Aaand it's here!

This is the last full-length novel in the Brazen Burrells series is the story of Bianca, The Duchess of Whiston. She was the first Burrell to marry, and the last to find her forever love. After a disastrous start, Bianca finds her forever love in the least expected place.

Her hero is an industrialist, who goes from self-made wealth to an unexpected inheritance that adds a lot of complications to his life. The research was really interesting, uncovering all kinds of things I'd had no idea happened this early. The Victorians are famous for the shift of society, from inherited wealth to the industrial magnates. That's why you can find so many 19th century art masterpieces outside London, in the museums and art galleries of the newly rich Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow.

Alex knows he's the third heir to a marquessate, but he's not interested in waiting around, or servicing the marquess, who has long been estranged from his nephews. He's rich in his own right, so he didn't need or care about inherited wealth. But then, the unexpected happens, and there he is, with a new empire of his own to build, and the bitter legacy from his family.

Then he finds Bianca. Her reputation is as a feckless, extravagant duchess, but Alex finds somebody completely different. Thoughtful, kind, intelligent...where had this woman been hiding in her scandalous years?

Added to which, there is a murder. To tell you who and how would definitely be a spoiler, so I'll just leave it at that.

So here it is, with the links so you can preorder the book.

Order The Book Here:

Amazon :   Publisher

The Talk Of The Town.

Once Bianca was the talk of the town. Now all she wants is a quiet life. Until murder and mayhem erupt around her - again.

When Bianca, Duchess of Whiston is invited to a house party at Stonyhurst, she is looking to restore her reputation. But it doesn't work out that way. The marquess's heir, Mr. Alexander Fraser, draws her as no other man has, not even her late husband.

Events escalate, until Bianca finds herself in the middle of a scandal she may never recover from.

Alex's father turned his back on his aristocratic heritage. He made a name for himself in the new, exciting world of industrial enterprise. He was so successful that his son came to be called the Midas of The North. But when the Marquess of Stonyhurst's three heirs die in battle, Alex becomes the heir, despite his desire not to be so.

Until he meets Bianca. Then he's not so sure about anything any longer, except that he wants her.

Order The Book Here:

Amazon :   Publisher

 

Here’s your extract. I do hope you enjoy it, and you want to read more!

Recent portraiture preferred to show the sitters in more casual attitudes. Her sister Viola had been painted in fancy dress, as the goddess Diana, a depiction her husband loved. George had wanted to see Bianca painted as Venus, but that commission had never come to pass. Too many debts to settle, too much to do. Like most of George’s schemes, it had dissolved into thin air.

“I didn’t know my older uncle and cousins’ deaths put me in the line of fire. All three of them, father and sons, died at Waterloo.”

“That’s so sad.”

“Yes it is. Officers above the rank of major are not expected to take the field, but they all ignored that. I salute their bravery.” They gave the three men a moment of silence.

“I thought I could ignore all this family duty,” he confessed as they moved on. “I wanted to.”

“Do you really want no part of all this?” She waved her hand, indicating the estate and by implication, the rest of the marquessate.

“I really don’t.” He turned to her. “I have no interest in old portraits. I confess, I did want to know if they looked anything like me, but apart from a superficial resemblance, I favor my mother’s side of the family more than my father’s.” He smiled. “My curiosity is satisfied in that. But I want to commemorate the first time I saw my ancestors in an unforgettable way.”

“Like what?”

“I want to remember this room as the place where I first kissed you.”

Lifting his hand he stroked her lower lip. Not as gently as he’d touched her nose, but he kept his touch light. Sensation radiated through her. She stood still, mesmerized by those dark, liquid eyes. “I want to know how your lips would feel under mine.” His voice lowered. “How good you taste.”

Lowering his head he kissed her, so gently he made her feel fragile. Untouched, as once she had been. When he slid his arm around her waist she didn’t resist, or step back as she should have. Torn, she waited. He deepened the kiss.

She waited no more. The objections rampaging through her head could just be quiet. One kiss? She would take it.

Bianca flung her arm around Alex’s neck, reveling in the fine tremor of his lips on hers as he registered her response. Did he think the desire was all on his side? He was about to discover different.

When he pressed harder, she opened to him, tilting her head so their kiss could deepen, become more passionate.

His tongue entered her mouth, hot and thrusting, desire burgeoning between them. His body hardened, muscles strengthening under her questing fingers. He cinched her close enough for her to feel his erection, as questing as her fingers. She answered him, curling the tip of her tongue around his, teasing, coaxing. Persuading.

He rewarded her with a groan low in his throat, a sound that reverberated through her body.

Then she heard something else. A gasp. Not hers.

Spreading her hand over his chest, ignoring her desire to explore, she pushed him away. “Did you hear that?”

“What?”

It was nothing. This woman was jumpy. He needed to take care of her.

He shoved his hand through his hair, pushing it into a rough approximation of his style. Hers would take more work. He’d cupped the back of her head while he kissed her.

He lifted his head and gazed at her, smiling. “We shouldn’t be doing this, but I’m glad we are.”

The continuing story of An Unusual Courtship

 

Frankie says hello!

What's new?

Well, An Unusual Courtship is doing well, especially considering the glut of Regencies on the market at the moment, so I'm pleased about that.

Writing is my solace and my joy, and through all my recent problems, I had an idea. Unfortunately it's not the kind of book Dragonblade is looking for, so I'm going to write this one, then look for a publisher for it. Dragonblade doesn't take Georgian romance (I know, Regency is part of the Georgian era!) and it insists that the romance is upfront and centre.

My current project is mid-Georgian set, and has a heavy dective/procedural thread. I've wanted to write it for years, so with everything else going on in my life, I've decided to indulge my passion for the era and for the events of the time.

Not that I don't love writing Regencies, but I fell in love with the 1750s, and never fell out of love.

But for those of you who love my Regency romances, never fear! I'm not abandoning them. They'll be another string to my bow, a refresher. The new project may come to nothing, but I'm writing it anyway.

And here's the promised excerpt. Sorry to keep you for so long!

An Unusual Courtship

A diplomat Earl and a scandal-ridden adventuress aren’t the perfect match—except in passion.

When Juliet Burrell meets Valerian, Earl of Langston, their attraction is immediate, but their path to happiness is littered with obstacles it will take all their strength to overcome. Val is a diplomat, looking for a well-connected, scandal-free bride to help further his career. Juliet is surrounded by constant scandal, even though none of it is of her making. And Val is engaged to be married to Juliet’s best friend.

But when Val discovers that his future bride is in love with someone else, he and Juliet join forces to help them and end up in a betrothal themselves. As Juliet gets to know Val better, she tumbles further into love with him, but she’s acutely aware that she is the exact opposite of what he needs. She cares for him too much to let him sacrifice everything for her and refuses to accept that their betrothal will result in marriage, even though their attraction has blossomed into passion.

