Claire Hadleigh: 2019

12/24/19

It's that time of year --

My wish to my readers and followers -- enjoy the holidays and be safe out there!

Warm regards,

Claire H.

10/15/19

Cover Reveal

Officially releasing Thursday, October 17!

This is the first novel in my new regency series -- "The School for Sophistication" -- featuring the intrepid Lady Caro, who featured throughout the Merry Widow series. Now widowed a third time (God, she can't marry and kill off another innocent man again), she's determined to find an occupation to keep her sanity. Miss Abigail Prescott of Boston is her first "test" pupil, and Viscount Montford is in for several surprises, most of which involve the violet-eyed redhead from Boston.

All links will be posted on Thursday -- preorders available

on Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble at this time.

10/4/19

Free Romance!

In preparation for my new release coming out in mid-October, I wanted to run this sale so that readers could meet some of my favorite characters from my Merry Widow series who appear in the new series, The School for Sophistication!

Here's the link to the various vendors for the free ebook: https://books2read.com/u/3J0ewe

Unfortunately, Amazon does not allow freebies

unless they're in the Select/Unlimited program -- so sorry!

The first novel is The Viscount and the Virgin and I'm so excited for my hero and heroine -- Commodore Gabriel Montford and Miss Abigail Prescott. I'll post more information very soon, including the cover reveal and a brief excerpt.

Happy Reading!

Claire H.

7/30/19

Summer Stress Relief

It's coming up on mid-summer, and you'd think that would be enough to keep me happy. Alas, that's not so. Not only have I hit a writing / revising slump for my new series, but life has sent another curve ball whizzing past my head. Although my children are adults, you never stop worrying, caring -- and when you throw a hospital and doctors into the mix, the strain and anxiety ratchets up 100-fold. So where does one escape, if only for a half-hour or so?

Oddly enough, for me it's been cookbooks.

Now you have to understand something about how I was brought up. My own mother's idea of a gourmet meal was a TV dinner in front of the television. The only time of the year when she outdid herself was Thanksgiving, but that's because my grandmother was there by her side, guiding her and sometimes taking over, especially for making the gravy.

I've always joked around that my favorite recipe was my American Express card, but within the past year I've found so many beautiful cookbooks, memoirs and foodie fiction that it's become my morning routine to sit with my first cups of coffee and read about food, cooking, international cuisine and more. And for those few hours, I am relatively stress-free.

I've also found the joy -- the adventure -- of food shopping. Walk into Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in the middle of winter and your senses are assailed with myriad scents and colors. Who knew that a simple lemon could smell so wonderful when there's two feet of snow outside?

Often the writing is wonderful -- sensuous (we romance writers appreciate that aspect), colorful and chock full of good humor. And the photography is simply amazing. If I could choose another career, I'd try food styling, I think. So far, I've accrued about twenty cookbooks and memoirs, plus a few novels over the past ten months or so.

Maybe while I was working full-time and commuting 2.5 hours each day, all this escaped me because I was too damned tired. Even now with the worry and stress of my child's health, to whip up a green smoothie or sip on an exotic tea blend for a few minutes is enough to take the edge off.

I hope to return to my writing soon, but that may have to wait a bit more. In the meantime, a refreshing bowl of pasta with lemon and basil pesto is just the thing to bring a momentary smile to my face. Now if I could only figure out a way to sneak it into the hospital, I'm sure recovery would follow shortly thereafter!

Here's a partial list of books, mostly the memoirs and novels because I found that these, especially Marlena DeBlasi's A Thousand Days in Venice, eased me into this "final frontier":

Memoirs with recipes:

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl
A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena DeBlasi
A Thousand Days in Tuscany by M. DeBlasi
Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah
My Life in France by Julia Child
Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini
My Table in Venice by Skye McAlpine

Novels about Cooking, Chefs and Food in general:

Pasta Wars by Elisa Lorello
The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy Reichert
The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Bread Alone by Judith Hendricks

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well,

if one has not dined well.”

Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

2/28/19

Writer's Slump

Sometimes it's good to be reminded that writing is truly a 'job' -- not too much about it is glamorous or sexy. Yes, we writers have ideas (sometimes too many) and dreams of creating a good story that readers will fall in love with. But then there are those other times when procrastination, frustration and well, just all-around angst hit.

And what happens then?

Nothing.

Nada.

Rien.

Zilch.

What I've found over the years is that it's best to turn my back and walk away from the computer. Not forever, but certainly enough time to catch my breath, put the anxiety to rest and clear the mind. Easier said than done, 'tho.

Today is one of those days. Actually, it's been the past week or so. I guess I could blame it on the winter, a season I'm not particularly fond of. I tend to want to hibernate just like the bears -- crawl into a cave, pull the blankets over my head and sleep.

But life goes on -- family, work, bills to pay, a house to clean.

I think I need to read up on the Danish hygge thing -- find the good, simple pleasures of daily life, even in the dead of winter.

And to remind myself that writing is a job. Clock in, clock out; report for duty -- you name it. Work, write and make it happen. Thank you, Mr. Gaiman, for the above reminder.

I hope you'll stay with me, cut me a little slack until my creative engine is back in tune.

Plans? Heck, yes! Always.

It's just a matter of putting one's butt in the chair and hitting those keys.

And giving myself permission to play hookey for a bit!

". . . words, the brisk herbs of language, the fragrance
we think we sing." Eavan Boland, Poet

2/15/19

It's Carnevale in Venice!

Direct Links to Major Vendors here (excluding Amazon):

Barnes & Noble Nook

Apple iBook

Kobo

Scribd

Angus & Robertson

And More

1/22/19

Mid-Winter Freebie!

Gosh, it is cold here in New England and we're under at least 4-5 inches of ice and snow. Spent most of Sunday, yesterday and this morning trying to "dig" through solid ice.

Not fun.

Actually, damn depressing.

So no Tea & a Title today -- my apologies; but I have a gift to make it up to you - just click on the image to get to the participating vendor links!

Betrayed in Brighton is the second romance in The Merry Widow series and features the fiery Lady Alexandra and the lusty, handsome Major Pendleton. This romance starts off somewhat on the grim side because Alexandra made a poor choice in putting off the good Major's offer of marriage.

Tsk, tsk . . . because, on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, he's MIA, leaving Alexandra in a state of heartache and frustration as she believes he's still alive despite all factors pointing to the opposite.

Hope you enjoy Betrayed in Brighton -- I loved writing it and love this passionate, sensuous pair of lovers!

1/15/19

Tea & Titles

Welcome back to Tuesday's Tea & a Title -- or should I say 'titles'? Been a busy week and so far here in New England we've been enjoying a snow-free winter -- of course, now I've jinxed ourselves probably!

Today's tea is Tevana's Wild Orange Blossom Herbal tea, which is light and quite summery -- just what's needed in 17-degree weather. And my china cup and saucer is Paragon by Pembroke -- quite elegant with Old World charm.

So, just to cast back for a moment to last week -- Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah -- I so much enjoyed that book. Talk about armchair travel -- it was as if I went on a mini tour of the various regions of France -- Lyons, Brittany, Provence and more, learning about the daily life, how these recipes came to be and more. I heartily recommend the book, especially if you're a Francophile.

This week I'm starting two books I've been holding onto for a few weeks, waiting for the midwinter blues to strike and a need for more foodie reading and a good historical romance (other than Regency). And I do believe I've picked winners again.

Kathleen Flinn's The Sharper your Knife, the Less You Cry is about a young woman's year in training at the Cordon Bleu. Yikes! More power to Ms. Flinn and I'm eager to start (tonight after I get home from my night shift at the Reference Desk).

Here's a quick blurb: "Kathleen Flinn is a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder - until her boss eliminates her job. Instead of sulking, she takes the opportunity to check out of the rat race for good - cashes in her savings, moves to Paris, and lands a spot at the venerable Le Cordon Bleu School."

My first question to myself when I read this was: Dear God, would I have been able to do something like that? Answer? Probably not. So I guess I'm living vicariously through Flinn!

And for the historical romance, I've chosen Donna Thorland's Rebel Pirate. I wrote earlier this month that it's been difficult finding historical romance based in the American Colonial period. So many are set in the Regency period, thanks to the wonderful Jane Austen -- no complaints from me, truly -- but growing up in the Northeast region of the USA, we are surrounded by so much history, especially the colonial period. So finding Thorland's series (albeit a short one), I enjoyed the first book -- Turncoat -- and am eager to start the second book.

The fact that the 'rebel pirate' is a woman makes it all the better. The more research that's done in women's history, the more we find how so many women not only helped, but fought alongside the men during the war. And Thorland's writing is strong, wreathed with enough historical detail to bring the period and the characters to life. Warning: Thorland's sex scenes are quite powerful, so take care; not for the faint of heart.

And if you'd like to find out more about my novellas and what's coming up next, please sign up for my newsletter (see link above). I will not inundate you with daily or weekly newsletter; probably more like monthly unless I have a sale happening or a freebie giveaway.

One last note: You may have noticed that I don't link any of the books and tea to the vendors. I don't want to imply that I'm supporting any commercial operation and am not affiliated with any. This is neutral ground -- just like your public library!

Happy Reading and stay warm!

Claire H.

1/8/19

Join me!

I'm starting something new for 2019, and I hope you'll join me on upcoming Tuesdays when I stop and take some time to brew a pot of tea, take out one of my little treasures -- a lovely fine bone china teacup and saucer -- and share my thoughts with you about what I'm currently reading.

BTW, the image of the teacup and saucer is mine -- the imprint is Limoges with a hand-painted set of initials and date -- NB '94. Each Tuesday, I'll share my tea cup collection with you and the tea I'm drinking, too. I have a growing collection of loose teas that I'm enjoying this winter -- another break from the daily coffee habit. Today's tea? Winter Chai by Tea Forte -- perfect for a cold January day!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm changing my reading diet a bit this year. For the past four or five years, I've predominantly read romance, both historical and contemporary, because it was a new uncharted territory for me. And I truly loved it, so much so that I started writing and publishing romance.

But romance can be somewhat of a rich diet, like existing on chocolate truffles and champagne -- quite wonderful but a bit rich. So in an attempt to strike some balance in my readings, I'm adding in memoirs -- mostly those that have to do with cooking and travel -- and historical fiction that explores the Colonial and American Revolutionary periods, which I find sadly lacking in today's market. Of course, I'm still hooked on romance -- after all, there's always time for romance in our lives, but I want to expand my reading horizons, and I hope you'll join me in the coming weeks.

Now that was a long introduction and thanks for sticking with me -- here's my comments on what I'm currently reading this week:

Ann Mah has led an intriguing life as a diplomat's wife and moving about the globe at a dizzying pace. But Paris and France are what draw her and her husband time and time again, until one day he's assigned to Paris. Amidst their delight, he's shifted to Baghdad for a year and she cannot go with him. Desolate, she turns to food and recipes and finding out about the various regional cooking of France to fill her time and loneliness.

Mah has a dry sense of humor and a perceptive eye, bringing her visits around France to the reader, as well as the often delicious, mouthwatering recipes and the people who create them, always with grace and her sense of honoring the French way of cooking and eating.

She also has two novels -- "Kitchen Chinese: a Novel about Food, Family and Finding Yourself," and a more recent publication, "The Lost Vintage" -- both of which I plan to order soon.

Happy Reading and see you

next Tuesday! Claire H.

1/1/19

To sit alone in the lamplight with a book

spread out before you . . . is a pleasure beyond compare.

~Kenko Yoshida, Buddhist monk (ca. 13th c.)

Happy New Year!