Victoria & Violet

 

Victoria & Violet

by Rachel Brimble

 

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GENRE:   Historical romance

 

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BLURB:

 

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent. Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.
Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.
Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

 

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EXCERPT

 

“She…” Violet hesitated, feeling foolish carrying out the queen’s instructions when James was quite clearly busy and not at all happy. “She suggested we take a picnic.”

 

“A pic…” His eyes widened before his cheeks mottled. “It’s December!”

 

“I can pack some hot soup and bread. It will be…fun.”

 

“Fun? I can’t take myself off for a picnic when there is so much to do. What on earth will the workers think of me?”

 

His mood made her decidedly uneasy, but she could not defer on the queen’s request. She lifted her chin. “I’m sorry, James, but if the queen commands it, we cannot refuse. Besides, it will be last time you will see me for a while.”

 

He dropped his hand from his hair, his dark eyes boring into hers. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I have to go home. My mother claims my father is ill. Not that I believe a word of it, of course. But still, I must go.”

 

“Your mother is exerting her power again?”

 

“I have little doubt.”

 

He exhaled heavily, his gaze softening. “Give me an hour and I will come. Where shall we meet?”

 

“In the folly.”

 

“Very well.” His gaze dropped to her lips before he reached around her toward the door and opened it. “You should go.”

 

He stood so close, Violet could see flecks of blue in his eyes, smell the subtle maleness of him. Her treacherous heart swelled with silly, dangerous love. She forced a smile and ducked under his arm and through the open doorway.

A Word With the Author

 1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

I did from about eight or nine when I discovered Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series – however, life got in the way, and it wasn’t until 2005 when my youngest daughter started school that I had a ‘now or never’ moment. My first book was published in 2007 and I haven’t looked back since. I am currently working on my 30^th novel.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 

See above! Searching For Sophie was a contemporary romantic suspense novel and was inspired by my husband being adopted when he was a baby. The book involves a heroine who gave up her daughter for adoption and that little girl becomes the center of the suspense. It’s interesting, because I wrote this book eighteen years ago and since then my husband has found his birth mother and now spends time with her, his three birth sisters and eight nieces and nephews!

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

Haha! I wouldn’t say I’m my favorite author – for the most part, I worry if I am any good at this writing thing! My favorite historical romance authors are Julia London & Julia Quinn and my favorite historical fiction authors are Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir. I think might books are a mix of historical fiction and romance.

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?

 

The best part is receiving emails or reviews from readers saying how much they enjoyed my book or how it affected or touched them in some way. Those are by far the best moments. The worst for me, is writing through the middle of a book – I am a big plotter so never expect ‘the sagging middle’ to be a problem, but it is EVERY time. My novels tend to be around 85,000 words and once I hit 40-45,000 I always ground to an excruciating halt. It never, ever changes…

5.What are you working on now?

 

I am just finishing the final draft of what will be book 2 (after Victoria & Violet) of the Royal Maids series and hope to send it to my editor within the next few days. After that, I plan to either dive straight into book 3 or spend some time working on a new Edwardian series I have planned – I might have to see which one keeps prodding at me the most over the next week or so!

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of 29 novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin). Her latest novel, Victoria & Violet is the first book in her new Royal Maids series with the Wild Rose Press and releases 17th October 2022.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world. 

To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: https://bit.ly/3zyH7dt

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Violet-Royal-Maids-Book-ebook/dp/B0B6T47ZX5/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway