BLURB:
No
longer content in the shadows of his older brothers and on a quest to find his
destiny, Bryce Fraser's chosen path is fraught with danger, passion, and
decisions. Can his unspoken love for spirited, beguiling Fallon be triumphant
in a time of war and uncertainty, or will they both fall prey to the devious
plans of a traitorous laird from a rival clan?
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Excerpt
Loch Ryan Scotland, 1307
“Wa . . . water,” Bryce mumbled, but there was no one there to listen.
His throat was parched and he ran his tongue over dry, cracked lips, but his action offered no relief. An entire loch lay only a few feet away, but he couldn’t muster the strength to drag himself to the bank and quench his thirst.
“Cold . . . so cold.”
Despite the sun beating down on him, he’d swear he was encased in ice. His life’s blood seeped from his wounds, soaking the ground beneath him. He tried to raise his head, but the excruciating pain radiating across his chest stole his breath away.
Was this what it felt like to die? If so, he prayed the Almighty would be merciful and take him now.
Bryce moaned, a shift in his position bringing on another nauseating wave of agony. He sucked in a short, sharp, gulp of air and stretched his arm out as far as he could, his fingers grappling in the dirt.
If only I could reach my sword.
Beads of perspiration dampened his brow. As the strength slowly drained from his body, drawing a simple breath became more difficult. The end grew near. No time to make amends for sins of the past, and he had committed his share.
Regrets? He had those, too. “Fallon.” He whispered her name then heaved a ragged sigh.
Challenges of writing
realistic romance novels (Guest Post by the Author)
Thanks you for hosting me
on your blog today. I look forward to visiting with you and your guests.
This question is an
excellent one, especially for an author who writes primarily historical
romance. With so many books on the market and more coming out every day, it is
hard to find a fresh plot idea and to pen a novel that a reader can relate to
on many levels. . . keeping it real so to speak. As opposed to contemporary
books, people who read historicals usually do so because they want to be
transported to the past, to get a sense of what it would have been like to live
in medieval times, during the Civil War, or in Regency England. So a writer
must do their homework if they want their book to be believable and still
remain period accurate. Research is the key, along with the author’s own
knowledge and passion for the era. If you write what you know and love it will
show.
Many readers of historical
romance are well versed in the era and expect the settings, dialogue and
customs to reflect the period. This means the writer must make sure their book
meets those expectations. For someone picking up a historical romance for the
first time, it can be an entirely different story. They find the customs and
dialogue difficult to understand and can easily become confused in the plot or
the motivation behind the characters if the story does not progress in a way a
modern romance might. For this reason the writer must keep both seasoned and
new readers to the genre in mind.
The dynamics between
couples changed dramatically over the centuries and it is a challenge to write
your Hero from the past in such a way that the reader does not take an
immediate dislike to them. Our Hero while he may be honorable and adore his
lady might behave in a manner that the modern-day reader might not approve of
or understand. This is primarily because they act or respond the way they would
have in a given time period, which in many cases meant making decision on the spur of the moment, in
the face of danger, war and adversity, thereby forcing them to put duty before
desire. To live each day as if it might be their last, because it could very
well be.
The same goes for our
heroine. Until the early twentieth century, women were not even considered to
be persons under the law. They were seen as property, had no rights to speak of
and basically were at the mercy of the male head of the household, or in the
case of Scottish historicals, the laird of the clan. A subservient heroine, one
who conforms to tradition and offers no objection makes for a dull and boring
book. However a woman that is bright, voiced her opinion freely, is
resourceful, tenacious, courageous, and goes against the norm, while desired
for a heroine was not the common. So the challenge for the author is to create
her in a way that will appeal to the reader, a woman they can cheer on, but
still must maintain believability. For this reason some readers find the
historical heroine comes across as uncertain, less aggressive and slower to
react to an injustice than a modern-day heroine. What the writer and reader must keep in mind
is that in that particular time period, that was they would have behaved. The
goal of the author is to have the characters rise above the way things were and
forge out a new path for themselves, one that leads to a mutually satisfying
HEA ending.
The storyline of a
historical is also a challenge because it often encompasses a long period of
time. Transitions between scenes that might take place months apart must to be
crafted with care. This is a romance novel and not losing that aspect in a
historical in not always easy; especially during extended periods of time when
out of necessity the Hero and Heroin must be apart. Sometimes this can’t be
avoided so the author must try to establish a solid base for their relationship
early in the book, yet not have things happen between them too quickly that the
excitement and story is over before it begins. Many of the historical romances
were take place during brutal or violent times.
It was not uncommon for the men to go off to war and leave their women
behind, but this did not mean there was no love or passion between them.
Establishing inner conflicts that the characters must come to terms with along
with the external conflicts is also important if you hope to keep your reader
entertained and what happens in your story believable.
Everyone sees or looks for
something different in a book they read so there are many challenges a writer
faces if they hope to create a romance that is realistic and entertaining. But it important to remember, no matter how
hard you try, you will not please everyone. Put your best effort forward and
always be open to suggestions as to how you might improve your next book.
With a passion for
historical romance, history in general, and anything Celtic, B.J. always has an
exciting work in progress. Each story offers a blend of romance, adventure,
suspense, and, where appropriate, a dab of comic relief. Carefully researched
historical facts are woven into each manuscript, providing a backdrop from
which steamy romance, gripping plots, and vivid characters—dashing alpha heroes
and resourceful, beguiling heroines you can’t help but admire—spring to life. A
member of RWA, World Romance Writers, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, and Savvy
Authors, B.J. also writes contemporary, paranormal, time travel, and romantic
suspense.
C.S. Lewis first captivated
B. J.’s imagination in the fourth grade, and her desire to write sprang from
there. Following a career in nursing and child and youth work, B.J. married her
knight-in-shining-armor, and he whisked her away to his castle by the sea. In
reality, they share their century-old home in a small Canadian town on the shore of Lake Erie
The author will award
gifts of swag (including a canvas tote bag, a mouse pad, a pen, book thong,
bookmark, can cooler, magnet, and key chain -- US/Canada only) to randomly
drawn commenters from this tour and her Virtual Book Tour, and a grand prize of
one $50 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter from this tour and her Super Book Blast.
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