the very best for a lovely holiday and a great New Year!
(I made this ornament in school over 50 years ago.)
Monday, December 21, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Today's the day!
My latest medieval romance,
is out today!
From the back cover:
She swore to resist temptation!
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the
truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for
safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of
pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the
innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't
seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon
becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
"Moore ends The Knights’ Prizes
series with an exciting tale of murder, secret treasure and lust between a
saint and a sinner. We love that the heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and
that the hero is a rascal out to redeem himself. There’s great conflict,
authentic setting and enough heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts."
-- Romantic Times
The other books in The Knights' Prizes
series are CASTLE OF THE WOLF, followed by BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT. As with all of my books, SCOUNDREL OF
DUNBOROUGH was written to "stand alone," so you shouldn't feel lost
if you haven't read the first two books, although I hope you have!
(Not available on Kindle until Jan. 1, unfortunately.)
Monday, December 14, 2015
Speaking of movies....
I see In The Heart Of The Sea "bombed" at the box office on the weekend. I don't think their advertising campaign helped.
What did I see in the ads?
Chris Hemsworth, aka Thor. Yes, he's handsome. But who is he in this movie? Some guy on a whaling ship, apparently.
Lots of CGI of a whale (possibly white -- hard to tell on the TV) hitting a ship. Lots and lots of water. Guys screaming and falling.
Not a lot of women and certainly none on the ship. Which is historically accurate, of course, but not likely to entice women to want to see the movie, Chris Hemsworth notwithstanding.
It's based on Moby Dick, the only book to literally put me to sleep. I had to read it for school but was hoping to get more about the characters and backstory than was shown in the movie with Gregory Peck. Instead, I had to read way too much about whaling and zzzz..... So that's no draw for me. Is it for anybody who had to read it in school? Who else reads Moby Dick these days? Clearly not enough to help the box office.
The Gregory Peck movie was about the characters, not so much about the whale. From the ads for In The Heart Of The Sea, I'm thinking that movie is about Chris Hemsworth as a guy on a ship and a big fake whale bashing in the ship. That's certainly not enough to get me to the theater, not when I can see Gregory Peck as one heck of an obsessed captain sending nearly his entire, interesting and diverse crew to Davy Jones' locker for free on TV.
What did I see in the ads?
Chris Hemsworth, aka Thor. Yes, he's handsome. But who is he in this movie? Some guy on a whaling ship, apparently.
Lots of CGI of a whale (possibly white -- hard to tell on the TV) hitting a ship. Lots and lots of water. Guys screaming and falling.
Not a lot of women and certainly none on the ship. Which is historically accurate, of course, but not likely to entice women to want to see the movie, Chris Hemsworth notwithstanding.
It's based on Moby Dick, the only book to literally put me to sleep. I had to read it for school but was hoping to get more about the characters and backstory than was shown in the movie with Gregory Peck. Instead, I had to read way too much about whaling and zzzz..... So that's no draw for me. Is it for anybody who had to read it in school? Who else reads Moby Dick these days? Clearly not enough to help the box office.
The Gregory Peck movie was about the characters, not so much about the whale. From the ads for In The Heart Of The Sea, I'm thinking that movie is about Chris Hemsworth as a guy on a ship and a big fake whale bashing in the ship. That's certainly not enough to get me to the theater, not when I can see Gregory Peck as one heck of an obsessed captain sending nearly his entire, interesting and diverse crew to Davy Jones' locker for free on TV.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Creed Vs. Rocky
I saw Creed on Friday night. I'm certainly no boxing fan and although I liked the first Rocky movie, I haven't seen most of the sequels. Still, the story line and particularly the relationship between the two leads seemed interesting, so off I went.
What did I think of Creed? Basically, meh. However, it did make me think about the original Rocky movie and why it was so good.
First, a quibble to get out of the way: maybe it's because I'm in the midst of a rather messy first draft, but I had the niggling feeling that a subplot got lost along the way, that of the other trainer with the much-tattooed son. It seemed to be building to some sort of importance, then...nadda.
Now to the main event: what Rocky the First Movie had that Creed did not.
