Recent Reads - a 3fer!

The King’s Courtesan by Judith James

Why this one: Ever since I was blown away by Broken Wing, there’s not a chance I won’t read anything this author writes. Although it sat longer in the TBR pile than originally planned, I think the reason was I’m so taken with reading on my IPad now that it wasn’t until I bought this digitally that I finally started reading it.

Steam Level: It’s cold. It’s winter. This book will help warm one up on a cold winter day

Blurb: Sensuous, beautiful and determined, Hope Matthews is a favored mistress of the king.

Her many charms have helped her rise from the gutter to the king's bed. But with the new queen's impending arrival, her nights in the royal chamber-- and her hopes for security--will swiftly come to an end.

His honor a distant memory

Haunted by his past hardened by the recent civil war, Captain Robert Nichols lives only for revenge. When told he must marry the king's courtesan to provide a cover for their affair,

he's faced with a new low. Both are pawns of a great man, but married to their dreams of independence, their clash is inevitable. Can these two wounded souls realize the answer to all their dreams might lie in each other's arms?

My Thoughts: While this one didn’t blow me away like BW did, it’s certainly in the upper levels of books I read in 2011. Robert Nichols was in the previous book, Libertine’s Kiss where he was a rather dour, severe kind of character; of course any one would be after the larger than life persona of William.

I might have worried, but this is Judith James who writes such wonderful, multidimensional characters. And I just adore the setting and time period.

Although it’s England, this book as well as Libertine’s Kiss is set during the Restoration period. I’ve been so intrigued and wanting to know more about this underwritten time in English history.

As I said, while Robert comes across as stern, much of that can be attributed to the fact that he was on Cromwell’s side during the civil war and those Puritans weren’t know to be party animals. But the fact that he fought for Cromwell was more that it was expedient then the fact that he followed their beliefs. His lands had been stolen and he wanted them back. He is a good and honourable man and I liked him a lot.

But it’s Hope who is the one full of life here. In Broken Wing, it was Gabriel who was the stand out character; in The King’s Courtesan, for me, it’s Hope. What a wonderfully written character she is. She’s grown up in a brothel, her mother the Madam who sells her young daughter, Hope still manages to maintain certain innocence about her. She first meets Robert when she is young and quite literally falls into his lap during a march of the soldiers. She’s smitten with him and sees him as someone who will rescue her from her sad circumstances only to be sold later that same day. The book then moves forward in time to when Charles II has taken the crown and Hope as one of his

mistresses. He is about to be married and Hope realizes that he can’t keep her because of her low birth. All she wants from Charles is her freedom to live her life the way she wants to. Instead, like so many other people in her life, he ‘sells’ her to Robert for the price of Robert’s land back. Charles thinks once the newness of

marriage wears off, he will want Hope back again and Robert will be a compliant cuckold. But things don’t turn out quite that way.

Once they get past their initial misunderstandings, they begin to truly care about the other and fall in love.

And now it hangs over their head – what do they do when the King wants her back

And while Hope is more of a stand out character, Robert is no slouch himself. He never holds Hope’s past against her, realizing she did what she had to do in order to survive.

He is smitten with the dichotomy of her being the King’s mistress on one hand and so seemingly naive and innocent on the other hand.

The setting is also such an attraction for me with this book. There are so few in this setting and I know so little, that a few times while reading, I went back and did a bit of research on the time. As history was one of my favourite subjects in school, I simply loved that I had this reaction.

I just love EVERTHING about Ms. James writing, her characters, her settings, her detail to history, you name it and I give it a thumbs up. As I think I mentioned earlier this one didn’t quite come up to Broken Wing, but since I gave that book higher than a 5 out of 5, this one does get a

Grade: 5 out of 5

When A Duke Says I Do by Jane Goodger

Why This One: There was some discussion on it on the AAR board, I looked it up, it sounded interesting,

I’ve read and enjoyed some older books by this author so I decided to give it a try.

Steam Level: Fairly toasty!

Blurb: Miss Elsie Stanhope resided in Nottinghamshire, an area so rich in titled gentlemen, so felicitous for marriage-minded mamas, it was called

"the Dukeries." Indeed, Elsie had been betrothed since childhood to the heir of a dukedom. She had no expectation it would be a love match.

Still less that she would enter into a shockingly scandalous affair with an altogether different sort of lover. And the very last thing she imagined was that the mysteries of his birth would be unraveled with as many

unforeseen twists and turns as the deepest secrets of her heart.

My Thoughts: Do you ever read a synopsis and just something you can’t really put your finger on precisely calls to you and you just want to read this book?

That’s what happened to me with this one and I’m glad I listened to ‘the call’. I really enjoyed this book. In these times of fewer historical reads, this book helped to remind me why I used to enjoy them so much.

Elsie is a naturally happy young woman. Betrothed since she was very young, she doesn’t really want to get married and move away from all that she knows and loves including her very young sister.

But she is ready to do it since she is if nothing else, an obedient daughter to her widowed father.

But her plans are thrown into disarray when she finds herself very attracted to the mute young

assistant to the mural artist her father has hired. Elsie has troubles sleeping and late at night when

everyone else is abed, she slips down to where Andre or Alexander is working late into the night.

It turns out he’s hiding a few secrets. First off, he is the real artist, not his boss. His boss has been unable to paint for a while and Alexander is covering for him. In addition,

Alexander is not really mute; he just has very real and strong issues, dating back to a horrid childhood in speaking in public. Indeed,

not even his artist boss knows he can really speak.

Alexander and Elsie develop a strong bond built in friendship

and it leads to much deeper feelings on both their parts. But both realize that their blossoming love is impossible. She

is engaged to someone else and he is nothing more than an artist’s assistant. But is he really only that?

This is a romance novel so of course he’s actually more. But in order to have any chance to claim the young woman he has come to love more than life itself, he’s going to have to rise above his very real issues.

This book reminds me a little of another book I loved to pieces and pieces, Broken Wing in that the hero is severely damaged and needs the

heroine to help heal him. While I didn’t have quite the same reaction to When A Duke Says I Do, I still thought it a very fine way to spend hours reading.

Alexander was deliciously wounded and I do so love a wounded hero. He suffered from a very abusive childhood which together with his speech issues, made things

very bad for him. But he felt comfortable enough with Elsie to be free and speak to her. Because of the healing effect she had on him, he was ‘gone’ for her, another characteristic I love about a heroine; when he is totally smitten with the heroine. I also quite enjoyed the character of Elsie too. She was alternately pragmatic, naïve, optimistic, accepting, compassionate and understanding. When she discovers Alexander’s secrets, she is willing to wait until he is ready to tell her the stories behind them.

Although very curious, she doesn’t pressure him. Towards the end of the story, she made one decision I wish she hadn’t, but considering the pressure she was under, I could see why she capitulated.

The villain of the story was a bit over the top and it wasn’t really

explained to my complete satisfaction why he did the things he did and there was no real closure for the hero. But those were small issues

when measured against how much I enjoyed this book.

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

Changeling Dream by Dani Harper

Why This One: I read the first book in this series and liked it

Steam Level: We haven’t had much of a winter so far this year, but if we had this would have helped keep me warm

Blurb: In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her. It's almost as if he's alive...


Thirty years ago James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild instincts but arousing still wilder needs. With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

My Thoughts: I’ve said a few times when it comes to either werewolves or vampires, I pick the werewolf. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been reading this series. I like the first book, thus I wanted to continue. The hero of this book is James MacLeod, the older brother of the hero of Changeling Moon. As it says in the blurb, James suffered a great tragedy when his young wife and unborn child were murdered and because he couldn’t deal with the horror of it all since he felt responsible, he remained in his wolf form for the next 30 years.

The heroine, Jillian Descharme, a young vet hired by Duncan, the hero of the first book, to help in his practice is the catalyst for James finally taking back his human self. It turns out many years ago that his wolf form rescued Jililan and the wolf side has considered Jillian ‘his’ ever since then. And Jillian has never forgotten the white wolf that rescued and comforted her from a horrendous attack when she was very young.

