Fabulous and Brunette: #RachelBrimble

Showing posts with label #RachelBrimble. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Victoria & Violet by Rachel Brimble - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Rachel Brimble and her new book, “Victoria & Violet,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

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 Rachel and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

Victoria & Violet

Royal Maids Book Series

Book One

by Rachel Brimble

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BOOK BLURB:

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent. Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

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EXCERPT ONE:

“She…” Violet hesitated, feeling foolish carrying out the queen’s instructions when James was quite clearly busy and not at all happy. “She suggested we take a picnic.”

“A pic…” His eyes widened before his cheeks mottled. “It’s December!”

“I can pack some hot soup and bread. It will be…fun.”

“Fun? I can’t take myself off for a picnic when there is so much to do. What on earth will the workers think of me?”

His mood made her decidedly uneasy, but she could not defer on the queen’s request. She lifted her chin. “I’m sorry, James, but if the queen commands it, we cannot refuse. Besides, it will be last time you will see me for a while.”

He dropped his hand from his hair, his dark eyes boring into hers. “What are you talking about?”

“I have to go home. My mother claims my father is ill. Not that I believe a word of it, of course. But still, I must go.”

“Your mother is exerting her power again?”

“I have little doubt.”

He exhaled heavily, his gaze softening. “Give me an hour and I will come. Where shall we meet?”

“In the folly.”

“Very well.” His gaze dropped to her lips before he reached around her toward the door and opened it. “You should go.”

He stood so close, Violet could see flecks of blue in his eyes, smell the subtle maleness of him. Her treacherous heart swelled with silly, dangerous love. She forced a smile and ducked under his arm and through the open doorway.

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GUEST POST:

Five Reasons You Should Read Victoria & Violet

Victoria & Violet is my 28th novel and the first book I have written that includes real people and real events – to do this was a long-held ambition of mine that has finally come to fruition, and I loved writing every word. Now I pray readers will take it into their hearts just as deeply as I have…

Reasons to Read:

1.) If you are a fan of British period dramas, then this is the book for you! I am period drama obsessed, and they inevitably influence my writing. As you follow Victoria, Violet and hero James on their journey and burgeoning relationships, you will find yourself embroiled in ample story threads that lead to satisfying doses drama, intrigue & romance!

2.) If you love British royal history (especially Queen Victoria, of course!) – I have included many real events that occurred in the early reign of Queen Victoria and take you right into her heart and mind as they are unfolding. The book is told from her housemaid’s point of view, so I hope it feels like a new and unique incite into events that you have heard about, but maybe did not know too much.

3.) Violet Parker – Violet is without doubt one of my favorite heroines ever. When the book opens, she is in an unbearable situation under the control of her mother and Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent. However, despite her nervousness and fear, the reader quickly gets a sense of Violet’s steeliness, too. Writing her character growth was a joy and I came to admire her so very much.

4.) The settings – another reason I loved writing this book was the chance to re-create Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle in 1839. I have been lucky enough to visit both of these royal palaces over the last few years, and it wasn’t hard to imagine what might or might not have changed over the last 180 years or so. My imagination went into overdrive, and it was wonderful…

5.) James Greene – if I’m honest James was a little bit of an enigma to me when I was writing the first draft of this book. He was there, I could see him, hear his voice and see certain cheeky mannerisms, but I couldn’t quite get into his heart. That all changed when I took him back to his family home in Oxfordshire. When he is at Cassington Park, James cannot hide his vulnerabilities and flaws – that was when I fell in love with him and I hope readers do, too…

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AUTHOR BIO:

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press and releases 17th October 2022.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt.

