APRIL AND MAY Winner!

We have a winner for Beth Elliott's APRIL AND MAY guest blog. A free copy goes to:

Seyda!

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!

Weekly Announcements - 12 Feb 2011

Carrie Lofty's May 2nd release from Carina Press, PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION, set in Napoleonic Austria, has its cover!

Greta Zwieg forges masterpieces. With her copies on their walls and the original paintings safely hidden, the noble families of Austria can rest assured their treasures will survive Napoleon's advances. But now Greta's uncle is changing the rules, selling her counterfeits as originals. Greta abhors the deceit. Though anxious for her family's safety in a perilous time, she is determined to put things right.

Oliver Doerger is living a lie of his own. While acting as valet for his aristocratic half-brother, Oliver saves Greta's life and is overwhelmed by the forbidden passion that flares between them. While he's not truly a servant, he is a bastard and a spy--certainly no match for a woman of such exquisite quality.

Though both fear discovery, they cannot resist each other. But when the truth comes out, and the city falls into chaos, Greta and Oliver will be forced to choose: love or duty?

In addition, Carrie's upcoming Victorian romance from Pocket, HIS VOWS TO KEEP, which is set in colonial South Africa, is available now from pre-order.

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Lisa J. Yarde will be a regular contributor at the Best Damn Creative Writing Blog, with weekly articles on writing and publication, starting in February.

Lisa will also self-publish her next historical fiction title, SULTANA, a story of murder, revenge and intrigue set in thirteenth-century Moorish Spain. Ebook versions available now at Amazon and Smashwords, while the paperback will appear in April.

In thirteenth-century Moorish Spain, the realm of Granada is in crisis. The union of Fatima, granddaughter of the Sultan of Granada, with the Sultan’s nephew Faraj has fractured the nation. A bitter civil war escalates and endangers both Fatima and Faraj's lives.

All her life, Fatima has sheltered in lavish palaces where danger has never intruded, until now. A precocious child and the unwitting pawn of her family, she soon learns how her marriage may determine her future and the fate of Granada. Her husband Faraj has his own qualms about their union. At a young age, he witnessed the deaths of his parents and discovered how affluence and power offers little protection against indomitable enemies. Guilt and fears plague him. Determined to carve his own destiny, Faraj struggles to regain his lost inheritance and avenge his murdered family.

Throughout the rugged frontiers of southern Spain, the burgeoning Christian kingdoms in the north and the desert states of North Africa, Fatima and Faraj survive ruthless murderers and intrigues. They unite against common enemies bent on destroying the last Moorish dynasty. While Fatima and Faraj establish a powerful bond, the atmosphere of deceit creates opportunities for mistrust and tests their love.

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Join us Sunday when E. D. Walker will be here to chat about THE BEAUTY'S BEAST, a Norman-themed romance. She'll also be giving away two copies! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Beth Elliott's latest steamy medieval romance, APRIL AND MAY. 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! Kristina McMorris, Denise Agnew Michelle Styles, and Elizabeth Lane will be coming up. Join us!

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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...

Guest Author: Beth Elliott

This week on Unusual Historicals, we're welcoming Robert Hale author Beth Elliott, whose latest Regency romance, APRIL AND MAY, is set in Constantinople. Here's the blurb:

In Constantinople, 1804 Rose Charteris comes face to face with Tom Hawkesleigh, who broke her heart four years earlier. And now she is forced to work with him on a secret mission for the Ottoman Sultan.

The tension rises further when Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief and very handsome minister, falls for Rose's English beauty. A spirited heroine, two handsome suitors, danger everywhere...

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'Plenty of wit, gusto, flair, charm and warmth! An unmissable treat for Regency fans everywhere!' ~ Single Titles

'An enjoyable read.' ~ The Historical Novels Review

' A sparkling romance.... Dive in and enjoy.' ~ Myshelf

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A "yali", a waterside mansion where wealthy Turks spent the summer months.
Can you explain what the title APRIL AND MAY refers to?

Rose, the heroine, has her early romance cut off short, so her April comes to a frosty end. Later, she gets a second chance to blossom and we leave her as she reaches her May.

Tell us why you set this story in Constantinople.

Constantinople is a fascinating city, a blend of Eastern and Western elements. It has many exotic buildings and a long and rich history so it makes a wonderful setting for a story in any period. I also love the fact that the city is divided into three parts by the sea. Each part has a very distinct character yet they are tightly interlinked.

When I researched the history of the late Eighteenth Century I found that both the British and the French were desperate to have the Ottoman Sultan as their ally. Selim III, the Sultan at that time, knew that to save his empire from being swallowed up by the Russians, he had to modernise his army, even though his generals wanted to carry on in the traditional way. He was very pro-European and was seeking help either from Napoleon's French officers or from the British. That gave me a suitable reason for Tom to be in Constantinople in 1804. He is the secret agent advising on modern methods.

On a personal level, having a Turkish husband, I experienced much Turkish hospitality and came to understand their way of life. It is incredible how honoured a Turkish family is to receive a guest. I wanted to convey that in the story. My husband had worked as a tourist guide in his student days so he loved taking me to visit important historical sites. And when he showed me round these famous places, including the Harem in Topkapi Palace, he was always full of anecdotes to make the visit even more colourful.

The newly restored Fruit Room in the Harem.
So is this story based on your own life?

Only in showing Turkish customs from an outsider's point of view. Rose, the heroine, is interested in the Ottoman way of life, but not even the powerful and handsome Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief minister, can tempt her to stay in Constantinople. I like my heroines to have a choice of men but the truth is that Rose and Tom have never resolved the issues from their earlier romance. Until she can do that, she is not interested in any relationship.

