Weekly Announcements - 6 Feb 09

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."

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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."

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Weekly Announcements - 16 Jan 09

The Romance Reader Connection awarded Michelle Styles' VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE 4 1/2 stars and had the following to say:

The depth of characterization combine with the scope of the story and provide the reader with a profoundly rich historical romance experience not always found in the Harlequin Historical line. The author has quite a flair for strong females as well as noble and compelling heroes, each character right for their time and space.

In addition, SOLD AND SEDUCED was released in Greece in November as O EMPHOPOS THS POMHS .

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Elizabeth Lane received the cover for her April Harlequin Historical release, SUBSTITUTE BRIDE, which is set against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

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For her novel STRANGELY WONDERFUL, Karen Mercury received 4-stars from the Historical Romance Club in this review.

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Join us tomorrow when Elaine Levine will be here to talk about RACHEL AND THE HIRED GUN, set in 1867 Dakota Territory.

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We'll also draw the winner of Isabel Roman's MURDER & MAGICK. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!

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Have a good weekend! If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE Winner!

We have a winner for Michelle Styles's VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE giveaway:

WENDY K!

Contact Michelle to give her your 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 of her book! Congratulations!

Weekly Announcements - 12 Dec 08

Carrie Lofty is pleased that WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS continues to earn quality reviews. Merri Crawford of Medieval Book Reviews writes: "Although set in distant times, WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS captures in imagery, psychological depth and imagination, a timeless truth in the way only fiction can. ...a book to read slowly in order to savor in all its details. Keep a hanky for the ending, not for tears of pain but joyful tears."

And in even more exciting news, Carrie's recent spread in the romance magazine LoveLetter helped her catch the attention of German editors. Translation rights to WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS were purchased by Cora for a 2009 release.

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Join us tomorrow when Erastes celebrates the release of Frost Fair, a m/m romance set during the Frost Fair of 1814 in London.

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We'll also draw the winner of Michelle Styles's VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Book Party: Michelle Styles

Unusual Historicala takes great pleasure in welcoming back Michelle Styles to discuss her latest North American release, VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE, her second book set in the early Viking period.

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With the war drums echoing in her ears, and the sharp northern light glinting off the sharpened swords, Sela stood with trepidation on the shoreline. The dragon ships full of warriors had come, ready for battle and glory.

But it wasn't the threat of conquest that shook Sela to the core. It was the way her heart responded to the proud face and chiseled body of Vikar Hrutson, jaarl, leader of the invading force--and Sela's ex-husband!

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Anything you are excited about, Michelle?

One of the great things Harlequin has done for the release of Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife is to create a book widget. Mostly it is just the passion lines which get widgets, so it was a real honour to be chosen. A widget means you can read the entire first chapter as well as my author's note at the back. The note deals with divorce in Viking times, as well as giving a list of some of the books I found useful when I was doing my research.

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Was divorce common in Viking times?

Because of the lack of written information, it is difficult to accurately determine how wide spread divorce was. If you read the sagas, you will see women could divorce for basically any reason and divorce is often used for dramatic purposes. One of the big problems for women was their children belonged to their husband. This is something Sela, the heroine of Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife, strongly objects to, and she tries to circumvent the system. She believes that she has succeeded until her former husband sails up the fjord...

So you were looking at divorce in Viking times, what else intrigued you when you were writing?

One of the things that really interests me is how much truth there is in a saga and how things get changed and altered through time. For example, it was through looking at Homer's Iliad that Heinrich Schliemann discovered the city that is now thought to be Troy. Deciding what is the truth about the legends holds the key to Sela and Vikar's survival.

Are there any more Vikings in your future?

The third book, which is Ivar's story, is currently sitting on my editor's desk. It has been revised twice, but I am hopeful that I finally have cracked it. I want the story to be super strong and a worthy successor to the other two. After that, it depends really on the sales and if a story really strikes me.

Are some books harder to write than others?