In a nutshell, characters I cared about.
It's hard to feel much sympathy for Creed when he throws away a job many people would dearly love to have, and you see the house he lives in with Apollo Creed's widow. Yes, he has Issues, but compared to Rocky's "lifestyle" in the first movie, and the job he has, well...there is no comparison.
And then there's Adrian, a woman who is so mousy and shy, she's nearly mute. Here's the thing about the first Rocky movie: it isn't just about the rise of Rocky from the trash heap to glory in the ring. It's about Adrian's transformation from mouse to lion when she finally stands up to Paulie and goes to live with Rocky.
Maybe it's a (sad) sign of the (Hollywood) times, but Creed's girlfriend Bianca is as gorgeous and talented as Adrian was not. Yes, she has a "problem," one that given her career, could be devastating, yet she simply seems to shrug it off. Not something worth caring about for her, not worth me caring about, either.
This time, Rocky is the has-been who becomes a trainer, but for all his suffering, his portrayal of pain doesn't hold a candle to Burgess Meredith as Mickey pleading with Rocky to let him be his trainer. It's heart-wrenching to watch this old, broken-down ex-fighter talk about his glory days and beg. It's no surprise, after what's happened in the move thus far, that Rocky refuses. But then he goes after Mickey and gives him a second chance, too.
Are we engaged with the characters in Rocky? Oh, you betcha. Creed? Not nearly as much -- and that makes all the difference.
What did I think of Creed? Basically, meh. However, it did make me think about the original Rocky movie and why it was so good.
First, a quibble to get out of the way: maybe it's because I'm in the midst of a rather messy first draft, but I had the niggling feeling that a subplot got lost along the way, that of the other trainer with the much-tattooed son. It seemed to be building to some sort of importance, then...nadda.
Now to the main event: what Rocky the First Movie had that Creed did not.
In a nutshell, characters I cared about.
It's hard to feel much sympathy for Creed when he throws away a job many people would dearly love to have, and you see the house he lives in with Apollo Creed's widow. Yes, he has Issues, but compared to Rocky's "lifestyle" in the first movie, and the job he has, well...there is no comparison.
And then there's Adrian, a woman who is so mousy and shy, she's nearly mute. Here's the thing about the first Rocky movie: it isn't just about the rise of Rocky from the trash heap to glory in the ring. It's about Adrian's transformation from mouse to lion when she finally stands up to Paulie and goes to live with Rocky.
Maybe it's a (sad) sign of the (Hollywood) times, but Creed's girlfriend Bianca is as gorgeous and talented as Adrian was not. Yes, she has a "problem," one that given her career, could be devastating, yet she simply seems to shrug it off. Not something worth caring about for her, not worth me caring about, either.
This time, Rocky is the has-been who becomes a trainer, but for all his suffering, his portrayal of pain doesn't hold a candle to Burgess Meredith as Mickey pleading with Rocky to let him be his trainer. It's heart-wrenching to watch this old, broken-down ex-fighter talk about his glory days and beg. It's no surprise, after what's happened in the move thus far, that Rocky refuses. But then he goes after Mickey and gives him a second chance, too.
Are we engaged with the characters in Rocky? Oh, you betcha. Creed? Not nearly as much -- and that makes all the difference.
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Tuesday, December 01, 2015
It's Nearly Time!
My newest book, SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH, will be out on December 15!
She swore to resist temptation!
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
"...an exciting tale of murder, secret treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts." - Romantic Times
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Great Review for SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH
Romantic Times has this to say about the upcoming SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH:
"Moore ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts."
- See more at: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
"Moore ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts."
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts. - See more at:
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts. - See more at:
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts. - See more at:
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts. - See more at:
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/scoundrel-dunborough#sthash.75p4i9b4.dpuf
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts.
Novice
Celeste D’Orleau journeys to Dunborough to learn the truth about her
sister’s murder. She never expects to run into her childhood nemesis
(and secret crush) Gerrard. He can’t believe he is lusting after a nun,
but then, he had always been drawn to Celeste. Temptation is sweet, but
he won’t dishonor the innocent beauty. Gerrard is prepared to give up
the woman he loves — until the heat of their desire proves stronger than
any vow.