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CONNECT WITH RACHEL:

Website:

https://rachelbrimble.com

Blog:

http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

Newsletter:

https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Email:

rachelbrimble@googlemail.com

Facebook Fan Page:

https://www.facebook.com/rachelbrimbleauthor

Facebook Group – Rachel’s Readers:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RachelsReaders

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-brimble

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/victoria-and-violet-by-rachel-brimble

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62533060-victoria-violet

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2MJa6SK

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3TP2GzD

Amazon US Paperback:

https://amzn.to/3WXFW34

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Victoria-Violet-Royal-Maids-Book-ebook/dp/B0B6T47ZX5

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Victoria-Violet-Royal-Rachel-Brimble/dp/1509244395

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/victoria-violet-rachel-brimble/1141812004?ean=2940186349679

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/victoria-violet-rachel-brimble/1141812004?ean=9781509244393

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/victoria-violet

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/victoria-violet

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Rachel will be awarding a $20 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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 fabulous community outreach projects and 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.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

A Very Modern Marriage by Rachel Brimble - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Rachel Brimble and her new book, “A Very Modern Marriage,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

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 Rachel and to increase your chances of winning!!

Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!

A Very Modern Marriage

by Rachel Brimble

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

He needs a wife...

Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan...

But the only woman who's caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she's hardly respectable, but she's determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose's mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William's a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she's very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won't follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble's exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for...

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EXCERPT TWO:

There was something beguiling about a woman who spoke so eloquently, who clearly knew much of the world and wasn’t afraid to challenge and speak with a gentleman of wealth and standing. She was feisty, certainly. But it was more than that. Octavia Marshall had clear control of her emotions and an aptitude for conversation that challenged and intrigued him, that made him want to be a better man, to impress her with his strengths and play down any weaknesses.

He had never met a woman so mysterious yet open, so tormenting yet serious. It was baffling, but entirely captivating and the combination made his body shift carnally.

Dangerous. That’s what she was… very, very dangerous.

And he had to put a stop to her enchantment.

‘Octavia.’ He reached out as she stopped outside a closed bedroom door, gently but firmly grasping her elbow. ‘We should talk.’

Her hand slipped from the door and concern darkened her eyes. ‘Are you all right?’

William looked deep into her eyes and felt as though he was teetering on the edge of something he couldn’t explain. He released her elbow and pushed his hand into his hair. ‘I didn’t come here to be alone with you this way.’

Her gaze drifted over his face before she slowly lifted her incredible lashes and pinned him to the floor with her brilliant blue gaze. ‘Do you want to be with me now?’

‘I can’t make love to you when—’

‘You won’t be making love to me.’ She lightly touched her fingers to his jaw. ‘This is a business arrangement. The same as any other.’

A spike of something that felt far too much like a blow hit the centre of his chest and he swallowed. What in God’s name was happening to him? Since when did he react so uncertainly to anything… anyone?

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GUEST POST:

Writing Fierce Female Lead Characters

A Very Modern Marriage is my 28th novel and I am confident in saying that every time I sit down to plan a novel or series, I have the underlying theme of female empowerment in my mind.

I like nothing more than writing strong female leads and giving them something in their past, either a person, an event or fear, that continues to affect them way into the future. It is these things that have occurred in all of our backstories that shape and challenge the person we are today.

Firstly, I come up with a goal they wish to achieve or a part of their life that they know needs to change if they are ever going to be successful and/or happy. They must either confront whatever it is holding them back or make the decision to park it and never revisit it again. This is a truth that we all recognise and many of us spend our entire lives seeking for that ultimate release so that we might live more peaceful and fulfilled lives.

The beauty of writing fiction is that I can make that ultimate dream, that ultimate freedom come true for my characters even I can’t for myself. What a gift! This is especially true of the romance genre because the reader expects the happy ever after – that is part of the contract between them and the author. The author’s part of the agreement is to make the journey to that happy ever after or life change the most exciting, challenging and moving as possible.

A Very Modern Marriage is the third book in the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy (all books can be read stand alone) and is set in the backstreets of the Victorian city of Bath, England. The first book (A Widow’s Vow) introduces Louisa Hill, a widow who is forced to reembrace her past as a prostitute and opens a brothel. An unexpected event turns her life on its axis but instead of crumbling, she makes the only life she has known before work for her again, but this time it will be on her terms.

