Publishing under the pseudonym Ellen Connor, Carrie Lofty and her friend Ann Aguirre have sold three books to Penguin. They're not historical but they certainly qualify as unusual. Full details here, if you're curious.
***
Lisa Marie Wilkinson's debut FIRE AT MIDNIGHT was recently named winner of the Fiction and Literature/Romance category of USA Book News Best Books of 2009. Congratulations!
***
Jennifer Linforth's debut, MADRIGAL, is now available from Highland Press as an ebook.
***
Join us Sunday when Unusual Historicals welcomes the return of Harlequin Historicals author Kate Bridges. She'll be discussing comedy, romantic screenplays, and of course, her newest release: ALASKAN RENEGADE, set in frontier Alaska! She'll also be giving away a copy. Don't miss it!
***
We'll also draw the winner of Amanda McCabe's THE WINTER QUEEN. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.
***
And stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Carol Ann Didier, Margaret Mallory, Michelle Styles and Carla Capshaw will be our guests. We hope you'll join us!
***
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...
Join us Sunday when Dorchester author Emily Bryan will be here to talk about VEXING THE VISCOUNT. Emily used to write Dark Ages romances as Diana Groe, so what made her switch gears? Don't miss her valuable career insights!
***
We'll also draw the winner of Lisa Marie Wilkinson's FIRE AT MIDNIGHT. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!
***
Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...
This week we're helping one of our contributors, Lisa Marie Wilkinson, celebrate the release of her debut novel, FIRE AT MIDNIGHT, available now from Medallion Press. Congratulations, Lisa Marie!
***
It is 1703 and Rachael Penrose is confined to Bedlam insane asylum in London after discovering her uncle Victor plans to kill her brother in order to inherit the family fortune. Victor leads a gang of criminals and uses French privateer/smuggler Sebastién Falconer as the scapegoat for his crimes. When Victor spreads the lie that Rachael informed on Falconer's smuggling activities, Falconer vows revenge on the girl.
A dangerously ill Rachael escapes from Bedlam only to find shelter in Sebastién's carriage and ends up in his care. It is a twist of fate that will alter both their lives. With these two characters at cross-purposes, what ensues is a tangled web of deceit, suspense, derring-do, and a passionate love story as Sebastién gradually begins to believe in Rachael's innocence and Rachael gets to know the tortured soul beneath the gruff Frenchman’s exterior.
***
Welcome, Lisa Marie! Can you tell us about your early successes with FIRE AT MIDNIGHT?
Yes! FIRE AT MIDNIGHT won numerous awards on the Romance Writers of America chapter contest circuit, and was the Grand Prize winner of the Maryland Writers Association Novel Contest. It also won a Bronze award in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest, and was a finalist for the Daphne duMaurier award.
What have advance reviewers and readers had to say about FIRE AT MIDNIGHT?
I've been really pleased with the responses so far! Here are a few:
A stunning historical debut by Lisa Marie Wilkinson, FIRE AT MIDNIGHT is a fast-paced read filled with mystery, intrigue and passionate characters who will captivate readers until the last page. The heart-wrenching opening made a lot of promises, and the story delivered every one!
--Stacey Kayne, author of GUNSLINGER'S UNTAMED BRIDE
Lisa Marie Wilkinson weaves deep emotion, tenderness and sensuality into a rich historical tapestry in this sweeping romance of adventure and intrigue.
--Christine Wells, author of THE DANGEROUS DUKE
4 Stars! Romance, action and suspense differentiate this tale of adventure and love. Wilkinson creates the right combination of believable characters, snappy dialogue and fast-paced storytelling. The protagonists are not only passionate about their separate causes, they're passionate about each other too.
--Romantic Times BOOKReviews
Anything else you'd like to share with us?
An excerpt from FIRE AT MIDNIGHT was posted earlier this week on Unusual Historicals. Leave a comment and be entered to win an autographed copy! A winner will be chosen next Sunday, so good luck!
Bonnie Vanak has had a great run of reviews for her April release, THE LADY AND THE LIBERTINE. RT gave it four stars and wrote: "With a few twists, she combines an English lord, scarred in body and soul; an illegitimate young Englishwoman; a ruby and enough adventure, pathos, secrets and betrayal to keep you turning the pages of this sexually charged romance."
Marilyn Rondeau, at C2K Kwips and Kritiques, wrote, "Vanak has a knack for creating strong, imperfect heroines and her characterization of Karida bears witness to her genius in giving life to her unforgettable characters." You can read the entire review here, and here's a link to more information about this, Bonnie's newest Egyptian-set romance.
***
Join us Sunday when debut author Lisa Marie Wilkinson will be here to talk about FIRE AT MIDNIGHT, an adventurous and touching pirate romance from Medallion. Don't miss it!
***
We'll also draw the winner of Kate Bridges' WANTED IN ALASKA. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!
***
Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...
Thursdays on Unusual Historicals mean excerpts! Here's one from Lisa Marie Wilkinson, whose debut novel FIRE AT MIDNIGHT is a released next week from from Medallion Press. Be sure to join us on Sunday when Lisa Marie will be answering questions and giving away a copy!
Here's the blurb:
***
Rachael Penrose is confined to Bedlam insane asylum in London after discovering that her uncle Victor plans to kill her brother in order to inherit the family fortune. Victor, with a gang of criminals, uses French privateer Sebastien Falconer as the scapegoat for his crimes. When Victor spreads the lie that Rachael informed on Falconer's smuggling activities, Falconer vows revenge on the girl. Gripping suspense and romance play out in front of numerous historical details, including a violent storm that devastated England in 1703 and swept the Eddystone Lighthouse into the sea.
***
Saint Mary's of Bethlehem Hospital ("Bedlam")
London, England, 1703
"I am sane."
The sound of her own voice anchored her. It kept her from going mad. "I am eight and ten. I am called Rachael Penrose. I have been here nine days. My brother was called James--"
She stifled a sob. "My brother is called James." Even the tinctures they fed her did not dull the pain of not knowing the fate of her baby brother.
She froze when she heard the scratch of claws on stone. A rat, attracted by crumbs of moldy bread, began a stealthy approach. She shared her meager rations with the rats because they displayed less interest in her when their bellies were full.
There had been no hearing and no formal declaration of insanity. An exchange of gold from one greedy hand to another had sealed her in this place. With no blanket, she shivered in the bitter cold. Beneath the thin shift she wore, faint and fresh bruises mottled her skin. Her stomach rumbled, the sound loud in the quiet of the small chamber.
She tensed as metal creaked. The door to her cell swung open. Freezing air rushed in, and she trembled as the strong scent of citrus cologne, a harbinger of her uncle, mingled with the foul, musty odor of the cell.
Victor Brightmore handed a gold coin to the guard accompanying him. "Her doctor and I require privacy." Victor lifted the hem of his cloak to prevent it from sweeping the floor of the filthy cell as he entered.
The attendant checked the chain securing her right leg to the straw-filled pallet upon which she lay. He tested the iron ring riveted around her neck and the circular iron waist bar holding her arms pinioned to her sides. She suppressed a shudder when his hands lingered over her breasts and followed the double link to its point of origin at the wall. Powerless against the intimacy, she gritted her teeth and stared at the gray stone ceiling above her. Apparently satisfied with the security of her restraints, the attendant withdrew, leaving Victor and the doctor alone with her.
Rachael remained silent while Victor angled the shaft of the candle he held until the flickering yellow light illuminated her face then leaned toward her, his blue-gray eyes glittering with malice. She looked into the face of pure evil. Tall, with burnished gold hair and even features, his pleasing exterior concealed his twisted nature. As he watched her, shadows played over the upward cast of his lips.
"You cling to life with such tenacity, Rachael."
