Regency Mystery

Category

The Sound of Regency Romantic Suspense

As the end of May approaches, I am also approaching the final pages of my upcoming release, A Cantata of Love. While working on this Regency romantic suspense — book 4 in The Code Breakers series — I’ve been immersing myself in the sounds of early 19th century England.

Music is an important element in A Cantata of Love. I use it to reflect the ambiance of that time period, character development and as a secret code. Modern society offers such a wide range of entertainment and recreational options that we often forget how limited choices once were. Music was one of the primary forms of entertainment in Regency England. Think ballroom dancing, pianoforte recitals in the salon and operatic performances. Young women of the aristocracy were often encouraged to refine their singing talent or learn to play a musical instrument.

In A Cantata of Love, Lord Kendal must thwart the efforts of French spies who are attempting to communicate secretly through music. Could it be the street cleaner whistling a tune while he works? Maybe it’s the opera singer center stage at Drury Lane performing Geminiano Giacomell’s aria Sposa, non mi conosci.

Click here to listen to Sposa, non mi conosci on Youtube.

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris. 

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

Look for more heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue, and sizzling romance with the release of Book Four in The Code Breaker Series, A Cantata of Love coming June 14, 2016. Available for pre-order on iBooks.

A Sneak Peek at A Cantata of Love

Here’s a sample of the heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue and sizzling romance coming June 14, 2016, with the release of A Cantata of Love, book 4 in The Code Breakers series.

1803 ~ In the seaside town of Berck, France

Gabrielle De Valmont brushed back Lord Kendall’s blond curls and applied the wet cloth to his burning brow. His long golden curls and eyelashes accentuated his bright red cheekbones. In their days of hard travel from Paris, the Earl’s gunshot wound had festered into a nasty infection.

At this moment, he rested. For days, when the fever spiked, he thrashed about, calling out about sending a code book to a woman named “Henrietta.”

Desperate to soothe him, Gabrielle discovered that he would calm with the French songs of her childhood.

She was exhausted from the strain of caring for the Earl and from the constant fear that they might be captured and forced to return to Paris.

They couldn’t hide much longer without being discovered by Napoleon’s or Fouche’s henchmen. When the Earl’s condition had worsened to the point he could no longer travel, Gabrielle had brought them to her former nanny’s tiny village of Berck, south of Calais. They made their arrival into the village under cover of darkness to avoid alerting the citizens.

For eight long days and nights, she had cared for the feverish Earl. Their presence in the tiny town couldn’t be kept secret much longer. They must leave Berck and France soon.

But how could they flee with the French soldiers on high alert, inspecting every boat crossing the English Channel?

Monsieur Denby, Lord Kendall’s valet, had assured her that he had a plan to divert their attention.

Exhausted and despondent, she beseeched the Blessed Virgin for their safe escape and the Earl’s recovery.

She also prayed that the Earl would forgive her and Mother Therese for their deception. She had to have believe that Lord Kendall would never abandon her to her terrible fate.

***

Pre-order A Cantata of Love exclusively from iBooks to be the first to read my new release.

A CANTATA OF LOVE

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

You can enjoy the rest of The Code Breakers series on audio, narrated by Pearl Hewitt. Click the cover to listen to an audio sample. Available at Audible.com, iTunes and Amazon.

One last gift under the Christmas Tree

After much anticipation and preparation…the holidays are over. Already? I was just starting to enjoy myself! I don’t know about you, but there’s a bit of let down when the rolls of red-and-green wrapping paper are tucked back into the closet, the last few sugar cookies have gone stale and the Christmas tree–with its multicolored lights and glittery strands of tinsel–no longer brightens the grey of winter.

Have you ever come across one last gift? Something tucked far back under the tree that was overlooked? No matter what’s in the package, the unexpected discovery makes this last present extras special. Well, I have one last gift for my readers!

A Christmas Code, book 2 in my Regency romantic suspense story, is FREE for a limited time at most online retailers. (Amazon doesn’t have a free pricing option so if you read on a Kindle, contact my assistant at mariaconnor@msn.com to request a mobi version).

Download A Christmas Code today and enjoy the holidays just a bit longer!

BN Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

Audiobook version of A Christmas Code now available

Audiobook fans can now enjoy A CHRISTMAS CODE, Book 2 of the Code Breakers series. Narrated by Pearl Hewitt, this title joins the other two books in the series on audio.

Enjoy an audio sample HERE.

Click on the book titles to purchase at Audible today!

If you would enjoy receiving a free download of this new audiobook release in exchange for an honest review, please contact my assistant Maria Connor at myauthorconcierge@gmail.com.

Special iBooks Offers

Are you an iBooks user? If yes, today’s blog is just for you!

A CANTATA OF LOVE, Book 4 in the Code Breakers series, is now available for pre-order exclusively on iBooks. Order your copy today to be among the first to start reading the next adventure in this Regency romantic suspense series.

Napoleonic France is no place for an Englishman, especially Michael Harcourt, the Earl of Kendal, who is on a clandestine assignment for the Crown. Already injured and facing imminent discovery by Napoleon and Fouche’s men, Michael finds his escape made even more perilous when he is charged with the safety of a young boy who must be spirited out of Paris.

Desperate to escape the terrible fate that awaits her if she remains in France, Lady Gabrielle De Valmont must disguise herself as a boy and rely on the cunning of a virtual stranger—an Englishman, no less—to smuggle her out of the country. When the Earl’s injury becomes severely infected, rendering him gravely ill, Gabrielle realizes it is now up to her to save them both.

Look for more heart-pounding adventure, international intrigue, and sizzling romance with the release of Book Four in The Code Breaker Series, A Cantata of Love on December 15, 2015.

Now for the other special offer. If you are an iBooks reader and are willing to post an honest review in exchange for a free digital copy of any of my books, contact my assistant Maria Connor at mariaconnor@msn.com to request one free iBooks download. Click HERE to see my author page on iBooks.