Do You Know #MFRWauthor Ashley York? @AshleyYork1066

MFRW Talks with Author Ashley York. Ashley writes historical romance.

Why did you decide to write romance?
I decided to write romance novels because I love romance. That's the truth. I love to read about couples who have married sixty years and then die holding hands. About the medieval couple they found buried, holding hands. I love to think about how much William of Normandy loved his wife and left her to rule his holdings in France. I love romance.

Since you write historical romance, tell us about your research.
My research involves primary source documents which are very limited for 1075. A lot has been written by academics about the period, though, so I use that information, too. It's just tough when academia suddenly decides to change it's perspective on an event. Such as the battle of Culloden. Really? The English weren't subjugating them? Okay.  I'll never buy that one. I understand the English (which I am very English) were powerful and that was their mindset - to conquer - but please don't try to convince me that in any way the Welsh, the Scots, the Irish somehow deserved it.

What do you do to relax?
I love music. All kinds. My favorite is good, live, celtic music. I love going to pubs and listening or participating in sessions. Sessions (open ones) are where musicians come together to share their love of the music. Various tunes get played that not all of them know, but they'll listen then join in. It's a great time. We have a lot of talent in the area. Musicians in Massachusetts and Connecticut. They all know each other and have played together. They may know nothing else about the other players, where they work or what they do for a living, but they'll remember the instruments they play or what tunes they know. It's great.

What about books? Who do you read?
Right now my favorite author is definitely Elizabeth Essex. Her writing is so fresh and exciting. I hate to stop reading but it's my reward when I'm on the tread mill so I have to be disciplined. It's hard. I just want to sit down and finish the whole thing. I know it's going to be satisfying.

What are the most important parts of romance?
The elements of a great romance start with a guy that is driven. He's hottest when he has interests that he feels strongly about: being a captain on a boat,  a knight in battle, a patriot fighting for freedom. Those are the guys heroines like best. It's a very sexy characteristic. I love romance. Everywhere. So the romance has to be good. The lead in. The dance around. The fulfillment. That's the best.

What does your writing schedule look like?
I have a set schedule that I try to stick to. I'm at my computer at 7 am but I work around my husband's schedule because I like spending time with him. I try to add to my WIP every day even if I have a lot of promoting or marketing to do. I also have to force myself to stop with the social media because it can suck you into that void and the next thing you know, hours have passed. Hours you can never get back.

What is the most difficult part of writing?
The hardest part of writing is the research because I love it so much. I could spend days and days going through primary sources and academic secondary sources. I just love it. Anything medieval. The more I learn, the better I feel about the time period. It's important to me that the reader not struggle with the facts. They shouldn't have to know all about The Norman Conquest in order to appreciate the story. I write romance not history but I do love learning.

Tell Us about your latest book.
My latest book is the second book in The Norman Conquest Series entitled The Gentle Knight. The hero is Peter of Normandy, who was introduced in The Saxon Bride. He's John's closest friend and he makes an appearance in the book as well. It's a medieval romance.

The story idea for The Saxon Bride came when I was spending time my sister. We were at the beach and she was telling me about this woman from her boyfriend's past that wouldn't let go. I had been playing around with the Conquest and found it fascinating. My hero was already a knight that had fought in the Battle of Hastings and even killed, inadvertantly, his wife's father. Talk about guilt. But the idea of a woman from his past that wouldn't back off came to me and I used the same name - Abigail! My sister and I pronounced like Seinfeld pronounced Newman. It was a lot of fun to create her. She may show herself again in book three.

The Gentle Knight
Book Two of The Norman Conquest Series

A medieval soldier returns home to find his lover died in childbirth just as his own mother had. Believing he is cursed, Peter of Normandy turns from love. When he must give escort to an Irish princess more noble than many knights, he struggles with his decision to live a solitary life. Can he take the chance that his love won't be a death sentence and possibly make them stronger?

Padraig MacNaughton's death bed decree rips his daughter from the shelter of her protective clan in Ireland. Forced to take vows at a Priory in England, Brighit finds herself in the hands of lecherous mercenaries with their own agendas. Dare she trust the Norman knight to see her safely to her new life as a nun? Even when she finds in him the fulfillment of all she's ever wanted?

Or will honor and duty eclipse their one chance for happiness?

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EXCERPT
""Do you have rooms for us?"" Peter's irritation intertwined with his unquenched desire.
""Yes, my lord."" The man bowed slightly then smiled. ""We have enough room in our outbuildings to accommodate a small army.""
He didn't have or need an army at the moment. What he needed was a willing woman.
Peter took another swallow of the warming liquid. He stood. The smoothness of his drink made a pleasant sweep through his body, down into his loins, and up into his head.
Brighit remained unmoving. Her head beside him, blurred slightly. He had the sudden urge to feel the softness of the brown hair that lay hidden beneath the stark white wimple. Run his hands through it. Slide his finger along her unyielding profile and tip her chin up ever so gently so he could meet her mouth for a warm, wet kiss—
Mort coughed loudly from across the table. ""You were saying, my lord?""
Mort's face appeared quite expectant but Peter wasn't sure what he had been sa—oh yes.
""Well, a warm bed or two would certainly suffice.""
The arousing picture of being in a warm bed with the even warmer body of Brighit beneath him flashed through his mind. Her lovely brown hair splayed across the pillows.

What can readers expect from you in the future?
In the future, I'm working on Book Three of The Norman Conquest Series, The Seventh Son. It's about Tadhg who is introducted in The Gentle Knight. A surprise to me was the character of Sean O'Cisoghe from The Gentle Knight. He just swaggered in the book and was such a great character, I'll be working on his story too." "I've been writing full-time for about two years. I just completed the second book in The Norman Conquest Series, The Gentle Knight. The first in that series is The Saxon Bride.

What is the most rewarding thing about being an author?
The most rewarding thing about being a writer is having an email from someone who read my book and liked it so much that they contacted me to tell me. That makes me cry every time. I'm so glad I took them to that place in our imaginations where we can get a break from life and pretend. We all need that.

To CONNECT WITH Ashley...

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Viking Princess @KimKasch #MFRWauthor

The Viking Princess

Kim Kasch
Midnight Frost Books 

THE VIKING PRINCESS is a legendary romance filled with honorable Knights from King Arthur’s Round Table, Salacious Pirates, and Brutal Vikings.

This is the story of the legendary Viking hero and Prince of Denmark, Holger Danske, and his forbidden romance with King Arthur’s half-sister, Morgaine LeFey. This tale has never been told outside of Denmark...until now.

Morgaine and Holger faced an attraction more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than all the powers of Merlin.

The Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to King Arthur but she also gave a sword made from the same metal and magic to the Viking Prince, Holger Danske. That sword is “Cortana”.

The Viking Princess is an 80,000 word New Adult retelling of folk-lore legend and Danish leader, Holger Danske, and his magical romance with the sorceress Princess Morgaine Le Fey.

BUY LINK

EXCERPT

He laughed at her, making her senses bristle.
She was not amused. “Am I humorous?”
“I have heard you are many things,” he replied, “but humor has never been cited as one of your virtues.”
“First you laugh at me, and then you belittle me. Is this the way you treat all women?”
He pulled back on the reins. His horse slid to an immediate standstill. Then, burying his face into her hair, he whispered in her ear, “I have shown enormous restraint. Would you like me to show you how I treat all women?”
The burning ember inside her flared to a flame. The muscles low in her belly tightened, as she clenched her legs tighter, wrapping them around his steed. Sucking air into her lungs, she felt the immediate pulse of desire race through the core of her body. She wanted to reach back over her head and wrap her arms around his neck, to pull him even closer.
It was all she could do to hold her tongue and keep from begging him, when all she wanted to say was, “Yes, yes, please show me.”
Her body motionless, she could feel the warmth of him as his hands grew bold, slipping beneath the soft linens covering her, his fingers gently gliding up over her stomach, travelling beneath her breasts and edging up…
A voice whispered inside her head. What are you doing? This man is your enemy. He intends to kill you, your brother, everyone you love…
She grabbed his wrists, holding him still and steady. “You have caught me, kidnapped me, and dragged me here. I may be your prisoner, but do not think that I am interested in your advances.”
His body tensed and he pulled back his hands, gripping her firmly about the waist. “I, Holger, the prince over all the Norse lands, have never had a woman decline the privilege of being my lover.”
“Prince or pauper, it matters not to me what rank you hold, for I, too, am highborn and accustomed to many privileges,” she snapped back, unwilling to let him bask in his own conceit. “And being your lover is not a privilege I would prize.”
“Perhaps,” he said, softening his touch. Slowly he ran his finger down the length of her neck, taunting her. “But are you accustomed to this?” He swung her around to face him; his mouth moved to her neck, gently caressing her throat with his lips and tongue.
The warrior with the devil’s horns was surprisingly gentle and tender with his affections. Morgaine could not contain her pleasure. A small sigh moved up from her throat, over her lips, unexpectedly escaping into the night air. “This is nothing,” he whispered against her flesh, his hand moving down over her navel. Traveling to the valley between her thighs, he pressed his fingers into her apex and she gasped at his touch.
He pulled his hand back. “After your shrill tongue and insults, the next time you will have to beg for my attentions.”
His tone shocked her back into the present. No man had ever spoken to her in this manner. He had no idea of her power. She was not some peasant he could toy with. Morgaine Le Fey was a princess, the sister of King Arthur. It was her turn to laugh…and it came out of her loud and hard. He must not know of her talents.
She was the most powerful sorceress in Camelot and perhaps a dozen other kingdoms.
“Me? Beg? To think you will ever witness such an act from me,” she started to say but then shook her head and continued, “You must be more than foolish.”
“We will see,” he said, sounding more arrogant and insolent than ever.
“Yes, we shall see,” she replied, as he gave his horse a nudge and they continued riding.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Kasch grew up in a family with nine kids. She graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in psychology and has written dozens of articles for publications like romantic homes, Our Family, bird & blooms and more.

