Update ~ Writing, Studying & Camp NaNoWriMo

Hi Friends,

Marie here. It's been quite a while since I've posted on my blog. Well, this past couple of months I've been dealing with some illness that has been keeping me quite fatigued and I have not been able to dedicate as much time to my studies and writing. However, I'm still forging ahead and working on my Wexford Sisters' Series. I'm still striving to get Isabelle and Richard's story out there, not only do I want to share this amazing story but I admit, our Hero is quite insistent that his story is told. Oh, how pushy these characters can be, but I love them!

So, I've decided with CampNaNoWriMo coming up in July (I'm not participating in the April one), that is the perfect time to dive into my rough draft and get their story told. I find the NaNoWriMo's a great time to write, because of the challenge it invokes for competing and the drive to win! In the meantime, I will be digging back into my studies of writing craft and honing my skills.

I have lots of writing tips coming ahead and will be keeping you updated on how Richard and Isabelle's story is progressing. I'll share a tidbit with you now, the story has taken a complete turn and I won't spill the beans, but one character who was supposed to die will now live and have quite a role in the story. I wonder who? We shall see! Also, I might be changing the last name of our dear Wexford sister's; as the name, although it came to me in a flash, but upon further research, it's of Irish descent and I'm not sure if that angle will fit into our story. So their name might be changing. Lots to come my dear friends and I can't wait for you to read Richard and Isabelle's tale!

This is my life for the next couple of months, studying and researching and I love it! Proud nerd!

Love,
Marie

Virtual Tour & Review ~ My Fair Duchess - A Dukes Behaving Badly Novel by Megan Frampton

An unexpected duchess proves that behaving 

badly isn't exclusive to the Dukedom.

MY FAIR DUCHESS

Dukes Behaving Badly #5

Megan Frampton

Releasing Feb 28, 2017

Avon Books

In Megan Frampton's most recent installment of The Dukes Behaving Badly series, an unexpected duchess proves that behaving badly isn't exclusive to the Dukedom.

The Unexpected Duchess

Archibald Salisbury, son of a viscount, war hero, and proficient in the proper ways of aristocratic society, has received orders for his most challenging mission: Genevieve, Duchess of Blakesley. How she inherited a duchy isn’t his problem. Turning her into a perfect duchess is. But how can he keep his mind on business when her beauty entices him toward pleasure?

It was impossible, unprecedented…and undeniably true. Genevieve is now a “duke”, or, rather, a duchess. So what is she to do when the ton eyes her every move, hoping she’ll make a mistake? Genevieve knows she has brains and has sometimes been told she has beauty, but, out of her depth, she calls on an expert. And what an expert, with shoulders broad enough to lean on, and a wit that matches her own. Archie is supposed to teach her to be a lady and run her estate, but what she really wants to do is unladylike—run into his arms.

1845, Lady Sophia’s Drawing Room

“There’s only one solution,” Lady Sophia said, passing the letter to Archie as he felt his stomach drop. And his carefully ordered life teeter on the verge of change. “You’ll have to go to London to sort my goddaughter out.” She embellished her point by squeezing her tiny dog Truffles, who emitted a squeak and glared at Archie. As if it was his fault.

He resisted the urge to crumple the paper in his hand. “But the festival is in a few weeks,” Archie said, hearing the desperate tone in his voice. He did not want to ever return to London. That was the purpose of taking a position out here in the country after leaving the Queen’s Own Hussars a year prior. His family was there, and his father, at least, had made it clear he never wanted to see him again. What’s more, he did not want to assist a helpless aristocrat in some sort of desperate attempt to bring order to their lives. Even though that was what he was doing in Lady Sophia’s employ. But working for her had come to have its own kind of satisfactory order, one he did not want to disrupt.

“There is work to be done,” Archie continued, hoping to appeal to his employer’s sensible side.

Although in the course of working for her he had come to realize his employer didn’t really have a sensible side, so what was he hoping to accomplish?

“Didn’t you tell me Mr. McCready could do everything you could?” Lady Sophia asked. “You pointed out that if you were to get ill, or busy with other matters, your assistant steward could handle things just as well as you.”

That was when I was trying to get one of my men work, Archie thought in frustration. To help him get back on his feet after the rigors of war. And Bob had proven himself to be a remarkably able assistant, allowing Archie to dive into Lady Sophia’s woefully neglected accounts and see into her investments, neither of which she paid any attention to.

Lady Sophia placed Truffles on the rug before lifting her head to look at Archie. Who knew, in that moment, that he was doomed. Doomed to return to London to help out a likely far-too- indulged female in the very difficult position of being a powerful and wealthy aristocrat.

Perhaps it would have been easier to just get shot on the battlefield. It certainly would have been quicker.

“It’s settled.” She punctuated her words with a nod of her head, sending a few gray curls flying in the air. “You will go see to the new duchess and take care of her as ably as you do me. Mr. Mc-Cready will assist me while you are away.”

Archie looked at the letter again. “This duchess is your relative?” he asked. That would explain the new duchess’s equally silly mode of communication. An “unexpected duchess,” indeed. What kind of idiot wouldn’t have foreseen this circumstance? And done something to prepare for it?

