Guest: Ashley York & The Bruised Thistle

New England native Ashley York writes historical romance novels full of passion and intrigue set in 11th and 12th century Ireland, Scotland, and England. Her debut novel, The Bruised Thistle, is the first in The Order of the Scottish Thistle series.

Ashley is a member of Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, Hearts through History Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. After pursuing an MA in History, she has realized her lifelong dream of bringing history to life through vibrant and meaningful characters.

When she is not writing, talking about writing, or thinking about writing, she enjoys going to sessions with live Celtic Music. She lives in southern New England with her husband, three children, and 3 very spoiled animals.

Q: Welcome Ashley! Please tell us about your latest release. Do you have a review you could share with us?

A:   My debut novel is The Bruised Thistle which is the first in The Order of the Scottish Thistle Series.

Iseabail MacNaughton, the orphaned daughter of a Scottish laird, is forced to flee her home and seek assistance against her lecherous uncle, who has usurped her family’s land. When she meets Seumas, a strong and valiant mercenary, she cannot help wondering if he could be the one to stand with her against her uncle. But with a price on her head and enemies on all sides, her trust is not something she can afford to give lightly… 
Seumas MacDonell is a man wounded in body and soul, driven by guilt. When he rescues Iseabail from one of his men, he cannot deny the attraction he feels for her, despite the wound that left him unable to act on it. In the hope of finding redemption for his sins, he agrees to help Iseabail…but will his feelings for her prove to be the ultimate obstacle to his salvation?

"Powerful, and brilliantly written with engaging, and charismatic characters. The storyline is compelling, complex, and intriguing to say the least. A must read and a keeper. You will stay up all night reading BRUISED THISTLE. Well done indeed!! This was my first read by the author but it will not be my last."

Q: Way to go on the great review! I have this book on my Kindle and am very much looking forward to reading it! What inspired this story?

A:  I took a history class on the Middle Ages and the first thing the professor did was have us brain storm what we thought of when we heard the term "medieval." Nothing was off limits - knights, dragons, princesses, whatever we came up he wrote on the board. When we were done, it was clear that we believed they were very superstitious, ignorant, and different from us. He then went on to show us over the next 15 weeks how very wrong we were.

I thought about the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and how they struggle to fit in again, the challenges they face, and compared that with a medieval soldier.  That's Seumas. He has to deal with his guilt, his injury, and find a way to live, a purpose for his life. That's where Iseabail comes in.

She was "privileged" by today's standards but her uncle, whom she should have looked to for protection, used her for his own purposes. The challenge of how to deal with the abuse is something else I believe transcends time. How does she deal with her own guilt, her own worth, how can she find a way to move beyond what's happened to her.

Q: Fascinating! Why do you write romance?

A:  I love romance. I love to see couples in love, I love to hear their stories about how they met and that look in their eye when the talk about each other, I love the romantic movies: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, PS I Love You, and The Princess Bride. I think romance makes life a little easier to get through.

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing romance?

A: Creating characters that readers can care about. I loved writing about Seumas and Iseabail but was really surprised at how much the reader's related to Calum. They loved him. I'm so glad because I thought he was a pretty great character, too.

Q: Why did you choose your setting and why was it perfect for your book?

A: I visited Scotland and fell in love with everything about it. I started researching and just found more and more amazing facts. It's such a tragedy that their history has been marred by conquest. They've been treated terribly by the conquerors, making them turn away from everything that made them who they were. I took a class in Gaelic and the teacher, an MA in Celtic languages, couldn't really explain why Ireland's language was able to stay so intact when the Scot's was so fragmented. It's because the English outlawed their language! They outlawed bag pipes, kilts, clans…don't get me started. How could I not write about them and during a happier time in their history when things could still have gone either way for them.

Q: Scotland is fascinating and heartbreaking. How do you choose names for your characters?

A: I was taking a Gaelic class and these were the names on the CD's. Seumas is pronounced the same as Shamus and Iseabail is pronounced Ish-uh-bel.

Q: Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?

A: I chose the title of my book about four years ago. I like to choose the title right away. The thistle is the national flower (?) of Scotland so if someone were an injured Scot…it just made sense to me.

Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?

A: The ocean - the coast of Maine, probably, and Scotland is very much like it. I want to go to Cape Breton - I think that would be a great place to go, too.

Q: Please tell us about your other books.

A: My next book is from The Norman Conquest Series. It's about a Norman soldier, very loyal to King William, who is wed to the last remaining Godwinson (that's the family William deposed when he conquered England). Very interesting chemistry. The clash of cultures, and how they melt into one unique country.

Q: Sounds incredibly interesting! When did you know you wanted to be an author?

A: When I was 8 or 10 years old, I wrote a poem based on a picture I'd seen on a Reader's Digest Magazine. My mother was never a big supporter of me but she just acted like it was the best thing I'd ever done. I never stopped after that.

Q: What is your writing process or method?

A: This is the way The Bruised Thistle and The Saxon Bride both started out - I got a scene in my head and said "what if…" and it went on from there.

Q: Please describe your journey to publication.

A: I became a member of our local chapter of Romance Writers of America and started going to meetings and workshops. I learned pretty quickly that paranormals books were the thing, and medieval books did not sell. Since I wanted to write in the 11th and 12th centuries, I looked into indie publishing.

Getting involved with Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter was the best thing I ever did. I started taking classes and learning about self-publishing. I even entered the Golden Claddagh Contest and had the nicest judges with such helpful comments. I finalled in the Historical category. I'm still a member there.

Q: What was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale?

A: That there were established writers out there who were willing to answer my questions at the drop of a hat. The community of well-know, best selling authors at CHRW is the nicest group of people I've ever met. They (including you) guided me, encouraged me, and got me to the point where I was able to get published.

Q: Would you like to ask readers a question?

A: "What do you like the most about romance novels? The characters? The love scenes? The HEA?"

Ashley is giving away an ebook copy of The Bruised Thistle to one commenter! Be sure to leave your email address in some form so we can contact you if you win.

Here is a wonderful excerpt of The Bruised Thistle:

"Ye have been hiding much, I see." His voice was deep and quiet. Husky.

She lowered her eyes and dried her hands. The room was suddenly very hot. She wiped at the water slipping down her neck. "M'lord, I do not—"

Seumas put his finger to her lips to silence her and gently took her chin, turning her face from one side to the other, inspecting her. Their eyes met, and she saw his admiration. "Ye are truly lovely, Iseabail." He stroked her cheek, slower this time. "Why do ye sleep on the castle floor with the dogs?"

"We came in from the cold, like everyone else."

"Ah, but ye are not from this area. I hear it in yer voice. Ye sound like a Scot, a Lowlander to be sure, but ye are not from around here."

She struggled to remember the story she and Calum had made up in case they were ever caught, but his hand was warm, making it hard for her to think.

"Nor do you dress like a peasant. That gown is for a noblewoman."

He was too observant. "No, m'lord, I am—we are traveling east—"

He stroked her cheek again. "And yer skin is smooth. Not like one who has to work to survive."

She had to distract him. "We have no place to call home. Our parents are both…dead." The word caught in her throat as the realization struck her hard. Both of them dead—they were truly alone in the world.

His gaze was intense, measuring the truth of each word. She would not be telling him that they had been living in the woods because they were being hunted down like dogs or that her uncle had put a price on their heads.

"I beg your pardon." The story they had worked out came flooding back. She took a deep breath, stood tall, and recited their well-planned fable. 

The Bruised Thistle is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.

Please visit Ashley online:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.york.7796?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter:  @ashley1066york

Website: www.ashleyyorkauthor.com

Fun in the Sun!

This morning I'm sitting in my office with the heater on and a blanket over my lap. Last week we were on the road, heading home from 3 weeks in Florida and Georgia. We needed jackets a few times during those weeks, but more often we were in shorts or swimming suits. Ah....

I love the beach, so it's probably no surprise that I took a lot of pictures of the sand and surf.

Between visits to friends and family, we spent a few days at the beach, just hubby and me. We had a pretty good view from our little balcony.

