TOP

Advice for Authors by Kayelle Allen

421 Views

5 Elements of a Scene: #1 an Opening Hook by Kayelle Allen

What is a scene? In fictional writing, it’s a place where action occurs (scene of the crime), or an incident takes place (a seduction, an argument, a beginning conflict, etc.). There are more, but this should suffice for our purposes.

Good scenes consist of five things. An opening hook, a complication, a discovery, a response, and a closing hook.

Wait… are you saying I have to have two hooks? One at the beginning and one at the end?

That’s exactly what I’m saying. Let’s start with a look at the first.

Opening Hook

A great opening hook will follow up on a previous scene or be a completely new hook. You want to grab the reader’s attention and hang onto it for the entire scene. A solid hook reveals something that an important character wants or needs.

You also need scenes to be either action or reaction. A good scene will have a goal, a conflict, and something that goes wrong. But it will also have reactions to these and perhaps create a dilemma.

A good scene must move the story forward and generate or reveal conflict.

Consider these things when creating a scene.

How does the protagonist or antagonist feel about what’s happening?

Go deeper than their surface emotions. Avoid she smiled, she nodded, she sighed, she looked over at…, etc.

How does the scene impact this person emotionally? What is at stake for them? What will happen that they want? What do they not want to happen?

How does the person react internally to this happens? Avoid she was so happy / he felt sad / her heart thudded / his breath caught, and so on.

Avoid passive information

We’ll take a look at the first-person narrative in my own book, Beneath the Gates. This is a bundle of stories set in the Colonies of Man. Here’s the opening sentence in the first paragraph of The Last Vhalgenn chapter one:

In the private receiving chamber, I knelt before the king I hadn’t seen in over two years, an ache in my knees and groin and back that four hours ahorse had burned into my muscle; and delivered the news of victorious battle I’d been dispatched to bring.

This opening hook tells us who, what, where, when, and why.

Who:

“I” which we infer from the title to be “the last Vhalgenn” – although we don’t yet know what a Vhalgenn is. We’d like to find out, but this hook doesn’t reveal gender or describe the person revealing the story. Why? Because this is first person, and the character already knows what they look like. We’ll discover more about the Vhalgenn as the story progresses.

What:

Relaying news of victorious battle. From this, we know the story takes place during war time. Against whom or between what kingdoms? At this point, all that matters is that we get a hint of setting and time period.

Where:

A private receiving chamber – which implies a place of status or perhaps rule or government.

When:

It had been two years since this person had seen the king. Why had it been so long? Why had they seen the king prior to this? That it’s delivered after “four hours ahorse” tells us there is likely no faster transport. This gives a hint of time period – one in which horses are the usual means of transportation. Why is this news being delivered now, instead of after the person has rested?

Why:

(victorious news that) I’d been dispatched to bring – this person has received a command or request to deliver news. That fact seems to imply a lesser rank. This will turn out to be untrue later in the story, when the real reason the Vhalgenn was chosen is revealed. That fact is critical to the story, but here, there is no more than a hint.

That’s a lot to reveal in one sentence or opening scene.

Scene tip:

Emotion doesn’t show with words like he sighed, he nodded, his heart pounded, he met her gaze, etc. It’s layered in with how the character reacts to the setting. Much of that is accomplished through verbs that relay emotion, opinion, or setting. Notice the words in bold:

In the private receiving chamber, I knelt before the king I hadn’t seen in over two years, an ache in my knees and groin and back that four hours ahorse had burned into my muscle; and delivered the news of victorious battle I’d been dispatched to bring.

In this hook we get multiple layers of emotion, imagery, and opinion. Whether a hook is one sentence, a paragraph, or multiple pages, that is exactly what an opening hook (whether one line or one plus page) should provide.

I hope this helps you tap into your artistic and creative skill and helps you craft your next opening hook.

Beneath the Gates mixes archaeology, science fiction, fantasy, and mythology. It includes full versions of The Last Vhalgenn and Trailing Kaiwulf, plus exclusive bonus stories. https://books2read.com/beneath-the-gates

Next month, we’ll take a look at section two of a scene: the complication.

How have you used a creative hook to grab a reader’s attention? Feel free to leave an example and the name of the book.

About the Author

Kayelle Allen writes Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role-playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She is the author of multiple books, novellas, and short stories. She’s also a US Navy veteran and has been married so long she’s tenured.

