For the Love of Breeches...with Alison DeLaine (Guest Post & Giveaway)

I am as pleased as ever to welcome to the blog a debut author whose upcoming novel will sail into your hearts in no time. She's on the blog today to share in our mutual adoration of a very necessary undergarment ;)
Without further adieu:

About Alison:

Alison DeLaine lives in rural Arizona, where she tries to keep her hillbilly side under control (but generally fails) and can often be found driving a dented old pickup truck out to her mining claim in the desert. When she’s not busy striking it rich, waiting on spoiled pets, or keeping her husband in line, she is happily putting characters through the wringer. Alison is a two-time Golden Heart® finalist and currently writes historical romance for Harlequin HQN.

Find Alison Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book:

A Gentleman 'Til Midnight

Click cover for excerpt | Buy links below
Read my Review: here

The complication they don’t want…
Lady Katherine Kinloch survived captivity once. Now the notorious captain of her own ship, she refuses to let anyone jeopardize her hard-won freedom. But on a voyage to England to fight for her family’s endangered estate, Katherine is thrown off course when she unknowingly rescues celebrated naval captain James Warre…a man who stands for everything she despises.

The passion they desperately need…

Haunted by regret for his role in her dark past, James is determined to be more than the cold, calculating officer Katherine expects. Her seduction is his obsession, but his pride hangs in the balance if he gives in to temptation. And hiding beneath the scorching attraction between them lies a secret that could force the two apart for good.

The Guest Post:

For the Love of Breeches...

a Guest Post by Alison DeLaine

What's Not to Love Inside Breeches?

Oops. I meant to say about breeches. Seriously. There’s a lot to love about them. Any woman worth her salt fantasizes about the days when a girl could ogle a man's legs without having her view obstructed by extra yardage. (Of fabric. What kind of blog post do you think this is?)

Breeches were the mini-skirts of their day--except the male/female roles were completely reversed. And some of those men had a damn fine pair of legs. Which, of course, is exactly how I envision my hero in A Gentleman 'til Midnight. Because I just wouldn't write a hero who didn't have good legs. And by "good," I mean strong, muscular, and powerful enough to sustain the leverage required for a good, long--

Well, never mind about that. Let's just say that for Captain James Warre (aka the Earl of Croston), performance isn't an issue:

     “Touch me, Katherine,” he rasped, but she was already there. Her hands moved over the front of his breeches—too slow, too soft. His breeches were so tight it hurt. Ah, God—he undid the fastening and…"

And you’ll just have to read the book for the rest, because it wouldn’t be appropriate on a family blog like NARB.

As you can see, breeches play a very crucial role in the historical romance. Really, as an author, I'm not sure what I would do without them. I like to imagine that a man's breeches could reveal… well… all kinds of things about what he might be thinking. In A Gentleman ‘til Midnight, my heroine is pretty sharp about these things. Her cutlass is pretty sharp, too, and comes in handy when cornered by an unwanted rakehell: 

     Apparently sensing victory, the duke pushed away from the railing and took a step toward her. “I’m very sure when I meet a woman who would appreciate my strengths.” There was just enough light filtering from the windows to see his strengths bulging hard inside his breeches.
     “Oh, yes. I certainly can appreciate them.” Katherine feinted with her left hand as though she meant to touch him.
     “Then by all means, let us— Bloody hell!” The duke jumped back three feet when she whipped her cutlass from its hiding place in her skirts.

Let’s just say the poor duke’s breeches ended up a casualty of that encounter.

Really, the saddest thing about breeches in a historical romance is that at some point—yes, it’s true—they must be pulled up and refastened. For my Captain Warre, that certainly marked a low point:

     Was that it, then? A hasty farewell as he buttoned his breeches and stepped out of her coach two streets away to avoid being seen? Sod it all, he’d made a bloody mess of things.

There’s just so much implied in a phrase like “he buttoned his breeches,” isn’t there? But if implications aren’t enough for you, I’m giving away a FREE copy of A Gentleman ‘til Midnight to TWO lucky people who comment here on or before December 23rd! Winners will be chosen on December 24.

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A Gentleman 'til Midnight  is available for Pre-Order right now wherever books are sold and will be released on December 31st, 2013.

Pre-order A Gentleman 'til Midnight today! 

Amazon (paperback) | Amazon (kindle)

Barnes&Noble (paperback) | Barnes&Noble (kindle)

~*~GIVEAWAY~*~

Alison has generously offered to give away two (2) copies of her debut novel, A Gentleman 'til Midnight, to two (2) lucky commenters! What a special treat, just in time for the holidays! All you have to do is comment below with your favorite piece of historical apparel AND fill out the rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends 12/23 at midnight! Winners will be chosen and announced on Christmas Eve!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Gentleman 'Til Midnight by Alison DeLaine [ARC Review]

It's captain versus captain in this battle of wills, attraction and righting wrongs from the past. A relentless force on the high seas, Our hellion heroine must embark on a journey back to her native England to ensure her inheritance isn't stolen from her. When a blast from the past requires salvation, his identity might help her cause more than she thinks...and in more ways than one.

Adventurous and intoxicatingly sweet, Alison DeLaine’s debut novel will strike a chord for any and every historical romance fan lucky enough to board passage on her story’s voyage.

