For This Knight Only by Barb Bettis Plus Researching
Give a warm welcome to Barbara Bettis, author of For This Knight Only.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Barb and For This Knight Only. Barb give us a little insight into your research technique.
Researching—It’s All to the Point
Thanks for hosting me today, Tena. I love visiting you.
Always a pleasure to have you. Researching is the first step is starting any novel but especially a historical novel. Right?
I’m taking a bit of a break from finding information for my current historical. Researching is one of my favorite things. If I’m not careful, I can spend way too much time gathering facts and data—fascinating pieces of information and specific incidents that can lead into long digressions and many ideas for new stories. Discovering something unusual is just wonderful.
I know there is always discussion on where one can or should do research—online or in hard copy books. Both are very important, of course.
I must admit, my preferred sources are books. Undoubtedly because in my college days, that’s how we did research. I still like my desk (or the floor) stacked with volumes which resemble porcupines sprouting colorful sticky notes marking important passages. I’ve driven many miles to consult library collections, particularly when researching medieval topics.
In spite of that, I’m coming around to online searching, especially now that so many very old documents, papers, collections, and the like have made their way to the Internet. And more and more, ancient documents are appearing online courtesy of various institutions—universities and public libraries. It’s exciting to see copies of original tax rolls or religious writings. Or the Magna Carta—even if I can make out only every third letter J
Another important place to check—bibliographies. They are present in the backs of books certainly, but many secondary online sources have lists of sources consulted. All of these titles can give a researcher lots of tips.
Being accurate in very old historical material, as in Middle Ages, often is difficult but to me, important. I find myself using rules learned from my journalism experience—verify sources. That is, find the same information in two different, reliable sources before I use it. (Journalism says three, but I’ve settled for two.)
Still, no matter how hard I try, dates of things that happened 800 or so years ago can be hard to pin down unless they’re very well known historical events. We all know 1066 for William the Conqueror’s invasion of England.
Well we all know now. LOL
Click on the cover to read more or purchase!
Now tell a little about For This Knight Only. I love the title!
He’ll do anything for land, even marry her; she’ll do anything for her people, except marry him. If only either had a choice. It’s a marriage only love can save.
Sir Roark will do anything to gain land, even beguile an unwilling lady into marriage. He knows she’s much better off with a man to take control of her besieged castle, to say nothing of her desirable person. But it isn’t long before he discovers that, although her eyes sparkle like sunlight on sea waves, her stubbornness alone could have defeated Saladin.
Lady Alyss is determined to hold her family’s castle, protect her people, and preserve her freedom— until her brother’s dying wish binds her to a stranger. Still, she’ll allow no rugged, over-confident, appealing knight to usurp her authority, even if she must wed him. Especially since he thinks a lady’s duties begin and end with directing servants. Alyss has a few surprises for her new all-too-tempting lord.
But when a common enemy threatens everything, Roark and Alyss face a startling revelation. Without love, neither land nor freedom matters.
Buy links:
A sneak peek between the pages of For This Knight Only.
What would it take to persuade her to marry him? A sudden pain burst between his legs, and he gasped, eyes blurry. The little hell-cat kneed him. Even though chain mail deflected some of the impact, he used every bit of his willpower to remain standing.
Apparently persuasion took more than a kiss.
He drew a steadying breath. “You don’t understand, my lady. You will be my wife before the sun sets. It was your brother’s dying wish. It was my pledge to a comrade.”
By God, he’d begun to believe it himself. Alyss met him toe to toe. “This morning I had never seen you, and by tonight, you think I will marry you?”
Her head tilted back and she glared into his eyes. “Were you, perhaps, wounded in the head during a fight? Have you lost your senses as well as your hearing? How do you propose to force me to the altar?
With your army?”
With an exaggerated look around, she nodded at Alain. “Ah, yes. There it is. Impressive to be sure.”
Turning from Roark, she said, “Sir Baldwin, see that these two knights are outside
the gates by sundown. Call every man in the garrison to help, if need be. I want them gone.”
Head high as if confident her word would be enforced immediately, she strode to the
stairway.
