Category: Historical fiction Page 22 of 23

My Writing Space

On January 16, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction

I love my writing space. Tucked away in the corner of one of the many coffee shops in the Devonshire town where I live, I sit at the same little wooden table every day, writing words of romance and friendship.

I’ve never been able to write well at home. There are just too many distractions, too much housework to do, too many boxes of work (I have a part time job as an educational blogger and data imputer which I do from home), and consequently too much guilt connected with what I ‘ought to be doing’ ready to interrupt my imagination.

Coffee good or evil

My writing has always flowed at its best in an atmosphere of bustle. I like to be surrounded by happily chattering people, enjoying a break from their ‘real’ lives, while I let my invented characters take control of my pen-wielding fingers. Sometimes, I admit, the café can get a bit too noisy. However, that is no problem at all. I simply lower the volume around me by taking out my hearing aids- being deaf sure does have its benefits sometimes!

I even have, thanks to the lovely staff within my ‘writing’ café, a brass plaque on the wall above my writing space, engraved with the words, Jenny Kane’s Corner.

Jenny's Corner Costa

How amazing is that?! So now I am officially the cafe’s writer in residence; and as I sit and write in my little space I feel rather like one of my all time favourite literary characters; Winnie-the-Pooh! For just like him, I have my own corner!

Every week day I am at my desk so early that I have no fear of anyone else being sat there. At the weekend however it is a different matter, and I have to take my chances. I don’t mind other people sitting at my table- after all, I don’t own it – and I am perfectly OK working at other tables- providing I have coffee to hand. Today- right now in fact- as I sit at a table next to my usual writing spot- my heart goes out to my poor little desk!

A group of rather unpleasant teenage girls are sat there, happily flicking hot chocolate everywhere, while putting on make up they don’t need to wear, listening to music that would make my ‘Kay’ persona blush, while making unsubtle gestures at a group of teenage boys at the opposite end of the café. (My heart goes out to them as well, because they look like a nice set of lads who just want a quiet catch up after a week at college)

Of course, the girls will get fed up and leave soon; I’ll get out the cafe’s disinfectant (I more or less live in here, so I know where all the cleaning stuff is), and my lovely writing space will be a happy sanctuary of words once more.

And there are three plus sides to their unpleasant use of my lovely space-

1. I have something to blog about today.

2. Next time I need to write about the more thoughtless members of our teenage population I’ll have a memory to use as story fodder!

3. It never hurts me t be reminded how lucky I am to have such a space in the first place (not to mention, how lucky I am to have such well behaved children!)

Always a silver lining!!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Happy New Year: A Quiet 2016? Ummm….

By Jenny Kane

On January 1, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

Happy New Year 2016

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and that 2016 has kicked off for you in fine style.

Last night, as a sipped a delicious glass of Baileys- complete with Maltesers (it has to be tried!); I was seized with the sudden sensation that I hadn’t achieved very much in 2015. Somehow it seemed to arrive and disappear at such speed, that I hardly had time to catch breath, let alone write all the words I intended to.

No sooner had I shared this view with my husband, when I found myself on the receiving end of a look of total disbelief, followed by a brief lecture on the subject on the subject of ‘remember you are only human, there are only 24 hours a day, and you do occasionally have to eat and sleep!’

He has a point. I do have a habit of thinking that whatever I’ve done, however hard I’ve worked, it’s never enough. So, as Big Ben chimed, and the time for New Year Resolutions came, I said (recklessly perhaps) that I would try and be a little kinder to myself work wise this year. We will see…

2015 was, now I think about it, rather busy. The main event was certainly the release of my Cornish romance, Abi’s House. My bestselling novel to date, I have been touched by the number of kind reviews, personal messages of thanks, and encouragement from so many of my readers after it was published last summer.

Abi's House new cover

Of course Abi’s House was actually written in 2014, it was my forthcoming novel, Another Glass of Champagne which took up my writing time in the early part of 2015. The fifth and final instalment in my Another Cup of Coffee range, this full length novel will be out in the summer (probably June), and continues the story of the Pickwicks Coffee House crew, Amy, Jack, Kit, Phil, Megan, Peggy and Scott.

I’ve loved every minute of writing my ACOC series, and even though I still have the pre-publish edits to do, I’m already bracing myself for how much I’m going to miss writing about Peggy and the gang. Since Another Cup of Coffee came out, I’ve written a Pickwicks story every year since, including Christmas at the Castle, which came out last November.

Christmas at the Castle

So, now I think about it- in 2015 I wrote one novel (Another Glass of Champagne), edited another (Abi’s House), and wrote a novella (Christmas at the Castle). Then, of course, there was the publication of my children’s picture book, Ben’s Biscuit Tin Adventure, my adult books under the pen name of Kay Jaybee, and all the coffee blogs, guest blogs, reviews, articles and- not forgetting- my ‘real’ job.

Title Page

So perhaps I haven’t been quite as slack as I thought over the last 12 months!

So what of the next 12 months? What can I promise you in 2016 as well as Another Glass of Champagne?

You’ll have to wait and see…but I have been plotting the chapter plans for two new novels, a novella, and I have very exciting news to share on top of all that…

OK- it’s looking like I’m going to be breaking that New Year resolution fairly quickly!

Happy New Year!!

Jenny x

Guest Blog from Marie Laval: What’s in a name? Or how I found my ideas for THE DREAM CATCHER!

By Jenny Kane

On November 24, 2015

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction

I’m delighted to welcome Marie Laval back to my blog today to give us some background information on her brand new novel, The Dream Catcher.

Over to you Marie…

Someone asked me recently for some advice on how best to start writing a novel.

‘I just don’t know what to do,’ she said. ‘How do you get your ideas? Do you just sit down and write or do you plan ahead? And what comes first, the plot or the characters?’

She looked at me expectantly, but I couldn’t really give her any answer. Not only were her questions very tricky, but in my case, every story has a different starting point. Sometimes my main source of inspiration is a character, and everything slots around him or her. Other times it’s a vague idea about the plot which comes to my mind first.

In the case of THE DREAM CATCHER (and THE DANCING FOR THE DEVIL Trilogy), however, I can answer without the trace of a doubt that what came first was the location. Cape Wrath. What a name! As soon as I saw it on the map of Scotland, I knew it had to be the location of my novel. I looked it up immediately and found beautiful photos of wild and angry seas, of forbidding cliffs and miles of deserted moorland and deserted beaches stretching under moody skies.

Yes, I thought, this is it!

My hero was born at that very moment too. What kind of man would live there? I asked myself. What personality would he have, what would he look like, what would be his family background, his struggles, his dreams?

It didn’t take much research to find out that nobody actually lived there. It is too exposed, too wild, and has been used as a military firing zone for years. That didn’t deter me at all. I would build an old castle on the cliff there and set up a fishing village too! My hero would be Lord Bruce McGunn, the local laird, and he would be as dark, moody and troubled as the name Cape Wrath suggested. And never mind the fact that Cape Wrath doesn’t actually have anything to do with ‘anger’ and ‘rage’ like I first thought, but that it finds its origins in the Norse for hvarf, which means “turning point”, since Vikings are believed to have used the cape as a navigation point where they would turn their ships.

So there you are. I saw an intriguing name on a map. That’s how THE DREAM CATCHER came to be.

THE DREAM CATCHER blurb

Can her love heal his haunted heart?

Cape Wrath, Scotland, November 1847.

Bruce McGunn is a man as brutal and unforgiving as his land in the far North of Scotland. Discharged from the army where he was known as the claymore devil, haunted by the spectres of his fallen comrades and convinced he is going mad, he is running out of time to save his estate from the machinations of Cameron McRae, heir to the McGunn’s ancestral enemies. When the clipper carrying McRae’s new bride is caught in a violent storm and docks at Wrath harbour, Bruce decides to revert to the old ways and hold the clipper and the woman to ransom. However, far from the spoilt heiress he expected, Rose is genuine, funny and vulnerable – a ray of sunshine in the long, harsh winter that has become his life.

But Rose is determined to escape Wrath and its proud master – the man she calls McGlum.

DREAM CATCHER is the first of the DANCING FOR THE DEVIL trilogy and is followed by BLUE BONNETS and SWORD DANCE. It is published by Áccent Press and is available on Amazon.

Marie Laval author bio

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie has lived in Lancashire for the past few years. She has three children and teaches French in a large secondary school. When she isn’t busy looking after family, or marking books and planning lessons, she loves dreaming up romantic stories. THE DREAM CATCHER is her third historical romance and is published by Áccent Press. It is related to her two other historical romances, ANGEL HEART and THE LION’S EMBRACE, also published by Áccent. Marie also writes contemporary romance. A SPELL IN PROVENCE was released last January and is available from Áccent Press too…

You can find Marie here

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marie-Laval/e/B00A03UV3I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

and here

https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor/?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/MarieLaval1

***

Thanks ever so much for visiting today Marie,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

COSTA BOOK SIGNING EVENT: 23rd November at Tiverton, Devon

By Jenny Kane

On November 22, 2015

In Books For Children, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

Interview with Nicola Cornick: House of Shadows

By Jenny Kane

On November 18, 2015

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction, Romance

I’m delighted to welcome fellow writer and RNA member, Nicola Cornick, to my site today to answer a few questions about her latest historical romance. So why not take a break, grab a cuppa, and have a read.