I don't often sit in the sun, but there's something about sitting poolside that screams "vacation!"

Loved wearing my flip flops! I'm back to wearing socks again at home.

I tried kayaking for the first time. Do I look like I know what I'm doing? I didn't. But I did get a little more coordinated as the day went on. It was a beautiful day and the scenery is nothing like we have back home. And it came complete with alligators sunning themselves on the logs.

I had a great time, but am glad to be off the road. We did a lot of driving over those three weeks. I haven't convinced the hubby to spend January, February and March in the south yet, but we're definitely spending more than three weeks next year!

Natasha
Her Royal Masquerade
Her Royal Bodyguard
Playing for Real
www.natashamoore.com

The Golden Claddagh

Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh!

We have four categories for unpublished authors and published authors with unpublished  manuscripts.

* Historical
* Fantasy-Futuristic-Paranormal
* Contemporary
* Young Adult/New Adult

Our contest due date is May 10th. Finalists will be notified by June 15th and winners notified by August 1st–Winners will be announced at the CHRW Annual General Meeting at RWA National Convention in San Antonio, TX in July 2014.

Eligibility

The competition is open to RWA members ONLY.

Manuscripts must be unpublished and un-contracted in any form, including self-publishing. The manuscript rights must belong to the author and be available to contract, should a final judge wish to offer publication.

The GC entry must be a full-length novel (more than 40K). Novellas or Short stories will not be accepted.

Manuscripts must be completed by the time results are returned. Entrant must retain all rights to the entry and not have granted any of them to a publisher or any other party by the contest entry deadline.

If your manuscript is accepted for publication during the time of our contest (dates will be specified) you must notify the contest coordinator; your submission(s) will be withdrawn from consideration and your entry fee(s) returned.

Please Note:

• Previously entered manuscripts may be entered again, but no previous winningmanuscript shall be re-entered, even if revised.
• You may submit multiple entries so long as you pay an entry fee and submit a completed entry form for each submission.
• You may not enter the same manuscript in more than one category. *Entry fee per entry: $10.00 CHRW members and $15.00 non-member CHRWA members.

CHRW reserves the right to discard all electronic entries and return fees if a minimum number of three (3) entries are not received in any category. Entrants will be contacted before the entries are returned and given the option to place their entry in another category if it is eligible. We may also refuse an entry that does not follow the rules stated here in the guidelines.

All Payments are Electronic through PayPal. The easy link is here:

If you wish to go directly to PayPal, please use Paypal address: treasurer@celtichearts.org

Entry fee: $10.00 CHRW members and $15.00 non-member CHRWA members.

All entries will be read and scored for the first round by two trained judges and one published author, and the lowest score dropped. The three entries with the highest total scores in each category will move to the final round. An editor/agent will judge the final round and select a winner from the finalists in each category.

Categories:

Future, Fantasy & Paranormal: Romance novel where the mains focus is on the romantic relationship, but the future, fantasy or paranormal elements are integral to the story (includes time-travel).

Contemporary: Includes, single title, long and short romantic fiction with a contemporary setting set after 1945. Main focus is the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.

Historical: Romance novel set primarily before 1945 — any location. Please specify your time period and setting in your entry.

Young Adult/New Adult:  Romance novels in which young adult or new adult themes constitute an integral part of the plot. *Romance subplot not required*

 

Entries

Entry Composition: No Synopsis required! Your entry must have the following:

1.     An email “cover page” which includes the author’s real name, address, telephone number(s), e-mail address, submission title, category, manuscript word count and PayPal confirmation # should be submitted in text of the e-mail. Do not include the cover page in the same attachment as your manuscript.

2.     The beginning of your manuscript, including prologue, cannot exceed thirty (30) pages. Standard manuscript format must be followed:

• 1 inch margins
• Double spaced in a standard font and size 12-point.
• The TITLE of the manuscript, the category, and any subcategory should be placed on the top left hand side of the entry. The PAGE NUMBER should be on the top right side of the entry.
• We will not accept entries that have colored, or designer fonts. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME ON THE MANUSCRIPT.

3. Manuscript must be in a .doc or .rtf file format.

NOTE: Your entry must not exceed thirty (30) pages total.

 

SUBMIT ENTRIES TO:

Contemporary Category - contempcat@celtichearts.org

FFP Category - ffpcat@celtichearts.org

Historical Category - historicalcat@celtichearts.org

Young Adult/New Adult Category - yacat@celtichearts.org

 

Final Round Judges

FF&P

Angela James – Carina Press
Kerry Buckley – Carina Press
TBA

Historical

Laurie McLean – Forward Literary, Inc
Beth Miller – Writers House
Leis Pederson – Berkley Publishing

Contemporary

Julie Mianecki – Penguin Books
Alissa Davis – Carina Press
Elizabeth Bistrow – Penguin Books

Young Adult/New Adult

Nicole Fischer – Avon Press
TBA

 

Awards

The FIRST PLACE winners in each category will receive a $50 dollar cash prize and a commemorative pin.

The SECOND and THIRD PLACE winners in each category will receive free workshops through Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Questions

For questions please contact the contest chair, Alisa Walker at: contests@celtichearts.org

 Thank you!

With Spring Comes Storms and Flowers

Have a great Saturday!

We've got more storms all weekend. Time to stay in and write vampire tales. :)

Terry
www.terryspear.com

Let's Get Excited!

It’s spring! It feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders, or maybe it's just my skin isn't so dried out. Anyway, to see the sun after such a strange winter is immensely inspiring, but it’s not the only thing that rouses me. I realized as I enjoyed the blue sky and sunshine today that a number of things, little things mostly, inspire me, and I thought I’d like to share them in today’s post. So, here is my list of “Things That Inspire Cameo”:

1. Love—This is self-explanatory.
2. Technology—Remember when we didn’t have cell phones? Or home computers? Or blogs or e-mail? Yes, some say it was a simpler time and that technology is sucking our lives away. I don’t see it that way. It inspires me that we can connect to people around the world to find solutions to problems that have plagued us for years; that we can save lives and improve the lives of those who need it most because we are connected. Yeah, that definitely inspires me.
3. Johnny Depp—This, too, is self-explanatory.
4. My cat—Who would not be inspired by the love and loyalty of a creature who sees your every flaw and still allows you to be its servant 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
5. Music—I truly believe music is the universal language. Take two people and put them in a room, one who loves blue grass techno jazz and one who loves Scandinavian scream singing, and after several tension-filled minutes they will come out with the understanding that even though they have their differences, they are united by the fact they share a true passion for something that is bigger than both of them, something that unites us all, and that’s more important than anything. Kind of wish some world leaders would do the same.
6. Flowers—They’re just so darn pretty!
7. Writing—Even though I do it professionally, it still inspires me artistically and emotionally, especially other people’s work. I love to read, and everything I read affects me in some way, for better or worse. I’m changed. I’m a different person than I was just before I read those words by that writer. Words have such power, such a magical quality. They are my thoughts and my breath and my heartbeat—how can they not be? And how can I not be inspired by the written word?
8. My mistakes—Because I made them, and because they make me a better person, at least most of the time. Where would I be if I never made any mistakes? I’d be left with only numbers 1-7 and number 9 on the list to inspire me. Speaking of which…
9. Spring—The season of rebirth and renewal always infuses me with hope. It’s irrational and I can’t explain it, but I just feel better when the world comes alive again after a long winter’s sleep. I don’t question it anymore; I just enjoy it and hope you do, too.

 What about you? What inspires you? Please do share. :)

Why I Write What I Do

My friend and talented author, Eliza Knight, asked me to participate in this blog tour about my writing process. I don't usually write about my writing process but it was fun to think about.

      What am I working on? I'm finishing up a Scottish historical romance novel, My Rebel Highlander, sixth in my Highland Adventure Series. The hero is Robert MacInnis, the Earl of Rebbinglen, affectionately known as Rebbie to his friends. Rebbie has been an entertaining secondary character in the past four books of the series. He's the friend of several of the other heroes, especially Dirk from My Brave Highlander and Lachlan from My Wild Highlander. Rebbie also features prominently in My Daring Highlander. He's a charmer and somewhat of a lady's man with a wry sense of humor and a keen sense of curiosity--or nosiness--as his friends say.

