Lindsay Townsend: When should the heroine tell lies?

When is it OK for a heroine to lie?

In my medieval historical romance, To Touch the Knight, my heroine, Edith, is a liar. She lies to save herself and her fellow-villagers. She makes an illusion in order to survive. Does that make her evil?

To me it does not. But heroines in romantic fiction tend to have less leeway than heroes.

Take a hero who sows his wild oats. That is seen as normal, possibly even considerate, as he will then be experienced when making love to the virginal heroine. But how many hearts has he broken on the way?

Take a hero who is driven, obsessed, vengeful. 'Yum yum!', perhaps, is the response of some romance readers. But I wonder what happens when that engine of revenge is spent. What then? And if the hero is obsessed will he not remain obsessive? That energy, once he and the heroine are together, may be diverted into other things. He will no longer be a driven lover, but what?

Can the truly vengeful have a happy ever after ending?

What of the heroine who is driven and ambitious? Why is that seen as something to be diluted in her but not in the hero?

As a romance writer, I love a happy ever after end. To ensure it I look forward into my characters' lives, projecting them far into their futures. Will they still be content in old age? Will their different characteristics still mesh?

When couples remain and stay together they tend to end any disputes with tolerance and laughter, a mutual appreciation and understanding. This is what I like to show in my romances - the start of that process.

So, as To Touch The Knight progresses, Edith realizes she can tell Ranulf the truth. That trust from her is vital.

Ranulf also realizes that his grief for his late wife is also laced by guilt and resentment that he needs to lose.

Edith accepts him and realizes he believes more in the church than she does. She respects that, even as she begins to question her own hard-headed, practical way of always looking at the world.

Ranulf accepts that she told lies and accepts why she did so. He forgives her - though to Edith he has nothing to forgive.

I'm with Edith. How about you?

Lindsay Townsend

Clara Barton and the American Red Cross

By: Stephanie Burkhart

March is "Red Cross" month, and I've always had a soft spot for the Red Cross. I first "really heard" of the Red Cross when I was 17 and a senior in High School. Having just discovered the story of Czar Nicholas II and his family, I was moved to the core of my soul when I discovered Nicholas' son, Alexis, had hemophilia. Shortly thereafter, the Red Cross came to my high school. High school seniors were eligible to give blood, and I gave my first donation without hesitation.

My involvement didn't stop there. When I was 18, I joined the US Army. After my training, I was sent to Germany for my first duty assignment. I learned that the Red Cross provided "verification" if a loved one died. They also offered "safety" courses, and during my deployment to Hungary, they offered moral support activities as well.

The Red Cross is a force when it comes to helping others, be it disaster relief, blood donations, or educational programs. The organization was born in Europe after Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Sulferino in 1859 during the Franco-Austrian War.

American Clara Barton was born in 1821. She grew up with a passion for helping others. At 17, she became a teacher. In 1855 she moved to Washington DC and worked as a clerk in the US Patent Office. During the Civil War she was "the lady in charge" (per Union General Ben Butler) of the hospital at the front of the Army of the James. She faced danger bravely. While attending to a wounded soldier on the battlefield a bullet tore through the sleeve of her dress, killing the man she was attending to.

After the war, she toured America, giving speeches, meeting several influential women in the US suffrage movement, including Susan B. Anthony.  1869 proved to be a pivotal year for Clara. She traveled to Europe, Geneva, Switzerland, and discovered Dunant's book, "A Memory of Sulferino" which explained his reasons and motivation for starting the "International Red Cross." Barton was in Europe in 1870, during the Prussian/Franco War, and ventured to the front lines again. When the war ended, she was awarded with the German Iron Cross.

Upon her return to the US, Barton wanted to organize a "Red Cross." In America, surprisingly, there was no interest. Most Americans thought they'd never face another war like the Civil War. Barton was undeterred. Barton convinced President Chester A. Arthur that the Red Cross could be very useful responding to crisis' other than war. The American Red Cross was born. Barton held the chapter's first meeting in May 1881. Barton was dynamo, leading the American Red Cross first major relief effort – the Great Fire of 1881 in Michigan.

Clara Barton

During her tenure as the head of the American Red Cross, Barton traveled to Constantinople, Armenia, and Cuba. Her last field operation was helping the victims of a hurricane that struck Galveston in 1900. Conflicting accounts have her resigning in either 1901 or 1904 due to her advancing age and criticism of her management. Barton passed away in 1912 of tuberculosis. She was 90.

