**Louise will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour! Please scroll down for the form.**
Hi all, I have Louise Lyndon on the blog today. Since I am a very nosy person, I was curious about her interest in historical romance and books/authors that may have influenced her. What follows is her response. Welcome, Louse!
BLURB:
I have to hold my hand up and confess I haven’t read many
works of fiction set in the medieval period. I know, that goes against the
first thing you’re told when learning the craft of writing – read the genre
you’re interested in, and when you feel you’ve read enough, read some more!
But, I wanted to come into the genre with fresh eyes. But, that is not to say
authors have not influenced me.
I find a lot of my ideas while reading history books, or
articles online. And yes, even Wikipedia! A line or two may get my creative
juices flowing. For example, when I started ‘roughly plotting’ – I am a panster
not a plotter – my current work in progress, I read an article about King Henry
I, and how his brother William Rufus was ‘accidently’ killed on a hunting trip
therefor paving the way for Henry to become King.
My mind immediately started thinking about the person who
‘accidentally’ shot William Rufus. Were they against William Rufus becoming king?
Did Henry pay a hit man? Or was there a third party who was engineering just
who should rule England? And if so, who was this third party? And it goes on
from there.
I love the internet because it has made research so much
easier and quicker and you can do it from the comfort of your lounge room. Best
of all, you can do it in your pajamas! But, there is nothing like picking up an
actual book and skimming its pages. I have a few ‘go to’ books that have been influential
on my writing. The first few may surprise you…
Anything by Terry Deary is brilliant. Yes, his books are aimed
at kids, but they have loads of useful information without bombarding you with
lots of historical data. After all, I want to write and I don’t need to know
every minute detail that happened in the medieval era. If you haven’t picked up
a Horrible Histories book, do. They’re greatly entertaining AND educational.
My other two go to books are coincidently both called, Life
in the Medieval Castle. These two books offer great insights into what a
medieval castle must have been like, from the food they ate, where they slept,
and the different roles and jobs within the castle walls.
These are just a few authors who have influenced me. I’m
always adding new authors and books to the list. And I am always open to
suggestions for new books!
Forced
to marry Lord Aymon to ensure her young nephew’s survival, English Lady Laila
vows undying hatred for the Norman she holds responsible for the deaths of so
many innocents. Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the
chance to seek vengeance he deserves.
But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of the king once she learns the
truth?
A
hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever
should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a
wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds
himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his
treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
Excerpt:
Laila heard them long before she saw them. Their angry,
frenzied shouts and thunderous roars filled her ears. With her hands tied
securely behind her, she was dragged up the lane toward Tyburn Gallows, where
she was to be hanged for a crime she did not commit. The mob sounded blood
thirsty. Large. Frightening.
There was no sign of Aymon. Or Hugh. Had they left her alone
to die?
Her chin trembled and her nails dug into her palms.
She suddenly fell to her knees and screamed until she tasted
blood at the back of her throat. She kicked out and tried to crawl free as her
hair was almost torn from the roots as she was pulled up and shoved along the
lane.
Her eyes burned with her tears.
“I am innocent!” Laila screamed.
They came around a corner, and that’s when she saw them.
There must have been a least two thousand men, women, and children, hungry for
her blood. And when they saw her, they erupted into a wild fever of roars and
cries for a slow and painful death. Their thirst had been piqued, and now it
must be sated.
Laila was shoved into the center of the clearing.
She glanced wildly around in a desperate search for Aymon’s
towering, bulky frame. She could not see him.
But what she could see was the Tyburn Tree. The gallows she
was to be hanged from. The executioner, hooded, stood beside the tree as he
waited patiently for her. Laila’s mouth suddenly went dry.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Louise grew up
in country Victoria, Australia, before moving to England, where for sixteen
years she soaked up the vibrancy of London and the medieval history of England.
She has since returned to Australia and now lives in Melbourne.
She has been
writing the moment she picked up a copy of Diana Gabaldon's first Outlander
novel twenty something years ago. She thought to herself, 'this is what I want
to do' - not travel back in time, but become a novelist! She has always had
snippets of dialogue and scenes floating around in her head with characters
screaming at her to bring them to life.
In 2013, Louise
won first prize in the Crested Butte Sandy Writing contest – Historical
category for her story, The Promise, which is now called, Of Love and
Vengeance.
When not
writing, she can be found covered in mud, crawling under barbed wire and
hoisting herself over twelve foot walls - under the guise of competing in
Spartan races all over Australia.
AUTHOR LINKS:
EMAIL: louise_lyndon@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.LouiseLyndon.com
Blog: http://www.LouiseLyndon.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louise-Lyndon/1472910852955051
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LouiseLyndon1
Pinterest:
llyndon3513
BUY LINKS:
