Final Days of Freebie Ebook!

A special for Valentine's Day --  Passionate Persuasions is now FREE at the following sites:   Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo and other international distributors.  [Apologies to Kindle users -- Amazon does not allow a freebie unless it's under the KDP Select program].

And, of course, your honest review is most welcome!  

Comfort Food

Winter seems the perfect time to take a break from writing, scouring Facebook and Twitter, scrambling for those book reviews and to simply step back and take a deep breath.  Because, despite the weather now, we know that spring will be here in a matter of eight weeks or so.

And if you're into gardening like I am, that means another stress level, although one I welcome -  at least for the first few weeks until my back is screaming in pain if I have to lift one more bag of garden soil or mulch!  But that hard work pays off when I gaze out on the back lawns and drink in the view of English roses, clematis twining up through the deck railings, the colorful pots of impatiens and dahlias -- oh, my heart sings then.  But I digress -- that's down the road.  

Right now I wanted to do something with my hands.  Crochet?  Knit?  No, did so much of that during the late summer and fall.  Painting?  No, not really.  

Something with my hands; something I could eat.  Eating in winter is a big thing for me. So I decided to make bread.

But not just any bread.  Artisan bread.  You know the kind -- big and round and crusty, where you pull off hunks of it and slather it with butter. Yummmm!  

Luckily I found a recipe online (click here -- so how generous I can be when my tummy is full?) -- which did not require kneading.  Cool!   Very simple to follow --

And here's the result:

Now isn't that a thing of beauty, I ask you?  And in that recipe, the woman mentions other things you could add, such as rosemary, cheese, cranberries, etc.   

Well, I'll probably be making a few more of these before I return to the computer and begin working on the next romance.  What am I planning on?  It'll be something different than my regencies -- always trying to stretch myself as a writer.  So stay tuned -- or better yet, sign up for my newsletter and be the first to find out more! 

Happy Baking! 

Claire

New Reading List for New Year

Well, it's time for a change!  Oh, sure, I'll still be reading my romance novels (already have a stack waiting by the fireplace), but I still have this feeling that I'd like to expand my reading choices, to stretch myself, both as a reader and a writer, sort of replenish the well of inspiration.

So here's my new reading theme for 2018 --  Armchair Travel!  Yes, it's easy, not costly and yet I can travel as far and as wide as I'd like, when I like.  Doesn't that sound wonderful?  And, in the meantime, these books may spark the little gray cells as to new venues for my romance stories -- it's a win, win, as far as I'm concerned.  Once again, I am not providing links to purchase;  this is purely for your exploratory pleasure! 

MEMOIRS:

A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveller by Frances Mayes

Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train by Ina Caro

Thistle Soup: a Ladleful of Scottish Life by Peter Kerr

Sea Room: an Island Lifein the Hebrides by Adam Nicholson

Castles in the Air by Judy Corbett

The Dog who ate the Truffle: a Memoir of Stories and Recipes from Umbria by Suzanne Carriero

(I just love this cover!)  The Woman who Fell from the Sky: an American Journalist in Yemen by Jennifer Steil

A House in Fez by Suzanne Clarke

That Summer in Sicily by Marlena de Blasi

Thousand Days in Venice by M. deBlasi







FICTION NOVELS:

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

Heartbreak Hotel by D. Moggach

The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais







Do you have any titles you'd like to share on this subject/genre?  Just leave a comment!

"There is no frigate like a book."  Emily Dickinson

Top Ten Romance Novels for 2017:

Here are my Top 10 choices that I truly enjoyed reading this year, both historical and contemporary.  So here goes:

#1:  Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  All I can say is . . . wow (hear that heavy sigh in the background? That would be me!).  I've read others by Phillips but this was my first and the best. I'll probably go buy my own copy so I can re-read anytime I want!

#2:  Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins.  Delightful heroine and hero -- believable, too, which is sometimes difficult to pull off.  And, if you're not familiar with Higgins, her secondary characters are a whole world unto themselves!

#3:  Perfect Match by K. Higgins (yes, again!).  This novel is set in her Blue Heron series in upstate New York and, as above, she digs in deep with these two lovers and the extended families in a tiny town of 700+.

#4:  An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels (Regency).  If you love to laugh while you swoon at the sensuous setting and lovers, Michaels does a superb job in this romance.  I've actually read it twice within one year, it was that good!

#5:  Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (Late Regency).  A quirky heroine and a hero who broods better than Rochester, this is another delightful take on the traditional historical romance, with an hysterical furry character who steals the scene, especially towards the end (no spoilers here, please)!

#6: Rake's Progress by Marion Chesney (Regency).  Now this is a throwback to the late 1980s / early 1990s when M.C. Beaton was writing romance -- her books are swift, funny with a deft twist of satire on the genre itself.  This is part of her "School for Manners" series -- all good reads, in addition to her other series. If you can find an old copy at your local library, grab it and enjoy!

#7:  Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly (Regency).  Carla Kelly writes a more "gentle" regency with very little sex, but still quite sensuous in her hints and such.  Her writing is elegant and her characterizations real.  If you've never read Kelly, try it.

