Cathie Dunn writes...

To mark today, the second last day (ha!) of February 2012, I've decided it's time to share the love... Well, not in that way, obviously. I just fancy giving away a free electronic copy of Dark Deceit !  To win a copy, simply comment below, not forgetting your email addy!  Dark Deceit , the first in The Anarchy Trilogy, is my latest release, a historical novel with mystery and romance elements. As is my habit, Dark Deceit doesn't fit into a specific box. Will I ever stick to the norm? Nope! ~sigh~ Murder, loyalty, betrayal and hope - all these are elements in Dark Deceit . Set during the English civil war of the late 1130s-50s, the story reveals the difficulties people faced in such times. An under-sheriff with uncertain loyalties; an heiress without a protector; a knight with his own agenda. Blurb: On his return from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, assists a dying knight caught...

On this mild winter Sunday, I'm delighted to welcome award winning author Margaret Tanner to My Place. Margaret Tanner is an award winning multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically correct. No book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty. Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia. She once spent a couple of hours in an old  goal cell so she could feel the chilling cold and fear. She has also visited the 1 st World War battlefields and cemeteries of France as she researched her novel, Wild Oats.  My Place: Grave of Unknown Australian Soldier Some of the scenes in Wild Oats are set on the Somme battlefields of France in 1916.  In the town of Albert the troops saw a churc...

Today, I'm delighted to welcome a special guest, a wonderful writer and good friend of mine: Victoria Lamb , historical fiction author. Victoria has recently published her debut novel, The Queen's Secret , set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Brimming with colourful characters and courtly intrigues, The Queen's Secret is a must have read for any fan of historical fiction. Victoria tells us about writing in multiple viewpoints, often necessary to convey historical fiction in the most dramatic way. So without further ado, let's hear it from her... Victoria Lamb on Writing Multiple Viewpoints When writing my debut historical, The Queen's Secret , I decided early on that the plot was too complex to be carried by one narrative voice alone. First person narrative is excellent for increased intimacy, and I did consider it. But I didn't want to get into that dubious territory of having multiple first person narrators, identified by italics or their name a...

I'm delighted to introduce a new author - thriller writer AK James . Today is a special day for AK, also known as Mandy, as she celebrates the release of her first full length novel, Righteous Exposure. Many congratulations, Mandy! What an exciting day! :-) Righteous Exposure is a fast paced suspenseful novel about revenge, retribution and redemption. You'll find the blurb and a thrilling excerpt below. But first, let's hear it from Mandy. - Mandy, tell us briefly about yourself, your writing. I was born in Sheffield and lived there for about thirty years, but now live in Bristol with my husband Brian and two cats. I have grown up daughter and a wonderful grandson who will be soon be a year old!   I have written since I was a child, but have taken it up seriously in the last five years. In 2010, I had five short stories published in various anthologies, and number six and seven came out in June 2011. One is part of the anthology Hipp-O-Dee-...

On this sunny but chilly Sunday morning, I'm delighted to welcome another fantastic author to My Place - Mary Campisi, published with - amongst others - Carina Press and The Wild Rose Press. Mary writes romance and women's fiction. It's fabulous to have her on board. Over to Mary... I grew up in a very small town in northwest Pennsylvania with two older brothers and a younger sister. Small town people are very interesting and looking back, I’m fascinated by the speech, the nuances, the fact that when the owner of a small shoe store died, the sign on the door said ‘Closed due to Joe’s funeral.’ No one in town needed to ask who Joe was, just like I can still call the post office there and mention our family name and that starts a domino who’s who. My mother, at eighty-three still lives in the same house where we grew up and has the same phone number; quite telling, isn’t it? When I was a child, there were no malls, no McDonalds, and one movie theater that closed in the s...

Whoop!!! I have been awarded the popular  Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award by my wonderful friend and critique partner, talented romance writer  Rachel Brimble . Thank you! I'm delighted my blog keeps readers entertained - I try to bring in a variety of authors through my My Place series, with a new author featured every Sunday. In between, I waffle on about writing, cats, and my books. Lovely to receive a sweet reward for sharing my likes... Now, as part of this award, I have to reveal 7 random things about myself. Uh oh! ;-) Here goes: I was raised as a single child by my single Mum who encouraged me to read a lot. We spent whole evenings just reading. When I was 12, I took riding lessons during school holidays, and the coach wanted me to continue training to pursue a professional path. Mum said 'no'. End of that career! I was an archer in a re-enactment group when I lived in South Wales for two years. Archers rock! My dream place to live is Vancouver, Canada, bu...

