I welcome fellow author MICHELLE STEGMAN to my blog today to talk about her latest release Conquest of the Heart.
I call Conquest of the
Heart, "A light-hearted romp through the Dark Ages." The story is set
during the Norman Conquest of England, a dark and violent time. But I just
can't seem to write "dark." I love dark brooding heroes and serious
romances with tragedy and heartbreak in them. But I can't seem to write it.
Maybe because I prefer to look on the bright side of things. When I was
diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing I asked the doctor is if she knew
any good breast cancer jokes. I needed to see the humorous side of even that.
Conquest of the Heart
is serious, of course, but there's a lot of humor in it. I turned a lot of
clichés around and I think that helped a bit with the humor. For example, the
hero, Ranulf, is a virgin and is totally clueless when it comes to women. The
heroine, Madeline, has to put out lures and set her traps to finally get him
into her bed--many of which backfire.
Ranulf finds himself
defeated time after time when he is training with one of his knights because he
is distracted by Madeline. Although he's never been bested before, Madeline
thinks he can't fight and worries about him every time he rides out the gate.
I tried to stay true to
the times, of course, but I wanted Conquest of the Heart to be a fun read. I
hope I've succeeded. I hope you think so, too.
Conquest
of the Heart
Blurb:
Her people conquered
his country. How can they overcome the distrust they feel to find love?
In 1067 England, Madeline,
a Norman, wants a big, brash, never-defeated-in-battle, Norman knight. What she
gets, by order of the king, is a wiry Saxon who once studied for the priesthood
instead of warfare. But is this gentle man she is falling in love with
entangled in the rebellion now sweeping the land?
Ranulf wants to marry
the girl next door. What he gets, by order of the king, is a lush, strong
Norman woman who just might be a spy reporting his every move. He wants her in
every way a man can possibly want a woman. But can he trust his heart to a
woman who might have been sent to root out the struggle for freedom his people
are engaged in?
Excerpt:
He let his gaze travel
back to his bride walking stiffly, reluctantly, toward him. For once, Ranulf
felt speech was beyond him. She was so much more than he had expected. So
beautiful. So clean. She glittered like
a bright jewel in a dung heap. For Etherby, no matter how much he loved it, was
not much better than one right now.
If only he could say
to this magnificent woman, "Go away. Come back in a year. Give me time to
build the castle the king has ordered, tear down this rotting hall, teach
cleanliness to servants to whom filth is a way of life. Then you won't have to
grit your teeth and square our shoulders as if going into battle as you come to
wed me." But it was already too late. She was here. The wedding was now.
And he felt as randy as a billy goat.
He would begin
building the king's castle immediately. The work would distract him from Lady
Madeline's seductive lure. She would find no treason with which to fill the
king's ears, and, like his mother's attitude toward his father, he was sure the
lady would be glad not to have him in her bower, not the way he felt now, the
things he wanted to do to her.
Buy
links for Conquest of the Heart
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1cVjVKN
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1IWkXSq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1JP7QFB
Bio:
Michele Stegman has
always loved history and she lives it every day. She spins, weaves, makes her
own soap and bread, and lives in a 175 year old log cabin with her husband,
Ron, who is the basis for all her heroes.
Thank you for hosting me today, Mia! Seeing the blog posted was a fun way to start my day!
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