“She calls me aunt, but she is not my actual niece, you understand,” Lady Sophia explained. “She is my goddaughter; her mother married the duke, the duchess’s father. It is quite unusual for a woman to inherit the duchy.”

“Quite,” Archie echoed.

“But it happened, somehow, and since I don’t know anything about being a duchess . . .” Because I do? Archie wondered. But there wasn’t anybody else. She wouldn’t have asked Lady Sophia, of all people, unless there was nobody else.

Or if she was as flighty and confident as her faux-aunt. A scenario that seemed more and more likely.

“The only thing Mr. McCready can’t do is attract as much feminine interest as you do, Mr. Salisbury.” She sat back up and regarded him. “Which might make him more productive,” she added. She leaned over to offer Truffles the end of her biscuit.

Archie opened his mouth to object, but closed it when he realized she was right. He wasn’t vain, but he did recognize that ladies tended to find his appearance attractive. Lady Sophia received many more visitors, she’d told him in an irritated tone, now that he’d been hired.

Bob, damn his eyes, smirked knowingly every time Archie was summoned to Lady Sophia’s drawing room to answer yet another question about estate management posed by a lady who’d likely never had such a question in her life.

Archie responded by making Bob personally in charge of the fertilizer. It didn’t stop Bob’s smirking, but it did make Archie feel better.

“And you will return in a month’s time so you can be here for the festival.”

“Sooner if I can, my lady.” If this duchess needed more time than a month, there would be no hope for her anyway. Country life suited him; he liked its quiet and regularity. It was a vast change from life in battle, or even being just on duty, but it was far more interesting than being the third son from a viscount’s family. A viscount who disowned his third boy when said boy was determined to join the army.

Meanwhile, however, he had to pack to head off to a new kind of battle—that of preparing a completely unprepared woman, likely a woman as flighty and often confused as Lady Sophia, to hold a position that she was entirely unsuited for.

Very much like working with raw recruits, in fact.

A High Five Star's for Megan Frampton's My Fair Duchess. Truly one of the best reads of the year! We first meet Archibold Salisbury, a son's viscount and former war hero in Lady Sophia's drawing room. He's been summoned to tend to the new Duchess who is a relative of Lady Sophia. He's asked to take on the biggest mission of his life, help this young woman learn how to be a Duchess. Genevieve, Duchess of Blakesley has just inherited the duchy and she has no idea how to be one. Her mother died when she was young and her father has died recently, and she's the only remaining heir to the duchy. So Archibold Salisbury is sent to the rescue. She's expecting a harsh, perhaps overbearing bore of a man; however, what appears in Genevieve's doorway is a dashingly handsome man who is as broad as he is tall. Will Genevieve learn how to be a proper Duchess? or will she be the flop of the Ton? 

 A wonderful, romantic tale with splashes of humor throughout. The love and passion between the H and h will set the pages ablaze. The plot is well written and historically accurate.This series just gets better and better. You will want to add this to your library!

Megan Frampton writes historical romance under her own name and romantic women’s fiction as Megan Caldwell. She likes the color black, gin, dark-haired British men, and huge earrings, not in that order. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son. You can visit her on her website, @meganf, and at Facebook.

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Book Sale Blitz - 99 cents For A Limited Time ~ Pretend it's Love - Behind the Bar #2 by Stefanie London

One fake relationship shaken not stirred…

PRETEND IT'S LOVE

Behind the Bar #2

Stefanie London

Entangled Lovestruck

Bar manager Paul Chapman is sick of his family’s traditional ideals. Marriage, babies, and a white picket fence? Not his gig. But now that his ‘golden child’ big brother is tying the knot, Paul’s screwed. His ex will be there…and she’s having his cousin’s baby. Unless he wants to show up to the wedding alone and face his family’s scrutiny, he needs a girl on his arm. Now.

Cocktail specialist Libby Harris has spent her life earning the nickname Little Miss Perfect, all to win the love of her wealthy, controlling father. But she deviated from his plan, and now her business is on shaky ground. If it fails, she might as well kiss his respect-and her dream-good-bye. Her only hope? Convince the hottest bar in town to take on her product.

                                          

Luckily for her, the owner’s brother is sexy as sin and in need of a perfect girlfriend…

A voracious reader, USA Today Bestselling author, Stefanie London has dreamed of being an author her whole life. After sneaking several English Lit subjects into her very practical Business degree, she got a job in corporate communications. But it wasn't long before she turned to romance fiction. She recently left her hometown of Melbourne to start a new adventure in Toronto and now spends her days writing contemporary romances with humour, heat and heart.

Virtual Tour & Review ~ To Tempt a Viscount - Entanbled Nobility #1 by Naomi Boom

Get Tempted by this Debut Historical Romance!

TO TEMPT A VISCOUNT

Entangled Nobility #1

By: Naomi Boom

Releasing January 13, 2017

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Lady Laura Rosing knows two things: first, she will marry for love, and second, she detests rakes. When she meets Lord Gavin Farris, she understands immediately that he fails both her criteria, and worse yet, he is an absolute cad who refuses to leave her be.