She was inspired by Hamlet's Castle to write The Viking Princess. Connect with her at these sites.
https://www.pinterest.com/kimkasch/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/15278287-kimbra-kasch
http://kimkasch.blogspot.com/

Meet #MFRWauthor Thea Dawson with Wanderlust @AeroplaneMedia

MEET MFRW Author Thea Dawson

Thea Dawson has lived in Rome, Tokyo and London and spent much of her twenties traveling around some of the more exotic corners of the globe. She was finally talked into settling down when her boyfriend proposed to her in Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Now she’s stateside again and embarking on a new career as a writer. Inspired by the places she's been and the people she met on the way, she plans to tell tales of romance and adventure.

website  |  twitter  |  goodreads  |  google+

How long does it take you to write a book?
FOREVER. Okay, more like four months with lots of on and off. I'm super slow.

I try to write a minimum of 1000 words a day, but don't always make it. My best writing time is in the morning from about 9-noon. It's when I'm thinking most clearly and, not coincidentally, when my kids are in school.

How do you come up with story ideas?
Like Monica, the heroine of Wanderlust, I lived abroad for much of my twenties. It was a very exciting, romantic time of my life and I have several stories planned around things that I experience while I was traveling.

What does your husband think of your writing?
He's super supportive and encouraging. For a while I was writing erotica under a different name and he was REALLY supportive. I had to keep him from telling everyone he met that his wife wrote porn. Now he sticks to just telling me I should write more sex scenes.

What can we expect from you in the future? 
I'm currently writing a kind of prequel to Wanderlust that tells the story of one Wanderlust's supporting characters and how he met his wife. It takes place as the two of them travel through Japan, initially not getting along well but (of course) eventually falling in love.

Tell us about your latest book.
It's a contemporary romance, but it has some chick lit elements as well. The heroine's relationship with her gay roommate is (I think) one of the best parts of the book, with snappy dialogue and a really solid friendship. And the story isn't just about whether the hero and heroine will end up together but where they're going with their careers and how they're going to make their jobs work with their relationship.

Wanderlust

A writer and world traveler, Monica has everything she wants … except a free-spirited man to join her for life on the road. But when she bumps into Jason, who broke her heart in college, she lets him think she’s engaged. It wouldn’t take much to fall for him again—and that’s one road she doesn’t want to go down.

Jason dreams of the day he can quit his terrible job. Then he runs into Monica, the girl he never got over. Thinking she’s marrying a wealthy financier, he pretends he’s an ambitious career man in order to impress her.

Old feelings resurface, but Monica has trust issues and Jason doesn’t like risks. To top it off, Monica is leaving for Bangkok in two weeks—and she won’t be back soon. Time is running out for them to come to terms with the past and embrace their wanderlust.

BUY LINK

What Reviewers Are Saying..
Thea Dawson created a beautiful story about first loves and heartbreaks, about chance meetings and misunderstandings, and about second chances and true love. Her words flowed from page to page making it near impossible to put down. The lighthearted read pulled at my heartstrings and kept me hoping for a happily ever after. —Summer's Book Blog

The cleverly woven humour, sadness, and hope laced throughout the book will simply wrap you up in the story. I pretty much finished it in one sitting. A real gem of a debut novel. —The British Bookworm

EXCERPT

She picked up her cup and took a sip of her mocha. I was about to make a joke about how at least she was still left-handed—some things don’t change—and I glanced reflexively at her hand. The room seemed to give a weird lurch that made my stomach roll over, but I pulled myself together.
“Hey, congratulations! Who’s the lucky guy?” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster.
She looked at me blankly. I looked significantly at her left hand. She put the cup down and looked at the ring, as if she were surprised to see it.
It was beautiful. An enormous, square-cut emerald, surrounded by tiny diamonds. A knock-out of a ring that might have cost as much as I made in several months. A big, goofy smile spread over her face as she looked down at it. “Oh! This is—it’s kind of a long story, actually—”
The bells on the coffee shop door rang again, and an elegantly dressed woman who looked to be in her early forties walked in.
“Oh, there she is,” said Monica, waving to the woman. “I’m going to have to—”
“No worries, I’ll get out of your way,” I said, getting up. I took a deep breath. “Look, can I get your number? I don’t want to be inappropriate, I know you’re engaged and all, but I’d love to catch up with you properly sometime.”
She gave me a quick glance that conveyed her hesitation, but to my relief she nodded. “Yeah. Yes, I’d like that, too,” she said, fumbling in the pocket of her backpack again. “My business cards are in here somewhere—” She gave up, clearly in a hurry to get rid of me. “You know what, I’m on Facebook, Monica Prescott. I have a page called Adventuress Travels.”
“Adventuress Travels,” I repeated. “And it’s not like I’ve forgotten your name.” I grinned. “I’ll message you. Great to see you!” I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. I grabbed my coffee and smiled briefly at the elegant woman, who gave me an appraising look as I passed her.
“Who was that?” I heard the woman ask Monica as she sat down.
Monica’s reply made its way to me across the coffee shop as I made my way out the door and back into the bitter wind.
“No one. Just an old friend from college.”