What inspired you to write your book?

The inspiration for House of Shadows came from my love of history and the work I do for the National Trust at Ashdown House, a 17^th century hunting lodge with an amazing history. Over the years I have researched so many fascinating aspects of the house and the family who owned it that I knew I had to write a book about it. However the inspiration also came from my own love of reading books with an element of the supernatural in them. I’m intrigued by ghost stories, reincarnation, time slip, magic… I wanted to explore those ideas in a book and House of Shadows was the result!

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

I think that like a lot of authors I take aspects of the characters of people I know and use them in my writing but I also change a lot of things about the character as well so they are a work of imagination. In House of Shadows there is a character that is based on a very dear friend of mine but only “half” of her. Fran, in the story, is expressive, extrovert and endearingly tactless whereas the friend I modelled her on is very expressive but also discreet and thoughtful.

Whilst researching House of Shadows I was intrigued to discover that no lesser author than Jane Austen had apparently used one of the historical figures I was drawing on as the inspiration for a character in Sense and Sensibility. I think authors are like magpies in that respect. We pick up bits and pieces of inspiration all over the place!

What type of research did you have to do for your book?

I did a lot of research and loved every minute of it! I read a lot of contemporary writing from the 17^th century, including Elizabeth of Bohemia’s correspondence and various sets of memoirs that referred to her. I love reading letters because it does give you an insight into the minds of the people who wrote them and feels very personal. I also used a lot of material objects to research the book, especially portraits for the details of things like clothes and jewellery. For the 19^th century thread of the story I read about all sorts of things from the lives of courtesans to the work of the Ordnance Survey in mapping England during the Napoleonic Wars!

Which Point of View do you prefer to write in and why?

I’m most accustomed to writing in the third person but for one of the strands in House of Shadows I wrote in the first person and enjoyed it very much. I felt as though I got deeper under the skin of the character – or more closely into their mind. My current manuscript has a dual timeframe and one of those is also in the first person. I’m definitely getting a taste for it! It feels very immediate and real to me.

If you were stranded on a desert island with three other people, fictional or real, who would they be and why?

Ha! Great question! Being stranded on a desert island is a bit different from choosing dinner party guests – I think I’d need people who were resourceful as well as interesting since I’m not very practical myself. I’d go for Florence Nightingale, Prince Rupert of the Rhine and The Frenchman from Daphne Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek!

***

Links

www.nicolacornick.co.uk

https://twitter.com/NicolaCornick

https://www.facebook.com/nicola.cornick/

Bio

Nicola Cornick is an international bestselling author of historical romance and historical fiction. She has lived in Oxfordshire for 20 years and draws her inspiration from the myths and history of the local landscape.

Nicola became fascinated with history when she was a child, and spent hours poring over historical novels and watching costume drama. She studied history at university and wrote her master’s thesis on heroes and hero myths. In her spare time she works as a guide in the 17^th century hunting lodge, Ashdown House. She also acts as a historical advisor for television and radio.

***

Many thanks for a great interview Nicola,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Jane Jackson: Being Mysterious as Rachel Ennis

By Jenny Kane

On October 5, 2015

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction, Romance

Today I am welcoming the lovely Jane Jackson back to my site. On this visit Jane is chatting about her latest book, The Loner, which was written by the ‘other her’- Rachel Ennis!

Over to you Jane (or should that be Rachel?)…

For the past fifteen years I have been writing historical romantic fiction. I’m fascinated by life in the past, especially my chosen period of 1795 – 1905. Momentous changes were taking place in every aspect of life: the Napoleonic wars with France, railways that spread like tentacles across the length and breadth of the country, physician Edward Jenner’s development of a smallpox vaccine saving thousands of lives, the Falmouth-based packet service transporting mail all over the world, dispatches to theatres of war, and bringing back gold bullion from the sugar plantations of Jamaica.

Society was changing too. The industrial revolution brought a massive exodus from countryside to cities and jobs in the new factories whose prosperous owners were the basis of a new middle class.

The fun and frivolity of the Regency was crushed beneath the repression and hypocrisy of Victoria’s reign. I’d need another lifetime to write all the books I have ideas for.

Then in November 2014 I was offered the chance to contribute to an anthology of Christmas stories published by Accent Press entitled ‘Wishing on a Star.’

This was a great opportunity to write a contemporary story. But as I was stepping outside my comfort zone I decided to set it in a location familiar to me – a Cornish coastal village. I named it Polvellan (translation from Cornish is top – or head – of the mill, because there is an old mill at the back of the quay) and the story featured the birth of a baby during a carol concert, but with a very contemporary twist.

I loved writing it. My editor enjoyed it and suggested a series. That was how ‘Polvellan Cornish Mysteries’ and my new name of Rachel Ennis came into being.