 

I hope readers will enjoy this story! It's a bit different from some of my others. But I always say that. LOL I do try to make each book different from the previous ones so readers can't anticipate what will happen next. Of course, since it's a romance, we all know it will have a happy ending. But what kind of emotional and physical trauma will the characters have to endure before they get there?

Rebbie is probably one of my most well-known secondary characters and it was fun to learn more about his past. He does have some interesting secrets. :)

        How does my work differ from others in its genre?

This is difficult to answer. One way my books differ is that generally my heroines are unconventional for historical romance heroines. I rarely write innocent, inexperienced virgins who have little in the way of backstory. The heroines who pop into my mind have an interesting past and usually they've endured hard times in one way or another. These women are sometimes not pure as the driven snow (but sometimes they are), nor are they strumpets. LOL But somewhere in between, much like modern women in some ways. Of course, they have to conform to society's edicts to an extent, but they're not defined by it. They have often been controlled by men in the past, but when they have an opportunity to make their own decisions and choices, they go for it. Deep down, they're strong, admirable women who care about their family members and friends, and would risk life and limb for those they love. But they're not perfect. They have flaws, and in many cases, some of the men in their lives in the past have forced them into abhorrent situations. But this doesn't destroy the women. The saying what doesn't kill you makes you stronger applies in this case.

Duart Castle

   Why do I write what I do? I love historic Scotland! I have been to Scotland, but not Scotland of the 1600s, of course. :) But I like imagining what it might have been like. It was a harsh and forbidding time to live and, in the Highlands, no doubt surviving was even more of a challenge. I enjoy writing about tough Highland warriors who fought for everything they had. Enemies were often challenging them from all sides, if not Englishmen, then the neighboring clan, some greedy and vengeful enemy, or even their own clansmen. Politics was an ever-shifting sea. Sometimes whether someone was friend or foe was unclear. Treachery and intrigue ran rampant.

But, even more important to me is the romance. I love writing about the complex and spellbinding process of two people falling in love. It is a mélange of intense emotions such as fear, hope, joy, excitement, anger and many other things. Setting these stories in historic Scotland dictates that the characters must follow a certain set of cultural and societal guidelines, which I enjoy. It's wonderful to watch love flourish in these sometimes harsh conditions, like seeing beautiful heather bloom on a rock cliff.

       How does your writing process work? First, I brainstorm ideas. In the case of My Rebel Highlander, I already knew I was going to write Rebbie's story. I had set this up in the previous book. And I knew Rebbie pretty well. I started imagining what kind of heroine would be right for him. What kind of woman would he be most attracted to and want to spend his life with? In general, he's not too keen on marriage, so I knew the woman would have to be really special to him. I looked into the past to see what I could pull out and use to create an intense, emotional and adventurous story. Once I start getting good solid ideas for the characters and the situation they will face, I start writing rough draft scenes. These are usually dialogue and action only. Sometimes these are in order and sometimes they're not. It depends on when the scenes come to me, but I put them in order and keep a scene list so I can make sure everything flows in the right order. I also research specific things that I need to know during the rough draft process, if I haven't already researched it beforehand. But sometimes I don't know what I'll need to know until I reach a certain point. A setting or location, for instance. Or maybe a little known Scottish law.

Once I get a section roughed in, I go back and flesh out the scenes in a couple more drafts, adding emotion, description, and lots of other things to give the reader a full experience as if they're living in the story. Once I get this done for the whole story, I go back to the beginning and smooth and polish. Then it's ready for my critique partners and beta readers to go over.

Look for writing process posts from these authors:

Ashley York has a MA in history and writes books set in the high Middle Ages in England, Scotland and Ireland.

L.B. Joramo loves to write, research the 18th century and hike.

Gwyn Brodie writes Scottish historical romance set in the 1600s.

Thanks!
Vonda


My Fierce Highlander is still on sale for .99 cents!

Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.