Researching Queen of the Desert with Marie Laval.

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Today, I am delighted to welcome Marie Laval as she talks about researching her latest romance novel,  Queen of the Desert, released on February 15th. Over to you, Marie …

I absolutely loved writing and researching this novel. Not only did I get to travel in imagination with my heroine Harriet Montague and my hero Lucas Saintclair to the Sahara desert, but I got to read many legends and tales associated with the mysterious queen Tin Hinan.

Tin Hinan is said to have come from what would now be Morocco and settled at Abalessa, an oasis in Southern Algeria, and founded the Tuaregs tribes, or the  “Kel Tamasheq”(those who speak Tamashek) as they call themselves. Her tomb was discovered by archaeologist, adventurer and allegedly occasional con artist Byron Khun de Prorok (what a name!) in 1925.

In QUEEN OF THE DESERT, I used my artistic licence to write that it was Harriet’s father who discovers the tomb, but I made sure I kept as close as possible to the accounts detailing the artefacts, the gold, silver jewellery, and precious and semi-precious stones which were found there, as well as the description of the remains of the Tuareg queen.

In the days before carbon dating, it was the imprint of a coin with the effigy of Emperor Constantine on a sculptured bowl which enabled historians to date the tomb from the 4th century AD. The body of Queen Tin Hinan as well as all the artefacts found in her tomb are now in the Bardo Museum in Algiers.

Even before her tomb was discovered, the numerous legends surrounding Queen Tin Hinan inspired Pierre Benoit to write his classic novel ‘Atlantide’, published in 1919. His heroin, Antinea, and her followers are descendants of the people of ‘Atlantis’ who had taken refuge in the Hoggar after a great disaster destroyed their world. Antinea lives in a palace hidden in the mountains, where she seduced and entrapped lost explorers to the Sahara.

Recently there has been some controversy about the identity of the woman who was buried at Abalessa, with some historians now disputing that the remains belonged to Tin Hinan at all! But whoever was buried there however was a woman of immense prestige and immense wealth.

I hope that readers will enjoy the adventure and the mystery in the story as much as the romance between Harriet and Lucas, who remains one of my all times favourite heroes…

Here is the blurb:

Sometimes the most precious treasures exist in the most barren and inhospitable of places …
Harriet Montague is definitely too much of a gentlewoman to be frequenting the backstreet taverns of Algiers. But her father has been kidnapped whilst on an expedition to the tomb of an ancient desert queen, and she’s on a mission to find the only person who could save him.

It’s just unfortunate that Lucas Saintclair, the man Harriet hopes will rescue her father from scoundrels, is the biggest scoundrel of the lot. With a bribe in the form of a legendary pirate treasure map, securing his services is the easiest part – now Harriet must endure a treacherous journey through the desert accompanied by Saintclair’s band of ruffians.
But on the long, hot Saharan nights, is it any wonder that her heart begins to thaw towards her guide – especially when she realises Lucas’s roguish façade conceals something she could never have expected?

QUEEN OF THE DESERT is available as ebook from Amazonand Kobo

Follow The Queen of the Desert on tour as Marie Laval stops by the following blogs:

About the Author:

Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire and writes historical and contemporary romance. Best-selling LITTLE PINK TAXI was her debut contemporary romantic novel with Choc Lit. A PARIS FAIRY TALE was published in July 2019, followed by BLUEBELL’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC in November 2019 and bestselling romantic suspense ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Award. HAPPY DREAMS AT MERMAID COVE is her latest contemporary romance. QUEEN OF THE DESERT is Marie’s second historical romance, following on from ANGEL OF THE LOST TREASURE which features another member of the Saintclair family.

She also writes short stories for the bestselling Miss Moonshine anthologies, and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors. Her novels are available as ebooks and audiobooks on Amazon and various other platforms.

You can find out more about Marie here:  Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Marie. I hope you enjoy the rest of your tour. xx

February, the month of love!

Writing & Reading, , , , , , , , , ,

With February being the month of love, I am delighted that Maybe Baby is currently included in the Choc Lit / Ruby Fiction 99p Valentine’s sale.

“A truly heart-warming story of love, romance and most importantly friendship,” Maybe Baby is the perfect read for a month that includes Galentine’s Day on 13th February and Valentine’s Day on 14th February.

Galentine’s Day is a time to celebrate your gal pals, that supportive network of friends and family who you know are there for you no matter what.

