Review: The Irish Princess by Karen Harper

I’m intrigued with the characters Karen Harper chooses for her historical romances.  As many novels are available highlighting the kings and queens of England’s history, Harper spotlights the lesser known subjects.

Elizabeth “Gera” Fitzgerald, an Irish princess, constructs a long term plan to seek revenge for her family’s destruction ordered by King Henry VIII. 

Beautiful and ambitious, Gera maneuvers her way into England’s royal court, her most detested place on earth.  All of her actions have a purpose, unknown to her English contacts.  Except Edward Clinton. 

Edward begins as a courtier of King Henry, yet sees the fire and rebellion beneath Gera’s subtle exterior.  He agrees with her unspoken goal, yet must remain loyal to England to keep himself out of the Tower. 

As I read The Irish Princess, I lived and imagined the difficulties all the way from the harsh weather, lack of an easy meal, and constant shifting of Faith and alliances at the court.  The fact that Gera stood her ground against the mighty royal family and court to prove her Irish family’s worth exhibited her strength in a day when women rarely had a voice.

My heart ached for the long separations of Gera and Edward, their inability to pursue the obvious, smoldering passion, and the fear they would never have an opportunity to love.

True to history, the ending will stun and leave you to search for more of Karen Harper’s exceptional historical works.

Dawn

Guest Author Interview: Alyssa Day

Today we are interviewing Alyssa Day, Paranormal Romance author and New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author!

Alexis: Hi Alyssa, Thank you for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts :-) You write many of your books as part of a series. What is it about this approach that appeals to you?

Alyssa: Thanks for inviting me! I love series (both reading and writing them) because once I invest in characters and a world, I want to return to it over and over.

Alexis: Me too :-) Can you tell our readers a little bit about your latest release, ALEJANDRO"S SORCERESS?

Alyssa: Alejandro and Maria were characters in my book ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, and they were such strong characters - especially Alejandro! -- that I wanted to find out more of their story.  My team is formatting and converting the book now and it should be available for all e-readers by the end of this week.

Alexis: Whoohoo!  Can't wait! Where did you get the idea for this story?

Alyssa: I always start with a "what if?" and this one was triggered by an article about the difficulties in some marriages due to the woman being the primary or even only breadwinner these days.  I wondered what if Alejandro, who was the strong alpha male who protected the whole village in ATLANTIS UNLEASHED, goes to special training at the FBI, and while he's there, Maria discovers she is a witch with enormous power.  The power balance between them would undergo a tremendous shift--how would they deal with that? Also, after 6 months apart, would they still love each other quite so fiercely?

Alexis: What a great issue to delve into. What are your favorite character traits of Alejandro and Maria?

Alyssa:  They're both strong, Alejandro especially has a terrific sense of humor, and they're both intensely dedicated to justice and protecting the innocent.

Alexis: Which is your favorite series that you've written?

Alyssa:  Definitely The Warriors of Poseidon!

Alexis: What can we expect next from you? Do you have any new releases coming or a work in progress?

Alyssa: Yes!  High Priest Alaric's book, HEART OF ATLANTIS, will be out in print and in e-book in December from Berkley, but before that I'll be releasing Denal's story and Jack's story (the tiger shape-shifter everyone loves!) as e-book exclusives!

Alexis: That's great. We have a lot to look forward to :-) Thank you so much for sharing your paranormal worlds with us. It's a pleasure having you visit.

Alyssa: Thank you! It's lovely to be here!  I'll give away a copy of VAMPIRE IN ATLANTIS to each of 3 lucky winners!

Alexis: For a chance to win Alyssa’s VAMPIRE IN ATLANTIS be sure to leave a comment for her.  If I have contact information I will let you know when you win, otherwise, check the side column for your name on Wednesday under WINNERS :-)

For more information on Alyssa’s Romances go to http://www.alyssaday.com/books.html

Alexis: Check out this excerpt from ALEJANDRO"S SORCERESS.

Excerpt:

 Southern Shores, North Carolina

Maria stood on the veranda of her rented cottage and stared out at the deep-blue waves, dappled with golden sunlight from the sun setting behind her. The sand on the beach shone like a blanket of crystals in the slanting light.   It was hard to believe that a place of such beauty could play home or hiding place to such hideous monsters—and they were only the least of it.  The ones she and her coven sisters were tracking here were merely the gatekeepers trying to bring a far worse evil into the world.  

Demons.  

She leaned her head back and took a deep breath of the fresh sea air.  The late fall evenings were brisk and brought a welcome change after summer's heat.  Although she'd grown up with enough heat in Guatemala to be more than comfortable in North Carolina.  Of course, now that she'd learned to regulate her internal temperature, she could probably walk barefoot through a furnace or the arctic tundra, for at least an hour or so, before she started to feel any discomfort.

Magic.  She'd always known she'd had it--had something--but she would have been afraid to pursue it in her superstitious village.  There had been some who'd wanted to banish an innocent child simply for seeing visions of the future; a grown woman who was a witch would have been grounds for stoning or burning.

Luckily, those Atlanteans had rescued the child, Eleni, and helped to rescue the village.  Helped Alejandro rescue them all.

She closed her eyes in pain at the thought of him.  Thick, dark hair, always too long and falling into his gorgeous dark brown eyes.  Bronze skin covering a hard-muscled body that she'd dreamed of for years before she'd finally, finally been able to touch it.  He'd thought of her as a child for far too long, but when he realized she was all grown up, the passion between them had been explosive.  

