O'Rourke's Heiress

Can the daughter of a jumped-up tradesman find happiness with a handsome and charming viscount, or does her destiny lie elsewhere? Perhaps with a man who isn't trying to kill her?



Because the Dartmoor scene used for the cover of O'Rourke's Heiress was so idyllic, my cover artists sent it to me separately so I could share it.

WARNING! O'Rourke's Heiress contains major spoilers for The Sometime Bride and Tarleton's Wife. I strongly recommend you read both those books before Heiress, which contains characters from each.

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If you've ever wondered what happened to the young men and women who married to suit their parents (as classic fictional heros and heroines never seem to), O'Rourke's Heiress is one example of "What if?" After all, I think most of us would agree we don't always get it right the first time around, and there should be a place in Romance for those who mess up - big time!

Cover blurb for O'Rourke's Heiress:

Although Terence O'Rourke would never admit it, he loves Beth Brockman. Beth, daughter of Tobias Brockman, the Merchant Midas, has loved her foster brother, Terence, for all seventeen years of her life. Both are bastards. Both owe everything to Tobias, who has one simple goal beyond making money: he wants his only child to marry a title.

Beth's protests are ignored as Terence sacrifices his own desires so she can marry the heir to an earldom. But disillusionment begins on Beth's wedding night. She is no longer a pampered princess. Her husband is master of her fate, her money, her person, her life. He can love her, starve her, beat her, sleep with as many women as he likes. He can abandon her . . . even kill her. And live happily ever after on her munificent dowry.

Occasionally, Beth sees flashes of the charming gentleman she thought she married. As a bitter winter on Dartmoor turns to spring, she struggles to make her marriage work. But events begin to suggest her husband is a madman or a murderer. Perhaps both.

Prior to Beth's wedding, Tobias Brockman sent Terence to Louisiana, where he assuages his anguish over Beth's marriage in the arms of an ambitious Creole, who clings to him all the way back to London. Where Terence discovers his "sacrifice" was in vain—his beloved Beth has suffered beatings by her husband, topped by a series of inexplicable accidents. A dash to Dartmoor reveals that the lovely, innocent young girl Terence once knew is totally disillusioned, determined never again to allow love into her life. Terence keeps trying, but their past mistakes continue to haunt them. Happily Ever After seems impossible for this pair of star-crossed lovers, but sometimes Fate does the strangest things . . .

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Next blog: The recipe for Coronation Chicken prepared for a luncheon prior to Queen Elizabeth's coronation way back when.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Courtesan's Letters

Abigail Todd, the very proper headmistress of an academy for young ladies in Boston, arrives in England to settle her grandmother’s estate, having no idea that her grandmother was la grande Clarisse, the most notorious courtesan of her day. Nor that in order to inherit the cottage, which is far grander than she had ever imagined, she must carry out a series of commissions, detailed in letters left by her grandmother. It is also stipulated in the Will that the estate’s executor must accompany Abby while she carries out the commissions.

The estate’s executor is Jared Verney, Earl of Langley. Not only is he a shining example of England’s ruling class, whom Abby despises, but his brother, a military man, helped burn Washington in the recent war. Not an auspicious way to begin a collaboration on eight commissions. To make matters worse, it was Jared’s grandfather who installed Abby’s grandmother in the cottage and frittered away his fortune showering her with gifts. Which means—oh horrors!—Abby and Jared may be cousins.

Only strict training in manners allows the stiff-necked American and the English aristocrat to move forward, carrying out Clarissa’s instructions. Over the course of the commissions, which range from sentimental to uncomfortable, threatening to a stunning surprise, the two antagonists begin to realize that Clarissa might have had an ulterior motive. Is it possible she hoped to achieve for Abby the wedding ring Clarissa was never offered by Jared’s grandfather? By the time Abby and Jared recognize the old courtesan’s scheme, it may be too late. Clarissa has bound them together as thoroughly as the ribbons around her packets of letters. But is it marriage the earl has in mind, or merely tumbling the proper Bostonian into her grandmother’s footsteps?

Reviews:

“This story flows like fine champagne, full of sparkle, zest and energy.”
Teresa Roebuck, Romantic Times

“The dialogue sparkles, the plot evolves at a brisk pace, and a diverse cast of secondary characters adds depth and texture to this well-written tale.”
Susan Lantz, Romance Reviews Today

“I was completely and utterly seduced by this book. . . . The plot is exquisite, a sparklingly innovative, perfectly executed piece of craftsmanship. . . . It is books like this that restore our faith in the Regency genre. . . .”
Celia Merenyi, A Romance Review

Grace Notes: The Courtesan’s Letters (formerly titled, The Indifferent Earl) was a finalist for the RITA, the “Oscar” of the Romance Writers of America. It was also chosen as Regency of the Year by Romantic Times magazine.