Short answer--yes! But ultimately, it is all about getting the story right for the reader. The goal is always to give as powerful a read as possible. This is where the eye of an experienced editor really helps as they can see the holes or possible problems. Sometimes, it is not about getting it right the first time, but getting it right finally. Allowing words to harden like cement can be a problem for some writers, particularly aspiring authors.

Was Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife hard to write?

It was fun to write! When the revisions came (there are always revisions), I could see how they would make the story stronger. For example, I had just finished writing A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER and my editors pointed out that perhaps I had forgotten that this was not a sweet Christmas story set in Victorian times, but a passionate Viking.

I duly made changes, and I was thrilled when Romantic Times said, "A family in conflict, an ambitious hero bent on vengeance and a bold woman hiding a secret quest for salvation combine for a heady, tension-filled, passionate sequel to TAKEN BY THE VIKING."

It is just great when revisions work!

Are Vikings popular?

They seem to be. Certainly, I have had a lot of reader feedback saying how much they enjoyed Taken by the Viking and now Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife. Sometimes a myth goes around that a time period is dead or whatever, but really the Viking period has always been a popular one for Harlequin Historical. Ultimately, it is all about crafting a story that people enjoy and hopefully readers will enjoy this one.

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Thank you, Michelle, for dropping by. Leave a comment and have a chance to win a copy of Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife (or any of Michelle's back list). To help you out: Do you think there is any truth to legends and myths? A winner will be chosen at random next Sunday. Good luck!

Weekly Announcements - 5 Dec 08

Carrie Lofty has had a whirlwind debut release week, with great reviews coming in from all over. The most exuberant have been at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, Dear Author, It's Not Chick Porn, and even a Heart Review (the equivalent of an RT Top Pick) from the German romance magazine LoveLetter. The complete listing of Carrie's reviews and interviews can be found here.

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Michelle Styles received author copies of her upcoming release, IMPOVERISHED MISS, CONVENIENT WIFE, the sequel to A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY. This marks Michelle's tenth novel with Mills & Boon!

His unexpected bride...

Wealthy landowner Simon Clare shuns Northumbrian society. With his son gravely ill, the last thing Simon needs is an interfering woman assuming command of his household and nursing young Robert--no matter how sensuous her figure, or how tempting her luscious lips.

Phoebe Benedict knows what it is to struggle, and finds herself drawn to the badly scarred recluse. Despite his tough exterior, she knows that Simon is a father who yearns for his son to recover--and a man who misses the tender embrace of a woman...

Michelle also received a lovely review from Romance Junkies about VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE.

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Join us tomorrow when Michelle celebrates the American release of VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE. You can read an excerpt of it here.

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We'll also draw the winner of Carrie Lofty's WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Excerpt Thursday: Michelle Styles

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Thursdays on Unusual Historicals means excerpts! Here's one from Michelle Styles's latest release from Harlequin Mills & Boon, Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife. She'll be stopping by on Sunday to discuss this latest Viking adventure and give away a copy. Be sure to check back then!

In this excerpt, Vikar Hrutson has won the battle and captured Sela's home. She is now faced with being a prisoner of her former husband's...

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His eyes raked her form, lingered on her breasts. "You would make an admirable concubine."

"To you?" Sela's mouth went dry as the word echoed in her brain. The walls of her father's chamber appeared to have shrunk, pushing her towards him, towards his hard unyielding body.

Unbidden a memory of the last time they had joined assaulted her senses, the way his hands had stroked her body playing it as expertly as he played the lyre, how his mouth had drawn the cry from her throat as the two reached their peak at the same time. She pushed it away, back in a place where she never ventured. She refused to remember what it was like before his betrayal, before she had learnt the truth. She forced her lip to curl.

"I will pass, thank you very much."

"A challenge? You know I am never one to resist a challenge." A hint of laughter echoed in his voice. Sela remembered when that particular sound had sent shivers of delight down her spine. Such things had vanished long ago along with her girlish illusions. She had grown in the four years since she last saw him, become a different person. And the person she had become would not be attracted to him and his easy charm.

"A refusal." She crossed her arms over her breasts, stared into his deep green eyes and forced her lips to smile. "Surely by now, you must know the difference."

