#MedievalMonday16 ~ Conflict in the Joust from Jenna Jaxon

In her book, Time Enough to Love, Jenna Jaxon brings us a classic and well researched example of the joust, a stylized but very deadly form of combat. Please leave a comment for Jenna to let her know what you think of her excerpt.

EXCERPT:  Both knights had broken two lances on the torso—their scores were even. In order to win, one would need to either break a lance on the helm or unhorse their opponent. Either feat was possible, but highly improbable, given the lateness of the day and the weariness of the jousters. The best outcome would be for one lance to miss, giving the knight to break a lance victory. Another possibility was a draw if both men broke their lances on the torso. A draw would mean no victor; the debt of honor satisfied without a forfeit. That outcome might be best, but she could not help thinking in that case there would have been a great deal of effort wasted for nothing.

Geoffrey nodded slightly within his helm, as though acknowledging a strategy confirmed. Though the decision was unknown to her, she prayed it would make him the clear winner of the match.

In an instant, Geoffrey streaked down the lists. Alyse gasped at the ferocity with which Saracen raced toward his adversary. Lord Braeton drove his horse fiercely as well, but did not seem to reach the black steed’s breakneck speed.

Moments before the collision, Geoffrey angled his weapon upward slightly, aiming again for the helm and its additional points. Her heart flew into her throat. Should his lance glance off, as it had earlier, she would certainly be leading the first dance with Lord Braeton this evening. That prospect no longer held any delight for her, not after the physical pain this match must have cost Geoffrey—and Lord Braeton—and the mental anguish it had cost her. Had she not seemed so enthralled with the earl, mayhap the challenge would never have been issued. Or would not have been so avidly pursued by Geoffrey. If one of them were injured, it could surely be laid at her feet.

Geoffrey must win. He must.

The impact devastated both knights. Thomas’s lance splintered dramatically along Geoffrey’s right shoulder, twisting him around in the saddle and almost unseating him.

Geoffrey’s lance found its mark in the dead center of Thomas’s helm, snapping his head back with the force of the blow. An immediate cry of pain erupted from his helmet. Alyse bolted from her seat, raced out of the berfrois and onto the field.

*

Thomas managed to pull his horse to a stop, and his squires ran to assist him as he dropped to the ground. Almost as quickly, Geoffrey leaped from his horse, cursing as he ran toward his friend.

’Tis my fault if he dies. I was angered at him. Christ, why did I not aim elsewhere and try to unseat him? Geoffrey could barely hold still as his squire removed his helmet. “Thomas! Thomas!”

Men had lowered his friend to the ground, where he lay motionless.

Dear God! The splinters—

He stared in horror at the long wooden slivers poking out of Thomas’s visor.

Sweet Jesu, have mercy. Holy Mary, mother of God, have mercy.

He fell to his knees beside him, afraid to touch him lest he drive the fragments deeper.

“Fetch the surgeon!” Geoffrey threw the command over his shoulder, his attention fixed on the still body. “Thomas.” He couldn’t be dead.

Blurb: When Lady Alyse de Courcy is betrothed to Sir Geoffrey Longford, she has no choice but to make the best of a bad bargain. The hulking knight is far from her ideal man, and although he does possess some wit and charm, he is no match for the sinfully sensual man she secretly admires, Thomas, Earl of Braeton, her betrothed’s best friend.

From the first, Sir Geoffrey finds himself smitten by Lady Alyse, and, despite her infatuation with his friend, vows to win her love. When Geoffrey puts his mind to wooing Alyse, he is delighted to find her succumbing to his seduction. But when cruel circumstances separate them, Geoffrey must watch helplessly as Thomas steps in to protect Alyse—and falls in love with her himself.

As the three courtiers accompany Princess Joanna to her wedding in Spain, they run headlong into the Black Plague. With her world plunged into chaos, Alyse struggles with her feelings for both the men she loves. But which love will survive?

Buy link: Amazon  

The Stuff in My Office—5

Yep, I’ve got even more stuff to tell you about now that our short pause is over. The four pictures in this blog are of the wall length bookshelves opposite the corner where my desk sits (desk stuff in a later installment). There are six shelves (I couldn’t fit the top self into the camera frame, each roughly 10 feet in length and completely filled with paperback romance novels (and yes, those novels absolutely get included on the list of stuff I like that makes me happy). I won’t describe any of the books, but I will mention some of the other items.

In the foreground of the picture at the left you can see a couple of the items I discussed in the 4th installment of this series. You can also see part of the floor lamp that stands between the table (see installment 4) and my reading chair (also installment 4). I love that shade because it turns this lovely glowing gold color when the bulb is on, and it gives terrific light for reading.

Moving on to the next picture (below right) you see the rest of the lamp. The small needlework pillow peeking out from behind the lamp is another gift from my mother in law. That pillow was sitting on her royal blue sofa in her living room the first time my sweetheart brought me to their home for dinner and to meet his folks. I was scared spitless because I knew about her upper crust Boston background. Mom was everything that is gracious. Nonetheless it took me several years to get over being intimidated, mostly because of my personal fears. I like to think that we now have a very friendly relationship. She certainly remembered that first visit, because one of the few things I managed to say was how lovely the pillow was. Who wouldn’t like a pillow with irises (Mom used to grow award winning Iris blooms) in varying shades of blue, including cobalt. On the shelf above the pillow are four framed covers from my books. Below those is yet another gift from my mother in law. This gift is more recent (just this past Christmas), yet I treasure it almost as much as the pillow. The seascape set into the tray is one of my favorites, and since I love the sea (add that to the list too) I keep the tray where I can see it.

The third picture (at left) shows the entire tray, and above that the remaining four covers from my books. If you look closely you can see a small two-tone brown box at the end of one of the shelves. That is a recipe box that my own mother gave me. It holds my grandmother’s recipes for Swedish coffee bread, dream cookies, and depression era frosting (made with flour, milk, butter and granulated sugar). The confectioner’s type of sugar that is usually used in frostings was nearly impossible to get during the depression, so flour was substituted. Even granulated sugar was expensive, so frosting on cakes was a real treat. The Dream Cookies are another depression era recipe, requiring only flour, granulated sugar and butter. Preparing Dream Cookies requires careful attention because the butter must be melted and browned to a point just shy of burning. The caramelized bits in the melted butter create the delicate flavor of these cookies. Once baked they have a very crumbly texture. My grandmother called them dream cookies because they practically melt in your mouth and disappear so fast that you feel as if you imagined eating them. Dream Cookies (along with homemade pecan sandies) are my favorite cookies, so they go on the list too. I’ve made the Swedish coffee bread—which is an all day project. Grandma used to fill hers with citron (candied dry fruit). I prefer un-candied dry fruit and more nuts—especially pecans. The bread was a daily item in my life while I was in school during the years when my grandparents lived with us (they moved into a small apartment in our house once neither of them could drive). I would come home from school and Grandma and my mother would be sitting at Grandma’s kitchen table having coffee and buttered coffee bread. They always had at least one piece waiting for me. I’d savor the bread and listed to Grandma and Mother share memories of their early lives. That’s how I learned about depression frosting and the origin of Dream Cookies.

The last image (at right) shows the end of two more shelves, one of the two windows in my office and the stuff that sits below the window. I’ll write about the window stuff next time. Right now, I want to mention that the elephant bookends were a gift from me to my own mother and probably one of the first purchases I made with money I earned. I got elephants for her overflowing bookshelves so she would never forget where they came from and how much we both loved reading. The elephants came back to me when Mother passed away. Below those sits a small basket containing old checkbooks. I don’t know where the basket came from, but I like open containers. I tend to forget things when they are out of sight. I want the checkbooks in plain sight so I remember to throw them out when I no longer need them as tax records.

So those bookshelves contain a lot of stuff ranging from the treasured to the mundane, and as always a host of memories. Do you have memories of your parents and grandparents; stories and/or recipes that have been handed down and treasured for generations; little knick knacks that hold meaning only for you? Please share with a comment.

The Stuff in My Office–1

The whole idea of social media is to put yourself out there and join the conversation. Problem is that I have difficulty approaching strangers in person. I find it even more difficult when I can’t see them. The thought occurred to me that I’m not the only person who has this problem. So in the interest of not being a stranger (although I may be strange), I’ll tell you about the stuff in my office.

My office is where I work and play. It is my personal space in a home that I share with my spouse and two cats (our sons are grown and no longer live at home). My office is also where I keep my ‘stuff,’ mementos, supplies, files, books, hand-me-downs and other objects that are of interest to me. You can tell a lot about people in general from their personal spaces. I’m very lucky in that I have a personal space with plenty of room and a door that can shut the world out or let it in depending on my preference at the time.

But I’m supposed to be telling you about the stuff not just the office, which presents the difficulty of where to start.  I’ve got a lot of stuff (been accumulating for the past 60 + years). I made a random and arbitrary decision to begin with the chotchskie shelf at the top of the bookshelf that stands nearest my easy chair. Here’s a picture of that shelf and the chotchskies it holds.

So what’s all this stuff? Most of this is mementos and things I think are pretty.  There are a total of  5 +1pieces of butterfly art. The one is a pair of broken wings that used to be a key fob. I really liked that key fob, so I kept the broken wing pieces to remind me that even the strongest things can break and even the broken things have beauty. You may not be able to see the broken wings very well. They’re lying flat in front of the translucent cube with the unicorn carved in the middle. I’m as fond of unicorns as I am of butterfly art. (I like live butterflies too, but only when they’re alive. Please don’t kill them and put them in a box to look at—I’ll cry.) The unicorn was a gift, I think from my mother-in-law, who is one of the most thoughtful people I know. Behind the unicorn is a dog tag, purchased from the USPS that honors Women In Service. I served in the US Navy for ten years but have lost my dog tags, so I bought these as replacements. Next to the dog tags is a Christmas ornament given to one of my sons when he was a child. We still put their ornaments on our tree (neither of them has started setting up their own trees yet). Occasionally one or two of the ornaments doesn’t make it back in the box after the tree comes down. Those ornaments end up in my office so they don’t get lost. The blue lump in front of the ornament and the gold butterfly is actually an acrylic, star-shaped paper weight. Add stars and cobalt blue to the things I like as much as butterflies and unicorns. The slim line of sliver looking material beside the paper weight is the frame of a small unicorn painting on glass.

Eight items are left, but this blog is IMHO already too long, so I’ll give the rest of the details next time. Meanwhile, I’ll let you guess the what and why of the remaining eight items. Leave a comment and tell me what your guess is, or whatever else you might think about this first glance at the Stuff in My Office.

World Wide Release Day for One Day’s Loving

Today is a busy and very happy day for me with the release of One Day’s Loving ~ Wildfire Love # 3. I’m a guest at number of blogs including, the Crimson Romance Blog, MVRWA’s Blog, and Susana’s Parlour. I’ll be discussing topics as varied as Series Romance Books, Being Whelmed or Overwhelmed, and Life Setbacks. For your convenience, here’s information about One Day’s Loving ~ Wildfire Love # 3. (Purchase One Day’s Loving ~ Wildfire Love # 3  or read an excerpt.)

One Day’s Loving ~ Book Summary

Persephone Mae Alden is the invisible Alden sister, quiet, industrious, generous, kind-hearted, loyal and reliable.  The words used to describe Mae remind her of a well-trained dog.  She’s not happy about it, but what can she do?  She likes her quiet life and would be seriously upset if she had to defy convention like Edith or act on instinct like Kiera. But everything changes when necessity forces her to bravery and she must choose between love and family.

A horrifying bequest convinces Boston attorney James W. Collins V that Mae Alden needs a husband, and she’s just the type of wife he wants. The two of them will be a perfect match. Refusing his offer makes no sense, so why won’t the woman accept?

About Rue Allyn ~ Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures.  Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynAuthor
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/RueAllyn
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Blog:  http://rueallynauthorblog.com/

And the Winners Are:

 I’m delighted to announce the winner of the recent Readers Treasure Blog Hop Prizes and the recipient of my own special surprise drawing. Elaine Stevens-Ramirez won the multi-author Treasure Box prize. Mary Prescott will receive an advance review copy of One Day’s Loving ~ Wildfire Love # 3. Congratulations ladies and thank you very much for participating.

Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RueAllyn
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Blog: http://rueallynauthorblog.com/

All That Glitters

Authors Rue Allyn, Susana Ellis, Jayne Kingston, Kristina Knight, Shay Lacy, Constance Phillips, and Ray Wenck  bring you the first ever Readers Treasure Blog Hop.

The theme of this hop is Readers Treasure. Now all of you, as readers, know that we aren’t talking about gold and other ‘glittery’ treasures but the treasure of books and stories. The authors participating in this hop (check out the links/list under the hop logo in my sidebar) have a proverbial trove of fiction to offer. To add to the wealth as part of the rafflecopter grand prize treasure box drawing and celebrate the Nov. 18, 2013 release of One Day’s Loving, Wildfire Love # 3, I’m offering a free download of One Moment’s Pleasure, book one of my Wildfire Love Series. Click here to enter the drawing. Don’t forget to visit the other authors and  join the conversation on The Readers Treasure Facebook page.

    

One Day’s Loving is the story of the youngest Alden sister. Persephone Mae Alden is the invisible Alden sister, quiet, industrious, generous, kind-hearted, loyal and reliable. The words used to describe Mae remind her of a well-trained dog. She’s not happy about it, but what can she do? She likes her quiet life and would be seriously upset if she had to defy convention like Edith or act on instinct like Kiera. But everything changes when necessity forces her to bravery and she must choose between love and family.

