Steel Hawk Blog Blitz!

Introducing STEEL HAWK – a company of alpha-honorable heroes and spirited and strong heroines…

Heart-pounding romantic suspense set in a world of high-tech security, feuding royals, and missing diamonds. Strap in for sizzling chemistry and fast-paced, thrilling action all the way!

It all starts with an historical romantic suspense set in the birthplace of great engineering and design, The Great Exhibition, London, 1851:

Blurb: To Love a Thief, Steel Hawk, Book 1, by Jane Beckenham BUY LINK: AMAZON

It's one thing to lose your heart. Quite another to have it stolen.

Years ago, notorious jewel thief “The Raven” vanished into the shadows. In 1851, Nathan Hawk emerges into a life of respectability, determined to make up for past sins.

He and his business partner are introducing a lock they’re so sure can’t be broken, they’re displaying a priceless diamond, the Pasha Star, at the Great Exhibition. It’s bad enough catching a light-fingered young man trying to steal the stone. Worse when he realizes it’s the daughter of his old mentor.

Rose Valetta’s father has been kidnapped, and she needs the Star to buy his freedom. She never expected to come nose-to-nose with Nathan. Their reunion is fraught with tension, especially when they discover the diamond in Nathan’s impregnable case is not the Pasha Star.

With Nathan’s reputation in tatters, they race to find the real stone before it’s too late for Rose’s father. Too late to save the empire from a usurper. And too late to keep from losing their hearts.

Product Warnings

Contains a woman who dreams of a world with a level playing field, and an ex-thief who can run from his past but can’t hide from it.  

And moves to present-day: Steel Hawk has prospered for 150 years, securing some of the world’s most treasured possessions. But now a secret from the past threatens to destroy the company and a new generation must take up the fight.

 

Blurb: Heart of Steel, Steel Hawk, Book 2, by Eve Devon BUY LINK: AMAZON

Colleague, friend, lover…beautiful liar?

Adam Steel is in crisis mode. A recent exposé claims a founder of Steel Hawk was actually The Raven, an infamous jewel thief. Amid the ensuing damage control, all eyes are on his ability to develop a prototype to secure and protect the royal Pasha Star diamond.

He’s further blindsided when he learns his assistant, Honeysuckle Hawk, has a sordid past he never knew about. Proving he never really knew her, never should have trusted her, and definitely shouldn’t start falling for her.

With her dirty laundry flapping in the media storm, Honeysuckle’s first instinct is to run. Two things make her stay: Adam’s insistence it’s better to show the world a united front, and her heart’s insistence by his side is where she belongs.

High stakes and long hours ignite passion…until the diamond is stolen and Adam’s own prototype shows Honeysuckle is a thief. Dare he trust her to help him expose the real criminal—before the mastermind wreaks havoc on the royal family?

Product Warnings

Contains an über-hot, alpha-geek who’s good with his hands, a sassy reformed-rebel determined to prove she’s not a flake, romantic castles, gorgeous jewels, sleek and sexy technology, heart-pounding suspense…oh, and nipple tassels!

But with the battle only half-won, STEEL HAWK is about to learn that trust has a price…

 

Blurb: Dangerous Illusions, Steel Hawk, Book 3, by Sarah Balance – publishing August

Keep your lovers close, your enemies closer. Especially if they’re one and the same.

With Steel Hawk still reeling from explosions at Zarrenburg Castle and at its own headquarters, company lawyer Edward Long’s legendary stoicism has been severely tested. It’s clearly an inside job, and no one is deeper inside than Edward—which leaves him squarely in the center of a frame.

Someone is using him to bring down the company he loves. Worse, the PI that Adam Hawk sends to investigate…there’s something off about her. And something that seriously turns him on.

Operating under an assumed name, Sophie Hawk aims to dig deeper into the company’s systems than any other investigator would dare. Especially with the prime suspect’s hot-chocolate gaze tracking her every move.

As their dueling intellects strike sparks, the rising heat threatens the trip wires Edward has set up around his heart—and the secret that ties him to a man who’ll stop at nothing to claim his right to rule the house of Zarrenburg. Or, if he can’t have it, destroy it—and everyone connected to it.