He moved the flame along the length of her jaw inch by agonizing inch, stopping near her eye. The light from the candle was painfully bright, and her breath quickened as she struggled to hide her terror.
Oh, God, is he going to blind me? Gasping, she shrank from him, but the linkage of chain held fast. She was at the mercy of a man who had none. How she despised him!
"Victor!" The candle wobbled on its perch as his companion jerked it away from her face. "How would I account for burns on her body?"
"Her eyes mock me, Elliot." He peered down at her, scowling.
"She is feverish," Elliot said. "She is in the grip of the drug. We can speak freely."
"It appears I have need of your help once again, good doctor. Keeping my niece isolated is not the permanent solution I seek."
It did not bode well that he spoke so openly in front of her. With both her parents dead, once Victor succeeded in his plan to dispose of her, there would be no one left to protect James. Victor was desperate to inherit, but he was also crafty and cautious. He would not risk the hangman.
Elliot peered down at her. "Perhaps her food might be--"
"The attendant told me she tests her food on the rats. Besides, we dare not risk poison now."
"I can keep her indefinitely," Elliot said. "Her whereabouts are unknown. No one here will believe anything she says."
"Tarry Morgan knows the truth." Victor searched within the folds of his cloak. His hand shook as he withdrew a letter. The edges of the parchment gaped where the wax seal had been broken.
Her heart sank at the sight, and she felt light-headed with despair.
"This letter details her discovery of my plan to poison James. She sent it to Morgan, one of the few allies she has left. She must have dashed it off before we brought her here." Victor glowered in Rachael's direction. "The fact that James must die before I will inherit is clear motive to anyone who would investigate."
"So, is Morgan dead?"
Rachael stopped breathing while she waited for Victor's response.
"No. His servants were rousing; I barely escaped with the letter. I was only able to wound him."
"Can you buy his silence?"
"Morgan cannot be bought." Victor crumpled the letter in his hand and began to pace the floor. "He is her loyal little lapdog. He remains silent because I have taken the proof and threatened Rachael.s life. He has delusions he will rescue her, but he won.t remain silent for long. We must dispose of them both."
The weight of her terror squeezed the air from Rachael's lungs. She would never forgive herself if she brought harm to her childhood friend.
"And what about her brother?"
"My nephew is sickly," Victor said. "His nanny has often commented on his frailty. With your help, I'll be rich. When I am rich, I will be generous."
"Monster!" Rachael sobbed. She screamed in outrage and struggled against the restraints. The tortured souls in the adjacent cells heard her and added their voices to hers. Hearing them, she fell silent. Screams of torment are routine in this place. I'm just another Bess O' Bedlam. No help will come.
Victor spun to face Elliot. "'Senseless, you promised. 'Incoherent. Her mind will be incapable of coping with her surroundings.'"
"Having her wits about her in this place is an added torment, not an advantage," Elliot said. "We will dose her with laudanum to keep her quiet, and she will be released into your custody."
"Released? You seem a likely candidate for a strait-waistcoat yourself."
"Victor," Elliot said patiently, "we must remove Rachael from Bedlam. Morgan is searching for her, and he has the resources to find her. I will have her transferred to Bethnal Green."
"She will be no less dangerous to me in a private asylum."
"She will never reach Bethnal Green," Elliot said. "You, of course, must appear distraught over your loss."
Rachael locked gazes with Victor, who nodded vigorously. His smile told her time was running out.
"Doctor, I believe you have arrangements to make on my behalf." He leaned down to Rachael and added, "While I joyously prepare to grieve."
Michelle Styles received a solid B review from Dear Author for her novel VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE. Jayne writes: "So score another victory for the non-Regency and this one definitely doesn't have a duke/spy in it. I hope you'll continue to write what would be called more ancient historical books, along with your nineteenth century ones."
