Taken by His Sword (Swords of Chevalerie Book 1) Victorian Historical Romance by Florence A. Bliss Book Tour with Guest Post & Author Q&A
Synopsis (from Amazon):
He took her innocence…She took his honor. But when
danger unhinges their world, someone will have to fall on their sword.
The lust. The betrayal. The love. Sometimes the
hardest battle…is seducing your enemy.
Alexandra wants one thing:
to train with her sword, never mind the outraged public. But when the achingly
handsome Monsieur Philippe kisses her, she finds herself willing to give up her
heart and even her blade to be with him. That is, until she learns Philippe
took another woman to bed after giving Alexandra her first kiss. Shattered and
humiliated, Alexandra is done with etiquette. She’s done with skirts and
ruffles. And men. Now, five years later, she’s a mercenary, known for her quick
wits, expert blade, and dedication to protecting the people she guides through
the uncharted forests of Provence. And if, by chance, she ever sees Philippe
again, she’ll have no problem knocking that seductive smile right off his
goddamned face.
Philippe never forgot the
tender kiss he and Alexandra shared, and he never forgave himself for acting so
badly. Years later, when he finds himself tracking a mysterious band of foes,
the mercenary hired to lead him is none other than the enticing girl he
unwittingly destroyed. But Alexandra is a woman now, a breathtaking and
dangerous woman. Though he must balance his mounting desire for her with his
duty to tame the venomous nest of criminals, Philippe soon realizes that
winning Alexandra’s affection will mean he must strip his pride, lay his title
on the line, and fight harder than ever before. And if dodging a few of her
punches means he can maybe get another taste of her, then this adventure might
be more explosive than he ever expected.
EXCERPT:
“I should have liked to have this pool to myself,” she said with a
purr, a smile still on her lips. “It seems too small for two.”
Her teasing
allowed him to find his words again. “When in truth it is far too big,” he drawled,
his voice deep in his throat. He pursued her, moving closer as she inched back
around the edge of the spring. He had
tried so hard to manage his desire for her. He had promised to keep things
professional during this trip; God knew how many times his attraction for this
woman had turned so terribly wrong, but it was so deep-seated in him by now
that he could no longer fight it.
Alex stretched
her arms out in front of her. “You stay back,” she said, that smile still in
her eyes.
“I shall try,” he
said. “But you have left your sword on the bank, so you have no means by which
to protect yourself.”
“Well, Monsieur,” she purred again, “I am much
better at grappling than I used to be.”
He groaned and
fell back into the water, the words having knocked him clean over. “Now you are
just teasing me,” he said when he emerged.
“I am sorry,” she
said coyly, “but I don’t know what you mean.”
“You are not so
naïve that you don’t know what you are saying.” She smiled at that and
continued slipping through the warm water. He was helpless to resist the pull
and he continued his slow pursuit of her. “In fact,”
he continued. “You are far too alluring to be so
innocent.”
Her eyes opened
wide as his comment put a blush in her cheeks. She looked down and drew a
circle in the water. “You still don’t believe my innocence?” She asked, looking
back at him, her eyes glimmering with playfulness once more.
“I do. But I
don’t understand it.” He paused. “May I ask you a question?” he said.
“Aye,” she
replied.
“There is
something I wonder about you.”
“Aye,” she
repeated.
“You shun the
traditions of womanhood, but why have you not shunned…” he hesitated. “All of
them?”
She looked at him
quietly. “You mean to ask why I have not taken a lover?”
“Well, you have
taken on the life of a man. But none of
the fun.”
“Ah,” she said,
tucking her chin down to her chest and looking up at him blithely. “It is very
fun to take a man down with my sword.”
He moved around
her, still searching for a way to get closer. “Answer my question,” he pressed.
“I will,” she said, his boldness seeming to shake her.
“But then you will answer one for me?”
“I agree,” he
said and took the liberty to run his eyes over her body once more.
She dipped again
into the water, a slick stream licking her skin and changing the pattern of her
hair across her breasts. “Well, My
Lord,” she began. She was sarcastic at first, but then her face
changed. She looked away, and when she
looked back to him, her eyes were full of inexperience and it was the first
time he had seen this face on her since she was young. It roused intense feelings inside of him.
“Philippe,” she
corrected herself, using a smile to hide her nerves and giving him the rare
gift of his name. “I don’t trust myself,” she said. She lowered
her gaze. “I am weak. I fear I would get attached. To someone who isn’t as
attached to me.” She brought her hands up to follow the ripples in the water. “And
besides, it could never be what I hope for.”
“What do you hope for?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “To
feel special, I suppose.”
He said nothing
for a moment, her words having struck him deeply. He wanted to take her in his
arms,
to hold her body close in the hot water, but he
feared she would run like a wild animal if he tried. Instead, he spoke softly,
earnestly. “Alex.” He made sure to look deep into her eyes and hold her gaze.
He wanted her to know he was sincere. “You are special. Don’t you know?”
She broke his eye
contact. “I am strange,” she said with a smile before letting it fade from her
lips as she spoke her next words. “It is not the same thing.”
He watched her,
still pressing closer, unable to stop. “A man would be lucky to have you,” he
said.
She laughed away
his words. “You are being kind,” she replied. “But now it is my turn to ask a
question.”
Why didn’t she
believe him, he wondered. Did he not seem sincere? He wanted to press further
but instead acquiesced, still afraid of pushing her too far. “Alright,” he said
finally.
With his assent,
her brashness returned. “Why,” she began with a teasing smile, “do you wait
for me to go to bed each night in the towns? Do you fear I will run off with
your horse?”
He stared at her
for a long moment. “I thought it was obvious,” he said, looking into her eyes
as bright as the stars. “I want you to see that I go to bed alone.”
When did I become too old to grammar?
At the end of every sentence, I show my age. I
put a punctuation mark and then hit the spacebar, twice. I might as well go change the tennis balls on my walker.
When did it change? Where was I? I was busy
doing other elder millennial things, I guess, like frosting my tips and going
into debt.
This all came to my attention when I was
having an editor read my synopsis and query letter for my lovely, spicy
historical romance, Taken by His Sword.
She told me to stop adding the extra space after the period. Then she carefully
explained how to find the offenders by using the CTRL-F function. Like I was 75
years old.
When I started to pay closer attention, I
realized other things that I thought were right were now wrong. Hard fast rules
were slipping away from me too, like grains of sand through my typing fingers.
The singular they used to replace the
bulky yet elegant “he or she”? Apparently we’re done with hyphens? Prepositions can go wherever they want?
Besides being a writer, I’m a middle school English teacher, so I see a lot of
“inventive grammar.” Purpose is more important than precision in most cases, so
I’m not offended by errors (even though some of the grammar crimes a
13-year-old can commit cause me to hawk-screech while grading). The truth is, I
am not upset by these changes, they are just happening at a quick clip. I
remember the actual day I learned when to use whom. I felt so smart. So in control of my language. Now if I say
“whom,” I’m a butthead.
I liked knowing the complicated schematics of
grammar. Each little thing I learned was another way to bend the language into
submission when I wanted to create an effect (not affect, at least that has stayed the same). But now the changing
rules are outpacing me, and I’m doing unintentional things right and
intentional things wrong. Just as my own writing is finally getting to enter
the world (Taken by His Sword–find it
on Amazon!), I’m realizing I don’t know as much as I thought I did.
But isn’t that just life? Once we know how to
do something, everything changes.
Now, will somebody please tell me how to repost this to my socials? You’ll need to explain it to me like I’m 75.
AUTHOR Q&A:
How did
you do research for your book?
Since my book is historical I spent a lot of
time reading about French culture, history, and sword fighting in the 1600s.
The nice thing about doing a historical is that there isn’t anyone alive that
can confirm or deny what I say. If I have some obscure question (did they eat at parties? What type of feather did
they use for quills?) and I don’t find the answer in one or two searches, then
I just invoke creative license and make it up!
Where
do you get inspiration for your stories?
I’ll be walking along and suddenly BOOM–story
idea. Sometimes it will come from an
interaction I see between two people. An exchange I hear, a portrait, a dream.
For Taken by His Sword, I had a very
vivid dream of a girl holding a sword while everyone around her was wearing
fancy, historical clothes. I’m an introverted people watcher so I’m constantly
imagining stories involving the strangers I see. Be careful about catching my
eye–I might write about you one day…
What
advice would you give budding writers?
Just write the thing! Don’t worry about making every word or every
scene perfect the first time you put it on the page because chances are, as
your story develops, you’re going to figure new things out and you will have to
make adjustments. Inevitably, you’re going to realize you need something to
happen on page 23 so the scene on page 314 makes sense. It’s really hard to shred a perfectly
polished scene, so try to push through to the end even if you don’t have every
little problem solved.
Do you
have another profession besides writing?
Yes! I
am a middle school English teacher! But
don’t tell my students I wrote a romance novel because they will use it against
me.
How
long have you been writing?
I have been writing for over 20 years! I had a
few little literary stories published years ago, but other than that I was
struggling to find something to write about that really resonated for me. That’s when I started with romance because I
loved romance novels so much growing up.
Do you
ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?
Yeah of course, but I don’t let it stop me
from being productive. I set reasonable goals for myself. These may be a word
count or time limit. I think the best
way to get through writer’s block is force yourself through something even if
it’s not perfect. I might set a goal at
100 words or 10 minutes of hard concentration.
Doing this consistently will get me through those valleys.
What
genre do you write and why?
I have a soft spot for historical romance
because those were my first romance books.
I like the added social constraints of historicals, but I have some
ideas for contemporary and sci-fi romances as well.
What is
a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Well, my mom thinks I’m the best writer she’s
ever read and what can beat a statement like that?
In one
sentence, what was the road to publishing like?
They took my innocence, they took my honor,
sometimes the hardest battle is seducing your publisher. (That witty one-liner
is a play on the tag line for my book, lol.)
What is
one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?
Get involved in the community. I made no progress until I went to the
Romance Writers of America conference.
There I was able to pitch to City Owl who became my publisher. I’d guess a lot of writers tend to be
introverts like me. I reallllyyyy did not want to put myself out there at a
conference, but it ended up being a super supportive community. I’d still be sitting here with a completed
manuscript in a drawer if I hadn’t gone.
What is
something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?
Oh my goodness I cut about 40 thousand words
from that sucker. In the director’s cut, I explored much more of how young Alex
came to live with the Duchess and then fall in love with swordfighting and
Philippe. I actually think the version
that got published is much tighter, but those were really hard cuts at the
time!
On rituals:
Do you
snack while writing? Favorite snack?
Just coffee.
So much coffee.
Do you
write every day?
I sure try to!
What is
your writing schedule?
Depends on where I am at in the process. For a first draft I give myself word
limits. Usually 1000-1500 per day. For later drafts, I will set a daily time
limit for revising.
In
today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever
written parts of your book on paper?
The first step for me is handwriting the plot
in a stream of consciousness style flood in a spiral, college-ruled
notebook. This gives me the basic story
structure to go off of. When I get stuck
on a scene, I go back to the notebook and free write until I spark an idea.
If
you’re a mom writer, how do you balance your time?
LOL how do moms balance anything? We are the
superheroes! I just write and get
interrupted 17,000 times. If I don’t get stopped every 6 words or so, I don’t
even know what I am doing.
Fun stuff:
Favorite
travel spot?
Anywhere I can drink a pina colada by a body
of water.
Any
hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I’m really good with numbers and I’m obsessed
with food. That means most of my
memories revolve around what I ate and how much it cost.
What is
something you've learned about yourself during the pandemic?
I LOVED the pandemic. Aside from the crippling
fear that society was crumbling, I was super into never leaving my house.
What TV
series are you currently binge watching?
My daughter and I cycle between The Office, Modern Family, and Schitt’s
Creek.
What is
your favorite thing to do in the summer?
I live in Las Vegas so during the summer we
just stay inside and shake our fists at the sun.
What is
something that made you laugh recently?
Oh my gosh, my mom somehow sent a picture of
her legs in the bathtub to a group chat.
It was a total accident (she thought her open camera was a facetime, but
we were just on a voice call). I was
like–mom, you couldn’t repeat the
process of taking a picture while on a call and sending to a group chat even if
you had a 30 page instruction manual and a video tutorial.
Tell us
about your longest friendship.
I met my bestie Melane in kindergarten! She
was Chinese, I was Italian. She smelled
like incense, I smelled like garlic. Love at first sight. We’ve been friends
ever since. She is my inspiration for
the female protagonist in my next book!
What is
the strangest way you've become friends with someone?
I am a middle school teacher. A new male
teacher started at my school. I thought
he was kind of a pompous d-bag. Then I
found out that he had an MFA in poetry (I have an MFA in fiction) and I
thought… ohhhh you’re MY KIND of pompous d-bag.
We’ve been friends for nearly ten years now.
Author
Bio:
Florence A. Bliss is an author from Las Vegas, NV who
has a keen eye for writing love stories full of drama, heartache, humor, and
enough seduction to light the pages on fire. With an MFA in creative writing
from UNLV, Florence loves to write across genres but has found her home in
romance. She lives with her fancy Italian husband and two children. Together
they love to travel, explore the ghost towns around Las Vegas, road trip up and
down the Pacific coast, and of course drink coffee out of tiny cups (milk for
the kids). Florence is an avid people
watcher and strives to understand why people do what they do, and she never
tires of imagining the stories of what couples have had to overcome in order to
come together.
Website: https://www.florenceabliss.com/
Instagram: @florence.a.bliss
Author
Marketing Experts tags for social media:
Twitter: @Bookgal
Instagram: @therealbookgal
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aoWc2l
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213784980-taken-by-his-sword
Praise:
“This book has it all! It was spicy. It was
exciting! There was a really compelling mystery I couldn't wait to solve. I
loved how the author used fighting as foreplay between our main characters.
DE-LICIOUS. Alex and Philippe are really well matched. I love a strong heroine
and a worshipping hero. The slow burn was fantastic! Their chemistry was
scorching hot. I love emotional love scenes, and Bliss delivers!!”
“Wow. I did not expect this! This book offered
to take me away, and I let it. I cannot wait to see more from this author. It
truly moved me, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.”
– Des (Amazon reviewer)
“Highly recommend to readers who enjoy
historical fiction with a strong independent female lead, a bit of well crafted
spiciness and a happy ending.”
–Emmeline
Everdeen (Amazon reviewer)
“My first historical romance and it was
wonderful! Set in 1600s France, Alexandra and Philippe have a history. What
started as her first kiss ended in her first heartbreak. 5 years later, they
reconnect for a mission and find so much more. Loved the reconnection, spice,
and so much more!”
–
Stephanie Stoffella (Amazon reviewer)
“If you’re like me, you’d hesitate to pick up
a sword-fighting book set in France centuries ago. But the author made it so
fun interspersing sexual tension with sword play. There was plenty of suspense
and danger afoot too not knowing who could be trusted. Ms. Bliss mixed modern
touches of strong women and popular language with the honor and lifestyle of
that historical period. Can’t wait to read the next one!”
–
boomerbookstagram (Amazon reviewer)
#takenbyhissword #swordsofchevalerie #renissance #victorianromance #historicalromance #guestpost #authorinterview #booktour #florenceabliss #authormarketingexperts
Comments
Post a Comment