Welcome to another Fabulous Interview with the Fabulous Captain Jack-

Musical Influence: "Transcendence" Audiomachine (Epica,  2012)

I've been reading historical romance since before I became a teenagers. History fascinates me and has since before I can remember. The way that historians can wax poetical about war, famine, political strain in a way that keeps people intrigued is certainly some sort of art form. And to hear a country with rich history like England tell their side of the story (while an American listens in the background) amused me. But history is recounted in just one side of the story. Rarely can you hear all sides without exaggeration. This is why I made a list of places in London I wanted to see.






I've always wanted to take a stroll through Hyde Park. I'm a lover of the outdoors. I like to be surrounded by just the rustling of leaves and the tweet of birds. I love the sun beaming down over me and feeling like I'm alone. The sun was starting to set over the horizon, the air was brisk. Lovers held hands as they strolled down the paths and disappeared into mazes. Kids giggled as they roller skated past with their parents riding slowly behind them on bicycles.



In a bustling city, where people are constantly streaming by and cars are honking and zooming past, it was a place of solace and beauty hidden away for someone to stumble upon it.






I've always wanted to see Covent Garden as well but by the time I dallied at the pub where GPS met her across the pond twin, Yvette, and promptly made a new drinking buddy we'd drank the daylight away. So we headed into Covent Garden where the roads were lined in stone and the store fronts were lit up to entice patrons inside. I didn't get any pictures of the Royal Opera House or pictures of the lit up lined roads. I stared in awe at everything, soaking it up and storing it in my memory for later thought.



I'm in the middle of writing for NaNoWriMo and my fantasy story is based off legends and myths. I walked up to Stonehenge, the wind whipped around me. The magic of Stonehenge stole my breath away. There was something about stepping onto those hollowed grounds. I'm unsure I can explain it. To feel the grass beneath my hand, to step around the circle memorizing the pattern. How many people have done it before me? How many people stood in that same spot and fed their energy to the spirits. Awe-inspiring.



Have you ever wanted to visit a place you read in a book? Do you prefer to make up places when writing or use the actual city? To my NaNo writers, how are you doing so far this month?

Congratulations to JUANITA DECUIR who has won a copy of Blythe Gifford's new book! Please email romancewritersrevenge @ gmail dot com with your mailing details so I can forward it to Blythe.

Thanks!

Fran

I am reading some fantastic books right now. My latest finding--okay, it came in the mail from the publisher--was Cathy Maxwell's THE SCOTTISH WITCH. This is the second book in the trilogy of The Chattan Curse, where a faithless young man who had been handfasted to one lady, marries a rich heiress and betrays his love. The betrayed lady kills herself, and the mother curses the young man and his family in revenge. In a most dramatic fashion.

The first in this series, LYON'S BRIDE, was quite wonderful (and I've been on quite a streak with Ms. Maxwell--ever since the book with the vicar who was a highwayman!)--and this one was just as good. I'm sure Terri can provide the emails of me saying, "I'm reading the best book!" and "This book is so good!"

At the beginning of this novel, the hero, Harry, is in Scotland to find the witch--or someone who can help with breaking the curse that is now affecting his brother (the hero in LYON'S BRIDE) and his health. He doesn't want to lose his brother; and he certainly doesn't want this curse extending beyond his generation (assuming the heir his brother's wife is having is a boy and therefore cursed). Harry isn't having a lot of luck finding an appropriate witch; the folks there are rather unwilling to help him, due to some Scottish grudge.

The heroine, Portia, is in a bit of a bind. She needs some money fast to pay rent for her family (her sister and mother), or they're going to be evicted. The owner of the cottage they live in doesn't really care for them--and would use this as a ready excuse to get rid of them. Therefore when she finds out a young lord is tossing money around, looking for a witch, and she just happens to find a book in her attic that has a few spells written in it, she decides she can pass for a witch long enough to get rent. And she does.

It all goes downhill from there. Well, conflict wise for the characters. For the reader, it's a delightful read.

And the love scene is pretty darn awesome.

Due to this being a three-book series, the curse doesn't get resolved in this book--and on top of it, yet another Chattan is in love (and thereby cursed as well), so it will be up to the third Chattan sibling, a sister, to figure out how to break the curse before her brothers succumb. Like the previous novel, it is a Happy For Now ending and the theme that "you don't know how much time you have; be true to your feelings" is prevalent. I tend to gravitate to themes where love conquers all (and I'm sure that will come into play in the third book) and redemption, but I have to say this theme is a nice change of pace. It's a good reminder.

So if your TBR pile is dwindling, move this one to the top. It's spooky, a little paranormal, romantic and nicely dramatic (what with what the mother does to create the curse). A great escape.

What great escapes have you been reading lately?