Val wants Juliet, though he knows he might have to give up his treasured diplomatic career to have her. For years he’s engaged in the dark world of espionage, secrets, and lies, and he has done his job well and kept people safe. But he has always viewed his future in terms of the diplomatic work he is suited to, work that may not be possible with Juliet at his side.

It’s not long before trouble and tragedy plunge the Burrells into the mire once again, and Val may be the only one who can rescue Juliet from a situation that goes beyond scandal and into treason.

Is love worth the sacrifice he may have to make?

Order The Book Here:

Amazon :   Publisher

Here’s your extract. I do hope you enjoy it, and you want to read more!

Juliet caught her breath. Did he really mean to marry her? Or no, perhaps he only intended to use her while he needed a partner. Either way, she could not take Maria’s place. Could she? “Why do you need it?” she asked him. “Ambassadors don’t need to have wives.”

“This one does,” he said firmly. “Lords Liverpool and Castlereagh strongly prefer it. And the Tsar has expressed his preference for dealing with married men. I am not the only candidate for the position of Ambassador to Russia, and the others under consideration are married. If I arrive at that dinner without a betrothed in tow, I will not be considered for the post.”

“And you want it.”

“I do,” he confirmed. “But that’s not the only thing I want.” Bending his head, he tightened his arm around her waist and brought her hard against his chest. When her mouth dropped open in shock, he took advantage of it, and kissed her.

Cupping his cheek seemed natural, at least that was where her hand went, as if it knew what she wanted. And she responded, oh how she responded to his kiss. He gave no quarter, and she loved it, reveled in his passion. He touched her lips with his tongue, caressed the soft flesh and pushed inside.

Valerian kissed like an angel, or a devil—she didn’t know which, and at the moment she didn’t care. She slid her other hand around his waist, more to hold on and stop herself falling to the floor. That brought his lower body closer to her and his hard rod pressing against her stomach like a hot brand, one that marked, but caused no pain, only desire and passion.

He touched her tongue with the tip of his, teased it, played with her until she reacted, shyly at first, then with more confidence, especially when he gave a low groan. The sound vibrated deep within her, right through her and she shivered.

Immediately he finished the kiss and loosened his hold on her. When she did not move away, but instead moved closer, he slid his arm around her again, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. They stood together, the only sound in the room the quiet tick of the clock and their breathing. Carriages rolled past outside, and the sound of distant voices reached her ears, such a commonplace thing she seldom noticed it.

His shoulder was right there, so she rested her head on it.

“So is that a yes?” he asked.

“When you put it like that, I can hardly say no.”

He kissed her again.

A New Year and a New Book!

 

What's new?

The first bit of news I have for you is that later this month, I have a new release! (You might have guessed from the picture!)

I’ll start with the description, the order links and the lovely cover. And, of course, an excerpt.

An Unusual Courtship

A diplomat Earl and a scandal-ridden adventuress aren’t the perfect match—except in passion.

Welcome to the second book in the Brazen Burrells series, where scandal and adventure follow Juliet Burrell.

When Juliet Burrell meets Valerian, Earl of Langston, their attraction is immediate, but their path to happiness is littered with obstacles it will take all their strength to overcome. Val is a diplomat, looking for a well-connected, scandal-free bride to help further his career. Juliet is surrounded by constant scandal, even though none of it is of her making. And Val is engaged to be married to Juliet’s best friend.

But when Val discovers that his future bride is in love with someone else, he and Juliet join forces to help them and end up in a betrothal themselves. As Juliet gets to know Val better, she tumbles further into love with him, but she’s acutely aware that she is the exact opposite of what he needs. She cares for him too much to let him sacrifice everything for her and refuses to accept that their betrothal will result in marriage, even though their attraction has blossomed into passion.

Val wants Juliet, though he knows he might have to give up his treasured diplomatic career to have her. For years he’s engaged in the dark world of espionage, secrets, and lies, and he has done his job well and kept people safe. But he has always viewed his future in terms of the diplomatic work he is suited to, work that may not be possible with Juliet at his side.

It’s not long before trouble and tragedy plunge the Burrells into the mire once again, and Val may be the only one who can rescue Juliet from a situation that goes beyond scandal and into treason.

Is love worth the sacrifice he may have to make?

Order The Book Here:

Amazon :   Publisher

 

Here’s your extract. I do hope you enjoy it, and you want to read more!

Lord Langston's shout of laughter echoed off the walls of the narrow street. They had passed the inn, and were walking past a line of small, soot-blackened terraced houses. “You’re a budding diplomat, my dear Miss Burrell!”

He guided Juliet around, and they began to stroll back. “I’m waiting for a new diplomatic assignment,” he told her. “So I’ll be in London longer this time.” He paused, and stared at her, his eyes narrowed. “Ah. May I?” Reaching into his pocket, he came out with a clean linen handkerchief. He wrapped the cloth around his forefinger and touched her jaw.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning a smut,” he said absently, dabbing the spot. His touch felt like fire on her skin, even though two layers of fabric. Three, because his gloves would be lined. But through all of it she felt him, as if he was touching her skin to skin.

He glanced up from his self-assigned task into her eyes, smiling. “All done,” he said. When he unwrapped the handkerchief, he nearly dropped it, but she caught it deftly and stared at it. “I appreciate the assistance my lord. I’ll have the linen laundered and returned to you.” She slipped it into her pocket. London’s chimneys constantly wept the black, greasy smuts that were the result of the coal fires. The handkerchief certainly bore the evidence of one.

She might also sleep with it under her pillow tonight, but that was her business and nobody else’s. They resumed walking, her hand resting on his arm. “How is your lady mother?” she asked.

“Ah.” He paused. “She is back in London. She said she has done so as a favor to me, returning from her new home in Brighton. I suspect she’ll lease that one, since her reason for being there has gone.”

“I thought she had decided to retire from London,” she said. If Lady Langston had not been very well-connected, and wealthy in her own right, society would have turned its back on her years ago. Juliet had never met her, but her reputation went before her. Her discreetly scandalous affaires had not affected her son’s career. Probably because she was linked in one way or another to half the royal families of Europe—the ones the Bonapartes had left alone, that was.

“She did, but that ended, and she discovered Brighton was a terribly vulgar place.” He smiled indulgently, and his face transformed from harshness to a strange beauty, his mobile mouth softening and his eyes gaining a sparkle she hadn’t been aware of before.

“Don’t you mind your mother having affairs?” she asked before she could control her unruly tongue.

“Not at all,” he replied as if she had not been unconscionably rude. “They keep her happy, and stop me tearing out my hair when she buys hideous Egyptian furniture.”

She had to admit he had very glossy, thick hair, currently swept back into a neat style she could not identify. Although undoubtedly dressed well in a dark gray coat, darker waistcoat, and pantaloons—just the thing for town wear—nothing made him stand out. A single fob on his watch chain, polished Hessian boots without gold tassels, and a gleaming beaver hat completed his outfit.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I shouldn’t have asked such a personal question about your mother.”

“No matter,” he said softly. “I would much rather have at least one friend who told the truth. My world is so full of half-truths and dissimulation, I find a straightforward conversation refreshing.”

They had reached the end of the alley, arriving back where they started.

She held out her hand for him to shake. “Thank you, sir. I enjoyed talking with you again.”

At her nod, McCarrick stepped to the edge of the pavement and held out his hand to hail a cab. He was about to put his fingers to his mouth to whistle one up, when Lord Langston held out a hand, palm open. “Wait. You are surely not planning to travel in a public vehicle?”

Facing him, she raised a brow. “Why not? I dislike sedan chairs, and so it is either a cab or walking.”

“Is there not a family carriage you can use?”

They came from such different worlds. Juliet thought nothing of getting a public vehicle indeed, but she answered him politely enough. “I’m used to it, and it’s something I can do without fuss. Every vehicle in Whiston’s stable bears his crest, so I can’t travel without being noticed if I take one. Bianca took the best carriage this morning to go shopping in Bond Street, but I had no mind to go with her.”

The other brow went up, arched and fine, winged like—well, like Lucifer. “You turned down shopping in Bond Street for a visit to a bookshop?”

“Of course.”

“I see. I would be honored to take you home. Fortunately I’m in the phaeton today, so you need not worry about propriety.”

“Since it’s a vehicle open to the weather?” She glanced up. “I see the sun is about to make an appearance. A bashful one, it is true, but it is lurking with intent behind that cloud.” Her comment gave her time to think. Yes, she could go with him. It would be better than a cab stinking of fish or worse, and she would spend more time with him. “Very well, sir. Thank you.”

“I told my groom to bring the carriage here at two,” he said. He pulled his watch out of its pocket. Gold, she noted, but plain and without enamel or jewels—a watch made for use. He flipped the cover open. “He should be here any minute.”

As he spoke, the Cathedral made its presence known. The creaking, clicking sound which presaged the announcing of the hour, followed by the initial bing-bong, bing-bong of the bells made Juliet grit her teeth and clench her fists. “At least it’s only—” she managed before the second peal started. The four quarters duly chimed, the great bell sounded its first boom! “Two o’clock,” she managed to get out before the second one.

His lordship smiled through the ordeal, not even trying to speak. He looked over her head as the brief silence was replaced by the usual chatter, shouts, and grinding roll of carriage wheels. “Here it is.”

Indeed, there it was. The carriage looked as if it would fall apart at the first breath of wind, but of course it would not. A miracle of the carriage-maker’s art, drawn by two high-stepping, glossy chestnut horses, she could only admire the equipage. “My sister Viola would love this. She enjoys driving.”

“What about you?” he said, as the groom pulled up before them with only the slightest touch on the reins. “Do you enjoy driving?”

“Sometimes. I prefer riding.” Unlike Juliet, Viola was a veritable magician with the reins but disliked riding as she had a small deformity that made riding difficult. Her husband was giving her lessons, she said, but Juliet got the sense that more than riding horses was involved in those lessons.

“Allow me to help you up,” he said, moving closer. “The foot rest is a little slippery. I would hate for you to fall.”

He came closer, in the shadow of the carriage, she only had the warning of a twinkle in his eye and a wicked grin before he bent and kissed her.

It was nothing but a brush of the lips, could easily have happened accidentally. It had not. Her lips tingled, and she closed her eyes briefly as he bent and cupped his hands to act as a step up to the high seat. .

It was a kiss—she could not be more certain. His groom stepped down and handed his master the reins as Langston rounded the carriage and leaped nimbly into the driver’s place. “Consider it your fare,” he murmured, as he clicked his tongue and set the horses into motion. She sat there, staring ahead of her.

He’d kissed her. The tingles spread from her lips through her whole body, bringing her alive. She was not even aware if McCarrick had jumped up behind with the liveried groom. She was so confused.

Other News

I am genuinely so excited. I loved writing this book. I start all my books with a plan, but sometimes I get halfway through and I know the hero or heroine won’t do what I’ve planned for them. I have to make them do it. So instead, I stop and re-plot. That means I know the characters better. And that’s when the story comes alive. If that happens, I go back and revise the whole thing, make sure the character I now know better behaves in the way he or she should.

Of course it happened with this book, and it was drastic. The heroine and hero liked each other, but there was no way they would fall in love.

The main Brazen Burrells series had three heroines and three heroes. The hero of the first book, Knowsley, fell for Viola the minute he set eyes on her. But the heroine of the second book, the clever Juliet, wanted someone impossible, the betrothed of her best friend. I had to give him to her, didn’t I? But they couldn’t have an easy journey to their happy ending, and they didn’t.

And then, the second book led into the third book, but you’ll have to wait until later in the year for that one.

 

Writing is my solace, my joy and my escape, but sadly, I haven’t been able to do any writing for the last few weeks. As some of you know, a family crisis stopped me putting out my newsletter last month. I’m so grateful for those of you who sent me your best wishes, and your support. Thank you so much. The events are now settling into their new grooves, although there is a lot to do before we can see where we are. I’ve never had a Christmas like it, and I don’t want another one ever.

 

  Lynne Connolly

 

November News!

 November News

I've moved up to the Regency! Not for all my books, but certainly for the current series, and probably the next one, too.

Although the Regency is still part of the Georgian period (George IV died in 1830) it has a different feeling and character to the earlier ones. Most obvious is the fashion, where gentlemen abandoned the wigs and turned to plainer garb. Beautifully tailored, but the frills and extravagance of the earlier period went out the window.

And of course it was a time of war. Most of the period, up to 1815, was spent at war. Even after the war there were years of uncertainty and finagling as treaties were signed and borders on the Continent rearranged. A really interesting time, and a lot of research to be done!

You know me, I love a bit of research, so I've been working hard, reading some really good books and making scads of notes. I don't want my stories to be superficial. While I love a good romp, I like it to have an authentic background.

Like the writer who started it all, Georgette Heyer. She created the Regency genre, although she didn't set out to do that. She discovered her passion for the Regency and that was that.

But I don't take my history from any fiction, even the Divine Georgette. So if you have any great non-fiction accounts of the period, do get in touch!

Book News

I'm currently in edits with the second book in the Brazen Burrells series. My editor at Dragonblade left, and I have a new, shiny editor, who is lovely, and thorough! But the delay in changing editors has made the gap between books a bit longer. It won't be long now! And I'm mostly done with the third and last book in the main series. I've loved writing these stories, and I've found a way to continue, a new series, a new family with different problems, but with links to the Burrells. I've put a new extract from the first book below for you. At the theatre, Gerald takes things a little too far...

The Only Honest Man In London - Extract

 

When the adventuress and the earl meet – sparks fly!

Welcome to book 1 in the new series The Brazen Burrells by USA Today Bestselling author Lynne Connolly.

When the Burrell sisters take the ton by storm, nobody is more surprised than Viola. The whirlwind of their elevation to the highest in the land pushes her into the arms of the Earl of Knowsley. Viola is lost, all her careful plans abandoned. She has nothing to offer but her beauty. A hidden disability has taken away her confidence and her grace. If she gives him her heart, will he give her a ring, or a carte blanche?

Gerald wants to marry, but not to the ravishing beauty who entrances him from the first time he sets eyes on her. He wants a rational marriage with moderate affection, not the tempest of passion Viola leads him into.

From an encounter in the sordid London docks, to a presentation at court, to riding lessons in the park, Viola and Gerald grow closer, until the actions of her sister and his best friend threaten to force them apart.

If they survive this, they can survive anything. If they don’t, they’ll part forever.

The Brazen Burrells

Book 1 - The Only Honest Man in London

Book 2 - An Unusual Courtship

Book 3 - The Talk of the Town

Buy The Book Here

Excerpt

“Where do you come from?” he asked.

“I was born in Dublin, and we had a Season in Edinburgh.”

“ You’re Irish?”

“Partly. Is that a crime, sir?”

He smiled. “Not when they resemble you. My dear, if Ireland has any more like you, let them all come.”

“Irish ladies are much like the ones here.”

Lifting his hand, he slowly touched the back of one finger to her cheek. “Beautiful.”

She jerked back, heat rushing to her face. “Sir!”

“I could not resist. Your skin invites touch, Ma’am.”

She turned, ready to flounce. “If you will excuse me, sir …”

She made to walk past, but in a move she could not predict or expect, he took her arm and whisked her behind a curtain into a small space. Where was her footman? Good Lord, there was a daybed here! “What is this place?”

“Not many people know of these convenient little nooks, but the management understands the needs of their customers.”

Well good Lord, were these society men all priapic? Did they need convenient nooks to satisfy their whims?

Viola was confused, flustered, angry, aroused, all at the same time.

He did not release her this time, but drew her closer. Unaccountably, her breath shortened, and the flush that had risen to her cheeks flooded over her whole body and turned into the heat of desire. She wanted, and she didn’t want. This was wrong, she knew it, but in the second before his mouth came down on hers, she could do nothing but turn her face up, and wait.

His lips cushioned hers, firm and masculine, and they tasted so good. She savored the tang of brandy, but the rest was all him. His arm came around her, holding her while he plundered. The kiss turned passionate, transmitting everything he had said only with his eyes before.

It confirmed everything she’d suspected. She would give him anything, just for the asking. And she didn’t care. Sin had never tempted her so much as it did now. She longed for him, wanted what he would give her.

Still in the kiss, he drew her further into the room until the backs of her knees touched the edge of something. When he urged her down, she went, finding the soft resistance of the daybed behind her.

And still he kissed her, leaving her to draw breath, and enter into the fray again. Viola had lost all her words, only soft moans coming from her lips as he kissed her cheek, her throat, and then moved her gown aside to kiss the exposed part of her bosom. She gasped as thrills coursed through her, turning her blood to champagne. Nobody had touched her there, nobody had ever stroked her skin so gently with such extreme results.

“Sir!”

“Gerald,” he murmured between kisses. He returned to her mouth, gazing down at her as he cupped her cheek and kissed her again. Willingly, she gave him what he wanted because it was what she wanted, too.

“You are like no one else I’ve met before."

See you soon!

 

July news. A new release!

 

News

Finally, I have a new release! I'll put the details below for you. And the link! I've been talking about this one for a while, so here, finally it is for you! It's out on July the fourteenth, but it's currently up for preorder.

The Only Honest Man In London

When the adventuress and the earl meet – sparks fly!

Welcome to book 1 in the new series The Brazen Burrells by USA Today Bestselling author Lynne Connolly.

When the Burrell sisters take the ton by storm, nobody is more surprised than Viola. The whirlwind of their elevation to the highest in the land pushes her into the arms of the Earl of Knowsley. Viola is lost, all her careful plans abandoned. She has nothing to offer but her beauty. A hidden disability has taken away her confidence and her grace. If she gives him her heart, will he give her a ring, or a carte blanche?

Gerald wants to marry, but not to the ravishing beauty who entrances him from the first time he sets eyes on her. He wants a rational marriage with moderate affection, not the tempest of passion Viola leads him into.

From an encounter in the sordid London docks, to a presentation at court, to riding lessons in the park, Viola and Gerald grow closer, until the actions of her sister and his best friend threaten to force them apart.

If they survive this, they can survive anything. If they don’t, they’ll part forever.

The Brazen Burrells

Book 1 - The Only Honest Man in London

Book 2 - The Talk of the Town

Book 3 - An Unusual Courtship

Buy The Book Here

Anything new?

I'm working on the next two books in the series. The second one is nearly done, and the third is planned and ready to be written.

For a while during Covid I totally lost the will to write. But it's definitely back now.

On the second weekend of July, I'll be at the RNA Conference. I love that conference, and the people who attend. It's too good to miss. We're at the Harper Adams campus in Shropshire this year. It's a beautiful part of the country, and I always enjoy going there.

See you soon!

 

What's happening in May?

 

News

Well, since I spoke to you last, I've had Covid. All of us in the house caught it at the same time, so we were sufferers together. This nasty disease seems to attack your weak spots, so we all reacted differently to it.

But without the vaccines we've had, it would have been a lot worse. As it was, we stayed at home drinking lots of tea and sleeping a lot. We're over it now, mostly, but I'm still sleeping a lot!

Sadly, I've had to cancel my appearance at the Historical Romance Retreat this year. I know, I know, but the obstacles are very high this year, and with none of my particular friends planning to go, I would have been a lonely author. And I have a few health issues I need to deal with.

But for those of you who are going, send lots of pictures, and have a great time! Tell them I'm thinking of them!

The Only Honest Man In London

It's now in edits! I'm really, really happy that this will be coming out soon! I'm also preparing a new series that I plan to send to Dragonblade. I'm just about there with it. Lush romance, and a little longer this time, now I'm back into the swing of writing again.

Now for the not-so-good news.

I heard from Carina that they don't want any more books in the Ash and Juliana series. I'm more than disappointed. The books had a bunch of friends, and I'm still wondering whether to bring more books out on my own. Self-publish. Since Carina is keeping the rights to the first two for now, they'd be a hard sell to another publisher, but I could make it work. The first two books are in the way of an origin story, so the series could continue as a historical detective story, with all the elements in place. But they wouldn't be romance, so I'd have to research new publishers. I have more plots laid out and ready to go.

But I'm really not very good at self-publishing, and the prospect worries me. In case you were wondering, I question myself all the time. Am I good enough? Should I just give up completely?

And the new stuff

New proposals are on the way!