A muscle in Vikar's cheek jumped and his body grew still. Sela swallowed hard. Had she gone too far? A tiny shiver passed over her. She took a step backward and tried to somewhere other than at the green flame flickering in the depths of his eyes.

Vikar's hands closed around her upper arms. He hauled her towards him until their bodies collided. The softness of her curves met the unyielding strength of his muscle.

"Are you saying we were not good together? I seem to recall differently."

He lowered his lips, captured hers, plundered it with expertise. His mouth drew her breath from her body, replaced it with a growing heat. Her body began to melt. A soft sigh escaped from her throat. His arms came around her, cradled her firmly against his body as her lips gave way under the practised onslaught.

Practised. Planned. Cynical.

Sela pushed against his chest with her last ounce of resolution, controlled her breathing and his arms fell away. Cool air encircled her. Her tongue explored her mouth as she sought to regain control of her breathing. Even in that brief span of time, her lips ached, longed for the warmth of his touch again but she forced her body to remember how he trampled her heart in the dust. She hoped he had missed her response.

"My point proved." He inclined his head and a dimple flashed in the corner of his mouth. "We were good together. You and I."

"There is more to marriage than sexual attraction."

"Agreed but it does help." He ran a finger down her cheek, and another pulse of warmth went unbidden through her. "It makes everything easier, less complicated."

"Our marriage died a long time ago." Sela jerked her head away. "It can not be remade."

"I don't believe I offered marriage. I simply stated the obvious." His eyes hardened to shards of green glass. "You need a protector."

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and/or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Weekly Announcements - 25 Oct 2008

This week's announcements include good news from RT and two small changes to our Unusual Historicals format. First, we now have a public calendar via our Yahoo group to let everyone know when authors will be posting or stopping by for a giveaway. Second, Thursday will now feature excerpts from our authors' works. Monday thru Wednesday will continue to be historical posts, Fridays or Saturdays for announcements, and promotional features with giveaways on Sundays.

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Carrie Lofty received four stars from RT for her December Zebra Debut release, WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS. "Lofty debuts with an adventurous romp that's a new take on the Robin Hood legend. The leading man will win readers' hearts as only a bad boy can. Lofty writes adventure romance like a born bard of old."

Carrie will be talking about her debut and giving away a copy here at Unusual Historicals on November 30. You can read an excerpt here.

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Michelle Styles also received four starts from RT for her newest US release, VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE. "A family in conflict, an ambitious hero bent on vengeance and a bold woman hiding a secret quest for salvation combine for a heady, tension-filled, passionate sequel to Taken by the Viking."

Here on Unusual Historicals, Michelle will be discussing her debut and giving away a copy on December 7. You can read an excerpt here.

In addition, Michelle conducted a well-received workshop on writing romance at the Berwick-upon-Tweed library as the National Year of Reading writer in residence. She also launched the Haydon Bridge High School Reading for pleasure reading group, again under the auspices of the National Year of Reading.

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Jennifer Linforth's debut novel, MADRIGAL, a continuation of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera, is now available for purchase. Congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment, Jennifer!

Unusual Historicals will feature Jennifer and MADRIGAL on November 9, so be sure to stop by for your chance to win a copy. You can read an excerpt here.

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Bonnie Vanak will be signing copies of THE SCORPION AND THE SEDUCER, her Egyptian historical, and her new werewolf Nocturne, ENEMY LOVER, at the Altamonte Mall Center Court, 451 E. Altamonte Drive in Altamonte Springs, Florida, on Saturday, November 1, from 2-5 pm.

Meet Bonnie and 18 other romance authors and stock up on wonderful holiday reading. Barnes & Noble will donate 20% of proceeds from book sales to Central Florida's non-profit Adult Literacy League. Be sure to shop early, because the first 75 book buyers will receive a FABULOUS goody bag stuffed with free books (most of them autographed), bookmarks, postcards, pens, and chocolate. For more information, check out the Central Florida Romance Writers' website.

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Join us tomorrow when our guest author will be Terry Blain. Terry will be talking about her novel KENTUCKY GREEN, set in the American frontier in 1794.

