Meet Lara Temple - with a chance to win one of her books!

One of the best things abut going to  the Romantic Novelists' Association conference - which, as  you'll remember , I did in July this year -  is that   as well as getting the opportunity to meet up again with many friends I've known for some time,  there is also a wonderful opportunity to meet  new writers, published and unpublished (yet)  who may start out being strangers but by the end of the conference have become friends and people I look forward to seeing again.

This time, one of these new friends was someone I met by the happy accident of the fact that she was allocated a room in the same flat as I - and some of my other friends  - was sleeping in.

So I first met Lara Temple on that Thursday night when the early arrivers all get together.  We started that night only knowing each other's names - and ended it firm friends. Several of my other friends/past student/fellow writers were also in the same flat, but by the end of the first evening you would have been hard put to separate the 'old ' from the new - and by the end of the conference it was as if we had all known each other for ever.

Lara had just had her very first Harlequin Historical novel  (Lord Crayle's Secret World) published and she was kind enough to give me a copy.   I loved the 'shout line' -  A Desperate Highwaywoman - and from reading the opening I was hooked, just wanting to read on - and on.   (Thanks, Lara! Just what I needed  - not! - with my own deadline bearing down on me!)

I also learned that Lara's new  book -  The Reluctant Viscount  - would be published later in the year - it's actually out today so Happy Publication Day, for The Reluctant Viscount, Lara -  As you know I love introducing readers to new authors, I asked Lara if she would come and visit my blog and tell you a little about herself.   She has  also kindly agreed to do a giveaway for both her books - all you have to do is to answer her question in  the comments either today or  on the second part of the Meet Lara Temple blog -   we'll leave this open over the weekend to give you time to read and comment.

So meet Lara Temple - and maybe you'll discover a brand-new favourite Historical Romance author.

Welcome to the blog, Lara and thank you for agreeing to answer my questions:

1.       Can you tell us a little about yourself ?

Hi Kate, thanks so much for inviting me on your blog! I write strong and sexy regency romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon – my first book “Lord Crayle’s Secret World” came out in March, my second “The ReluctantViscount” is out on the 25^th of August, and I am hard at work on three more books in the same line. In my previous and very different life I was a financial analyst on Wall Street and a high tech executive and I also moved around the world a lot. But throughout all this change, the one constant was my love of reading and writing. I’m VERY lucky Harlequin gave me a chance to realize it. I’m also lucky my husband and children are very happy and supportive about my change of career – I think they like the author more than the banker. Surprising!

2.       Have you always wanted to write? 

Yes. Yes. Yes! When I was three I forced my mom to write down my stories (they were rather mad adventures and I often wonder what they were feeding me back then…) and as soon as I could hold pen to paper, I took over. I had a little setback when my older brother discovered my secret notebooks where I had a story about teaming up with Batman, but I kept at it, just found a better hiding place. Still, it was always ‘for the drawer’ until I struck lucky when my mom pushed me into entering Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest competition and my submission earned me a contract and a new direction in life.

3.       You write for Harlequin Historical can you tell us why you chose this particular line? Are you a great fan of historical fiction? Any special favourite authors?

I’m one of the many Jane Austen addicts and Georgette Heyer. I found my first Georgette Heyer book in a dusty bookstore in New York as a teenager and from that point on all my (many) daydreams migrated to the regency period. Whenever I needed to escape life and work I slipped into this

world, daydreaming or writing, and it is still “home.” I also adore contemporary and historical murder mysteries, and aside from rereading my Austen and Heyer books until they disintegrate to dog-eared dust, I do the same to my Sherlock Holmes’ collection. I especially love those with psychological depth, like those by P.D. James and Minette Walters. And too many others…I need more time!

4.       Your first novel, Lord Crayle’s Secret World has the ‘shout line’ A desperate highwaywoman . . .   Now that would immediately make me want to pick up  the book when I saw that.  Can you tell us a little about this novel.