Also, my special thanks, as always, to Delle Jacobs for the provocative cover. Since neither one of us could picture using the au naturel painting described in the book on a traditional Regency cover, we settled for the pose and leave the rest to your imagination . . .

Thanks for stopping by. Grace's next Mosaic Moment features as guest blogger a budding author, age 8.

The Harem Bride

Miss Penelope Blayne is furious. A highly competent, well-traveled young woman of twenty-six, she is shocked when the aunt with whom she has lived for most of her life names a male guardian for Penny’s considerable inheritance until she is thirty. And, worst of all, the guardian is Jason Lisbourne, Earl of Rocksley, a man she has not seen since a dramatic incident a decade earlier.

Penny arrives at the earl’s estate in the midst of an ice storm, only to find a drunken party in progress. Horrified and angry, she is totally unprepared for the earl’s proposal the following morning: that it is time they take seriously the vows made under duress in a sultan’s harem ten years earlier.

Penny and Jason each recall their days in Constantinople and the disastrous event that began their personal tangle. What if’s abound, but common sense now demands they make the best of the noble sacrifice Jason made to save Penny from Sultan Selim, ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Also instrumental in Penny’s rescue is the British Ambassador, Lord Elgin, whose struggles to have his “marbles” accepted by the British Museum become part of the story of the Earl of Rocksley and his surprise bride.

Unfortunately, Penny’s debut as the Countess of Rocksley is marred by rumors of her time in the harem of the Topkapi palace and by Jason’s mistress, who just won’t take “no” for an answer. Penny’s attempts to fit into society, in both London and in Shropshire, come to naught, and she is the one who cuts the Gordian knot binding them together. Will Jason forge a more lasting tie? Does he want to? Or has he suffered enough for a youthful excess of heroism?

Author’s Note: The Harem Bride is a tad “warmer” than my other Regency romances, and perhaps not suitable for every reader.


Reviews:

“. . . The book also has an ambiance that is simply of a different flavor than that of a typical Regency. If you like daring and originality in your Regency authors, I suggest that you pick up all the Blair Bancroft titles you can get your hands on."
Barbara Hume, Rakehell

“Blair Bancroft does it again! . . . once again, she has offered us a tale rich with Regency settings, but unique in characters and plot. . . . Bravo, Ms. Bancroft, for not being afraid to shake the genre up a bit - I think the Prince Regent himself would have applauded your daring."
Celia Merenyi, A Romance Review

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I'm happy to announce that The Harem Bride is now available on Kindle and Smashwords. And keep in mind that Smashwords offers a 20% free read of all my indie-published books.

www.smashwords.com (search by title or Blair Bancroft) & www.amazon.com - choose Kindle store. (Otherwise you get a postive plethora of old print & e-versions of my books, not the brand new, re-edited hot-off-cyberspace versions.)

Thanks for stopping by. Next blog: Okay, You've Run Spell-Check. Now What?

Grace, w. a. Blair Bancroft

A Season for Love

What a long time for Blogspot to be down! I think Florida must have been on the bottom of the list to be restored. A Season for Love went up on Smashwords and Kindle nearly two weeks ago, and this is the first day I've been able to post. In other news, I've submitted Mistletoe Magic, a novella destined for an EC Cotillion Christmas anthology. As my first effort of less than 50,000 words, it was an interesting experience. And surprisingly satisfying for such a simple tale.

Below please find the lovely cover created by Delle Jacobs and a blurb for A Season for Love. The original Signet blurb failed to indicate this is a double love story. I hope I've managed to rectify that omission. Please tell me what you think.




The Duke of Longville, in need of an heir, is about to take a second wife—a sturdy young widow who followed the drum during Britain’s campaigns on the Peninsula and has proved her fertility by producing a child. But two weeks before the wedding, his long-estranged daughter arrives on his doorstep with a shocking announcement that tumbles all their lives into confusion.

The widowed Lady Eugenia Wharton, almost as strong-willed as her betrothed, has no illusions about why the Duke of Longville wishes to marry her. Unfortunately, that has not kept her from falling in love with him. Their future is destined for some memorable clashes, as she challenges his conviction that he is always right.

