There's a sense of epicness to Grace Elliot's historical book, Hope's Betrayal. Join me today to learn more about this book and the slowly evolving connection between two people on opposite sides of the law. First up is Grace Elliot talking about hero worship.....
Hero Worship.
Hello, it's wonderful to be here and the name of this blog made me chuckle! My name is Grace Elliot and I write historical romance. In this post I thought I'd share a little about the hero in 'Hope's Betrayal,' a naval man by the name of Captain George Huntley.
One of the reasons that I like to write historicals is that there were so many social rules and prejudices to overcome, that the path of true love was forever bumpy and rutted - and 'Hope's Betrayal' is no exception. Our hero, Captain Huntley, is a man of integrity, who values honour and courage above all else. Unfortunately for Huntley, his body has other ideas when he finds himself attracted to Hope Tyler - who happens to be a smuggler and therefore his sworn enemy.
I must say Captain Huntley was such fun to write; I know when the writing is going well when I dream about the characters and George put in a nocturnal appearance several times! His character was so vivid and strong that he practically told his own story. Being a naval man, Captain Huntley is brave and courageous without doubt, but can he also cope with softer emotions such as tenderness and love? One of the themes in Hope's Betrayal is change, firstly when the hero and heroine must learn to compromise, and then again when on active duty, Huntley is badly injured. In this excerpt we join Captain Huntley as a broken man, barely able to walk.
"I don’t want your pity." Captain Huntley said.
"And I have no pity to give." Hope replied.
Slowly he turned. "Then why are you here?"
"Once you helped me. You protected me when others condemned me…and didn’t judge."
“But I don’t want anyone, least of all you, to feel sorry for me.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because I am not the man I was. Because I am useless. A wreck.”
“Well the man I know is bigger than that. The man I see before me, stood up to his fellow officers for what he believed was right. Your body will heal and you will recover, but your injury has taught you humility…and that’s a very appealing quality.”
Huntley stared at her, astounded. “It is?”
“Oh yes, I didn't liked the arrogant, bully of a man you were before, but this Huntley, the one who cries into his horse's mane, is altogether more attractive.”
“Well I’ll be damned if I ever understand women.” His heart thudded, as they faced each other, so close that he could smell the scent of bedsheets on her skin. Merciful heavens, a man could lose himself in the depths of those tilted green eyes, standing there with her luscious lips softly parted.
He cleared his throat, acutely aware of the pulse at the base of her throat. “Miss Tyler, unless you want to be ravaged, I would suggest you leave now.”
She didn’t move. A primal beat throbbed through his blood. He licked his lips and took a faltering step forward to trap her against the stable wall.
“Why didn’t you go while you had the chance?”
Without fear she gazed into his eyes. "Because I chose to stay."
He claimed her mouth, so warm and moist, such precious heat as she returned his kisses, gently at first then with urgency. He leant closer, pressing the delicious length of her against his body. It excited him to know that beneath the redingcote was no armoury of stays and petticoats, just one thin nightrail. A sense of mastery swept through his body, as he lowered her hands to caress the undulating line of her waist. Breathing heavily, he leant down to taste her skin of neck. She arched and groaned in response, throwing back her head to expose the milky curve of her throat…
Hope's Betrayal (#2 The Huntley Trilogy.)
One wild, winter's night two worlds collide.
Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a smuggler, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.
With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty Huntley now faces a new threat - his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. But a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshaled, is not an easy destiny to follow.
TO BUY LINKS: Amazon US Amazon UK Smashwords Kobo
Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace believes intelligent people need to read romance as an antidote to the modern world. As an avid reader of historicals she turned to writing as a release from the emotionally draining side of veterinary work.
Grace lives near London and is addicted to cats. The Elliot household consists of five cats, two teenage sons, one husband, a guinea pig - and the latest addition - a bearded dragon!
Social Links:
Grace Elliot (blog) "Fall in Love With History": http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com
Grace Elliot website: www.wix.com/graceelliot/grace-elliot
Grace Elliot Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Grace-Elliot/173092742739684?v=wall&sk=wall
Twitter: @Grace_Elliot
Thank you so much for hosting me, you have such a pretty blog.
ReplyDeletekind regards,
Grace x
Sounds like an intriguing story! Thanks for the post. I'll check it out! :D
ReplyDelete