Thursday, April 18, 2013

Historical Romance Weekend: Darius by Grace Burrowes (Guest Post/Giveaway)

ReadingBetweentheWinesBookClub
Good morning lovelies! We are starting the weekend early here at RBtWBC with Historical Romance Weekend! We have some wonderful authors and books to share with you this weekend, thanks so much for joining us! Right now I would like to welcome historical romance author, Grace Burrowes, with her newest release of Darius!  


WHAT is my favorite historical setting, and why?

Interesting question! I’d have to narrow my favorites to three, starting with the late Georgian period (about 1776 to 1811). I backed into this period by virtue of having written a Regency sibling series. When readers began to ask about the parents’ story… back to the research sources I did go.

I found a period more cosmopolitan than the Regency in some ways, one where the Napoleonic wars had not yet reduced the common British experience of Continental travel to Iberian battlefields. Because dynastic marriages were still in use in the late Georgian period, a certain autonomy between spouses meant women—some women—were social, political and literary forces in their own right. Mary Wollstonecraft’s “Vindication of the Rights of Women,” came out in 1792, for example.

As we close in on the Regency period, we see a greater emphasis on romantic love, and I like that too. I also like the gentleman’s fashions that emerged around the Regency, thinking them the most attractive attire a fellow can wear. The Regency is where the waltz became acceptable, (le big sigh), and when forward thinking and well heeled families might begin to include indoor plumbing—always nice to have.

As a writer, the Regency is a comfortable place to set romances because it’s well researched and many readers enjoy it. Then too, many authors, myself included, have read Regencies by the bucketful and have thus acquired some passive understanding of the period. The downside is that competition in the Regency genre is fierce, some readers are quite sure they know the world as well as any author ever could, and if Jane Austen had something to say on a subject, then the discussion, in many circles, is closed.

Because of that downside, I took a notion to set some books in Scotland in the 1850s, the beginning of the “high Victorian.” I wasn’t sure I’d like the Victorians—they wore corsets we now consider hideous, hoops so wide more than one lady’s skirts accidentally caught fire, and they hatched up the first recognized industrial diseases, so nasty were some of the working conditions in the cities.

And yet, the Victorian period is also when a female ruler (deeply in love with her husband) could begin the transition of the monarchy from a ruler whose authority rested on theology, to more ceremonial office respected for its links to antiquity and its contribution to affairs of state. The Victorians cleaned up London’s sewers, built some subway stations still in use, and created one of the largest empires in history.

What I found when I started researching for my Scottish trilogy is that the Victorian period is so vast, varied and vibrant, that for nearly any Victorian generalization, history provides us counterexamples and contradictions. Then too, simply by virtue of being closer to us in time, original period sources still exist in abundance, from journals to architecture to clothing.

All of which is to say, I enjoy all three. Georgian, Regency and Victorian social habits and customs all provide interesting settings for romance, and I hope to continue writing in all three.




DARIUS BY GRACE BURROWES – IN STORES APRIL 2013

Darius (Lonely Lords, #1)
A story that breaks all the rules...Darius is a remarkable tale of desperation, devotion, and redemption from award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes. Her gorgeous writing and lush Regency world will stay with you long after you turn the final page…
With his beloved sister tainted by scandal, his widowed brother shattered by grief, and his funds cut off, Darius Lindsey sees no option but to sell himself—body and soul. Until the day he encounters lovely, beguiling Lady Vivian Longstreet, whose tenderness and understanding wrap his soul in a grace he knows he’ll never deserve…
Praise for Darius:
“Burrowes brings to life a deeply moving romance that’s sure to be remembered and treasured.” —RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ Stars, Top Pick

“This rising author handles powerful romance and complicated family life with skill in romances with great appeal.” —Booklist

“Burrowes creates her usual intelligent characters, exciting chemistry, and flowing dialogue...” —Publishers Weekly

