I am delighted by my interview at: http://margaretfieland.com/blog1/2014/10/15/rosemary-morris-interview-oct-15/

However I am mortified  because my brain tricked me into writing that Napoleon escaped from Brussels. Of course, he did not. I'm also mortified because I misspelt lives.

Apart from that I hope you will enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed answering the questions.

Writing and Rainy Days

I enjoy organic gardening as much as I enjoy writing historical fiction. Unless the weather is really bad I usually manage to do something or other in the garden. However, when it pours with rain and I don't want to dash in and out of the greenhouse, it's good to stay indoors writing or tidying up my office. On other occasions I tidy up the entire house.

Ladies' Drawers, Snuffboxes, Regency Wedding Dress

Great fun researching my novel Monday's Child set in the Regency era. This morning I sat in bed with a pile of research books beside me working on my laptop.

Drawers were ankle length made in various materials and colours without a gusset, pin tucked and edged with lace at the hem. At first drawers were considered indecent. However, Princess Charlotte wore them and did not care if anyone glimpsed them.

Snuff boxes were made in gold, silver and other metals, tortoiseshell, semi-precious stones and various materials.. Some were engraved, others set with precious stones and, for example, mother of pearl. Those in the shape of naked ladies were popular with gentlemen.  These small snuff boxes sometimes had a tiny drawer in which a note or memento could be concealed. Others were miniature music boxes. The Prince Regent and many noblemen collected snuff boxes and displayed them in glass cabinets.

Finally, I chose the design for my heroine's wedding dress - more fun.

Recipe: Sauce for Pasta, Couscous, Soup, Stew

My tomato plants have produced abundantly this year so, this morning, I made huge pot of sauce to freeze for various uses.

The sauce is delicious on pasta and sprinkled with grated cheese. Sometimes I add slivered almonds and a few raisins to the sauce and serve it on couscous. And, the sauce makes a base for soup or stews.

Thick slices of the following vegetables.
1 medium leek.
4 medium carrots.
1 large red pepper.
A dozen mushrooms.
and 1 pound tomatoes.

I added a handful of basil leaves, half a handful of marjoram leaves, two tablespoons of tomato puree, a desert spoon of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and pepper and 1 pint of water.

I cooked it in the pressure cooker (but it can be simmered in a saucepan with a tight lid) and when all the vegetables were well cooked I put them in the liquidiser with the liquid.
After tasting it I added a little more salt.

Special Offer, Tangled Love, Historical Novel, Prologue

 

Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris

Prologue

England -1693

 

Nine year-old Richelda Shaw sat on the floor in her nursery. She pulled a quilt over her head to block out the thunder pealing outside the ancient manor house while an even fiercer storm raged deep within. Eyes closed, she remained as motionless as a marble statue.

Elsie, her mother’s personal maid, yanked the quilt from her head. ‘Stand up child, there’s nothing to be frightened of. Come, your father’s waiting for you.’

Richelda trembled. Until now Father’s short visits from France meant gifts and laughter. This one made Mother cry while servants spoke in hushed tones.

Followed by Elsie, Richelda hurried down broad oak stairs. For a moment, she paused to admire lilies of the valley in a Delft bowl.  Only yesterday, she picked the flowers to welcome Father home before arranging them with tender care. Now, the bowl stood on a chest, beneath a pair of crossed broadswords hanging on the wall.

Elsie opened the great massive door of the great hall where Father stood to one side of an enormous hearth. Richelda hesitated. Her eyes searched for her mother before she walked across the floor, spread her skirts wide and knelt before him.

Father placed his right hand on her bent head. ‘Bless you, daughter, may God keep you safe.’ He smiled. ‘Stand up, child. Upon my word, sweetheart, your hair reminds me of a golden rose. How glad I am to see roses bloom in these troubled times.’

Richelda stood but dared not speak for she did not know him well.

Putting an arm round her waist, he drew her to him. ‘Come, do not be nervous of your father. Tell me if you know King James II holds court in France while his daughter, Mary, and William, his son-in-law, rule after seizing his throne?’

‘Yes, Mother told me we are well rid of King James and his Papist wife,’ she piped up, proud of her knowledge.