Fierce!

In the second book, (Trouble For The Leading Lady), Nancy Bloom works with Louisa at Carson Street and is struggling to get over being abducted and then abandoned as a young teenager. Prostitution was the only way for her to survive and it is Nancy (Louisa’s best friend) who supports her when she realizes that they must revisit a life they thought far behind them. Not only does Nancy stand side by side Louisa, but also fights to help those living in the Workhouse.

Fierce!

And finally, we have Octavia, the heroine of A Very Modern Marriage – here is a woman who should have been destined for a life of privilege and opportunity, but after her mother’s death, her father spiralled into a state of violent anger and depression. Forced to leave home, she ends up on Bath’s streets fighting for survival. When Louisa finds her and invites her to Carson Street, Octavia’s loyalty to Louisa is sealed.

Then it looks like the house will close. The first thing Octavia knows she must do is find an alternative source of survival. She is more than willing to start again, learn and adapt, do what she must. And that is exactly what she will do…

Fierce!

It is the strength I find in my female leads and in writing a less than rosy past that each of them must conquer, that keeps me returning to the keyboard. As a voracious reader as well as a writer, I know that readers want to pick up a book and get lost in a story, vie for the heroine to succeed, and have her find the happy ever after she is looking for.

I’m often asked if there are parts of me in my heroines and I’d be lying if I denied it – there are parts of me in every character I write, male or female, young or old. Yet, there are also parts of my characters that are nothing like me. These women are all too often braver than me, stronger and have the fiercest tenacity I have ever known.

That’s why I love what I do – I get to write larger than life women who inspire me and I hope inspire my readers!

Happy Reading 😊

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AUTHOR BIO:

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONNECT WITH RACHEL:

Website:

https://rachelbrimble.com

Blog:

http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

Newsletter:

https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

Email:

rachelbrimble@googlemail.com

Facebook Fan Page:

https://www.facebook.com/rachelbrimbleauthor

Facebook Group – Rachel’s Readers:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RachelsReaders

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-brimble

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-very-modern-marriage-by-rachel-brimble

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59834542-a-very-modern-marriage

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2MJa6SK

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/3FzT8kD

Amazon UK Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modern-Marriage-Ladies-Carson-Street-ebook/dp/B09DR2F9DN

Amazon UK Paperback:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Modern-Marriage-Rachel-Brimble/dp/1803281316

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Modern-Marriage-Ladies-Carson-Street-ebook/dp/B09DR2F9DN

Amazon AU Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Modern-Marriage-Ladies-Carson-Street-ebook/dp/B09DR2F9DN

Apple Books eBook:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-very-modern-marriage/id1583060836

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-very-modern-marriage-rachel-brimble/1140537876

Book Depository Paperback:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Very-Modern-Marriage-Rachel-Brimble/9781803281315

Google Play eBook:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Rachel_Brimble_A_Very_Modern_Marriage?id=ynFYEAAAQBAJ

Kobo US eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-very-modern-marriage

Kobo CA eBook:

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/a-very-modern-marriage

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Rachel will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

A Rebel at Pennington's by Rachel Brimble - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Rachel Brimble and her new book, “A Rebel at Pennington’s”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

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 Rachel and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

A Rebel at Pennington's

by Rachel Brimble

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GENRE: Historical Romance/Saga

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BLURB:

1911 Bath. Banished from her ancestral home, passionate suffrage campaigner, Esther Stanbury works as a window dresser in Pennington's Department Store. She has hopes and dreams for women's progression and will do anything to help secure the vote.

Owner of the prestigious Phoenix Hotel, Lawrence Culford has what most would view as a successful life. But Lawrence is harbouring shame, resentment and an anger that threatens his future happiness.

When Esther and Lawrence meet their mutual understanding of life's challenges unites them and they are drawn to the possibility of a life of love that neither thought existed.