Frowning, Sir Baldwin started forward. Roark lifted a hand to halt him. He glanced at
Alain, then back to Alyss. “One moment, my lady. Hear me out.”
She continued to walk, but everyone in the hall had no trouble hearing her. “Unless you
intend to apologize, you can say nothing that will interest me.”
Roark had known this would not be easy, but he had expected the female to at least listen to reason.
An obedient, well-behaved lady is how Sir Godfrey described her. An excellent housekeeper, but
helpless to defend herself if her menfolk were all dead. Obedient, well-behaved. Helpless.
That Lady Alyss wasn’t this Lady Alyss.
About the Author:
Award-winning author Barbara Bettis has always loved history and English. As a college freshman, she considered becoming an archeologist until she realized there likely would be bugs and snakes involved. And math. Through careers as a newspaper reporter and editor, then a college journalism and English professor, she’s retained her fascination with history. Give her a research book and a pot of tea, and she’s happy for hours. But what really makes her smile is working on a new story. Now retired, she lives in Missouri where she edits for others and spins tales of heroines to die for—and heroes to live for.
Find Barb Here:
Bookbub Facebook Twitter Blog/Website
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with For This Knight Only!
Visits: 280
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Barbara Bettis, Historical Romance, Research', This Knight Only by Tena Stetler with 14 comments.
Wild Rose Pass by Karen Hulene Bartell
Give a warm welcome to Karen Hulene Bartell. It’s a pleasure to have you join us with a second guest, Cadence, from Wild Rose Pass. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Cadence, heroine of Wild Rose Pass. Last week we talked with Ben, the hero of Wild Rose Pass. In this second installment we’ll visit with Cadence, the heroin from the same book. Correct?
Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog. It’s a pleasure to be here> Yes, I’ve brought along Cadence, the heroine of Wild Rose Pass!
Cadence you’re up first, tell us who are you really?
“I’m Cadence McShane. Though I’m the daughter of the fort’s commander and expected to behave like a lady at all times, I’m a tomboy at heart, who wants adventures and challenges. I’m tired of the rounds of teas and dinner parties, parcheesi, and pinochle, I want to cantor out the fort’s gates and gallop across the Chihuahuan desert, a place with no prying eyes and no eavesdropping ears. I’m tired of being bridled, and I need something more to do than just fill my time. I want to accomplish something.
……Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your bed?
You’d find books of poetry, my journals, and patterns for the convertible riding skirts I design that look like ordinary skirts at first glance, but that have flared pants to allow me to ride horses astride—not sidesaddle.
……What makes you laugh out loud?
Horseback riding and waltzing—I love to take off at a gallop and race my horse. I also love to dance until I’m breathless and dizzy.
……What makes you angry?
Condescending, patronizing, chauvinistic attitudes, where women are manipulated, controlled, and treated like hobbled horses or collared dogs on leashes.
……What do you sleep in at night?
I wear cozy flannel nightgowns in floral patterns with smocked bodices and necklines shirred with ribbon.
……Who were the biggest role models in your life?
My mother was the biggest role model in my life. She was always the consummate lady, but as I’ve recently discovered, she chose the safer path and lived her life with disappointment.
My father taught me to ride and encouraged—even applauded—my tomboy escapades as a child. Though I wasn’t a male heir to carry on the family name or military tradition—or if truth be told, the son he probably would have preferred—I always knew he cherished me. His love was implicit, and I never doubted his affection.
……What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with?
I want someone who’s compassionate, kindhearted, and considerate, yet brave. I want someone who’s interested in more than military maneuvers or promotions and knows where to find natural treasures, like wild plums, pine nuts, pecans, or twinned-crystal calcite. I want someone who would treat me as an equal and a cherished fiancée.
……What kind of man would you never choose?
I have no patience for a man who’s condescending or solely focused on military advancement—who’d make me wonder if he were only marrying me to become my father’s son-in-law—his protégé—instead of my husband.
.…What is most important to you in life?
Freedom and independence are most important to me. I want new experiences, not a repetition of what I’ve always done. I want to live life, not sit idly, drinking tea and watching life pass me by. I need adventures and challenges.
……What is your biggest fear?