Moore
ends The Knights’ Prizes series with an exciting tale of murder, secret
treasure and lust between a saint and a sinner. We love that the
heroine is strong-willed and loyal, and that the hero is a rascal out to
redeem himself. There’s great conflict, authentic setting and enough
heated embraces to melt readers’ hearts.
Novice
Celeste D’Orleau journeys to Dunborough to learn the truth about her
sister’s murder. She never expects to run into her childhood nemesis
(and secret crush) Gerrard. He can’t believe he is lusting after a nun,
but then, he had always been drawn to Celeste. Temptation is sweet, but
he won’t dishonor the innocent beauty. Gerrard is prepared to give up
the woman he loves — until the heat of their desire proves stronger than
any vow.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Big Backlist Sale!
Harlequin is having a big sale of their ebooks for $1.99 and 21 of mine are included (plus one novella), from a variety of time periods. The sale runs from November 10th to the 17th.
First up: The two previous books in my Knights' Prizes trilogy,
Book III, SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH, will be out next month.
Like Regency-set historicals?
There's my Regency duo,
HIGHLAND HEIRESS
The linked books
And not part of any series
Like Vikings? Try
Want something a little different? How about a couple of Victorians:
and
If want to try more of my medievals, you're in luck. Most of my Warrior series is on sale. (Don't worry if you can't get them all -- I write all my books to "stand alone." The connections are just a little bonus.)
And if you want something short to read, my novella
Monday, November 02, 2015
Sample SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH
Whoo hoo! A longer sample of my next book, SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH, in now available at Overdrive.com.
She swore to resist temptation!
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH is the final book in my Knights' Prizes trilogy. But never fear if you haven't read CASTLE OF THE WOLF or BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT. I always write each book to "stand alone." But if you have, this is Gerrard's story.
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH will be available in print and digital on December 15 and for Kindle on January 1, 2016.
From the back cover:
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH is the final book in my Knights' Prizes trilogy. But never fear if you haven't read CASTLE OF THE WOLF or BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT. I always write each book to "stand alone." But if you have, this is Gerrard's story.
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH will be available in print and digital on December 15 and for Kindle on January 1, 2016.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
More Foreign Editions!
One of the thrills of writing for Harlequin Historical is getting the various editions of my books in translation from all over the world. Here are two of the latest:
Nice, eh? A good cover in any edition is also a thrill!
*As of this date, THE VIKING hasn't been reissued in North America in any version. You can get the sequel, THE SAXON, in digital format, though.
To the left is THE OVERLORD'S BRIDE, called UNE TROUBLANTE INNOCENCE from Harlequin France. That translates to "a disturbing innocence," which is quite adequate, I must say!
To the right is CASTLE OF THE WOLF, or A LA MERCI DU CHEVALIER - "at the mercy of the knight." I like this translation, too!
Bonus discovery while getting links for this post -- THE VIKING* is available in a French anthology!
Not all overseas editions are in languages other than English. Here's the new British cover of IN THE KING'S SERVICE, currently available from Mills & Boon:
Nice, eh? A good cover in any edition is also a thrill!
*As of this date, THE VIKING hasn't been reissued in North America in any version. You can get the sequel, THE SAXON, in digital format, though.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Cover Reveal!
I just received the cover for my next book and here it is!
From the back:
She swore to resist temptation!
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
Want to read an excerpt?
Want to pre-order from Amazon?
Go here for print (out December 15, 2015) from Amazon.
Go here for Kindle (out January 1, 2016).
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH will also be available from Harlequin and in other digital formats.
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH is the final book in The Knights' Prizes trilogy. The others are CASTLE OF THE WOLF and BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT. But I always write each book to stand alone, so if you haven't read the first two, you shouldn't feel lost.
And if you want a little extra, check out my free novella, Kind Eyes and A Lion's Heart, on my website, featuring two secondary characters from BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT and SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH.
From the back:
She swore to resist temptation!
