Hello, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Pamela
Gibson and her new book, “Scandal’s Bride”!
For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click
on the banner above or any of the images in this post – except the Available at
Amazon picture, which takes you directly to the Amazon Book Sale Page.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Pamela
and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
Scandal's Bride
by Pamela Gibson
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GENRE: Historical (Regency)
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BLURB:
Marry in haste…
Lady
Gwendolyn Pettigrew longs to be a mother, but refuses to marry the lecherous
old fool her father has found for her. When her best friend convinces her to
consider her husband’s younger brother as a suitable candidate, Gwen agrees to
a marriage of convenience, hoping against hope that her dream of becoming a
mother will have a chance.
The
Hon. John Montague, a penniless younger son, is handsome, witty, and thrilled
that a woman with a dowry has agreed to wed him. Best of all she’s a fiercely
independent bluestocking, a woman who won’t want to bother with a family.
Because John has a shocking secret. He’s vowed never to bring a child into the
world, a child who, like his own mother, might carry the strain of madness.
As
secrets unfold, tension grows, threatening the fragile bonds they’ve
forged. Worse, someone wants them to
abandon their home and leave Yorkshire, and they’ll stop at nothing to make it
happen.
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EXCERPT TWO:
He
pushed his hair back with his palm and turned his head to look at her. “I am
sorry, Gwen. I don’t know what happened. One moment we were playing like
children, and the next . . .”
She
could only look at him, this beautiful man who had given her a wonderful
moment. She’d wanted him to kiss her since the wedding, and finally he had, and
it was as splendid as she’d imagined.
Still
tingling from the encounter, she rose to a sitting position and put her arms
around John’s back, feeling his body tense. “No need to apologize. I believe it
is quite appropriate for married couples to share kisses, even though we are
not exactly in the most romantic of settings.”
He
seemed to relax as he disengaged her arms. “You are an understanding woman,
Gwen. I nearly embarrassed you here in a place where workmen are at this moment
trudging up the stairs with a piece of furniture.”
“Oh
dear.” Her face flamed as she stood, smoothed her skirt, and tucked a wisp of
hair behind her ear.
John
stood as well, leaning down to wipe a smudge from her nose. “It shall not
happen again. I promise.”
But
I want it to happen again. And more.
She
meandered into the sitting room and back to her bedchamber. Pausing in front of
the long windows, she gazed at the ruined walls of the abbey, her emotions
still in turmoil. This was indeed a dilemma of the first order.
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GUEST POST:
How to Write Books That Appeal to All Readers While Staying True
to Your Genre
Whether
a mystery, a paranormal, a historical or any other genre, if a book has a
universal theme it will transcend its genre and touch a reader. The theme is
the soul of a book, the recurring element that appears over and over as the
hero and heroine complete their journey.
The
search for love, good versus evil, coming of age—these are universal themes we
all know. An overriding theme helps the reader connect with the characters and
care about what happens to them.
Scandal’s
Bride is a historical romance embodying two popular tropes: marriage of
convenience and friends to lovers. It
also has an overriding theme: faith versus doubt.
Gwen
is an original, a bluestocking, a woman with an indulgent father who has
allowed her to follow her own unconventional path. She hosts a weekly tea she
calls a salon. He gives her free reign of his library. He allowed her to
receive a more formal education. When his health begins to fail he gives her an
ultimatum. She must wed.
Gwen
is an optimist who has faith in her ability to achieve her goals. She finds her
own husband, a man in need of a wife with a dowry, a man who can become a
friend. That he’s taking her far away from the city to his long-neglected
estate, suits her. She longs to be a mother and if she has children and a
companion who has vowed to treat her as an equal, she will be happy.
But there’s a twist and it begins to change her.
John
has secrets. His deranged mother is locked away and cared for in a dower house
on his brother’s estate. While searching for a suitable place for her, he
encountered theories on the origins of madness. He’s decided not to conceive a
child.
John
is a doubter, a man who’s seen action in war, who helps his brother search for
siblings brought into the world by a profligate father who had many mistresses.
He inherited a crumbling estate from a grandmother he never knew and he has
serious doubts about making it profitable again, especially when “accidents”
happen for which he has no answer.
But
Gwen’s sunny disposition and response to misfortunes begin to change him, and
gradually he begins to question his doubts. By then Gwen is the doubter,
questioning her marriage, and wondering if they can live together. The strength
of their friendship helps them see their way back, along with revelations,
trust, and love. Finally, they get their happy ending.
The
theme in Scandal’s Bride is subtle, but the human foibles are the ones in this
book that will touch readers. For example, Gwen has been told she’s
unattractive and she’s never much cared until she meets a man she wants. John
is sure he can make the consummation of their marriage very clinical—Gwen is a
bluestocking after all—and then he sees her in a vulnerable moment and his
attraction to her takes control.
If a
book has a strong theme and readers can identify with the characters, it
matters not what the genre is. I’ve worked hard to achieve this in Scandal’s
Bride. Hopefully, I was successful.
Thank you for having me today.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Author
of eight books on California history and twelve romance novels, Pamela Gibson is a
former City Manager who lives in the Nevada desert. Having spent the last three
years messing about in boats, a hobby that included a five-thousand-mile trip
in a 32-foot Nordic Tug, she now spends most of her time indoors happily
reading, writing, cooking and keeping up with the antics of her gran-cats,
gran-dog, and gran-fish. Sadly, the gran-lizard went to his final reward. If
you want to learn more about her activities go to
http://www.pamelagibsonwrites.com and sign up for her blog and quarterly
newsletter. Or follow her in the links listed below.
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CONNECT WITH PAMELA:
Pamela’s Super Adorable Furbabies
PC: @ Pamela Gibson
Website:
Blog:
Newsletter & Blog Subscription Sign-Ups:
Email:
pam@pamelagibsonwrites.com
Facebook:
Twitter:
BookBub Author Page:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page:
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AMAZON BOOK BUY
LINK:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Pamela will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC
to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Pamela ~ Good morning! Welcome to FAB! It is so great to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :) Also, thanks for sharing your adorable furbabies with us!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me today. This was such an interesting topic to write about. Does anyone else think theme helps make a book universal?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really good book!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Victoria. I love this trope, but it's tricky.
DeleteSounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita. I enjoyed writing it.
DeleteLook great
ReplyDeleteThank you Edgar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway; I like the cover. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I like the cover, too. Fiona Jayde is the cover artist.
DeleteThe book sounds really great Thank You.
ReplyDeleteI loved writing this one, Dale.
DeletePretty cover and an intriguing excerpt. This sounds like a wonderful read.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI hope you enjoy it, Bea.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this guest post.
ReplyDelete