In America, March is also National Woman's Mouth, and Clara Barton is a woman whose life inspires. She inspired her contemporaries and her legacy lives on as the heartbeat of the American Red Cross. Even today, women (and men) can admire her bravery on the battlefield and her courage to defy her society's norms.

Question for you: Are there any historical women you draw inspiration from?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. She served in the US Army from 1986-1997. She's married with two boys, is addicted to coffee and adores Lindt chocolates. Her latest book is "The Secret Door," Book 4 in the Budapest Moon Series.

Blurb: Can Zoltan save his witch from an evil werewolf with Sophia's help?

"The Secret Door's exciting action, paranormal elements, and romance will not disappoint a reader." - Joy Cagil, Amazon Reader

"I was quite pleased to find an original take on the werewolf mythology and was impressed by the author's choice of location and historical accuracy. The Secret Door is a fun read and is highly recommended." - 5 Stars, Jack Magnus, Reader's Favorite Reviews,

EXCERPT:

He looked her over seductively. His heart skipped a beat with desire. She rubbed the lotion into her hands and placed them on his stomach. He groaned, reaching out with his left hand and threading his fingers into her hair, jerking her head back so they were eye-to-eye. She set her jaw. His pulse pounded. Something intense flared between them, yet she kept her hands on his abdomen. Encouraged, Zoltan tugged her toward him, pressing her chest against his. Her nostrils flared and her brow furrowed in confusion.

He stopped, reminding himself he needed to offer a choice. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

"No." The sound of her denial was weak. He held her close.

"Do you want me to release you?"

"No."

"How should I solve my predicament?"

"I don't know."

"I do." He leaned close, her sweet fruity scent sending his senses into overdrive. He placed his lips on her jaw and kissed her.

BUY LINKS:

PUBLISHER: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/budapest-moon-book-four-the-secret-door-epub/

AMAZON: http://amzn.com/B00B96KCYS

BARNES & NOBLE: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/budapest-moon-book-four-stephanie-burkhart/1114281656?ean=2940015989762

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-budapestmoonbookfourthesecretdoor-1091313-140.html

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

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Amazing women of the Victorian era Part I - Frances Hodgson Burnett

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Some of us write to make sense of the world or deal with personal sadness. While writing wonderful stories of hope and fulfillment, Frances Hodgson Burnett struggled with depression throughout her life, which deepened after her oldest son, Lionel, died of tuberculosis in 1892.

Frances Eliza Hodgson was born in Cheetham, near Manchester, England. After her father died in 1852, the family eventually fell on straitened circumstances and in 1865 emigrated to the United States, settling near Knoxville, Tennessee. There, Frances began writing to help earn money for the family, publishing stories in magazines from the age of 19. In 1870 her mother died and in 1872 she married Swan Burnett, who became a medical doctor after which they lived in Paris for two years where their two sons were born before returning to the US to live in Washington D.C. There she began to write novels, the first of which That Lass o' Lowries, was published to good reviews.

LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY

She is best known for her children's stories, Little Lord Fauntleroy (published in 1885-6). Originally published as a serial in the St. Nicholas Magazine between November 1885 and October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's in 1886. The accompanying illustrations by Reginald Birch set fashion trends and Little Lord Fauntleroy, also set a precedent in copyright law when in 1888 its author won a lawsuit against E. V. Seebohm over the rights to theatrical adaptations of the work.

  

A LITTLE PRINCESS

A Little Princess is a 1905 children's novel. It is a revised and expanded version of Burnett's 1888 serialized novel entitled Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding School, which was published in St. Nicholas Magazine. According to Burnett, she had been composing a play based on the story when she found out a lot of characters she had missed. The publisher asked her to publish a new, revised story of the novella, producing the novel.
Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

My personal favourite was The Secret Garden. 

THE SECRET GARDEN

Burnett enjoyed socializing and lived a lavish lifestyle. Beginning in the 1880s, she began to travel to England frequently and bought a home there in the 1890s where she wrote The Secret Garden. The garden is the book's central symbol, inspired by Burnett's interest in Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science theories. The secret garden at Misselthwaite Manor is the site of both the near-destruction and the subsequent regeneration of a family. Using the garden motif, Burnett explores the healing power inherent in living things. The story constitutes a struggle between common sense and the accepted wisdom of the day, in which common sense wins.
Initially published in serial format starting in the autumn of 1910, The Secret Garden was first published in its entirety in 1911. It is now one of Burnett's most popular novels, and is considered to be a classic of English children's literature. Several stage and film adaptations have been produced.

