Book Spotlight: Thunder on the Moor by Andrea Matthews

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth-century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time. To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

About the Author

Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. She is the author of the Thunder on the Moor series set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Border, and the Cross of Ciaran series, where a fifteen-hundred-year-old Celt finds himself in the twentieth century. Andrea is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the Long Island Romance Writers, and the Historical Novel Society. Her latest book is the historical time travel romance, Thunder on the Moor.

You can visit her website at www.Andrea-Matthews.com or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

Historical Romance vs. Historical Fiction: What’s the Difference? by Audry Fryer

It’s often difficult to tell whether a book falls under the label of historical romance or historical fiction. The two genres share so many similarities! Both historical romance and historical fiction occur in the past, generally more than fifty years ago. Both types of books emphasize historical accuracy. And both include love affairs or have characters longing for love. With all this gray area, it’s no wonder why it’s so confusing to figure out which is which. I encountered this same confusion when it was time to publish my book, Until Next Sunday. It needed the correct label to reach its best audience. Until Next Sunday seemed like a historical romance because of its emphasis on love letters and lovers facing separation. But it lacked the lusty vibe typical of romance books. And it was based on real-life people. So was it historical fiction?

3 Differences Between Historical Romance and Historical Fiction

If you want to differentiate historical romance books from historical fiction novels, look at the amount of details in the historical setting, the characters’ arc in the plot, and the ending. These distinctions can be subtle, but they’re substantial. After studying both genres and receiving professional advice, Until Next Sunday confidently can be called a historical romance. Although the book shares some elements of historical fiction, it checks the box of all three requirements for historical romance.

Setting

Although both types of historically based novels require researching the historical setting, the amount and emphasis on historical events, people, and past cultures is more intense in historical fiction than historical romance. Historical romance relies less on researching a multitude of historical details. The historical setting provides the background to the love story. While the reader enjoys the characters interacting in that time period, the story isn’t based on the timeline of that particular moment in history. By contrast, historical fiction immerses itself in the particular time period it encompasses. The author conducts intense research to be as accurate as possible and offers a rich historical perspective. Historical fiction books have lengthy scenes dedicated to describing a certain moment in history.

Characters and Plot

Both genres have their fair share of love affairs, sex, and scandal. It can be tricky to draw the line between what qualifies as a romance. The distinction exists in how the plot impacts the characters. A historical romance novel focuses on a plot that revolves around the progression and obstacles of the romance. The love affair involves the main characters rather than supporting roles. These characters pursue their desires and love interests within the historical setting. A historical fiction novel centers its plot on how history impacts the character’s life. The story follows historical events and situations rather than the outcome of a romance.

The Ending

If you’re still confused, there’s one sure way to determine whether you’re in possession of a historical romance or a historical fiction book. Look at how the book ends. Historical romance typically ends with a happily ever after and often in a marriage. Rarely is the reader left wondering how the love affair turns out. Readers expect that the romance will reach a satisfying, conclusive result. Historical fiction books can have a variety of endings regarding a love affair within the story. The climax in historical fiction typically occurs at the conclusion of the historical event or at the end of a character’s life.

Final Thoughts on Historical Romance vs. Historical Fiction

There you have it! Now you can determine whether the book you’re reading falls into the category of historical romance or historical fiction. To recap, look at the focus of the story. If a romance or love story dominates the plot, consumes most of the character’s actions and thoughts, and ends with a marriage or happily ever after, then you’re reading a historical romance. On the other hand, your book may be filled with lovelorn characters, sex, and scandal. But if it’s heavy on the historical details and its plot follows a historical event or the life of a historical figure, you’re reading historical fiction.

About the Author: Audry Fryer is an author and professional freelance writer from Pennsylvania. Formerly a teacher, Audry wrote her first novel while her toddler son and twin babies napped. As her children have grown into teenagers, she has expanded her writing career. Audry lives with her family and two pugs in a quiet corner of Southeastern PA. To learn more about Audry, please visit her website at www.audryfryer.com.

TV Series review: Harry Wild

Harry Wild is a cosy murder mystery series, filmed in Ireland, with Jane Seymour heading up the cast. Retired literature professor Harriet ‘Harry’ Wild is having a hard time adjusting to retirement and basically doing nothing. She is mugged one day, and her wallet is stolen, but, ever feisty, she tracks down and surprisingly befriends her young mugger, Fergus, played by the charming Rohan Need. One thing leads to another in the world of murder, mystery, and mayhem, and Harry picks up on a clue in her police detective son Charlie’s current case. Her resourceful new friend and Harry embark on solving the murder, which they do, and this opens the way for more cases, to the horror of her son and daughter-in-law and the delight of her granddaughter.

I am not a big fan of Jane Seymour despite her stellar career possibly because I never watched Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman and only ever saw her in Austenland as Mrs Wattlesbrooke. As Harry, Seymour comes across as quite brittle and cynical, and surprisingly awkward, which could be the fault of the script. It tries too hard to shock with a hip granny persona and there’s some sexing up of the character which is unnecessary and doesn’t work. Despite the lead being wobbly, sidekick Fergus is just delightful and has a modern teen approach to life, is very brave and would never abandon Harry in a tight situation, and is devoted to his adorable little sister Liberty, aka Stinker, who steals any scene in which she appears. Harry’s son Charlie is played by the handsome Kevin J. Ryan with exactly the right touch of exasperation one feels when a parent who should know better behaves badly. But he always comes through for his mum, which makes him very endearing.

The series is new and it’s clear there are some teething problems in transitions and staging, but only if you look for them. Social issues are touched on but there’s no wokery and shoving it down your throat. Harry aside (for now), the rest of the cast is perfect for each role. I will give Seymour the benefit of the doubt and say that with the next season, I think any rough edges will be smoothed over. It’s not a new idea having a senior female detective (look at Miss Marple for one), and at 71 Seymour is still very lovely. She is also not afraid to adopt a frumpy persona when undercover or in disguise, which happens quite often. I enjoyed the first season and will definitely watch the next one, now that Harry and Fergus have opened their Detective Agency and are taking on clients, need I say to the horror of her son and daughter-in-law and the delight of her granddaughter…