Christina Hollis introduces her Lady Rascal!

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Christina Hollis, both colleague and friend, to my blog today.

Christina has just launched an eBook edition of, Lady Rascal - an opportunity for new fans to catch up with one of her earlier historical romances from the fabulous Masquerade series.

Over to you, Christina!

Thanks, Liz, for inviting me here today.

When it’s cold and grey outside, it’s lovely to escape to the land of books and blogs where the sun is always shining somewhere, for someone!

Early in my writing career my husband and I abandoned city life in Bristol and “emigrated” across the Severn Bridge. We now live in the middle of a bluebell wood on the Welsh border. Our move was made in a quieter, much more leisurely period when milk was delivered to the house, computers were a novelty and breaking news stories unfolded over days, not minutes.

While I was immersed in this pre-Internet nirvana, I wrote a series of historical romances for the Harlequin Masquerade line. With so many advances in technology I’ve now brought out one of these, Lady Rascal, as an ebook. It’s available from all the platforms including Amazon and iTunes.

It has a very different flavour from my latest Harlequin Mills and Boon Modern Romance, The Count’s Prize, so I’m including an extract here as a little taster.

Releasing Lady Rascal like this is by way of an experiment to see what you, the reader, thinks of the way Madeleine and Philip’s story unfolds. I’d love to hear your thoughts on its different style, and there are a couple of signed books from my backlist on offer for comments picked at random, by Liz. Happy reading!

It is high summer in the England of 1789. Madeleine has been rescued from the riots of Paris by Philip Adamson, an English gentleman. He has brought her back to the safety of his beautiful English country estate. She has witnessed his close friendship with his neighbour Leonora Wright, and watched him laughing with noisy socialite Kitty Pettigrew - but it is Madeleine he has invited into the garden to listen to birdsong...

Madeleine thought back to the hustling, bustling streets of Paris. They were never quiet, no matter what the hour of day or night. This was so very restful.

‘I fancy it grows chillier by the minute,’ Madeleine said when they had sat together quietly for some time. There was still neither sight nor sound of any nightingale.

‘Do you wish to return to the house, mademoiselle?’ Adamson said quietly.

‘The bird does seem to have deserted us, sir. And you have to think of what Miss Leonora would say if she knew we were out here alone together, with no good reason!’ 

‘She wouldn’t mind. In fact, she said that you and I ought to talk together more often.’ 

Madeleine half turned to him and smiled, but he was studying the grass at his feet. ‘I think Miss Wright has a kind heart,’ she said with a soft laugh, ‘but is misguided. She is very young— why, even if you can be trusted in the company of a lady, how do you know that you’re safe with me?’ 

‘After what happened when you came to my room in Paris, you can’t find me attractive.’ 

There was the slightest trace of curiosity in his manner, as though he was waiting for Madeleine to deny it. She thought of Leonora, and felt guilty. Then she thought of the way Kitty Pettigrew had kissed him, quite openly, and felt curious. 

‘I think you’re really far too attractive to be alone with me in a beautiful garden,’ she said slowly. 

‘Young ladies should not say things they do not mean. That is the trouble with—the young these days.’ 

Madeleine’s curiosity knew no bounds now. Did he mean Leonora? Even the divine Kitty herself? Perhaps his heart was broken by having to leave her in Paris. Leonora might be just a diversion to cheer him up. There was always that hope. Leonora was at least human, and stood a good chance of having as many faults as Madeleine.

Kitty was too depressingly good to be true.