Misrule's Mistress Competition

Hi everyone, please click the date button to view the entire post.
Update - Misrule's Mistress is now available from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Misrules-Mistress-ebook/dp/B00AWJ22PU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1357276053&sr=1-1

All Romace Ebooks
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-misrule039smistress-1036761-161.html

Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/271207

Well, just as I promised the competition is now open! (okay, so I'm posting this a few hours early... but I won't tell, if you don't!)

To celebrate the 20^thDecember release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have put together a competition. The competition will run from the 24^th December to the 5^th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do have a fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around. I’m giving away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls range from about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp. The pearls are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is also an advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

 

As my story is set over the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the competition.

So it starts on Christmas Eve and finishes on the 5^th January 2013 (midnight)

 

                                     To be in the running you must leave...

· Your name

 

· Your email address

 

· And the answer to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?” (check  out the extract below)

 The Comment button is located at the very end of this post.

All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7^thJanuary 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled here by Alannah –

 

The contest is open worldwide, but please only one entry per person – thanks J

Misrule’s Mistress, along with my other stories are available from Pink Petal Books

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/

You can also find them on Amazon, Barnes& Noble, Coffee Time Romance, Diesel eBooks, Smashwords, Book Strand & All Romance Books. And in another week or so, Misrule will be uploaded to all of the above sites as well.

 

So I hope you will all enjoy a little medieval Christmas cheer and good luck!

Nicóle xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Extract from Misrule’s Mistress

A familiar flare of excitement shot through Ellette’s body as Cranley Castle came into view. It was a sight that she never tired of, Cranley was not the largest castle in the land but in her opinion it was the prettiest. Two elegant towers rose towards the heavens and the grey stone walls looked almost silver in the pale sun. Above the towers flew the Cranley pennant, a hawk flying between the twin towers in a blue shield on a white background.  There was a thin veil of snow covering the ground, which made Cranley look as if it was from an enchanted dream rather than the home of Barric Cranley. They had known each other for longer than she could remember – he was her friend, the constant in her life, but above all he was her fiercest competitor.

            “Well my child, Cranley looks as fair as ever,” Lord Gelsey said as his horse drew alongside hers.

            “Aye Father, she does.”

            “No doubt you and Barric will spend the winter festival trying to best each other,” he said with a laugh.

            “Aye, no doubt,” Ellette said with a smile and her grey eyes sparkled with amusement. “And I intend to win.”

            “You always do, although I believe Barric will have something to say about that. I suspect that he will challenge you to a hunt once again.”

            “I believe that is his plan, ‘twas merely luck that saw him win last time.”

            “You can challenge him soon enough. Come, our host will be expecting us.”

            “Very well Father, but I wager that I can ride into the courtyard before you!”

Ellette laughed as she spurred her horse on. “Make haste, Elflin,” she cooed into the ear of her dapple grey mare. “Make haste, Barric awaits us.”  She felt Elflin’s pace increase to a gallop and heard the horse’s hooves beat out a rhythm on the snow scattered road. The icy wind blew in her face and tugged at the fur hood of her green woollen cloak. She was filled with happiness; a mixture of the exhilaration of the ride, the sense of freedom it gave her and the prospect of seeing Barric again. Elflin clattered over the wooden drawbridge and into the outer bailey of Cranley Castle.

 

 

 Misrule's Mistress Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVMS4wcQAxk

 

Misrule's Mistress Release Day!!!

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Hi everyone,
Misrule's Mistress is here! Grab a copy from Pink Petal Books.
http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Misrule-s-Mistress-by-Nicole-Hurley-Moore.html

And don't forget the competition which runs from the 24th Dec - 5th Jan.

I'm over at the Australian Romance Readers having a release day chat. Hope you can drop by!
http://australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/release-day-misrules-mistress/

She’s refused him once but with a golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

Here's a snippet.

 

“If I were sure that you loved me, if you would accept my offer, I would wait if I knew how long.”Barric slowly closed his fingers over the ring and let his hand fall down by his side.

“I cannot tell you, for I do not know – a year, two... or three.”

“But after all these long years, would you then marry me?”

“I do not know, Barric; I do not know what to say. I am confused and do not know what I want or feel,” she said as went to walk away but Barric caught her arm and she turned her head and looked at him.

“You kissed me back, Ellette.”

