable. When Miss Huntington did not return from her ride..." Her breath caught on the words.

"There now. We foreigners must look after one another, is it not so? Though without the help of these good men we would not have found your friend."

"But we did. We did." Maggie supported Caroline, holding firmly to her uninjured arm. The flames reflected off Maggie's gold-rimmed spectacles. "When you had not returned by supper, I knew something was wrong. The owners of the villa directed me to Monsieur Legault, and he helped organize the search."

Caroline swallowed. "I'm so glad." She leaned against her friend and closed her eyes. How could she have been so thoughtless, so careless? She would make it up to Maggie, somehow.

"Ah," Monsieur Legault said. "Here is the cart. It will not be comfortable, but the aid we seek is not far."

Maggie led Caroline to where the rustic vehicle waited. "I would not think a village of this size boasted a doctor. How fortunate."

The Frenchman smiled, though there was something cautious in his expression. "We shall see. Come."

The cart rolled forward over the rough track, and it did not take long for Caroline to fall into a hazy, pain-filled daze. The night sky, the flaring torches, the jolting ride wove together into a disjointed tapestry. She did not realize they had halted in front of a cottage until Maggie coaxed her upright and helped her from the cart.

Monsieur Legault went to the door. He pounded, and pounded again until at last it was opened by a figure who remained in the shadows. Caroline blinked, her vision still blurred. A tall man, she thought.

"What do you want?" His voice was gruff.

"Mr. Trentham, we require your help." The Frenchman waved to where Caroline stood, supported by Maggie. "The mademoiselle is injured."

The man shook his head. "I cannot help you." He began to close the door, but Monsieur Legault set his foot in the jamb.

"I ask you not to be stubborn. She is hurt--she must be seen."

The shadow moved closer to the light. He was tall, his hair the color of night. The torchlight painted hollows under his cheekbones and cast his uncompromising nose in sharp relief. He did not look like a doctor, not with his creased clothing and untamed hair, a scowl making his face even more forbidding. When his gaze moved to her, Caroline felt it, a nearly physical sensation, like standing under a storm cloud just before the fury of wind and rain lashed down. She shivered.

He regarded her for several moments, measured by the rapid beat of her heart. His eyes seemed black in the flickering light. That intent gaze moved down to her dusty boots, then returned to her face.

At last he turned to the Frenchman. "The woman is on her feet. She looks well enough. Take her to Rethymno." He stepped back and made to close his door again.

"You must help us," Monsieur Legault said, a pleading note in his voice. "Rethymno is too far, and you know how little talent the doctor there has."

"Enough to care for an injured arm. Good night."

"Wait!" Maggie stepped forward, bringing Caroline with her. "You cannot refuse--you are English!"

"Oh?" He paused with one hand on the door frame, his lips twisted as though he had tasted something bitter. "I don't see that it signifies."

"Of course it does. This is Miss Caroline Huntington, the niece of the Earl of Twickenham. How can you consider yourself a gentleman if you turn her away?"

"Who says I consider myself a gentleman?"