My highwaywoman, Sari, is my favorite kind of heroine – unconventional. Very little about her life has gone ‘by the book’, and when she is at her wits end how to provide for her brother and friends, her choice of action is pretty unconventional, too – she tries her hand at highway robbery. Unfortunately, or for my purposes, fortunately, she has unwittingly chosen to hold up the carriage of Michael, the Earl of Crayle, ex-soldier, current spy, and luckily in need of a female operative for The Institute, an offshoot of the War Office. Michael is emotionally scarred by war and by the damaged relations between his parents and as a result he particularly values order and discipline. But although Sari has the best of intentions, her ambition to succeed in her new role often clashes with Michael’s need to keep everyone safe and naturally they clash. But when the hunt is on to stop a political assassination, the last thing either Michael or Sari count on is that the heat of their conflicting characters is eclipsed by an attraction they can’t control.

5.       What gave you the original idea for this book? What inspired you to write about such an unconventional Regency heroine?

I worked in several very male-dominated worlds – I was in the military, on Wall Street, and then in high tech, and in each case there is a sense of being on the outside trying to get in (and trying to stay in). One very late night at work in London I wondered – if it is this frustrating for someone in the 21^st century when all the doors are relatively open, what must it have felt

for someone two hundred years ago when the thought of being equal never even crossed a woman’s mind? And the idea of a woman finding herself drawn into the world of early espionage just appeared and started writing itself. 

Lara's  Question for giveaways   - Please post your answer in the comments to be in with a chance for a giveaway of one of Lara's books.

Both Sari and Alyssa are not your run of the mill regency misses. History is full of unconventional heroines and I am always on the lookout for real life examples – do you have a favorite unconventional historical heroine?

Meet a new author

As many  of you know, every year I go to London for the annual Association of Mills & Boon Authors lunch.  As  well as a chance to meet up with old friends (that's old as in the meaning of - we've been friends for a long time!) there is always the chance to make new ones. 

This year I was thrilled to be able to introduce new author Rachael Thomas to the M&B authors when she had just had her first Modern Romance/Presents published.   Later, I was also delighted to meet brand new Historical author Nicole Locke who was there because her first book had been accepted and scheduled. I can still remember just how it felt to have that very first acceptance - though of course my first book The Chalk Line  was published   30 years ago - way back  before the internet, AMBA or anything like that!  So I love to meet newly accepted authors and often invite them to come along on to my blog to talk about their first book when  the magical day/month comes and it's finally published.

So I  asked Nicole to join me and talk about her  new historical title - The Knight's Broken Promise. One thing Nicole and I share is a love of Medieval times and the history of that period - so I was happy to find out that this is the period in which she's set her book .  But although she's talking about historical novels, I think her declaration of what she's aiming to write is a great summary of what all romantic novelists are aiming for - 

 That one piercing cherished love. The one that cannot cease. 

And that is a great cover!

So - welcome to the blog, Nicole, it's great to see you here.


From Nicole:

It’s thrilling to be here on Kate Walker's blog! I write about the medieval times. So why am I here? I believe when writing contemporary or historical romance, love compels across all centuries. And when it comes to writing about love, Kate’s stories and generous encouragement are an inspiration.

Nicole Locke
The Knight's Broken Promise is my first book with Harlequin and releases February 2015.

Why I Love Medieval Times

I love the medieval times because of the heart of one man, and his love for his wife. When she died, he wrote a letter about his anguished wretchedness. His wife, ‘whom in life we dearly cherished, and whom in death we cannot cease to love.’

That letter was written to the abbot of Cluny in France by Edward I, who ruled England from 1272 to 1307.

Say what you like about this king. It is probably all true. He was politically savage, determined and ruthless. Was it a sign of the times, or did Edward himself forge those times? Books and arguments for centuries have been written on this. So much conniving and betrayal were heaped upon him, but he gave as good as he got. Our modern temperaments can barely comprehend it.