My biggest fear is that my entire future will be plotted out on a chart, where I’ll have no choices or options. I don’t want a neatly laid-out tactical maneuver of my husband’s design, and I don’t want my life to pass without my living it.
****
Karen, tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult?
Writing Wild Rose Pass was a stretch for me because I’d never written in the Frontier, Western, or Historical genres before—no ghosts and nothing paranormal. Adding to my dilemma, the timeline was 1880 Texas, so every phrase they spoke, every idiom they used, every food they ate, every dress and uniform they wore, as well as the roles they played, all had to be double-checked for historical accuracy. Writing it was slow going.
And although romance is always a part of my novels, I’d never written a true “Romance” before, so I had to learn how to write from two points of view and speak in both the heroine’s and hero’s voices.
Still, it was fun. I enjoyed getting into the Old West mindset. Guess it reminds me of the old Westerns I used to watch as a kid 😉
Do your characters always act as you expect?
Usually, but not always. My characters definitely have minds of their own!
Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
Hmmm…a little of both, I’d say, but mostly I fly by the seat of my pants. I write mini-plots on scraps of paper that lead to a scene’s conclusion, but I never know, from that scene to the next, what the next action will be until inspiration strikes.
I know that feeling myself. LOL
Tell us a little about Wild Rose Pass
Cadence McShane, free-spirited nonconformist, yearns to escape the rigid code, clothes, and sidesaddles of 1880s military society in Fort Davis, Texas. She finds the daring new lieutenant exhilarating, but as the daughter of the commanding officer, she is expected to keep with family tradition and marry West Point graduate James West.
Orphaned, Comanche-raised, and always the outsider looking in, Ben Williams yearns to belong. Cadence embodies everything he craves, but as a battlefield-commissioned officer with the Buffalo Soldiers instead of a West Point graduate, he is neither accepted into military society nor considered marriageable.
Can two people of different worlds, drawn together by conflicting needs, flout society and forge a life together on the frontier?
My thoughts on Wild Rose Pass:
First let me say, I don’t usually read western romance, but this one hooked me from page one, a real page turner and I loved every moment of it!
Wild Rose Pass is an exciting tale of romance, second chances, and the rough & tumble Texas history set in frontier Times. Vivid details, which is something I love in a story. I enjoy being immersed in the details and the story so I feel like I am there with the detailed characters. This books fills the bill on all fronts. The details of customs/culture and mine-set of the day were spot on giving the tale historical resonance. Wild Rose Pass is an exhilarating western with high-stakes adventure and very satisfying ending. If you like tales of frontier days and western adventure, pick up this book today. You’ll love it.
Bonus – Recipes included of which I intend to try each one.
5-Stars from me!
A sneak peek between the pages of Wild Rose Pass:
Reining his horse between catclaw and prickly-pear cactus, Ben Williams squinted at the late summer sun’s low angle. Though still midafternoon, shadows lengthened in the mountains. He clicked his tongue, urging his mare up the incline. “Show a little enthusiasm, Althea. If we’re not in Fort Davis by sunset, we’ll be bedding down with scorpions and rattlesnakes.”
As his detachment’s horses clambered up Wild Rose Pass, the only gap through west Texas’ rugged Davis Mountains, Ben kept alert for loose rocks or hidden roots, anything that might trip his mount. A thick layer of fallen leaves created a pastiche of color shrouding the trail from view. He glanced up at the lithe cottonwood trees lining the route, their limbs dancing in the breeze. More amber and persimmon leaves loosened, fell, and settled near the Indian pictographs on their tree trunks. When he saw the red- and yellow-ochre drawings, he smiled, recalling the canyon’s name—Painted Comanche Camp.
“How far to Fort Davis, lieutenant?” called McCurry, one of his recruits.
“Three hours.” If we keep a steady pace.
Without warning, the soldier’s horse whinnied. Spooking, it reared on its hind legs, threw its rider, and galloped off.
As he sat up, the man groaned, caught his breath, and stared into the eyes of a coiled rattler, poised to strike. “What the…?”
Flicking its tongue, hissing, tail rattling, the pit viper was inches from the man’s face.