She divorced Swan Burnett in 1898 and married Stephen Townsend in 1900, and divorced him in 1902. Towards the end of her life, she settled in Long Island, where she died in 1924 and is buried in Roslyn Cemetery, on Long Island.

In 1936 a memorial sculpture by Bessie Potter Vonnoh. (her beautiful sculptures are well worth a look or a visit if you’re fortunate enough. A statue of Bessie Potter Vonnoh's was erected in her honour in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. The statue depicts her two famous Secret Garden characters, Mary and Dickon.

Bessie Potter Vonnoh (1872–1955), was one of the most successful women artists of her generation. She specialized in accomplished images of women and children. At a time when the field of American sculpture was dominated by men creating large, public monuments, she designed intimate works for domestic interiors and gardens, elevating the quality and appeal of small bronze, marble and terra cotta sculptures. Launching her career in the time of industrialization, urbanization and the women’s rights movement, Vonnoh contributed to the dramatic transformation of American society. Yet, while she came to embody the “New Woman,” her characteristic imagery—blissful domestic life—supported conventional ideas of women as icons of beauty and moral guardians of the home.

Wikipedia

Newington-Cropsey Cultural Studies Center.

Maggi Andersen

Maggi Andersen's blog

Maggi Andersen's website

The Folly at Falconbridge Hall released May 8th with Knox Robinson Publishing. 

Vanessa Ashley felt herself qualified for a position as governess, until offered the position at Falconbridge Hall. Left penniless after the deaths of her artist father and suffragette mother, Vanessa Ashley draws on her knowledge of art, politics, and history to gain employment as a governess. She discovers that Julian, Lord Falconbridge, requires a governess for his ten-year-old daughter Blyth at Falconbridge Hall, in the countryside outside London. Lord Falconbridge is a scientist and dedicated lepidopterist who is about to embark on an extended expedition to the Amazon. An enigmatic man, he takes a keen interest in his daughter's education. As she prepares her young charge, Vanessa finds the girl detached and aloof. As Vanessa learns more about Falconbridge Hall, more questions arise. Why doesn't Blythe feel safe in her own home? Why is the death of her mother, once famed society beauty Clara, never spoken of? And why did the former governess leave so suddenly without giving notice?

Tags: Maggi Andersen, Fiction, Historical romance, Victorian literature, Victorian romance, Victorian mystery, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Bessie Potter Bonnoh.

The Day Embroidered is released

Well, it's a special day in the calendar for me as my historical novel, The Day Embroidered is released today.
It's always a great feeling knowing that your book is now out there in the world for readers to purchase. However, it is also a scary time because you want the book to do well and be enjoyed. Obviously you can't please everyone, there will be people who won't like the story for whatever reason, but hopefully, the majority of those who buy my book get what they want - a good read and a few hours of entertainment. If that happens, if I can transport the reader to another era, another lifestyle and give them engaging characters and a good story, then I'm happy because it means I've achieved my goal.

Anyway, enough rambling, let's get down to the reason of this blog post, the book, and the celebration of its release, which is not an every day occurrence, and should be enjoyed as the special occasion it is.
So, without further ado, behold The Day Embroidered!

The Day Embroidered blurb:

1899. A life altering event led Catrina Davies to hide from her family and society. Alone in The Highlands she exists in a lonely world cared for only by her saviour, a kind old gentleman. When she receives a surprise visitor, Travis Millard, the man she used to love, her head and heart are thrown into turmoil. Travis is determined to save her from this poor life and return her to her family where she belongs. No one is more surprised than he when she agrees to marry him. When Catrina arrives back at her family estate, Davmoor Court in Yorkshire, she is stunned to see the changes. While her father clings to life, Davmoor is nearly ruined by her brother's gambling obsession, and there is something strange about his new wife. As Catrina adjusts to her regained position in society and being with Travis, her marriage comes under attack from Travis's grandmother, who has her own secrets and reason for loathing the Davies family. When one of her brother's adversaries comes to stake his claim on the estate, the resulting chaos threatens not only Catrina's home, but the very lives of those she loves the most. Can she find the strength to fight once more for the right to be happy?