However, it is not the conflicts that compel me to write about this era. It is Edward’s love for his wife, Eleanor of Castile, and their thirty-six years of marriage. Married young, they were truly cherished companions and rarely apart. They shared sixteen pregnancies, travels, campaigns and crusades. Yet strife, injuries and loss were not all that bound them together; play and joy did as well. They loved chess and hunting. While she preferred a bow and dogs, he often used a sword and hawks. After Lent, it became a tradition for Edward to pay Eleanor’s ladies-in-waiting to re-join his wife in their marriage bed.

When Eleanor died in November 1290 at Harby near Lincoln, Edward orchestrated and accompanied an elaborate funeral procession that took over two weeks. For years afterward, Edward honoured his wife with three separate artistic tombs set at Lincoln, Blackfriars and Westminster. Twelve memorial crosses were built to stand where the queen’s body rested on the journey from Lincoln to Westminster. As beautiful and awe inspiring as the funeral, tombs and crosses were, I only envision Edward’s tall form crumpled as he rode behind the procession.

After that first Christmas, Edward wrote to the abbot of Cluny. He wrote that his love for Eleanor could not cease. Could not because he was incapable of stopping it. A noted warrior, and a determined ruler. A king, who began and conquered wars. He was a hammer, a foe, a force, but he loved. He was a man all the same, and he grieved.

So I’m writing a historical series regarding Edward’s reign, about the wars in Wales and Scotland, the betrayals in France and England. The conflict is intriguing and gripping to read and write, but love compels me more. I want to find it in this time, and endeavour to describe it. That one piercing cherished love. The one that cannot cease. 

40 for 40 - Louise Allen

 
 
Many years ago I thought I wanted to write historical novels. I even began a romance set in the time of the Civil War before I realised that this was just not for me. Having tried it once, I have always had a great admiration for writers like today's guest, Louise Allen who manage to combine the research and factual details needed, getting the 'flavour' of the period right - and wrap it all up in a really good story.  I met Louise through the RNA -  where she runs their New Writers' Scheme  absolutely brilliantly,   - and of course  through Mills & Boon. I'll be seeing her again  at the conference in Sheffield this weekend - so looking forward to that.
See you soon Louise!

And  here's Louise herself:



Many congratulations to Kate and the lovely Steve – and many thanks for the invitation to join in the celebrations.

 It makes me think of my wedding, which was a very small affair indeed. My father had taken against my beloved in a big way (they ended up the best of friends) and we had no money, so as soon as we had managed to find a miniscule flat in London (those were the days!) I got a slot at the registry office for crack of dawn the next Saturday and invited the handful of friends who were in town. In the end my father did turn up with a case of champagne, but left after the ceremony to go to the Boat Race, telling my highly impressionable new mother in law that he was off to a Soho strip join. We were the second wedding of the day, after a group of Hell’s Angels – the bride was in black leather, studs and white tulle – and then went to sunny Hampstead Heath for photos, then up the Post Office Tower, just for the hell of it, and ended up in a pub by the river in Richmond. It probably wasn’t the most conventional of wedding days but it was great fun and, years later, we’re still very happy. One lovely romantic touch was the discovery that the registry office was opposite the church my great great grandparents had married in.

I love weddings, big and small, grand or informal and I really enjoy writing them. My latest book, Regency Rumours: Scandal Comes to Wimpole Hall, ends with a wedding. It is set at the real-life Wimpole Hall and written in association with the National Trust. (Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Regency-Rumours-Mills-Special-Releases/dp/0263906701/)


Read more at www.louiseallenregency.co.uk http://janeaustenslondon.com http://www.facebook.com/LouiseAllenRegency and @LouiseRegency

I’m giving away a copy of Regency Rumours.

For a chance to win, tell me which wedding in the past – real or fictional – you would like to have been a guest at, and why.

Christmas Stocking Stuffed With Books 1 - Louise Allen

Today I'll start to tell you about the books that are going into the Christmas Stocking for this wonderful prize that you have a chance to win.