The memory of his dark, strong body rising over hers, bringing her to heights of desire and ecstasy she hadn't known existed, made her tremble a little, and she clutched her hands more tightly around the veranda railing.

"We have to go.  Now."  Trina rounded the corner of the cottage and climbed the steps.  "The demons are at it again.  They just attacked a busload of senior citizens at the Heron's Rest Diner."

Maria channeled her anger and horror into power and tamped it down to use later, when she'd really need it.  Trina, long and lean in black leather pants and a red tank top, shook her head and dozens of beautiful long braids chimed with the bells and charms she'd woven into them.  Maria could see the tracks of fresh tears on Trina's ebony skin and knew instantly it must be really, really bad.  

Trina never cried.

"Pete called and gave me the quick rundown, but he's in the middle of a magical duel, so he didn't have time to talk much.  Sounded like there are at least a dozen tourists who will never be eating the Blue Plate Special again," Trina said brusquely, as if she didn't care.  She slammed the cottage door open and ran for the back room.

Maria knew better, so she didn't waste breath on arguing.  They geared up and headed out.  

--excerpt from ALEJANDRO'S SORCERESS, by Alyssa Day, copyright Alesia Holliday, January, 2012

Alexis: Don't forget. If you would like to win VAMPIRE IN ATLANTIS, you need to leave a comment.  Three copies are up for grabs, so chances are great!

Bookstore Closing

I saw something very sad the other day. I was out and about, heading to the grocery store (another necessary evil like doing the laundry), when I saw a big orange and black sign on the Waldenbooks & More at the corner. 

They were closing, shutting down. 

It wasn’t a big store. Actually, small compared to the stores Waldenbooks had at the mall, but it was a good store .The staff was friendly and helpful (and knew me by name). It saddened me in ways I can’t describe. I’d spent many happy hours in that store, browsing through the shelves, picking and choosing the books I wanted to read (and dropping a pretty penny in the process—thank goodness for mad money!).

           

It made me question what happened to our brick and mortar bookstores and made me realize how the readers’ (and writers’) world is changing. Do people just not have the time to browse through the stacks and read like they used to? Or do they still read like crazy and it’s just so much easier to order from Amazon (or any of the other places one can order books)? What about e-books? So many people have a Kindle or a Nook or one of the many other e-readers available. Instant gratification! A few clicks on your computer or e-reader and the book is yours (and you don’t have to get out of your pajamas!)

           

I will miss that Waldenbooks & More at the corner, but thankfully, there’s a Barnes and Noble not too far from me and I can get a cup of coffee there too! Do you still go to a brick & mortar book store to buy your books?

Happy Reading!

Marie

           

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year! To celebrate, we decided we would share our thoughts on the new year and each offer a special prize to start the year off right. So be sure to leave a comment for the start of 2012 on Happily Ever After Thoughts!

*DAWN: Getting right to my main wishes for reading and writing in 2012 is difficult as my mind veers off on many tangents, yet I gave it a shot and this is what I came up with…

I wish to read and expand my choice of genres.  I had started this in 2011 and am thrilled with the new novels and authors I’ve discovered.  Fearless with my choices now, watch for reviews of my favorite finds. 

As for writing, I’m excited about my newly finished rough draft on a series tentatively titled From the CIA.  I plan to also complete the second in the trilogy, Window of Lies, which follows Court of Lies.  Wish me luck in having those available to readers by the end of 2012!  And happy reading and writing:-)  

MARIE: I’ve always been the type of person to make New Year’s resolutions on January 1, but it seems those resolutions very seldom last until January 2. Perhaps, in the past, I chose things to change in myself that are just too hard or goals that are impossible to reach. Perhaps, I was never held accountable because I never told anyone what my goals were but this year is different. Why? I’m not sure. I’d like to think I’m wiser (and yes, a little older). 

So my resolutions for 2012 are not really resolutions. They are goals I should try to achieve for the rest of my life. They are:

Tell my loved ones that I love them….as often as possible.

Smile more.

Be kind.

Take more time for myself.

Change the things I can and accept the things I cannot.

Last, but not least, continue on the writing path I have set for myself.

So. There they are. My resolutions, my goals, for 2012 (and beyond). Definitely attainable. 

ALEXIS: What is it about the New Year that inspires people? Many people make New Year's Resolutions. Others, like my fellow blog writers, set goals or make wishes. It is a good time to do these types of things. Why? There is something about a new year starting that gives everyone a new birth, just like that baby New Year. It is the idea that we can start over, start fresh, start from scratch, start anew, no matter what has gone before. It is a clean slate, a second chance, a tableau rasa. It is HOPE.

That is the key to this inspiration, isn't it? And what makes it so powerful is that we all recognize this day for what it is. We all see it the same way. Talk about positive, uplifting, and amazing!

That being said, my plan is to read more romances this year than last year. Last year I read 17 and a half.  Yes, I'm in the middle of Caris Roane's Wings of Fire right now. It may not sound like a lot of books, but when writing two manuscripts a year, it is, trust me.

So leave us a comment about your New Year's aspirations and dreams and you will be entered for a chance to win! We are giving away a sighed copy of Dawn's Court of Lies, a sighed copy of Marie's Touch the Flame and a $10 gift card to Amazon. Talk about a good chance to start the New Year off with a bang (or a book as the case may be :-) Winners will be announced on Wednesday!

*Dawn regrets she won't be able to respond to comments on Sun and Mon, but is looking forward to catching up with you on Tues!