Available in ebook or paperback:

Amazon USA and Amazon UK and at The Book Depository, which always has good deals and free postage around the world. It's my favourite place to book shop! 

It currently has 25% off my books, including The Day Embroidered! Good value.

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=anne+brear&search=Find+book 

 So, here's to raising a glass to the success of The Day Embroidered and to myself on my newest release. Cheers!

Victorian education for women and the Historical Novel Review: The Folly at Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen

 In 1894 when The Folly at Falconbridge Hall was set, although a woman could sit in on lectures, she could not obtain a university degree.

 Even at the beginning of the 20th century it was very difficult for women to obtain a university education. In 1870 Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon helped to set up Girton College, the first university college for women, but it was not recognised by the university authorities. In 1880 Newnham College was established at Cambridge University. By 1910 there were just over a thousand women students at Oxford and Cambridge. However, they had to obtain permission to attend lectures and were not allowed to take degrees.
Without a university degree it was very difficult for women to enter the professions. After a long struggle the medical profession had allowed women to become doctors. Even so, by 1900 there were only 200 women doctors. It was not until 1910 that women were allowed to become accountants and bankers. However, there were still no women diplomats, barristers or judges.
Before 1920, women were not allowed to matriculate (ie to be become members of the University) or to graduate. From the late 1870s, women had attended lectures, taken examinations, and had gained honours in those examinations. They were, however, unable to receive the degree to which, had they been men, their examinations would have entitled them.
It wasn't until 1920 that a woman could graduate. 

 

Release date: May 8th 2013. Pre-order at Amazon:

Historical Novel Review: Folly at Falconbridge Hall by Maggi Andersen: PUBLISHER’S BLURB Vanessa Ashley felt herself qualified for a position as governess, until offered the position at Falconbridge Hall. Le...

Blurb: Vanessa Ashley felt herself qualified for a position as governess, until offered the position at Falconbridge Hall. Left penniless after the deaths of her artist father and suffragette mother, Vanessa Ashley draws on her knowledge of art, politics, and history to gain employment as a governess. She discovers that Julian, Lord Falconbridge, requires a governess for his ten-year-old daughter Blyth at Falconbridge Hall, in the countryside outside London. Lord Falconbridge is a scientist and dedicated lepidopterist who is about to embark on an extended expedition to the Amazon. An enigmatic man, he takes a keen interest in his daughter's education. As she prepares her young charge, Vanessa finds the girl detached and aloof. As Vanessa learns more about Falconbridge Hall, more questions arise. Why doesn't Blythe feel safe in her own home? Why is the death of her mother, once famed society beauty Clara, never spoken of? And why did the former governess leave so suddenly without giving notice?

Excerpt: Blythe danced over the grass like a puppy released from its leash. “Let’s not go back to the house yet,” she begged. “Would you like to see the rose garden and the fountain?”
Vanessa smiled. “Very well, lead on Macduff.”
They followed a stone path to a wooden seat beneath a rose arbor and sat to enjoy the soothing sounds of water cascading into a pool from a marble lady’s upheld urn.
“Why did you leave your home in Cornwall?” Blythe asked.
“I had to earn my living, and your father kindly offered me the position.”
“Did you always wish to be a governess?”
“Not exactly. I did wish to have a profession and put my education to good use. Do you know, Blythe, women can study at Oxford University, although they aren’t able to gain a degree as yet. I expect that to change during your lifetime.”
Blythe’s eyes widened. “I would like to study at Oxford.”
“That’s a very admirable goal. You must work hard at your lessons to achieve it. I’ll set you a task. You can choose a famous woman to study. We’ll search your father’s library for information.”
Blythe picked a rosehip and examined it. “How does a lady become famous?”
“Excelling at some achievement. Well, let’s see. Mary Kingsley is an explorer. She traveled to Africa much as your father does. Marie Curie is a scientist. Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole reformed nursing. Lilian Murray is the first woman dentist. Marianne North was an artist who traveled the world and painted.”
“Can I study two of them?”
“Yes, if you like.”
“Then I’ll pick Marie Curie and Mary Kingsley. I should like to be both a scientist and an explorer like Father.” She glanced up eagerly. “Here’s Father now.”
Lord Falconbridge came down the steps towards them. Blythe rushed to him. “Father, Miss Ashley is teaching me about famous women explorers and scientists. I should like to go to Oxford and study. Do you think I could?”
His lordship’s eyes rested on Vanessa. “We shall have to see, Blythe. You have selected a mount?”
“Thank you, yes.” Vanessa hoped his lordship approved of her modern teaching methods. “A small, well-mannered beast.”
“We’ll have you riding as well as Blythe in no time.” His lordship looked alarmingly purposeful.
Vanessa very much doubted it but made no reply.
“You do like horses, don’t you, Miss Ashley?” Blythe sounded incredulous that anyone wouldn’t.
“I like all animals.” Vanessa recalled uneasily she’d been bitten on the arm by a bad-tempered pony as a child.
With a feather-light tap on Blythe’s head, Lord Falconbridge walked in the direction of the stables. Vanessa watched him, enjoying his easy stride. The man was inherently graceful.

