Harlequin Historical Authors

Amazon.co.uk' s Summer sale includes M&B historicals

2009-07-06T13:40:00.002Z

Amazon.co.uk has put 138 different romances on a half price sale. including M&B historicals and the very popular Lords & Ladies collection. It is a chance to pick up a bargain. Off the top of my head, I saw several Nicola Cornicks including The Last Rake in London. Louisa Allen's The Outrageous Lady Felsham was there as was Elizabeth Beacon's Less than A Perfect Lady. And Michelle Styles's Viking Warrior Unwilling Wife and An Impulsive Debutante as well as Michelle Willingham's The Warrior's Touch.
It could be a great time to pick up a bargain.

KMART has Harlequin Historical on special offer

2009-05-26T05:41:00.001Z

KMart is doing a two for $8 sale on Harlequin Historical, according to my source in Washington DC. They normally sell HH for $4.49 instead of $5.99 but right now are selling them for two books for $8. They are also offering books from previous months.

Earl's Forbidden Ward is out the first of June.

2009-05-25T14:15:00.003Z

Readers,

Catch up with the Ramsden brothers! Peyton's story is out in June in soft cover in the UK and is available by order from the internet (anywhere in the world of course) so don't let that stop you from checking in with the Ramsdens. It's also available in e-reader format for those readers who prefer Adobe, Kindle and Mobi venues etc.

Follow this link to the mills and boon site for a sneak peek at chapter one to see what Peyton is up to. Don't worry, Crispin and Paine make appearances in the book, especially Crispin. Paine's got a new baby to take care of these days with Julia. http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/Historical/the-earls-forbidden-ward.htm

If you're new to the Ramsdens, check out Paine's story in Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/Historical/notorious-rake-innocent-lady.htm

All my best and happy reading

Bronwyn

I'm on Twitter, would love to see you there!

2009-05-24T15:50:00.002Z

Hi All,
I'm now on Twitter and I'd love to have Bronwyn Scott readers join me there for daily updates on new manuscripts, story lines and the writer's life, crazy as it is with three kids and a full time job other than writing.

See you out there,
Bronwyn

Crazy question

2009-05-11T14:24:00.002Z

I've been trying to get better at navigating the eharlequin.com site. But I'm still struggling. Whenever I go to the home page and click on historical fiction and then search in historical fiction by author, my name comes up on the pull down menu but when I click on my name none of my books come up. I always get Cheryl St. John titles instead (and while she's pretty cool, I am just curious as to why this happens). In fact, the only way I can find any of my titles is to go in through the undone option and the two undone titles come up and I can link to my other paperbacks that way. It just seems like there should be a more direct way to get there. Hmm. Any thoughts? I am sure I'm just missing some little step.
Thanks!!!
Bronwyn

Check out great Harlequin Historical offerings at the Brenda Novak Auction

2009-05-08T14:14:00.002Z

Just a reminder that the Brenda Novak on line auction is up and running. I've got a neat Bronwyn Scott basket with the chance to win a dedication page, books, and a book club visit from me among other items (Victoria Secret nightie etc.) and I know other gals have great things up there too! People can check out the auction at http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com The easiest way to find things is just to type the person you're looking for into the advanced search box. The Seattle RWA chapter (among others) have lots of great items on the auction.
Bronwyn

The Earl's Forbidden Ward is out in the UK in hardback

2009-04-05T15:37:00.004Z

Hi,

I wanted to check in and say that I'm very excited "The Earl's Forbidden Ward" was released in the UK this week. It's the follow up to last spring's "Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady." This book is about Paine's brother Peyton. However, while Borders.com and Amazon both list the title as a UK release on April 3rd, I cannot find the book anywhere on the Harlequin or Mills and Boon websites, which dismays me a bit since I've been trying to hype it up on my website and directing readers in North America to purchase it from Harlequin. Any help about how to efficiently locate the title would be welcome! Thanks.

Bronwyn

On Mothering Sunday

2009-03-12T02:35:00.003Z

When I learned that my debut book, The Angel and the Outlaw, was chosen to be released in the UK combined with Sarah Mallory's More Than a Governess as a way to introduce my writing to the readers there by Mills and Boon, I was thrilled.