With a sigh, Father lifted her onto his knee. ‘Richelda, I must follow His Majesty for I swore an oath of allegiance to him. Tell me, child, while King James lives how can I with honour swear allegiance to his disloyal daughter and her husband?’

Unable to think of a reply, she lowered her head breathing in his spicy perfume.

Father held her closer. ‘Your mother pleads with me to declare myself for William and Mary. She begs me not to return to France, but I am obliged to serve King James. Do you understand?’

As she nodded her cheek brushed against his velvet coat. ‘Yes, I understand, my tutor explained why many gentlemen will not serve the new king and queen.’

‘If you remain in England, you will be safe. Bellemont is part of your mother’s dowry so I doubt it will be confiscated.’

If she remained in England! Startled, she stared at him.

Smiling, he popped her onto her feet. ‘We shall ride. I have something to show you.’

*****

Before long, they drew rein on the brow of a hill. Father pointed at a manor house in the valley.  ‘Look at our ancestral home, Field House. The Roundheads confiscated it soon after the first King Charles’ execution.  Richelda, I promised my father to do all in my power to regain the property.’ Grey-faced, he pressed his hand to his chest.  ‘Alas, I have failed to keep my oath,’ he wheezed.

Richelda not only yearned to help him keep his promise to her grandfather, she also yearned to find the gold and jewels legend said her buccaneer ancestor, Sir Nicholas, hid.

She waited for her father to breathe easy before she spoke. ‘If we found the treasure trove you could buy Field House.’

 ‘Ah, you believe Sir Nicholas did not give all his plunder to Good Queen Bess,’ he teased.

 ‘Elsie told me legend says he hid some of his booty in Field House,’ she said excited by the thought of a treasure trove. ‘In his old age, when Sir Nicholas retired from seafaring, is it true that he put his ship’s figurehead, Lady Luck, in the great hall?’ she asked by now less shy of him.

‘Yes, for all I know she is still above a mighty fireplace carved with pomegranates, our family’s device.’

‘I would like to see it.’

 ‘One day, perhaps you will. Now, tell me if you know our family motto.’

‘Fortune favours the brave.’

‘Are you brave, my little lady? Will you swear on the Bible to do all in your power to regain Field House?’

To please him, she nodded.

 

* * * *

 

Tangled Love, is on special offer for £1.84 OR $3.05.

 

Available from:-

https://museituppublishing.com/bookshopwww.amazon.com.www.amazon.co.uk kobo, nook, barnes and noble and elsewhere.

 

View the book trailer and read the first three chapers at:

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nasty Review. Help Please.

Vicious Attack.

 

I am not the only novelist to have received a distressing, vicious review of one or more novel.

Another novelist suggested we should take action by replyitng and readers cab support us by replying No to amazon’s query “was this review helpful to you?”

Unfortunately, in spite of other 5***** reviews, two people replied Yes to the question re:my novel Tangled Love which currently on special offer.

If it is not against your conscience, I would be grateful if you would visit www.amazon.co.uk search the kindle store for Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris, visit the reviews, find the only 1* review and reply: No this review was not helpful.

Amongst other things the reviewer commented on clichés in Tangled Love. As I explained yesterday, my contents and line editors would dispute their use and I would agree not to use them, unless I used a cliché very occasionally in conversation.

I would be pleased to do this for another novelist who receives an unjustified attack on a novel.

Personally, if I can’t give a book a 4**** or 5**** review, I don’t post one – in other words if I don’t have anything nice to write, I don’t post anything.

 

All the best,

Rosemary Morris

Historical Novelist

 

Visit my website to read the first three chapters and view the book trailer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vicious Review, Tangled Love, 18thC Novel, Special Offer

Someone posted a vicious review of Tangled Love. Amongst other things the anonymous coward stated that it is full of clichés. This makes me ask myself if she actually read the novel as my contents editor and line editor wouldn't allow me to use them unless it is very occasionally in dialogue. I'm glad to say all the other reviews are 5*****

Tangled Love. Historical Novel. Special Offer.

 Just to let you know that my historical novel, Tangled Love, is on special offer for £1.84 OR $3.05.

 Tangled Love set in England in 1706 during Queen Anne Stuart’s reign is a story of two great estates, duty, honour, betrayal and passionate love.