I also turn the idea of being an outsider on its head, when Kerim Pasha comes to London and we see him observing the English way of life with eager curiosity. Rose and Tom have to unite their efforts to look after him, which draws them together again.

Are you planning any more stories with exotic settings?

THE RAKE'S CHALLENGE, which comes out in July, is set in Brighton. The Royal Pavilion there is about as exotic as you can get! And the hero is fascinating…

And I'm currently working on another Regency-set novel which opens the door onto the Eastern side of life in Constantinople. There are feasts in exotic palaces and festivals of Ottoman style events--and a drop-dead gorgeous oriental hero.

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Thanks for stopping by today, Beth! Readers, Beth is giving away signed books to two winners. Just tell us which qualities you like to see in a hero. I'll draw the winner next Sunday. Void where prohibited. Best of luck!

Weekly Announcements - 4 Feb 2011

Blythe Gifford will be quoted in the upcoming April issue of RT Book Reviews. The magazine is taking "Jane and John Doe" time traveling, and Blythe served as the expert on medieval sex, words, and undergarments. Expect some shocking tidbits!

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Don't forget, you have until Sunday to enter for your chance to win a free download of Michelle Styles's Harlequin Historicals Undone, "THE PERFECT CONCUBINE." In addition, Michelle is sponsoring a Goodreads giveaway for BREAKING THE GOVERNESS'S RULES.

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Great news from Lila DiPasqua! The Romance Dish named AWAKENED BY A KISS and THE PRINCESS IN HIS BED Top Picks of 2010!

She also received the cover for her August release, A MIDNIGHT DANCE, the next in her "Fiery Tales" series from Berkley Sensation. Inspired by the tale of Cinderella, Lila weaves a steamy story that offers a glass slipper, a dangerous deception, and an impoverished beauty determined to find her handsome prince...and make him pay. Pre-order it now! Here's the blurb:

Born into wealth, Sabine Laurent and her twin sister lived a life of luxury, their father's prestigious theater frequented by royalty and aristocracy alike. And Sabine dreamed of her own prince charming--the devastatingly handsome Jules de Moutier.

That was before the loss of her sister and her family's fall from grace--a disaster Sabine blames on the Moutier family. Now, with her father's death, she's inherited his sizable debt and the responsibility of caring for his spoiled long-time mistress and her two wastrel daughters. But with the help of Sabine's eccentric friends--the balance of her father's acting troupe--she plans to get very close to her old infatuation, seduce the rake--and make away with a fortune.

Resisting Jules's skillful mouth and tantalizing touch is not as easy as Sabine supposed. And soon she must decide whether her desire for vengeance is greater than her desire for her one and only prince...

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If anyone with e-readers missed Margaret Mallory's first book, KNIGHT OF DESIRE, her publisher is running a $1.99 special on the e-book version. Here are B&N & Amazon links. Enjoy!

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Reader and author E. D. Walker let me know that the Hearts Through History RWA chapter needs more entries for their historical-themed contest, which is open to published and unpublished authors. They've just extended the deadline to Feb. 11. For more information or to enter, visit their website.

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Join us Sunday when Beth Elliott will be here to chat about APRIL AND MAY, a Regency romance set in Constantinople. She'll also be giving away two copies! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Laura Navarre's latest steamy medieval romance, THE DEVIL'S TEMPTRESS. 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! E. D. Walker, Kristina McMorris, Denise Agnew and Michelle Styles will be coming up. Join us!

***

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: Beth Elliott

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming Robert Hale author Beth Elliott, whose latest Regency romance, APRIL AND MAY, is set in Constantinople. Join us Sunday when Beth will be here to talk about this fascinating setting, and give away a copy. Join us then! Here's the blurb:

In Constantinople, 1804 Rose Charteris comes face to face with Tom Hawkesleigh, who broke her heart four years earlier. And now she is forced to work with him on a secret mission for the Ottoman Sultan.

The tension rises further when Kerim Pasha, the Sultan's chief and very handsome minister, falls for Rose's English beauty. A spirited heroine, two handsome suitors, danger everywhere...

***

Rose draped the white silk shawl over her shoulders to cover the low neckline of her flimsy tunic. She grimaced as she ran a hand over her hair, pulled back in a long, thick plait. But no, she was not going to cover her head. That would give the messenger the wrong impression and cause alarm at the embassy. Feeling weary and cross, she followed Fatma down two floors to the reception room. She padded silently over the soft rugs that were spread everywhere. The elderly maidservant led her across a wide central hallway and pushed open the double doors at the far side.

'Salon,' she said, giving Rose's bare head a disapproving look as she stood aside for her to go in first.

A tall figure Rose recognised at once was pacing back and forth in the opulent room. His hands were clasped behind his back. His face seen in profile was rigid. Sudden alarm made Rose forgot all the awkwardness of confronting Tom again.

'H-have you had bad news from Cairo?'

At the sound of her voice he whirled round and stood as if turned to stone. For a long moment he simply stared. At least it gave her time to find her composure. Her unruly heart was beating at a terrible rate. It must be due to her bitter anger at having to see him.

There were subtle changes in him from the eager young man he had been. This was a man who had faced danger many times and triumphed, a man who carved his own path through life's hazards. And the years had made him even more handsome, his face so chiseled, his hair bleached blonder by the hot Mediterranean sun. His dark eyes, always expressive, were scorching her as he looked her up and down and down and up. His face darkened.

'So they have put you in the harem!' he growled at last.

She raised her brows. 'If you are referring to my garments, our kind hostess has given us fresh clothes while our own are laundered.'

'Yes but...' he opened his hands in an impatient gesture. He glanced around and seemed to listen. His gaze came back to her. Rose understood. Of course, someone was listening to their conversation.