#8:  Hearts on Fire by Julia Gabriel.  Set along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay area, Gabriel's writing is strong and sensuous (I think this is my favorite word of the day!), and the angst between heroine and hero is palpable.  And if you like quilting, this will just add another layer of enjoyment.

#9:  It Happened in Scotland by Patience Griffin.  Griffin sets her series in the same little town on the shores of eastern Scotland and, once again, quilters from all over the world come to enjoy a retreat in this quaint village -- apparently populated by the most rugged, handsome men in Scotland -- and all up for grabs (pardon my pun)!  Any one of her novels will delight.

#10:  Sweet Talk Me by Kieran Kramer.  Set in South Carolina's low country, Kramer's hero will take your breath away.  Her story and secondary characters, like Higgins, help bring the reader along in this wonderful, fun-loving romance.






So there it is -- my preferred Top Ten Romances for 2017.  Believe me, there are many more I could have added (including my own [blush]), but I find these authors stellar in their craft and in their storytelling abilities.  Notice I did not put any links attached for purchasing as I am not promoting any particular bookseller in print or in digital.  And, yes, some of these titles are not in the bestselling lists of 2017 -- I tend to like to bide my time and not scramble to buy the newest except every once in awhile.

Stay tuned for my next post in which I reveal my "new" reading list for 2018 -- I always have a list going somewhere in my head, which I'll be happy to share with you soon!

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.

Chinese Proverb

Three Novellas - One Box Set

Happy New Year! What better way to start a new year then with a new option for one's readers?  Now, all three novellas are available as one boxed set in digital format. They'll be loading up and available at the low, low price of $1.99 (US dollars) at all the popular platforms Amazon, (Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo coming shortly)!

I do hope you'll take advantage of this great offer.  And, if I play my cards right, I should be offering a print box set on Amazon later in February -- just in time for Valentine's Day!

Again -- my best wishes to you all for 2018 -- may you have a peaceful and contented year ahead!  

Excerpt from Newest Romance:

PROLOGUE

Paris,

November, 1816

Standing in the drawing room of Lady Felicity Drummond’s Paris apartments, Chandler Rhys felt a wave of dizziness swirl through his aching head, the result of having been dragged around the city by one of the more affluent diplomats attached to the British Consulate. Celebrating the end of his two-week lecture series at the Sorbonne, Rhys, Lord Ardsley and others he couldn’t even remember had downed champagne, twenty-year old scotch and vintage brandy.

But not necessarily in that order.

And how many bottles?  He’d lost count after an even dozen.

Now he was seeing two of everything and felt incredibly hot.  He twitched at his cravat and hoped he could escape to his hotel before Felicity spotted him. It was bad enough that her very presence – there was so much of that delectable ‘presence’ -- rattled him badly.  After three months of slogging across the mountains of Norway in search of rare alpine plants for the Royal Horticultural Society, he thought he was safe from that magnetic pull she had spun around him back in Brighton last June.  He shifted his feet, making sure he could move without falling over. 

Bad idea. The dizziness started again and he stumbled a bit to the left.  Maybe if he could just get outside in the cold air, he’d be able to clear his head. 

Or his stomach of its contents.

Slowly he turned, hanging on to one of the Louis XIV chairs and made ready his escape, praying he could keep his dignity intact.  He felt a tap on his shoulder, and knew instantly who it was.  Damn that woman!  A hint of soft fragrance tickled his nose sending his stomach lurching.  He turned and drank in the woman standing before him.

Tonight she was a compelling vision with her thick auburn hair swept up into an intricate mound of curls and tendrils, laced with tiny gems that sparkled under the candlelight.  Her flawless skin was like cream, deep green eyes that he could easily drown in and a lower lip that begged to be kissed.  Rhys gave a slight bow, his eyes skimming the sweep of exposed bosom that lay like soft pillows above layers of silk and lace. He inhaled and blinked away the second set of bosoms. One set was tempting enough, thank you.

"Good evening, Felicity," he croaked.  He noticed that she was watching him closely, one eyebrow raised.

"Rhys, I didn’t know you were in Paris, otherwise I would have sent you a personal invitation to my little soiree.  How are you and how was your expedition to -- where was it again?" She snapped open her fan and waved it slowly in front of the deep cleavage, his eyes following for a moment. 

"Norway.  Very good.  Excellent specimens."  Unfortunately at that moment his eyes dropped to her excellent specimens displayed before him.  He stuttered.  "I mean plants, that is.  Alpine plants.  Lots of 'em up there, you know."  Her smile widened and she licked her lower lip with the tip of her tongue.

He swallowed.

Hard.

"No, I don't know.  About alpine plants, that is.  You must tell me all about them sometime. But alas, not at this moment.  I believe Monsieur Bouchard is ready for the unveiling, and I must join him.  Here, you’re too far away to see it properly.  Come with me.”  She took hold of his arm and steered him through the crowd

Rhys let her lead him closer to the dais, then plant him on a loveseat by an open window.  As she walked to the dais he watched her hips sway, the gauze-like fabric doing nothing to hide her long legs and a bit of slender ankle. What were they unveiling, he wondered?  Probably some ancient painting with a bunch of Greeks or Romans slaughtering each other.  Bah!  He closed his eyes and waited for the grand event.  It was about all he was capable of doing at the moment.    