“I know, I know I did... but...”

“Then without an answer I cannot wait for you, Ellette, no matter how much I want to,” Barric said as his hand slid down her cheek. “If I cannot have you, it matters little who I take for a wife. And because of that, I vow I will be married by the Feast of Epiphany.”

Arching a brow, Ellette replied, “Are brides so easily found?”

“I want you, Ellette, but if you do not wish me for a husband and cast me aside, I will be forced to find a bride elsewhere.”

 

“By the end of our winter festivities?”

“Aye,” Barric said.

“I fear you have taken our games and challenges too far. For whom will you marry... the kitchen maid, or the weaver’s daughter? I am the only eligible maid at Cranley, and I say nay.”

“Mayhap, but I will be married by midnight at the feast.”

“In twelve days?” Torn and confused, Ellette stared at Barric. Part of her wanted to cry that perhaps she had been too hasty, perhaps one day, far away, she would marry him. Mixed with that, she was annoyed and hurt that he would think she was so easily replaced; and lastly, a hint of competitiveness reared its head. She almost wanted to take his challenge and wager that it would be impossible to marry in twelve days.

“Aye – I swear it,” Barric said as he turned and returned to the feast, leaving Ellette alone with her riotous thoughts.

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for joining the Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop. Hope you are having fun discovering new stories and new authors.

So when I think of Christmas, why is it that my mind wanders off to a picture perfect Dickensian scene full of carriages, snow and carollers? Maybe I read The Christmas Carol once too often as a child. It’s kind of silly when the majority of my Christmases have been far from white. Christmas in Australia is generally hot (and you can take that anyway you like!). No seriously, the mercury climbs and more often than not we swelter in 45 degree heat (that’s Celsius which I think equates to about 113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Christmas dinner can mean anything from a picnic at the beach, firing up the barbie in the back yard and cold buffets. Some brave a hot Christmas dinner, although I can only imagine that they have fantastic air conditioning. It’s filled with ice, water fights, Pavlovas and ice cream Christmas pudding. The sun beats down and you can smell the dry grass as the heat rises.

Wherever you are, I hope that you are happy and safe over this holiday period.

 

I’m giving away a pdf copy of Capturing Bliss. Please leave your name and email address to be in the draw.
All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn.
Top hat modelled by Alannah -

 

Of course by doing this you are also entered into the Holidays Gifts of Love major draw. Check out these amazing prizes! The competition is open to everyone but the 3^rd prize is only available to U.S. residents (the postage is too high to send overseas).

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

GOOD LUCK!


The comment button is located at the very end of this post

To return to Holiday Gifts of Love Blog Hop please click link below.

http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com.au/p/holiday-gifts-of-love.html

Capturing Bliss

In 12th-century England, love isn't part of the marriage equation. But Lady Blissot de Woodville adores her younger sister too much to see her suffer such a fate. Instead, Bliss recklessly switches places with her sister—and marries a total stranger under false pretenses! Fortunately, she soon discovers she shares a rare passion and genuine love with her new husband, the ardent Lord William Reynard. Yet the happier Bliss becomes, the more her secret weighs heavily on her heart...because one desperate lie could destroy everything she's come to cherish.

 

Show More Show Less

http://www.amazon.com/Capturing-Bliss-ebook/dp/B0078V5DYC/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355397654&sr=1-2

 

My new Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress will be released on the 20^th December by Pink Petal Books. I hope you will check it out. It is a medieval tale which is set during the Twelve Days of Christmas.

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Nicole-Hurley-Moore/

 

Misrule’s Mistress

She has refused him once but with a golden ring, the Feast of Misrule and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

 www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Images

Bigstock

Covers by Tibbs Design.

Misrule's Mistress Trailer

Please click date button to view entire post
Hi everyone,

Here's the link to the trailer for Misrule's Mistress. My son put it together... thanks Conor  x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVMS4wcQAxk&feature=youtu.be

The images are from Bigstock and Fotolia. The music by Kevin MacLeod and the cover by Tibbs Design.

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Misrule's Mistress

Hi everyone,
                     I just received the cover for Misrule's Mistress and I think it's absolutely beautiful!

Misrule's Mistress is due for release from Pink Petal Books on the 20th December - just in time for Christmas.

 The cover was conjured by Tibbs Design.