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We'll also draw the winner of Lynna Banning's TEMPLAR KNIGHT, FORBIDDEN BRIDE. There's still time to leave a comment for your shot at winning!

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Expansion & Invasion: Vikings in York

By Michelle Styles

When I first moved to Northumberland, my sister who speaks fluent Norwegian came out to visit. She was surprised to hear people speaking what she thought was Norwegian or another Scandinavian language but with a very bad accent. Suddenly, she realized they were speaking Geordie or the dialect of Northumberland.

Despite the defeat of King Harldur Sigurdson at Stamford Bridge in 1066, the traces of Viking occupation in Northumberland and Yorkshire live on--for example in place names such as Thorngrafton, Tyne, or any village ending in "by". "By" is simply the Viking word for farmstead. The suffix "thorpe" means outlying farm. Any street name ending in gate is also derived from the Viking--gata. It simply means street. So in Hexham you have Gilesgate, or in York, where the central streets are still fundamentally the same as when the Vikings were there, there is Coopersgate amongst of a host of other "gate"-named streets. Coopersgate literally means the street of the coopers or wood workers. Today, it is the site of the Jorvik Museum, where the sites, sounds and smells of Viking Britain are recreated.

How and when did it happen?

The earliest form of Viking activity started in 793 with the raid on Lindisfarne. During this phase, the Vikings simply raided and left, returning each winter to their homeland. However, as population pressure grew in Scandinavia due to good harvests and increased wealth, plus the consolidation of power, so the nature of the raids changed. While the Norwegians concentrated on consolidating their power bases in Northern Scotland, the Danes suddenly appeared to have realized how lucrative East Anglia could be. Armies began to build camps and overwinter. In 830, the Danes overwintered on the island of Thanet in the Thames. In 865, the Anglo Saxon Chronicles record the first payment of dane geld and then in the autumn, the Danes were back.

In 866, they moved north and on 1 November 866, as the citizens of Eboracum celebrated All Saints Day, the Vikings rode in and took the city unopposed.

Northumbria at the time was in the midst of a civil war--between Osbert and AElla--and they appeared to have completely missed the Viking threat. The Vikings set about fortifying the old Roman fort. On 21 March 867, Osbert and AElla laid seige to the Vikings and the Northumbrian army was soundly beaten. Eboracum became Jorvik and eventually that name was corrupted to York.

Under Viking rule, York doubled in size and became the largest trading city in England with a population of around 30,000. It was the main trading outlet and the archaeological evacuations undertaken mainly during the 1970s and 1980s have shed new light on the Vikings as traders, artists and craftsmen rather than just warriors. They have discovered a tannery for making boots, an ice skate manufacturer (the Vikings fashioned skates from bone), and workshops for combs and other household utensils. One very exciting find was a set of Viking pan pipes. Apparently, it is possible to produce music from the pipes.

It should be noted that Vikings, rather than insisting that the Church at York be sacked and disbanded, allowed the Church and the archbishop to continue their work...for the most part. In other words, the Vikings settled down and began to rule. And the third phase of the Viking Age began--settlement.

Direct Viking rule lasted until 954. The Earl of York was created in 960 and many of the early earls were Viking. It is not until William the Conqueror builds castles in York that its independence as a Viking trading centre is truly brought to an end.

Michelle Styles's next Viking romance will be published in North America in December: Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife.

Weekly Announcements - 27 June 08

Jennifer Mueller has two new releases. This week saw the Dark Castle Lords release of FAR FROM HOME, which is set in Byzantium and features a hero who is Varangian--a Viking warrior in the employ of the Byzantine emperor. In July, she will be releasing AN ARRANGEMENT AMONG GENTLEMEN from Phaze, set in Canada.

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Sandra Schwab received a great review for BEWITCHED from Azteclady on Karen Knows Best, an influential reader blog:

Amy is such a wonderful character. She is strong even when she fears her own weakness, and lets her generous heart guide her during moments of darkness and uncertainty. For his part, Sebastian's reactions and feelings are so well drawn, so deeply felt, that my heart ached for both of them.