The title, however, stumped me. On Mothering Sunday--what was that all about? So of course, I googled it. And came to the quick realization that I was culturally illiterate in this case.

The difference between Mother's Day in the USA and Mothering Sunday in the UK might not be so different now-a-days, but four hundred years ago there was a very poignant difference. Children as young as ten years old, who'd had to leave home to work as maids and apprentices, were for one day of the year released to return home to their mothers.

How different things are now. I cannot imagine going an entire year without seeing my children or my parents! I am so thankful for cars and airplanes and the time to be able to visit with them.

This year, Mothering Sunday will be celebrated on March 22nd in the UK.

There are other traditions surrounding Mothering Sunday. I'm betting there are a few writers from across the pond who can fill be in on their take on this!

Check out the new February Undone: Pleasured by the English Spy

2009-02-01T16:03:00.003Z

Happy February! My new Undone is out for the month of love. Pleasured by the English Spy features Andrew Truesdale, one of Julian's friends from November's undone, Libertine Lord, Pickpocket Miss.

When Andrew is sent to Florence to seek the truth by new rumors of a nationalist plot for revolution, his mission is simple: find the plotters and put a stop to the movement any way possible. But the mission gets complicated when Andrew's task leads him to the Villa of the Breezes and the arms of Olivia, an expatriate like himself. Olivia is a woman of great passion, unfettered by social conventions but when Andrew discovers her cousin's role in the budding uprising, he is plagued with doubt about their relationship. Is her passion genuine or is she protecting her cousin? In order to protect Olivia, Andrew must find away to serve both his country and his passion regardless of the risks involved, not the least of which is his heart.

HH February Release. The Earl's Untouched Bride by Annie Burrows

2009-02-01T12:51:00.004Z

Fearing a forced betrothal with a man known for his cruelty, Heloise Bergeron throws herself on the mercy of Charles Fawley, Earl of Walton. He believes himself attracted to her younger, beautiful sister, so what is he doing entertaining thoughts of marriage to the plain, quiet Heloise? But marry her he does.

Returning to England with a convenient wife, who inspires a very inconvenient desire, Charles is about to discover just how untouched his French bride really is...

Free Books from Harlequin!!!

2009-01-30T07:06:00.003Z

To celebrate Harlequin's 60th birthday, Harlequin has 16 books (one from each NA line) available for a FREE download. The total value of all of the books is $60. The Harlequin Historical book is Elizabeth Rolls His Lady Mistress which is an excellent read. There is also a Love Inspired Historical by Jillian Hart. You can get them here.

You will need Abode 9 to read them.

The Boss

2009-01-26T21:18:00.006Z

I thought as a writer, you were your own boss? I hear you question.

Well my boss sits right beside my chair and is most disgruntled if I am not right there with him. See that expression, right there, on his face?

We’ve always had pets at our house. Well, if I go back far enough, I could say, all our houses, from when dh and I lived at home with our respective parents to when we, ahem, moved in together.

As a kid, I was a bit of a collector of stray creatures. Half-feathered baby robins who departed the nest too early were fed on bread and milk from an eye dropper; a blind-in-one-eye hedgehog who went round in circles left me with an infestation of fleas (quickly dealt with by a very knowing mother); a pigeon lived in a budgie cage on our dining room table through one winter and then on the bathroom window ledge
(outside) for another year. With a heap of you know what in the corner.

My husband lays claim to two red squirrel babies abandoned in his family’s garden shed. For years they would come racing across the lawn for treats.

These are but a few of our memorable rescues. There was a lamb in there somewhere too, I recall. Leopards don’t change their spots and while we have always had creatures in our house, from mice to dogs, very few were purchased, most found us or our genetically programmed children.

When we moved to North America, we took on two black cats no one wanted. Then, at a time when we were struggling financially, my husband “found” a german shepherd pup wandering in the road, and brought him home. He ate my Christmas cake. I have never made one since. Not long after that a green and yellow budgie fell out of a tree. When dh picked it up, it attacked his thumb and drew blood. A free budgie, he said, when I arrived home from work that night. And a forty dollar cage, when a week’s groceries was on the order of twenty bucks. The cat and the dog were terrified of this bird, let me tell you.

