Historical Novel Society's Review of Far Beyond Rubies

FAR BEYOND RUBIES published by MuseItUp Publishing has been reviewed in the Historical Novel Society's magazine "Historical Novels Review."

"Inside Riverside House in England in 1706 the seventh baron, William Kemp is heard shouting at his 18-year old attractive half-sister: "Bastards, Juliana! You and your sister are bastards." He plans to banish them from Riverside. William has not only inherited the title but is claiming the estate as well. Juliana knows that under her grandpere's will she was the rightful heir. Juliana has to prove her legitimacy and her claim.

Juliana and her sister flee Riverside to seek legal counsel in London. With William in pursuit, Juliana meets a suave gentleman named Gervaise. He has recently returned from India, having amassed a fortune and a dark complexion to boot. He offers to help Juliana in her quest as he is immediately besotted by her, for she reminds him of his late Indian wife. His proposal leads to more than a helping hand.

Rosemary Morris has penned a magnificent historical romance with superb, intimate descriptions and politico-religious conflicts of the era which immerse us into an elite society. The inclusion of snippets about Indian customs, religion and cuisine give the story a unique flavour. While the ending is predictable, the plot twists in Juliana's and Gervaise's quest and the evocative narration of the sexual tension between them keeps us turning the pages. Highly recommended.

Waheed Rabbani

(Far Beyond Rubies is available as a paper book and an e-book from the publisher, Amazon and elsewhere.)

The Downstairs Maid

The Downstairs Maid
Rosie Clarke
Ebury Publishing

Just popped in to let you know that my new big saga is being publised this week, 22. May.

The story of a young girl growing up on her father's smallholding, happy despite being poor until she is forced to work at the Manor as a skivvy.  Can Emily find happiness and rise further than she has ever dreamed?  The First World War is raging when Emily finds love but can she take the shimmering dream that glitters before her?

enjoy!

