Excerpt Thursday: Inceptio by Alison Morton

This week, we're welcoming author Alison Morton with her exciting debut title, Inceptio. Join us on Sunday, when the author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:

The first in a series of exciting alternate history thrillers set in mysterious Roma Nova.

New York, present day. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe.

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety and a ready-made family. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus, who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

**An Excerpt from Inceptio**

I

The boy lay in the dirt in the centre of New York’s Kew Park, blood flowing out of both his nostrils, his fine blond hair thrown out in little strands around his head. I stared at my own hand, still bunched, pain rushing to gather at the reddening knuckles. I hadn’t knocked anybody down since junior high, when Albie Jolak had tried to put his hand up my sobbing cousin’s skirt. I started to tremble. But not with fear – I was so angry.

One of the boy’s friends inched forward with a square of white cloth. He dabbed it over the fallen boy’s face, missing most of the blood. Only preppy boys carried white handkerchiefs. Aged around eighteen, nineteen, all three wore blazers and grey pants, but their eyes were bright, boiling with light, cheeks flushed. And their movements were a little too fluid. They were high. I dropped my left hand to grab my radio and called it in. Passive now, the second boy knelt by the one I’d knocked down. The third one sat on the grass and grinned like an idiot while we waited. If they attacked me again, I had my spray.

Keeping my eyes fixed on them, I circled around to the slumped figure lying a few steps away on the grass. Their victim. I laid two fingers on his neck and thankfully found a pulse. After a glance back at his tormentors, I bent my face sideways and felt his breath on my cheek. He groaned and his body tensed as he tried to move. A battered, brown felt hat lay upside down by the side of his head of long silver and black hair stiff like wire. He opened his eyes. Dull with sweat and grime, the red-brown skin stretched over high cheekbones showed he had to be an Indigenous. Well, damn. What was he doing this far east, away from the protected territories?

I heard path gravel crunching as Steff appeared through the cherry blossom cloud, driving his keeper’s buggy with Tubs as shotgun.

‘Karen?’

‘One with a bloody nose, and all three for banning. Tell Chip I’ll do the report as soon as I finish here.’

They herded the three delinquents onto the buggy. Before they left, I helped myself to dressings and swabs from the emergency kit in the buggy trunk. I had to get back to their victim. He sat up and put his hand to his head. He shrank back, his eyes full of fear when he saw me. Maybe it was my green uniform, with its park logo and ‘Autonomous City of New York’ stamped on the shoulder.

My hand started to throb, but I managed to unscrew the top of my water bottle and gave it to him.

‘C’mon, old guy, drink this.’

He lifted his face, grabbed the bottle and drank it in one go. His Adam’s apple bounced above a grimy line on his neck around the level of his disintegrating shirt collar. And he stank. But, right now, he needed my swabs and Band-Aids. Under a diagonal cut on his forehead, a bruise was blooming around his eye to match the one on his jaw. His hand was grazed, with bubbles of blood starting to clot. I cleaned his wounds, speaking calming words to him as I bandaged him up.

‘Okay, let’s get you to the nearest hospital,’ I said, but, as I lifted my radio again, he seized my wrist.

‘No,’ he said.

‘It’s okay, there’s a free one, the other side of the park in Kew Road West.’ Which was just as well, as he plainly couldn’t pay private.

‘No. Thank you. I’m well. I can go now.’

The anxious look in his dark eyes swung between my face and the safety of the tall trees. I’d have to call in for the Indigenous New York Bureau number. As I spoke to Chip, I looked over the lake at the old wood boathouse on the far side. Beyond the trees behind it, the windows in the red-brick Dutch highhouses along Verhulst Street threw the full sun back. When I turned around, the old man had disappeared.

Learn more about author Alison Morton at:

www.alison-morton.com

Follow Alison on Twitter: @alison_morton

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Guest Blog: Sophie Schiller

This week, we're welcoming author Sophie Schiller with her latest title, The Spy Island. The author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:

At the height of the Great War, Abby Maduro is an adventurous orphan who saves the life of a stranded sailor who has washed ashore on her Caribbean island. In spite of the danger and consequences she faces, Abby shelters Erich Seibold in the basement of her house and friendship and love blossom between the unlikely pair. In time, Abby learns that the erudite stranger is a deserter from a German U-boat. When the island's German Consul, Lothar Langsdorff, also discovers Erich's true identity, he blackmails him into joining his spy ring by committing sabotage and murder. After a tumult involving the Danish governor, Erich is hunted down and thrown into prison, forcing Abigail to risk everything to save him. But with Langsdorff and his spy ring still on the loose, Abigail relies on wits, bravery and a little island magic to save her tranquil island from a dangerous German spy. Spy Island is a historical spy thriller for the adventure-lover in you. Prepare to be carried away to an exotic tropical island with its potent mixture of action, suspense, romance, and delightful island characters who will cast their spell over you. 

**Q&A with Sophie Schiller**

Do you have a particular approach to research and writing?

I've developed a workable approach over the years. I accumulate a large amount of books and memoirs on the topic I'm writing about. Then I systematically read them, highlighting the parts that are relevant, or else writing notes in a legal-sized notebook, jotting down important facts such as vocabulary, weaponry, gadgets people used, relevant brand names, monetary value of everyday items, attitudes, how they entertained themselves, what techniques they used to get out of difficult situations, speech patterns, how they played jokes on each other, how they handled social snubs, what issues were important to them. Some of the most telling details, however, are the ones they tried to hide or gloss over.

Have other writers of historical fiction influenced you and, if so, how have they influenced you? 

My biggest influences were Ken Follett, Leon Uris, and Jeffrey Archer. Even when they were writing about ordinary people, they set the action against a larger historical backdrop, putting you right in the middle of the action, so to speak. In the sphere of non-fiction, Dava Sobel is an especially brilliant writer who is able to humanize her characters and make the reader care about them, she does this extraordinarily well in "Longitude" and "Galileo's Daughter".

What ingredients do you think make for a favorite historical fiction author? Do you deliberately plan for these ingredients in your writing?

When a writer can set aside his own attitudes and beliefs and let the characters be true to themselves, then you have a chance to recreate history in an entertaining fashion. But when a writer interjects his own cultural beliefs and attitudes onto his characters, then he puts his audience on guard and risks making them feel manipulated. The classic cliché in this regard is the 18th century lady with feminist ideals, or the First Class passenger on the Titanic who wants to experience Third Class travel because he feels more enlightened and egalitarian than his close-minded peers. That is not to suggest that such people didn't exist, but they would have been labeled eccentric.

Another important ingredient for a historical fiction writer is to humanize his characters, especially his villains. Ken Follett is particularly good at this. Don't just show the Nazi sympathizer as a violent Sociopath; show how devoted he is to his wife (Hornet Flight). All people are multi-dimensional. Or in the case of a novel with no human villains, show how society's prevailing attitudes toward class, ethnicity, or country of origin can take on the role of villain, causing people to needlessly suffer and die. (Paths of Glory, Archer; Tales of the South Pacific, Michener; Hawaii, Michener)

How do you select new stories to tell?

When I feel a pressing need to tell a character's story, that's when I look into the feasibility of writing about them. But desire is not enough. Sometimes you love a character and desperately want to tell their story, but the details of their life are locked up in a Royal Archives. Not every country has the "Freedom of Information" Act and it makes you appreciate America's fairly easy access to first-hand research material.

What techniques do you employ to write productively? 

I try to stay focused and stay in character. Sometimes I work on a scene for months until I get it right.

What do you do to connect with readers?  

I'm on Facebook and I have a blog. Anyone who writes to me will definitely get a response!

Learn more about author Sophie Schiller:

Sophie Schiller Blog: http://sophieschiller.blogspot.com/

Sophie Schiller on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchillerSophie?fref=ts

Twitter: @SophieSchiller

Medicine & Folklore: "The Museum of Death" at Philadelphia's Mütter Museum

By Kathryn A. Kopple

On S. 22nd Street in Philadelphia, amid the handsome sandstone apartments and artisan coffee shops, stands an unassuming building with a sign in white and blue that reads:  The College of Physicians. “Just another medical school,” the causal passerby might think with a yawn.  Why bother stopping? Far more eye-fetching monuments beckon around the corner.  The Greek Revival magnificence of Philadelphia’s Museum of Art comes to mind, or the baroque splendor of City Hall.  Nothing about The College of Physicians makes much of an impression.   Not counting The Forum, a triple X movie theatre a block or two away, it is located in a sedate residential neighborhood; and then there is its name—so straightforward and institutional sounding.   From the outside, The College of Physicians holds all the promise of a doctor’s waiting room:  wall-to-wall carpeting, cheap water-color prints, piles of dog-eared magazines, and the nose-wrinkling and pervasive odor of disinfectant.  You could easily imagine one of Baudelaire’s urban strollers walking past the place without a second glance; in search of more exquisite sights and sounds, the flâneur would press on in the direction of Rittenhouse Square.  No doubt, he would laugh in disbelief when told that he had just snubbed one of the world’s most unique museums, a collection that boasts over “20,000 unforgettable objects”—many of them human remains.

The initiated, however, know better:  those who have made the trip to Philadelphia’s famous anatomical institute, coming by train or on foot, and have climbed the worn steps leading to the college; those who have patiently waited in line to pay the $10.00 admission fee, where visitors exchange nervous glances—the marble foyer echoing with excited voices.  I confess that, as I waited among them, I wondered if it wasn’t too late to change my mind.  Just turn around and walk away.  Did I really need to know what lay beyond the vestibule furnished with reddish brown leather couches and dark oil paintings of scientists and doctors?  What about the name of the museum’s founder, Thomas Mütter, whose German appellation is carved in heavy black letters above the narrow entrance to the gallery? 

In 1858, Thomas Dent Mütter, Professor of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College, bequeathed his personal collection of anatomic and forensic materials to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.  Over the years, the Mütter has garnered an obscure if sensational reputation.  Locals refer to it as “the museum of death.” Once inside, the Mütter presents the viewer with a strange series of paradoxes:  the mahogany repose of a gentleman’s library, where atrocities of every possible type are catalogued and exhibited; an institute devoted to medical progress that offers one freakish spectacle after the other.  On public display is a fantastically enlarged colon, jars of fetuses in every stage of development preserved in formaldehyde, dozens of skulls and skeletons, a fully preserved corpse known as “the Soap Lady,” and numerous shrunken heads.  To call the collection “unforgettable” is an understatement.  The museum will transform your ideas of what it means to be human.  If it doesn’t, you might want to check your pulse.  After leaving the Mütter, you will realize that the human body is capable of anything.  Physicians refer to the body in terms of “systems” and “structures” but they do not come close to describing the chaos that ensues when, say, a human head begins to grow horns or an organ is found to contain tumors with teeth and hair.  It is impossible to look upon this wild proliferation without awe and terror.  Not surprisingly, the men and women who have spent their lives working in close proximity to disease and death exhibit a fascination with the macabre that exceeds the purely clinical demeanor required of the scientist.  However disturbing, the Mütter houses numerous “mementoes,” among them physicians’ notebooks and instrument cases bound in human skin.

The tanning of human leather represents what Lisa Rosner might refer to as the dark side of the Enlightenment.  A professor at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Rosner is the author of The Anatomy Murders, which can be purchased at museum’s gift shop.  In her acknowledgements, she cites the support of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and reading her book you sense that she has spent long hours there and disapproves of many of its traditions and practices.  While her book focuses on Burke and Hare, two of the 19^th century’s most notorious murders, Rosner devotes many pages to “the man of science who abetted them in their crimes.”  Over a period of twelve months, Burke and Hare murdered sixteen people—three men, twelve women, and one child—and delivered the corpses to Dr. Robert Knox.  Knox paid his suppliers well and asked no questions.  Body snatchers had long satisfied the anatomists’ need for subjects by robbing graves. Burke and Hare took the unfortunate business a step further by suffocating their victims and then selling the corpses for profit. 

Rosner is a conscientious researcher.  Her book represents heavy-going, although you can’t help but be impressed by her persistence and thoroughness.  She wants the reader to understand the tragedy of the Edinburgh murders and to underscore the fact that medical progress owes a tremendous debt to the poor and disenfranchised.  Her prose can’t compete with masterpieces like Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  She is a historian, not a novelist.  Nor does her tendency to cite her sources at length and inject the book with large doses of period language succeed in enlivening her style.  On the other hand, Rosner does an excellent job of raising questions that many of us today, benefitting from medical horrors past and present, would simply rather not ask. 

Kathryn A.Kopple is the author of Little Velásquez, a novel set in 15^th century Spain.         

New & Noteworthy: May 17

• Michelle Styles will be in Berlin at the Loveletter Convention on 25 -26 May, where she will be speaking in a workshop on the popularity of the warrior hero trope. Full details at: loveletterconvention.com

•  J S Dunn will be speaking at the 2013 History Festival of Ireland on 15th June, chairing a panel on Ireland's Bronze Age. For more info see:  www.thehistoryfestivalofireland.com

•  Kim Rendfeld has a new post up at English Historical Fiction Authors about Saint Boniface —  here is a link to the article.

• Author Maria Grace is hosting a Summer Banquet Blog Hop June 3-7, which will include posts and giveaways by our own Heather Domin, Stephanie Dray, Ginger Myrick, & Kim Renfeld. Sign-up sheet is here: http://authormariagrace.com/blog-hop-sign-up/

•  The following Unusual Historicals contributors will be at the Historical Novel Society's 5th North American Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, June 21-23: Heather Domin, Stephanie Dray, J S Dunn, Kim Rendfeld, & Lisa Yarde. Details at http://hns-conference.org/. Heather, Stephanie, and J S will be participating in several panels. We look forward to seeing you there!

Excerpt Thursday: Spy Island by Sophie Schiller

This week, we're welcoming author Sophie Schiller with her latest title, The Spy Island. Join us on Sunday, when the author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:

At the height of the Great War, Abby Maduro is an adventurous orphan who saves the life of a stranded sailor who has washed ashore on her Caribbean island. In spite of the danger and consequences she faces, Abby shelters Erich Seibold in the basement of her house and friendship and love blossom between the unlikely pair. In time, Abby learns that the erudite stranger is a deserter from a German U-boat. When the island's German Consul, Lothar Langsdorff, also discovers Erich's true identity, he blackmails him into joining his spy ring by committing sabotage and murder. After a tumult involving the Danish governor, Erich is hunted down and thrown into prison, forcing Abigail to risk everything to save him. But with Langsdorff and his spy ring still on the loose, Abigail relies on wits, bravery and a little island magic to save her tranquil island from a dangerous German spy. Spy Island is a historical spy thriller for the adventure-lover in you. Prepare to be carried away to an exotic tropical island with its potent mixture of action, suspense, romance, and delightful island characters who will cast their spell over you. 

**An Excerpt from Spy Island**

In this scene, Erich has been arrested and Abby infiltrates the prison in order to carry out her escape plan.

I trail the policeman through the courtyard, attempting to avert my gaze from the hissing prisoners as I search for Erich. Suddenly, we halt in front of a cell door in the prison's southern wall.

"You have five minutes, no more, then be on your way," says the policeman, inserting the key in the lock and calling out, "Hey Kaiser man, you have a visitor."

When the prisoner turns around, my relief is boundless. Although his face is obscured by the shadows, I have no doubt that it's Erich. As soon as he sees me, Erich bolts upright and starts toward us, but the jailer holds up his huge, powerful hand.

"Not so fast, Kaiser man," he yells. "Stop right dere. Talk from ovah dere."

The policeman turns and retraces his steps through the courtyard, leaving us alone for a few precious minutes. With the door ajar, I slip inside Erich's cell and throw my arms around him.

"Erich! I thought I'd never see you again. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he says, with a mixture of shock and relief. "And what about you? How the devil did you manage to get in here?"

"I have my ways," I say. "I did what anybody would do under the circumstances. But I had to see you again, no matter what. What are they going to do to you?"

"They'll charge me with espionage, but only after they interrogate me for any useful information I care to divulge about German wartime strategy."

I hiss in his ear. "Now listen carefully. I'm going to get you out of here. Just do what I say…there’s no time to lose."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"I'm quite serious," I affirm, pulling out the gendarme uniform. "It's our only chance. Put it on quick. The outside gate is still unlocked and there's only one policeman on duty right now. Larsen's in his office daydreaming and if you hurry, you might be able to slip through the front gate. I calculate you have about two minutes."

Erich's eyes go wide as he assesses the uniform. Then he tears off his clothing and pulls on the uniform with a ferocity I have never seen. First the jacket, carefully fastening all the buttons as he mutters, "This is the craziest thing I've ever heard." Next he switches trousers, almost stumbling over from exasperation. He smooths back his hair, tops it off with the cap and lowers it until it almost conceals his eyes.

By now, Erich's forehead is sweating profusely. "If they catch me, they'll shoot me. You realize that, don't you?"

"Shhh!" I caution. "He's coming back."

 My knees quiver uncontrollably as I hear the policeman’s footsteps approaching. I glance over at Erich. Though his knuckles are white and his face is drained of color, his disguise is perfect. He's virtually indistinguishable from any other gendarme. He presses me against the wall with his left arm while he holds his right index finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. I nod and we both fall silent. The policeman's whistles reverberate off the thick walls, blending in with the banter of the grooms and the splashing of the water.  When it feels as though the noise can't get any louder, I hold my breath. Next to me, I feel Erich's muscles tensing, waiting for the moment to strike.

Learn more about author Sophie Schiller:

Sophie Schiller Blog: http://sophieschiller.blogspot.com/

Sophie Schiller on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchillerSophie?fref=ts

Twitter: @SophieSchiller

Guest Blog: Christina Courtenay

This week, we're so delighted to welcome back an award-winning author Christina Courtenay, with her latest title, The Gilded Fan.  The author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:

How do you start a new life, leaving behind all you love?

It’s 1641, and when Midori Kumashiro, the orphaned daughter of a warlord, is told she has to leave Japan or die, she has no choice but to flee to England. Midori is trained in the arts of war, but is that enough to help her survive a journey, with a lecherous crew and an attractive captain she doesn’t trust?

Having come to Nagasaki to trade, the last thing Captain Nico Noordholt wants is a female passenger, especially a beautiful one. How can he protect her from his crew when he can’t keep his own eyes off her?

During their journey, Nico and Midori form a tentative bond, but they both have secrets that can change everything. When they arrive in England, a civil war is brewing, and only by standing together can they hope to survive …

**Inspiration for the Gilded Fan From Christian Courtenay**

The Japanese are always very welcoming and polite to foreigners, treating them with courtesy and consideration. That wasn’t always the case, however, which is why I came up with the idea for my new novel The Gilded Fan where my heroine has to flee the country or be persecuted.

When the first foreigners (Spanish and Portuguese) appeared during the 16th century, they were initially allowed to enter the country and many of them came as missionaries, trying to spread Christianity to what they thought of as “the heathens”. (The Japanese in their turn considered the foreigners “barbarians”). The English and Dutch came only to trade and were also cautiously welcomed to begin with. The Englishman Will Adams even went so far as to become a confidant of the Shogun (ruler) Tokugawa Ieyasu and James Clavell’s novel Shogun was based on his life and true events. But then things started to go downhill.

The Shogun heard that the Christians considered God’s word as law and that was something he couldn’t tolerate. In Japan, the Shogun’s word was law – end of story. So the Christians were persecuted and the Portuguese and Spaniards evicted from the country, while the English and Dutch were allowed to stay on in the port of Hirado only (north of Nagasaki). The English traders didn’t do very well and eventually left of their own accord, but the Dutch clung onto their tiny foothold.

This became even smaller when they were forced to move to a man-made island called Dejima in Nagasaki’s harbour. It was shaped like the Shogun’s fan and connected to the mainland only by a single bridge which was guarded at all times. The foreigners were forbidden to set foot on the mainland unless invited and so they had to spend all their time on this island. It must have been a surreal existence and very claustrophobic! (The novel The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell describes this).

While doing research for my own novel, I visited Dejima and it was an amazing feeling to stand where those long-ago traders had spent their lives. I was very fortunate to be able to see it because Dejima had at one time disappeared under reclaimed land in the harbour, but has now been reconstructed and designated a national historical site. Many of the original buildings have been rebuilt and I was able to go into the Chief Factor’s residence and other houses and see how the traders would have lived – it was fascinating! I also walked from one end of the island to the other, which didn’t take very long at all, and spent time studying a model that has been built to show the island as it would have been in the past.

Although I had read a lot about Dejima beforehand and thought I knew it well, actually visiting the place was invaluable when it came to writing my book. There are some things you just can’t imagine and I came away loaded with notes, photos and memories, all of which were woven into my story.

If you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend a visit to this unique site!

To Purchase:

Kindle edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gilded-Fan-Choc-Lit-ebook/dp/B00AN9NX1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358604804&sr=1-1

Paperback edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Gilded-Fan-Christina-Courtenay/dp/1781890080/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1358604804&sr=1-1

The Gilded Fan was published by Choc Lit on 7^th February 2013 (ISBN: 978-1-78189-008-0).  For more details see www.christinacourtenay.com

Twitter:  @PiaCCourtenay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4112359.Christina_Courtenay

Medicine & Folklore: Agnodice - The first woman physician

By Mirella Patzer

I was born in 300 BC in ancient Greece, and in today's world, you know me only as a legend. Did I exist? Or did I not? I shall leave it to you to decide. Here is my story:

I was a noblewoman who dreamed of becoming a healer. More than anything, I wanted to practice medicine in an era when women were legally prohibited from the healing arts. The only way I could achieve my dream was to cut my hair and wear men's clothing. Encouraged by my father, I dressed thusly and soon become an avid student of the famous Alexandrian physician, Herophilus where I earned the highest marks.

After I finished my studies, as I walked the streets of Athens, I heard the screams of a woman in the throes of labor. I rushed to assist her. The woman, believing me to be a man, refused to allow me to touch her. Desperate to convince her otherwise, I lifted up my clothes and revealed that I was a woman. She allowed me to deliver her baby. Women everywhere soon flocked to me. To evade the authorities, I dressed as a man, not only during my studies but also whenever I practiced.

When my male colleagues discovered that requests for their services were dwindling, while mine were increasing, they accused me of seducing and raping the women patients.

I was subsequently arrested and charged. At my trial, the leading men of Athens condemned me. To save myself from the death penalty, I revealed I was really a woman. A crowd of my patients declared in front of the temple that if I were executed, they would die with me. The wives of the judges argued, "You are not spouses, but enemies since you are condemning her who discovered health for us."

Under pressure by the crowd, the judges acquitted me and allowed me to continue practicing medicine.

I continued to work mostly with women and have been credited with being one of the first women gynecologists in history.

Whether or not the legend of my life is true, it is a story which the world of medicine has long cherished.


Agnodice
B.C. 300

Follow Mirella on Twitter

History and Women Blog

Mirella's Books
http://mirellapatzer.com

http://historyandwomen.com

http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com

Excerpt Thursday: The Gilded Fan by Christina Courtenay

This week, we're so delighted to welcome back an award-winning author Christina Courtenay, with her latest title, The Gilded Fan.  Join us on Sunday, when the author will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:

How do you start a new life, leaving behind all you love?

It’s 1641, and when Midori Kumashiro, the orphaned daughter of a warlord, is told she has to leave Japan or die, she has no choice but to flee to England. Midori is trained in the arts of war, but is that enough to help her survive a journey, with a lecherous crew and an attractive captain she doesn’t trust?

Having come to Nagasaki to trade, the last thing Captain Nico Noordholt wants is a female passenger, especially a beautiful one. How can he protect her from his crew when he can’t keep his own eyes off her?

During their journey, Nico and Midori form a tentative bond, but they both have secrets that can change everything. When they arrive in England, a civil war is brewing, and only by standing together can they hope to survive …

**An Excerpt from The Gilded Fan**

Before Nico had time to do more than open his eyes wide in surprise, he found himself lying on his back in the dirt with all the air knocked from his lungs. Midori sat on top of him pointing a very sharp knife at his throat as he gasped to regain his breath. He stared at her in shock.

‘What the hell …? How did you …?’

A wave of fury surged through him, but he managed to hold his temper in check. This had gone beyond absurd. It was downright ridiculous.

It had been almost too easy and Midori knew she’d taken him by surprise only because he hadn’t expected to be attacked by a female. He was a big man, after all, and she was tiny in comparison, so he hadn’t been on his guard. She’d simply hooked her right leg behind his left one and pushed hard, then quickly jumped down on top of him as he fell, pulling out her knife. Luck had been on her side this time, but she was sure he’d never allow it to happen again. She would have to take advantage of her victory immediately.

The interview hadn’t been going according to plan, so Midori had known she had to do something drastic. She couldn’t fail. To go back to her brother without securing passage on board the captain’s ship would be to lose face. She had to prove to him she could fend for herself. With renewed determination, she gripped the handle of her knife and drew in another calming breath. It wouldn’t do to sink to this barbarian’s level; she must stay calm and reasonable. Slowly, she felt her inner harmony returning.

Several expressions flitted across the captain’s face – astonishment, anger and possibly a small measure of admiration. Midori waited in silence, her knife poised by his neck. She could see him debating with himself, but his next words indicated that although he wasn’t prepared to give in gracefully, he was wavering slightly.

‘We’re not going to England, so you’d have to find your way from Amsterdam to wherever you’re headed,’ he growled. ‘By yourself.’

‘Well, there must be ships that sail to London. It’s not that far, is it?’ Midori had no idea if this was true, but decided to take a chance. She wasn’t actually going to London, but knew it was England’s main city, so she was sure she could reach her destination from there somehow.

‘London?’ His eyebrows descended even further. ‘Your relatives live there?’

‘Um, nearby I believe, yes.’ To distract the man from the fact that she was lying, Midori gave him a dazzling smile. ‘So, you see, I’ll be all right if only you can take me as far as Amsterdam.’

The captain blinked and stared at her. She saw him swallow hard, then he closed his eyes and uttered what sounded like a groan. ‘Very well,’ he gritted out. ‘You may sail with us. I can’t guarantee your safety, but I’ll do my best. It might not be enough, though. Do you understand?’

‘Perfectly. When do we sail?’

‘We’re sailing with the tide the day after tomorrow. I’ll require your payment by tomorrow evening. A thousand pieces of silver.’

Midori didn’t bat an eyelid at this preposterous amount, although she couldn’t help wondering if Ichiro had brought such an enormous sum. ‘Five hundred,’ she said. ‘I’ll bring you half of it tomorrow, and the rest I will give you when we reach Amsterdam safely.’

‘I didn’t say the price was negotiable.’ His blue gaze had turned to steel.

‘No?’ Midori smiled sweetly and lifted her eyebrows, while pricking him with her dagger. A tiny droplet of blood appeared on his sunburned skin.

Captain Noordholt gave her a furious look, before turning the tables on her with a minimum amount of effort. He grabbed the hilt of her knife with lightning speed, twisting it out of her grip and throwing it to the ground. Then he shoved her off and jumped to his feet in one fluid motion. With another glare, he turned on his heel and stalked off.

‘Six hundred and not a piece less,’ he called over his shoulder before disappearing inside the house.

Midori sat in the mud and stared after him. ‘What an extraordinary man,’ she muttered. He could obviously have heaved her off at any time, but he’d let her think she had the upper hand. And then he gave in to her demands? It didn’t make sense to her, but she was grateful all the same.

She wondered if she would ever understand these foreigners.

Longer Excerpt here:

http://www.choc-lit.co.uk/The_Gilded_Fan_by_Christina_Courtenay_-_Extract.pdf

To Purchase:

Kindle edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gilded-Fan-Choc-Lit-ebook/dp/B00AN9NX1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358604804&sr=1-1

Paperback edition http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Gilded-Fan-Christina-Courtenay/dp/1781890080/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1358604804&sr=1-1

The Gilded Fan was published by Choc Lit on 7^th February 2013 (ISBN: 978-1-78189-008-0).  For more details see www.christinacourtenay.com

Twitter:  @PiaCCourtenay

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Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4112359.Christina_Courtenay