With the Coronation of King-Emperor George V looming, the atmosphere in Bath is building to fever pitch, as is the suffragists' determination to secure the vote.

Will Esther's rebellious nature lead her to ruin or can they overcome their pasts and look to build a future together?

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EXCERPT TWO:

She looked towards Lawrence.

He softly studied her, and her cheeks warmed. The way he looked at her inferred he was equally moved by Mrs Hadley’s sadness. Esther looked away. He, too, was widowed. Had he and his wife once shared the same love that Grace Hadley spoke of?

Shamed by the jolt of jealousy that shot through her, Esther walked to stand behind a pillar that blocked Lawrence’s sight of her but gave her full view of Mrs Hadley. A familiar sense of unworthiness knotted Esther’s stomach. If Lawrence understood Grace Hadley’s words and sorrow, then, he too, must have known deep and meaningful love.

She would never be enough to compete with such a ghost. Would never be enough to be with a man who bore such longing for a person he’d lost. If she listened to her body and how it so treacherously reacted to Lawrence, her attraction to him would only end badly when the moment came that she’d inevitably held something of herself back.

She could not forgo everything she had built. Somehow, she had to find the strength to fight the temptation of Lawrence’s gaze and quash the yearning to see him again…to see his children again. The emotions he’d evoked in her proved her capable of feeling. Something she had doubted for so very long. Her meeting him had been worth that, at least.

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GUEST POST:

Evolution of My Writing Habits

I started writing for publication in 2005 and my first book Searching For Sophie was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2007. Since then, I have had at least one novel published every year which fills me with pride and disbelief in equal measure.

Who would have thought that my lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist would happen so spectacularly?

Writing books is scary! Even now, after writing for over fourteen years, I still have that stomach-dropping feeling of ‘I can’t do this’ every time I start a new book. It never goes away and part of me hopes it never will. I don’t want to ever grow complacent about my work – I want to continue to throw myself, heart and soul, into everything I write and offer my readers.

I have learned SO much over the years and truly believe writing is a craft that anyone can learn. It takes tenacity, self-belief and a willingness to learn and accept rejection as part of the process, but if you want to be a published writer badly enough, you will find the strength to do all of these things.

When I first starting writing, I enrolled in as many free and cheap courses as possible to learn how to write dialogue, show versus tell, plotting, setting… you name it, I signed up for it. I also joined the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association (UK equivalent) in order to meet like-minded romance writers online and in person. I think it’s imperative for aspiring writers to surround themselves with other writers as early as possible for comradery, experience and questions. Romance writers are some of the most supportive writers I have ever met!

As soon as I gained not one, but three, critique partners it was a revelation. Beginner writers are often reluctant to show their work to others, but it’s an absolute must if you are serious about publication. Yes, you might have a few hit and misses until you find the right fit, but finding my critique partners changed everything for me. To have three fellow romance novelists look at every chapter of my work in progress as I write improved my writing ten-fold overnight.

These days (and this is something I wish I’d known early on in my career!), I give myself permission to write a crappy first draft. This is the best and most liberating writing advice I have been given and quadrupled by output instantly. As artists we often doubt our work and ability but writing the first draft of a novel from beginning to end without looking back means you will get to The End. Yes, there may be MANY following drafts, but you have something to work with and you know you are capable of finishing a book. It’s a win-win!

I am now lucky enough to work full-time and treat my writing as a ‘proper job’ just as I would if I was working out of the home. It’s important to prioritise my work and I make sure friends and family know when I’m working – I’ve learned if you want to succeed at this writing business, you have to protect your time to get it done.

As a published writer of over 20 romance novels, I’ve grown and changed in my work but the fundamental thing that hasn’t changed is I know writing is my calling and I wholly embrace it!

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AUTHOR BIO:

Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018 with book two coming February 2019.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and has thousands of social media followers from all over the world. To sign up for her quarterly and new release newsletter, click here to go to her website: https://rachelbrimble.com/.

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CONNECT WITH RACHEL: