September 2nd, 2009 — Contests
If you're a LRP virgin, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. It's free and easy! See you tomorrow! ~Keira.
Thank you to all those who commented on How I Started Writing. It's time to draw the winners and they are...
In human speak #12 and #9 refer to:
#12 Virginia C
# 9 Lisa Marie Wilkinson
Congratulations ladies! You both won a copy of Highland Rebel by Judith James. I will be contacting you shortly to get your mailing addresses. If you miss it and it goes to spam or something email me at reviewromancenovel@yahoo.com
Have a great day and happy readings!
Edit: Lisa Marie Wilkinson kindly passed on receiving her copy of Highland Rebel as she pre-ordered one already. The next in line is #8 Bev Pettersen! Congrats Bev! I'll email you tonight.
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August 29th, 2009 — 2.5 Stars, 3 Stars, ARC, Cross-Dressing Female, Dukes and Earls, Estranged, Friends, Gentry, Great Britain, Heiress, Ireland, J-L, Runaway, Scarred Hero, Soldier, Stuart, Survival, Virgin Heroine, Warrior, Wartime
Jamie Sinclair is a chameleon hero. He switches loyalties, sides, and professions to suit his needs. He once worked for Charles II. Now he works for his brother James II. Jamie is not enamored with his mercenary life. He does what he does to earn the monies needed to keep his impoverish and indebted estates and their people going.
So when he comes from a raiding party back to the camp and finds the men out to torture the young lad he faced momentarily on the battlefield, Jamie is reluctant to let them do it. When it turns out that the lad is a she, he’s determined to ensure her safety. The men are angry at the loss of their plaything and won’t easily let Jamie take her. The only way salvage the situation is to marry her.
Catherine Drummond is a quasi female laird. She should be in charge of her people, but her cousin rules the roost. Wounded from battle, she does not recognize what the priest is doing on the field. Her only thoughts are of escape or to take out as many of them as possible before her death.
I was really enjoying this Stuart period romance until about page three hundred. There was so much going on that it's hard to summarize. Friendship is a very important part for the hero and heroine's road to love and happiness. I began to loose interest with all the running around, side switching, and back and forth going on between the hero and heroine. The novel takes place over the course of two (and more) years with a lot of down time between meetings. In the end it was too much for me when all I really wanted was for both of them to act on their mutual love and lust for each other. I'm sorry to say that I ended up skimming the rest of the novel to find out what happened.
Rating: 2.5-3 Stars
Buy: Highland Rebel
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August 26th, 2009 — Guest Blogger, J-L
by Judith James, guest blogger and author of Highland Rebel.
I think it’s safe to say that while not all readers are writers, all writers started as avid readers, and most readers stop once in a while and think…I wonder if I could do that?
I’ve been telling myself stories since childhood, and reading and listening to them too. I found the bookmobile in first grade and had read most everything in it by grade four. I thrilled to the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley and I adored The Island Stallion
. It was the first book that I remember being swept away. I was on that island. It was me there trying to befriend that magnificent creature. It was magic! I remember Heidi, Tarzan
by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
having the same effect.
I went from childhood to adulthood with my nose stuck in a book. I always had one in my purse or backpack and never minded having to wait for a bus or at the doctor or dentist, because it gave me a chance to read. I worked as a groom on a racetrack for a while, and there was always a book in my bucket as I waited with my charge for the races to begin. I also loved to go to the movies. Raiders of The Lost Arc, Willow, and Jurassic Park were just a few that left me enthralled and took me places I’d never been.
Many books and movies left me completely satisfied, all my question answered and nothing left to ask, but sometimes I would finish a book or movie and be unsatisfied, thinking what if? What if a certain character had done something different? Why did my favourite character disappear? What if he or she had been in charge? What if…what if…what if? I’d retell the story my way, to make it satisfying for me. After a while I started telling my own stories, with all the elements I had grown to enjoy.
I’ve always been a huge history buff, (notice the last 5 letters in that word) and I’ve been fascinated by historical figures that broke the mold, like Catherine of Russia, Boudicca the Celtic warrior queen, and Grania the Irish chieftain and lady pirate. I start wondering about their personal lives, how they became who they were, and what they had to deal with being women breaking rules in a man’s world? (I’ve had lots of fun with my female character’s exploration of that in both Broken Wing
and more particularly my latest novel, Highland Rebel, in stores September 1!).
As an adult, I moved from the racetrack (blame Walter Farley for a life long fascination with horses) to academia, where I studied psychology. I suppose I was always curious, but it made me more curious about people; their motivations and complexities. One thing I came across time after time is that deep in our nature, we all want to be accepted and loved. So how did I end up writing? I didn’t take courses I read and read and read. Biography and fantasy, history and science fiction, philosophy psychology and true life adventure (Into Thin Air
by John Krakauer is one of my all time favourite books) and romance.
I had a love of reading, history, adventure and romance; I even lived a few adventures of my own, and then I had the opportunity to take some time from work. I played on the computer at first (I love MMORPG’s), I read, I went for hikes, I had a great time, and I realized that my job was getting in the way of my life and I didn’t want to go back. My beautiful daughter gave me a leather bound journal for my birthday. In it she wrote “Whatever journey you choose to embark on in the coming years, here is a place to recount it” and it all came back to what if. There was a story that had played in my head for a couple of years and I thought what if I write it down? What if I tell a story?
Well that’s my story, and it has led me to travel the coffee houses of 17th century London with Cat Drummond dressed as man, and marvel at the beauty of the Highlands with Jamie Sinclair in Highland Rebel.