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Michelle Styles received great reviews for VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE from the Pink Heart Society and Cataromance:

Michelle Styles is an extraordinary writer of historical romantic fiction who can make any period of history her own! VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE is a sensational historical romance that is fast-paced, action-packed, engrossing, emotional and romantic!

For those of us in the States who are eager to get hold of this book, it's available now for pre-order on Amazon, set for a December US release.

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Join us Sunday when T.J. Bennett will be discussing and giving away a copy of THE LEGACY, set in 16th century Germany--available now from Medallion Press.

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We'll also draw the winner of a copy of Anne Whitfield's KITTY MCKENZIE, in celebration of her newest release, HER SHADOWED HEART. Leave a comment for your shot at winning.

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE Winner!

We have a winner for Michelle Styles's VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE giveaway:

Kimmie L!

Contact Michelle to give her your 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 of her book! Congratulations!

Release Party: Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife

This week, we're talking with contributor Michelle Styles about her newest Harlequin Historical release, VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE.

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A Viking raid...

They claimed they came in peace, but soon Lindisfarne was aflame. Annis of Birdoswald fled in fear, but she could not escape the Norse warriors.

An honorable captor...

One man protected her--Haakon Haroldson. The dark, arrogant Viking swept Annis back to his homeland, taking her away from all she held dear.

A new life--as his mistress!

Now Annis must choose between the lowly work that befits a captive, or a life of sinful pleasure in the Viking's arms!

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Sometimes it feels like another month, another celebration for Michelle. What's going on?

It all has to do with publication schedules and the fact that Harlequin Mills & Boon is a great global empire of publishing. My books first appear in the UK and then they go out to different markets. Sometimes, the process can take years. Scheduling is a black art.

VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE is my first new book of 2008 and proudly sports the centenary logo. The second half of 2008 is a bit crowded, though. I have the sequel to A CHRISTMAS WEDDING WAGER, called AN IMPULSIVE DEBUTANTE, coming out in September, and the start of new Regency duo, A QUESTION OF IMPROPRIETY, coming out in November. After that, I have no idea what the schedule looks like, and I don't know about US publication dates. You can, however, buy the entire M&B range through Amazon.Ca. The powers that be at Harlequin always welcome feedback and are responsive to reader's requests.

How much advanced warning do you get?

It depends. I always know when a book is coming out in the UK, and my editors tell me a book will appear in the US. But for other markets, most of the time, they do not know. I tend to spend the first of every month trawling around the various Harlequin sites to see. And sometimes, I do not know that a book has been out until the copies arrive in the post. It is one of the great things about being published by Harlequin. 110 different markets and 26 different languages leaves lots of scope.

Okay, so what is VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE about?

This is Vikar's story. Vikar was one of the Viken jaarls in TAKEN BY THE VIKING. Before the events in that book, he was married to Sela, the heroine of VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE and they divorced. Sela left him and has never returned to the court at Kaupang. At the end of TAKEN BY THE VIKING, Sela's father was banished for his part in nearly toppling the king and the events in the book take place approximately a year after that. But it is a linked book rather than strictly a sequel. In other words, you do not have to have read the first to read the second. One of my perennial problems is that I always seem to come in on a series about a book or two in, and then it doesn't stand alone. I have worked very hard to make sure that VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE stands alone.

Were there any challenges?

With the early Viking era, there are always challenges. There are not a lot of primary sources and sometimes, they are contradictory. I spent a lot of time reading the Icelandic sagas. The early sagas do reflect this era, but one always has to be careful on how much is truth and how much is entertainment. And this whole question of truth versus fantasy was something I addressed in the book. Sela has decided that all the stories are fantasy, but learns that maybe there was a lot more truth in her father's saga than she thought.

Anything surprise you?

When I read the Icelandic sagas, I was surprised how much the sagas inspired Tolkien, Wagner and others.

Is there anything you're particularly proud of?

I got to keep the trolls and even had my editors believing in trolls for a moment. Harlequin Historical is basically no paranormal, but because I was able to offer a good explanation of why, I was able to keep the trolls. I was pleased. I also enjoyed exploring the whole Viking family structure. It was good to do a quest book.