Whether virtual, real, or imagined in a novel – female friendships thrive where there is an element of support, appreciation and commitment. With many influential women in my life: my amazingly supportive late mum, three older sisters, three daughters and a granddaughter, as well as close female friends and colleagues, my writing frequently includes strong female relationships; Maybe Baby is no exception.

In writing the Lisa Blake novels (The Purrfect Pet Sitter and Maybe Baby), the story of Lisa and her first love, Nathan Baker, takes centre stage. However, the exploration of the reconnection between Lisa and her once-best friend Felicity plays an important part in the novels and was a joy to write.

The interaction between the two recently reunited friends reflects their past – the shared memories, the in-jokes, and the things only best friends would know about each other. Writing their characters and the moments they share was touching, as if I was privy to their lives and bond. I hope as people read the novel, they enjoy spending time in their company, as much as I did.

While we don’t see Lisa and Felicity celebrating Galentine’s in Maybe Baby, I am sure they would celebrate it in style. What we do see, however, is Lisa attempting to give her boyfriend, Nathan, a Valentine’s Day surprise he will never forget, but you’ll have to read the novel to find out if things go to plan.

No matter how you choose to spend the month of February, I hope it is in the company of those you love and a good book! xx

The blurb:

Just when you thought you had it all worked out …

Lisa Blake is back with her first love, she’s reunited with her best friend Felicity, and even her pet sitting skills are improving – everybody knows you can’t believe all you read in the local Gazette, don’t they?

Felicity is on the cusp of achieving her perfect wife-mum-life balance; Her husband, Pete, is being wonderfully attentive, and her four children are getting older and wiser (sometimes too much wiser) by the day.

But when Lisa walks in on a half-naked woman in her boyfriend’s flat and Felicity is left reeling from a shocking discovery, it seems life is nothing but full of surprises. Can love, laughter, and learning to compromise, help them achieve their dreams?

Maybe Baby is available in audio, ebook, paperback and in large print, buying links: Amazon | Kobo | Ruby Fiction 

Maybe Baby is the second book in the Lisa Blake series. While the story follows on from The Purrfect Pet Sitter (Lisa Blake book #1), it can also be read as a standalone novel.

Discover more here: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |  

A New Feel Good Friday Read from Kirsty Ferry.

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It Started with a Wedding: An uplifting and fun romance for the new year from Kirsty Ferry.

I am always in awe of fellow Choc Lit author Kirsty Ferry as, as well as being a talented artist, she is also a prolific writer; And neither of these things are her day job! Her latest novel, the fifth in her Schubert series is released later this month (22/2/22 – what a memorable date). As she prepares for the launch, I thought I would share a little about her latest fabulous, feel good read.

The blurb:

It’s one thing to be asked to plan your sister’s wedding; it’s quite another when your sister is Nessa McCreadie …

Alfie McCreadie wants his twin sister Nessa to have the best wedding ever, but he’s not happy at being roped in as wedding planner – especially as, unbelievably, his main assistant seems to be Nessa’s cat, Schubert. Anyway, Alfie is a scientist. He might know his protons from his neutrons, but what does he know about weddings?

It’s Nessa who points him in the direction of Bea’s Garden, just outside Edinburgh, where he’s tasked with picking a “very-relevant-bouquet”. It’s there he meets Fae Brimham, who might be prettier than any bouquet bloom but doesn’t seem impressed by Alfie’s sensible, scientific side.

But when Nessa and Schubert are involved, surprises are bound to happen and, despite less-than-perfect first impressions, perhaps something new and beautiful can still blossom for Alfie and Fae …

This is Alfie’s story in the Schubert series. They can all be read as standalone stories.

Currently available for preorder, release date 22nd February 2022.

What folks are saying about It Started with a Wedding:

  • “Entertaining fun.”
  • Great for fans of magical powers, mythical spirits and the belief that cats are minds readers (of course they are)!”
  • “A quirky light-hearted romance.”
  • “I was very happy when this book was announced, and even more while reading it.”

Best of luck with the new book Kirsty. I hope it will be a huge hit. xx

About the author:

Kirsty Ferry is from the North East of England and lives there with her husband and son. She won the English Heritage/Belsay Hall National Creative Writing competition in 2009 and has had articles and short stories published in various magazines. Her work also appears in several anthologies, incorporating such diverse themes as vampires, crime, angels and more.