Skipping all that Valentine's Day mayhem (yet sticking to the 'cuddly' theme of the day), I thought I'd share my writing buddies with you. As I type, Tiger Cat is curled up on my lap. Yes, I'm kind of hovering forward to reach the keyboard. Luckily, a laptop is quickly shifted. ;-) Bob the Cat As I'm still at home (no news on day job in sight), I make the most of our spare bedroom / office. A small heater and cups of tea keep me cosy. And our boys, Bob the Cat and Tiger, join me at times. At other times, they're a pain in the proverbial! The mornings are usually calm, feeding time over they're snoozing. Bob's either on a window sill or his beloved cardboard box in the middle of the living room floor. Tiger loves to be near the little heater. Roast cat, anyone? ;-) Tiger oblivious We tend to wake up in the afternoon, however. You can guess what that means! Yes, push the door open & come in. I close the door. Cats want to leave room. I op...

I had a wonderful launch day! It ended with a lovely pasta meal and Prosecco. Happy day... And, of course, one lucky commenter has won something. A free e-copy of Dark Deceit was up for grabs. So the winner is... ~drum roll~ Marianne! I hope you'll enjoy! :-) For information, Dark Deceit, the first in The Anarchy Trilogy, is now available  at  Amazon UK ,  Amazon US  &  Smashwords !   On his return from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, assists a dying knight caught in an ambush. Promising to look after the welfare of the knight’s only daughter, Geoffrey stays at her manor while he investigates the murder. Keen to join the Empress on her progress through England, he is torn between his oath and his duty. Left to defend her manor following her father’s death, Alleyne de Bellac at first accepts Geoffrey’s support. As she doesn’t trust the taciturn stranger, she asks Wil...

Woohoo! ~happy dance~ Today,  Dark Deceit , the first in The Anarchy Trilogy, is released through Crooked Cat Publishing !  I began the story in late 2003, and finally it sees the light of day. It had numerous versions, with critiques partners in different places along the way. It survived my Novel Writing modules during my Creative Writing studies, endured 3 years in a drawer while I wrote & released Highland Arms, and finally was taken apart - and re-assembled - with the help of my wonderful critique partners. My big thanks goes to them!  Win a Copy! Comment below to win an electronic copy!  Make sure to leave your email addy... Dark Deceit is now available on  Amazon UK ,  Amazon US  &  Smashwords ! Blurb: On his return from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, assists a dying knight caught in an ambush. Promising to look after the welfare of the ...

Two days until Dark Deceit is out!  ~happy dance~ Dark Deceit is the first in The Anarchy Trilogy, set in 1140s Gloucestershire and Normandy. Murder, changing loyalties, betrayal - and hope. A historical novel with suspense and romance elements, it tells the story of Alleyne, a young heiress forced to defend her family manor following her father's murder, and Geoffrey, investigating under-sheriff with issues of his own. After calling Will, an old friend, for help, Alleyne must decide which man to trust. The wrong decision could lead to danger and loss. On his return from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, assists a dying knight caught in an ambush. Promising to look after the welfare of the knight’s only daughter, Geoffrey stays at her manor, investigating the murder. Keen to join the Empress on her progress through England, he is torn between his oath and his duty. Left to defend her manor following he...

Please help me welcome mystery writer Carola Dunn to My Place. I do love a good English mystery, and hope you'll like the sound of Gone West, her latest release. Over to you, Carola! Hello, everyone. I'm the author of the Daisy Dalrymple series and the Cornish Mystery series, as well as over thirty Regencies. Almost all my books are set in England. That's where I was born and grew up, though I've lived in the US for a long time, presently in Eugene, Oregon. All my books are historical. The Daisy mysteries are set in the 1920s, Regencies in the Regency (surprise! That's strictly speaking 1811 to 1820, when George III was mad and his son was Prince Regent), and the Cornish mysteries about 1970, which some people don't count as historical. To me, the time is as important to the setting of a book as the place.  My Place: My latest book is GONE WEST, the twentieth in the Daisy Dalrymple series. I wanted to set it in an isolated farmhouse, and I decided to pl...