Guest Post: "New Zealand – It's A Great Place to Set Your Book!" by Jackie Ashenden

About the Author:

"Jackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who’ve just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.

She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she’s not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband."

Find Jackie Online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

About the Book:

Gadget journalist Christie St. John is more geek than chic. But when research for an article she has to write on online dating leads to the bed of the hottest guy she’s ever met, she knows that if the geek is to keep the hottie CEO, she’s going to have to come out of her digital shell.

Tech mogul Joseph Ashton never expected an Internet blind date to end in the best sex of his life. Yet as the chemistry between him and Christie burns out of control, he can’t help but think this woman is out for his money like all the rest. She claims she wants his heart instead – but that’s the one thing he can never give.

Guest Post-

Author (Video) Spotlight: Amanda Scott and Rexanne Becnel

Check out some awesome videos featuring historical romance author Amanda Scott and historical romance and contemporary mainstream author Rexanne Becnel. Get the inside look as Scott talks us through the importance of history to her work and Becnel describes how she creates her feisty heroines!

Meet Amanda:



Amanda's Latest:

Can two passionate people stop fighting long enough to admit their love for each other?

After spirited Lady Sybilla Calverton discovers her husband , the Earl of Ramsbury, in an embrace with the notorious Lady Fanny Mandeville, she returns to her father’s home in Bath determined to match the wayward Ramsbury scandal for scandal. When the Earl learns that his wife has stirred gossip by being seen too often with elegant collector Sidney St. Denis, he hastens to Bath to see if the gossip is true—and to reinsert himself into Sybilla’s affairs. Quarrels immediately reignite between them—and so does their passion. But are their strong wills the only threat to their love, or is someone deliberately trying to destroy their tempestuous marriage?

*Book 1 in the Bath Trilogy

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Meet Rexanne:

Rexanne's Latest:

A maiden’s self-imposed isolation makes her the seductive prize in a royal battle for power

Lady Joanna Preston lives cloistered behind the walls of a nunnery, sealed away from a world of savagery and sorrow. As heir to the sought-after Oxwich Castle, Joanna has vowed never to love or take a husband, denying herself the passion she has secretly dreamed of. When Sir Rylan Kempe, Lord of Blaecston, a fierce yet noble warrior-knight locked in a vengeful battle with a royal enemy, comes to claim her and her castle in the name of ultimate revenge, Joanna is intent on defying the commanding knight at every turn. Yet soon the treachery of kings binds them together in unholy union and soul-deep desire, and Rylan must choose between his consuming love for Joanna and the treacherous game to which he has pledged his life.

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Noble (Nook)

LIVE Interview with Historical Romance Author Kate Noble (+Giveaway) | Starts @ 6:30EST

Today I am excited to be interviewing historical romance author Kate Noble. Kate will be talking all about her latest novel, Let It Be Me (available now) and answering all of your questions!

The chat room will open at 6 EST and we will go live at 6:30!

Below is the video player where the live feed will be streaming!

About the Author:

Kate Noble love books. Romances especially. But, being born into a family of doctors, scientists, and mathematicians, she didn't discover she was adept at writing until, oh, about junior year of high school. Which came as something of a relief, as she was hopeless at memorizing the Latin names for all the bones in the human body. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle eludes her to this day. Kate lives in Los Angeles.

About the Book:

Bridget longs to meet a gentleman who doesn't mention her beautiful sister upon shaking her hand. But since being branded a shrew after a disastrous social season, Bridget knows she's lucky to even have a man come near her. It's enough to make a lady flee the country…

So Bridget heads to Venice for music lessons with the renowned Italian composer Vincenzo Carpenini, with whom she's been corresponding. But not only is Carpenini not expecting her, he doesn't even remember her! His friend, theater owner Oliver Merrick, does, though. And one look into her tantalizing green eyes has him cursing his impulsive letter-writing, which brought her across the continent. Yet before Merrick can apologize, Carpenini has ordered her away.

Little does either man know that they will soon be embroiled in a wager that will require the beautiful Miss Forrester's help—or that there'll be far more at stake in this gamble than money…


Tech Stuff:
Some of you may be unfamiliar with the Vokle platform on which the interview will be held. It's fairly simple to get the hang of and joining the event will allow you to participate directly with me and the author as well as be eligible for the giveaway. Just click the red "Join Event" button on the player and you can choose to either sign in with a Twitter or Facebook account, or make a Vokle account.
Once you're logged in, you will see the chat room and can interact with other viewers as well as myself and the author. Click the red "Ask A Question" button and you can either send in a text question or follow the prompts to ask a question in person live with your web cam (please use earphones to eliminate echo). All questions submitted this way can and will (if appropriate) be answered on air- so you are encouraged to ask away! (No limit)

The Giveaway:
I enjoyed Kate's book SO much that I want to give one of you the chance to read it and fall in love too! If you Join the Event and participate in some way (whether it be in the chat, asking a question, or tweeting about the interview) I'll enter you in the giveaway and at the end of the interview I'll announce who wins. The winner will get their choice of either ebook or paperback format. I can gift a copy of the book to Amazon, Nook, or Kobo users or have the book shipped to you from The Book Depository. This is open to any and all who can receive books in the aforementioned ways. Good luck!