***
Lisa Marie Wilkinson received a 4-star review from Romantic Times for her upcoming debut from Medallion Press, FIRE AT MIDNIGHT. Kathe Robin wrote: "Romance, action and suspense differentiate this tale of adventure and love. Wilkinson creates the right combination of believable characters, snappy dialogue and fast-paced storytelling. The protagonists are not only passionate about their separate causes, they're passionate about each other too."
***
Carrie Lofty received a great review for WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS over at Literary Escapism. "Usually you get the whole opposites attract in romance novels, but this time around, Scarlett and Meg were more alike than most genre couples and yet they were still different enough that they clashed every step of the way. That chemistry made this story that much more fantastic."
***
Carol A. Spradling has just received the cover for her upcoming release BOUND BY HONOR, book two in her American Revolution-set Freedom Series, published by The Wild Rose Press. Here's the blurb:
Harrison Jackson must defend his family against British spies, Colonial advocates, and himself. Secret meetings are destroying his good name, and nightmares from a life he thought buried threaten more than his reputation.
Victoria Greyson steps onto Boston streets and back into Harrison's life without warning. She wouldn't blame him for hating her, but his rage will have to wait. Her sister is dead and Victoria intends to extract revenge on the man responsible.
While Harrison fights to keep his past a secret, Victoria and Colonial Independence demand more than he wants to give--and neither of them will be denied.
***
Join us Sunday when Geri Krotow will be here to talk about WHAT FAMILY MEANS, her latest release from Harlequin. This Superromance is partly set in the 1950s and 60s.
***
We'll also draw the winner of Jacquie Rogers' prizes for DOWN HOME EVER LOVIN' MULE BLUES. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!
***
Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...
Lisa Marie Wilkinson is holding a contest on her website, where the winner will receive an advanced reader copy of her March 2009 release FIRE AT MIDNIGHT. Here's the blurb:
It is 1703, and Rachael Penrose is confined to Bedlam Insane Asylum in London after discovering her uncle Victor plans to kill her brother in order to inherit the family fortune. Victor leads a gang of criminals and uses French privateer/smuggler Sebastién Falconer as the scapegoat for his crimes. When Victor spreads the lie that Rachael informed the authorities of Falconer's smuggling activities, Falconer vows revenge on the girl.
A dangerously ill Rachael finally escapes from Bedlam, only to find shelter in Sebastién's carriage and ends up in his care. It is a twist of fate that will alter both their lives forever.
Believing she is in danger from Sebastién, Rachael meets up with his estranged twin brother, Jacques, a customs officer intent on bringing his brother, the famous privateer, to justice. But the real criminal is still at large, and she and her brother are still in danger. Will she discover the truth and save both their lives...and her heart?
***
Michelle Styles has received the first review for her upcoming release, AN IMPULSIVE DEBUTANTE. Realms on Our Bookshelves--a Dutch site Michelle describes as catering "mainly to a Europe wide audience of women who read English novels but who want to discuss them in their own language"--writes: Michelle Styles writing is easy and compelling to read, her characters are fleshed out well and as always she has an eye for accurate, historical details. She does not overwhelm you with lots of supporting characters and difficult storylines. She keeps it straight and light to read and makes sure that at all times the romance takes precedence. That does not mean that her stories are shallow or common, Michelle Styles gives her stories depth by making her characters undergo changes and grow stronger throughout the story.
***
Marianne LaCroix has decided to drop from our ranks of Unusual Historicals contributors, as she's no longer writing historicals. Best of luck to you, Mari.
***
Join us Sunday when Delia DeLeest, one of our long-time contributors, will discuss EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, and give away a copy--which is now available in print!
***
Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...
Publishing under the pseudonym Ellen Connor, Carrie Lofty and her friend Ann Aguirre have sold three books to Penguin. They're not historical but they certainly qualify as unusual. Full details here, if you're curious. 
Lisa Marie Wilkinson's debut FIRE AT MIDNIGHT was recently named winner of the Fiction and Literature/Romance category of USA Book News Best Books of 2009. Congratulations! 
