This and That

Hi everyone and thanks for dropping by.

I went to my very first writing thingy last Wednesday in Melbourne. I’ve been writing full time for the past two years. I’m a member of the RWA (Australia), Historical Hearts and The Dark Side Downunder but this was the first writing event I have ever attended. It was very interesting and well worth the hour and a half drive to get there.

The event was hosted by That Book You Like – www.thatbookyoulike.com.au  and presented by Kate Cuthbert, Managing Editor from Escape Publishing (the new digital publishing arm of Harlequin). Kate was joined by the authors Rhian Cahill and Charmaine Ross. They shared their experiences, advice and tips on publishing and writing.

I really enjoyed the evening – I also managed to nab a door prize (a USB in a shape of a key loaded with several books from Escape Publishing)... so yay me!

http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/

 

In other news, I’ve finished the edits for ‘Rain’ and sent them back to my editor.  'Rain' is one of my favourite stories – I know, I know we’re not meant to play the favourite game... but I do really love it! I’ve also submitted a couple of manuscripts (fingers crossed) and started a new story.

 

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Rain

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

I’ve been locked away in my turret, working on the edits for my paranormal romance, Rain. They are shaping up nicely and I hope to have them finished by the end of the weekend. *fingers crossed*

Rain is a paranormal story which is set against a medieval background. Nuri is an artisan and painter of religious frescoes. After the death of her father, she wants to be left alone. Instead she finds herself torn between two men. The story deals with different aspects of love – sacrifice, light and redemption versus obsession and darkness. I really enjoyed writing Rain and I hope you will come to love Nuri and Maras as much as I do. J

Here’s the blurb

    On the mountain, high above the village of Farran – Nuri is caught between heaven and hell. Two men fight for her love and her soul. The first is Maras, an elemental being that follows the storms. Blessed with silver hair, ice grey eyes and skin that heals with water, Nuri knows that he is not human, he’s something more. She believes Maras is her beautiful fallen angel. The other is Erebus, a pious monk sent by the Church, whose tortured soul is twisted by his desire for Nuri.

    Nuri must choose whether to follow her heart or be tied to the edict of the Church and village. Maras is transient and is bound to the elements and their love may be as fleeting as the storm itself. But Nuri may sacrifice more than her heart when the Church brands her angel a demon. As Brother Erebus will do anything to protect her soul from the silver haired devil, even if he has to crush her body to do it.

 

Other than that, I’ve been playing around with some banners for the website. Actually, I have to admit I badgered my son into playing around with banners. Hmmm... not sure which colour I like best????

 

 

 

 

 

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Medieval Food

Hi everyone,

The subject of medieval food is wide and varied. What you ate would have depended not only on which estate you were born (clergy, aristocracy or peasantry) but also the seasons, beliefs and where you resided. Added to that, wars, bad weather and failed crops sparked food shortages and famine.  So this post is a broad overview and covers the bare bones (no pun intended) of food of the middle ages.

 It was believed that the body was governed by the four Humours. These were four different fluids which were produced by different organs within the body – Black bile, Phlegm, Blood and Yellow bile. For a person to be healthy and remain healthy these Humours must be balanced. This balance was achieved through medicine, practices such as bloodletting (lovely!) and through diet.

The Humours corresponded to a particular temperament, organ, nature, element and even a season.

Black Bile – Melancholic – Spleen – Cold Dry – Earth – autumn - Saturn

Yellow Bile – Choleric – Gall Bladder – Warm Dry – Fire – summer - Mars

Blood – Sanguine – Head – Warm Wet – Air – spring - Venus

Phlegm – Phlegmatic – Lungs – Cold Wet – Water – winter – Moon Goddess

So for some medieval cooks, having and balancing the four Humours in a meal was sometimes more important than the taste. During a meal (particularly in a wealthy household) the different dishes would compliment and counter balance each other. For example, fish was seen as being cold and wet and would be served with spice and sauces which were seen as hot and dry.

