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BLURB
THE HIGHWAYMAN’S BRIDE
England, 1813
Forced into a marriage . . .
Compelled by her uncle to marry a man who has a predilection for
violence, Tess Stanhope resorts to a ploy from her favorite novels to fund an
escape—highway robbery. But her attempt is botched by a maddening, handsome
rogue named Aiden.
Driven by revenge . . .
Aiden Masters, the Earl of Charnley, is hell-bent on avenging his
sister’s brutal treatment at the hands of the criminal Florian Nash. He
single-mindedly seeks vengeance at the expense of all else—even by furtively
roaming the highways at night.
Blackmailed for love . . .
At a London party Tess meets up with Aiden once again and
blackmails him...marry her or she’ll divulge to society his clandestine life as
a highwayman. She desires a marriage in name only—but the more time they spend
fighting their desire, the closer they come giving in.
“Stand and deliver.” Those three words made it
all real, and the fantasy dissolved. Loosening her hold on the reins, she
wrapped her free hand over the one holding the pistol and tried to steady it.
“Do as he
says,” called a decisive voice, the icy tone echoing from the veil of darkness.
“What!” Her
gaze switched momentarily to the other side of the copse as a rider and horse
drew up alongside her. He brandished a pistol towards the carriage. Shock and
fear ran in rivulets down her spine. She wanted to flee. Hide. But it was too
late, and there was no going back.
Tess
swallowed back her fear. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“Steady your pistol lad, or you’ll be dead in
seconds.
”Lad?
Lad? He talked to her.
“Don’t
you want to share your takings?”
“Exactly.” She flicked her pistol toward the
carriage driver, making sure he understood she meant business. “Hurry up.”
“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot. We’re simple folk
with no money,” came a cultured voice. The carriage door slammed back and
splintered.
“Don’t make them like they used to,” remarked
the man on the horse beside her.
Her mouth pursed. “Go away.”
“No.” The ragged cloth tied across his mouth
and nose muffled his voice. “Unless you want to get yourself killed, that is.
These roads can be dangerous.”
Tess eyed him, and even in the dim moonlight
witnessed a surprising twinkle in his eyes. “So why are you here? Should you
not be tucked up safe and sound in your bed?”
“You need me.”
Guest Post
Finding Your Voice: Writing in First Person (or Third)….
When someone asked me all those years ago when I was a
newbie writer about finding my voice as a writer, I mostly likely looked at the
with a rather blank stare.
For the beginning writer there is so much to learn, and
voice seems so elusive. I mean we like certain authors because of their voices,
but do we sound like them. Probably not.
It’s a bit like our speaking voice. People tell me I sound like my sister, but
there are differences. So no two people
are totally the same.
I can want to write
/sound like Sandra Hill and her wonderfully humor-filled characters, or the
write the depth of character like Sophia James, but not possible. I write like
me.
So what is voice?
Voice to me is the way I construct my sentences, the mixture
of short and long, the way I have my characters speak to each other. Writing historical has some limitations in
voice. Our characters cannot sound too modern and their actions will be restricted
because of the culture of the day, and thus constrict our voice a bit too. (of course this is just my opinion LOL)
So how does one find their own writing voice and style?
I think it is the age old advice writers are given
often. Read. Read as much as you like
and across the genres. This way you will
gather an innate sense of style of the compilation of language. For example I have not lived in the Regency
period and yet through years of reading somehow I have absorbed the tone of the
times and it comes naturally within writing.
I’m not saying that you still don’t have to research the langue of the times,
make sure the words you use were in fact used in those times, because you do
need to research the language. And of
course there are regional dialects so the language your characters speak can be
a research project in itself.
But your voice is yours alone, and is made up of what you
have read over the years, your characters time period, situation and their own
personal character and backstory, and also don’t forget all of the above that
relates to you too.
So your voice is definitely yours alone. There’s no magic formula to create one. It’s
an ongoing process as you progress as a writer over the years. What you learn and how you use it to advance
your skills.
So go write, go read, and then read and write some more.
Happy holidays and reading and writing!
Jane Beckenham
Buy Links:
Multi-published author Jane
Beckenham discovered dreams and hope, stories that inspired in her a
love of romance and happy ever after.
Years later, after a blind date, Jane found her own true love and
married him eleven months later.
Life has been a series of ‘dreams’
for Jane. Dreaming of learning to walk
again after spending years in hospital. Dreaming of raising a family and
subsequently flying to Russia to bring home her two adopted daughters. And of
course, dreaming of writing.
Writing has become Jane’s addiction - and it sure beats housework.
Visit Jane’s web site www.janebeckenham.com
Email neiljane@ihug.co.nz
Twitter @JaneBeckenham
Facebook www.facebook.com/JaneBeckenham
Check out Jane’s other books
Other books by Jane
Beckenham are:
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I would love to hear your thoughts. :) HAPPY READING !!!!