If You Love Historical Romance…

Hi, and welcome to my blog day here at Coffee Time Romance. Grab one of those mugs, pour your favorite brew, and settle in for a chat. I’ll be drawing a name from all who comment here today. The winner will get her choice of jewelry handmade by a glass artisan. You can see a sample picture of her designs on my personal blog, http://www.joycemoore.blogspot.com but you have to comment here to have a chance to win. Winning name will be announced on my blog next week so be sure to check back to see if you’ve won.
So, let’s get acquainted. I write historical fiction. My newest release is a historical romance set in France. Jeanne of Clairmonde has everything a romance reader expects: a handsome squire who has sworn off women, a heroine who loves her animals, and the royal court of France. Here’s a sneak peek of my book.

“Shh.” Jeanne put her finger to her lips to quiet her maid but it was too late. A shadow fell across the floor and she looked up into dark eyes that held a hint of amusement. He loomed above her like a towering beech tree.
“Well, what have we here?”
Jeanne stood tall, as tall as every inch of her five-foot frame would allow, determined to meet this intruder with assurance. She tilted her head back to see his face and looked into the darkest pair of eyes she’d ever seen. Thick brows obscured their color but she guessed they were indeed black, black as the forest floor where no sun reached.
“How dare you?” she said. “Who are you to come here making such a demand? You’ve frightened the sisters.”
For a moment he looked as if she’d struck him. “I take no pleasure in this assignment, Mademoiselle, but it’s my duty.”
He regained his former composure and she continued, having enjoyed a momentary lapse in his confidence. “Is that a sign of bravery in the king’s army, ordering women around?” He bowed low, a mocking gesture that made her blood boil. “My name,” he said, straightening to treeheight again, “is Squire Nicholas, of King Philip’s advance army.”
At that moment she vowed he would live to regret his patronizing manner.
“Come, ma’am,” Rose pleaded from behind her. “We’d best be upstairs if Sister Marie comes.” She tugged on Jeanne’s sleeve.
The tunic tightened around Jeanne, and the squire scanned her form from head to toe before moving back to her face.”One of your eyes is green. The other””” he stepped closer, “””seems to be blue. What do they call you?”
“As if it’s your business, you””you trespasser.” Anger gave her voice a breathy quality that made her sound older than her seventeen years. “My name is Jeanne. Jeanne of Clairmonde, and if you have the sense to know where you are, you’ll know you’re on land my father owned.”
He smiled, infuriating her, though in truth the smile crinkled one side of his cheek into an amazingly appealing dimple. She planted both feet in front of him and squared her shoulders. “Such a brave squire you are, threatening women. But I fear you not.”
“Oh, so you heard everything. Then run on, ready yourself for the journey, for I wager you ride not well and will slow down the whole party.”
“I ride better than you, and more honorably, as I take nothing from God’s servants.”
“It’s not for me, but for good King Philip, as you must know, since you were eavesdropping.”
A tense silence enveloped the room. Had she gone too far? Perhaps she could be hung for treason in resisting the king’s appropriation. Her father had told her the land was deeded to his grandfather by a king, and while she wholeheartedly supported King Philip in his resistance to the English, surely there was other land that would serve as well. Let them find it. She swallowed, then plunged on. “You’ll not take me with your silly riding party. Perhaps you frightened Sister Marie, but Rose and I will stay.” She tilted her chin up, her eyes blazing. “Come, Rose. The smell of animal is in this hall.” She hoped the insult would unnerve him but instead she saw the beginnings of a smile as she turned her back.

Now, I’d like to know my readers better, so please answer one or all of these questions:
(1)what genre you prefer. (If it’s not historical, that’s okay. I’m just curious.)
(2)What kind of heroine do you think Jeanne is? Playful? Vengeful? Insecure?
(3)If you were writing the book, what would you have happen next?

Ooh, this is SO fun. Stop by later. I’ll be blogging about a little-known way to travel to places you read about and would love to see, something that won’t ruin your budget. It’s something few people know about. Another post will be about Landing and Agent, and another about Writers’ Conferences and why they’re important.

Thanks for stopping by today. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a $25 gift from the jeweler at www.glassbyhand.com.