Product Warnings

Contains agonizingly sweet kisses, dirty thoughts, dirtier talk, mutual trust stretched to the limit, and criminal abuse of a thousand-dollar suit jacket.

About the STEEL HAWK Authors:

Take three authors from three different corners of the world…

Jane Beckenham writes historical and contemporary romance after falling for stories about love and hope. Inspired by happy ever afters she found her own true love and together they adopted and raised two daughters. She lives with her family in New Zealand where writing is her addiction – and sure beats housework!

WEBSITE                   FACEBOOK              TWITTER

Eve Devon writes romantic comedy, contemporary fiction and romantic suspense with sexy heroes, sassy heroines, and happily ever afters… She lives in leafy Surrey in the UK, a book-devouring, slightly melodramatic, romance-writing sassy heroine with her very own sexy-hero husband!

WEBSITE                   TWITTER                   FACEBOOK 

Sarah Ballance lives on the US mid-Atlantic coast with her husband and children. She writes in many genres and loves creating unforgettable stories while putting her characters through an unkind amount of torture—a hobby that has nothing to do with living with six children!

WEBSITE                   FACEBOOK              TWITTER                             

So if you love historical romance or contemporary romance, steam-punk elements, inventors, royalty, diamonds, bad-boys, alpha-geeks, co-workers-to-lovers, revenge, and psychological suspense with your mystery; then immerse yourself in the world of STEEL HAWK… and let the seduction begin.

STEEL HAWK – strong as Steel, watchful as a Hawk

 

House of Shadows - Nicola Cornick

 

Today I'm joined by Nicola Cornick, author of House of Shadows (published yesterday by Mira), talking about writing a time-slip novel.  

 

I vividly remember the comments I received from other authors when I told them that I was writing a time-slip novel and asked for their advice. Most of it could be summed up in one word. “Don’t.” Complex and challenging were amongst the phrases used when we discussed how to structure the parallel narratives. There was pity in their eyes as they contemplated what I had let myself in for.

Naturally I ignored the warnings. Time-slip has been a favourite genre of mine to read for years, ever since I picked up a copy of Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine when I was in my teens. I’d wanted to write House of Shadows for a long time.

Writing parallel narratives allows you to use one strand of the story to illuminate the others. It adds so much depth and richness. Initially I planned to write each strand separately so that I could follow the story of the characters through in each different time period and then weave them together after they were written. I started with the 17^th century story of Elizabeth, the Winter Queen, because it was with Elizabeth that the idea for the book had started.  I was intending to tell all her story, then write Lavinia’s tale, set in the 19^th century and finally Holly’s in the present. However I just couldn’t get the story to work like that. There were too many connections between the characters that I needed to feed in in the right place. So I started again, threading the three different story strands together as I went along.

 

Keeping the characters’ voices separate and distinct was really important. It was also essential to create stories of equal richness so that a reader would become emotionally invested in all the parallel strands. The research had to be as accurate as for any historical novel but I actually found the contemporary thread the most difficult because I’d never written contemporary fiction before.

Writing House of Shadows was complex and challenging but it was also worth every moment. I learned so much in the process and exploring the mystery of the life of Elizabeth, the Winter Queen, was a wonderful adventure.

 

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick is out on 5^th November (Mira, £7.99)

 

 

Letters to the Lost- Iona Grey

The Blurb
1943, in the ruins of Blitzed London…

Stella Thorne and Dan Rosinski meet by chance and fall in love by accident. Theirs is a reluctant, unstoppable affair in which all the odds are stacked against them: she is newly married, and he is an American bomber pilot whose chance of survival is just one in five.

… He promised to love her forever

Seventy years later Dan makes one final attempt to find the girl he has never forgotten, and sends a letter to the house where they shared a brief yet perfect happiness. But Stella has gone, and the letter is opened by Jess, a young girl hiding from problems of her own. And as Jess reads Dan's words, she is captivated by the story of a love affair that burned so bright and dimmed too soon. Can she help Dan find Stella before it is too late?

Now forever is finally running out.

The Review
This is one of those reviews which is going to be a challenge to write because I loved it so much!  I'm not sure I can do justice to Iona Grey's fabulous debut, however much I try, but I'll do my best...

Every once in a while a book comes along which blows your mind and breaks your heart.  Letters to the Lost is one of those books.  Regular readers of my blogs and reviews know I love a good romance and especially one that will have me weeping uncontrollably.  This book is a dual timeframe and both stories had me broken and turned me into a jibbering wreck!

The first story is that of Stella and Dan, thrown together in wartime London.  Their secret affair brings them temporary happiness in the most desperate of times, but circumstances mean they cannot stay together.  If this had been set in a more modern era their relationship could have seemed seedy or immoral, but I found it just devastating!  Dan was the perfect hero, a brave and humble man in uniform, fighting for justice. 

There were some disturbing scenes in Dan and Stella's story, as well as emotional turmoil and a whole lot of angst, but somehow it remained mostly uplifting, buoyed along by their love and hope.  That says a huge amount about the skill of Iona Grey as a writer.

Jess is the modern-day protagonist, a young lady who has fallen on hard times as she escapes an abusive relationship.  My heart was in my mouth for her, willing her to find a safe, stable home and someone to give her the TLC she deserves.  She breaks into an empty house, never expecting it to bring anything more than a temporary roof over her vulnerable head.  When she opens a letter addressed to Stella that arrives at the house, Jess makes it her mission to find her.  Unravelling the mystery of what happened to Stella becomes Jess's purpose, and through that her own life changes beyond all recognition.

Without giving away the plot, this is a rollercoaster ride of a novel which has you full of the joy of love one moment and crushed by the life's realities the next.  I had to put this book to one side at one point, not because of any direct parallels between the plot and my own life, but because it made me reassess how one event can impact on your whole being and change your path.  I challenge anyone who reads this book not to become slightly introspective, because it really does examine the 'what- if's and the 'if-only's.

I loved the delicate twists, unforced and totally believable, and Iona Grey's exquisite writing style.  She's a definite talent and I'm already awaiting her next release with bated breath (and a box of tissues, if it is anything like Letters to the Lost).

One of the best debut novels you're ever likely to read.

Letters to the Lost is out now, published by Simon and Schuster. 

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a galley copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Caroline Storer, author of The Roman, talking about her hero... HARPER IMPULSE FORTNIGHT

Caroline Storer is today's guest on Books with Bunny as part of Harper Impulse fortnight!  She's talking about her hero and her book The Roman...



Caroline Storer

Firstly, thank you Kate for having me on your Blog.  I thought I would give a little background into how I came to choose the hero for my debut book – “The Roman”.   

 

I’ve always been fascinated by Roman history, which has been with me since childhood when we learnt all about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire at primary school.  Watching films such as Quo Vardis, Spartacus, The Ten Commandments and Ben Hur as a teenager cemented that love of all things “Roman”.  In recent years the mini-series Rome and Spartacus re-ignited that love. 

 

But if I have to pick one film that made an impact, then it would have to be The Gladiator; or more specifically General Maximus Decimus Meridius – a.k.a Russell Crowe in The Gladiator.  I’ve watched this film about 10 tens now and I’m still bowled over by his gorgeousness!  He is the typical alpha male Roman hero IMHO.  And it was Russell Crowe’s magnificent performance in that film that inspired my hero Marsallas in my debut book “The Roman”.  When I was writing Marsallas’s story I had a picture of Russell Crowe taped to the side of my PC.  A quick glance every now and again was all I needed to get back into Marsallas’s skin and write his story.  A tortured hero – lovely!

 

A bit about me:  I live on the beautiful (if slightly windy) island of Anglesey in North Wales.  I’m happily married to my own Alpha Hero, Colin, and have one step-son and grandson.  By day I’m an Environmental Health Officer for the local Council.  My work can be quite challenging to say the least, and no one day is the same.  I find escaping into a good book (either reading or writing one) a great way of relaxing once I’ve finished work. 