Recently we found ourselves petless. Aha, I cried. No more! Until we heard of a Maltese Terrier abandoned at a nearby shelter. We had actually purchased our last dog and he had also been a Maltese, after our dear old shepherd left us. Spike (who should have been named snowball) was a great little dog, but with the children grown up we were going to travel, weren’t we?

Teaser, as we call the most recent addition to the family, can’t believe his luck. We know nothing of his past, but we do think he lived in an apartment because at first, walks to him meant getting in the car. He still won’t go out in the garden by himself, but is very happy looking off the edge of the deck or, when he visits my daughter, traveling up in the elevator and looking off her tenth floor balcony.

He joins me for lunch. Or he would if I let him. And he makes me get exercise every day, because if I don’t take him for a walk, he leaves me a gift I don’t want. Ah well, pound puppies don’t always come from good families. What can I say? I hope you like the pictures. If you are wondering what those are on his feet, they are boots. They keep his feet from freezing in the cold weather.

So there you have it. My boss. Isn't he cute?

Where do you get your ideas?

2009-01-22T19:06:00.005Z

This is a question authors get asked a lot. One answer I often give is that authors of historicals have a handy-dandy idea source: our research. I can't tell you how many times I'll be researching one story and find a really fascinating bit of information that doesn't fit the current work, but provides inspiration for another story. Simply put, research gives me ideas.

But what really separates a writer of books from those who don't is what a writer does with those ideas. How does a writer take what might be a few sentences or paragraphs and create a story and characters? To demonstrate some of my process, to show rather than tell, I've started a new blog called Story Seedlings.

During the course of researching A LOVER'S KISS for Harlequin Historical, I discovered that the proceedings of the Old Bailey are now online. Not only that, they give a link to a different case every day - a great source of ideas, or as I like to think of them, seedlings.

Over at Story Seedlings, I take a case and show you how this writer would use it to develop characters and plot for a historical romance. I hope you'll stop by.

If you're interested in what I'm currently working on and what else might be going on in this writer's life, please stop by my other blog.

Historical Undone in the UK

2009-01-13T06:25:00.002Z

Following on from their highly successful launch in the US, the Historical Undone series has launched in the UK. Historical Undone are short sexy e-books by some of the top authors in the Historical programme. It is Historical's most sensual series yet!
The series kicks off with stories by Nicola Cornick, Michelle Willingham, Amanda McCabe and Bronwyn Scott. Many such as Michelle Willingham's The Viking's Forbidden Love Slave are linked to their longer books.

Georgina Devon: Fifi -- the Chihuahua in rhinestones

2009-01-13T06:12:00.005Z

The cute, down trodden looking dog is Fifi. She's wearing her pink rhinestone coat. We call her our Rhinestone Chihuahua (a play on words with Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy and if you remember that song...well, you're my age and that's not good!). If you look closely you'll see her pink sweater under her coat. It's 68 degrees Fahrenheit in our house and she's freezing!. The book cover posted with this blog is my North American one for Her Rebel Lord which is still available as an ebook at eharlequin.com. On the cover the heroine wears a pink dress (kinda like Fifi's coat ), but Jenna de Warre has the hero, Duncan McNabb, in his disguise as The Ferguson to keep her warm.
Fifi, unfortunately, has to sleep on an electric heating pad to really stay warm. It's so hot here in Tucson most of the year, I hate to turn the heater up to 70! But if Fifi lived in 1746, and she was a pampered dog (and they didn't have Chihuahuas in England then), her heating pad would have been a brick or rock that had been heated in the fire, taken out and wrapped in cloth. Luckily for Fifi, things have changed.

Still, Her Rebel Lord opens in Jenna's stillroom and it's cold there. She has a small brazier to keep her warm but it doesn't put off enough heat because she's in a stone castle. Just imagine how cold she would have been, although she was likely much more tolerant of the temperature than you or I or Fifi!

Just one more way our lives are so different from the people we write about. But human emotions never change - we are humans no matter what century we are born and live in. That's the real truth of our books.

Thanks again the Michelle for posting this and Fifi's picture and the NA picture of Her Rebel Lord!