Are there any more Vikens in your future?

I have just turned in my third Viken, Ivar's story. I know several readers have asked for Thrand (Haakon's step-brother) to have a story, and that may happen. I have an idea for it... But I also really enjoy writing my Regency/Victorian North East of England stories, so it sort of depends on what my editors want.

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Thank you, Michelle, for giving us more insight into your new release. There is a copy of VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE for one lucky poster. Or, if the winner would prefer one of Michelle's other books, she is willing to send out one of her backlist. The winner will be announced next Sunday, so be sure to leave a comment or question. To get people talking, what do people think about series? Like them or loathe them, and why?

Weekly Announcements - 30 May 2008

Jennifer Mueller just signed a contract with Robert Hale Ltd. for her first print novel. More details to come. Congratulations!

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Bonnie Vanak's latest Nocturne, ENEMY LOVER, is now available for pre-order. Go reserve your copy!

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Anne Whitfield's latest novel HER SHADOWED HEART, set in 1864 Yorkshire, was just released. You can purchase it at Amazon.

Anna Thornton leads a privileged life, but she's not content. When the dashing Matt Cowan sweeps her off her feet, she thinks her boring existence has changed for the better--only all is not as it seems. Although Matt loves her, he lies and leaves her. Once he has gone she finds she is pregnant. Heartbroken Anna flees her home with her trusted maid.

She buys a run-down farm in Yorkshire and is determined to make a new life and be independent. She begins again, but events occur that will test her strength and self belief. An Irishman comes along looking for work. Anna reluctantly hires him, but she's wary of men, of love, and hates to find herself attracted to him, a penniless labourer, so she fights her feelings. Then, just when Anna believes she is getting on with her new life, the past returns to confront her.

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Carrie Lofty feels like a proper author this week, after having received her cover flats for her December release WHAT A SCOUNDREL WANTS, available for pre-order. Come, fall in love with the unusual green and purple!***

Michelle Styles' blog and website are now being archived by the British Library as part of their web preservation programme. She also received a really good review for VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE from Realms on Our Bookshelves:

The part I like best is Michelle Styles wields her talent once more to spin a Viking tale of long ago, filled with strong willed personalities, compelling love and secrets to uncover. VIKING WARRIOR, UNWILLING WIFE will give the reader a few enjoyable reading hours in the time of the VIken!

Michelle also received the cover of her upcoming release, AN IMPULSIVE DEBUTANTE. It's also available for pre-order ahead of its September UK release.

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Join us Sunday when Blythe Gifford will be discussing her latest release INNOCENCE UNVEILED, set in 14th century Flanders, and giving away a free copy!

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We'll also draw the winner of a copy of Victoria Trout and Penelope West's ETHAN'S FLIGHT. Leave a comment for your shot at winning.

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...

Release Party: US Release of Taken by the Viking

Michelle Styles is back with us today to celebrate the North American release of Taken by the Viking. Regular readers of this blog will recall that she dropped by last October when Taken by the Viking was released in the UK. Taken by the Viking is May 08 release for harlequin Historical which means that it is probably in the shops this week. You can read an excerpt here.

A Viking Raid

They claimed they came in peace, but soon Lindisfarne was aflame. Annis of Birdoswald fled in fear, but she could not escape the Norse warriors.

An Honorable Captor

One man protected her--Haakon Haroldson. The dark, arrogant Viking swept Annis back to his homeland, taking her away from all she held dear.

A New Life--As His Mistress!

Now Annis must choose between the lowly work that befits a captive, or a life of sinful pleasure in the Viking's arms!

Why the different release date?

That is decision for the editors and is entirely dependant on the needs of the line. One of the big problems at the moment is that they have such a strong stable of authors writing unusual historical that publishing slots are tight. I am a UK author and that means my home market is the UK. Other authors such as Michelle Willingham or Blythe Gifford are US authors, and their work is released first in the North American market. Publishing slots are much available for Georgian/Regency/Victorian. The big reason for this is sales. People keep saying that they want choice, but the books sold reflect the desire for the Regency time period, particularly in the UK. Harlequin Historical are committed to providing the variety of time periods as much as possible but are seeing the growth in sales more in the Regency.

