Round Robin August – Coming Soon – Courting the Countess

Really exciting news this month because I can also tell you about a new book in the production process. You’ll have to check back for the cover Reveal and publication date, but meantime, TA RA………………………………………………………….

COURTING THE COUNTESS will be my 4th published full-length romance when it comes out from Endeavour. It’s the story of a young woman whose beauty has been lost in a fire. As such, Courting the Countess, is a most appropriate study for this month’s round robin feature: What mental, physical or spiritual wounds or scars have you used in your stories?

Courting the Countess began life as an entry for the Elizabeth Goudge Award competition when the then RNA Chair, Christina Courtney, asked for a novel opening based on a fairy-tale.

WHAT IF, I thought, the Beauty was the man and the Beast was the girl?

Easy enough to create a physical illness or disability for one of the characters, but what implications does the loss of beauty have for a person? Lots, I would say and thereby was my story found.

Injuries and pain bring with them a loss of confidence and zest for life. Can my hero restore her? What spiritual wounds might he be living with that help or hinder him in this task? There have to be some, I think, in a well-rounded novel or the light and shade is compromised.

Courting the Countess, like my other books also has a lot of fun, dry wit and period detail – 1819, Scottish Regency, Edinburgh. As a writer I don’t believe in whacking the reader with mental, physical or spiritual burden all the way through. Life is a kaleidoscope, but the heroines of any romance need a fair bit of angst to work through and show their characters to best advantage.

If this subject interests you, then please head along to one of my blogging friends, below:

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
https://bobrich18.wordpress.com/2016/08/27/the-wounded-healer
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Anne Stenhouse  https://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com
A.J. Maguire  http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

Anne’s on twitter @anne_stenhouse

Facebook www.facebook.com/annestenhouseauthor

Buy my books here: Amazon Author Page

 

August is Review a Book Month

Rosie Amber wrote a great post here explaining why reviews are important to writers and why you don’t need to have literary qualifications to write them.

I’m Shy

Picking up the theme Terry Tyler wrote this blog here carrying the theme forward and posting some lovely reviews and covers folk have been inspired to make as a result of Rose’s original initiative.

It’s NOT about seeking views for one’s own books, so I won’t post my links. You can find them easily enough, but if there’s someone else’s book you read and thought, I think people would like that story, then Please, Please – go for it.

Diary of a Writer – reaping a few rewards

Reaping a few Rewards is rather nice.

I entered a caption competition put up by my publishers, MuseItUp last week on facebook and won a free e-book from their bookshop. I’ve chosen Comedy of Terrors by Graeme Smith. A treat to look forward to when it wings across.

People’s Friend cleared my short serial for publication. So, while the going was favourable, I submitted a short story which they have also bought. Don’t have final titles for either of these yet, but will keep you up-to-date.

Ulverscroft, the wonderful large print imprint, have just bought world large print rights in Daisy’s Dilemma. So there will be a short library run. New cover, of course, but here’s Charlie’s in the meantime.Buy my books here

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