Genesis of Rogue's Hostage
When
I joined Romance Writers of America, I knew very little about writing romance.
One of the first Special Events I attended was a day long workshop at a local
library taught by Ann Maxwell, aka Elizabeth Lowell. It was an amazing overview
of writing romance fiction.
One
of the things she said that stuck was how important it was to tap into the
reader's romantic fantasies. She went on to list some of the more popular
fantasies, like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, the Guardian fantasy, and the
captive story.
The
captive story is an old one, with roots in the Greek myth of Persephone in the
Underworld, and in reality. Among tribal societies, marriage by capture was not
uncommon, a pre-scientific method of enlarging the gene pool. In our own time,
the Stockholm Syndrome has been observed, in which hostages begin to identify
with their captors. Though "marriage by capture" is no longer widely practiced,
it still sometimes happens, not always with a happy ending.
I
was intrigued by the notion of writing a historical captive story, but wasn’t
sure where to set it. Later I picked up a nonfiction book about the founding of
Pittsburgh, PA, my home town, and read about the French & Indian War where
frontier settlers were taken hostage by war parties led by French officers. Aristocratic
French officers who stripped down to loincloth and moccasins to accompany their
native allies on raiding parties. This struck me as an intriguing starting
point for a romance hero, and Lieutenant
Jacques Corbeau, aristocratic bastard, appeared in my mind.
His
book became Rogue's Hostage, which was a finalist in a number of contests
and was published by Amber Quill Press in 2003. Last year I reissued the book
as an indie release.
Rogue's
Hostage By
Linda McLaughlin
Historical
Romance
4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!
Romantic
Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!
2nd
Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!
In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and
dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life
crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her
husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her
resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning
of courage and the tempting call of desire.
Her destiny...
French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive
threatens what little honor he has left.
But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her
freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As
the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite
the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past
misdeeds forever.
Buy links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291719
Author
bio:
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by
her paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her
father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited
Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to
England where she was able to combine sightseeing and theater with research for
her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California with
her husband.
Her first book was Worth The Risk by Lyn O'Farrell.
Now Linda writes historical and Regency romance. She loves transporting her
readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life,
love is the sweetest reward.
She also writes sexy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi
Lamont.
Website:
http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
4 comments:
Wow, such an intriguing premise, Linda. Thank you for being here today.
Jane, my thanks to you and the entire Exquisite Quills group for having me on the blog today.
I didn't realize that it was the setting. I've got to read it! Thanks for being here, Linda, and sharing with all of us!
Thanks for visiting, E. Don't find too many romances set in the Pittsburgh area!
Post a Comment