Kirsty loves writing ghostly mysteries and interweaving fact and fiction. The research is almost as much fun as writing the book itself, and if she can add a wonderful setting and a dollop of history, that’s even better.

Her day job involves sharing a building with an eclectic collection of ghosts, which can often prove rather interesting.

You can follow Kirsty, and find out more about her work here: Facebook | Twitter | website | blog

Meet three characters from The Forgotten Maid.

Book Review, Guest Post, , , , , , , ,

I am delighted to welcome my good friend, Jane Cable, as my first guest for 2022. Jane joins me to introduce three characters from her novel, The Forgotten Maid. 

THE DANIELL FAMILY –  BLENDING FACT AND FICTION by Jane Cable.

As soon as I decided the main character in my 1815 timeline for The Forgotten Maid was a ladies’ maid I needed a family to place her in. A wealthy family with a kind mistress – the conflict in the story was going to be hard enough without her working for a witch!

Now I do like the historical background to my stories to be as authentic as possible, so I thought I would choose a real family. The good and great of Cornwall had been made wealthy on the back of copper and tin mining (think Poldark!) so there were plenty of likely candidates. (Note to Jane from Carol, I am always thinking Poldark! ;-))

I almost fell across the Daniells. A few years before I had been to an exhibition at Trelissick House, their former country home, which is now a National Trust property. And there I’d learnt most of their wealth had come from a copper mine called Wheal Towan, which was very close to where we were then based. When I started to write The Forgotten Maid I wanted to set it in exactly that area, and the connection was screaming at me to be recognised.

Researching the Daniell family tree was not difficult. Ralph and Elizabeth had married young, when Elizabeth was nineteen, and proceeded to have 16 children spread over the next 22 years, although of course not all of them made it to adulthood. Therefore in 1815 I was able to reconstruct the family precisely in terms of who was married and who was left at home. In that respect the book is entirely factual.

But how do you learn about someone’s character? The answer is that you don’t, although the Daniells were generous with local causes and I found out about Elizabeth’s visits to help the destitute miners from the local parish records, so they were real enough.

Elizabeth is my main Daniell character. Middle-aged, comfortable with herself, loving yet strict with her children and still very much in love with Ralph. She is delighted to find a French maid who is actually French (particularly in the provinces most just pretended to be) and values Therese’s skills. She is kind, almost motherly to her and trusts her implicitly, and Therese repays her with loyalty and faithfulness.

But someone has to disrupt this domestic harmony and the perfect candidate from history was Mary, the Daniell’s sixteen year old daughter. Sixteen was just the age to come out into society and I decided Elizabeth didn’t want a London season for her daughter if she could help it. The queen was ill, so there seemed to be little point as there would be no court presentation, and with one daughter married and living a long distance away, she liked the idea of a local husband for Mary.

Mary was a wonderful character to create. I needed her to be both loveable and charming, but with a real wilful, and even spiteful, streak when she does not get her own way. And of course, going out and about in Truro society she inevitably meets an unsuitable man and will stop at nothing to try to marry him, which has very unfortunate consequences for Therese.

My third Daniell is Ralph himself. Businessman, father, husband. A solid voice of reason. His is a small part, and mostly at the end, but I hope the enduring love story between him and Elizabeth shines through.

The Forgotten Maid blurb

In 2015 Anna Pritchard arrives on the wild and rugged north Cornwall coast to supervise the build of a glamping site. The locals hate the idea and she finds herself ostracised and isolated, so she volunteers at Trelissick, a stately home that was the country estate of the affluent Daniell family in the Regency era. The more time she spends steeped in its history, the more past and present begin to collide.

In 1815, in the aftermath of Waterloo and grieving for her brother, French army seamstress Therese Ruguel arrives in Cornwall as lady’s maid to Elizabeth Daniell. Although her mistress is welcoming, not everyone in the household takes kindly to a foreigner with strange ways who speaks little english. Who can Therese trust? Because her very life could depend upon her making the right decision.

What became of Therese? Can Anna unearth the ghosts of the past? And has she finally found a place where she belongs?

The Forgotten Maid is a beautiful dual timeline romance set in Cornwall between the Poldark era and the present day. It is the first book in the Cornish Echoes dual timeline romantic mystery series.

