Thursday, July 31, 2014

Guest posts from Catherine Hemmerling and Joan Avery

Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount-500 (1)Title: Tempting Her Reluctant Viscount
Author: Catherine Hemmerling
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Pages: 225
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Ebook

 A pretend courtship…a real scandal

 London 1814 Hope Stuckeley has lusted after the handsome and charismatic Michael Ashmore, the Viscount Lichfield, for ages—never mind that she’s never actually spoken to him. When the two join forces to investigate a London stock market scandal, pretending he is courting her gives her the chance to prove she’s more than the bookworm he takes her for. After years of service as a soldier and newly titled as a viscount, actual marriage and settling down are the last things on confirmed bachelor Michael’s mind. But when their investigation puts the delectable Hope in danger, discovering the truth about the scandal could jeopardize the future he didn’t know he wanted.

For More Information

How I Come Up With My Characters

 My characters are near and dear to my heart. I think all of the female characters are sides of my own personality. The men, are bits and pieces of the men I love in my life. The villains are, well, villains, and I have nothing at all in common with them, but they sure make life interesting! In my series, the kingpin is Lady Lancaster. She is the first character I developed. I like to think she is me (with a little Angela Landsbury thrown in) in 30 years. She is clever, magnanimous, and seemingly always right. She has led a colorful life, which is only ever alluded to, as a former spy for the British War Office. She was brought into this life by her one true love, the Duke. Lady Lancaster is actually a dowager duchess and should, by all accounts, be addressed as “her Grace” but being called such reminds her too much of her mother-in-law, the former duchess, and Lady Lancaster cannot abide the reminder. Hence, she is called “Lady”. The fact that she can make such an edict really illustrates who she is and what kind of reputation/power she has. I have more fun writing about her and her thoughts than probably anyone else (besides Sarah). The five main ladies, who have been enlisted by Lady Lancaster to be spies, are all varying ages and personalities. Hannah is an all around clever sort. She can do most things really well and prefers not to acknowledge the things she can’t do. This is so very me! Rose is a bookworm with an eidetic (photographic) memory. This is more of a wishful thinking thing for me. I am a bookworm, but I would love to have a photographic memory. Hope is the math wizard. She is good at figuring out odds and averages. She is also very proper and concerned with what other people think of her. I have always loved math and I have an unhealthy opinion of what others think of me. Hope and I both need to work on that. Emily is the season’s “Diamond of the First Water”. That means she is the most beautiful and eligible lady of the season. She is also extremely charitably minded. She wants to save the world, one starving child at a time. Me too. Finally, there is Sarah. Sarah is unusually tall, rather clumsy, and has absolutely no filter on her mouth. This is more me than I would like to admit. Writing for Sarah allows me no limitations. She will say or do pretty much anything that comes to mind. Very liberating for me as an author. As you can see, I meant it when I wrote all my heroines are parts of me. I don’t know if all authors are the same, but I am sure we all use our writing as an opportunity to explore different times, worlds, thoughts, and opinions that we can’t always explore in our real lives. It is always an adventure and as much as it is coming from our own imaginations, I, for one, never know exactly where my mind will take me … until I get there.

Catherine Hemmerling has spent most of her career as a technical writer in the software industry, but in the last few years has realized her dream of becoming a novelist. Every day she pinches herself to make sure her new life is real. Living with her family in the hills of southern California, Ms. Hemmerling spends her days devising plot twists, agonizing over titles, and making a lot of new imaginary friends; and loves it.

Her latest book is the historical romance, Tempting the Reluctant Viscount. 

For More Information
LJ_1600
Title: Love's Justice
Author: Joan Avery
Publisher: Entangled Scandalous
Pages: 215
Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Ebook

He holds her fate in his hands… London, 1879

 American heiress, Victoria Wentworth has spent her life blithely ignoring her father’s wishes…until he enters her into an unwanted marriage contract with a despicable man. She has two choices: marry the bounder or fight the archaic English laws in court. Her only hope is Hugh Worth, the Earl Montgomery and Lord Chancellor of the Exchequer: her judge and jury. Society paints him as stern and subdued, yet fair. Society didn’t warn her that beneath his somber façade beats a passionate heart and soul. Hugh finds himself irresistibly, inexplicably, drawn to the spirited American, despite himself and his better judgment. As the inconvenient heiress takes on the fight against the very foundation of his life and career, another battle wages in his once cold heart. Everything about her is inappropriate, illogical, and unexpected. Yet, she is a woman he could admire. A woman of intelligence and beliefs that challenge the existing world. But she is forbidden.

For More Information

THE MAGIC OF HISTORICAL ROMANCES
Joan Avery
I’m often asked why I choose to write historical romances over contemporary ones.  Certainly there is more research needed to create a believable and true-to-its-time historical setting than a present day setting.  I’m sure the origin of my preference was in what I prefer to read.  There is something magical about an historical setting.  It is a place where you can lose yourself for an hour or two in another era, another time.  There is so much to be learned from a good historical.  The customs and beliefs of a culture in the near or distant past can be enlightening to us today.  Women’s rights which we so often take for granted are really a recent occurrence.  Not so long ago a women in Europe and America found themselves and their roles seriously constrained by law.  The women who dared to push the limits were brave and intrepid.  Their conviction that women’s roles could not be defined by a society controlled by men led them to push the boundaries and valiantly fight for all the freedoms women enjoy today.  I find a great deal of satisfaction writing about these groundbreaking women.  For me, that satisfaction far outweighs the additional research.

Joan Avery was an award-winning writer/producer at a major national advertising agency for over fifteen years before she retired to raise a family and write. Joan has been blessed with a daughter, two sons and two stepsons. She and her husband now have five grandchildren. Although she has lived in the Detroit area her entire life she has traveled extensively for both work and leisure. She and her husband, an attorney, have visited many fascinating parts of the world. Joan feels her travels enrich her writing. THE WORTH BROTHERS TRILOGY takes place in three of her favorite places.
Her latest book is the historical romance, Love's Justice 

For More Information

Don’t miss out on great books from Entangled Publishing – Check out their Steals and Deals! 

Catherine and Joan are giving away a $25 and $20 Amazon/B&N Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • 2 winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
  • This giveaway begins July 21 and ends on August 1.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on August 2 .
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 comment:

  1. Superbly written article, if only all bloggers offered the same content as you, the internet would be a far better place.. How to Look for Opportunities for a Guest Post

    ReplyDelete