AUTHOR WEBSITE:
AUTHOR BLOG:

Historical romance, Victorian romance, mystery, England, Maggi Andersen.

Women in World War I by: Stephanie Burkhart

Prior to the 20^th Century, a woman's job was to tend the home. They usually worked as domestics or raised children. They also found opportunities in nursing and teaching, but it wasn't until World War I did women's roles expand in a male dominated society.

Due to their service, dedication and hard work, women earned the right to vote in America in 1918.

In Great Britain, women over 30 were given the right to vote in 1918.

Women in Great Britain

With men heading off to war, women filled in the gaps men left. They found work in transpirations, driving buses,  working on the rail lines, nursing, factories, (ammunition) and in the RAF as mechanics on planes.

Young women received basic medical training and went to the war zone as nurses. They tended to the wounded men, cleaning wounds, and changing bandages. These nurses used aspirin and morphine as painkillers,  Known as VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) they weren't paid.

FANY's (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) were also women with challenging jobs as well. They:

Drove ambulances

Disinfected rooms with wounded soldiers

Ran soup kitchens

On the home front, they became more active in farming and in the factories. In farming, they planted seeds by hand and used horses to till the soil, since the resources used to do those jobs were diverted to the war effort.

Women in America

When World War I began, the Navy enlisted close to 13,000 women. (The Army couldn't figure out how to get around the War Department's red tape. The Navy ignored it.)

Women worked as nurses, physical/occupational therapists, cooks, telephone operators, journalists, and entertained the troops.

In World War I at least 3 Army Nurses were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (the Nation's 2^nd highest military honor), the Distinguished Service Medal, and the French Croix de Guerre.

Women in Russia

During World War I in the Czarist period, women were so involved in the war effort, they even took part in combat. Most dressed as men to join, but the Czar did allow women to openly serve. The most famous is Maria Botchkareva. She earned the respect of male counterparts on the battlefield. She was noted for bayoneting a German soldier to death and dragged several wounded to safety after a machine gun fight. Maria was allowed to recruit an all women's battalion. The women in Maria's Battalion of Death proved they were fierce fighters in war.

Women in Germany

The Prussian culture of Germany at this time was believed to have glorified brute force, supported a man's domination of women, and treated children poorly. When war struck, women went to work in munitions factories and served as civilian workers for the military in the rear as nurses, and clerks. After the war, German women were also given the right to vote.

Question: If you were a woman during this time, would you be drawn to military service? How would you choose to serve? What nation would you want to serve?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. From 1986-1997 she served in the US Army in the Military Police Corp. She spent 7 years assigned overseas in Germany and she was awarded the Army Commendation Award (3x) during her tenure. She earned a Gold Schutzenschnur (German Armed Forces badge of Marksmanship) and went on 2 Reforgers with the British Army in Northern Europe. During her tour from 1986-8, she was stationed in Munster, Germany, and worked with British soldiers on a daily basis.

Danube in Candlelight

Blurb: Morgan befriends a wolf who eventually turns her into one. Can she learn to live and love as a werewolf?

Opening:

Morgan Duma sat back in her seat and looked out the train's window. She raked a hand through her hair and let out a slow breath. The train slowed to a stop at the Sopron station. A handful of people gathered near the doors. Her journey from England to Hungary had been long. Thank God her sister, Emily, was making it with her. Budapest was only an hour away now. It would be heaven to sleep in her own bed tonight. She rested her chin in her hand as several passengers disembarked.