Journeying to Dunborough to learn the truth about her sister's murder, novice Celeste D'Orleau dons a nun's habit for safety. But seeing her childhood hero Gerrard of Dunborough makes her dream of pleasures that will be forbidden once she takes her final vows.
Gerrard wrestles with his desire for the innocent beauty. After striving to redeem his wicked reputation, he won't seduce a nun. Yet as Celeste's mission draws them closer together, it soon becomes clear their passion is stronger than any vow!
Want to read an excerpt?
Want to pre-order from Amazon?
Go here for print (out December 15, 2015) from Amazon.
Go here for Kindle (out January 1, 2016).
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH will also be available from Harlequin and in other digital formats.
SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH is the final book in The Knights' Prizes trilogy. The others are CASTLE OF THE WOLF and BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT. But I always write each book to stand alone, so if you haven't read the first two, you shouldn't feel lost.
And if you want a little extra, check out my free novella, Kind Eyes and A Lion's Heart, on my website, featuring two secondary characters from BRIDE FOR A KNIGHT and SCOUNDREL OF DUNBOROUGH.
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Cozy Shawl for Cozy Sunday Sweepstakes
Harlequin Love Inspired has teamed up with Lion Brand Yarn for a contest! It's easy to enter -- you make something with Lion Brand Yarn and post a picture of it to be eligible for $100 gift card from Walmart. You can also post a picture of a Love Inspired cover. More info and complete rules are here. The contest closes at the end of September. Think you don't have time for a project? You do!
This is a very cozy shawl I made over the course of three evenings while watching TV. It's soft, it's warm and it's large enough to double as a narrow afghan. It took 3 balls of "Granite Strips" Homespun Quick and Thick yarn, plus part of a plain ball of Homespun Thick and Quick for the fringe, as I wanted it to be only the cream color.
I used a 9MM crochet hook (I gather that's about a 13 in the US) and chained 45, then used double crochet stitches (chaining two, then missing first stitch at the end of the row when turning) until I had it as long as I wanted, approximately 64 inches, not counting fringe. The fringe is 6 inches long, and the width of the shawl was about 23 inches.
This would be perfect for keeping you warm while reading outside on a cool day, or cuddling up inside on a cold one.
This is a very cozy shawl I made over the course of three evenings while watching TV. It's soft, it's warm and it's large enough to double as a narrow afghan. It took 3 balls of "Granite Strips" Homespun Quick and Thick yarn, plus part of a plain ball of Homespun Thick and Quick for the fringe, as I wanted it to be only the cream color.
I used a 9MM crochet hook (I gather that's about a 13 in the US) and chained 45, then used double crochet stitches (chaining two, then missing first stitch at the end of the row when turning) until I had it as long as I wanted, approximately 64 inches, not counting fringe. The fringe is 6 inches long, and the width of the shawl was about 23 inches.
This would be perfect for keeping you warm while reading outside on a cool day, or cuddling up inside on a cold one.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Not Quite The Summer I Planned...
This hasn't been the summer I envisioned. Or the summer I wanted, with plenty of time to write and relax and enjoy the warm weather.
Not only did my husband have unforeseen open-heart surgery, two months to the day later, my father wound up in the emergency department. He had surgery the same day. There aren't many circumstances where a ninety-year-old gets surgery, unless it's operate or die, so his condition was grave. He made it through the surgery, but the next morning, the surgeon was not, shall we say, optimistic.
Just to really up the tension during this crisis (something this writer much prefers in her fiction, not in real life), two of my siblings were out of the country.
Fortunately, my parents apparently exist to confound the medical profession. The surgeon later admitted the odds of Dad even getting out of ICU were about 10,000 to 1. Not only did he get out of ICU, he's home and doing well, all things considered.
So this summer has been quite the emotional roller-coaster for me and my family. However, it seems the worst is over, at least for now, so I can relax enough to enjoy the summer, at least for a bit.
Not only did my husband have unforeseen open-heart surgery, two months to the day later, my father wound up in the emergency department. He had surgery the same day. There aren't many circumstances where a ninety-year-old gets surgery, unless it's operate or die, so his condition was grave. He made it through the surgery, but the next morning, the surgeon was not, shall we say, optimistic.
Just to really up the tension during this crisis (something this writer much prefers in her fiction, not in real life), two of my siblings were out of the country.
Fortunately, my parents apparently exist to confound the medical profession. The surgeon later admitted the odds of Dad even getting out of ICU were about 10,000 to 1. Not only did he get out of ICU, he's home and doing well, all things considered.
So this summer has been quite the emotional roller-coaster for me and my family. However, it seems the worst is over, at least for now, so I can relax enough to enjoy the summer, at least for a bit.
Thursday, August 06, 2015
Poldark Vs. The Crimson Field: It's Crimson Field by a backstory
Two shows arrived on PBS at about the same time. Both are historical. Poldark was given much hype, The Crimson Field not so much. In fact, I only found The Crimson Field because it was on after Poldark.
Poldark is a remake of a popular series and features a comely young actor who's been in The Hobbit movies. It's historical, so it should be right up my alley. Cornwall has some spectacular scenery and an interesting history. There's romance, thwarted and discovered, there's family drama, labor strife and financial troubles.
The Crimson Field is about nurses in a field hospital during World War I. I recognized three of the actors: the young woman who played Robb Stark's wife in Game of Thrones, the man in charge of the hospital who's the rather meek footman/butler in Downton Abbey and an actor who seems to specialize in wastrels who was in Rome. There are a couple of other comely young doctors, including one with a Scottish accent (always a bonus), several other nurses and many young wounded men. There's romance, there's drama, heart-break and, of course, the war.
Poldark got the hype, but I enjoyed The Crimson Field more, and I've decided it's all because of the women. I care about them a lot more than I care about any of the female characters in Poldark.
The female characters on Poldark just seem so...dull. Even Demelza, who should be very interesting indeed. Why is that? After some thought on the subject, I decided it's because we get more of the history, or backstory, of the women on The Crimson Field. Not a whole ton, mind you, but certainly more than in Poldark. For instance, we find out about the very proper head nurse's past love. It took only a couple of small scenes, but what a difference in how we see her! We find out about the main character's past, and it's heart-breaking -- and explains her reaction to the handsome Scottish doctor. To compare, Poldark was wounded during the American Revolution and was presumed dead. He was in love with a woman who got engaged to someone else and she marries him after Poldark returns. But we never really saw her deal with that presumed loss. I don't recall that we got any real explanation for why she felt she had to go through with the marriage, something that should have been at the top of the list since her husband is such a loser compared to Poldark.
Presumably there's a lot of story to get through with Poldark, so perhaps that's why the past history of the characters is pretty much ignored. But if I'm not invested in the characters because I'm not getting to know their history, I'm not going to enjoy the series, half-naked, handsome male actors notwithstanding.
Poldark is a remake of a popular series and features a comely young actor who's been in The Hobbit movies. It's historical, so it should be right up my alley. Cornwall has some spectacular scenery and an interesting history. There's romance, thwarted and discovered, there's family drama, labor strife and financial troubles.
The Crimson Field is about nurses in a field hospital during World War I. I recognized three of the actors: the young woman who played Robb Stark's wife in Game of Thrones, the man in charge of the hospital who's the rather meek footman/butler in Downton Abbey and an actor who seems to specialize in wastrels who was in Rome. There are a couple of other comely young doctors, including one with a Scottish accent (always a bonus), several other nurses and many young wounded men. There's romance, there's drama, heart-break and, of course, the war.
Poldark got the hype, but I enjoyed The Crimson Field more, and I've decided it's all because of the women. I care about them a lot more than I care about any of the female characters in Poldark.
