Georgina Devon: Fifi -- the Chihuahua in rhinestones

The cute, down trodden looking dog is Fifi. She's wearing her pink rhinestone coat. We call her our Rhinestone Chihuahua (a play on words with Glen Campbell's Rhinestone Cowboy and if you remember that song...well, you're my age and that's not good!). If you look closely you'll see her pink sweater under her coat. It's 68 degrees Fahrenheit in our house and she's freezing!. The book cover posted with this blog is my North American one for Her Rebel Lord which is still available as an ebook at eharlequin.com. On the cover the heroine wears a pink dress (kinda like Fifi's coat ), but Jenna de Warre has the hero, Duncan McNabb, in his disguise as The Ferguson to keep her warm.
Fifi, unfortunately, has to sleep on an electric heating pad to really stay warm. It's so hot here in Tucson most of the year, I hate to turn the heater up to 70! But if Fifi lived in 1746, and she was a pampered dog (and they didn't have Chihuahuas in England then), her heating pad would have been a brick or rock that had been heated in the fire, taken out and wrapped in cloth. Luckily for Fifi, things have changed.

Still, Her Rebel Lord opens in Jenna's stillroom and it's cold there. She has a small brazier to keep her warm but it doesn't put off enough heat because she's in a stone castle. Just imagine how cold she would have been, although she was likely much more tolerant of the temperature than you or I or Fifi!

Just one more way our lives are so different from the people we write about. But human emotions never change - we are humans no matter what century we are born and live in. That's the real truth of our books.

Thanks again the Michelle for posting this and Fifi's picture and the NA picture of Her Rebel Lord!

Best,
Georgina Devon

Elizabeth Lane: The ones who make me smile.

Inspired by Georgina Devon, Elizabeth Lane has sent in photos of her pets. In the weeks to come, the HH Authors will be (fingers crossed) introducing their pets and explaining how they help inspire their writing.

And sometimes as Elizabeth Lane pointed out to me -- having pets who make you smile can make all the difference.

The cat on the left is Walter and the one on the right is his girlfriend Sadie. Elizabeth is not sure much they help her writing as all too often they want attention. But they always make her smile.

Georgina Devon: The Dog in the Red Coat

The dog you see in the dashing red coat with black trim is my miniature pincher, known as Rosebud – normally. If she’s in one of her, “I’m the boss” moods, she’s the Queen Mini. If she’s on guard duty in the backyard, she’s the Mighty Mini.

However, if you extend your imagination and add gold epaulets, gold buttons down the front and make the coat a cut-away, then add a dress sword, white breeches and black boots, you are starting to have the uniform of an English officer during the time of the 1745 Jacobite Uprising. This was the last great battle between the Jacobites (those who favored a Stuart on the British throne) and those who wanted the German Hanovers on the throne. We all know who won.

When I first started HER REBEL LORD, I had to decide which side my hero, Duncan McNabb, was on. He is Scottish on his father’s side and English on his mother’s. He inherited his English title through his mother (some titles can pass through the woman if she is the only remaining heir), but his heart is with the Jacobites. The English redcoats (remember Rosebud above) killed his father. Duncan chooses to fight at Culloden for Bonnie Prince Charlie to avenge his father’s death and because the Stuart prince was the rightful heir to the crown. But Duncan fights under a different name so as not to jeopardize his English title since he has no heir.

There are cases where the head of a clan fought at Culloden with his younger sons while his heir stayed home. That way, the heir would not be accused of treason if the uprising failed and with luck the title and lands would remain in the family no matter what.

Duncan escapes Culloden with his life. Many didn’t. Taking up his English title, Duncan takes on an alter ego, The Ferguson, named after his father’s clan, and forms a smuggling gang that’s sole purpose is to get surviving Jacobites out of Britain. It becomes his life’s work.

Jenna de Warre is the only child of Bloody Ayre, an Englishman who fought with the Duke of Cumberland. But her dead mother was Scottish. Jenna’s cousin, Gavin, fought at Culloden alongside Duncan and is now on the run.

Jenna and Duncan meet over Gavin’s unconscious body that is sprawled in the mud in a freezing rain near Carlisle. Duncan plans to smuggle Gavin to France. But Gavin must heal more before he can make the journey.

Jenna discovers The Ferguson is really Duncan, Lord Byrne, the dandy who’s recently moved to the area. This knowledge puts her in a dangerous position. She has a secret people will kill to know or to protect.

A healer, she offers to help Duncan with any escapees who are ill. Working together they fall in love.

Duncan can and will risk his life for the Jacobite cause, but can he risk the life of the woman he is beginning to love – the woman who’s carrying his child?

That’s the basis of HER REBEL LORD. The real truth is that men and women fought and died for Bonnie Prince Charlie. After Culloden, wearing a tartan was against the law in Britain. This law remained in place until George IV, enamored of Sir Walter Scot’s tales, made it legal to once more wear a tartan.

I wish to thank Michelle Styles for making this blog possible. She had to put it on the site and upload Rosebud’s picture and the book’s UK cover. I’m technically challenged.