When the white wolf realizes that Jillian has come to his neck of the woods, he claims Jillian as his even though James does not want to become involved with anyone again. He is astonished when he does come back to his humanity to realize that so much time has gone by.

I liked both these characters. James is kind of unusual as there is an internal battle going on inside him for most of the book as to who was going to get what they wanted, him or his inner wolf. I thought that dynamic was quite unique. And I liked the character of Jillian although I felt at times that she was a bit too much of a ‘super’ woman. I preferred the first book just a tad more, but I liked them both enough to get the third one, Changeling Dawn.

There were a few things that I thought weren’t explained enough though. When James rescued Jillian many years ago, she lived in mid-Ontario and yet she moved thousands of miles to the exact location that James called home. It was never explained how James traveled such a long distance or why when in wolf form and then I thought it was just a tad too coincidental that Jillian would end up in the very small Alberta town that the MacLeod family called home.

But for a werewolf or changeling as they prefer to be called, I thought it not too shabby a book at all.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

Upcoming Book Alert

I don't know if you know this or not, *big grin* but there was a book that came out a couple of years ago now that I went - well - kind of nuts over. In case you missed it, the book was Broken Wing by Judith James. I had to read it 5 times before I could move onto another book.

And while her next book, Highland Rebel didn't have quite the same effect, it's rare that a book knocks me that sideways, it only happens every few years and when it does - watch out :-), I really did love Highland Rebel.

I was cruising Fiction DB not long ago and saw that her third book was coming out in what I thought was July - but now it might be August - whatever the month - this is one of my most highest anticipated book of the whole year.

I tried finding a picture of the cover, but couldn't find it anywhere. So I emailed Judith and asked if she had seen the cover and where I might find it to add to my sidebar. She emailed me back - attaching the cover!!! YES!!

So here it is - she's writing for HQN now and they gave her a fabulous cover. I was looking for a blurb but didn't find one. BUT I do know from what Judith wrote in her email that:

"It's a 17th Restoration love story between a Cavalier and a Puritan woman who were childhood friends."

Does that sound cool and different or what!?!?

Libertine's Kiss

I know time flies, but I hope it really flies until I get this one in my hot little hands!!

*~*~*~*~*UPDATE*~*~*~*~*

Ahhhh- through the power of Twitter and the friends on Twitter, I've found a description:

Abandoned by his cavalier father at a young age, William de Veres grew up knowing precious little happiness. But William has put the past firmly behind him and as a military hero and noted rake, he rises fast in the ranks of the hedonistic Restoration court. Until he is forced to seek shelter from a young Puritan woman...

The civil wars have cost the once-high-spirited Elizabeth Walters her best friend and her father, leaving her unprotected and alone. She flees an unwanted marriage, seeking safe haven, but what she finds is something she never expected. When her kindness and her beauty bring her to the attention of William, and then the king, she will have a choice to make. After all, can a notorious libertine really be capable of love?

Doesn't this sound scrumptious?

Highland Rebel Review

Set in a dangerous time of religious and political upheaval and civil war, HIGHLAND REBEL tells the story of Catherine Drummond and Jamie Sinclair, two proud and lonely outcasts whose struggle for acceptance and survival draws them together in a partnership based on mutual interest that will transform them both. In so doing it transports the reader to Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, the court of King James II, and the coffee houses, backstreets and taverns of seventeenth century London, while chronicling the brief reign of England’s last Stuart king.

Born in the waning days of Cromwell’s England, despised as a bastard by his Puritan father, and abandoned by his mother, James Sinclair has learned from an early age to fend for himself. Charming, dangerous, and decidedly amoral, his quick wit, good looks and military prowess have served him well in the courts of two Stuart Kings, the grudgingly Protestant Charles II and the openly Catholic King James. Adventurer, courtier, mercenary and spy, he’s a master of disguise who can transform from aristocrat to beggar and disappear in any crowd. Sent to mind a troop of foreign mercenaries, he looks forward to completing his mission and collecting his reward, and when an inconvenient spark of gallantry and his own perverse humor cause him to marry a maid captured on the battlefield he intends the marriage to be in name only.

Raised in the Scottish Highlands, heiress to a title, a fortune founded on the whiskey trade, and properties in Scotland and in France, Cat Drummond is far from the camp follower Jamie mistakes her for. Fiercely loyal to family, clan and king, she’s born to rule, trained on the field of battle and at the court of Versailles, and equally comfortable in men’s breeches or a gown. Disguised as beggars on the streets of London, or glittering amongst the courtiers of Whitehall Palace, Catherine and Jamie will join forces in an age where treachery and adultery are the fashion, and cynicism, cruelty and barbed wit are the qualities most admired. But in a world where family, creed, and princes can’t be trusted, and faith fuels intolerance, hatred, and war, they’ll soon find themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict that will force them to question everything they know, and test the bounds of friendship, loyalty and love.

Review: I'm doing this in a different style this time 'cause I want it to stand up and be noticed.

First off, anyone expecting this to be the kind of romance one is used to may be disappointed. Highland Rebel is different. Way back when I started reading, they didn't have the same kind of romance they do now. I grew up reading Daphne Du Maurier's King's General and Frenchman's Creek, Raphael Sabatini's Captain Blood and The Black Sway, Anya Seton's Katherine and Green Darkness as well as most of Mary Stewart and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

I loved these books; their sense of adventure, their all encompasing stories and wiled away many an hour reading and rereading over and over again. But as much as I loved them, there was something missing. Although they are all very romantic, there just wasn't enough romance, even though they were romance. They have stayed with me for years

And then the romance genre in it's present form came into being and I love it. But I really miss those sweeping sagas I used to read; the 'swashbucklingness' of many of the romances of yesteryear; the real sense of the times that is often missing in historical romances of today. There are very few historicals I read anymore that make me want to look further into the history of the times they were written in. I used to do that all the time in my beginning romance days.

And then I read Highland Rebel and it is an incredible hybrid of both. Ms. James has created a story and time that is vivid in it's richness. Very seldom anymore am I pulled so deep into a different time. Highland Rebel is a sweeping epic that takes the readers from the Highlands of Scotland to the court of James II to the island of Ireland. The research is amazing and the author incorporates into the story of Catherine Drummond and Jamie Sinclair is a seemless and amazing way.

Along with the wonderful setting, the characters of Cat and Jamie are so richly and lovingly created. We meet them both after a battle. Cat has been captured and Jamie decides on a lark to save her life by claiming her with marriage but she escapes shortly after that. Jamie follows and is captured by her clansmen. You see Cat just isn't any ordinary woman of the highlands. She has been raised to be the new clan leader. Intelligent, shrewd, beautiful, strong, she is a wonderful heroine; the kind you don't often seen in historicals - a person in her own right and not just the daughter of her father or the love interest of the hero. When I noticed that Wendy was also reading Highland Rebel, I emailed her, knowing that she's all about the strong heroine, but she wasn't far enough into it to offer an opinion. Athough, she did keep it with her when the late summer fires of California struck. She did the same thing with Broken Wing last year.

And Jamie - what a truly fascinating character he is. Although he grew up abused by his father and deserted by his mother, he has retained a joie de vivre that makes him totally irresistable.

After Catherine escapes, Jamie takes off after her as he really doesn't want to remain married. He's lived a life of genteel poverty and King James has a bride that will help him out of his 'situation'. But things don't go as he planned.

The book follows the story of Jamie and Cat as they bicker and plan to divorce each other - at their own convenience. Wem the readers, see early on that these two are perfect for each other, but it takes them, especially Jamie, much longer to see the thing that is the very best for him is right in front of him. We see them develop a deep and enduring friendship. Catherine is frustrated once she gets to England with the restrictions put on her because of her sex, but Jamie makes her his boon companion and shows her a side of life she never would have know. He recognizes and respects her for the person she truly is and in return, Cat becomes his best friend, someone who has his back, even literaly in one scene. She stands by him when all others abandon him. She rescues him and rather than being resentful, he appreciates all that she is.

I've been holding off a bit on writing this review as I don't want anyone to be turned away from the lack of romance between them for a good part of the book. Don't get me wrong; there is definitely attraction and feeling, on both sides, but they don't really act on them until later. But when they do, because the attraction and the friendship has been building all along, because of the level of trust, the love scenes are truly wonderful and a superb payoff.

I don't know if this book will be for everyone. If you like romance on the lighter side, this one may be a bit intense. It took me a bit longer than it usually does to read a book because it's so rich and lucsious it's best enjoyed in smaller bites so that you can savour it slowly rather than rush and miss the taste of it.

Both Jamie and Cat are completely different characters from Gabriel and Sarah of Broken Wing and I'm amazed that Ms, James has managed to write such a completely different story the second time around.

While Highland Rebel didn't have the same kind of visceral affect on me that Broken Wing did, I enjoyed it; I enjoyed it very, very much. It was like the best of the books I used to read all those years ago with all the romance that was missing.

This one gets a 5 out of 5 from me. Even though I'm finished, I still find myself thinking of it, remembering parts and it's one I know I will read again.

And because I believe so much in this book; and for those who want a taste of the kind of books they haven't read, or those readers who did read them and want that feeling again, I have a copy to giveaway. if you leave a comment letting me know why you want to read this one - you are entered!!

And unlike the other two I have to give away, this give away is open to anyone - anywhere!! The winner for this one will be announced on Sunday evening - to celebrate that I have Monday off

:-)

A Very Special Guest Today - and A Giveaway!

Anyone who has read this blog for the last little while knows how much Judith’s first novel, Broken Wing, rocked my reading world. After reading it, I went to rather unusual measures to let other readers know about this incredible book that zoomed to the top of my all time favourite book list; the book that I read five times in a row before I could bear to leave it and move on to another book.

The people of Source books, hearing about how I reacted to her first book, sent me, as well as others, ARC,s of her second book, Highland Rebel. This was a while ago and at this point I have a confession to make. I was so enthralled with the love story of Gabriel and Sarah and so moved by Broken Wing, I was nervous to take up reading Highland Rebel, afraid I wouldn’t like it as much or almost afraid I would. I mean – it took me five rereads to get past Broken Wing. I know – it makes no sense does it?

But with the release of Highland Rebel fast approaching and having Judith visit Ramblings once again, I knew I’d better get to it!!

I admit now that I was very foolish in my worry and my review will be coming up soon, but in the meantime, please join me in welcoming Judith James, an author who can write like nobodies business!

And to celebrate the release of Highland Rebel - TODAY - there is also a give away. There are two books up to win, which means two lucky winners!! Just comment on either this post or the review post and you are eligible. This giveaway in only open to US or Canadian residents.

(note I say this one *g* 'cause I like to put my money were my mouth is - so don't worry)

You may have noticed I don't have very many author interviews here at Ramblings. In fact I think the last one I did was with Judith. But when Source books contacted me to see if I would be interested in having Judith drop by, I said yes with alacrity!

I came up with some questions I was wondering about and Judith was kind enough to answer them for me.

Enjoy!!

Highland Rebel is set in a very unusual time period, one I’ve never come across in a romance before. How did you come to choose this time period?

I came across a first edition (1680) of bishop and historian Gilbert Burnett’s account of the Earl of Rochester’s recounting of his life while on this death bed, which Burnett attended. I started researching the Restoration for a possible story based on that character, and I fell madly in love with the time period, which I have always been interested in since reading Antonia Stuart’s biography of Charles II several years ago. I know many people prefer the Regency period, but the neglect of the Restoration puzzles me as there was so much going on with politics, religion, philosophy, and thought, including the beginning of the Jacobite movement that is a central theme in so many Highland and Scottish historicals and romances. Cromwell’s regime was a repressive one. Much loved entertainments including gambling, theatre, dancing and even celebrations such as Christmas, were outlawed, and church attendance made mandatory. The Restoration of Charles II, an informal and easy going womaniser dubbed the Merry Monarch, resulted in a kind of social rebellion against the last ten years that reminds me somewhat of the 1960s. The Restoration court was filled with a host of colourful characters and was one of the most bawdy, hedonistic, and lively courts in history. In terms of an explosion in theatre, literature and science it rivalled the Elizabethan period. Women had more freedom during this period than they would for many years to come and there is so much room to develop characters and so much interesting material. Rochester's real life story was just too dark, he died at age 33, but it led me to Cat and Jamie's story which I fell in love with and it pretty much wrote itself. I am working on a story now called Libertines Kiss that features a character inspired by Rochester (but with a happy ending) so I will be spending much of my time in the 17^th century over the next little while and right now there’s no place I’d rather be.

One of the side benefits I used to get from reading historical romance books years ago, was learning little know historical facts. I miss that in many of today’s historical romances. Do you like to bring something new to your readers through your stories and research?

Well in retrospect I do, but too be honest it’s more a selfish thing rather than a purposeful intent. I keep finding little gems that delight me, so where appropriate I embed them in the story. Sometimes they seem like gifts that just fell in my lap, like the story of Willie MacBean at Killiecrankie. People who read the book should be able to guess who he was without reading the afterword. Sometimes they move the story in a different direction; like a signpost saying turn here. In all cases they help anchor me in the story, the time and the place, and if my characters can interact with them, for me it adds a level of authenticity that helps me tell the story. That being said, I suppose I am a bit of a trivia buff and do love to share what I think are interesting or fun facts, even if they don’t make it into the story, so I’m going to share just one. During the English Civil War swearing was one of the characteristic that marked opposing sides. Puritans were notably against taking the Lord’s name in vain, while the Cavaliers got in the habit of doing it. The historian Sir Edward Peyton wrote in 1652 “The courtiers garnished their mouths with God-dammes, as if they desired Damnation rather than Salvation.” The cavaliers got the nickname “The God-dam-me Cavaliers” and in later centuries the French called English soldiers the “God dammes” because of this notorious habit.

While both had a tragic upbringing, Jamie Sinclair has a certain “je ne sais quoi” and couldn’t be more different then Gabriel St. Croix in terms of a hero. Did you write an opposite hero on purpose?

That’s a good question! I suppose in some ways I did. For one thing I didn’t want to repeat the same story using different names and places, but it was more than that. In part, Gabriel and Jamie told me their stories, so if feels to me like they were characters I met rather than made up. They both had difficult childhoods, but Jamie’s was a lot less restrictive and he had people who showed him affection, even if it was serving maids and cooks. As long as he stayed out of the way he had a lot of freedom, and that gave him experiences that built confidence. Gabriel didn’t have those opportunities and though I know it annoyed many people, to be true to the character it was something he had to go out and experience for himself. Jamie’s life shaped him in a different way, making him careful, distant and self contained with emotions, but not really self doubting; in part because he had more escapes, but also due to his personality. He was blessed with a cynical sense of humour that saw him through a lot, but in fairness to Gabriel, you have to be able to step back and see from a distance to find humour, and his early life did not allow at all for that. I hope every hero I write will be different, and every heroine too, but it would be safe to say that I enjoyed spending time with Jamie and his sense of humour after all he intensity that was Gabriel.

Although there is an attraction in both Broken Wing and Highland Rebel, there is a real friendship between the hero and heroine before the romance becomes ‘physical’. I really like this as it makes for a much more believable HEA. What are your thoughts?

Yes absolutely. You’ve put a finger on something that seems to be a theme in all my stories. My characters become very real to me as I write them. I suppose you could say my stories are character driven. They are somewhat damaged by life. Tortured, dark, whatever you might call it. It’s just not real or true to the characters that they could be in a happy relationship after a few spats and some hot sex. In fact, sex too soon might have spoiled things, as is often the case in life. I know this may annoy some readers who are looking for a quick romantic fix with lots of sex from page one, and my books are probably not for them. It’s a great fantasy, one I enjoy too, but my heroes know lust and sex, they are intimate with it, and that’s how they know and relate to women. It’s acceptable to them, familiar territory, and nothing to change themselves or their lives over. The woman who gives in to them just joins one of many. It’s friendship with women they are unfamiliar with, and in large part this seems to have been fairly true to the times. They distrust, and are afraid and uncomfortable with female friendship for good reason. It’s intimate in a way that sex isn’t. It means sharing thoughts and “horrors” feelings. They have few defences and it’s how they get caught. You are easy with your friends, perhaps from the moment you meet, perhaps it grows over time, but a best friend is someone you know and trust and can share your deepest thoughts and secrets with. You like your friends.

I don’t believe you can have true love without friendship, liking, and trust. I think sometimes the heart pounding attraction certain people give us is often mistaken for love but that’s really just chemistry and lust; and it doesn’t tend to last very long and is no basis for a long tern relationship. When you have friendship combined with all the chemistry, then you might just find that wonderful last a lifetime love. Romantic love to me is genuine friendship, liking and respect combined with sublime chemistry. Best friends who’ve seen each other through things as friends have had to trust and learn to understand each other. They are in a way like comrades in arms, soldiers who’ve fought together. They’ve shared things no one else could understand and it binds them in a way that can never be broken. I think the fantasy of a great, once in a lifetime love can be real, when you follow that road, and those are they kind of stories I like to tell.

I know that Johnny Depp from The Libertine was your ‘model’ for Gabriel St. Croix, did you have anyone in mind for Jamie Sinclair?

Actually, no I didn’t. Gabriel, though I don’t think anyone noticed, was actually a twist on beauty and the beast. He was “cursed” in a way if you like, by beauty. His looks were the cause of a great deal of pain and distress, to the point he pretty much hated himself. Despite outward appearances, inside Gabe felt really ugly, and believed he was something of a beast. Sarah helped him realize he was beautiful, in the way we all want to be, the way that’s still there when you’re old. He had to be a beautiful man, capable of appearing both masculine and androgynous, Johnny came immediately to mind. Jamie was very different. He came to me in a day dream, first in a blur of dialogue, and was someone I had never met or visualized before. He’s older, handsome rather than beautiful, and a bit more rugged and dangerous looking, though his charm and humour come through when he smiles. I went backwards for this question, and tried to find a character that resembled Jamie in my mind, which was great fun. I’ve include the closest I could fine for you. One looks a bit like Jamie when he and Cat first met; without the cigarette of course, and one when he’s in a good mood and being his charming self.

How fun was Jamie to write?

Oh Jamie was a blast. He’s a funny guy with a great, if somewhat cynical sense of humour, he genuinely likes and appreciates smart strong women, he tells great stories, and he’s charming, and not at all bad to look at. He enjoys life and takes pleasure from it whenever he can and he’s also a great guy to have your back in a tough situation. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I spent with him.

While I adore Sarah and thought her a wonderful match for Gabriel, Cat is a different kind of heroine for Jamie. How do you compare the relationship between Jamie and Cat against Sarah and Gabriel?

Well I describe Cat and Jamie somewhere as in many ways polar opposites, in all ways equal; and more alike than either of them realizes. They both have their own agenda, and although there’s an immediate attraction, neither of them is prepared to give up what they think they want to act on it. Nevertheless they like and respect each other, share a similar goal which is ironically, independence, and have to work together to win it. Jamie is older and he’s pretty much seen it all. He has no interest in proving anything to anyone. He has a conscience and his own values, but he’s pretty cynical and even his humour tends to distance him from the things that might hurt him. He figures nothing can surprise him. He’s got it all figured out. Cat Drummond is totally unexpected and turns his life upside down. He loves novelty and at first she doesn’t bore him. He’s learned to be wary and relies on deception, and her straight talk is a bit alarming. Catherine is used to men, though not in a sexual sense. She’s not sure what’s under the mask, but she knows he’s wearing one. She’s practical, not romantic, so she judges Jamie by what he does, not what he says. She’s also a little defensive, and from being raised with rough men, rather assertive. She’s quick to smack Jamie upside the head(which I grant he needed at times), but if Sarah had ever done that to Gabriel he would have been out the door and gone for good.

Gabriel hadn’t really had a chance to live his life. He had thing he needed to learn. He needed to test himself and gain his confidence, and he needed someone who could love and accept him unconditionally, because there was a lot to accept. In many ways he and Sarah were much alike; sensitive, romantic, and idealistic. Jamie and Cat needed to help each other. Gabriel needed to be healed. Sarah had spent years worried about her little brother. Finding him was her main focus. Her gratitude to Gabriel for protecting him made helping him her main focus once her brother was found. It didn’t matter how he screwed up, or what he did, she was always going to be there for him because of that, even if they had never fallen in love. I know some people felt she forgave him too easily, but my stories are character driven. Sarah owed Gabriel a debt of gratitude, their friendship ran deep, ands he knew him better than he knew himself. There was no way she would ever turn her back on him, abandon him or punish him, and that kind of patience and understanding, that unconditional acceptance and love, was exactly what Gabriel needed. I don’t think a man with his history could have found a happy ending with anyone but Sarah, just as Jamie could not have found his without Cat Drummond.

The ending of Highland Rebel seems a bit open ended (but I Very Quickly add that there IS an HEA for those who just read that). Do you have a sequel in mind for Jamie and Catherine?

I wouldn’t say I have one planned. Right now I’m working on a darker Restoration era story called Libertine’s Kiss that takes place about 35 years before Highland Rebel, but I’ve certainly played with the idea for sequels to both Highland Rebel and Broken Wing. I might run a contest to see which BW character folks who read that book would like to read about next. As for Jamie and Catherine, those who read the book will understand why a sequel would likely begin in France. I suspect Jamie will not be able to leave well enough alone, and would get involved using his skills in the very dangerous business of spiriting Huguenots out of France, as something of a post restoration Scarlet Pimpernel perhaps, with the help of a fellow he meet in Dublin, putting him in hot water with yet another king. If he’s lucky Catherine might use what he taught her to come to his aid. On the other hand, they might just settle down, have a child or two, and switch from making whisky to making love and wine :)

Your books are so rich in detail that you almost feel that you are there. How much research goes into one of your stories and how long do they take to write?

Broken Wing took a while, probably a good four months in research alone and another 10 to write. The period was new to me and I had to branch out to cover tall ships, sailing, the Mediterranean and North Africa, slavery, Paris, gambling etc; Highland rebel was faster, about 8 months from start to finish research included. I was somewhat familiar with the period. I had read Antonia Frazer's works before, and I learned from NANOWRIMO to pencil in things like (look up 17^th century Irish castles and layouts) and keep going forward with the story in stead of stopping. Then I could go back and fill them in when the muse was sulking. I did collect some great books on houses, fashion, social history, seafaring etc. as I went; as well as some diaries and biographies. I would say I have a pretty good research library now, I have learned my way around the local library, and I have bookmarked useful research sites on the internet. I’ve become more efficient over time at both research and writing so I’d say that I’ve gone from eight months to a year to write a book, to five to six months. I’m working on something else in the 17^th century now, so I already have lots of materials and a better background and it will be much easier, though there’s always something new to learn. It would be the same were I to return to the Georgian period to revisit friends from Broke Wing or do a sequel to Highland Rebel.

I'd like to thank Judith for her wonderful and thoughtful answers and hopefully she will drop by to answer any other questions that you might have that I didn't think of.

I read and finished Highland Rebel and will have my review up very shortly. All I'm going to say at the moment though is I thought it very good book - a very VERY good book.

ETA

Upon reading this and doing what I don't do enough of - editing - I realized that I wasn't clear. The giveaway is TWO copies of Highland Rebel - not a copy of Broken Wing and/or Highland Rebel.

And D'oh - as Cecile pointed out - I didn't put a day the giveaway ends! The giveaway will end Sunday night.