Lord Farris has always appreciated women and cannot understand why Lady Laura is so resistant to his charms. While pretty, she is not his usual type, but something about her intrigues him. Much to his chagrin, he finds himself desperately in love with her, but he may be too late. His adamant refusal to marry just might have planted her firmly in the arms of another.

Lord Farris’s dark eyes bored into hers before he stepped predatorily closer to her. He gazed down at her with his dark, smoldering eyes and said, “You do not truly believe that. Judging by your dilated pupils and the blush on your skin, you find me incredibly attractive.”

Laura scoffed and backed up a step. She needed room to breathe. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?” She gulped nervously as his eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to her. Naturally, she continued to reverse her step until her back hit the bookcase.

He smiled as he slowly removed the glass of water from her hand and set it on the bookcase. He then brought his hands to either side of her and leaned in until their faces were mere inches apart. “Yes, I would like that very much. Unfortunately, I am too much of a gentleman to act on our mutual attraction.”

As he spoke, Laura could not seem to take her eyes away from his full lips, at least until his words sank in. Her eyes regained their focus as she realized he was standing much too near. This was precisely why she preferred normal gentlemen. They did not act strangely.

“Are you sure you are a gentleman?” Laura asked derisively. She immediately regretted her impulsive retort. He was just too near to her for her mind to perform rationally, otherwise she was sure she would have behaved herself.

One eyebrow lifted in question as he grinned wickedly. “Are you asking me not to conduct myself as a gentleman?”

His dark smile and wicked words made Laura pause as she stared at his lips, so near to her own. Her stomach was in knots, and she did not know if she should slap him or kiss him. She had never been kissed, but right now, she wanted his lips on hers more than anything. In Laura’s heart of hearts, she wished, just a little bit, that he would not behave as a gentleman. She could not form words, however, and only managed to shake her head slightly as common sense prevailed.

“In that case, my dear, I suggest you run along.” His feet moved silently as he stepped away from her, but Laura could not budge until he growled, “Go, or we both shall regret what happens.”

Her feet grew wings as she flew out the door and down the dark hallway. As she rounded a corner, she realized she had left her water on the bookshelf, although her bread and book were still clutched in her other hand. No matter how strong her thirst, she would never return downstairs now. Not when he was there.

What a debut novel this is! A High 5 Stars for To Tempt A Viscount by Naomi Boom! I must say, Ms. Boom can really weave a tale and her writing style is impeccable. The plot is thick and the characters are well developed. Ms. Boomed hooked me from the first page. 

Also, I instantly fell in love with the heroine of our tale, Lady Laura Rosing. She's sweet, passionate and has a bit of spunk to her. Our Hero of the tale, Lord Farris is outwardly a rogue through and through but on the inside he's a deeply passionate and loving man. The chemistry between these two lights the pages a blaze! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading many more of Ms. Boom's books. If you love a good, sweet and passionate historical romance, then this is the book for you!

Naomi Boom is an author with a newly-discovered love for writing. Her inspiration struck when she was searching for the perfect historical romance novel to read. Nothing sounded appealing, so she decided to write her own. That one novel has morphed into a series, and hopefully many, many more.

She currently resides in Kansas with her family but has her eyes planted on an acreage in eastern South Dakota. Once her husband retires from the United States Army, they will return to her home state where she will continue to pursue her passion.

Marie Greaves Romantic Quill Q&A

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I needed a creative outlet, and I cannot do art. Believe me, I tried. So, my next thought was to try writing. As a bookworm who reads a lot of historical romance novels, I knew which genre to work in, and now I fear I am very much addicted to writing. To Tempt a Viscount is my debut novel, but be warned, there will be more.

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

I love historical romances set in the Regency Era. Scottish historical romances take a close second, though. To me, both genres seem like fairy tales without magic, and who doesn’t like a good fairy tale?

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?

Never Trust a Rake by Annie Burrows. I have no idea why I’m obsessed with this novel. Somehow, the storyline really clicked with me. Not only do I have the kindle version, but I also went and bought a physical copy. In total, I have probably read this novel twenty times.

What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?

I am a sucker for all the big Regency Romance authors. Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare, and Eloisa James are my go-to’s. I also have a soft spot for a completely different sort of author, Mercedes Lackey. She has a series called The Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, and I just discovered she released a new one which I will have to read. Like now.

Any advice you have for a blossoming author?

Just go for it. Self-doubt will likely try and convince you to not believe in yourself, but shove those thoughts aside and do it. The worst that will happen is you accomplish something you never thought was possible. Believe it or not, writing a book (even if you are not successful) is an amazing accomplishment.

Anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

Just that I received a contract for the second book in the Entangled Nobility series! I’m always updating my website, so feel free to check it out if you want to learn more.

When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

I spend my day chasing around my toddler and formulating plots for my novels. On days that I need to get out of the house, I go antiquing or thrifting. One never knows what one will stumble upon, that, and I love the thrill of the hunt.

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