Several authors published, like me, by Accent Press write murder mysteries and they are excellent. But this wasn’t a direction I wanted to take. Then I had my lightbulb moment. I would make Jess Trevanion – my main character – an amateur genealogist. Asked to find people’s ancestors she makes unexpected, shocking, remarkable, and occasionally tragic discoveries. And I get to explore more recent history!

Born and brought up in Polvellan, Jess returned to live there after her husband’s unexpected death left her in desperate financial straits. Because she is known and trusted, people confide in her.

Each of Jess’s friends: Annie, Gill, Morwenna and Viv, has their own story gradually revealed throughout the series, as are Jess’s past and current problems. She and childhood sweetheart, Tom Peters, are rebuilding their romance but both carry baggage from the past.

I never take people from real life as characters. Yet the villagers in Polvellan are as real to me as my family. In some ways I know them better, because in each story they reveal more about their secrets, fears and hopes.

As Jess’s reputation spreads she is asked to undertake more investigations. But some people aren’t happy, afraid of what might come out.

‘The Loner’ is the third in the series. Calling at the cottage of recluse John Preece to give him some tomato plants, Jess finds him dead on the floor.

Police and Coroner deem it an accident: he tripped on the rug and hit his head on the granite hearth.

When talk turns to the funeral arrangements Jess’s sadness becomes resolve when she realises that, like herself, very few people knew the real John Preece. Though he lived in the village for many years, his background is a mystery. Using her investigative skills to research John’s family, she is surprised and horrified by what she finds out.

Meanwhile, she is also investigating the history of Marigold’s, a famous local venue recently inherited by the new heir to the Chenhall estate. Who was Marigold and what was her claim to fame?

***

You can buy ‘The Loner’ 3^rd of the Polvellan Cornish Mysteries as an Ebook Pub. for 99p from- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Loner-Polvellan-Book-3-ebook/dp/B01613GQNO/ and all good eBook retailers.

***

You can find more about the work of Jane Jackson (aka Rachel Ennis) at-

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PolvellanCornishMysteries

Blog: http://writethepast.co.uk

Website: www.janejackson.net

***

Many thanks for a great blog Jane.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Guest Post by Tom Williams: “The vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”

By Jenny Kane

On September 9, 2015

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction

Today I am joined by Tom Williams, Waterloo expert, novelist, and tango-er… This is such a great blog. Why not sit back, relax, and have a read- because afterwards you’ll want to jump up and flex those dancing feet.

Over to you Tom…

“The vertical expression of a horizontal desire.”

I feel a bit like Benedict Cumberbatch in Hamlet: you have to get that line out of the way at the beginning, otherwise everyone is just waiting for you to say it. When people talk about tango the whole issue of sex, as famously summed up in that quote, hangs over the conversation.

People say that tango started in the brothels of Buenos Aires, although it was originally danced as much between men as between men and women. When tango first appeared in Argentina, men vastly outnumbered women. Hence both the brothels and large numbers of men dancing with each other. As time passed, the origins of the dance became obscure and it became fashionable to argue that it didn’t start in brothels at all. I really don’t know: I wasn’t there. I do know that the Piazzolla – the composer who was largely responsible for the resurgence of tango in the late 20th century – originally refused to play tango at the Paris Conservatoire because he associated it with working in houses of ill repute when he started out as a musician.

In Buenos Aires, tango was originally the dance of the workers, despised by the middle classes for its earthiness and overt sexuality. From time to time, it was suppressed and some famous tango band leaders were in and out of jail as political prisoners. Only as tango became more fashionable abroad, did it become increasingly accepted in the country where it developed. Nowadays Argentina proudly proclaims itself as the home of tango, a claim hotly disputed by Uruguay. Both countries agreed to accept joint ‘ownership’ of tango when the United Nations declared it part of the world’s ‘intangible cultural heritage’ in 2009.

Tango nowadays is hardly likely to be seen danced in brothels, but it still has definite associations with sex. When it comes to the ‘tango look’, this is reflected in the killer heels and fish-net tights. (Why fish-net tights are particularly associated with sex remains a mystery to me, but they are definitely making a come-back on London tango floors.) The music, too, dwells on love and lust, though this is lost to many people, as the lyrics are in Spanish (and often a particular slang dialect unique to Buenos Aires).

It isn’t the clothes that make tango sexy, though: it’s the dance itself. What tango teachers will tell you is that the secret of the dance is in the “connection”. What this means is that, as danced traditionally, the man leads the woman through his chest: so most of the time you would struggle to put a piece of cigarette paper between them.

So is tango simply extended foreplay set to music? There was a famous Argentine tango dancer visiting England who melted the (female) reporter interviewing him, declaring (amongst other things) that: “It is not essential that a man have sex with his partner but I would say that 90% of the time this happens.” In England (and, to be honest, in most Argentine dance halls too) we do things differently. People change partners throughout the evening. Delightful as the idea might be, the reality is that men wouldn’t have the stamina to sleep with all of them.

What tango does offer is a combination of physical and emotional intimacy seldom achieved outside of sex. Traditionally, a couple will dance together for the three or four dances that make up a tanda. A tanda lasts about twelve minutes: hence the title of a recent tango memoire, ‘Twelve Minutes of Love’ (by Kapka Kassabova). For those twelve minutes, your partner should be the most important person in the world. Tango is a lead/follow dance: there are no “steps” as such. The woman knows where the man is going because she feels changes in his weight through that “connection” that has them moving so closely together. If either partner is distracted from the other, the dance can quickly disintegrate. Being that close to another person, concentrating on their every movement while listening to the sensuous music of the dance, is a powerful experience. For those twelve minutes you may not be in love, but you should act as if you were. Does this relationship continue after the dance is over? Obviously, it can, but that may not be wise. In Argentina, men and women often sit separately and the only social contract they will have is brief conversation in the intervals between the dances in the tanda. At the end of the dance, the man escorts the woman back to her seat and they may not speak again all evening. Even in England, sometimes a man can catch a woman’s eye, she will nod her agreement to dance, they will spend twelve minutes of intimacy and at the end they will part, often without even knowing each other’s names. Obviously, attitudes vary from place to place and person to person and in England many people expect you to introduce yourself. In some places, particularly in Argentina, introductions are not usual. I must confess that I enjoy the anonymity of such encounters. It can be embarrassing, though, if this happens on several different evenings and you eventually have to admit you have no idea what your partner is called.

I have been dancing tango with my wife for many years. Both of us enjoy dancing with other people but (as far as I know) dancing is as far as it has gone. For some people, I am sure that the physicality of tango has led them into temptation. For us, though, I suspect it is the opposite. If you can enjoy such passion with so many people, why start an affair? Is the risk and messiness of a few snatched hours with your (other) one true love really offering you so much more than those twelve minutes, repeated through an evening as bodies merge and intertwine while the lights are low and the music plays? And at the end of the night, as the last tanda strikes up, you return to your lover’s arms for the most important twelve minutes of all.

***

Many thanks Tom- what a great blog!! I have tried to tango many times, but sadly I am blessed with two left feet and no balance- as my husband will testify!!

Bio

Tom Williams writes historical novels, sharing a publisher with Jenny Kane. His book set in Buenos Aires (Burke in the Land of Silver) has no tango in it, as the action takes place early in the 19^th century when tango didn’t even exist. There is some sex, though. This post talks about men and women, but other combinations are not uncommon. Tom explores some of them in The White Rajah and Cawnpore. Still no tango, unfortunately. In real life (if there is such a thing), Tom dances a lot, though with a mind pure as driven snow. One of the pictures shows him dancing with his wife. We’ll leave you to work out which.

For more about Tom and his books (and the odd post about tango), visit his blog: http://thewhiterajah.blogspot.co.uk/

Books by Tom Williams

The Williamson Papers

***

His Majesty’s Confidential Agent

Thanks again Tom,

Happy reading (and dancing) everyone,

Jenny x

An Autumn Bargain: Romancing Robin Hood is ONLY 99p/99c!!!

By Jenny Kane

On September 2, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction, Romance

What better way to wave in autumn, than by curling up with a good book and enjoying a contemporary summer wedding in the beautiful Hardwick Hall, a budding romance,…and a medieval mystery….?

I’m delighted to be able to offer you my full length, timeslip novel, Romancing Robin Hood, for the bargain price of either 99p or 99c for the entire month of September!!!

Here’s the blurb to whet your appetite…

Dr Grace Harper has loved the stories of Robin Hood ever since she first saw them on TV as a girl. Now, with her fortieth birthday just around the corner, she’s a successful academic in Medieval History, with a tenured position at a top university.

But Grace is in a bit of a rut. She’s supposed to be writing a textbook on a real-life medieval gang of high-class criminals – the Folvilles – but she keeps being drawn into the world of the novel she’s secretly writing – a novel which entwines the Folvilles with her long-time love of Robin Hood – and a feisty young girl named Mathilda, who is the key to a medieval mystery…

Meanwhile, Grace’s best friend Daisy – who’s as keen on animals as Grace is on the Merry Men – is unexpectedly getting married, and a reluctant Grace is press-ganged into being her bridesmaid. As Grace sees Daisy’s new-found happiness, she starts to re-evaluate her own life. Is her devotion to a man who may or may not have lived hundreds of years ago really a substitute for a real-life hero of her own? It doesn’t get any easier when she meets Dr Robert Franks – a rival academic who Grace is determined to dislike but finds herself being increasingly drawn to…

***

Praise for Romancing Robin Hood…

“This book had my heart from the start – how I loved Robin of Sherwood back in the 80’s! Grace is stuck in the middle ages – well not really – but she might as well be – living, breathing, teaching and ever so slightly obsessed by one of the great British stories – Robin Hood. I loved the idea of having the book Grace is writing in the story – I was just as keen to see this story wrapped up as I was the modern day romance…”

“This was one of the most original romances I’ve read. I just loved the addition of the mini medieval crime story within Grace’s quest to find a love in the modern world – a love to rival her affection for her outlaw heroes of literature and TV!”

“I really, really, really liked this story! …. Grace is a REALLY BIG Robin Hood fan and her life is revolved around him. She is supposed to be writing a textbook for her college but she is coming up with her own novel instead and of course you know what it is going to be about. One sad thing about Grace is that she compares everyman she meets to Robin. Is she ever going to find a man like him? Well she just might in this story but things do get a little hairy. How will it end you ask? Sorry I can’t tell you but I DEFINITLY recommend you read this story. Go on a little medieval journey with Grace to see what kind of Robin Hood story she comes up with. I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. I received this book as a gift from the author.”

“…Jenny Kane must have spent so much time on her research. I loved Grace’s story. I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen between her and Robert. Robert understands her love for Robin Hood and her academic passion and it was great to see her with a potential soulmate. Mathilda’s story is really good as well…It’s a great mix….it’s a fast paced story that has a few unexpected twists.”

“Lovely engaging take on an old, old story. Terrific heroine and very intelligently written dual narrative. I loved it.”

***

If you fancy trying Romancing Robin Hood for yourself, then now is the perfect time!

Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Romancing-Robin-Hood-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00M4838S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407428558&sr=8-1&keywords=romancing+robin+hood

Amazon.com- http://www.amazon.com/Romancing-Robin-Hood-love-story-ebook/dp/B00M4838S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409936409&sr=8-1&keywords=romancing+robin+hood

ONLY 99p or 99c!!!!!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Happy Birthday Romancing Robin Hood!

By Jenny Kane

On August 25, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

Believe it or not, Romancing Robin Hood, is a year old!

I had SO much fun writing this novel, which was largely based on my own obsession with Robin Hood and the work I did on my PhD – far too many years ago to mention!!

To celebrate Romancing Robin Hood’s birthday, I thought I’d share a little of the novel with you. Here’s the blurb to help set the scene.

Blurb

***

Romancing Robin Hood is a contemporary romance is based on the life of Dr Grace Harper, a medieval history lecturer with a major Robin Hood obsession. So much so, that instead of writing a textbook on medieval life, Grace is secretly writing a novella about a fourteenth century girl called Mathilda, who gets mixed up with a real outlaw family of the day, the Folvilles. As you read Grace’s story, you can read the medieval mystery she is writing alongside!

The problem is, Grace is so embroiled in her work and passion for outlaws, that real life is passing her by.

With her wedding approaching fast, Grace’s best friend Daisy can’t help wishing a similar happiness to her own for her Robin Hood loving friend…

Extract

…Daisy hadn’t grown up picturing herself floating down the aisle in an over-sequinned ivory frock, nor as a doting parent, looking after triplets and walking a black Labrador. So when, on an out-of-hours trip to the local vet’s surgery she’d met Marcus and discovered that love at first sight wasn’t a myth, it had knocked her for six.

She’d been on a late-night emergency dash to the surgery with an owl a neighbour had found injured in the road. Its wing had required a splint, and it was too big a job for only one pair of hands. Daisy had been more than a bit surprised when the locum vet had stirred some long-suppressed feeling of interest in her, and even more amazed when that feeling had been reciprocated.

It was all luck, sheer luck. Daisy had always believed that anyone meeting anybody was down to two people meeting at exactly the right place, at exactly the right time, while both feeling precisely the right amount of chemistry. The fact that any couples existed at all seemed to Daisy to be one of the greatest miracles of humanity.

She pictured Grace, tucked away in her mad little office only living in the twenty-first century on a part-time basis. Daisy had long since got used to the fact that her closest friend’s mind was more often than not placed firmly in the 1300s. Daisy wished Grace would finish her book. It had become such a part of her. Such an exclusive aim that nothing else seemed to matter very much. Even the job she used to love seemed to be a burden to her now, and Daisy sensed that Grace was beginning to resent the hours it took her away from her life’s work. Maybe if she could get her book over with – get it out of her system – then Grace would stop living in the wrong timeframe.

