Today we welcome author Jill Hughey and her book "VAIN" an amazing historical romance.
Book Synopsis
Lily had her life planned, neat and tidy as thread on a spindle, until her mother died and her father snipped at the seams of her future by abandoning Lily in their shop. A nobleman unexpectedly gives her hope when he brings fabric for a special garment. Lily survives on his first payment, and immerses herself in sewing and embroidering an incomparable garment for him, as her tidy plan continues to unravel.
Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville, takes his responsibility to his townspeople seriously and, therefore, does not dally with local women. Desire wars with duty when Lily glances up at him while adjusting the hem on his Easter tunic. As her deteriorating circumstances push them together, Theo and Lily learn that the path to his heart just might be through his wardrobe, though the exquisite outfit she creates is the only part of her that fits in his precarious aristocratic world.
PRAISES FOR "VAIN":
“I absolutely loved the story!” – Gina Ardito, Excellence in Editing
“Great character development.” – JeanSquires, beta reader
Quick Facts
Release Date: March 14, 2013.
Genre: Romance, historical, medieval
Genre: Romance, historical, medieval
Formats: Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo
GET IT HERE:
The Author
Jill Hughey has loved historical romance since sneaking peeks at her mother’s library years ago. She has enjoyed writing just as long. She prides herself on deep character development, and settings that take her readers on long, satisfying journeys to places they have probably never been in a book before.
Jill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her hobby is singing lessons, in which she studies classical soprano and some lighthearted works.
Guest Post: Life for Medieval Women
I chose to write about Charlemagne’s empire because it has the
strong societal structure that many of us enjoy in historical romance, but is
not England or Scotland, which are heavily used in the genre already.
The three books in the series feature very different women
as heroines. In each, I created a woman who represents the female reality at
the time. None are warriors, none are formally educated, none escape societies
expectations of her, though each, in her way, exert her influence to make her
life suit her.
In Vain, my
heroine is from the merchant class. Her life in her parents’ weaving and tailoring
shop is very simple. They have a front room where they work and sell, and a
back room where they live. The home has one open hearth with a small hole in
the roof to release smoke. Fabric is woven on a rough frame of wood. Metal pins
and needles exist but are too precious for her to buy. Hers are made from bone
or thorn. She eats bread, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables grown or gathered
nearby, and meat rarely. She drinks watered wine or ale. It sounds dismal, but
Lily loves her life, and she fights to maintain herself when she is
unexpectedly left alone.
Theophilus, the hero in Vain,
is a nobleman. (Don’t worry, his name is often shortened to Theo, so you won’t
be reading that eyeful for an entire book.) When he is forced to marry Lily,
her transition to life in his great house is challenging because she has
crossed a societal boundary, and he is pretty angry at having marry her.
Life as a noblewoman is still rustic by our standards. She
has an outside wells and latrine, her kitchens walls are black with soot from
an open cookfire, and only she and her husband enjoy much privacy. Most of the
nobility can’t read or write, entrusting such work to clerks, though I found it
hard to stick to that with my heroes. In addition to clerks, there are servants
to do the less pleasant physical work, a much better selection of food from the
countryside around town, and social diversions.
The Evolution Series fits into the medieval historical
romance category because it is more rustic and gritty than, say, a regency. In
my recent release, Vain, I say that
in this time period “lives were, for the most part, everlasting struggles for
survival.” Though those struggles are not the main focus of my stories, suffice
it to say that none of my heroines gets the vapors because an earl steals a
kiss on the veranda. Each of them has a life path she is trying to follow, and
I do my best to show her story while respecting the reality of the time period.
Now you just have to pick which one to read! The stories
stand on their own, so you can start anywhere. The titles describe the hero of
each book. I list them here in order, with a short description, and they are
available on most online book vendors.
Unbidden - When the emperor chooses a husband for Rochelle, she tries to drive her betrothed away, but by the time she realizes she might want to keep him,
she has been too
successful and other forces are dividing them as well. Unbidden is currently on Amazon only.
Redeemed - Can a quiet widow help a damaged,
secretive man find redemption?
Vain - A tailor’s
abandoned daughter fashions a vain nobleman’s tunic, finding passion between
the neckline and hem as misfortune forces her into his precarious aristocratic
world.
Thanks for visiting today!
*Giveaways*:
TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY:
3 winners:
- U.S Only: Paperback Copy of "Vain"
- International/ U.S: E-copy of Vain and $15 Amazon Gift Card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
CHECK HER TOUR, STARTING ON APRIL 2nd!
Tour Schedule
April 3: Laurie's Non Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews: Interview.
April 4: Love in a Book: Review and Top Ten List.
April 5: A Writer's Life: Caroline Clemmons: Interview.
April 6: Bunny's Reviews Blog: Guest Post.
April 7: A Novel Idea Live: Live Interview.
April 8: Deal Sharing Aunt: Review and Guest Post.
A Novel Idea Live Blog: Promo
April 12: My Devotional Thoughts: Review and Guest Post.
April 13: Tina's Book Reviews: Guest Post.
April 15: Pure Jonel: Review and Guest Post.
April 16: A Book Lover's Library: Guest Post.
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