The female characters on Poldark just seem so...dull. Even Demelza, who should be very interesting indeed. Why is that? After some thought on the subject, I decided it's because we get more of the history, or backstory, of the women on The Crimson Field. Not a whole ton, mind you, but certainly more than in Poldark. For instance, we find out about the very proper head nurse's past love. It took only a couple of small scenes, but what a difference in how we see her! We find out about the main character's past, and it's heart-breaking -- and explains her reaction to the handsome Scottish doctor. To compare, Poldark was wounded during the American Revolution and was presumed dead. He was in love with a woman who got engaged to someone else and she marries him after Poldark returns. But we never really saw her deal with that presumed loss. I don't recall that we got any real explanation for why she felt she had to go through with the marriage, something that should have been at the top of the list since her husband is such a loser compared to Poldark.
Presumably there's a lot of story to get through with Poldark, so perhaps that's why the past history of the characters is pretty much ignored. But if I'm not invested in the characters because I'm not getting to know their history, I'm not going to enjoy the series, half-naked, handsome male actors notwithstanding.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Best-laid Plans....
My free novella, "Kind Eyes and A Lion's Heart," is now available in its entirety on my website.
I had originally planned to release it in installments, finishing just before attending before the Romance Writers of America's national conference in New York City. I thought that would be a good lead-in to the conference.
And then my athletic, multi-sports-playing husband was found to have a major blockage in the coronary artery, among others. He had an unexpected quadruple bypass, fortunately before he had a heart attack. I'm very grateful to the astute medical resident who recommended a stress test just to cover all the bases, the surgeon who performed the surgery, the cardiologists, the nurses, the physiotherapists, our family doctor, all the other many outstanding medical professionals who saw us through this experience, as well as our family, friends, my editor and agent, who were all so understanding and supportive.
My husband's recovery has been excellent, in no small part because he's a multi-sports-playing guy. But boy oh boy, if people ask me if I wish I lived in the past? OH, HECK NO! Like to write about it, wouldn't want to live there, or I'd be a widow.
And that's why I won't be at the RWA conference this year.
I had originally planned to release it in installments, finishing just before attending before the Romance Writers of America's national conference in New York City. I thought that would be a good lead-in to the conference.
And then my athletic, multi-sports-playing husband was found to have a major blockage in the coronary artery, among others. He had an unexpected quadruple bypass, fortunately before he had a heart attack. I'm very grateful to the astute medical resident who recommended a stress test just to cover all the bases, the surgeon who performed the surgery, the cardiologists, the nurses, the physiotherapists, our family doctor, all the other many outstanding medical professionals who saw us through this experience, as well as our family, friends, my editor and agent, who were all so understanding and supportive.
My husband's recovery has been excellent, in no small part because he's a multi-sports-playing guy. But boy oh boy, if people ask me if I wish I lived in the past? OH, HECK NO! Like to write about it, wouldn't want to live there, or I'd be a widow.
And that's why I won't be at the RWA conference this year.
Monday, July 20, 2015
FREE Novella - The Epilogue
KIND
EYES AND A LION’S HEART
EPILOGUE
Thus it was that
in the year of our Lord 1204, Sir Melvin de Courcellet and Lady Viola de Langbourgh
were married.
Many
who attended the feast did so because they were curious to see the young man
who had managed to win the hand of Lord Percival’s niece. Those who hadn’t met Melvin before were
shocked when they did, despite Lady Sylvia’s assertion that the marriage was a
true love match. They found it easier to
believe the rumors that the bride had been seduced, although it was difficult
to fathom how a dunderhead like Sir Melvin had succeeded. It just went to show that even supposedly clever
women could be tricked. They would have
to be wary of even apparently harmless young men.
Other
decided Sir Melvin must be a more shrewd, ambitious fellow than they guessed
and they paid greater heed to his opinions.
Lord Barengar did attend the wedding, with
his nose still swollen. That caused many
sighs among the ladies, for they feared his good looks would never be the same. No doubt that explained why he was so serious,
too.
Viola and Melvin didn’t care if people
believed they married for love or not.
They had, and they stayed in love as the years passed and their family
grew. In time, they became known for their
happy marriage, as well as their kindness and generosity.
And, it must be confessed, for Sir
Melvin’s tendency to talk.
This work is protected by copyright. See sidebar for notice.
Note: This novella is
PG13. With the exception of GWYNETH ANDTHE THIEF and THE WASTREL, my books are usually steamier.
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