Emily could hear the row going on downstairs and she stuck her fingers in her ears, burying her head under the pillows to shut out the angry words. It was warm in her bed, because she had two wool blankets and a thick eiderdown filled with duck feathers, and the sheets smelled of lavender. At night when it was cold out, she liked to burrow right down into her soft mattress, pull the covers over her head and disappear into her own world. In Emily’s secret world she could be whatever she wanted to be – a princess living in a castle with jelly and cake for tea every day. Or a lady in a fine house with a big diamond ring like Miss Concenii had – or…there Emily’s imagination ran out, because she knew so little of the world. The Vicar spoke of foreign lands sometimes, but the stories he told didn’t seem real but more like the fairytales in the old books Pa sometimes brought home for her to read. Pa was always bringing some treasure home for Emily. Usually, the bits of glass and china were chipped or cracked.
‘I can’t sell them like that, Em’ lass,’ he would tell her, taking her on his knee to explain that the latest find was Derby or Coalport or Worcester porcelain and the glass cranberry or Bristol Blue or perhaps a very early Georgian wineglass with a spiral stem. ‘If they were perfect they would be worth money – this scent bottle has a silver top, see – look at the hallmarks; that little lion means it’s proper English silver and the leopard’s head means it was made in London and that one is the date letter. See those four letters; they’re the maker’s marks but they’re a bit worn and I can’t see, but there’s a feel to this piece. That was made by a good silversmith that was and I’m not going to scrap it even if it would bring in a couple of bob. If this was perfect it would be worth at least two pounds, perhaps more – but the cap is dented, the stopper is broken and the glass is chipped. I wouldn’t get more than a shilling.’
‘I don’t mind,’ Emily said and hugged him. ‘I love it, because it is pretty and I don’t care that it’s damaged.’
She thought she would like to learn all the silver hallmarks but Pa didn’t know them all. He needed a reference book, so he’d told her. Emily decided that one day, when she had lots of money, she would buy him one, to say thank you for all he gave her
Pa nodded and kissed the top of her head. ‘That’s right, lass. Always remember when you buy something to buy quality. If it’s damaged it will come cheap and that way you can afford things you’d never otherwise be able to own.’
In Emily’s eyes the fact that her father had given her the treasure and took the time to explain what it was, where it was made and what it was for, meant more than the item itself. She liked to be close to Pa, to smell his own particular smell and feel safe in his arms. Emily knew her father loved her. She wasn’t sure if her mother even liked her, though sometimes she would smile and tell her to fetch out the biscuits or cakes, though she more often received a smack on the legs than a kiss.
The row seemed to go on for longer than usual that night. Driven at last by a kind of desperate curiosity, she crept down the uncarpeted wooden stairs, avoiding the one that creaked, to stand behind the door that closed the stairs off from the kitchen. Because it wasn’t shut properly, Emily could hear what her parents were saying.
‘But you’re his only relative,’ Ma said and she sounded almost tearful. ‘It isn’t fair that he should leave everything to that woman.’
Pa’s tone was calm and reasonable, the same as always. ‘Miss Concenii has been with him for years and nursed him devotedly this last year. The lawyer said he changed his will two months ago. I was the main beneficiary in the first one – most of the money and the house and contents…but then he changed it.’
‘And we know who’s behind that, don’t we?’ Ma said in a sullen tone. ‘She must have guided his hand. I told you to go and see him. I would have had him here and looked after him myself if you’d bothered to do something about it - but you're always the same. You just leave things and now we’ve been cheated out of a fortune.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Pa said. ‘He probably thought she deserved the house and money for putting up with him all those years.’
‘She guided his hand that’s what she did. You should go to court and get your share.’
‘He left me fifty pounds, a set of chessmen in ivory and ebony, a mantel clock and a Bible – and he left Em a ring. I’ve got it in my pocket…’
‘She can’t have that, it’s too valuable,’ Ma said. ‘Give it to me. I’ll look after it for her until she’s older.’
Emily wanted to call out that the ring was hers. She was frightened her mother would take it and sell it, but her father was speaking again.
‘I’ll just keep it for her. Albert left you this, Stella…’
Emily heard her mother give a squeak of pleasure. Obviously, the bequest had pleased her. Emily craned forward to peep round the door and look. She could see something on the kitchen table. It flashed in the light and she thought it must be diamonds, though there were blue stones too.
‘That’s sapphire and diamond that is,’ Pa said. ‘It’s a brooch, Stella – and worth a few bob.’
‘I can see that but it’s not worth as much as a house – and three hundred pounds. Think what we could have done with all that, Joe. You’ve been cheated of your fortune but you haven’t the sense to see it.’
‘Even if I have there’s no proof,’ Pa said. ‘She made sure of that – the doctor signed to say Albert was in his right mind when he made his last will…’
‘And what did he get out of it I wonder!’
Ma was in a right temper. Emily turned and went back up to her bedroom. She ran across the stained boards and jumped into bed. Her feet had turned cold standing on the stairs listening to her parents and her mind was full of pictures that troubled her. What had Miss Concenii done to poor Uncle Albert to make him sign his house and most of his money and possessions over to her?
Emily’s eyes stung with tears that trickled down her cheeks. She didn’t mind much that they wouldn’t be rich. Fifty pounds sounded a lot to her and she was curious about the ring Pa was keeping for her – but she hoped Uncle Albert hadn’t been made unhappy when he was ill. She felt sad for him having his hand guided and she felt sad for her father, because he’d lost his fortune.
Joe Carter worked hard from early in the morning to late at night, mucking out the horses and the cows, milking and watering and feeding the stock. His was only a small farm and he eked out a scarce living from his pigs, cows, ducks and chickens. He had one ten acre field put down to arable, which he alternated between barley, rye, wheat and potatoes, with a patch for vegetables for the house. He worked alone most of the time, though there was a lad of sixteen who came to help with the jobs he couldn’t manage alone. Bert was a little slow in his head but strong and a good worker. No one else would employ him, because he couldn’t be left to do a job alone, but Pa gave him a shilling now and then and he was always hanging around the yard, grinning at nothing in particular and eager to help. Because he was harmless and would do anything, Ma tolerated him and if there was nothing else for him to do she asked him to chop the logs for her.
When Pa had nothing much to do on the land he went out buying the things other people threw away. He had a barn filled almost to the rafters with old furniture. Ma said it was all junk, but Emily had seen some things she thought looked nice.
Pa had shown her some chairs with turned legs and a wide carved splat at the back, which he said were Georgian. He’d told her they were quality when new, but he’d only got five of a set of six and two of them had broken legs. One day he hoped to mend the legs but he was always looking for a single chair that would match the set – because a set of six was worth a lot more than five.
Best of all Emily liked the selection of silver bits, china and glass that Pa kept in a cabinet in the barn. She liked the delicate silver jug with a shaped foot Pa said was Georgian, the little enamelled snuff or pill boxes with pictures on the lids – and the silver box that opened to reveal a singing bird. That was lovely and Emily would have loved to own it, but Pa had to sell his nice things because there wasn’t enough money coming in from the land. He’d talked of having a shop in Ely one day, but Ma told him he was daft because he could never afford to pay the rent.
If Pa had got Uncle Albert’s house and money he could have bought a shop. Perhaps then Ma and Emily wouldn’t have had to hide from the tallyman ever agai

Would You Feel The Fear & Still Fall In Love?

Fear is a motivating factor in all our lives. It's the reason we don't just hand our notice in at a job we hate - because we're scared about giving up the income and we're worried if we'll manage to find another job. Fear stops us doing many things.. sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad one!

Fear is what is stopping Faith, in my novel If You Only Knew, from risking her heart again and getting involved with new guy in town Zane, who has just taken over the local Carrdale Outdoor Extreme Sports Centre...

The beautiful Derbyshire Peak District, where If You Only Knew is set.

Fear is something which plays a large part in Zane's life too. He has a past he doesn't want people to know about and he's scared getting involved with Faith is asking for trouble...

Fear is what keeps Matt, Zane's business partner at Carrdale, awake at night. He has some decisions to make and is terrified he might make the wrong choice...

Fear is stopping each of them from living their lives the way they want to...

If You Only Knew

Fear versus love.

Happiness versus sadness.

New love versus old flame…

 ***

Faith has a fear of falling in love again but Zane persuades her to risk a relationship with him.

Maybe this time things will be OK.

Then she discovers who Zane’s business partner is and her world is turned upside down.

***

Faith owns The Coffee Pot in the outdoor adventure sports mecca of Derbyshire’s Peak District. She hasn’t had a man in her life for a while, as she’s been too busy serving cakes to weary rock climbers and mountain bikers to find time for the complications of a relationship with the male of the species.

At least, that’s what she tells herself. The truth is that since she got her heart broken she’s had problems trusting men.

When she meets Zane, one of the new owners at the Carrdale Extreme Sports Centre, Faith finds herself enjoying his company even though part of her can’t help wondering why he’s so reluctant to talk about himself.

Then the past comes back to haunt her in the shape of Zane’s business partner Matt, who just happens to be the guy who broke Faith’s heart all those years ago.

With Matt out to cause trouble and Zane keeping secrets Faith’s life is about to get very complicated indeed…

Find Out More....

Want to find out what fear and fate have in store for Faith, Zane and Matt? 

Get If You Only Knew for just £1.59 
now on Amazon 

Famous Five Plus: Books4U Reviews The Death Game

Famous Five Plus: Books4U Reviews The Death Game: This review is sponsored by Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb Nikki Bywater from Nikki's Books4U reviews The Dea... If you'd like to win a copy, follow the link.

Can A Reality TV Programme Sort Lucy's Love Life Out?

TODAY ONLY - 77p EBOOK SALE

My full length novel The Love Programme, a contemporary romance set on a luxury estate in the Scottish Highlands, is on sale on April 29th for one day only - meaning, if you so wish, you can grab a copy for just 77p over on Amazon 

The Love Programme

A contemporary romance set in the wilds of Scotland

What do you do when your childhood sweetheart and now ex-boyfriend won’t accept it’s over?

Lucy’s life is a mess. With her ex pursuing her across the country, she flees to Scotland and finds herself part of a reality TV show about love… will she find some answers or end up even more confused in matters of the heart?