The duke’s daughter, Lady Caroline Carlington, has been raised in a home with egalitarian leanings. She does not want to make her come-out in London society, she does not approve of the ton, and she most particularly does not want a step-mother. And then one night in the duke’s bookroom, she meets exactly the type of useless nobleman she most abhors, a charming fribble named Anthony Norville. Caroline is startled by a sudden, if reluctant, attraction—until she discovers he is the brother of the woman who is about to become her despised step-mother. Which would make Tony Norville her uncle!

Anthony Norville, Viscount Frayne, is heir to an earldom. Resenting his father keeping him from the fight against Napoleon, he has retreated behind a façade of airy charm. Until he is caught in the conflict between Lady Caroline and his sister, and the side effects of the war reach London, forcing him to discover new depths within himself.

It takes riot, ransom, and considerable mental readjustment before both pairs of Regency lovers are reconciled against the unrest in London at the time of Waterloo.

Review:

“In a delightful dance worthy of any Regency Ball, Ms. Bancroft interweaves her characters into one fresh and cohesive romance, letting each find their desires in an effortlessly smooth narrative. . . . Blair Bancroft has captured the Regency and has a firm grasp on its nuances and idiosyncrasies.” Celia Merenyi, A Romance Review

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Coming soon: Part 2 of Writing 101 - Nuts & Bolts

Thanks for stopping by!

Grace

A Gamble on Love

I absolutely love the look on the heroine's face, above. She perfectly fits the daring, if desperate, young heroine in A Gamble on Love, previously published as The Lady and the Cit. When Delle Jacobs found this image, I liked it so much that I changed Miss Amelia's Trevor's hair color to match! I also tweaked a number of other things, including adding a definition of "Cit," as I hope the indie versions of my Regency novels will appeal to an audience broader than our loyal Regency aficionados.

Interesting sidenote: I uploaded Gamble on Wednesday, April 27, but soon discovered we indie authors may have been too enthusiastic about our brave new world. When I uploaded Lady Silence to Smashwords, I was #12 in line for being "smashed"; i. e., translated to various e-formats. Last Wednesday, to my horror, I was told Gamble was #3026! So it may take a while before it pops up on the Smashwords list. However, on Friday night I got "the call" from Kindle (via e-mail, of course). A Gamble on Love had made it to the Kindle store. Yay, hurray, two Regencies down and four more to go.

Below is the blurb for A Gamble on Love. The reviews are for the February 2005 Signet publication of The Lady and the Cit.

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Miss Aurelia Trevor has a problem. Until she reaches the age of twenty-five, she will have no control over her beloved Pevensey Park, and by that time her unscrupulous uncle will have run the property into the ground. Marriage to someone other than her uncle’s leering son is her only way out, but, one by one, she rejects the men on her list of suitors. In desperation, Aurelia does the unthinkable. She hires a solicitor to find her a husband strong enough to stand up to both her uncle and her cousin. And soon learns the truth of that old adage: Be careful what you wish for.

Thomas Lanning is a man of City. Unlike Aurelia, who stands to inherit vast land and wealth, he has made his own place in the world. He is not at all tempted by the suggestion of marriage to an heiress, but other considerations, such as a power base for a seat in Parliament, tweak his interest. Plus an unexpected twinge of chivalry when he hears the full extent of Miss Trevor’s difficulties with her uncle and his family.

Aurelia, who only wants to live in peace on her acres, finds she has acquired a ready-made family in Thomas’s younger sister and brother, as well as a head-strong husband whose campagin for MP fills her household with a shockingly odd assortment of characters. It seems her marriage of convenience is fast becoming a marriage of inconvenience. Just how far will this strong- willed pair bend to accommodate each other? And will they do it before it’s too late?

Reviews:

“Blair Bancroft’s warm and tender [novel] boasts a great heroine in Aurelia: She’s attractive, courageous, vulnerable and intelligent.” Robin Taylor, Romantic Times

“Reading how they gradually learn to like and eventually love each other is wonderful. Blair Bancroft is now definitely one of my favorite traditional Regency authors and this book is a prime example of why.” Nicole Hulst, Romance Junkies

“Set against a backdrop of rural politics (and a fascinating look at the early world of “buying” votes) this is a story that entrances, enlightens and endears.” Celia at A Romance Review

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Thanks so much for stopping by. A recent spate of contest-judging has led me to a blog next week I'm thinking of titling, "Writing 101." Come on back.

Grace