As always I’m happy to answer any questions, I invite you to visit my website or leave a comment here, and I have a question to ask of you. Has a story or movie ever left you asking what if?
Highland Rebel by Judith James, in stores September 1, 2009!
Amidst the upheaval of Cromwell's Britain, Jamie Sinclair's wit and military prowess have served him well. Leading a troop in Scotland, he impetuously marries a captured maiden, saving her from a grim fate.
A Highlands heiress to title and fortune, Catherine Drummond is not the woman Jamie believes her to be. When her people effect her rescue, and he cannot annul the marriage, Jamie goes to recapture his hellcat of a new wife...
In a world where family and creed cannot be trusted, where faith fuels intolerance and war, Catherine and Jamie test the bounds of loyalty, friendship, and trust...
About the Author
Judith James has worked as a legal assistant, trail guide, and counselor. Living in Nova Scotia, her personal journey has taken her to the Arctic and the West Coast. Her writing combines her love of history and adventure with her keen interest in the complexities of human nature and the heart's capacity to heal. For more information about Judith, please visit http://www.judithjamesauthor.com/
Giveaway! Judith James and Sourcebooks are giving away 2 copies of Highland Rebel here at LRP today. The contest is open to US and Canada readers only. To be entered, leave a comment below. You can ask a question, share your opinion on Judith's books, whatever you feel like saying! Winners will be announced one week from today on September 2, 2009. Good luck!
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August 24th, 2009 — Author Interviews, Friends, Highlander, J-L, Stuart
Keira: The Stuart period is not one we see much of in romance. Why did you choose to focus on it?
Judith: Actually that really surprises me as there was so much going on at that time both historically and socially. It saw the beginning of the Whig and Tory parties and the beginning of the Jacobite movement that is a central theme in so much Highland and Scottish historical romance. Cromwell’s decade long regime was moralistic and repressive. Attempts were made to outlaw much loved entertainments including gambling, theatre, dancing and even celebrations such as Christmas. The Restoration of Charles II resulted in a kind of social rebellion against the last ten years that reminds me somewhat of the 1960s. It was led by the King himself and his court, filled with a host of colorful characters, was one of the most bawdy, hedonistic, interesting, and rollicking courts of any country and any time in history. Philosophers such as John Locke were challenging the established order and the supremacy of religious dogma and absolute authority.
As often happens in times of turbulent change, it was a time of greater experimentation and social freedom, at least for the upper classes. Courtiers were experimenting with scientific thought, poetry, pornography and sexual freedom including sex outside of marriage and homosexuality for both sexes. Woman had more freedom during this period than they would for many years to come. They took to the stage as actresses and more importantly playwrights. There were well respected female authors, women who led troops and defended their homes during the civil wars etc. There is just so much room to develop characters and so much interesting material.
Keira: Was it a hard period to research? What was the most interesting thing you learned?
Judith: No it was great fun! There are a wealth of materials, some very entertaining, such as the diaries of Samuel Pepys and the Compte de Grammont or Lord Rochester’s letters, and some very informative ones such as Evelyn’s diary and letters. Three interesting things I learned spring to mind immediately. The first was that the word tomboy was already in common usage, just as we use it today. The second was that Valentines Day was a big deal, and your valentine was the first person of the opposite sex you saw when you woke up that day. There’s a hilarious entry by Pepys about that. I was also very surprised at the language used. We tend to think of historical language as stiff and formal at times but people in the 17th century, including the upper classes, used slang terms, contractions and words that would make a modern rapper blush.
Keira: Jamie Sinclair, the hero of Highland Rebel, is a chameleon of sorts. He’s able to blend in anywhere and become anything. If you could do that, what would you be and where would you go in disguise?
Judith: That’s a tough question. I think I would try what Catherine did, and disguise myself as one of the guys. I’d love to hear what they really think of us when we aren’t around.
Keira: In the character creation process what was the first thought that came to you on your hero and heroine?
Judith: Great question! It was that these two people were in many ways opposites, in all ways equal, and more alike than either of them knew.
Keira: I noticed that you really developed the friendship between the leads. Do you think it’s important to be friends first before falling in love?
Judith: Absolutely! It seems to be a theme in all my stories. 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. Also 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 chemistry and lust and doesn’t necessary last that long. When you have friendship combined with all the chemistry, then you have that wonderful last a lifetime love.
Keira: How do you define love?
Judith: Oops! I think I just did. Romantic love to me is genuine friendship, liking and respect combined with sublime chemistry
Keira: Catherine Drummond is a take charge kind of heroine. What’s one thing she had to learn in the story?
Judith: She had to stop trying to prove herself, or judge herself by others standards or she was always going to fail. She needed to learn to trust and follow her own instincts, not an easy thing in a time when loyalty to others such as one’s clan was expected to be paramount over being true to ones self. Jamie's acceptance and enjoyment of her as she was, helped a lot, but she had some growing up to do on her own as well.
Keira: What was the first romance novel you ever read? Was it the one that got you hooked on reading them?
Judith: I remember that. It was Katherine by Anya Seton. I worked in a bookstore and took it home to read over the weekend and was hooked
Keira: What is your secret guilty plot or character trope that you love beyond reason?
Judith: That would be beauty and the beast. I loved that show too. Anyone remember Vincent?
Keira: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Judith: Well I hope those people who enjoy a take charge heroine and a bit of history and adventure with their romance will enjoy Jamie and Cat’s adventures. It’s been a great pleasure doing this interview and I’d like to thank you for having me and for giving me such interesting questions.
Buy: Highland Rebel: A tale of a rebellious lady and a traitorous lord
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