Thank you, Jane. I greatly enjoyed The Forgotten Maid and getting to know your characters. Here is my review: 

I enjoyed this dual timeline novel set in the present and early nineteenth century, Cornwall. As you might expect from Jane Cable whispers of the past are intertwined with the present. I was captivated by the protagonists in both time periods and their stories, though I was particularly intrigued by Thérèse (the forgotten maid). I was drawn to her character and hoped her strength would prevail over the increasing difficulties she faced. In the present day, however, it was Anna’s love interest who fascinated me. I enjoyed getting to know and understand him more as the story progressed. Cornwall past and present are brought to life by the author’s evocative descriptions of the setting. The Forgotten Maid is an intriguing, captivating read.

About the author:

Jane Cable moved to Cornwall in 2017 and The Forgotten Maid is her first novel set in the county. She also writes contemporary women’s fiction under the name of Eva Glyn.

Discover more about Jane and her work, here: Facebook | Twitter | website | Apricot Plots | Sister Scribes .

Feel Good Friday with Eva Glyn.

Feel Good Friday, Guest Post, , , , , , , , , ,
Today, fellow Apricot Plotter and long time author friend Eva Glyn joins me to celebrate the release of the paperback version of her novel, The Missing Pieces of Us.

 

Tell us about the feel-good moments in The Missing Pieces of Us:

In many ways, it is the ultimate feel-good book because it shows that whatever the depths of grief, loss and mental illness human beings have to suffer, there can be a rewarding and fulfilling life at the end of the tunnel. Robin has his breakdown at a relatively young age when the mother whose carer he is dies and he doesn’t cope at all, but by the time Izzie meets him again twenty years later, although he’s going through another blip, he is a far stronger man with a huge capacity for happiness, laughter and love.

There are plenty of small feel-good moments as the book moves along; memories of munching Jaffa Cakes after spending hours in the sea, fish and chip suppers at the kitchen table, and of course, the wonderful tree in the woods where the children write to the fairies and they actually reply.

Share a review that has made you smile:

I’ve been so lucky and had some wonderful reviews of the book and many of them made me smile, but none more so than this one from book blogger Being Anne:

The story is quite beautifully written and perfectly paced. This is a book that you feel and experience rather than read – the whole emotional content is quite perfectly handled, and there were times when I physically ached for the two central characters. The author really takes the reader under their skin – you might not understand what happened any more than they do, but you feel their hurt and loss with the same intensity.

The characters are wonderfully handled, but so is the setting. A faerie tree is the perfect central focus to the story – much of the key action in the story takes place around it, near it or focused on it. It’s vividly described – with its decoration and trinkets left by people hoping for a little magic – and I love the box where children leave personal messages for the faeries. There are pagan themes, but nothing that would put anyone off for an instant – none of us can be averse to a little magic at times, and the story itself is very much of the modern world.

This is essentially a story about two people – two people that you grow to deeply care about – and how they deal and cope with trauma and loss, its impact on memory, and the possibility of second chances when hope seems to be gone.

The Missing Pieces of Us, the blurb:

When Robin and Izzie meet again twenty years after their brief affair they realise their memories of it completely different. But who is right? And how can they build a future without knowing what happened in the past? Links to purchase can be found here.

That is a wonderful review. Do you have much time to read, if so, where is your favourite place to enjoy a good book?

I find it hard to read when I am writing a new book because my characters tend to inhabit my mind, but I have spotted a natural down time when they seem to go to get their lunch, so if they do I creep away with a cup of tea and put my feet up on my bed with my Kindle for half an hour.

Fabulous, finally here are five quick-fire questions for fun:

Favourite biscuit?
Not easy as I’m gluten intolerant, but M&S’s GF millionaire shortbread is pretty special.

Swimming pool or sea?
Sea, every time, now I live in Cornwall. I just haven’t been in often enough this summer but the beaches have been so crowded.

Laptop or notepad?
I write using software so it’s my laptop every time. I use notebooks for collecting my thoughts, jotting down ideas, and exploring characters off the page.

Early morning or late at night?
Early morning. I start writing before six most days so I’m good for nothing by about four o’clock.

Trainers or heels?
Trainers. I’ve never been able to wear heels – I just can’t balance on them.

About the author:

Eva Glyn writes emotional women’s fiction inspired by beautiful places and the secrets they hide. She loves to travel, but finds inspiration can strike just as well at home as abroad. Her books are published by One More Chapter, an imprint of Harper Collins.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with her husband of twenty-six years. She also writes romance with a twist of mystery as Jane Cable.

Discover more about Eva Glyn: Facbook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter sign up