The Roman – Famous charioteer, Aulus Epidius Marsallas wants revenge against Justina Philipus - the only woman he’s ever loved, but who’d betrayed him by becoming his uncle’s mistress.  Forced to meet Marsallas for the first time in six years, Justina is shocked at the changes she sees in him.  Gone is the carefree youth she once loved, now replaced by a hard muscular stranger.  But there is no denying the attraction that still flows between them, and when his uncle dies, Marsallas offers sculptress Justina a challenge – a bronze stature of himself, and his four horse chariot, to be displayed at the Circus Maximus.  Justina knows that this commission is just what she needs to make a name for herself, and give her the freedom she covets, so she accepts Marsallas’s challenge.  However, Justina is unprepared when Marsallas states one further condition – she must become his mistress.  But Justina has a secret, she’s still a virgin, she just hasn’t told Marsallas yet...

Book Links

On Amazon.com - http://ow.ly/tPGTX 

On Amazon.co.uk - http://ow.ly/tPHfJ

On Barnes and Noble - http://ow.ly/tPHvY

On Kobo - http://ow.ly/tPI1N

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Caroline_Storer_The_Roman_HarperImpulse_Historical?id=aR-hAgAAQBAJ

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/roman-harperimpulse-historical/id804712321?mt=11

 

You can also find me on my blog at - http://carolinestorer.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook = https://www.facebook.com/caroline.storer.50?ref=tn_tnmn

Twitter = https://twitter.com/CarolineStorer6

Thanks again, Kate for having me.  It’s been a blast!  Caroline x

 

Guest post by author Sally Malcolm

I'm delighted to be able to welcome Sally Malcolm to Books with Bunny today, to discuss a topic close to her heart- why does she write historical romance?  Sally has written a piece exclusively for the blog, to say exactly why...

The other day over coffee a friend of mine, a reader of contemporary women’s fiction, asked me this question:  ‘Why historical romance? I mean, have you considered writing something more serious?’

I was a little taken aback and replied with something like, ‘Oh, well, I suppose I just really enjoy the escapism.  It’s fun.’

And that’s true, of course.  But it’s definitely not the only reason, or even the best reason, for reading or writing historical romance.  I’ve been considering the question for a few days now and this is what I wish I’d told my friend.

First, you can’t lump all historical romance into one huge genre any more than you can with ‘contemporary romance’ or ‘women’s fiction’.  Some historical romance is fun and escapist, and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series is a wonderful way to escape from the everyday grind; it’s so much fun to curl up with one of her books and a nice cuppa and chuckle away at the antics of her heroes and heroines.  But other books tackle deeper subjects – Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm is a classic, with its damaged, ‘maddened’ hero and Quaker heroine, estranged from her community and her own sense of self.  While this year’s wonderful A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor tackles the harsh, brutal lives of Victorian London’s flower girls.  And then there’s my favourite historical romance sub-genre: action and adventure.  For danger and pure sex appeal, you can’t beat one of Joanne Bourne’s intrepid pairs of heroes and heroines   – such as Robert Grey and Annique Villiers from The Spymaster’s Lady (which I’m reading right now). Not only is the romance full-on, but so is the action, the tension, and the intrigue.  It makes for a breathless read.

Second, historical romance gives you such a large canvas to work on.  I mean, we’re talking the whole of human history folks!  There’s simply so much of it to play with.  From the ancient world, captured by books such as The Hand of Isis by Jo Graham, about Charmian, half-sister and handmaiden to Cleopatra, through to the Sadi Jones’ wonderful novel, The Outcast, set in post-war England, there has to be something for everyone.

But finally I realised that I didn’t have to justify why I love historical romance because it’s no better or worse than any other literary genre.  They’re all stories about people, about their bitter conflicts and terrible betrayals, their complex loves and hard-won triumphs.   And in the end it’s not the setting of the story that makes for a good book but the quality of the writing – whether it’s a fun Regency romp, a heart-breaking romance, or a full-blown adventure.

So the next time I’m asked the question ‘Why historical romance?’ I’m simply going to answer ‘Why not?’