Daisy knew Grace appreciated that she never advised her to find a bloke, settle down, and live ‘happily ever after,’ and she was equally grateful Grace had never once suggested anything similar to her. Now she had Marcus, however, Daisy had begun to want the same contentment for her friend, and had to bite her tongue whenever they spoke on the phone; something that happened less and less these days.

Grace’s emails were getting shorter too. The long paragraphs detailing the woes of teaching students with an ever-decreasing intelligence had blunted down to, ‘You ok? I’m good. Writing sparse. See you soon. Bye G x’

The book. That in itself was a problem. Grace’s publishers and colleagues, Daisy knew, were expecting an academic tome. A textbook for future medievalists to ponder over in the university libraries of the world. And, in time, that was exactly what they were going to get, but not yet, for Grace had confided to Daisy that this wasn’t the only thing she was working on, and her textbook was coming a poor third place to work and the other book she couldn’t seem to stop herself from writing.

‘Why,’ Grace had forcefully expounded on their last meeting, ‘should I slog my guts out writing a book only a handful of bored students and obsessive freaks like myself will ever pick up, let alone read?’

As a result, Grace was writing a novel, ‘A semi-factual novel,’ she’d said, ‘a story which will tell any student what they need to know about the Folville family and their criminal activities – which bear a tremendous resemblance to the stories of a certain famous literary outlaw! – and hopefully promote interest in the subject for those who aren’t that into history without boring them to death.’

It sounded like a good idea to Daisy, but she also knew, as Grace did, that it was precisely the sort of book academics frowned upon, and she was worried about Grace’s determination to finish it. Daisy thought it would be more sensible to concentrate on one manuscript at a time, and get the dry epic that everyone was expecting out of the way first. Perhaps it would have been completed by now if Grace could focus on one project at a time, rather than it currently being a year in the preparation without a final result in sight. Daisy suspected Grace’s boss had no idea what she was really up to. After all, she was using the same lifetime of research for both manuscripts. She also had an underlying suspicion that subconsciously Grace didn’t want to finish either the textbook or the novel; that her friend was afraid to finish them. After all, what would she fill her hours with once they were done?

Daisy’s mobile began to play a tinny version of Nellie the Elephant. She hastily plopped a small black guinea pig, which she’d temporarily called Charcoal, into a run with his numerous friends, and fished her phone from her dungarees pocket.

‘Hi, Marcus.’

‘Hi honey, you OK?’

‘Just delivering the tribe to their outside quarters, then I’m off to face the horror that is dress shopping.’

Her future husband laughed, ‘You’ll be fine. You’re just a bit rusty, that’s all.’

‘Rusty! I haven’t owned a dress since I went to parties as a small child. Thirty-odd years ago!’

‘I don’t understand why you don’t go with Grace at the weekend. It would be easier together wouldn’t it?’

Daisy sighed, ‘I’d love to go with her, but I’ll never get her away from her work more than once this month, and I’ve yet to arrange a date for her to buy a bridesmaid outfit.’

‘Well, good luck, babe. I’m off to rob some bulls of their manhood.’

Daisy giggled, ‘Have fun. Oh, why did you call by the way?’

‘Just wanted to hear your voice, nothing else.’

‘Oh cute – ta.’

‘Idiot! Enjoy shopping.’

As she clicked her battered blue mobile shut and slid it back into her working clothes, Daisy thought of Grace again. Perhaps she should accidentally invite loads of single men to the wedding to tempt her friend with. The trouble was, unless they wore Lincoln Green, and carried a bow and quiver of arrows, Daisy very much doubted whether Grace would even notice they were there…

***

If that extract has whetted your appetite for more, Romancing Robin Hood is available in paperback, and e-formats from all good retailers- including-

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Romancing-Robin-Hood-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00M4838S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407428558&sr=8-1&keywords=romancing+robin+hood

Amazon.com- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Romancing-Robin-Hood-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00M4838S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407428558&sr=8-1&keywords=romancing+robin+hood

Nook – http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/romancing-robin-hood-by-jenny-kane/9781783754267

Kobo- https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/romancing-robin-hood

I’m off to blow out Romancing Robin Hood’s birthday candles now!!

Happy reading

Jenny xx

Guest Blog from Marie Laval: One night under the stars

By Jenny Kane

On August 11, 2015

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction, Romance

I’m delighted to welcome fellow Accent Press author, Marie Laval, back to my site to talk about her new release, The Lion’s Embrace. I have to say, it sounds fascinating.

Over to you Marie…

Thank you very much Jenny for welcoming me on your blog today to talk about my latest release. THE LION’S EMBRACE is my second historical romance and takes place mostly in North Africa, in Algeria to be exact, in 1845. Lucas Saintclair is hired as a guide by Harriet Montague to rescue her father, a British Museum archaeologist, who she believes was captured by a gang of Tuaregs in the far South of the country.

Writing THE LION’S EMBRACE was a fascinating process, not only because I got to fall in love with my hero (I know, it sounds very, very corny, but it’s true!), but also because I discovered the beautiful landscapes Lucas and Harriet travelled through on their way to Tamanrasset, and the culture of the people they encountered. One particular group of people are at the centre of the plot: the Tuaregs, also called ‘The People of the Veil’ or the ‘Blue Men of the Desert’ because of the indigo veil all men have to wear from around the age of fifteen.

I surrounded myself with photos of the Sahara, of oases and the magnificent Hoggar mountain range. I read Tuareg poems and stories and listened to music so that I could get a real ‘feel’ for the place and the people since I couldn’t travel there myself.

Hoggar Mountains

One song in particular caught my imagination and I played it over and over again as I wrote THE LION’S EMBRACE. It’s a modern song and I have no idea what they are singing about, but I find the melody poignant and haunting, especially the monochord violin, the imzad, which can be heard throughout.

The imzad is a traditional Tuareg instrument only played by women. It is at the heart of the Tuareg culture and society because of its link to the Achak, the code of honour every Tuareg must live by. Those who stray from the path and commit dishonourable acts are said to have lost the ability to ‘hear the imzad’ in their heart and are therefore cast out of their family and their tribe.

Here is the link to the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5z7AcjE-YI

As they travel across the Sahara desert, Lucas Saintclair and Harriet Montague spend a few days with a Tuareg caravan. Every evening, they sit under the stars and listen to musicians playing the imzad and to stories and poems. The story-teller pulls out round pebbles out of his ‘bag of tales’, which is a skin pouch. Each pebble represents a different story and he tells the stories in the order the pebbles were drawn from the bag.

This is an excerpt from THE LION’S EMBRACE when Lucas and Harriet are at the Tuareg camp. The tale is based on a genuine Tuareg story.

The women played their instruments all along, drawing long, monochord sounds that at times sounded almost like laments and perfectly matched the mood of the audience, silent and attentive under the starry sky.

By the end of the evening, Harriet shivered with cold. Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm.

‘The brave is reaching the end of his journey,’ he translated, his voice low and a little hoarse. ‘After wandering in the desert for weeks, he finally finds his beloved’s camp, but it is empty under the stars. Only the cruel wind answers his prayers, and as the cool moonlight kisses his lips, the vast spaces full of solitude chill his heart. So he lies on the sand and waits to die.’ He paused. ‘And that’s love for you. Brings you nothing but pain.’

Despite his slightly mocking tone, the words made her dreamy.

‘It’s beautiful, and so sad.’ She found his hand, squeezed a little. ‘Love isn’t all pain, you know. It can be the most wonderful feeling in the world.’

She should know.

***

Thank you again Jenny for welcoming me on your blog.

Here is the blurb for THE LION’S EMBRACE

Algiers, 1845

Arrogant, selfish and dangerous, Lucas Saintclair is everything Harriet Montague dislikes in a man. He is also the best guide in the whole of the Barbary States, the only man who can rescue her archaeologist father from the gang of Tuareg fighters that has kidnapped him. As Harriet embarks on a perilous journey across Algeria with Saintclair and Archibald Drake, her father’s most trusted friend, she discovers a bewitching but brutal land where nothing is what it seems. Who are these men intent on stealing her father’s ransom? What was her father hoping to find in Tuareg queen Tin Hinan’s tomb? Is Lucas Saintclair really as callous as he claims—or is he a man haunted by a past he cannot forgive?

Dangerous passions engulf Harriet’s heart in the heat of the Sahara. Secrets of lost treasures, rebel fighters, and a sinister criminal brotherhood threaten her life and the life of the man she loves.

Does forever lie in the lion’s embrace?

***

THE LION’S EMBRACE is available from

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lions-Embrace-Marie-Laval-ebook/dp/B013GSVJJI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

and in paperback from Áccent Press

You can find me at http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/marielavalauthor?fref=ts

https://uk.pinterest.com/laval0232/

Author Bio

Originally from Lyon in France, I have been living in the lovely Rossendale Valley, Lancashire, for the past few years. I spend most of my spare time dreaming up romantic stories. A SPELL IN PROVENCE, my first contemporary romantic suspense, was released by Áccent Press earlier this year. ANGEL HEART, my debut historical romance and THE LION’S EMBRACE have just been re-released by Áccent Press too. And watch out for DANCING FOR THE DEVIL, another historical romance, which will be published in the autumn …

***

Many thanks to Marie for such an interesting blog. Another book to add to my ‘to read’ list!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Category: Historical fiction Page 22 of 23

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