Claim your immortality https://kayelleallen.com/immortality
Visit the homeworld https://kayelleallen.com
Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kayelleallenbooks
Like on Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hill	Historical Romance Blog - Kara Griffin
Historical Romance Blog - Eliana Piers	Historical Romance Blog - Sawyer North

Kayelle Allen

ctrstaffer

786 975

Insta-Coffee | Sharing our love of books and authors with you since 2004.

Mafia Romance Giveawayhttps://bit.ly/3DyAIFU

0 0

Open

Mafia Romance Giveawayhttps://bit.ly/3DyAIFU ...

0 0

Sophia`s Letter by Elizabeth Donnehttps://bit.ly/3DkxjKS

In my sweet Regency novel, "Sophia`s Letter," the written correspondence between the hero and heroine plays a central role in the plot. You can read the first three chapters in the Amazon sample here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKG71KFK

In Regency times, without landlines, emails, or text messaging, letters were the go-to method for communication between businesses and households. In literature of that era, letters carried critical news of an inheritance or, perhaps, the longing sighs of parted lovers.

Letters can make for interesting plot-points. Whose handwriting is that? Why is this person suddenly writing to her if she hardly knows him?

We might assume then that envelopes might also hold promising mysteries in Regency literature, right? Oddly enough, the answer is, mostly, "no." Envelopes really only came into regular use in Victorian times.

This is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:
"In Western history, from the time flexible writing material became more readily available in the 13th century until the mid-19th century, correspondence was typically secured by a process of letter folding and sealing which sometimes employed elaborate letterlocking techniques to indicate tampering or prove authenticity. Some of these techniques, which could involve stitching or wax seals, were also employed to secure hand-made envelopes."
- (2021, March 12). Envelope. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envelope

Shannon Donnelly explains further:
"The letter itself differed from its modern form. The letter usually comprised a single sheet (sometimes folded once in the middle to make a booklet-like page). This was folded in thirds, then the ends were folded together, with one end tucked inside another. Hot wax dripped onto the joining ends sealed the letter.
- Shannon Donnelly. (2010, May 29). The Regency Post — A Pity We`ve Lost Letters. Shannon Donnelly`s Fresh Ink. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://shannondonnelly.com/2010/05/

We can see that it would be unusual for a Regency author to write a scene in which the heroine eagerly rips open an envelope. More li...

2 0

Open

Sophia's Letter by Elizabeth Donnehttps://bit.ly/3DkxjKS

In my sweet Regency novel, "Sophia's Letter," the written correspondence between the hero and heroine plays a central role in the plot. You can read the first three chapters in the Amazon sample here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKG71KFK

In Regency times, without landlines, emails, or text messaging, letters were the go-to method for communication between businesses and households. In literature of that era, letters carried critical news of an inheritance or, perhaps, the longing sighs of parted lovers.

Letters can make for interesting plot-points. Whose handwriting is that? Why is this person suddenly writing to her if she hardly knows him?

We might assume then that envelopes might also hold promising mysteries in Regency literature, right? Oddly enough, the answer is, mostly, "no." Envelopes really only came into regular use in Victorian times.

This is what Wikipedia has to say on the matter:
"In Western history, from the time flexible writing material became more readily available in the 13th century until the mid-19th century, correspondence was typically secured by a process of letter folding and sealing which sometimes employed elaborate letterlocking techniques to indicate tampering or prove authenticity. Some of these techniques, which could involve stitching or wax seals, were also employed to secure hand-made envelopes."
- (2021, March 12). Envelope. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envelope

Shannon Donnelly explains further:
"The letter itself differed from its modern form. The letter usually comprised a single sheet (sometimes folded once in the middle to make a booklet-like page). This was folded in thirds, then the ends were folded together, with one end tucked inside another. Hot wax dripped onto the joining ends sealed the letter.
- Shannon Donnelly. (2010, May 29). The Regency Post — A Pity We've Lost Letters. Shannon Donnelly's Fresh Ink. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://shannondonnelly.com/2010/05/

We can see that it would be unusual for a Regency author to write a scene in which the heroine eagerly rips open an envelope. More li...

2 0

With Love in Their Corner by Sandra Sookoohttps://bit.ly/3QQJjGY

When you want something out of life, you’ll have to fight for it.