Blurb:

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk – Sally Malcolm

‘Come then, and I’ll tell you the tale of the Gypsy Hawk and her wily captain – the infamous Zachary Hazard …’

To Amelia Dauphin, freedom is her most prized possession and she will stop at nothing to keep it. Daughter of a Pirate King and the youngest captain in her father’s fleet, she lives on the island of Ile Saint Anne, where pirates roam free and liberty reigns.

Zachary Hazard, captain of the Gypsy Hawk, hasn’t been seen on Ile Saint Anne for six years but his reputation precedes him. To Zach, liberty is the open water and he has little time for the land-bound pirate island.

But when he hears that Amelia’s people could be in danger, he has no choice but to return. And what begins then is a desperate fight for freedom and a legend in the making …

A swashbuckling pirate adventure. Pirates of the Caribbean for adults with a sizzling romance at the heart!

Set among the freebooting pirates of the early eighteenth century, The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk is a tale of romance and adventure, but ultimately it’s a story of love and its power to redeem even the most broken of souls.  It moves from the exotic shores of Ile Sainte Anne to the frozen streets of a London winter and at its heart lies one question: how much would you sacrifice for duty?  Your life, your freedom – or the one you love? 

About the author:

Sally lives in London, England with her American husband and two children. She is co-founder and commissioning editor of Fandemonium Books, the licensed publisher of novels based on the American TV series Stargate SG1, Atlantis and Universe. Sally is the author of five of the Stargate novels. She has also written four audio Stargate dramas. And recently she completed work on three episodes of the video game Stargate SG-1: Unleashed which were voiced by Stargate SG-1 stars Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping and Chris Judge.

The Legend of the Gypsy Hawk is the first in the Pirates of Ile Sainte Anne series.

https://www. twitter.com/sally_malcolm

Buying links:

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/xp96d8

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/hrHY0j

 

 

The Miniaturist- Jessie Burton

The Blurb

There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed . . .

On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways . . .

Nella is at first mystified by the closed world of the Brandt household, but as she uncovers its secrets she realizes the escalating dangers that await them all. Does the miniaturist hold their fate in her hands? And will she be the key to their salvation or the architect of their downfall?

Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

The Review

The Miniaturist was everywhere throughout the second half of 2014, and now it's available in paperback it's sure to go to another level entirely.  The Miniaturist was chosen as the Waterstone's book of the year and also named in many of the 'Book of the Year' lists for 2014, so I decided to kick off a new year of reading with this historical fiction novel. 

Being honest, I found it quite difficult to get into this one- I think because there were quite a lot of characters introduced in quick succession, and that along with a setting and time frame that I know very little about pushed me outside my comfort zone.  That's not a negative, because I'm a firm believer that sometimes it's good to try something different, but there were times I considered putting it to one side and picking up something else to read instead.to

The writing itself totally grabbed me- it was vivid and dramatic and completely swept me away to Amsterdam in the late 17th Century.  I could feel Nella's vulnerable yet somehow stubborn nature ebbing off the page and couldn't help but have empathy for her as she struggled to adapt to life as a wife part of a well-known, established family.  As the tale unfolded, like layer upon layer of an onion being peeled back to reveal the small yet necessary heart at the centre, I became more and more enthralled by the hidden world of the Brandt family.  The elusive and abrupt sister- in- law Marin, the doting and compliant housemaid Cornelia, the black servant Otto, and even Johannes precious dogs have a role to play in this unsettling tale- but the enigmatic miniaturist who appears to be all seeing and all knowing, even of what goes on behind closed doors, is the central cog, giving clues to the young Mrs Brandt about what the future holds.

Jessie Burton cleverly drops a plot twist when the pace starts to slow, and I'm sure that's what makes The Miniaturist appeal to so many.  Whilst I wasn't blown away, I'm sure it's a book that's going to stay with me.  It has the haunting, unsettling feel of a du Maurier book (which is a triumph in itself- anyone who can get close to Daphne is winning in my eyes!) and the ability to transport to an unfamiliar bygone era.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, The Miniaturist is a must.  Even if you're not, it's well worth a whirl.  Part mystery, part romance, part family saga- Jessie Burton's debut ticks a lot of boxes.

The Miniaturist is out now in paperback, published by Picador.