* * *

Chandler Rhys was an odd duck, she thought as she waited for Pierre Bouchard to begin the unveiling. When she had first met him in Brighton in June, she had found him dressed in a shabby linen jacket – probably standard scholarly dress for a university professor -- with spectacles sliding down his nose.  But his eyes, once the glasses were off, were of the strangest amber color, matching the thick, tawny hair he kept tied back in the old-fashioned manner.  But tonight he was quite handsome in his formal black evening jacket and silk cravat, the lengthy hair brushed back from his face, a face so browned from his travels she had the urge to layer kisses up one side and down the other.

She surveyed the crowd gathered in her drawing room, a glittering swarm of Parisian society here to witness the unveiling of her portrait by the famous artist, Pierre Bouchard. One could almost feel the growing excitement as Bouchard approached the dais, his fingers caressing the swathe of silk draped over the easel.

Felicity stood to one side, smiling and nodding at acquaintances, but a sense of ennui was ruining the moment. She was tired of Paris, and her eyes drifted to the large windows lining one side of the room.  A thin veil of snow was falling, and she wondered what everyone back home at Watersperry Manor, her family estate on the shores of Lake Windermere, was doing right this moment. Bouchard's words droned on in her ear until, at the mention of her name, she turned back to the artist.

"Madame, would you do the honors, or shall I?" he asked.  She extended her hand to convey that he, as the artist, should do so.  She knew how much Bouchard was banking on this exhibition to bring him more patronage.  France was still struggling from the war years and art commissions had dried up for the moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Woman for all Time,” and he whisked the cloth off, letting it slip to the floor.

Although framed in heavy gilt, the painting was rather small, a size that conveyed a degree of intimacy as if this work would be in someone’s private chambers, not on display for the public.  Under the candlelight, shadow and light played across the outstretched body of Felicity as she reclined on a red velvet divan, her back to the viewer.  She was completely nude except for a length of silk draped across her bottom.  One extended arm hid most of her breasts, and her dark red hair cascaded  down her back onto the divan, mixing with the plush velvet. But it was her expression, with just that hint of a teasing, enticing smile, that caught one’s eye.

Felicity heard the intake of breath as the guests viewed the portrait, but she wasn't concerned.  Bouchard had assured her that a semi-nude would be accepted in Paris. Perhaps not in London, but certainly in Paris.  Had not Ingres exhibited his "Odalisque" just a few years ago?   But Felicity sensed an undertow of criticism, mainly from the women in the room.  The men were busy ogling the painting, then studying her as if to see if both were one and the same.  She felt herself blush, despite being an experienced woman, widowed for seven years now.

* * *

Once the veil had dropped, Rhys swung his aching head to look at the other guests. Vaguely he registered the degrees of surprise, shock, but more disturbing was the reaction of the men.  They surged forward, quizzing glasses raised, sly smiles breaking through the bland expressions.  He turned to see Lord Ardsley stand and lean forward, his eyes alight with -- what?  Something hard and possessive.  Then Rhys looked to his left and gazed at the painting. 

He stopped breathing.  It was the smile that was his undoing, the smile of a woman in love, an entreaty to her invisible lover.  Something broke inside him.

"No!"  It was a howl that rang through the room, and Chandler Rhys lunged toward the dais, his eyes locked on Felicity's.

Instinctively she raised her hands to ward him off, ready to block Rhys' progress. "Please calm yourself, Rhys --"

Oof!

Rhys picked her up like a sack of potatoes and tossed her over his shoulder, then stooped and slid the silk back over the offending painting.  With Felicity kicking and yelling, he turned and made a quick bow to the crowd.  A moment later he was barreling down the hall as Felicity pummeled him with her fists.

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt -- I love Felicity and Rhys and hope you'll follow their journey by clicking on this link for purchasing options!  

Threads of Feeling

In "Captive for Christmas" (just released last week; see Books above), I wrote a brief scene between Felicity Drummond and Chandler Rhys in which she shows him a one-hundred year old scrapbook that her grandmothers and mother kept of the orphans who came to live at the family estate over the years. This is based on true fact, and that is what I love about historical fiction -- using facts and events to create a world more rich for the reader.  

archives, Foundling Hospital Museum

sample fragment left with a female child

The Founding Hospital was founded by Thomas Coram who wanted to give abandoned children a decent life. The hospital opened its doors in 1741, and children were accepted anonymously so women were not publicly shamed into abandoning their babies elsewhere.  The mothers were encouraged to leave a small token, which was then added to the admission books with the details of the child. The tokens include ribbons, fabric scraps and baby clothes. The scraps range from plain rough worsted to the occasional piece of fancy silk brocade, indicating the mothers came from all levels of society. 

The exhibit, Threads of Feeling (2008), displayed some of these tiny tokens that mothers left with their babies when they gave them up, and there are over 5,000 pieces in the Museum's archives.  The book, Threads of Feeling, by John Styles is still listed in Amazon,  and in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Selvedge Magazine (UK), Shelley Goldsmith wrote a wonderful article about the exhibit.