The Scottish Highlands where my novel The Love Programme is set

***

Marcus won’t give up on trying to rekindle his relationship with Lucy, not even on the day he should be marrying somebody else! 

Lucy decides she needs a place to escape to for a while and fate seems to agree when she’s given the chance to star in a reality TV show called The Love Programme whilst enjoying two weeks of luxury living on a grand country estate in Scotland.

When Lucy meets Paul, the owner of the estate, she thinks he might be The One but who is the mysterious Hannah and what part does she play in his life?

With Marcus planning to win her back Lucy has some serious soul searching to do.

It seems The Love Programme has its work cut out if it’s going to help Lucy sort out her life…

Get The Love Programme on Amazon

Fancy reading an extract from The Love Programme? 

You do?

Wonderful, then please read on....

Business had been slower than usual at the Price Right Travel Agency where Lucy worked. “Isn’t it boring when nobody comes into the agency?” She sighed as she deftly slid a pair of scissors through some plastic wrapping on a pile of holiday brochures proclaiming Turkey to be ‘paradise in the sun’.

Her boss Melanie glanced up from her computer with an irritated expression on her pixie-like face. “I imagine we’re being boycotted thanks to your little shenanigans with Marcus.”

Trying to wedge some brochures with a picture of a gorgeous sun-drenched Turkish beach on the front onto the shelving, Lucy said, “For the tenth time, Mel, I didn’t do anything. What do I have to say for people to believe me?”

Mel shook her head. “I’m not here to judge your love life but when it starts to affect my business…” she paused, choosing her words carefully. “For starters Marcus was one of our best customers. He even booked his honeymoon here. Goodness knows what will happen there. Nobody has asked about the chance of a refund yet. What with Marcus paying for it and then jetting off to Portugal straight after the non-wedding, he hasn’t had a chance. I expect he’ll be in to try to sort it all out when he gets back.”

“He’ll lose his money. I’m pretty sure walking out on your wedding isn’t covered under his insurance,” said Lucy with a grimace, feeling guilty about how Marcus and Amelie wouldn’t get to enjoy the five star hotel he’d chosen on a gorgeous stretch of beach on Cyprus. If she remembered rightly the place had three restaurants, five swimming pools, a spa and a gym. Everything you could wish for. She’d helped him to choose the place. Now she was the reason he wouldn’t be going there.

“Perhaps it would be best if you took a bit of a sabbatical. Have you thought about it at all?” Mel asked with more than a hint of encouragement in her voice.

“Sabbatical?” Lucy queried, the brochures in her hand slipping to the floor. “Not a polite way of saying I’m fired is it?”

“Of course not. I’ll hold your job open for you. Just consider it an opportunity to take a few weeks off to go and have yourself a bit of fun. Hopefully by the time you return, all the gossips will have moved on to someone else and the next Friadon scandal.”

“You’re serious aren’t you?” Lucy asked, sitting down on several bundles of as-yet unopened brochures.

“Definitely. I have this friend who works for a small TV production company. They’re doing some sort of programme about love and one of the girls has had to pull out at the last moment for family reasons. They need a replacement right away and the filming is supposed to start in two days. Craig, my friend, doesn’t want to have to go through all the audition info again to choose someone else. I bet you’d be ideal.”

Sceptically Lucy asked, “What sort of love programme? It’s not something tacky is it?”

“No, no,” Mel answered, tapping away at her computer keyboard. “I think the idea is for three girls and one boy to spend two weeks together at some glam location. It’s properly organised and supervised. Each of you would get to go on your dream type of dates. It’s all about the psychology of finding the love of your life.”

Lucy got to her feet, then swayed unsteadily as her sandals slipped across several of the glossy holiday brochures scattered about the floor where she’d dropped them minutes earlier. Stooping to gather up the brochures before a customer (should one of them ever appear) broke their ankle on them and sued the agency, Lucy contemplated Mel’s suggestion. “So it would all be quite tasteful then?”

“I should imagine so. I think they’ll be having a psychologist on hand too, so after each date you can talk about how you think things went. There’s a complete relationship analysis service available so you can learn about yourself, men, and your attitude towards dating. Sounds ideal for you.”

Realising she’d been holding her breath for a few seconds, Lucy let it out in a long sigh. “Okay, I might be interested. Shall I call this Craig or will you?”

*****

Get the book on Amazon

About The Author :

Zanna Mackenzie lives in the UK with her husband, 4 dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read.

Being a freelance writer and editor of business publications is her ‘day job’ but, at every opportunity, she can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel she’s working on. She loves it when the characters in her novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!

Formerly a travel agent and therapist (she has qualifications in clinical aromatherapy, crystal healing, naturopathic nutrition and herbalism) she loves walking the dogs and gardening – that’s when she’s not writing or reading!

Zanna has written three novels, The Love Programme, How Do You Spell Love? and If You Only Knew.

Find out more about Zanna at:

www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @ZannaMacKenzie

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/zanna.mackenzie

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10703273-zanna-mackenzie

Guest post: Anna Jacobs - A Much Loved Series

In April 2014 ‘The Trader’s Reward’ was published, Book 5 and final in the series called The Traders, set in Western Australia and Singapore in the 1860s to 70s..

I didn’t start off to write this series at all, but one character from the final book in the previous series (Destiny’s Path) would not get out of my mind. I kept seeing Bram Deagan, thinking of what might happen to him next. In fact, he e refused to go away.

I not only started to write his story, but found that he stayed at the heart of the whole series. He’s the most romantic, loving hero I’ve ever worked with. He’s not tall, dark and handsome, just middle height, scrawny and fairly ordinary – till he smiles! But he’s the most loving, big-hearted man you could ever hope to fall in love with – and be loved by.

When he took up the offer to travel to Australia with the son of a neighbouring family, the voyage opened Bram’s eyes to how ordinary people were making successful new lives. Why be a servant all his life? He too would make his fortune.

He had acquired some goods by chance and decided to become a trader. Since people from Western Australia often imported goods from Singapore, he travelled there to make his own contacts and find out what was available.

He met and rescued a beautiful woman, way above him in status, but destitute. They made a marriage of convenience, backed by the Chinese merchant she’d been teaching English to, who would now trade with Bram.

But the marriage became so much more, a deeply loving relationship, the sort that makes you stop and go ‘Ahhh’ very softly. Bram did start to make money, but he cared most about his Isabella.

I had a wonderful time writing about them as they set up Deagan’s Bazaar in Fremantle, Western Australia. She had experience in selling silks from her time in Singapore, so set up her own business within the Bazaar.

I planned to write three books about them, with members of his large but poor family coming to join him in Australia in the other two books.

Ha! It wasn’t nearly enough. Readers wanted more stories about the Deagans and I wanted to find out what happened next. I’m not a planner, I only find out when I meet the character and write the story. So my editor agreed to two more books, and I started dreaming of other linked characters.

But five is the maximum my publisher wanted for a saga series, so I’ve had to say goodbye to Bram and his family. I took great care to tie up all the ends from the whole series, then I had to give him a really good send-off, so I wrote a warm, fuzzy epilogue where he got his reward ie being surrounded by the family and friend he loved. He had such a big capacity for love of all sorts.

I wonder sometimes where these characters come from, the ones who grip your heart and won’t let go. Are they real, living in a nearby universe, popping over for a visit? They can’t just be figments of our imagination . . . can they?

And now, I’m starting a new series. I’m ‘finding’ some new people to care about. But I’m sad not to be writing about Bram. I wonder how he’s going on, if he’s still happy. He seems so real . . .

Anna Jacobs: Historical stories: ‘The Trader’s Gift, ‘Heir to Greyladies’, ‘The Trader’s Reward’ (4/14)  Modern stories: 'Winds of Change', ‘A Place of Hope’, ‘In Search of Hope’  http://www.annajacobs.com

Famous Five Plus: Tall Dark & Kilted - A Taster!

Famous Five Plus: Tall Dark & Kilted - A Taster!: Tall, Dark and Kilted - Notting Hill Meets Monarch of the Glen  A taster for Tall, Dark and Kilted by Lizzie Lamb. Enjoy!      ...