What has been its reception so far?

I have been very pleased with the reviews. For example, The Romantic Times gave Taken a four-star rating and said it was an awesome story with jump off the page characters. And its reception seems to have been good in the UK. The original plan was going to be to wait and release the Vikings one after another in North America, but they decided to change that after seeing the UK sales.

Your cover is lovely. Was it created specifically for the book?

Yes, Taken by the Viking's cover was created specifically for the book, as was the inside cover. My editor told me that they had used one of the top Presents artists as they wanted a certain feel about it. Joanne Carr recently said on Romance Vagabonds that they mainly work with New York artists, so the vast majority of NA retail covers are fresh artwork. But Harlequin does have a large stock of images and these can be used around the world. Basically, the marketing department is trying to create a certain feel with a book, and if they can do it with existing stock, they will. For example, the UK cover for Sold & Seduced was the inside cover of Lyn Randall's Warrior or Wife, but it was such a lovely picture that it deserved to be on a front cover.

Do you find writing Vikings more difficult than Romans?

There are different challenges. The Romans were far more literate than Vikings and left a larger body of work, so we actually have far more concrete information. The Vikings really left a few brief runes. We know about them comes from mentions by often hostile monks, and the Icelandic sagas. The most famous of the sagas--the Prose and Poetic eddas were written after the Viking age has ended and it is unclear how far the traditions actually go back. Add to this the various Victorian myths--for example horns on helmets--and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. Luckily, the archaeological record does provide a few clues as well.

The other thing about Vikings is that they were uber alpha. They lived in a warrior society and so this has to be reflected in the story. One comment I keep getting from my editors is to make my heroes more alpha and that the reader knows it was a violent time.

Did anything surprise you in the research?

I think the thing that surprised me most was how much Tolkien and Richard Wagner drew on the sagas when they were creating their masterpieces. It is very strange to be reading a list of dwarfs and come across the names of Gandalf, Thorin, Bombur, Dain, Gloin etc.

Are there any more Vikings in your future?

My next book out in the UK (June 08). Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife is the second book about the jaarls of Lindisfarne. And I am nearly finished with the first draft of the third book. I am not sure how many more after that as it depends on what else is happening. I know that I want to write several more early Victorians and I have an idea for a late Georgian. But I do like writing about the time period and looking at the possibilities behind the myth.

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Thank you to Michelle for being here. Michelle is offering a copy of Taken by the Viking (or something from her back list) to one lucky poster. Just leave a comment or a question. Be sure to check back next week and see if you have won!

To help get the ball rolling here is a question: what do you think about uber alpha heroes/warrior heroes? Do you like them or do you prefer something more urbane?

Weekly Announcements - 11 April 08

The is the last few weeks have been quiet, but we do have an announcement or two:

For the 10th anniversary of AAR, Sandra Schwab has written a romance parody, which went online last week. "The Rose in the Storm" is the gripping tale of the horrible, fearsome Viking Freagar the Dark (friends call him Rafe), an unfortunate pig (well, it's not really a pig), the beautiful Rosa, and of what happened one evening on the banks of the river Pregel in East-Prussia on a really, really cold and stormy night in 1807.

Moreover, to further celebrate the release of her new novel, BEWITCHED, Sandra is doing an online reading of the prologue and parts of chapter 1 on her podcast: Enjoy!

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Carrie Lofty now has the cover for her December Zebra Debut, What a Scoundrel Wants. You can read the back cover copy here.

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Michelle Styles also has a new cover, this time for Viking Warrior, Unwilling Wife, a June release from Harlequin Mills & Boon.

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Join us Sunday when Anne Whitfield will be discussing Broken Hero, her newest release, and giving away a free copy!

We'll also draw the winner for Amanda McCabe's A Sinful Alliance. Don't miss out! Leave a comment for your chance to win.

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Have a good weekend. If you have an announcement to make for next week, email Carrie. See you next week...