Another belief was that food was ranked in order of importance by its closeness to heaven. Basically in a descending order – Sky (birds), Ocean (fish, shellfish etc.), Earth (cattle, pigs, sheep etc.), Earth (trees & bushes) and then finally, Ground (vegetables).

While the aristocracy’s diet was varied, the peasant diet was much more limited. In good years, peasants grew vegetables and herbs in their small gardens or a small strip of land in the fields. Common vegetables would have been cabbage, legumes, onions and spinach along with herbs such as garlic and parsley. Fruit trees included apple, cherry and pear. Important components of their diet were pottage (a soup like stew made from vegetables, herb and bread crumbs), ale (made from barley, rye, herbs, honey and water), and dark, brown bread made from barley and rye. Depending on the household there could also have been milk, cheese, eggs, butter, chicken, fish and pork (seasonal). Generally, because of the lack of grazing land in winter, the pigs were usually slaughtered around Christmas. If it was possible, the peasants kept the other animals (cows, sheep & chickens) alive as they could provide more than just meat.

Meat and fish were preserved by salting it. There were two methods, dry and brine curing. With dry salting, the food was covered with salt and allowed to cure for five to eight days. Whereas the brine method had the food soaked in salty water for two to three days. The salted food was then hung on hooks and left to dry; after which it was stored in barrels. It could last up to three months.

They preserved fruit and herbs by drying them in the sun; and vegetables were bottled with brine and vinegar.

Hmm... it seems to me, we have only just scratched the surface. I might have to break this up into more than one post.

Thanks for dropping by.

Nicóle   xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Image - Public Domain.

Seizing Heaven

Hi everyone,

So I’m feeling a wee bit smug. I’ve managed to finish the first draft of ‘Seizing Heaven’ in just over a month. Yes, I know there are a heap of authors who can write entire novels in that time period – but for me it is an achievement. ‘Seizing Heaven’ is the second book in the Foxwoods Annals; the first was ‘Capturing Bliss.’

The story takes place just over a hundred years after William & Blissot. It deals with the new Lord Reynard, Savaric. He is intent on marrying the widow of Blackstone Manor, that is, until fate and the Reynard betrothal ring get in the way. On his way to meet the widow, Savaric is waylaid by Rosamund, an artist and a traveller. You can run from Fate, but somehow it always seems to catch you in the end. This is a lesson that Savaric should have taken to heart.

I’m excited to revisit Foxwoods Hall and the Reynard family... especially the Reynard men! (Oh dear, I think I’m developing a taste for them. J)

 I liked the thought of visiting a family through pinpoints in its history. To explore the traits, beliefs and traditions that can bind a family together and help it endure.

So, does the Reynard betrothal ring really have the power to choose the true bride? Or is it just a quaint family legend? Sorry, I’m not telling – perhaps you will find the answer in Seizing Heaven!

 

Warm Regards,

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

 

Image - Public Domain

 

 

Spotlight - Elf Ahearn

Please click date button to view entire post.

Hi everyone,

Today I have the lovely Elf Ahearn joining me. Elf writes Regency romances and her ‘A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing’ is published by Crimson Romance. Elf is kindly giving away a copy of her book to one lucky reader.

Hi Elf and welcome! J  Would you tell us a bit about yourself?

Elf is my real name. I live in New York State with a wonderful husband and a pesky (yet irresistible) cat named Sufie. Learn more about me at elfahearn.com.

 

 

What type of romance do you write?

My tag line is “Regency romance with a Gothic twist.” I consider it my warning label because my books are darker and more dramatic than most Regency romances. I like to put my heroines through hellacious adventures and then have them triumph in the end. And my endings are boffo – big, cataclysmic events with tons of drama.

 

Are you working on anything at present?

A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing is the first in a planned series of four books about the Albright sisters. My publisher, Crimson Romance, actually purchased the second novel, Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower, before it bought Rogue. Lord Monroe is super dramatic and exciting – my heroine is pitted against a psychotic hoarder. Now, I’m busy writing the third book, which will have more twists and turns than a crazy straw.

What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

Here’s what I wish – I wish I were one of those people who wrote super fast, like Nora Roberts. It takes me forever to get anything down on paper and then I rewrite it and rewrite it again... ad infinitum. Plus, I’m a little dyslexic, so my reading is slow, my writing is snail paced and when I do research, I tend to keep reading way past the point where I’ve answered my question. Maybe that’s why I like writing fast-paced drama, to make up for my turtle gait.

 

What made you want to be a writer?

Because of my dyslexia I was a dreadful speller. Nobody knew about dyslexia when I was growing up, so my school papers are covered in snarky comments from my teachers. They couldn’t seem to look past my “word interpretations” to the images I was creating, the plots I’d invented. The one person who did was my older sister, Tevi. She was a straight-A student who famously got only one word wrong on a spelling test in her entire academic career – she forgot to dot the “i” in president. Tevi was my proof reader, and she never failed to tell me I had talent, bless her heart.

It was another sister, Jenny, who encouraged me to write romances. I got laid off from a corporate communications job and the market had nothing to offer a gal with my skills – newspapers were dying, companies were only hiring Web-savvy scribblers – so she handed me a book by Sabrina Jeffries and said, “Give this a try.” The chance to write something with sweeping adventure, sexual tension and a happily-ever-after was entirely too tempting. I read every romance I could get my hands on, but The Rake, by Mary Jo Putney sealed the deal. That is an awesome book, and it has an emotional depth that I wanted to replicate.

My first step was to take an online course. Alice Duncan was the teacher – I’m mentioning her name because she was super sweet, super smart, a super good writer, and she encouraged me to join RWA. On her advice I became a member of the Hudson Valley RWA chapter. I’m now its president. So, here’s what I really love about being a romance author; you get to hang out with terrific, supportive people. I adore my chapter mates, and they’ve helped me shape a book, and hopefully, a career, of which I’m truly proud.

How about you all? I’d love to hear from blog readers about what turned them on to romance – either as writers or readers. The best answer gets a free copy of A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing!

To be in the running for Elf’s book, please leave your answer in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

You can find Elf’s A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing on Amazon, iTunes and The Book Strand.

Buy Links: Amazon.com, iTunes and BookStrand.com.

Thanks so much Elf for sharing your new release with us J

And as always – thanks to everyone for dropping by!

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing  Blurb:

In Lord Hugh Davenport’s opinion, women of the ton perpetually hide behind a mask of deception. That’s hard for Ellie Albright, the daughter of an earl, to swallow – especially since she’s disguised herself as a stable hand to get back the prized stallion her father sold to Hugh to pay a debt. If Hugh learns her true identity she’ll lose the horse and her family will go bankrupt. Somehow, though, losing Hugh’s affection is beginning to seem even worse.

Already only a step away from being snagged in her own web of lies, Ellie’s deceit threatens to spin out of control when Hugh’s mother invites Ellie and her sisters to a house party. Now Ellie has to scramble to keep Hugh from knowing she’s the stable girl he wants to marry, while simultaneously trying to win his trust as herself. Can she keep her costumes straight long enough to save her family? And even if she does, will it be worth losing his love?

 

Here’s a Snippet -

A stiff breeze swept up the massive stone edifice bringing the scent of heather, gorse, and a tinge of the dank salt sea. The beauty of it sobered her. “My God, it’s magnificent,” she said, feeling the sun’s warmth and the chill of the breeze on her cheeks. For miles around she saw only the dip and rise of the yellowed moors disappearing into soft, distant gray.

Hugh joined her cliff-side. He settled on a patch of thin, wind-whipped grass. Ellie plopped down beside him and took a deep whiff of the heather he’d picked for her on the trail. “Ah,” she said. “It smells like England.”

