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I wish I was the owner of that gorgeous gown...and the hero ain't bad either!
Welcome Jessica!
********
Thank you for hosting me, Rosanna!
Today I’d like to tell you a little bit more about the
background of my new historical romance, Tyburn.
Tyburn takes place
in 1671 in Restoration London. The title comes from the Tyburn gallows, the
main place of execution for London and Middlesex from the twelfth century to
the late eighteenth when they were moved to Newgate Prison. The story begins
there with the execution of infamous highwayman Claude Duval in 1670, and
follows his childhood friend, Sally, as she tries to avoid the same fate.
Tyburn is the first book in my new series, The Southwark Saga. Southwark is part of
London now, but in the seventeenth century, it was a separate town south of the
Thames. It was a dangerous slum that attracted all manner of criminals and
debtors who could live there without fear of being captured.
Nick’s brother, Mark, is one of these criminals. He plays a
large part in Tyburn, and much of The Southwark Saga is tied to his house
on Love Lane. Mark is the Master Carpenter and lives above his shop with his
business partner, Will, and their apprentices, Jack and Harry. The Great Fire
of London hit the local carpenters very hard, as new regulations dictated that
the rebuilt houses be made of stone instead of the traditional wood. London was
still being rebuilt at this time, and reminders of the fire were everywhere.
Carpenters were out of work, and many were forced to leave London to look for
work elsewhere.
When we meet Mark Virtue, he is running an organized ring of
highway robbery with the shop as a front. Nick is reluctant participant.
Stealing anything worth more than about a shilling was punishable by death, and
highwaymen rarely survived long enough to be given trials when they were
caught. As Nick passes the Tyburn gallows on his way home from the estate where
we works, he is constantly reminded of the threat of capture.
The Southwark Saga
begins with Nick and continues to Mark’s story as the brothers fight for
survival in a London that may feel unfamiliar to the modern reader. Far removed
from the glittering ballrooms belonging to the wealthy in later years, the
first two books of The Southwark Saga
will tell the stories of common people struggling to live their lives in the
ashes of the city.
Blurb:
Sally Green is about to die.
She sees Death in the streets.
She can taste it in her gin. She can feel it in the very walls of the
ramshackle brothel where she is kept to satisfy the perversions of the wealthy.
She had come to London as a runaway in search of her Cavalier father. Instead,
she found Wrath, a sadistic nobleman determined to use her to fulfill a
sinister ambition. As the last of her friends are murdered one by one, survival
hinges on escape.
Nick
Virtue is a tutor with a secret. By night he operates as a highwayman,
relieving nobles of their riches to further his brother’s criminal enterprise.
It’s a difficult balance at the best of times, and any day that doesn’t end in
a noose is a good one. Saving Sally means risking his reputation, and may end
up costing him his life.
As a
brutal attack throws them together, Sally finds she has been given a second
chance. She is torn between the tutor and the highwayman, but she knows she can
have neither. Love is an unwanted complication while Wrath haunts the streets.
Nick holds the key to Wrath’s identity, and Sally will risk everything to bring
him to justice.
Unless
the gallows take her first.
Excerpt
Darkness had fully
settled over the forest and he was in no danger of being seen as they headed
for the city. There were no new street lamps so far out of town, and as often
as she glanced at his face, all she could see was the outline of his profile by
the light of the moon. He moved soundlessly through the night as criminals
must, the warmth of his hand in hers the only reassurance she had that he was
still beside her.
They reached the
edge of Hyde Park and Sally felt Tyburn looming near before she saw it, the
residual tragedy of the gallows rippling along the field in a mournful, near
perceptible howl. Because she could not look away, she turned toward the evil
and saw the fearful silhouette of the triple tree dark against the violet sky.
This is your future, they seemed to whisper.
In her heart, she
answered, I know.
She heard the brutal
crack of Claude’s strong, young neck reverberate through the darkest corners of
her memory, felt his cold lips against hers once more in a terrible promise,
and in her bones she felt the stillness of one who is certain they are about to
die. She was immediately aware of the unique texture of every breath she drew,
the sweet sigh of the breeze whispering through her hair, and the dirt, the
calluses, the very fingerprints of the hand in hers.
So little of Sally’s
life had been left up to her.
She might have days,
hours, mere moments left, but she would be damned if she wasted them.
Buy it here:
Liquid Silver: http://www.lsbooks.com
Bio:
Jessica Cale is a historical romance author and journalist
based in North Carolina. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for
several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing
while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She
kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is
enjoying her happily ever after with him in a place where no one understands
his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com.
Links:
Website: http://www.authorjessicacale.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JessicaCaleWrites
Tumblr: http://authorjessicacale.tumblr.com/
Pintrest: http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819997.Jessica_Cale
Gorgeous cover!! Looks like a great series too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracey! I hope you like it! And thanks for hosting me, Rosanna! I hope you're both having a lovely day! :)
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