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Read these wonderful historical romances—new from Mary Balogh and Monica McCarty
Gwendoline, Lady Muir, has seen her share of tragedy, especially since a freak accident took her husband much too soon. Content in a quiet life with friends and family, the young widow has no desire to marry again. But when Hugo, Lord Trentham, scoops her up in his arms after a fall, she feels a sensation that both shocks and emboldens her.
Hugo never intends to kiss Lady Muir, and frankly, he judges her to be a spoiled, frivolous—if beautiful—aristocrat. He is a gentleman in name only: a soldier whose bravery earned him a title; a merchant’s son who inherited his wealth. He is happiest when working the land, but duty and title now demand that he finds a wife. He doesn’t wish to court Lady Muir, nor have any role in the society games her kind thrives upon. Yet Hugo has never craved a woman more; Gwen’s guileless manner, infectious laugh, and lovely face have ruined him for any other woman. He wants her, but will she have him?
The hard, dour ex-military officer who so gently carried Gwen to safety is a man who needs a lesson in winning a woman’s heart. Despite her cautious nature, Gwen cannot ignore the attraction. As their two vastly different worlds come together, both will be challenged in unforeseen ways. But through courtship and seduction, Gwen soon finds that with each kiss, and with every caress, she cannot resist Hugo’s devotion, his desire, his love, and the promise of forever.
Order now | Visit MaryBalogh.com | Find Mary on Facebook | Read an excerpt of The Proposal
Magnus MacKay is the ultimate Highlander: tough, proud, able to master any terrain and to best his enemies. Called “the Saint” for his refusal to discuss women, as well as for his cool and steady leadership, Magnus hides a painful truth. It isn’t virtue or piety that keeps him silent, but a wound of love and loss that cuts so deep he cannot bear to speak of it. But when the woman who refused him is betrothed to his friend and fellow Guardsman, Magnus is tested by love’s battle cry.
A wild and innocent beauty, Helen chose family duty over her desire for Magnus. Now the anger in his eyes mirrors the tormented regret in her heart. But as deadly subterfuge stalks the King and his Guard, Helen vows to right her youthful mistakes with a woman’s determined spirit. Still, Magnus harbors secrets and an iron will not to weaken to temptation—or heartache—again. But as danger looms, it’s the kiss not of a saint, but of a sinner, that can save them.
Order now | Visit MonicaMccarty.com | Find Monica on Twitter & Facebook!
Historically Crushed: Jillian Larkin on Jay Gatsby
Young Adult Romance Authors share their biggest historical crushes with RomanceatRandom readers. Today we hear from Jillian Larkin, author of The Flappers Series.
Historically Crushed: Sasha Gould on Leonardo da Vinci
Young Adult Romance Authors share their biggest historical crushes with RomanceatRandom readers. Today we hear from Sasha Gould, author of Cross My Heart.
Book Review of The Proposal by Mary Balogh, Thank you Romance Reviews Today!
In Mary Balogh’s engaging and seductive new novel of drama and romance, a woman comfortable in her solitude allows temptation to free her heart, when a daring war hero shows her how truly extraordinary she is.
THE PROPOSAL – Mary Balogh
The Survivors’ Club Septet, Book 1
ISBN: 978-0-385-34332-9; eBook ISBN: 978-0-345-53357-9
A special review from Jane Bowers, visit Jane at her blog site: Romance Reviews Today
England after the Napoleonic Wars
The Duke of Stanbrook lost his son in the wars and generously opened Penderris Hall, his estate in Cornwall, as a place for other officers to recuperate. The duke, five officers and the widow of another shared their traumas and became fast friends as a result. So close did they become that they dubbed themselves the Survivor’s Club and agreed to gather for a few weeks each year. They all carry scars of some sort, either visible or hidden.
