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The Spy Who Loved Her
Assuming a false identity as a prim and proper governess, the bold and beautiful Cat Rowan thinks she has finally escaped the wild misadventures of her past—and the wickedly handsome spy who seduced her in India. Imagine her surprise when her employer introduces his brother: the very same cad who destroyed her heart!
The One Who Got Away
The Honorable Thomas Jellicoe cannot believe his eyes when he sees his beloved Cat—the Scottish beauty who nearly jeopardized his mission in India. Disguised as a horse trader from the bazaars of the Punjab, the British spy risked his life for one night of passion in her arms. But here and now—breaking all rules of decorum—one heated kiss ignites a flurry of gunfire. For their enemies have followed them home. And love is the greatest danger of all…
Assuming a false identity as a prim and proper governess, the bold and beautiful Cat Rowan thinks she has finally escaped the wild misadventures of her past—and the wickedly handsome spy who seduced her in India. Imagine her surprise when her employer introduces his brother: the very same cad who destroyed her heart!
The One Who Got Away
The Honorable Thomas Jellicoe cannot believe his eyes when he sees his beloved Cat—the Scottish beauty who nearly jeopardized his mission in India. Disguised as a horse trader from the bazaars of the Punjab, the British spy risked his life for one night of passion in her arms. But here and now—breaking all rules of decorum—one heated kiss ignites a flurry of gunfire. For their enemies have followed them home. And love is the greatest danger of all…
~~~~~
The Lovely Elizabeth Essex is talking about
"Keeping Historical Romance Fresh"
Another duke. Another ballroom. Another young miss on the
marriage mart. “I can’t remember if I read that one,” is a comment I’ve made to
my historical reading friends more often than I like to admit.
Not that I don’t love Regency ballrooms. But some days it
seems as if every historical romance plot has already been done before. And
done better, by another writer with a more sparkling wit, or a better grasp of
precedence and peerage, or ballroom decorum.
So how do I keep my reading, and especially my writing, of
historical romance fresh? By exploring new horizons outside the ballrooms, and
by finding other places and other times that spark my imagination.
In my first Reckless Brides novel, ALMOST A SCANDAL, I
explored life on a Royal Navy warship during the Age of Fighting Sail and the
era of Admiral Nelson. And then I took my second Reckless Bride out into the
countryside during the period of the Corn Riots in A BREATH OF SCANDAL. But for
my latest Reckless Bride, I have really pushed my boundaries, and taken her all
the way across the high seas to pre-Raj India for SCANDAL IN THE NIGHT.
Having a new place, and a new-to-me period to research keeps
me on my toes. For SCANDAL IN THE NIGHT I immersed myself in research about
India, Anglo-Indian relations, and the history of the British East India
Company. I surrounded myself with reproductions of 18th-century Mughal
watercolors, and photographs of grand Mughal Palaces. I played recordings of
traditional dance music. I put myself into a fever dream of pressing heat, and
saturated color, and fragrant spices. I reawakened my senses.
And I tried to put all of those senses into SCANDAL IN THE
NIGHT, so that my readers could experience India through the wide open eyes of
Catriona Rowan, a young Scotswoman who has traveled to India in the hopes of a
fresh start. To surround herself with all the excitement and pleasure of the
exotic and unfamiliar. To reawaken her senses.
Another way I keep my historical reading fresh, and reawaken
my love of historical romance, is by seeking out stories outside my own period.
Some of my personal favorites include: Elizabeth Hoyt’s latest from the Maiden
Lane series, LORD OF DARKNESS, which takes place in the stews of 1740’s London;
Pamela Clare’s powerful and exciting McKinnon’s Rangers series, like the
RITA-nominated DEFIANT, which chronicles one of my favorite periods in American
history, the French & Indian Wars. (Think Last of the Mohicans); and the brilliant
Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series, the latest of which, THE HEIRESS
EFFECT, is set in the Victorian period. For Scottish historicals, favorites
include: Tracy Brogan’s HIGHLAND SURRENDER; and Margaret Mallory’s THE WARRIOR
(which was a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of excellence along with my
ALMOST A SCANDAL). But for something COMPLETELY different, I recommend Jeannie
Lin’s romances set in medieval China, the latest of which is SWORD DANCER.
Wishing you all many, many happy hours of
uninterrupted historical romance reading!
Visit Elizabeth at http://elizabethessex.com/
~~~~~
Giveaway
What is your FAVORITE "Storyline" to read?
What "Storyline" is kind of over-played?
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(Thank you to St. Martins Press for the Giveaway)