I'll talk about the authors alphabetically so the first up is Louise Allen . I met Louise through the UK's Romantic Novelists' Association and I work with her a lot as she currently runs the New Writers' Scheme with great efficiency and skill. I find it hard enough to read my way through the scripts she sends me, never mind organising the scheme, selecting the readers and sending scripts out to them etc . . .

Louise is a very popular writer for Mills & Boon or Harlequin Historicals and she's generously give two titles from her series Those Scandalous Ravenhursts to go into the stocking. The winner will receieve either The Shocking Lord Standon or The Dangerous Mr Ryder as part of their prize.

Here's what Louise has to say about this series of wonderful characters that she has created:

The Ravenhurst cousins emerged when my editor asked me to think about a trilogy featuring brothers and sisters and I realised I already had my first hero - the mysterious Jack Ryder who had made a spirited attempt to take over in No Place For a Lady. As I worked on the family tree I found there were too many ideas for just three siblings, and I kept discovering cousins - seven of them who have six stories between them.

The first three of Those Scandalous Ravenhursts came out this year - The Dangerous Mr Ryder (Jack), The Outrageous Lady Felsham (Bel) and The Shocking Lord Standon (Gareth). Next year in April in the UK it is the turn of Theo and Elinor (The Disgraceful Mr Ravenhurst); in July - Eden (The Notorious Mr Hurst) and September - Clemence (The Piratical Miss Ravenhurst).

In the US they are out with Harlequin in July, August and September, respectively. In May I have one of the new Undone e-books linked to the Ravenhursts. (Title to be decided).

With six books it was fun to play with different ideas and styles: Dangerous is an adventure with a Ruritanian Grand Duchy as a back-drop, Outrageous sizzles by the seaside, Shocking is set firmly in the world of Almack's and polite Society. Disgraceful is another adventure complete with dungeons and mysterious treasure, Notorious is set in the world of the Regency theatre, Piratical takes to the high seas with a villainous Caribbean pirate and the e-book has a highwayman hero.

It was a real wrench to leave the Ravenhursts behind but I am now exploring an equally engrossing set of heroes and heroines with five other authors (Annie Burrows, Julia Justiss, Christine Merrill, Margaret McPhee and Gayle Wilson) for a Regency continuity of eight books to be released in 2010.

If you'd like to know a little bit more about the books Louise has donated - here are the summaries for each of them:

The Dangerous Mr Ryder

(Those Scandalous Ravenhursts: Book 1)
A government agent with a difference, Jack Ryder is not sure he wants to be responsible for smuggling the Grand Duchess Eva de Maubourg out of her castle and across France, one step ahead of Napoleon’s agents, not after what he has heard about her temperament. But if Jack is reluctant, Eva is torn – where does her duty lie? With her beleaguered Duchy or her son in England? And how can she tell what is right, when all she wants is to be in the arms of the thoroughly unsuitable Mr Ryder?

The Shocking Lord Standon
(Those Scandalous Ravenhursts: Book 3)
Gareth Morant, Lord Standon might be contemplating a match with childhood friend Lady Maude Templeton with dismay, but it is not until he finds his arms full of the naked form of Miss Jessica Gifford, respectable governess in a fix, that the solution to his problems presents itself to him - a solution that forces the respectable earl to become a shocking rake, all for a good cause.

Now doesn't that just make you want to read them? If it does then you won't be the only one because I have to tell you that I had to fight to keep these books safe. When I had weekend visitors recently, one of my friends needed something to read on the train going home. I offered her a choice from my bookshelf - which was where the Christmas Stocking Contest books were also stored. She pounced and the Louise Allen titles and would have run off with them if I hadn't explained that these were for the contest. She was very disappointed - and may well enter the contest herself in the hopes of winning one of Louise's titles.

You can find out more about Louise and her books on her website here. And the details of how to enter the Christmas Stocking Contest are on the Contest page of my website.

So these are the first books going into the stocking. Come back tomorrow for more.

PS I had some really good news yesterday but I can't share it with you until it's official - so watch this space!