Read more
Bestselling Regency Author Mary Balogh Answers R@R Reader Questions
New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh has been writing regency romances since 1983 and shows no signs of slowing down. Her new book, The Proposal, goes on sale tomorrow and kicks off a new series, delivering the kind of sexy, intelligent, romantic read that fans have come to crave from this author. Mary has also, to her fans’ delight, recently joined Facebook where she now connects with readers on a daily basis. We thought we’d bring Mary even closer to her fans by having her answer some questions straight from our Romance@Random Facebook page. Read more
Great Random Romances, on sale today!
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Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning Available now in hardcover and eBook! Read more |
A Treat from Karen Marie Moning to Her Fans: Special Edition of INTO THE DREAMING with Exclusive Content
Karen Marie Moning‘s newly re-released Into the Dreaming (on sale April 24th) is a fan’s dream. The package includes the long out-of-print title novella that offers an glimpse into the early development of both the Fever world (the Unseelie King and Seelie Queen make appearances) and the Highlander world (MacKeltars, anyone?). That sexy story alone is worth the cover price, but beyond that, the book includes tons of extras: an unpublished novel proposal, deleted scenes from the Highlander books, and an exclusive preview of the art from the upcoming Fever graphic novel, Fever Moon. Karen herself wrote the introductions for each piece, and speaking as a fan, the book offers a rare inside-look into the writing process of this great author.
If you’ve ever put down a Moning novel and immediately thought, “I want MORE,” this is the answer to your craving. Here’s a sample for your reading pleasure:
Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning (An Excerpt)
Romance Author Monica McCarty’s THE SAINT releases today – Do you want to be spoiled?
THE SAINT is the fifth book in my Highland Guard series, featuring an elite team of “Special Forces” warriors who help Robert the Bruce battle the English in the war for Scottish Independence (think SEAL Team 6 meets Braveheart). When I originally conceived the series, I thought it would be fun to use each warrior’s war name as the title for the book—à la aviator callsigns. But that decision had a very unintended result in that it “spoiled” some of the surprises I had in store.
I’d mapped out all the books of the series from day one, and with all the twists and turns I had planned I wanted to keep certain things secret—things like future storylines, whether someone would have a book, and “who’s next?” But I didn’t factor in the fact that books go up for pre-sale online months before the actual on-sale date, meaning my title was going to give away the future hero well before that book’s release. This came into play with the third book in the series, THE RANGER. Originally, I wanted Arthur Campbell’s role in the guard to be much more ambiguous—i.e. is he with them or not? But I ended up having to re-write portions of the second book, when it became clear that my “secret” was just going to be confusing—readers already knew he was going to be the hero of the third book. I’m still trying to keep future books secret for as long as I can, but the titles have definitely limited that.
Similarly there is a major plot spoiler in THE SAINT. I suspected that keeping it secret was going to be difficult, and so far this has proved to be the case. Probably at least half of the early reviews I’ve seen have given it away. Admittedly the “secret” doesn’t rise to the spoiler level of something like The Crying Game (anyone remember that, LOL?), but I think knowing ahead of time does take away some of the emotional impact.
I’ve begun to think that in today’s internet age, it’s almost impossible to keep such things secret. If I’m not caught up on my DVR’d TV shows, I’ve learned to avoid going on Twitter. Can’t tell you how many spoilers I’ve had simply by living on the west coast and accidentally going on Twitter or looking at my FB feed after east coast airtime.
Are you like me, do you want to be surprised? Do you mind spoilers? Do you (horrors!) seek them out? Remember, every week 5 random commenters are chosen to win a random free book – winners are announced on Sunday -good luck!
THE SAINT BLURB:
Robert the Bruce consolidates lands and loyalty in a bold war for Scotland’s independence, as his elite team of warriors, the Highland Guard, fight for king, country… and love.
Magnus MacKay is the ultimate Highlander: tough, proud, able to master any terrain, and best even the most ferocious enemy. Called “Saint” for his refusal to discuss women, as well as for his cool and steady leadership, Magnus’s war name hides a far more painful truth. It isn’t virtue or piety that keeps him silent, but a wound of love and loss that cuts so deep he cannot bear to speak of it. But when the woman who refused him is betrothed to his friend and fellow Guardsman, Magnus is tested by love’s battle cry.