Then she saw him. Adam Varga, shuffling toward the train, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. At least, she believed it was Adam. The last time she had seen him was four years ago, before she'd left for England.

5 Stars, Reader's Favorite:

This story is the closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!

4 Hearts, Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:

Once again, Stephanie Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to life. Danube in Candlelight is a very romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.

Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I

 PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-219/Budapest-Moon-Book-III/Detail.bok

AMAZON KINDLE BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Hungarian-Moon-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B0061XJFG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320188529&sr=1-1

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hungarian-moon-book-three-stephanie-burkhart/1107039692?ean=2940013659148&itm=1&usri=danube%2bin%2bcandlelight

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hungarianmoonbookthreedanubeincandlelight-636082-139.html

Unputtdownable new book from Jen Black!

The Dowager Duchess of Yaxley escapes from an abusive son-in-law to become a housekeeper in a remote Northumbrian village. The Master of the house, Jarrow, is a widower with a delightful daughter, but few funds. Jarrow has his scars, but he also has a secret life that unnerves Melanie when she discovers what it is that occupies his nights. This historical romance with its great sense of time and setting, leads the reader through the clash of the scarred personalities, troubles with excise men to a resolution which surprises them both.

Available only from Kindle: here

“Fascinating and beautifully created characters, plenty of secrets, and a compelling love story between a hero and a heroine that tugs at your heart strings, makes this a must read.”

Excerpt

‘Gavington House, Miss.’

The coachman, no doubt anxious to reach his journey’s end before dark, was briskly polite as he drew the coach to a halt on the road between Corbridge and Morpeth. Descending unaided and with some difficulty, given her hooped skirt, she saw he had deposited her bag beside the imposing stone pillars of an open gateway. He tipped his hat to her and sprang back up to his perch with a cry to his horses. She watched the coach roll along the lane, and waved away the cloud of dust and grit that flew up behind the large wheels.

Green hedgerows divided greener fields, and there was not a dwelling in sight. Looking around, Melanie shivered. The snarling griffins with claws dug into the top of the stone gateposts added to her feeling of unease. Stepping closer, she realised the griffins protected a date incised into the stone beneath them: 1524. Gavington House had stood here for three hundred and forty years.

A little unnerved by such a span of time, Melanie stooped, gripped the handles of her portmanteau and marched between the gate posts with a determined stride. The gates had been opened and then abandoned some time ago, for tall weeds grew on both sides of them. Odd, she thought, as she walked along the weedy gravel drive that led through a shadowy clump of pine trees. Though she had packed only the necessities and a fresh gown for tomorrow’s interview, her leather bag was heavy and the gravel drive did not make for easy walking. Full of shallow gradients and curves, it wound through the trees in a most annoying way. Now and then, through gaps in the foliage, she caught sight of what must be Gavington House.

Had she been in the comfort of a sprung carriage, she would have found the approach charming and no doubt been delighted with each pretty vista as it appeared. But after twenty minutes of energetic walking, Melanie hesitated. The drive was about to take one of its unnecessary bends away from the house, which was plainly visible two hundred yards away in the opposite direction.

With a frustrated sigh, Melanie gripped her bag firmly, brushed through the low hanging branches and strode out across the lawn. If she were shot for it, she would not follow that drive an instant longer. Hurrying across the open stretch of recently scythed grass, she glanced over her shoulder, half expecting an irate gardener or gamekeeper to chase her off the hallowed turf.

Excerpt 2

‘Circumstances change, sir. A new master appeared, with staff of his own.’ In a way, that was true. Her step-son, the new duke, had summoned his lawyer friends and cheated her out of the dower house and everything else to which she had been entitled.

A grim smile touched the corners of Lord Jarrow’s mouth. ‘Well, at least your mistress was prepared to give you good references. These are excellent.’

‘Thank you, sir. I hoped they would serve.’

His eyes narrowed, and Melanie’s stomach clenched in response. Her tone had been a little too pert. Lord, it was so difficult to strike the right balance. Dipping her head, she surveyed her clasped hands and waited to see what direction he would take. Be subservient, she told herself. Think subservience, and you will practice it. If you do well, you will be his housekeeper, and have the security of a roof over your head.

