Guest Author: Denise Agnew

This week on Unusual Historicals we're welcoming Samhain author Denise Agnew as she celebrates the release of her ancient world-set romance, FOR A ROMAN'S HEART. Here's the blurb:

His scarred soul knows no vulnerability--except her touch.

Trapped between cruel parents and the need to hide her gift of second sight from suspicious villagers, Adrenia Tertia Brigomalla walks a line as thin as the threads she weaves. The need for independence burns fierce in her heart, but not as hot as her unexpected attraction to a Roman soldier who comes to the village in search of a deserter.

Though hardened by war, Centurion Terentius Marius Atellus defies any man to harm an innocent. Nothing shakes his relentless determination to track down a murderous legionnaire with a taste for young women. Yet Adrenia's spirit and vulnerability spark a protective instinct stronger than duty...and temptation that could be his downfall.

Fragile trust built on stolen kisses and a premonition saves his life and drives his offer of the ultimate protection--marriage. While she revels in the feral passion he awakens within her, Adrenia would sooner brave the fires of Hades than trade one yoke for another.

It's a decision that could leave them both dangling above a precipice they may not survive...

***

What do you consider unique about the historical romances you write?

I've never been too interested in writing the soup du jour when it comes to historical romance. For example, Regency era sexy romances are very popular right now. But if I tried to write one when I wasn't interested in writing one, it would be a square peg into round hole situation.

Do you like the research required to write historical novels?

I never write a book set in a time period I'm not interested in writing about so there are no dull moments for me. The research is fascinating to me. I love it.

Do you write historicals exclusively?

No. I've written in every genre of romance except for inspirational. I have to change things up to keep my inspiration moving. Writing too much in one area of romance plugs up my ability to create at all.

Tell us about some of the historical romances you've written in the past and the ones coming up in the near future.

BRIDGE THROUGH THE MIST
This story is a time travel at the heart, but I throw it in there as historical because it's set mostly in 1318 Scotland, and I still had to do a ton of research.

LOVE FROM THE ASHES
2001 EPPIE winner for Best Historical Romance. It's set during the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. The research on this book took a long time, but it paid off. I've had so many people read this book and tell me they felt like they were really there experiencing the time, place, and the earthquake and fire.

DARK, DEADLY LOVE
This novel is set during the Jack The Ripper murders of 1888. The original title was Midnight Rose. This is definitely a favorite of mine. I'd been reading about Jack the Ripper since the '80's, and when I buckled down to the right the book, it just sucked me right inside and wouldn't release me. It's one of my darker books, and though it is most definitely a romance, I feel it stretches the boundaries of what readers often expect from a romance. Of you don't mind being scared and enjoy a gritty read, this might be for you.

BEFORE THE DAWN
(Samhain Publishing; June 2011)
Before The Dawn is set in 1850's Pennsylvania, and a good portion of the story takes place on the Trans Allegheny Railroad route.

"ASYLUM TRILOGY"
(Colorado mountains, fictional town)
The trilogy is a definite work in progress, and I don't have good titles for the books yet. All three stories are set in a fictional Colorado mountain town and revolve around a very haunted insane asylum. The stories deal with more disturbing subjects, but I feel like they also deal with people in bad circumstances working their way toward a better life and finding that strength within themselves. And yes, they are also romances. I don't know whether I'm calling these stories horror/romance or gothic romance yet. I just finished the first draft of the first story, and I'm right into the next one with the research. The first story is set in 1908, while the second is set in 1918 during the end of the World War I, and it deals some with the Spanish Influenza, too. The last story in the trilogy is set in modern day.

Where can we find information on your historical romances and all your other books?

You can find pretty much everything you want to know at my website. You'll find links to all my books, excerpts, my blog, and monthly contest. Plus, you'll find me on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Thanks so much to Unusual Historicals for having here today! I very much appreciate it.