And in July, I'll be at the RNA Conference. I love that conference, and the people who attend. It's too good to miss. We're at the Harper Adams campus in Shropshire this year. It's a beautiful part of the country, and I always enjoy going there.

Get Racing Hearts For Free!

 

Italian race car tycoon Ronan Miller is on the cusp of achieving his elaborate revenge when he meets flame-haired back-up driver Georgia Trent. Intrigued by the beautiful and risk-loving beauty, he thinks he can use her as an instrument of his revenge, but after a spontaneous night of passion, he has other plans until fate knocks them both on a different track.

Racing Hearts has been chosen to appear in Apple's promotion First as Free in Sports Romance. This title will be free April 12 - April 30 in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland.

I loved writing these stories. The characters just came alive as I wrote them. And there's three in this series!

Don't delay - get it today!

 

 

 

 

A new series!

 

News

First, I just want to say how much I appreciate you all. Really. Some of you have been reading my books for years, and you write to me. I read every letter, and I love hearing from you. It tells me I'm on the right (or wrong) track.

Let's start with the good stuff.

A New Trilogy

Dragonblade has contracted a new series. I'm so happy to tell you! It's about the Burrell sisters, who featured briefly in Lyon Eyes, The Lair Of The Burrells and On Christmas Day In The Morning.

Now, finally, it's their turn.

The stories start with The Only Honest Man In London. The Burrells arrive in London, very poor. They've scraped enough together to afford a house for the season, so they are going to take their chance. Viola Burrell, the eldest daughter, has a secret, a disability that is fairly knew, one she's still learning to cope with. But this is their one chance to find husbands, and the security that was never certain in the Regency era.

The Earl of Knowsley is attracted to the lovely Viola Burrell, but with the whole of society suspicious of these newcomers, he keeps his distance. Until the reckless acts of his childhood friend, the Duke of Whiston, pulls Viola into his vicinity, and he can't resist her any longer. But she isn't the wife he needs, just the one he wants. Badly.

And there's the lovely cover, above.

The first book is in for edits, and I'm waiting on the release dates.

Now for the not-so-good news.

I was so very excited to write the stories of Ash and Juliana, and their exploits catching criminals in Georgian London. Carina bought the books, and after the second book in November, I sent in a detailed proposal for two new books.

I've heard nothing since. So to be honest, you know as much as I do about them, and I'm sorry, because I've had enough letters to tell me that people want more of them. And as they came to life under my fingers, i really wanted to find out what happens next with them.

And the new stuff:

I've worked on proposals for two new series, both Regency, because the era, new to me, seems to have rekindled my writing mojo, which has been absent for so long. One is another detective series with a new premise for a new era, but strong on the romance, and the other is about a family damaged by their parents' behaviour. They have one chance to mend, and they're going to take it.

Let's see how they do!

I know, I hear you on self-publishing, and while I've had success with my backlist re-releases, I don't seem to be able to get the hang of stuff, especially the promotion. My heart isn't in it, and it turns writing into a chore. I'm still working on how to manage that.

Historical Romance Retreat.

I was scheduled to appear at the Historical Romance Retreat this October in San Diego, but unfortunately, I can't make it. I'm so sorry.

But if you go, have a great time, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

See you soon!

February news and other stuff

 

As the world goes mad, we can retreat into the past and remind ourselves - it was always like this.

News

The more I read history books and look at past newspapers and letters, it's weirdly comforting to realise that the world was always in some kind of chaos. But they muddled through, and we will, too.

I'm writing again! I've found the joy again, the ability to lose myself in a book, reading and writing, too. Maybe we really are turning things around.

So, new stories!

Happy February!

Remember this?

It started a new collection of stories. There are two novellas in Dragonblade anthologies that are shortly going to come out as standalone stories. If you wanted to buy Once Upon a Midnight Dreary, or Star of Wonder, you'd better hurry up, because they're coming off the shelves soon. Or you could just wait for the novellas, brand new covers and officially part of the Brazen Burrells series.

It started with Lyon Eyes, when the hero's sister married into the Burrell family. I could just see the story unfolding before my inner eyes. It's a joy.

Perhaps moving to the Regency era was the answer.

The series is called The Brazen Burrells. It's about Frank's three sisters, and their daring attempt to find husbands in the London season. Each sister gets a book of her own.

The three sisters are getting older, but they and their mother are determined to have at least one season. If one of the sisters can find a husband willing to sponsor the others, then maybe more.

The Burrells are like many of the women on the edge of society at these times. They are respectably born, but not a member of the "club" that was high society, the interwoven network of families that ruled the country at that time.

What they have is spectacular beauty, and what we might call chutzpah. Or plain cheekiness, and just enough money to hire a house in Mayfair. They have a modest dowry apeice, and that's about it.

They become that season's sensation. May, 1816 was when the only daughter of the Regent, and heir to the throne after him married, so 1816 was a busy season. it was also the Year Without A Summer, but I'll talk about that another time.

Of course there are obstacles, and of course there are sexy, handsome heroes to sweep my heroines off their feet.

Sounds like a fairy tale, doesn't it?

But it isn't. Not entirely.

I based their stories on the Gunning Girls, three Irish girls who took London by storm in the mid eighteenth century. There were three, but it's the oldest two most people concentrate on.

Maria Gunning married the Earl of Coventry. She died young, but I'm not putting that part in.

Elizabeth Gunning lived much longer, and married two dukes. She was known as the Double Duchess.

They did spectacularly well. Elizabeth had eight children over the course of her two marriages, which makes my eyes water slightly!

So I wrote a series about them, but I only used them as inspiration. So while that kind of success didn't happen often, it did happen, and now I'm writing about it.

Anyway, I do hope you're all doing well and thank you so much for helping me to keep my career alive. See you soon!

More Ash and Juliana!

 

The second Ash and Juliana book is out this week!

Here's the blurb:

From glittering ballrooms to London’s dark underbelly, Ash & Juliana are back on the hunt for a murderer in the second installment of this thrilling historical mystery series from L.C. Sharp.

The London ton protect their own. Even when it comes to murder.

“There’s been an incident.”

In the finer circles of 1749 London, incident is apparently the polite way to describe discovering a body with a gruesome wound and no sign of the killer. But for newlyweds Lady Juliana and Sir Edmund “Ash” Ashendon, it’s a chance to track down the culprit and right a wrong—something they are both intimately familiar with.

Indeed, it is the only thing they are intimately familiar with. For the moment.

Though their marriage may be one of convenience, there’s nothing convenient about learning the victim has ties to a name from their past: the dreaded Raven. And the Raven isn’t the only danger they face. The aristocracy protects its own, and in London’s darkest corners, no one wants to be unmasked.

With Juliana’s life on the line, time is running out for Ash to find the killer before their marriage comes to an inconveniently bloody end.

Ash & Juliana

Book 1: The Wedding Night Affair
Book 2: The Sign of the Raven

The reviews are astonishingly good, and I'm thrilled to bits. To be honest, I was thrilled while I was writing it, because I know this series is one of the best things I've done. Everything is coalescing in this series - my love of the period, my love of the characters and the work I've done on this slow-burn of a series.

Slow burn to you, the reader, that is. I wrote the first version a few years ago, and my agent helped me hone it, but I already had a long vision for this series. I know where it is going to go, for the most part.

The characters, Ash, Juliana, their family and their friends and colleagues have a lot of story to come. In this book one situation is resolved, but another rears its head, and there will be a lot of trouble to come. Ash and Juliana have to stand firm to overcome it all.

In this book, Juliana confronts her parents, Ash confronts his feelings for his wife of convenience and they meet new friends, and allies. Meet Dr. Parrish, a surgeon who also lectures at the only surgeon's college at the time. A slave for the first few months of his life, Dr. Parrish is clever, modest and harshly kind. You might even love him as much as I do!

The enigmatic and dangerous Duke of Abercrombie makes an appearance, as does the journalist Ransom, who sticks Ash with a new nickname. He's set to make a fortune off his recounting of Ash and Juliana's exploits. Their Dr. Watson, you might say. And his sister, his guilty secret, the woman who made a new life for herself after escaping her abusive husband.

Not forgetting the scoundrelly duo of the child Col, and Cutty Jack, pickpocket, con man, and link-boy, who is heading for greater things. But not quite yet.

They're all there. After a murder of a man in the highest ranks of society, they all pitch in to help solve the crime, along with the king of London's underworld, The Raven. Ash learns more about The Raven, a secret that will rock his world.

I base the books on a real incident in history, this time the rehearsal of a grand fireworks show for which Handel wrote the music. The rehearsal went brilliantly (apart from the murder, which is my contribution to the story), but the real event, a week later, was a farce. Rain and fireworks don't do well together.

Anyway, here is the link to the book, and I really hope you enjoy it! The Sign of The Raven at Carina Press

 

New Book – New Name!

May 18, 2021 Lynne ConnollyLeave a comment

An unlikely pair explores the darkest corners of London society in this thrilling historical mystery.

The year is 1748, and Lady Juliana Uppingham awakens in a pool of blood, with no memory of how her new husband ended up dead beside her. Her distaste for her betrothed was no secret, but even so, Juliana couldn’t possibly have killed him…could she?

Juliana’s only hope is Sir Edmund Ashendon, a dashing baronet with a knack for solving seemingly unsolvable crimes—and a reputation for trouble. A man as comfortable in the rookeries of St. Giles as he is in the royal court, Ash believes Juliana is innocent, though all signs point to her as the killer. He doesn’t expect to develop a soft spot for the spirited widow, one that only grows when escalating threats against Juliana force Ash to shelter her in his home.

When another body is found, it becomes clear that Juliana has been dragged into something much, much bigger than simply her husband’s murder. With a collection of deadly black-tipped feathers as their sole clue and a date at the end of a hangman’s noose looming, they’ll have to find the real killer—before it’s too late.

Buy the book here

Harlequin : Carina Press : Amazon : Apple Books : Barnes and Noble : Google Play : Kobo

Ash & Juliana
Book 1: The Wedding Night Affair
Book 2: The Sign of the Raven

All right, this is a bit different to my usual posts. But here we are.

I have a new book out, under a new name! Why a new name? Because Lynne Connolly writes romance, and L.C. Sharp writes historical mystery! These books are mystery/detective stories with a hint of romance, rather than romance with a touch of something else.

New look, too! Check out the website, lcsharp.com to see what I mean.

I didn’t want my romance readers expecting something from the book that isn’t there, so I took a lesson from others, and created a new name for the mystery books. Still set in the eighteenth century, where my heart is, mostly in London, but the same couple feature as central characters in every book. They meet and marry in the worst of circumstances, and build their lives over the following books, collecting new members of their team along the way.

Of course, I’ve written books like that before, but Richard and Rose turned into a deeply romantic pair, with family problems that dominated their stories. And I don’t usually write “pure” romance, there is usually another story attached. I’m thrilled to bits with this new series, so here we go!

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce Ash and Juliana to you! He is a lawyer who, unusually for the time, works on criminal cases. She is the sheltered daughter of a wealthy and influential aristocrat, who is married off to a brute, and widowed shortly after. Ash steps into the breach.

In writing this series I became aware that there was so much different to our legal system today, and I want to write a series of articles and blog posts about that, as time goes by.

Here’s the official details of the first book in the series. It’s published by Carina Press, who have been really helpful and supportive all the way through this enterprise.

I love this pair, and I love this series. I will most certainly be continuing with it. The second book, The Sign Of The Raven is out later this year.

April News(?)

 

I’ve been working on a new project, but it’s not romance, or not entirely romance, so that’s a new name. And I’m working on some proposals for my current publishers. Sadly, that doesn’t include Kensington. Although I don’t plan to reclaim the books I have there just yet, I won’t be active with them. Various reasons, but you do run your course with a publisher, or so I’ve found. I loved being there, especially in the early days, but things changed drastically in the last couple of years.

So the Society of Single Ladies is done at three books, but never fear, I have more stories planned, including a series I’ve wanted to write for ages now.

I also have a contemporary romance series that is a few years old, but I want to see it out in the public domain once more, so I’ll read it through and get it out again. It’s hotter than my historicals, some of the books bordering on the erotic, and it was great fun to write. At the time I wrote it, people were concentrating on BDSM as if it was the be-all and end-all. But I wanted to show there was much more to erotic romance than that!

Well, although I’m beavering away, there isn’t a great deal of actual news. I suspect most of us are in the same boat. We’ve been locked down for so long that our days are restricted to what we can do in our houses and locally. But I have discovered breadmaking, which I’ve been enjoying. So has my family, so I don’t have a picture to show you! Not banana bread though, because I don’t particularly like it.

I’ve had my first vaccine, and I get the second in May. So looking forward to this virus being done, although I don’t think it’s the last one we’ll see, sadly. I’d love to be wrong about that. I’m so looking forward to all the things I used to take for granted – a nice lunch in a beer garden, visiting my friends and actually going into their houses, the wine and board games parties my friends and I used to enjoy, so long ago, it seems!

 

Sorry about the brevity of this newsletter, but really, I don’t want to waste your time talking about things that you are probably doing yourselves. Except – please look after yourselves and be kind!

The Holidays in 2020 and in 1720-1820

 I thought we'd never see the end of this year, and believe me that's not my usual sentiment in December! This has been a "what have we done to deserve this?" kind of year. I'm not going to go on about politics, pandemics and global warming, this isn't the place for it, but we've all been affected by those, and it's all been a bit grim.

 

So what about the past?

They didn't have it easy, either. In fact, they often had it worse. We have central heating, running water and modern devices like dishwashers to help us through our misery. They didn't. But like us, they had times of celebration and Christmas was one of those. These days we know it as "the holidays," to try to include all the celebrations going on at this time of year, but back then, Christmas was emphasised over all the others.

In the period I write in, the Georgian era, Christmas trees were not usual. They became popular in the Victorian era. And Christmas lasted for twelve days. What traditions existed were often locally-based, but if there has been a detailed study of them all, I've never seen them.

Old traditions were continued, like the night when servants and masters changed places, but it all centralised on feasting. Most of the images of 18th century Christmas show people eating and drinking, like the one above.

Perhaps next year!

 

The Park in December

 

For those of you who like pictures of the park where I take my daily walk, here is what it looks like at the end of November. It's much the same today. We don't have snow yet, but we do have plenty of rain! And just look at that gorgeous sky!

 

December at Last!

 

I have a new book out this month!

It's set at Christmas 1760, two years after the epilogue of the last Dersingham book.

Rhona sent the love of her life away once, but now Frederick is back. He doesn’t care that she’s a housekeeper and he’s a wounded soldier, the brother of a duke. For the three nights of Christmas, he’ll give her three gifts; wooden figures he carved for her in the long nights before his last battle. They represent their past, their present, and what they could have in the future.

If she doesn’t accept his love this time, he’ll leave for good.

You can get the anthology here, and it's only 99 cents! https://www.amazon.com/Night-Divine-Collection-Spirited-Christmas-ebook/dp/B08F5LSDN7

  

 

New For November: Virginia And The Wolf

Virginia, Lady Dulverton, feels safer keeping the world at a distance. One man sees through her reserve to the woman beneath: the infamously rakish Francis, Earl of Wolverley. Now a widow, Virginia is wrangling with the terms of her late husband’s will. When she realizes Francis is in danger because of his connection to her, she feels compelled to help, regardless of the hazard to her own heart.

Francis has worked hard to strengthen his inheritance. But he’s also found time to play. Despite his many dalliances, his affections have never been involved. Those belong entirely to a woman he could never have. When he’s attacked in the street and told to leave Virginia alone, he decides to do exactly the opposite . . .

With the help of the Society for Single Ladies, they set out to discover who is targeting Virginia, and why. It’s a race that will lead to the Devonshire coast, a smuggling ring, and a love that, however perilous, is worth waging countless battles . . .

You can order the book here:

Apple : Amazon : Google Play : Kobo : Nook

Extract from Virginia And The Wolf

A hush fell at the end of the room, as Virginia was talking to Miss McLennon, her back to the company. Alerted to the tension around her, Virginia turned around, taking her time. Until she saw who had entered the room.

At the far end of the white and gold room, with its feminine curlicues and twists stood two men. Two extremely masculine men. But they did not look as if they didn’t belong there. They looked as if they owned the place.

Despite his elaborate silks and lace, the Duke of Colston Magna fooled nobody. He was no namby-pamby idiot. Inside that outrageous pink silk coat resided a powerful male with a fearsome reputation for never losing a duel, or a bout of fisticuffs. Those lily-white hands had pounded Col’s opponent into oblivion more than once in the boxing studio.

“One wonders why he is so angry. Beneath that pretty surface he is simmering,” Angela murmured.

The Earl of Wolverley wore scarlet and gold, the brilliants sewn into his waistcoat flashing as he moved. But not as much as his eyes. Those eyes held the promise of murder, and Virginia was afraid it was for her. Although they had parted in ostensibly amicable terms, he had not fooled her with his soft talk of pins and neighborly concern.

Virginia and Angela stood together, facing the incoming storm. The men fixed their eyes on them and did not look away as they made their way past all the other guests toward them.

The diamond dangling below Wolverley’s earlobe flashed as he turned his head when a woman laughed nervously. Then he returned his attention to Virginia. As the men walked up to them the women switched places, a swift rustling of skirts loud in the suddenly quiet room. The quartet accompanying the dancers had paused between sets. Conversation around them was muted. Or perhaps Virginia only imagined it that way.

The men made their bows, beautiful pattern-cards of obeisance.

Col asked for Virginia’s hand in the next set of country dances. Shooting a triumphant glare at Wolverley, she accepted, graciously placing her hand on Col’s chilly satin sleeve.

“Hasn’t the weather turned cold?” she inquired, as he led her on to the floor.

“It has, and after the wonderful sunshine we’ve been having lately!” he answered, full of bonhomie, but glancing past her to where Angela and Wolverley were standing, waiting for the dance to begin.

When she glanced at Angela, she caught a lovelorn gaze from Wolverley, there for all to see.

Virginia gritted her teeth. That one, fraught glance told Virginia what he was at. Retribution would not be long in coming. And well, she would have to learn to live with it. How dare he make his intentions so obvious? The whole of London would be talking about his approach tomorrow. His volte-face would be noted and gossiped about in every house in the country.

Before this night, their connection was known, but not remarked upon, since they behaved in a suitably neighborly way. But if he made his change of heart so obvious, that opinion would change in a flash.

Tonight, Wolverley gazed at her from afar, the wistful longing of a suitor. Or a lover. All the way through the dance he never let his attention stray, gazing at her as if she was all he could see, watching her dance with her other partners.

She wanted to slap that stupid expression off his face, and Virginia did not consider herself a violent woman.

Ladies gossiped behind their fans, and gentleman laughed softly as they watched. By the end of this evening they would believe that she and Wolverley were lovers.

Damn him to hell and back. She could curse all she liked in her mind, but outwardly she kept the polite smile on her face and her attention on her partner in the dance.

Unfortunately country dances meant changes of partner. They were social dances, until they ended with their original partner at the end of the piece. Short of stalking away from the dance floor, which would create a scandal all its own, she would have to face Wolverley and dance with him. Avoiding gossip was all but impossible.

The remaining company in London were avidly waiting for a scandal, something to enliven the gossip over the teacups. Virginia refused to provide it. Utterly refused.

When Wolverley faced her in the dance, he smiled in that way she’d seen when he flirted with women. No, not flirted, but indicated something deeper.

As they crossed in the dance, she hissed at him, “I am not your mistress and I will never be.”

“Did I ask you that?” His deep voice resonated through her, thrilling those parts of her she worked hard to keep dormant. “I would not suggest such a thing.” He paused, while they executed steps that separated them then brought them back together. “Unless I thought you wanted it.”

That last was delivered in such a sultry tone that her palms itched. That would have thrilled the spectators. Two more measures and she was done with him. “I would never wish for it. You know that, Wolverley.”

“I know no such thing. We have been dancing around each other for years, rather like we are doing now. Isn’t it time we faced what lies between us?”

For a moment, a fraction of a second, he gazed at her as if she was his world, as if he meant the nonsense he was parroting. Then it was gone, frustratingly covered by a flirtatious smile, as if she’d said something witty.

So she laughed. A little too high-pitched, but it would serve to persuade people that nothing was serious here. Move along, people, find the next show. “You’re angry with me, but this is unfair.”

“Is it? Nothing is unfair in war or love. Surely you know that.”

She turned the old saying back the right way. Love came first. “I know nothing of love or war.”

She had said too much. Virginia bit her lip, desperately finding something to cover her sentence. But she was too late.

As she made to move on in the dance, back to Colston Magna, Wolverley said, his voice soft and low, “Then I shall teach you.”

His breath grazed her ear, making her gasp.

Somebody else had said that to her once. Revulsion filled her, so sudden that she recoiled from it, and the duke had to catch her elbow to steady her. She pretended she’d stumbled, and thanked him, forcing another light laugh. “My mother always said I could trip on a speck of dust. Thank you, sir.”

“Think nothing of it,” he said somberly. “Madam, if the Wolf troubles you too much, I will stand your friend.”

The last thing she wanted to do was to draw any more attention to this atrocious business. “Wolverley? No, we have known each other for years.”

Damn the man.

November news

 

News for November

I didn’t send out my usual newsletter at the beginning of the month, because there was no way I could have competed with the US Election!

Congratulations to the winner, and now let’s get on with our normal lives, shall we?

I’ve put a picture of my local park up there for you, because it’s so beautiful. That’s a Constable sky if ever I saw one. I stood there for ages just looking at it. We need to get back to that, appreciating what we have, to get through these difficult times.

This month I have two books that are new on the shelves, one that’s been out for a few weeks, and one that is out today!

Virginia and The Wolf is a road romance, and it was huge fun to write. I took my old map book of England and Wales, and let my characters hurry along it in their search for smugglers. Many of the inns I describe in the book are still there today, and one day I’ll visit them.

Since this is the newest release, I’ve put an excerpt below. You can read an excerpt on Amazon, the beginning of the book, so I’ve chosen one from a little later, but no spoilers, I promise!

I’ll be sorry to say goodbye to The Society For Single Ladies, but for now, the ladies are resting, although next year, who knows? But, sadly, the publisher, Kensington, doesn’t want any more. This is a hard time for everybody, so I’m not complaining about it, but I can’t deny I’m disappointed. Mind you, if it got to number one bestseller, I’d be a happy author!

I do have other irons in the fire, though, and I’m carrying on with new projects. A new publisher, and some new projects. I’ll be rereleasing a series soon, from L.C. Connolly, my alter ego for contemporary romance. More later! It probably won’t be this side of Christmas, because they aren’t Christmas books, but they’re ready to go!

 

The importance of secret ballots

Chairing the Member by William Hogarth

In 18th and most of 19th century Britain, you had to be a male landowner in order to vote in elections.

You had to go to the polling place, stand in front of the crowd and declare your vote. Or it was decided by a public show of hands. Then your vote was recorded in a polling book.

That was one reason the polling process was so corrupt. The Members of Parliament were usually allies of the local bigwig, who owned a few rotten boroughs as well, boroughs with no population or very few, which could be easily manipulated.

If you voted for his opponent, it was likely that you'd be beaten, your house burned down, and if you were a farmer, your crops and livestock destroyed.

Not until 1872 was the secret ballot introduced. That gave every voter (still all male) the right to keep their vote secret. Go into the booth, put an X opposite the name of your candidate, fold it, and post it in the box. No names attached.

So if you don't want to tell anyone how you vote, you have the right to refuse anybody who asks.

New reads for October! And a bit of Frankie fun!

 Hello!

Frankie says hello, too!

I don't know about you, but my favourite way of escaping from this crazy world is by reading a good book. Or by writing one!

And routine, although my routine is a bit on the crazy side. I'm a night owl, so I start work late and finish early. I've always been that way, but this year, it's gone to extremes. I love dawn, and the quiet hours of the night. That's when the characters really speak to me.

When I was little we had no money but lots of books, because books, bought by the crate from auction houses, were good insulation.

Because I spent a lot of my childhood ill in bed, I worked my way through them. From Charles Dickens to Enid Blyton to Mickey Spillane, they were all fodder for my curious mind. And when I went back to school I was way advanced in reading and literature, but absolutely awful at maths.

That hasn't changed much.

Now I'm lucky enough to write all the time. The stories keep coming.

News for October

If you're into historical romance, there's lots of reading for you in this newsletter that I feature in.

Historical romance newsletter

And in November, I have a new release, the third (and for now, final) book in the Society for Single Ladies series. I've put a link below for you, and next month I'll put an extract and a full description.

I've also written a Christmas story from The Daring Dersinghams world. You can't go wrong with this anthology, and since I haven't read the other stories yet, you bet I'm going to get it!

My story, Past, Present, Future, is about Frederick, the brother of the hero of A Whisper of Treason. He comes home, at last, to claim the woman he loves. For three nights he will give her three gifts, symbolising what they've shared, what they have, and what they could have in the future. A castle in Scotland for Christmas, what's not to love!

Here's the link: O Night Divine

And the pretty cover!

Out In November: Virginia And The Wolf

Virginia, Lady Dulverton, feels safer keeping the world at a distance. One man sees through her reserve to the woman beneath: the infamously rakish Francis, Earl of Wolverley. Now a widow, Virginia is wrangling with the terms of her late husband’s will. When she realizes Francis is in danger because of his connection to her, she feels compelled to help, regardless of the hazard to her own heart.

Francis has worked hard to strengthen his inheritance. But he’s also found time to play. Despite his many dalliances, his affections have never been involved. Those belong entirely to a woman he could never have. When he’s attacked in the street and told to leave Virginia alone, he decides to do exactly the opposite . . .

With the help of the Society for Single Ladies, they set out to discover who is targeting Virginia, and why. It’s a race that will lead to the Devonshire coast, a smuggling ring, and a love that, however perilous, is worth waging countless battles . . .

You can order the book here:

Apple : Amazon : Google Play : Kobo : Nook

Future Plans

Another series, for the new year. I'm planning an entry into The Lyon's Den series, which will probably start a new series, but this time, Regency set.

And a project I really can't say much about right now, but I am so excited about it! I want to tell people, but I can't!

Autumn Reads for you

 

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Lightning Unbound

When Gerard Sterling, Earl of Ellesmere, races to Bedlam asylum to rescue a wrongly committed friend, he’s astonished to find Lady Faith Bradley. Fascinated and enchanted by her, and inspired by her dedication saving her brother from the horrors of the Incurables ward, he includes them in his rescue mission. But woo her he cannot—not with a fatal disease that saps more of his strength every day.

When Gerard discovers he is the god Jupiter, they face a deadly enemy—Kronos, whose plan to regain power includes Gerard’s death. To foil his plan, Gerard and Faith must defy Fate itself.

Each book in the Even Gods Fall in Love series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

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