‘Gavington is perhaps not what you expected,’ he said slowly, sitting forward with his forearms on his desk. ‘The house is virtually closed. I keep few staff, only those necessary for the comfort of myself and my daughter. I do not welcome visitors. Now you have seen how isolated we are, do you still wish to be considered for the post?’

‘Of course, sir.’

‘Why?’

Jolted, she met his quizzical glance. ‘Why, sir?’

‘It is a simple question, Miss Grey. Why do you, a young and attractive woman, wish to disappear into the countryside when you have had command of a house such as Rockford?’ He looked down at her reference ‘Why, there must have been forty staff there when I visited Middlesex three years ago. Here, we have less than six.’

Dear God, he’d been to Rockford House! Three years ago? She blinked, frantically searching her memory. Had he been a guest at dinner? No, she would have remembered him. But if he’d paid a call on the duke in the estate office at the far end of the west wing, she might never have seen him. That must be what had happened. Thank goodness he showed no sign of remembering her.

Available only from Kindle: here

Mapping it out.

When writing a historical novel, research is naturally a vital instrument in making the story rich in detail and as authentic as possible to the reader, sweeping them up and transporting them back in time to a place that is as true to the real thing as we, the writer, can make it, then allowing the reader's imagination to take them the rest of the way.
Part of my research that I find very important and enjoyable is studying maps of the areas I set my books. I have spent hours pouring over the smallest details on printed maps that I've managed to find drawn from the eras I write. By having maps of those eras at hand, I am able to send my characters down the correct roads, across the right rivers, and climb the named moors and mountains of the area. To my characters, who have lived in that area they need to know the places, roads and rivers as well as if they actually lived there, as do I.
A good map will always be of valuable use to a writer, and in turn, that information will be of great benefit to the story and hopefully make it more enjoyable and real for the reader.

For example, in my book The House of Women, which is set in Leeds, West Yorkshire, I have found maps of 1870 to help me get a feel of the area my characters would travel.

The House of Woman, example:

The rumble of the carriage wheels sounded loudly in the slum quarters of the town. A half moon shone in the star-littered black sky, etching the town in long shadows. They passed revellers and private parties where the light and noise spilt onto the street, but the chill of the cloudless night kept most indoors. Too many of the town’s inhabitants, New Year’s Eve was an ordinary night and tomorrow’s start of another year gave them no cause for celebration. Nothing was going to alter their circumstances, no matter what the year date proclaimed.

A tomcat’s cry rang out through the narrow lane as Doyle assisted Grace from the carriage. Back-to-back hovels lined either side of the lane. She lifted her skirts from the sludge-covered stone flags.

‘This way.’ The messenger showed them towards an archway between the houses. No glow of light filtered from windows to help them to find their way through the cut. Its limited width forced them to walk single file. The short passage opened onto a square yard bordered by rundown houses that seemed to lean against each other for support. Even in the shadowed gloom, the filth and waste was visible. A lingering stench assaulted their noses, making breathing unpleasant.

‘Your aunt lives here?’ Grace was alarmed to think of the dapper Mrs Bates living amongst such conditions.

‘No, she lives a few streets away, she covers the whole area,’ the man replied, opening a door. He waited until they were beside him in the dark stairwell. ‘This is a place where people go who’ve a penny to spare for a bed.’

‘A penny for a bed.’ Grace shook her head as they followed him up the rickety stairs to the next landing. There, he paused, before opening another door and stepping back to allow Grace and Doyle to enter on their own.

‘Oh my…’ Grace breathed. She stared at the bunks of beds lining the walls and grouped in the middle of the room. Women and children lay huddled together; some coughed the phlegm cough of the dreaded tuberculosis. Few spoke in low voices, but most slept letting their weary bodies get what rest they could. As Grace passed the beds, those awake clutched at their meagre belongings thinking they might be stolen.

‘Put your handkerchief to your nose, Grace.’ Doyle muttered. ‘I hate the thought of you within the confines of this hideous house.’

A single lantern, suspended from a beam, issued a weak light. Grace walked on. Her eyes, now accustomed to the dimness, picked out Mrs Bates at the end of the long room. She hurried to her side, only to stop short upon seeing the figure on the bed. Stifling a cry, Grace bent low to stare at the woman on the bottom bunk. Mrs Bates is wrong. This cannot be Letitia.

The House of Women can be purchased in paperback or in ebook formats from various places such as Amazon USA and Amazon UK.