“Very compelling... Likable characters with enough angst to keep the story moving along.” —Night Owl Reviews, 4.5 stars, Reviewer Top Pick





ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Burrowes
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes’ bestsellers include The Heir, The Soldier, Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish and Lady Eve's Indiscretion. The Heir was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010, The Soldier was a PW Best Spring Romance of 2011, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish won Best Historical Romance of the Year in 2011 from RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards, Lady Louisa’s Christmas Knight was a Library Journal Best Book of 2012, and The Bridegroom Wore Plaid was a PW Best Book of 2012. Her Regency romances have received extensive praise, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Grace is branching out into novellas and Scotland-set Victorian romance with Sourcebooks. She is a practicing family law attorney and lives in rural Maryland. For more information, please visit www.graceburrowes.com.





~*GIVEAWAY*~
Sourcebooks is giving away 1 copy of Darius to 1 reader, US and Canada only. To enter, just leave a comment on this post: What is you favorite historical setting, and why? Then fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

21 comments:

  1. I am enjoying reading about the Regency and Victorian eras. I like the way they dressed back than.

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  2. I like Regency... I love their gowns... :)

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  3. I adore Regency historicals, especially when the hero is in less than optimal states. This book sounds delightful. My favorite time period however is the time of William the Conqueror. The knights and battles are just intriguing to me.

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  4. Angieia, I've wondered if Georgette Heyer didn't shift from the Georgian to the Regency because it's hard to make a fellow masculine to modern readers when he's in blue brocade, lace, buckles, and silk stockings.

    May, I like the higher waists too--more comfy.

    Sebella, I like the pageantry of the medieval period, but am very attached to indoor plumbing, too.

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  5. I just love all books in the Regency-Victorian era. Those stories are written to make us dream of a past romantic time! I like their dresses and beautiful hats! Thank you for offering Darius

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  6. Regency/ Victorian like so many of us.

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  7. I like Victorian and anything in Scot and English history. My first introduction to this was with Bertrice Small and I adored her books starting with Skye O'Malley. Then there were her Byzantines with Adora and others. I even like Medieval's too.

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  8. I guess my favorite time for historicals would be the Regency period because that is what I have read the most of.

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  9. Victorian era pops up on my TBR list quite a bit >.>

    Kassandra
    sionedkla@gmail.com

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  10. I love Regencies. I would have loved to have seen all the balls.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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  11. I enjoy the Recency period best because I love the clothes and the manners and, probably, because Regencies were the first historical romances I read.

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  12. I'm not sure about the time period. The men wear the white flowing cotton shirts with the soft ruffles at the neck and cuffs, tall boots with the fitted trousers tucked in. The women wearing long gowns with the empire waist and low necklines.

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  13. I love all historical settings... British, Scots, Welsh or Irish...love the histories, the lands, the customs, the languages. I've read and loved mostly Regency stories, though, because the number of romances written about that period are more numerous...or were more available to me. I must also say, however, that I adore the romances that star men in kilts! :-) jdh2690@gmail.com

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  14. I am enjoying reading about the Regency and Victorian eras. I like the way they dressed back than.

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  15. I enjoy the Regency period.

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  16. I enjoy a lot of different historical settings but I think I like the Regency period the best because of the balls and gowns and jewels.

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  17. I like Victorian London because it's an exciting time when new forms of transportation were being invented and women were a bit more free than in the past.

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  18. I love historical stories set in Regency England, also don't mind Scottish historicals too!
    thebigbluewall(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Regency England and Scottish Highlands are my two favorite historical settings. Gotta love Rakes and Kilts! lol

    leyla413 AT gmail DOT com

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  20. I like all historical settings but like the Regency England and the highland settingsare my favorites. I like the dresses and scandalous rakes from the Regency and the roughness and loyality of the highlander settings.
    Thanks

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  21. I really like the Victorian era and anything set in Scotland. I love all the mannerisms, dresses, and the history.

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