First of all, thank you Dawn for your invitation
to blog on Reading Nook.
I was born in Sidcup
Kent. As a child, when not making up stories, my head was ‘always in a book.’
While working in a
travel agency, I met my Hindu husband.
He encouraged me to continue my education at Westminster College. When his
father died we moved to Kenya, where my husband was born. After an attempted
coup d’état I took the opportunity to live with our children in in an ashram in
France, where the philosophy contained in The Bhagavadgita As It Is, The Song
of God, translated and commented on by A.C.Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, inspired
me and my family.
Apart from writing, I
enjoy growing my organic fruit, herbs and vegetables that I put to good use in
my vegetarian cuisine. I also enjoy reading classical Indian literature such as
The Mahabharat and Ramyan, which rival The Iliad and The Odyssey, and creative
crafts. But most of all I enjoy time spent with my family and friends.
Writing Historical
Fiction.
I write sweet historical
romances which are well-researched. In this context my definition of sweet means
that my heroes and heroines don’t allow me to open wide their bedroom doors.
They do allow me to tell their stories and show how their intense love and
respect for each other grows.
In my opinion, when
writing a historical novel it is almost impossible to get every detail about
the past correct. Nevertheless, I believe that historical novelists should
recreate times past as accurately as possible. My bookcases, filled with
historical non-fiction, and the number of books I borrow from the library are a
testament for my attempt to portray the lives and times of my protagonists to
the best of my ability. The more I read and visit museums, stately homes and
other places of interest the more fascinated I become by history. I also enjoy
reading novels but have an intense dislike of historical fiction in which the
characters behave like 21st century people dressed in costume.
At the moment, I am
revising a novel set in the reign of Edward II and am writing Tuesday’s Child,
another sweet historical romance. My published novels and Monday’s Child, to be
published in spring 2016, are set in Queen Anne Stuart’s reign, 1702-1714, and
the ever popular Regency era. I have chosen these significant periods for the
following reasons. If Edward II had won the Battle of Bannockburn, Robert the
Bruce would have probably been killed. It is also feasible that Edward II would
have conquered Scotland and he would not have been deposed. If the Duke of
Marlborough had not won The War of Spanish Succession, and The Duke of
Wellington had not defeated Napoleon at The Battle of Waterloo, the history of
Britain and that of Europe would have been very different. Defeat would also
have had far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world.
Sunday’s Child
Sweet Regency Romance
Published by
MuseItUpPublishing
The inspiration for the theme and plot of this
novel came when I read biographies of soldiers, who fought under Wellington’s
command in the days when there was no post traumatic counselling.
Back
Cover
Georgianne Whitley’s
beloved father and brothers died in the war against Napoleon Bonaparte. While
she is grieving for them, she must deal with her unpredictable mother’s sorrow,
and her younger sisters’ situation caused by it.
Georgianne’s problems
increase when the arrogant, wealthy but elderly Earl of Pennington, proposes
marriage to her for the sole purpose of being provided with an heir. At first
she is tempted by his proposal, but something is not quite right about him. She
rejects him not suspecting it will lead to unwelcome repercussions. Once,
Georgianne had wanted to marry an army officer. Now, she decides never to marry
‘a military man’ for fear he will be killed on the battlefield. However,
Georgianne still dreams of a happy marriage before unexpected violence forces
her to relinquish the chance to participate in a London Season sponsored by her
aunt.
Shocked and in pain,
Georgianne goes to the inn where her cousin Sarah’s step-brother, Major
Tarrant, is staying while waiting for the blacksmith to return to the village
and shoe his horse. Recently, she had been reacquainted with Tarrant—whom she
knew when in the nursery—at the vicarage where Sarah lives with her husband Reverend
Stanton.
The
war in the Iberian Peninsula is nearly at an end so, after his older brother’s
death, Tarrant, who was wounded, returns to England where his father asks him
to marry and produce an heir.
To please his father, Tarrant agrees to
marry, but due to a personal tragedy he has decided never to father a child.
When Georgianne, arrives at the inn,
quixotic Tarrant sympathises with her unhappy situation. Moreover, he is
shocked by the unforgivably brutal treatment she has suffered.
Full of admiration for her beauty and
courage Tarrant decides to help Georgianne.
Sunday’s Child
Chapter One – Abbreviated Version.
Hertfordshire, England
November 1813
Rupert, Major Tarrant, caught his
breath at the sight of seventeen year old Georgianne. Black curls gleamed and
rioted over the edges of her bandeau. Georgianne’s heart-shaped face tilted
down toward her embroidery frame. Her hands lay idle on her gown. It was lilac,
one of the colours of half-mourning. A sympathetic sigh escaped him. She wore
the colour out of respect for her father, who lost a hand and leg, during the
Battle of Salamanca, and died of gangrene more than a year ago.
There had been so many deaths since
he last saw Georgianne. Not only had her brothers died during the
storming of Ciudad Rodrigo but his elder brother had drowned six months
ago while bathing in the lake on their father’s estate.
He advanced into the room with
Adrian, Viscount Langley, at his side. Georgianne looked up and smiled. He
caught himself staring into her hyacinth blue eyes, fringed with long black
lashes. Colour crept over her high cheekbones. Her arched eyebrows drew
together across her smooth forehead. Egad, she had the sweetest countenance he
had ever seen; one with the lustrous, milky white sheen of china, and bow
shaped rose pink lips to catch at the heart.
Georgianne stood.
He bowed. “My condolences.”
Sarah, clad in full mourning for her
older half-brother, stood to make her curtsy to Langley
“My lord, allow me to introduce you
to my cousin, Miss Whitley.”
Georgianne curtsied as his lordship
crossed the parlour to make his bow.
Tarrant inclined his head. “Ladies,
please excuse us, we must see to our horses.”
Sarah shook her head at him. “See to
your horses? The grooms can do so.”
Georgianne gurgled with laughter.
“Ah, Sarah, have you forgotten how cavalrymen fuss over their mounts?”
“Excuse us.”
* * * *
After the gentlemen left, Georgianne
glanced at her cousin. She had seen little of her since Sarah yielded to the
family’s persuasion to marry Wilfred Stanton, a vicar, heir to his uncle, the
Earl of Pennington.
“Are you daydreaming?” Sarah asked.
“No.”
“Did I tell you Papa wants Tarrant
to resign from the army now that he is Papa’s heir?”
“Yes, several times.” Georgianne
shivered, stretched her hands toward the fire, which fought a losing battle
with the draughts in the old vicarage.
“Papa wants Tarrant to marry, well.”
Sarah rattled on.
Georgianne shrugged. Her Mamma still insisted on love not being
the prime consideration for marriage, but Georgianne wanted to fall in love.
Maybe with a titled gentleman like Tarrant’s friend, Viscount Langley, provided
he was not a military man. Mamma would regard the Viscount favourably. His
lordship was wealthy and good mannered. Her spirits lifted. The rectory would
be a happier place with two fine young men in attendance.”
http://rosemarymorris.blogspot.com
Sunday’s Child is available from:-www.amazon.com & www.amazon.co.uk
&
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/