Lewis Stapleton, eighth Earl of Lethbridge is a man hovering on the edge of breaking. Between his mother pestering him about finding a bride of high social standing, maintaining his estates and title without enough funding, and worrying over his brothers, he requires an outlet. Anger and grief haven’t been dealt with since his father’s death two years prior, so he works through those emotions while in the boxing ring. His father was a prize fighter so matching his over-large footsteps is difficult, but something must give else he’ll explode.

Miss Cecilia Dawson is tired of being an object of ridicule or allegedly not good enough for anything beyond a quick tryst. With an affinity for numbers, she keeps the books for her father’s shipping company, but is desperate for a way to defend herself against the coarse and crude men she encounters in the office near the docks. The day she steps into the Stapleton Boxing Salon while disguised as a boy rapidly becomes both the best and worst day of her life.

Despite the instant attraction between them, Lewis ignores it in favor of teaching Cecilia how to box for protection. As the summer days slip by filled with an illegal fight or two as well as activities that come far too close to courtship, the attraction spills into forbidden desire that lands them both into scandal. Distracted, they never see danger coming that puts them into a corner of peril.

Only by releasing fears and working together will they come away with a prize more valuable than anything they could imagine.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK2R71/

Meet the Author

Sandra Sookoo is a USA Today bestselling author who firmly believes every person deserves acceptance and a happy ending. She’s written for publication since 2008. Most days you can find her creating scandal and mischief in the Regency-era, serendipity and happenstance in Victorian era romances, or historical romantic suspense complete with mystery and intrigue. Reading is a lot like eating fine chocolates—you can’t just have one. Good thing book...

1 0

Open

With Love in Their Corner by Sandra Sookoohttps://bit.ly/3QQJjGY

When you want something out of life, you’ll have to fight for it.

Lewis Stapleton, eighth Earl of Lethbridge is a man hovering on the edge of breaking. Between his mother pestering him about finding a bride of high social standing, maintaining his estates and title without enough funding, and worrying over his brothers, he requires an outlet. Anger and grief haven’t been dealt with since his father’s death two years prior, so he works through those emotions while in the boxing ring. His father was a prize fighter so matching his over-large footsteps is difficult, but something must give else he’ll explode.

Miss Cecilia Dawson is tired of being an object of ridicule or allegedly not good enough for anything beyond a quick tryst. With an affinity for numbers, she keeps the books for her father’s shipping company, but is desperate for a way to defend herself against the coarse and crude men she encounters in the office near the docks. The day she steps into the Stapleton Boxing Salon while disguised as a boy rapidly becomes both the best and worst day of her life.

Despite the instant attraction between them, Lewis ignores it in favor of teaching Cecilia how to box for protection. As the summer days slip by filled with an illegal fight or two as well as activities that come far too close to courtship, the attraction spills into forbidden desire that lands them both into scandal. Distracted, they never see danger coming that puts them into a corner of peril.

Only by releasing fears and working together will they come away with a prize more valuable than anything they could imagine.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTLK2R71/

Meet the Author

Sandra Sookoo is a USA Today bestselling author who firmly believes every person deserves acceptance and a happy ending. She’s written for publication since 2008. Most days you can find her creating scandal and mischief in the Regency-era, serendipity and happenstance in Victorian era romances, or historical romantic suspense complete with mystery and intrigue. Reading is a lot like eating fine chocolates—you can’t just have one. Good thing book...

1 0

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybournhttps://bit.ly/3DgiWY6

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

Amazon

0 0

Open

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybournhttps://bit.ly/3DgiWY6

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

Amazon

0 0

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
https://bit.ly/4btSDuf

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn`t count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman Major: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.

Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he`s been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school`s actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it`s clear the feeling is mutual, she can`t shake the sense that he`s hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she`s dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.

Excerpt:
© Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

What is it called when you know someone is playing in your face but you still manage to sit there and maintain your composure?

Etiquette? The height of professionalism? I`ve got it-a superpower.

When I took on the role of vice principal at Juanita Craft Middle School nine months ago, I knew I`d have my hands full with rowdy students and entitled parents. The years I spent as a guidance counselor prepared me for that part of the job. It`s taken a while, however, to get used to the teachers trying to butter me up whenever they want something they know I can`t give, and Angie`s been the main one out to test my patience.

Angie, Angie, Angie. Out here trying to get me to break school policy. Again.

I push my braids behind my back and suppress a sigh. "It`s true. In the grand scheme of things, one chair won`t ...

2 0

Open

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
https://bit.ly/4btSDuf

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn't count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman Major: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.

Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he's been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school's actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it's clear the feeling is mutual, she can't shake the sense that he's hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she's dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.

Excerpt:
© Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

What is it called when you know someone is playing in your face but you still manage to sit there and maintain your composure?

Etiquette? The height of professionalism? I've got it-a superpower.

When I took on the role of vice principal at Juanita Craft Middle School nine months ago, I knew I'd have my hands full with rowdy students and entitled parents. The years I spent as a guidance counselor prepared me for that part of the job. It's taken a while, however, to get used to the teachers trying to butter me up whenever they want something they know I can't give, and Angie's been the main one out to test my patience.

Angie, Angie, Angie. Out here trying to get me to break school policy. Again.

I push my braids behind my back and suppress a sigh. "It's true. In the grand scheme of things, one chair won't ...

2 0

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This Marchhttps://bit.ly/3Dfox0O

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This March

March Madness is here but make it mysteries and thrillers. Here`s our round up of some new releases we can`t wait for.

Every Michael Connelly Book Adapted into a TV Series

Michael Connelly’s crime novels have been the inspiration for some of the best TV adaptations in recent years, bringing his complex characters and intense storylines to life.

...

1 0

Open

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This Marchhttps://bit.ly/3Dfox0O

Mysteries & Thrillers Hitting Stores This March

March Madness is here but make it mysteries and thrillers. Here's our round up of some new releases we can't wait for.

Every Michael Connelly Book Adapted into a TV Series

Michael Connelly’s crime novels have been the inspiration for some of the best TV adaptations in recent years, bringing his complex characters and intense storylines to life.

...

1 0

Marriage and Murder by Stephanie Laurens
https://bit.ly/41Hs0Pc

When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.

Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs` doorstep and begs their aid-and that of Stokes-in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry`s home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.

While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim`s sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola`s `secret admirer, H` has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H?

As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Murder-Stephanie-Laurens-ebook/dp/B0DPLKVGZ1?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zknRS9xIgVuIRuP7ec7xgbYyRLJSMer5eKZghDJuGfM2KcfBbUOy4EglYBf9SZTHRABwpfYJ0WQSyc-QSOgsfXPvEV8W5rhDGHii9PyzAhvjIYmL8C0H6BmviCfY_MsxVyh070ufQnS94tp07z7k8uYbRDz7vWiMGsEojamFesCL0X79uT3dxkbWq5BdDxLliinziiKJhw-YqJS5uwqdRfUhx08TLXc3B2T8l-KpPyT0xSjB402FdLCwfNJFSc5GzhfTRxpcGOXfuH41mLazOha8ug1-lcIfZyx3hj2Qql1sz35F00VnTIkLldRJ625kgaWolL9WEK9HhU1W5-Gj5nKZgf-XEIM5wAhfft4Sq8dVIpRoPo66STfuO...

1 0

Open

Marriage and Murder by Stephanie Laurens
https://bit.ly/41Hs0Pc

When a middle-aged spinster is found strangled in her country cottage and scurrilous gossip implicates Henry, Lord Glossup, he appeals to Barnaby and Penelope Adair along with Inspector Stokes to unravel the mystery of who killed Viola Huntingdon.

Henry, Lord Glossup, arrives on Barnaby and Penelope Adairs' doorstep and begs their aid-and that of Stokes-in identifying the murderer of Viola Huntingdon, a middle-aged spinster who lived a largely blameless life in a country cottage in a tiny village close to Henry's home. As Stokes has already been tapped to take the case, the investigators travel to Salisbury and thence to Ashmore village and throw themselves into the case.

While initially Henry was touted as a suspect, he is quickly eliminated, and with the help of the victim's sister, Madeline, the investigators set out to discover all they can about the victim and who might have wished her ill. In such a small village, with a commensurately small population, the list of possible suspects is short, but the existence of Viola's 'secret admirer, H' has everyone stumped. First, how could Viola, living in such a small community, have had a secret visitor, a man no one saw except at a distance? And who on earth is he, this H?

As the investigators piece together the clues of missing jewelry and sightings of H and follow the leads generated by opportunistic thieves, dodgy jewelers, and local moneylenders, a picture emerges that points to only one conclusion. But in small villages, things are rarely as they seem. Have the investigators got the right man in their sights, or have they been led astray?

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Murder-Stephanie-Laurens-ebook/dp/B0DPLKVGZ1?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.zknRS9xIgVuIRuP7ec7xgbYyRLJSMer5eKZghDJuGfM2KcfBbUOy4EglYBf9SZTHRABwpfYJ0WQSyc-QSOgsfXPvEV8W5rhDGHii9PyzAhvjIYmL8C0H6BmviCfY_MsxVyh070ufQnS94tp07z7k8uYbRDz7vWiMGsEojamFesCL0X79uT3dxkbWq5BdDxLliinziiKJhw-YqJS5uwqdRfUhx08TLXc3B2T8l-KpPyT0xSjB402FdLCwfNJFSc5GzhfTRxpcGOXfuH41mLazOha8ug1-lcIfZyx3hj2Qql1sz35F00VnTIkLldRJ625kgaWolL9WEK9HhU1W5-Gj5nKZgf-XEIM5wAhfft4Sq8dVIpRoPo66STfuO...

1 0

Hazardous to a Duke`s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
https://bit.ly/3XrkMMK

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony. . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together

Read an Excerpt

Amazon

4 0

Open

Hazardous to a Duke's Heart by Sabrina Jeffries
https://bit.ly/3XrkMMK

Napoleon’s war has ended, and English captives detained for years in a French fortress are finally released. Returning to a London he no longer recognizes, and facing astonishing changes in his own family, Lord Jonathan Leighton learns he has inherited a dukedom. But the new nobleman carries the guilt of having wronged his late mentor. Now, he vows to fulfill his promise to find a suitable match for the man’s daughter, Victoria—even if it takes offering a nonexistent dowry to spark her interest in matrimony. . .

Sharp-witted Victoria would just as soon sculpt the Greek god who has come to take charge of her future. In fact, she has her sights set on founding a school for women artists. As Jonathan matches wits with the talented beauty, revelations from his past—and their connection to her father’s demise—threaten to unveil both of their closely held secrets and thrust them into a danger they can only escape together

Read an Excerpt

Amazon

4 0

Cathy Maxwell - Historical Romance Author
https://bit.ly/4ipifuw
Love and peril collide when the aristocratic Gwendolyn Lanscarr takes on the dangerously alluring Beckett Steele!
From the moment the enigmatic Mr. Steele “almost” kissed her on a Dublin street, her world was forever altered. He commands the respect of rogues and nobles alike . . . and Gwendolyn owes him a favor. She believes he owes her a kiss.
Beckett is a lone wolf. However, he needs Gwendolyn to discover the secrets of his past. He has no choice but to seek her help—even though she threatens the walls he has carefully erected around his heart.
He doesn’t need a woman in his life; she knows he can’t live without her.
Together, they must navigate a world of deception, where love defies the odds and secrets threaten to unravel everything they hold dear. Will they find a future together, or will the past tear them apart?
Read an Excerpt
Amazon

1 0

Open

Cathy Maxwell - Historical Romance Author
https://bit.ly/4ipifuw
Love and peril collide when the aristocratic Gwendolyn Lanscarr takes on the dangerously alluring Beckett Steele!
From the moment the enigmatic Mr. Steele “almost” kissed her on a Dublin street, her world was forever altered. He commands the respect of rogues and nobles alike . . . and Gwendolyn owes him a favor. She believes he owes her a kiss.
Beckett is a lone wolf. However, he needs Gwendolyn to discover the secrets of his past. He has no choice but to seek her help—even though she threatens the walls he has carefully erected around his heart.
He doesn’t need a woman in his life; she knows he can’t live without her.
Together, they must navigate a world of deception, where love defies the odds and secrets threaten to unravel everything they hold dear. Will they find a future together, or will the past tear them apart?
Read an Excerpt
Amazon

1 0

O Little Town of Bethlehem by Elizabeth Boyle
https://bit.ly/3QFkDkW

A heartwarming, magical story of a woman lost in time, who must assist two others in untangling the lies surrounding their lives if she wants to return to her own.

One wish could change everything. At least it did for Madeline Drake.

When a snowy accident topples her through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic modern existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.

But the rules are clear—she has to stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to return sooner rather than later, but finds her arrivals as unwittingly upended the lives of the town’s proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of a grieving widow, Savannah Clarke, who has been hiding behind a wall of grief and guilt for decades.

Now Madeline’s got to fix those broken threads. While helping anyone other than herself doesn’t come easily to her—and despite her best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form with Ninny and Savannah. Madeline discovers—much to her surprise—that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most closely woven secrets.

Including a few of her own.

As Christmas draws near and time runs out, Madeline finds herself even more entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, until she starts to question if this small town might actually hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment she’d never imagined.

1 0

Open

O Little Town of Bethlehem by Elizabeth Boyle
https://bit.ly/3QFkDkW

A heartwarming, magical story of a woman lost in time, who must assist two others in untangling the lies surrounding their lives if she wants to return to her own.

One wish could change everything. At least it did for Madeline Drake.

When a snowy accident topples her through a slip in time, she wakes to find herself in tiny, turn of the century, Bethlehem, Wyoming, far from her hectic modern existence. And as much as it is a shock to her, her arrival upends the tenaciously rooted lives of the town’s odd collection of lost souls.

But the rules are clear—she has to stay until Christmas before the door home will open. Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to return sooner rather than later, but finds her arrivals as unwittingly upended the lives of the town’s proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and that of a grieving widow, Savannah Clarke, who has been hiding behind a wall of grief and guilt for decades.

Now Madeline’s got to fix those broken threads. While helping anyone other than herself doesn’t come easily to her—and despite her best efforts to avoid entanglements—fragile bonds of friendship form with Ninny and Savannah. Madeline discovers—much to her surprise—that trust and acceptance once given, may be strong enough to untangle even the most closely woven secrets.

Including a few of her own.

As Christmas draws near and time runs out, Madeline finds herself even more entwined in Bethlehem’s currency of wishes and hope, until she starts to question if this small town might actually hold the keys to a life of purpose and empowerment she’d never imagined.

1 0

The Brides are coming to the Highlands
https://bit.ly/41p0ftl
Hi Readers! I have a new book series coming out in 2025! Highland Vows & Vengeance. The first book released in January and if you missed it, here`s your chance to get it for 99 cents. Don`t miss this highly rated Highland historical steamy romance.
Will these Highland vows and vengeance hold the promise of love and redemption for Declan and Isabella?
Laird Declan MacKendrick, falsely imprisoned in King Alexander’s dungeon, is offered his freedom with one stipulation―that he marry a border baron’s daughter. Accused of murdering his neighbor, a Campbell, Declan means to prove his innocence and find his enemy. If he must marry to do so, then so be it. But Declan doesn’t expect his new bride to be as beautiful or beguiling as Lady Isabella.
Isabella Forrester isn’t pleased by the king’s edict that she marry a man of his choosing. She doesn’t believe in marriage for love and always knew she’d marry a man for political alliance. Marriage to a Highlander means that not only must she adjust to a husband, but a whole new way of life amongst people who won’t trust her for her Sassenach ways. Then she meets Declan MacKendrick who introduces her to a life she never could have imagined as a wife to a laird.
Her days are spent in loneliness and isolation, but the nights in his sultry embraces might win her heart’s surrender. She cannot help but be won over by the noble, seductive Scot. Isabella meets her new husband’s son, a lad of tender years who cannot hear. The poor lad is ignored by all in the clan, even his father. Isabella makes it her responsibility to see to his caring and hopes the clan eventually accepts them both.
Declan wants nothing more than to find his accuser to enact his vengeance. He suspects the Campbells are behind the claims that induced his imprisonment. Someone wants to destroy and weaken his clan. But could his enemy be closer than he thinks? When Isabella’s life is threatened, Declan must confront a trusted ally to carry out his vengeance.

Amazon

Dragonblade Pub

Historical Romance Blog -...