Best,
Georgina Devon

Elizabeth Lane: The ones who make me smile.

2009-01-11T12:59:00.004Z

Inspired by Georgina Devon, Elizabeth Lane has sent in photos of her pets. In the weeks to come, the HH Authors will be (fingers crossed) introducing their pets and explaining how they help inspire their writing.

And sometimes as Elizabeth Lane pointed out to me -- having pets who make you smile can make all the difference.

The cat on the left is Walter and the one on the right is his girlfriend Sadie. Elizabeth is not sure much they help her writing as all too often they want attention. But they always make her smile.

Georgina Devon: The Dog in the Red Coat

2009-01-08T07:10:00.002Z

The dog you see in the dashing red coat with black trim is my miniature pincher, known as Rosebud – normally. If she’s in one of her, “I’m the boss” moods, she’s the Queen Mini. If she’s on guard duty in the backyard, she’s the Mighty Mini.

However, if you extend your imagination and add gold epaulets, gold buttons down the front and make the coat a cut-away, then add a dress sword, white breeches and black boots, you are starting to have the uniform of an English officer during the time of the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. This was the last great battle between the Jacobites (those who favored a Stuart on the British throne) and those who wanted the German Hanovers on the throne. We all know who won.

When I first started HER REBEL LORD, I had to decide which side my hero, Duncan McNabb, was on. He is Scottish on his father’s side and English on his mother’s. He inherited his English title through his mother (some titles can pass through the woman if she is the only remaining heir), but his heart is with the Jacobites. The English redcoats (remember Rosebud above) killed his father. Duncan chooses to fight at Culloden for Bonnie Prince Charlie to avenge his father’s death and because the Stuart prince was the rightful heir to the crown. But Duncan fights under a different name so as not to jeopardize his English title since he has no heir.

There are cases where the head of a clan fought at Culloden with his younger sons while his heir stayed home. That way, the heir would not be accused of treason if the uprising failed and with luck the title and lands would remain in the family no matter what.

Duncan escapes Culloden with his life. Many didn’t. Taking up his English title, Duncan takes on an alter ego, The Ferguson, named after his father’s clan, and forms a smuggling gang that’s sole purpose is to get surviving Jacobites out of Britain. It becomes his life’s work.

Jenna de Warre is the only child of Bloody Ayre, an Englishman who fought with the Duke of Cumberland. But her dead mother was Scottish. Jenna’s cousin, Gavin, fought at Culloden alongside Duncan and is now on the run.

Jenna and Duncan meet over Gavin’s unconscious body that is sprawled in the mud in a freezing rain near Carlisle. Duncan plans to smuggle Gavin to France. But Gavin must heal more before he can make the journey.

Jenna discovers The Ferguson is really Duncan, Lord Byrne, the dandy who’s recently moved to the area. This knowledge puts her in a dangerous position. She has a secret people will kill to know or to protect.

A healer, she offers to help Duncan with any escapees who are ill. Working together they fall in love.

Duncan can and will risk his life for the Jacobite cause, but can he risk the life of the woman he is beginning to love – the woman who’s carrying his child?

That’s the basis of HER REBEL LORD. The real truth is that men and women fought and died for Bonnie Prince Charlie. After Culloden, wearing a tartan was against the law in Britain. This law remained in place until George IV, enamored of Sir Walter Scot’s tales, made it legal to once more wear a tartan.

I wish to thank Michelle Styles for making this blog possible. She had to put it on the site and upload Rosebud’s picture and the book’s UK cover. I’m technically challenged.

Best,
Georgina Devon

Despite being technically challenged, Georgina has crafted a wonderful romance HER REBEL LORD which is out in retail this month in the UK. It is also available for e-book download.

HH January Release: Texas Ranger, Runaway Heiress by Carol Finch

2009-01-08T07:08:00.002Z

She prefers guns to gowns—and riding the land to dancing at balls. So heiress Gabrielle Price heads across Texas's most dangerous territory to break her unwanted society engagement. Only, her biggest problem isn't outlaws and killers. It's a rugged, relentless Texas Ranger….With a killer to catch, Hudson Stone has better things to do than escort his commander's spoiled, socialite daughter. But his fiery charge is as irresistible as she is off-limits, and to protect her he'll risk his reputation, his life—and his heart.