A wild and innocent beauty, Helen chose family duty over her desire for Magnus. Now the anger in his eyes mirrors the tormented regret of her heart. But as deadly subterfuge stalks the King and his Guard, Helen vows to right her youthful mistakes with a woman’s determined spirit. Still, Magnus harbors secrets and an iron will not to weaken to temptation—or heartache—again. But as danger looms, it’s not the kiss of a saint, but a sinner, that can save them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Monica McCarty is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Viper, The Ranger, The Hawk, and The Chief, the first four books in the Highland Guard series, the Highlander trilogy (Highlander Untamed, Highlander Unmasked, and Highlander Unchained), and the Campbell trilogy (Highland Warrior, Highland Outlaw, and Highland Scoundrel). Her interest in the Scottish clan system began in the most unlikely of places: a comparative legal history course at Stanford Law School. After a short but enjoyable stint as an attorney, she realized that her career as a lawyer set against her husband’s transitory life as a professional baseball player was not exactly a match made in heaven. So she traded in her legal briefs for Scottish historical romances with sexy alpha heroes. Monica McCarty lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and their two children.
Order now | Visit MonicaMccarty.com | Find Monica on Twitter & Facebook!
Why Kick-Ass Heroines Rock
Author Shana Galen shares a few of the reasons why she loves writng (and reading) about strong female characters.
First of all, let me say thank you to Romance@Random and Stefanie Sloane for having me. I’m thrilled to be here!
Lest the title of this blog confuse you, let me first say I love all heroines. I’ve written my share of young virgins who certainly had, or developed, a backbone but wouldn’t utter the word ass even if they were talking about a donkey. I have nothing against those types of heroines. They have their pros and cons.
But this blog isn’t about sweet, demure little misses. This blog is about tough, spunky, fearless heroines. And let me tell you they are as much fun to write about as they are to read about. Take Sophia from my recent book Lord and Lady Spy. As the title would suggest, she’s a spy, and there’s pretty much nothing she can’t do.
Accurately throw a dagger? Check.
Hand-to-hand combat? Check?
Set booby traps? Check.
Cipher code? Check.
Fire a pistol? Well…she needs a little work in that area. But I had to give her some weaknesses. She can’t be perfect.
The heroine in my new novel, The Rogue Pirate’s Bride, is far from perfect. Raeven is young, impulsive, and a little spoiled. She likes to get her way. At the beginning of the novel, she’s after the blood of the notorious pirate Captain Cutlass and has no qualms at all about challenging him to a duel. Her weapons of choice are swords.
I had so much fun with these two characters. I loved seeing what trouble they would get into next. And the best part was they always managed to get out of it as well.
So here are just a few reasons why I love writing kick-ass heroines:
You never know what they’re going to do next.
For an author like me, who’s not much of a plotter, the sweet miss can take a bit of work. She wouldn’t be caught dead doing so many of the things that normally makes a story exciting, and while I have to make sure she remains in character, I also want the writing to be interesting for the reader. The kick-ass heroine, on the other hand, isn’t afraid of much. She may have one or two hang-ups, but she’s pretty much ready for any adventure I imagine. Raeven in The Rogue Pirate’s Bride fights a duel with a pirate, is kidnapped, kisses the hero, and shimmies down a ship’s anchor cable to escape. All of this happens in the first two chapters!
They defy all convention.
My stories are set during the Regency era when rules were not simply a suggestion. A lady followed the rules or she found herself living in the country with sheep and a lady’s maid for company. So when one of my heroines breaks the rules, she is taking a big risk and those scenes are really enjoyable to write. It’s also fun to push the envelope. No one reads books about average people who only do average things. We read to live new lives. A heroine who isn’t afraid to step out of her comfort zone is a welcome escape from our own, sometimes routine, lives.
They have great sex.
It stands to reason that most heroines who aren’t afraid to take risks outside the bedroom wouldn’t be afraid to take them in it. I had to think hard about the sex scenes between Sophia and Adrian in Lord and Lady Spy and those between Bastien and Raeven in The Rogue Pirate’s Bride. I didn’t want to write typical sex scenes. I wanted the action in the bedroom to reflect the characters. Sophia, for example, likes Adrian to be a little rough. Raeven has no problem using a dagger for erotic purposes. The kick-ass heroine makes sex scenes more fun to write and read.
What about you? Do you like kick-ass heroines? Who are some of your favorites? I’ll be checking in all day to read your comments. I’m also pleased to offer copies of The Rogue Pirate’s Bride to two readers who comment (U.S. and Canadian residents only).
Shana Galen is the author of numerous fast-paced adventurous Regency historical romances, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold worldwide, including Japan, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the Netherlands, and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She’s a wife, a mother, and an expert multi-tasker. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and Twitter.
Katharine Ashe on Masks and Mischief
Just in time for Mardis Gras, author Katharine Ashe talks masks and all of the delicious trouble that happens when we don a disguise.
Do you remember the ball scene in Romeo and Juliet? It’s one of my all-time favorite Shakespeare moments, for two reasons. First, the ball is when the young lovers meet and fall into infatuation. Their words, their gestures, their desire for each other — so immediate, so intense — take them lightning-fast from touching, to teasing, to kissing. From there it’s an intoxicating spiral of emotion into full-blown love.
Delectable.
Second, I love this scene because in order to enter his enemy’s house, Romeo arrives masked. In disguise he believes he’s safe. He has no idea that he’s never been in greater danger. A paper mask, after all, is a feeble barricade against the power of love.
In a gorgeous rendering of that moment in the play, in the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli film, Romeo wears the mask until he sees Juliet. At that moment he removes it and she sees his face.
In seeing his face — his eyes full of her — she sees the real man behind the mask, heart stripped of disguise, vulnerable and ready to fall.
The story is, of course, set in an Italian city. Italians love wearing costumes, especially for their most famous of holidays, Carnevale — Mardi Gras.
I remember the first time I visited Venice during Carnevale. There were masks everywhere. No one was recognizable. You couldn’t tell the Venetians from the other Italians, or the Italians from the tourists. Old men were young, young men were girls, and girls were ancient sorceresses. Even the city wore a mask; confetti covered all, sprinkling pristine stone with rainbows of glitter that tangled in hair and floated on the canals like stardust come to earth.
I think masks are the biggest reason people love Mardi Gras. Sure, the holiday is about good food and drink and out of control partying. But Mardi Gras is much more than overindulging and cutting loose.
It’s about inversion. Turning the up side down, and the in side out. During Carnevale, poor men strut like gods while rich men fade into crowds. Peasants feast like kings and fools speak like wise men.
It’s insane.
But I write romance. And in the thrilling cliff-dive of falling in love, a little insanity can be a really good thing.
So I adore a hero in disguise, especially a disguise that flips everything we expect of an alpha hero on its head. Such a disguise convinces everybody he’s harmless, only to reveal — when it is most dangerous — that he is nothing of the sort. Nothing at all.
In my new book, When a Scot Loves a Lady (available one week from today!), London spinster Lady Kitty Savege has vowed to give her heart to no man, and she’s certain she has the measure of the Earl of Blackwood. He’s everything she doesn’t want: barbarian, rogue, incorrigible flirt. Yet every time he comes near, she is entirely at the mercy of her desire. She just can’t keep her hands off him.
So she fights it. He does too. With reasons of his own that include a secret mission, the earl resists and resists and resists. But their rational minds are no match for passion. And when his mask finally falls…
Insanity. The best kind.
Happy Mardi Gras!
Have you ever hidden behind a mask for a party or Mardi Gras, or perhaps for some bigger reason?
Katharine Ashe is an author of historical romance and a professor of European History. Visit her website to learn more.