Best,
Georgina Devon

Despite being technically challenged, Georgina has crafted a wonderful romance HER REBEL LORD which is out in retail this month in the UK. It is also available for e-book download.

HH January Release: Texas Ranger, Runaway Heiress by Carol Finch

She prefers guns to gowns—and riding the land to dancing at balls. So heiress Gabrielle Price heads across Texas's most dangerous territory to break her unwanted society engagement. Only, her biggest problem isn't outlaws and killers. It's a rugged, relentless Texas Ranger….With a killer to catch, Hudson Stone has better things to do than escort his commander's spoiled, socialite daughter. But his fiery charge is as irresistible as she is off-limits, and to protect her he'll risk his reputation, his life—and his heart.



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Texas Ranger, Runaway Heiress

HH January Release: Marrying the Captain by Carla Kelly

Ever since her father tried to sell her as a mistress to the highest bidder, Eleanor Massie has chosen to live in poverty. Her world changes overnight when Captain Oliver Worthy shows up at her struggling inn. Despite herself, Nana is drawn to her handsome guest….Oliver planned to stay in Plymouth only long enough to report back to Lord Ratliffe—about Nana. But he soon senses that Lord Ratliffe is up to something, and Oliver will do anything to keep this courageous, beautiful woman safe—even marry her!



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Marrying the Captain

HH January Release: The Viscount Claims His Bride by Bronwyn Scott

For years Valerian Inglemoore, Viscount St. Just, lived a double life as a secret agent on the war-torn Continent.Returning home, he knows exactly what he wants—Philippa Stratten, the woman he gave up for the sake of her family….But Philippa isn't the naive debutante he left behind. His rejection stung deeply, and now she is suspicious of his intentions. Valerian realizes he must wage a tough battle if he is to finally claim her, once and for all, as his bride!

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The Viscount Claims His Bride

HH January Releases: High Seas Stowaway by Amanda McCabe

Balthazar Grattiano, captain of the infamous ship Calypso and renowned seducer of women, has just walked into the one tavern in all of Hispanialo he should have avoided. For Bianca Simonetti, his sworn enemy, is the owner—and she has vengeance on her mind.But before she can take her revenge she is captured by this rogue's kiss. Her only chance for retribution is to stow away on his ship for a passionate adventure that will either kill them—or bring them together once and for all!

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High Seas Stowaway

HH January Releases: A Desirable Husband by Mary Nichols

Lady Esme Vernley's unconventional first meeting with a handsome gentleman in Hyde Park has damned him in the eyes of her family. His departure from protocol, far from offending her, however, just fires Esme's curiosity.Felix, Lord Pendlebury, is taken with this debutante's mischievous smile. But his secret mission for the Duke of Wellington in France could jeopardize any relationship between them—especially when he discovers his past amour has just arrived in town.



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A Desirable Husband

HH January Releases: The Major and The Country Miss by Dorothy Elbury

Major William Maitland returns a hero from the war, only to find himself tasked with the strangest mission—hunting down the lost heir to his uncle's fortune.He sets out to rural Warwickshire to uncover the twenty-year-old secret, but has no idea that meeting an old army friend will lead him to the key to the mystery. Or that his friend's cousin, the beautiful Georgianne Venables, will prove to be his own personal Waterloo. For Georgianne has a secret of her own that could stand in the way of Will ever winning her hand in marriage….



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The Major and the Country Miss

The Viscountdown is on! Dec. 20-Jan. 1st

Hi and Happy Holidays,

I just wanted to check in and say that I'm doing a "Twelve Days" day countdown on the Bronwyn Scott blog to celebrate the Jan. 1 release of The Viscount Claims His Bride (hence the Viscountdown). Starting Dec. 20th, I'll be posting one research factoid a day about something from the book, including links to websites and a page number reference in the book where readers can see that fact in action. Come on over and check out the blog site!

Bronwyn

You are invited:

You are are invited to attend the Annual E-harlequin Open House.
Harlequin Historical will be having an all day party with plenty of door prizes and goodies.

Authors such as :
Nicola Cornick
Julia Justiss
Joanne Rock
Victoria Bylin
Michelle Styles
Annie Burrows
Michelle Willingham
Amanda McCabe
Diane Gaston
Charlene Sands
will be there, ready to answer questions, give hints about upcoming books and generally spread the holiday cheer.
It is not chatting, but simply posting. Please do come and join in!!!

HH December Release:An Improper Aristocrat by Deb Marlowe

Rapscallion! Rake! Wanderer! Adventurer!All accusations that the Earl of Treyford acknowledges with pride. The scandalous son of a disgraced mother, he has no time for the pretty niceties of the ton, nor the simpering debutantes who populate its ballrooms.He has returned to England to aid an "aging" spinster facing an undefined danger. But Miss Latimer's dark and sultry beauty, her fascinating mix of knowledge and innocence, arouse far more than his protective instincts.Can such an improper aristocrat learn to be the true gentleman Miss Latimer deserves?

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An Improper Aristocrat