Read the excerpt

Buy
Texas Ranger, Runaway Heiress

HH January Release: Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly

2009-01-08T07:05:00.002Z

Ever since her father tried to sell her as a mistress to the highest bidder, Eleanor Massie has chosen to live in poverty. Her world changes overnight when Captain Oliver Worthy shows up at her struggling inn. Despite herself, Nana is drawn to her handsome guest….Oliver planned to stay in Plymouth only long enough to report back to Lord Ratliffe—about Nana. But he soon senses that Lord Ratliffe is up to something, and Oliver will do anything to keep this courageous, beautiful woman safe—even marry her!

Read the excerpt

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Marrying the Captain

HH January Release: The Viscount Claims His Bride by Bronwyn Scott

2009-01-08T07:03:00.002Z

For years Valerian Inglemoore, Viscount St. Just, lived a double life as a secret agent on the war-torn Continent.Returning home, he knows exactly what he wants—Philippa Stratten, the woman he gave up for the sake of her family….But Philippa isn't the naive debutante he left behind. His rejection stung deeply, and now she is suspicious of his intentions. Valerian realizes he must wage a tough battle if he is to finally claim her, once and for all, as his bride!

Read the excerpt

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The Viscount Claims His Bride

HH January Releases: High Seas Stowaway by Amanda McCabe

2009-01-08T07:01:00.003Z

Balthazar Grattiano, captain of the infamous ship Calypso and renowned seducer of women, has just walked into the one tavern in all of Hispanialo he should have avoided. For Bianca Simonetti, his sworn enemy, is the owner—and she has vengeance on her mind.But before she can take her revenge she is captured by this rogue's kiss. Her only chance for retribution is to stow away on his ship for a passionate adventure that will either kill them—or bring them together once and for all!

Read the excerpt

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High Seas Stowaway

HH January Releases: A Desirable Husband by Mary Nichols

2009-01-08T06:59:00.003Z

Lady Esme Vernley's unconventional first meeting with a handsome gentleman in Hyde Park has damned him in the eyes of her family. His departure from protocol, far from offending her, however, just fires Esme's curiosity.Felix, Lord Pendlebury, is taken with this debutante's mischievous smile. But his secret mission for the Duke of Wellington in France could jeopardize any relationship between them—especially when he discovers his past amour has just arrived in town.

Read the excerpt

Buy>
A Desirable Husband

HH January Releases: The Major and The Country Miss by Dorothy Elbury

2009-01-08T06:56:00.003Z

Major William Maitland returns a hero from the war, only to find himself tasked with the strangest mission—hunting down the lost heir to his uncle's fortune.He sets out to rural Warwickshire to uncover the twenty-year-old secret, but has no idea that meeting an old army friend will lead him to the key to the mystery. Or that his friend's cousin, the beautiful Georgianne Venables, will prove to be his own personal Waterloo. For Georgianne has a secret of her own that could stand in the way of Will ever winning her hand in marriage….

Read the excerpt

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The Major and the Country Miss

The Viscountdown is on! Dec. 20-Jan. 1st

2008-12-19T14:04:00.002Z

Hi and Happy Holidays,

I just wanted to check in and say that I'm doing a "Twelve Days" day countdown on the Bronwyn Scott blog to celebrate the Jan. 1 release of The Viscount Claims His Bride (hence the Viscountdown). Starting Dec. 20th, I'll be posting one research factoid a day about something from the book, including links to websites and a page number reference in the book where readers can see that fact in action. Come on over and check out the blog site!

Bronwyn

You are invited:

2008-12-02T16:23:00.004Z

You are are invited to attend the Annual E-harlequin Open House.
Harlequin Historical will be having an all day party with plenty of door prizes and goodies.

Authors such as :
Nicola Cornick
Julia Justiss
Joanne Rock
Victoria Bylin
Michelle Styles
Annie Burrows
Michelle Willingham
Amanda McCabe
Diane Gaston
Charlene Sands
will be there, ready to answer questions, give hints about upcoming books and generally spread the holiday cheer.
It is not chatting, but simply posting. Please do come and join in!!!