***

You're very welcome, Denise! Readers, if you'd like to get your hands on an e-copy of FOR A ROMAN'S HEART, just least a comment or question for Denise. Maybe answer this: What appeals to you about romances set in the ancient world? I'll draw a winner at random next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

An Ordinary Day In: WWI Trenches

By: Isabel Roman


Life in the trenches of France, Belgium, and Germany were treacherous even when there was no imminent attack. Here's a video of a German soldier digging a trench in France. From the First World War website:

The daily routine of life in the trenches began with the morning 'stand to'. An hour before dawn everyone was roused from slumber by the company orderly officer and sergeant and ordered to climb up on the fire step to guard against a dawn raid by the enemy, bayonets fixed.

This policy of stand to was adopted by both sides, and despite the knowledge that each side prepared itself for raids or attacks timed at dawn, many were actually carried out at this time.

Accompanying stand to, as the light grew, was the daily ritual often termed the 'morning hate'.

Both sides would often relieve the tension of the early hours with machine gun fire, shelling and small arms fire, directed into the mist to their front: this made doubly sure of safety at dawn.

With stand to over, in some areas rum might then be issued to the men. They would then attend to the cleaning of their rifle equipment, which was followed by its inspection by officers.

Breakfast would next be served. In essentially every area of the line at some time or other each side would adopt an unofficial truce while breakfast was served and eaten. This truce often extended to the wagons which delivered such sustenance.

With breakfast over the men would be inspected by either the company or platoon commander. Once this had been completed NCOs would assign daily chores to each man (except those who had been excused duty for a variety of reasons).

Example - and necessary - daily chores included the refilling of sandbags, the repair of the duckboards on the floor of the trench and the draining of trenches.



*Novices were cautioned against their natural inclination to peer over the parapet of the trench into No Man's Land. Many men died on their first day in the trenches as a consequence of a precisely aimed sniper's bullet.

*It has been estimated that up to one third of Allied casualties on the Western Front were actually sustained in the trenches. Aside from enemy injuries, disease wrought a heavy toll.

*Rats in their millions infested trenches. There were two main types, the brown and the black rat. Both were despised but the brown rat was especially feared. Gorging themselves on human remains (grotesquely disfiguring them by eating their eyes and liver) they could grow to the size of a cat.

*A single rat couple could produce up to 900 offspring in a year, spreading infection and contaminating food. The rat problem remained for the duration of the war (although many veteran soldiers swore that rats sensed impending heavy enemy shellfire and consequently disappeared from view).

*Lice were a never-ending problem, breeding in the seams of filthy clothing and causing men to itch unceasingly.

*Lice caused Trench Fever, a particularly painful disease that began suddenly with severe pain followed by high fever. Recovery - away from the trenches - took up to twelve weeks. Lice were not actually identified as the culprit of Trench Fever until 1918.

*Many men chose to shave their heads entirely to avoid another prevalent scourge: nits.

*Trench Foot: a fungal infection of the feet caused by cold, wet and unsanitary trench conditions. It could turn gangrenous and result in amputation. Trench Foot was more of a problem at the start of trench warfare; as conditions improved in 1915 it rapidly faded, although a trickle of cases continued throughout the war.

*Finally, no overview of trench life can avoid the aspect that instantly struck visitors to the lines: the appalling reek given off by numerous conflicting sources.

*Rotting carcases lay around in their thousands. For example, approximately 200,000 men were killed on the Somme battlefields, many of which lay in shallow graves.

*Overflowing latrines would similarly give off a most offensive stench.

*Men who had not been afforded the luxury of a bath in weeks or months would offer the pervading odour of dried sweat. The feet were generally accepted to give off the worst odour.

*Trenches would also smell of creosol or chloride of lime, used to stave off the constant threat of disease and infection.

*Add to this the smell of cordite, the lingering odour of poison gas, rotting sandbags, stagnant mud, cigarette smoke and cooking food... yet men grew used to it.

Isabel Roman is the pseudonym used by writing team Christine Koehler and Marisa Velez. Their Victorian Druids series has been featured on The Home Shopping Network and is available in bookstores everywhere. Currently they're working on a Prohibition-era series and wondering why time flies so quickly. Visit the Isabel Roman blog!