2 0

Open

The Brides are coming to the Highlands
https://bit.ly/41p0ftl
Hi Readers! I have a new book series coming out in 2025! Highland Vows & Vengeance. The first book released in January and if you missed it, here's your chance to get it for 99 cents. Don't miss this highly rated Highland historical steamy romance.
Will these Highland vows and vengeance hold the promise of love and redemption for Declan and Isabella?
Laird Declan MacKendrick, falsely imprisoned in King Alexander’s dungeon, is offered his freedom with one stipulation―that he marry a border baron’s daughter. Accused of murdering his neighbor, a Campbell, Declan means to prove his innocence and find his enemy. If he must marry to do so, then so be it. But Declan doesn’t expect his new bride to be as beautiful or beguiling as Lady Isabella.
Isabella Forrester isn’t pleased by the king’s edict that she marry a man of his choosing. She doesn’t believe in marriage for love and always knew she’d marry a man for political alliance. Marriage to a Highlander means that not only must she adjust to a husband, but a whole new way of life amongst people who won’t trust her for her Sassenach ways. Then she meets Declan MacKendrick who introduces her to a life she never could have imagined as a wife to a laird.
Her days are spent in loneliness and isolation, but the nights in his sultry embraces might win her heart’s surrender. She cannot help but be won over by the noble, seductive Scot. Isabella meets her new husband’s son, a lad of tender years who cannot hear. The poor lad is ignored by all in the clan, even his father. Isabella makes it her responsibility to see to his caring and hopes the clan eventually accepts them both.
Declan wants nothing more than to find his accuser to enact his vengeance. He suspects the Campbells are behind the claims that induced his imprisonment. Someone wants to destroy and weaken his clan. But could his enemy be closer than he thinks? When Isabella’s life is threatened, Declan must confront a trusted ally to carry out his vengeance.

Amazon

Dragonblade Pub

Historical Romance Blog -...

2 0

To Tempt A Troubled Earl by Fearne Hill
https://bit.ly/41nN1wM

A devil’s bargain, an uneasy alliance.

A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the dead of night, he begs an audience with the eleventh earl, the most enigmatic nobleman in Regency England.

The visit has purpose. Kit, hungry to ruin the lord who ruined his sister, believes Rossingley is the only man who can help him.

Lando Duchamps-Avery, eleventh earl of Rossingley, doesn’t trust the sinfully handsome stranger one bit. He does not care for the tales he spins, his hot temper, or his thick, ebony curls. And, most definitely, he is not in thrall to the delicious golden hoop dangling from Kit Angel’s left ear. Lando has his own motivations to ruin the same lord, and the two men form an uneasy alliance.

As the dangerous plot they hatch unfurls, the suspicious earl and the shady scoundrel are increasingly thrown together. Whilst the wily earl gradually surrenders to his growing attraction, Kit can’t make up his mind if he wants to swive him, declare undying love for him, or throttle him.

Bit by bit, as mutual desire swells between them, Kit wins over the earl’s body, his passion, and his trust.

But in order to win the earl’s elusive heart? The scoundrel must risk losing everything.

https://books2read.com/troubled-earl (Non-Amazon)

https://mybook.to/TTATE. (Amazon)

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hillfearne

2 0

Open

To Tempt A Troubled Earl by Fearne Hill
https://bit.ly/41nN1wM

A devil’s bargain, an uneasy alliance.

A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the dead of night, he begs an audience with the eleventh earl, the most enigmatic nobleman in Regency England.

The visit has purpose. Kit, hungry to ruin the lord who ruined his sister, believes Rossingley is the only man who can help him.

Lando Duchamps-Avery, eleventh earl of Rossingley, doesn’t trust the sinfully handsome stranger one bit. He does not care for the tales he spins, his hot temper, or his thick, ebony curls. And, most definitely, he is not in thrall to the delicious golden hoop dangling from Kit Angel’s left ear. Lando has his own motivations to ruin the same lord, and the two men form an uneasy alliance.

As the dangerous plot they hatch unfurls, the suspicious earl and the shady scoundrel are increasingly thrown together. Whilst the wily earl gradually surrenders to his growing attraction, Kit can’t make up his mind if he wants to swive him, declare undying love for him, or throttle him.

Bit by bit, as mutual desire swells between them, Kit wins over the earl’s body, his passion, and his trust.

But in order to win the earl’s elusive heart? The scoundrel must risk losing everything.

https://books2read.com/troubled-earl (Non-Amazon)

https://mybook.to/TTATE. (Amazon)

Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Historical Romance Blog - Fearne Hillfearne

2 0

Load More Follow on Instagram

Advice for Authors by Kayelle Allen

Opening Hook

Avoid passive information