Hugh broke off a branch of the plant and put it between his teeth. “Tastes like her, too,” he said. Ellie laughed.

Then they grew silent, listening to the rustle of grass, feeling the hot sun, and breathing the rich smell of sweet flowers and fecund herbs.

“This is my day,” said Hugh, lying back in the grass. “You may have a piece of it.”

Ellie swatted him with the stalk of heather. “I shall take your captain’s salute on horseback.”

“And I shall take this moment, right now,” he said, closing his eyes.

They were silent again. Ellie lay back and snuggled into the grass. The cool wind couldn’t reach her here – just the thick heat of the sun. She closed her eyes, too.

A fly tickled her forehead. She brushed it away. It came back and tickled her again. She opened her eyes in time to see Hugh leaning over her, the branch of heather in his teeth. He flicked it away from her face.

“You’re the annoying fly,” she said, lunging to pull the heather from his mouth. He caught her wrists and rolled onto his back. She struggled, enjoying the feel of his large, callused hands. “I suppose if I were really clever,” she said, giving up and leaning on his chest, “I could get that branch without using my hands.”

“Oh yes, and how would you do that?” replied Hugh, a glint in his eye.

Ellie leaned over and, bringing her face close to his mouth, pulled the heather from his teeth.

A bolt of electricity raced through her. She hadn’t meant to be so intimate – hadn’t anticipated the heat of his flesh against hers, or the soft velvet of a corner of his lips. Her heart beat fast and her face grew hot. She looked away, dropping the heather from her mouth. “I’m never getting married,” she blurted.

Hugh studied her. “Then I’m not either.”

Gently, he brushed a bit of heather from her lips.

The caress stirred a small fire. She closed her eyes and lay back down on the grass. Joy washed over her. “That’s wonderful,” she sighed. Hugh’s hand closed on hers.

 

 

Medieval Fostering

In the Middle Ages arranged marriages help to secure alliances and bonds of loyalty among the nobility. Another method was the practice of sending children (generally over the age of seven) into other noble households to be raised. This was called fostering. It not only promoted friendship between the two families but could improve the child’s chances of success in later life.

            The children of nobility learned what behaviour was expected and how to run a household. They were trained in how to address those of higher status, and also how to command those below them in rank, such as servants and soldiers.

            Noble boys were first trained as pages, but as they grew older they served the lord and lady at feasts and other formal meals. By their teens, they were squires and in the process of training to become knights. As squires they assisted their lord and were trained in how to take care of armour, weaponry and horses.

            Girls on the other hand were trained in how to run and supervise a noble household. These duties included the overseeing of the cook/kitchen, healing, sewing, spinning and managing household expenses.

            Some peasant children were also sent away from the parents and homes from an early age. They were sent to learn a trade, which again like children of the nobility could improve their chances for a better life. Trades included such things as carpentry, metalwork, stone masonry and weaving. Many children who were not afforded these opportunities, found themselves bound as servants in richer households. In some instances, peasant families would give a child to the church. In a harsh world this could be seen as giving the child a chance, as they would grow up in the shadow of the Church as either a monk or nun. Perhaps their lives would not be quite as difficult as if they had stayed with their family. It was also believed that by handing a ‘spare’ child over to the Church, the parents themselves would find blessing.

 However, it did not matter whether the child was born to nobility or not; through fostering, apprenticing or just surrendering the child, its future had been set in stone.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Nicóle  xx

www.nicolehurley-moore.com

Images from the Public Domain

 

 

 

Capturing Bliss - Love,Lust & Lipstick Stains

Hi everyone,

Capturing Bliss has been given the 'thumbs up' over at Love, Lust and Lipstick Stains.

Hope you will drop by and check it out!

Nicóle  xx

 

 

http://lovelustandlipstickstains.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/thumbs-up-thursday-capturing-bliss-by.html