A horrifying bequest convinces Boston attorney James W. Collins V that Mae Alden needs a husband, and she’s just the type of wife he wants. The two of them will be a perfect match. Refusing his offer makes no sense, so why won’t the woman accept?

Sadly only one person can win the treasure chest including prizes from all participating authors. However, the first two books in the series One Moment’s Pleasure and One Night’s Desire are available at http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI, or you may pre-order One Day’s Loving here.

Leave a comment telling me your thoughts about blog hops and giveaways. Who knows I may just give away an ARC of One Day’s Loving to some lucky commenter.

About Rue Allyn: Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures. Learn more about Rue at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, or Goodreads.

Please Welcome Writing Team, Patti Shenberger and Nancy Fraser Visiting on Their Gambling on Love Giveaway and Blog Tour

Hi Patti, Nancy. Thank you very much for dropping. Please tell us about your current project then answer a few of the ‘weird’ questions given to authors for their first visit at Heart Melting Romance. By the way, ladies, your answers may be but do not need to be ‘true,’ and changing names to protect both the innocent (and yourselves) is perfectly okay. Friends, please leave the gals a comment and let them know what you think of their ‘weird’ answers.:) They are also holding a drawing–details below the answers–so leaving a comment is a must. Now here are Patti and Nancy.

“Our current release is Gambling on Love, a historical romance set in the 1860’s. The book came out Monday, May 20th in the Scandalous line from Entangled Publishing. Forced into an unwanted marriage, Felicity Beaumont and Jake McCade find themselves at odds over everything, including their escalating feelings for one another. Next up, coming November 2013, we have The Lawman’s Agreement (working title) which continues on another of those hunky McCade men. This time lawman Zachary McCade, has met his match in Doctor Suzanne Martindale.”

 

1. What cd is in your cd-player right now? Patti – Right now I have the cd from the movie Burlesque playing. Every time the movie comes on tv, I’ll watch it. Nancy: As crazy as it might sound, the soundtrack from the 1990’s t.v. series, Lois and Clark, The New Adventures of Superman.

2. Are you a “dogperson” or a “catperson”? Patti – I am definitely a dog person (though we do have a cat in the house, he’s the hubsters). To me, my little cockapoo-westie is like another child. We raised the 28 and soon to be 30 yr old, kicked them out of the nest and replaced them with the four-legged versions who don’t cost anywhere near what the kids did, don’t talk back and only occasionally barf on the rug (G).
Nancy: I love my grand-dog Neala, but don’t have a pet myself. I’m allergic to cats, so they’re never around.

3. What time do you normally go to bed on a working day? Patti – I’m an early to bed person. If I’m up past 9 p.m., then something must be going on to keep me awake. But when I’m writing and in the zone, I can stay up till at least 2 a.m. without any trouble. Though I’m a beast to live with the next day. Nancy – midnight most nights unless, as Patti said, I’m in the writing zone. Then, if I’m on a roll, I can work all night.

4. Who told you they loved you last? Patti – My hubster this morning as he left for work. Nancy – My 10 yr old granddaughter Mackenzie. It melts my heart every time she says it because I know she truly means it.

5. Last furry thing you touched? Patti – depends, are we talking about in the fridge or outside of it? Seriously though, my little muttsky Sophie. Nancy – I think it was once a kiwi, but coming out of my refrigerator, I’m not quite sure what it turned into.

6. How many drugs have you done in the past three days? Patti – Easy – Motrin, Motrin, Motrin Nancy – Tylenol Muscle and Body – 1 at bedtime

7. If you had to choose between a millions bucks and being able to fly,which would you choose? Patti – I would take the million bucks, then I could fly to wherever I wanted (such as the private island I’d buy with the million bucks) Nancy – the million bucks. I’m too old to fly without a comfy first-class seat beneath my butt!

8. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? Patti – this is an easy one – Pepsi. It’s my biggest vice. Nancy – Bailey’s Carmel flavored Irish Crème (good in coffee, over ice cream, over ice) Patti – I remember Nancy drinking that in our hotel room years ago when we were at RWA in Anaheim.

9. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in time. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there? Patti – I would like to go into the future twenty years and see how my kids and grandkids are doing all grown up. Nancy – 1868 – I’d love to meet our characters from the McCade Legacy and maybe snag one of those sexy McCade men for myself!

10. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What’s it gonna be? Patti – the super power of speed. That way I can get everything done I need to like housework, writing, yard work, painting and still have time to read. Nancy – Super Power of Creativity … so that I never run out of good ideas for a book.

Giveaway Information:

Name the Hotel!
As part of a tour-wide giveaway the authors are offering one lucky winner the chance to not only name the hotel which will appear in the second McCade Legacy novel, but will also have their name used as a character in the book as well! http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1cb55465/

Book Information

Title: Gambling on Love
Author: Nancy Fraser & Patti Shenberger
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 190 pages
Release Date: May 20 2013
Imprint: Scandalous

Buy Links:
Purchase from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gambling-Love-Entangled-Scandalous-ebook/dp/B00CK51J9E
Purchase from Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gambling-on-love-nancy-fraser/1115213928
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/gambling-on-love/id642292916?mt=11
Purchase from Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Gambling-on-Love/book-aftKHQRQpEuwineHwZWX8w/page1.html

Who’s Your Wildfire Love ~ TRS Release Party

The first of three posts at http://trsparties.com/2013/03/07/whos-your-wildfire-love/ is live. I want readers to choose which Wildfire Love they like best. Check it out and spread the word please. I’m celebrating all of my hunky heroes in three different posts throughout the day, so please keep checking back at http://trsparties.com/2013/03/07/whos-your-wildfire-love/. Comments at the release party are sincerely appreciated.

 

And the Winner Is. . .

ShadowLuvs2Read. In a hard fought race between word bites #1 and # 4, # 1 emerged the victor. From all the votes cast for that word bite, the contributor drawn was ShadowLuvs2Read. Shadow, I’ll be contacting you privately within the next twenty four hours to arrange delivery of your prize. For the rest of you, I have edited your comments to remove all visible e-mail addresses.

I want to thank everyone who participated and who commented. This was my first attempt at running this kind of drawing, and I think it worked out fairly well. I know learned a lot from all the votes and comments. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think about word bites and using them in a drawing.

If any of you wish to read these word bites in a little more context please follow this link to the excerpt for One Moment’s Pleasure found on my website.

I’ll be very busy over the next several weeks getting the word out about One Moment’s Pleasure. Please stop by often to learn what I’m up to, or visit the Heart Melting Romance website and check the calendar page.

Kathleen Jabs Brings Mystery to Friendship Friday

My guest today is Kathleen Jabs, author of the military mystery Black Wings and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. She holds an MFA from George Mason University. Her stories have been published in a number of literary journals and received several prizes, including selection in the NPR Selected Shorts program. She lives with her husband and two children in Virginia. I’ve asked Kathleen to tell us more about herself, her book, and of course, to answer her selection of my weird questions–my favorite is her answer about her worst enemy. Now, here’s Kathleen.

I’m a writer, wife, mother of two teenagers, daughter, sister, friend, public affairs officer, Navy reservist and insatiable reader. I grew up in Boston, left for the Naval Academy in 1984 and have lived around the world – in Japan; Hawaii; Panama; Washington, DC; Miami and New Hampshire. I live in Virginia now, but I love to travel. I served 6 years on active duty and have been a Navy reservist for the last 15 years.

My mystery novel, Black Wings, was published in December 2011. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year! It was published by Fuze Publishing, a small press, www.fuzepublishing.com and I’ve had a wonderful experience with them. Fuze is co-owned by Molly Tinsley who was my advisor at the US Naval Academy. It was very inspiring to reconnect with her and work with her to get my novel ready for publication.

1. What’s the color of your toothbrush? Orange.

2. What cd is in your cd-player right now? I’ve got Celtic Women Christmas Carols – it reminds me of my Irish heritage and gets me in the spirit.

3. How much do you use ketchup? (1 – not at all, 5 – on all foods)I hate ketchup! 1!

4. What’s the model of your mobile phone? I have an old Samsung – it embarrasses my kids because it is not “smart” and I need them to look up maps and phone numbers for me.

5. What’s the size of your shoes? 8 ½.

6. Is your middle finger longer than your ring finger? Yes.

7. What time do you normally go to bed on a working day? 10:30.

8. What is the most distant place you’ve visited (from your home)? I’ve been to the DMZ on the border between North and South Korea.

9. How often do you brush your teeth? 2-3 times a day.

10. Do you like carrots? Yes.

11. The size of your hard-disc? I don’t know…

12. What’s your favourite word? Serendipity.

13. If you were a tree, what tree would you be? A Birch!

14. What’s a word that rhymes with TEST? Best.

15. Name the brand of shoes you’ve recently worn. Dansko clogs – I live in them.

16. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping.

17. Who told you they loved you last? My daughter.

18. Your worst enemy? Time! There is never enough.

19. What is your favorite cheese? Machengo.

20. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? Acacia Pinot Noir.