Historical Hearts

Hi everyone,
                     Today I'm over at Historical Hearts talking about the medieval Christmas. I hope you will come on over and say hello.

http://historicalhearts.blogspot.com.au/

 

If you haven't visited Historical Hearts before, why not drop by and take a look.

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

A Medieval View of Marriage Part III

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Hi everyone,
                    This is the final part on medieval marriage. As I said at the start, it is a broad subject and we have only touched the surface.


The questions of consanguinity and consent created conflict between the Church and the other orders of society. As I mentioned in an earlier part of these posts, the Church banned incest. This meant marriage between cousins up to the sixth extent, but they also believed that people formed a kinship tie to anyone they had a sexual relationship with. This kinship tie then encompassed the former lover's family as well. A hypothetical example of this would be, if two brothers from one family wished to marry two sister from another, only one couple could marry. By the first couple's marriage the remaining unwed pair would be considered brother and sister, and therefore if they wed it would have been considered incest.

Both the nobility and the peasants wished to reject these laws. In the case of the nobility, many of their arranged marriages were based on increasing their property and wealth, and in some cases to form alliances. The laws of consanguinity thwarted their plans.

For peasant families, these laws totally restricted their options in marriage. If we consider a small village, a person was quite possibly already linked by marriage or kinship to over half of its population.

For sections of the nobility it was possible to appeal to the Church and the Pope. They could buy a dispensation which would allow them to marry their chosen partner, even if they fell into the category of incest. This, however was not an option for the poor.

Consent was another area which caused friction between the Church and its people. The Church stated that consent was the most important aspect of marriage, as it was a vow between two people and God. Whereas families (both peasantry & nobility) believed that this would lead to the young refusing to carry out family wishes and a rise in clandestine marriages. In response, the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 ordered that marriage banns should be called in the churches of the bride and groom prior to the wedding.

From the 12th century on, Church enforced priestly celibacy. Priests were not to be married or enter into any sexual relation, instead they were to spend their lives in contemplation of the spirit and not their flesh. This was an attempt to set the clergy apart from the other members of society. However, priestly concubinage remained common. Chidren of priests were considered bastards and could not inherit any property and the priest's mistress had no social standing.

In conclusion, both nobles and peasants followed the teachings and laws of the Holy Roman Church in belief but in daily practice deviated from it. In other words the ideals of the Church on virginity, chastity and consanguinity were at times just too hard to live up to.

So ends the third and final part on medieval marriage. I hope that you found it interesting.

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com
sources
Religion in the Medieval West by Bernard Hamilton
The Ties that Bound by Barbara Hanawalt
Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas.
Image from the Public Domain.

Misrule’s Mistress Competition Coming soon

Please click date button to view whole post.

Hi everyone,

                     To celebrate the 20^th December release of my medieval Christmas novella, Misrule’s Mistress, I have put together a competition. The competition will run from the 24^th December to the 5^th of January 2013. As some of you may know, I do have a fondness for jewellery... so I thought I would spread the love around. I’m giving away a string of white freshwater pearls. The individual pearls range from about 8mm – 9mm, the string is 18” long with a gold plated clasp. The pearls are individually knotted and strung on silk. Added to that, there is also an advanced reader’s copy of Misrule’s Mistress.

 

As my story is set over the twelve days of Christmas, I decided that’s when I’m running the competition. So it starts on Christmas Eve and finishes on the 5^th January 2013.

To be in the running I need...

·        Your name

·        Your email address

·        And the answer to this question – “What is the name of Ellette’s horse?”

All valid entries will be placed into my top hat (circa 1880’s and according to the label – Johnson & Co Hatters to the Queen & HRH the Prince of Wales. 113 Regent Street, London) and a random winner will be drawn. The draw will be held on the 7^th January 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).

Top Hat modelled  here by Alannah -

 

She’s refused him once but with a golden ring, a Christmas feast and a little cunning, Lord Barric Cranley intends to catch his bride.

I’ll post an extract on Christmas Eve on my blog, but for those who can’t wait, Misrule’s Mistress will be available as an eBook from Pink Petal Books from the 20^th December *wink*

http://pinkpetalbooks.com/

The contest is open worldwide, but please only one entry per person – thanks J

So I hope you will all enjoy a little medieval Christmas cheer and good luck!

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com