A sheen of sweat appeared above the man’s lip. “Lieutenant—”
Buy Links:
About the Author:
Karen is the author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, she is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories that lift the spirit. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Westerns spurred her to write (pun intended). Wanderlust inherent, Karen enjoyed traveling, although loathed changing schools. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Hill Country with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.
Connect with Karen:
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Wild Rose Pass!
Visits: 452
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 2880d, Frontier Romance, Historical Romance, Karen Hulene Bartell, Western, Wild Rose Pass by Tena Stetler with 5 comments.
Wild Rose Pass by Karen Hulene Bartell
Give a warm welcome to Karen Hulene Bartell, author of Wild Rose Pass, just released. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Karen and Wild Rose Pass.
Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog. It’s a pleasure to be here!
My pleasure. I see you’ve brought a guest along.
Yes, this is Ben the hero of Wild Rose Pass.
Great! Lets start with BEN, tell us about the real you—
Ben shakes his head with a reluctant laugh. “Not much to tell, ma’am. I just do the best I can. Someday, I hope to resign my commission, buy some land, settle down, marry, and raise a family, but for now, I follow my commanding officer’s orders and give an honest day’s work for a day’s wages.
Tell us three things we’d find if we looked under your bed?
“You’d find my Jeff Davis boots, a shoe-shine kit, and my Springfield .45 caliber ‘Trapdoor’ rifle.”
……What makes you laugh out loud?
“I’m a quiet man by nature, ma’am. I keep my feeling to myself, except”—hiding a grin, he dimples—“when I dance. Then, sheer enjoyment prevails.”
……What makes you angry?
“Brutalization, ma’am. I’ve seen enough on the frontier. Seeing its effects in ‘civilized’ society rubs me the wrong way. One thing I can’t abide is a woman beater.”
……What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you?
“My earliest memory is watching the Comanches kill my father and brother.”
Ben speaks with disinterest—as if repeating a story he’s heard or keeping emotional distance.
“A roving band of Comanches raided my parents’ farm, burning the crops and torching the log cabin my pa had built with his own hands. Then using that same ax he’d used to cut the logs, they swung it into his back, breaking his spine and killing him. I never saw what happened to my mother, but as my brother ran away, they shot an arrow in his back. One Comanche slung me over his horse and rode back to camp, carrying me in front of him. At first, camp life was bad.”
Ben speaks in a slow monotone, as if the words conjure painful memories.
“The man beat me so often another Comanche took pity. He and his wife had three daughters but no son, so he traded me mula ensillada, for a mule and a saddle, and raised me as his own son.”
……What do you most value?
“Family, ma’am, because without family, what does a person have?”
……What do you sleep in at night?
“Long johns, ma’am. Being in the cavalry—especially now with the Indian Wars—I have to be ready to ride at a moment’s notice.”
……What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with?
“A strong woman, ma’am—a lead mare, a trail blazer—someone who thinks for herself and makes her own decisions. Then once she makes up her mind, she pins back her ears and stands her ground.”
……What do you consider most important in life?
“I’ve already told you, ma’am, family. To me, it’s more important than anything else. A person can always earn money. Livestock and goods can be replaced, but to my way of thinking, neither wealth nor position measures up to family because, without it, what does a person have?”
……What is your biggest secret?
“I’m in love with the captain’s daughter, ma’am, but she’s out of my class. She’s cultured and been educated out East. Besides, she’s West’s woman. He’s a West Point graduate, while I’m just a battlefield-promoted mustang. He shares family connections with both sides of her family and, as First Lieutenant, he outranks me.”
****
Author, Tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult?
Writing Wild Rose Pass was a stretch for me because I’d never written in the Frontier, Western, or Historical genres before—no ghosts and nothing paranormal. Adding to my dilemma, the timeline was 1880 Texas, so every phrase they spoke, every idiom they used, every food they ate, every dress and uniform they wore, as well as the roles they played, all had to be double-checked for historical accuracy. Writing it was slow going.
And although romance is always a part of my novels, I’d never written a true “Romance” before, so I had to learn how to write from two points of view and speak in both the heroine’s and hero’s voices.
Still, it was fun. I enjoyed getting into the Old West mindset. Guess it reminds me of the old Westerns I used to watch as a kid 😉
Do your characters always act as you expect?
Usually, but not always. My characters definitely have minds of their own!
Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
Hmmm…a little of both, I’d say, but mostly I fly by the seat of my pants. I write mini-plots on scraps of paper that lead to a scene’s conclusion, but I never know, from that scene to the next, what the next action will be until inspiration strikes.
Wild Rose Pass by Karen Hulene Bartell
Tell us a little about Wild Rose Pass.
Cadence McShane, free-spirited nonconformist, yearns to escape the rigid code, clothes, and sidesaddles of 1880s military society in Fort Davis, Texas. She finds the daring new lieutenant exhilarating, but as the daughter of the commanding officer, she is expected to keep with family tradition and marry West Point graduate James West.
Orphaned, Comanche-raised, and always the outsider looking in, Ben Williams yearns to belong. Cadence embodies everything he craves, but as a battlefield-commissioned officer with the Buffalo Soldiers instead of a West Point graduate, he is neither accepted into military society nor considered marriageable.
Can two people of different worlds, drawn together by conflicting needs, flout society and forge a life together on the frontier?
Sneak peek between the pages of Wild Rose Pass.
Reining his horse between catclaw and prickly-pear cactus, Ben Williams squinted at the late summer sun’s low angle. Though still midafternoon, shadows lengthened in the mountains. He clicked his tongue, urging his mare up the incline. “Show a little enthusiasm, Althea. If we’re not in Fort Davis by sunset, we’ll be bedding down with scorpions and rattlesnakes.”
As his detachment’s horses clambered up Wild Rose Pass, the only gap through west Texas’ rugged Davis Mountains, Ben kept alert for loose rocks or hidden roots, anything that might trip his mount. A thick layer of fallen leaves created a pastiche of color shrouding the trail from view. He glanced up at the lithe cottonwood trees lining the route, their limbs dancing in the breeze. More amber and persimmon leaves loosened, fell, and settled near the Indian pictographs on their tree trunks. When he saw the red- and yellow-ochre drawings, he smiled, recalling the canyon’s name—Painted Comanche Camp.
“How far to Fort Davis, lieutenant?” called McCurry, one of his recruits.
“Three hours.” If we keep a steady pace.
Without warning, the soldier’s horse whinnied. Spooking, it reared on its hind legs, threw its rider, and galloped off.
As he sat up, the man groaned, caught his breath, and stared into the eyes of a coiled rattler, poised to strike. “What the…?”
Flicking its tongue, hissing, tail rattling, the pit viper was inches from the man’s face.
A sheen of sweat appeared above the man’s lip. “Lieutenant—”
Buy Links:
About the Author:
Author of the Trans-Pecos, Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories that lift the spirit. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Westerns spurred her to write (pun intended). Wanderlust inherent, Karen enjoyed traveling, although loathed changing schools. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Hill Country with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.
Connect with Karen:
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Wild Rose Pass! This is the first of a two parter, Karen will be back on April 7th with more surprises and another special guest! So please check back.
Visits: 630
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Historical Romance, Karen Hulene Bartell, Western, Wild Rose Pass by Tena Stetler with 17 comments.
Interview Helen C. Johannes Author of Lord of Druemarwin
Happy Holidays to all! Give a warm welcome to Helen C. Johannes, author of Lord of Druemarwin just released!
Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets find out a little about Helen and her Lord of Druemarwin. Up first Helen.
Why should we read this book/series and what sets you apart from the rest and makes your book/series unique?
My logline is “hearts in search of home” because each of my characters is in some way searching for the place he/she belongs and the people with whom he/she can make a home. As a military brat who attended 12 schools in 12 years, this constant search for someplace to settle, to feel as if I belong, is central to my being. For anyone who’s ever felt like a fish out of water, the odd person out, my stories should resonate.
Why do you write what you write? Ie. Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc.
I write fantasy romance because, first, I grew up on fairy tales. My beloved first book was a collection of these archetypal stories from the European tradition. Second, I spent formative years in the heart of Europe’s castle country where all things medieval surrounded me and history fascinated me. I could have gone into historical romance but for one important trait: I really, really like playing by my own rules. Fantasy romance lets me build medieval-style worlds that deliver the kind of storylines I want, limited only by my imagination.
Why did you choose the cover concept you did?
I’m not a big fan of clinch covers, and if I’ve seen one 8-pack torso cover, I’ve seen them all. Consequently, for this book I wanted to present my heroine as fierce and capable but very much a woman in a male-dominated medieval-style world.
What’s your approach to writing? Are you a plotter or follow your characters flow (Pantser)?
I’m what I call an ‘into the mist’ writer. That means I’m a pantser with an initial, loose plan of some serious problems for my characters to solve. The way they solve those problems usually morphs as I go along and as the characters reveal more about themselves. I craft as I go, so I don’t have to do major rewrites or multiple drafts.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I was in grade school. The world LORD OF DRUEMARWIN inhabits was created the summer I graduated from high school. I took time off from writing for college and family, but stories kept percolating in this world and others until I was ready to commit to writing them.
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: Shrek
Favorite book: Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Last book read: The Tyrant’s Tomb (Trials of Apollo #4) by Rick Riordan
Favorite color: blue
Stilettos or flipflops: Neither
Coffee or tea: Tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: Reading
Pencil or pen: pen
Favorite song: Bridge over Troubled Water
Streak or not: steak
Favorite dessert: homemade
Favorite junk food: fries
Favorite thing to do to relax: read
Champagne or gin: Moscato
Paranormal or Historical: Historical
Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman
Favorite TV show: Big Bang
Hot or cold: Temperate
POV: 3rd limited
I’d die if I don’t have: Family
Review or Not: Review
LORD OF DRUEMARWIN – PAGES FROM THE HEART Winner in Fantasy Romance
In a world of lies and betrayal, can they trust each other?
So tell us about Lord of Druemarwin:
Lady Raell can fight, ride, and argue politics as well as her brothers. Only being mistress of her father’s household keeps her in skirts. In Naed, the new Lord of Druemarwin, she has found devotion, a kindred spirit, and a marriage promise. But when a forgotten and unwanted betrothal comes to light, she has no choice but to run.
Amidst sweeping revolution, Naed must rally his people, fend off assassination attempts, and fight against claims he’s a traitor. Then he discovers everything about his lineage and family is a lie. And his beloved belongs to another.
With lives and a kingdom at stake, Raell and Naed must find a way to protect the innocent and save their love.
A peek between the pages of Lord of Druemarwin:
“Raell, now is not the time—”
Aye, it wasn’t. They stood in torchlight on an open parapet while assassins stalked them, but this might be her only chance to reach him across that precipice he’d thrown up between them, to secure the future they were meant to share.
“Does my honor mean naught? When weighed with D’nalian honor, is mine lesser because ‘tis a woman’s honor? Or because ‘tis a Tolemak’s honor? Be honest and tell me that.”
The world had gone silent; Raell could hear nothing over the rush of blood in her ears, the terrible heavy beats of her heart while she waited, dizzy with fear, breathless with longing, for the man she loved to respond with a word, a look, even a blink. Even a shift of his gaze she’d take as a sign he’d at least heard, mayhap begun to consider—
“Yes, be honest, Lord Naed,” said a voice she’d heard but once, a voice that raised all the fine hairs on her body and made her innards contract into a cold, tight knot. “Tell us both how much honor means to a bastard who’s betrayed his countrymen and his blood.”
Buy Links:
About the author:
Helen C. Johannes writes award-winning fantasy romance inspired by the fairy tales she grew up reading and the amazing historical places she’s visited in England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. She writes tales of adventure and romance in fully realized worlds sprung from pure imagination and a lifelong interest in history, culture, and literature. Warriors on horseback, women who refuse to sit idly at home, and passion that cannot be denied or outrun—that’s what readers will find in her books.
Social Media Links:
Blog: https://helencjohannes.blogspot.com/
Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Helen-C-Johannes/e/B003JJDQWS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031965.Helen_C_Johannes
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/helen-c-johannes
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Lord of Druemarwin!
Visits: 536
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Helen C. Hohannes, Historical Romance, Lord of Druemarwin by Tena Stetler with 17 comments.