 Available from:

https://museituppublishing.blogspot.com/bookstore

www.amazon.com.
www.amazon.co.uk
and elsewhere.

 Read the first three chapters and view the book trailer for free on Rosemary Morris’s website. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

Buzz Deal ends midnight 21.08

FINAL DAY…NEW BUZZ Deal…ends Thursday, August 21

 

The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter and son-in-law, Mary and William of Orange.  In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten year old Richelda’s father must follow James to France.

 

Tangled Love by Rosemary Morris

Historical Romance

Shortlists for Festival of Romance

 

Retails: $5.95

Sales price: $0.99

Discount: $-4.96

 

The throne has been usurped by James II’s daughter and son-in-law, Mary and William of Orange.  In 1693, loyal to his oath of allegiance, ten year old Richelda’s father must follow James to France.

 

Before her father leaves, he gives her a ruby ring she will treasure and wear on a chain round her neck.  In return Richelda swears an oath to try to regain their ancestral home, Field House.

 

By the age of eighteen, Richelda’s beloved parents are dead.  She believes her privileged life is over.  At home in dilapidated Belmont House, her only companions are her mother’s old nurse and her devoted dog, Puck.  Clad in old clothes she dreams of elegant dresses and trusts her childhood friend Dudley, a poor parson’s son, who promised to marry her.

Richelda’s wealthy aunt takes her to London and arranges her marriage to Viscount Chesney, the new owner of Field House.  Richelda is torn between love for Dudley and her oath to regain Field House, where it is rumored there is treasure.  If she finds it, Richelda hopes to ease their lives.  But, while trying to find it, will her life be at risk or will she find true love?

Available at:

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1sPgfjy

MuseItUP: http://bit.ly/1yQYfDO

 

E is for Emotion

My mum used to say: The film was wonderful, I cried my eyes out.

I have enjoyed many novels which brought tears to my eyes, and I've suffered some of the following which touch cinema goers and  readers' hearts.

1. A sense of always being on the fringe while observing everything around.

2. The death of a loved person or animal.

3. Being forced to part from a loved one, an animal or a place.

4. Loneliness.

5. The misery of being misunderstood.

6. Rejection.

It's some time since I re-visited my notes on writing, so, as I made this list my imagination took wings. I could write and probably will write more than one scene based on each of the above list.

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.)

Reading and Organic Gardening

Yesterday, - unusually - I didn't have time to post anything. In the evening I stayed up until after midnight reading Stolen, Escape from Syria - A mother's terrifying journey to rescue her kidnapped child - by Louise Monaghan, who fell in love with a Syrian with terrible consequences. After he kidnapped their daughter, May, I was hoping against hope that Louise and May would escape.

I woke late and  gave up on writing my novel for today. Instead, I put up the bean poles for my runner beans.

The garden has been productive throughout the winter, and now there are plenty of herbs and the first spring vegetables, some of which I use to make a salad for lunch - the first broad beans dressed with homemade egg free mayonnaise and a little finely chopped sage, tender baby salad leaves with homemade salad dressing, and crisp radishes, delicious.

This evening I must go to bed early and get up earlier than usual to catch up with my writing.

e-mails, Writing, Bean Poles

Review of Tangled Love

I am delighted to share this review of Tangled Love which is at Amazon kindle u.k.

Love, betrayal, treasure trove,
By

J. Pittam "Maythorn" (Hertfordshire, England)

This review is for: Tangled Love (Kindle Edition)
I very much enjoyed this new author. Tangled Love is set at the turn of the 18th century it follows the fortunes of Richelda, poverty-stricken daughter of a now-dead Jacobite. Richelda is haunted by the childhood oath she made at her father's instigation, to regain their ancestral home. She knows she has little chance of fulfilling that dream - until her wealthy aunt promises to make Richelda her heiress. But there is a condition; she must marry the man of her aunt's choosing- Viscount Lord Chesney. Richelda's feelings for Chesney are ambivalent and her heart already belongs to her peniless childhood companion, Dudley.

Love and betrayal, misplaced loyalties, even the promise of a treasure trove make this an charming story with a well-rounded, believable heroine and a delicious hero. Rosemary Morris's attention to historical detail brings period and place vividly to life. More please.

All the best,
Rosemary Morris