Monday, June 16, 2014

Guest Post: The Earl's Enticement by Collette Cameron

It is with great pleasure that I welcome the talented Collette Cameron back to Leatherbound Reviews. I was fortunate enough to host Collette for the releases of Highlander's Hope and The Viscount's Vow. I want to say that if you have yet to read one of Collette's books, you are missing out. I found myself not wanting to put down either book as I read them and am eager to get my hands on The Earl's Enticement
Talk about *hot* Scottish men! Major swoons for Ewan and Ian. 
Without further ado, let's see what The Earl's Enticement holds in store for its readers.  

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THE EARL’S ENTICEMENT
She won’t be tamed.
A fiery, unconventional Scot, Adaira Ferguson wears breeches, swears, and has no more desire to marry than she does to follow society’s dictates of appropriate behavior. She trusts no man with the secret she desperately protects.

He can’t forget.
Haunted by his past, Roark, The Earl of Clarendon, rigidly adheres to propriety, holding himself and those around him to the highest standards, no matter the cost. Betrayed once, he’s guarded and leery of all women.

Mistaking Roark for a known spy, Adaira imprisons him. Infuriated, he vows vengeance. Realizing her error, she’s appalled and releases him, but he’s not satisfied with his freedom. Roark is determined to transform Adaira from an ill-mannered hoyden to a lady of refinement.
He succeeds only to discover, he preferred the free-spirited Scottish lass who first captured his heart.

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I’m not sure which whether it was my love for Regency, Scottish/Highlanders, or castles that gave me the urge to write the Castle Brides Series.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I had written Highlander’s Hope, which despite its title, is really a Regency-Scottish historical, and I wanted a castle on the front cover. After all, Ewan and Yvette find love, at last, at Craiglocky Castle. (I made the name up just because we author’s get to do that. J)

I always knew Highlander’s Hope would develop into a series  . . . or two. You know, I had to do something with all those characters I dared to introduce in the book. I might add they gave some reviewers fits.  *Snort.*

But, since I like reading books with large casts of characters, as long as I can keep track of who’s who, I did what I wanted in my book. We authors get to do that, too! Ah, the power.

By-the-way, in hindsight, I wish I’d titled the book, The Highlander’s Heiress. But since I didn’t, I’m using that title for another story which will be part of a Viking/ highlander anthology releasing from Soul Mate Publishing late this year or early next year.

Okay, back to the whole castle business.

When I wrote Vangie and Ian’s story in The Viscount’s Vow, naturally he had to have a magnificent estate and an enormous manor house with turrets. I had to have those turrets you know, because the south tower is where Vangie’s off-her-rocker mother-in-law has Vangie locked up. Somersfield is also where Yvette takes refuge when she flees London in Highlander’s Hope.

Once again, a castle appeared on the front cover of the book. So, it was only natural to have another castle on The Earl’s Enticement. A great deal of that story takes place in Craiglocky’s dungeon.
For those of you who read Highlander’s Hope, you’ll remember Roark and Adaira. Well, The Earl’s Enticement is their story, and trust me, when I tell you, all kinds of stuff happens both in and out of the keep’s dungeon.

Once the third book was done, I had this “duh” moment. I had no series title. No, I really didn’t.

All along I’d known the books were going to be a three-book series, but did I come up with a title? Nope. I ran a couple ideas by my fabulous Regency critique group and then asked what they thought of the Castle Brides Series. They gave me the thumbs up, and I passed the information along to my wonderful publisher.

The cover of The Earl’s Enticement you see here today, does not have the series title or cover quote on it yet. They are, however, on the cover that is released. And lest you, dear readers, be worried that some of the other characters you met and fell in love with in previous books should be left out ... fear not!

I’ve started a new six book series, The Highland Heather Romancing a Scot Series, and I promise you’ll be seeing much more of your favorite people from the Castle Brides series.  

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EXCERPT

Adaira punched the pillow in her lap. Legs crossed, she sat in the middle of her bed.
“I won’t do it. I won’t. They cannot make me. I’ll run away to Tante Floressa’s. She’s invited me to visit her many times over the past two years.”

Never mind the French Wars had prevented any such thing. Tante Floressa was somewhat of a flibbertigibbet. The one time Adaira had visited France, her aunt nearly swooned when she spied freckles on Adaira’s nose. She hadn’t even been six yet.

Wonder what she’d make of my breeches?

A momentary smile hitched the corners of Adaira’s mouth before shifting into a scowl. There would be no more breeches.

She punched the pillow twice more with sharp hard blows, pretending it was the Earl of Clarendon’s smug face. “I’m glad I hit him,” she muttered.

“Wish I’d hit him harder. Wish I’d broken that perfect, straight, arrogant nose of his.”
Whap. She slugged the pillow again, this time hard enough, it flew across the room. The cushion bounced off an armchair before tumbling to the floor. She knew she sounded like a petulant child, and was acting like one too. She didn’t care. She hugged another small pillow to her chest.

Father had confiscated her riding crop after his lordship squawked she’d attacked him in the crofter’s cottage. She hadn’t meant to strike Lord Clarendon with the weapon, and the earl knew it. Now, how was she to protect herself? She supposed she’d have to start toting a dagger sheathed to her thigh like Yvette’s Romani cousin, Lady Warrick. 

Wouldn’t that put the earl in a dither?

The punishment Adaira’s parents levied on her, dictated by the earl, of course, was far too harsh for her crimes. He’d not been seriously injured. His detainment hadn’t been torturous or lengthy. Yet, the sentences imposed on her were both of the latter. A year at Miss Hortensia Doddington’s Finishing School or a Season in London.

Adaira had to choose.

Three months of torture or nine?

Hell or Hades?

Connect with Collette Cameron
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ABOUT COLLETTE
Award winning, Amazon best-selling, and multi-published historical romance author, Collette Cameron, has a BS in Liberal Studies and a Master's in Teaching.  A Pacific Northwest Native, Collette’s been married for thirty years, has three amazing adult children, and five dachshunds. Collette loves a good joke, inspirational quotes, flowers, the beach, trivia, birds, shabby chic, and Cadbury Chocolate. You'll always find dogs, birds, quirky—sometimes naughty—humor, and a dash of inspiration in her novels. Her motto for life? You can’t have too much chocolate, too many hugs, or too many flowers. She’s thinking about adding shoes to that list. 

18 comments:

  1. Good Morning, Jakki. Thanks for having me here today!

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    1. You are most welcome, Collette. It is a true pleasure having you on and talking about your Castle Brides series. I find all of your research and the history fascinating. Thanks again! :) Best of luck on this book. I see you have some great reviews already!!

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  2. I really enjoy seeing the thought process behind these decisions. I still haven't managed to read the second book in the series,although the knife throwing lady we met in Highlander's Hope certainly entices me to! I've added this one to my wish list too. All the best with your new book!

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    1. Thanks Ceri. I always seem to have my heroines wielding weapons!

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    2. I *love* weapon-wielding heroines! They are one of my faves! =) And I truly enjoy seeing how the hero reacts to a female who is so handy with a weapon.

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  3. Great post Collette!! I tweeted and shared.

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  4. Hello Collette, it must be fate because I was recommended this series only last week, would like to jump straight into this but I am a stickler for wanting to know who's who so I will start with book one. Funny excerpt, I look forward to reading the series. Do you have roots in Scotland?

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    1. Hi Tamara. I hope you enjoy the series. One nice thing about mine, each book is a stand alone so even if you read them out of sequence, you won't get lost.

      My grandfather's family has roots in Scotland. Cameron, as you, know is Scottish. My daughter just had her DNA tested and no Scots showed up thought, tons of Scandinavian did. I'm guessing our ancestors from Scotland were actually Vikings.

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    2. That's so cool - how does one go about getting a dna test like that?

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    3. Oh yes MonicaP that sounds so interesting, by the way Collette it was MonicaP who introduced me to your books :)

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    4. I love Monica!!
      My daughter ordered the kit on line. Next step is to have hubby do it because for some reason, the test are more accurate for males.

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    5. I replied to this but google ate my comment! Just to say how interesting this DNA kit stuff is! I wonder if I could get one in the UK? I suppose it being more accurate for males is a Y chromosome issue. I know all our genes come from our ancestors but all Y chromosomes have been passed from father to son in an unbroken line through the generations like a country estate! It's a cool thought :)

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    6. Love your point about DNA & a country estate! You are so clever, Ceri! :)
      Yes, I want a DNA kit too! I think we all need to buy one. ;) We'll have a party!

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  5. Love the excerpt! So much fun!
    -Lani

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  6. Collette, what a neat thing to learn about your ancestors! Loved the excerpt, as well. Tweeted/shared. Barb Bettis

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    1. The DNA ruffled a few feathers. Most of what my hubby's family thought they had in them didn't show up and my family has been talking about their Scottish and Irish ancestry for forever.
      Turns out, my daughter is 58% Scandinavian, 6% Eastern Persian (Someone has some explaining to do) and 25% Central European, likely German since my father is supposed to be half as was my father in law. 14% was indeterminable which may explain why some of the stuff hubby's family thought they had in them didn't get identified.

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