To Steal A Heart was published exactly a year ago today. Happy Birthday little book! This is the first book in my Secrets & Spies series, and follows feisty circus performer / thief Marianne and cynical spy Nicolas Valette as they plan and execute a dangerous heist while trying to ignore the inconvenient attraction simmering between them. I had such fun writing their snarky, sarcastic banter. Here are a few of my favorite snippets:

“It’s nothing,” he grunted. “I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time I’ve been shot.”

 “I’m not surprised,” she said tartly. “You’re an extremely aggravating man.”

Or how about this one:

She curled her toes over the edge of the rooftop and balanced on the very edge, testing her nerve.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Valette said calmly. “It makes me nervous.”

“Really?” She laughed and went up on her tiptoes just to tease him. “What if I do this?”

He narrowed his eyes at her, unimpressed.

“Afraid I’ll fall?” she taunted.

“No.” His expression was deadpan. “Afraid I’ll be tempted to push you.”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Just to be safe she stepped back from the edge.

I know I shouldn’t cover snark my own cover, but honestly, when I look at the cover for A Counterfeit Heart I just hear this conversation in my head:

Richard: “Sabine, sweetheart, you’re squashing my nose!”

Sabine: “Shut up and kiss me, you fool!”

Anyone else seeing that?!

A Raven’s Heart is set mainly in Spain and the descriptions of the landscape and architecture all come from personal experience. I love traveling, and I was lucky enough to have spent quite a bit of time in Spain as a child. The descriptions of the taste of carobs and pomegranates are my own! I hope my affection for the country shines through and gives those who’ve never been there a hint of what it’s like. I make Pinterest boards for all my books, so if readers are interested in seeing where I get my inspiration they can take a look: https://www.pinterest.com/kcbateman1/a-ravens-heart-raven-and-heloise-spanish-peninsula/

In the story Heloise goes to visit some prehistoric cave art in the caves near the Spanish village of Altamira. These really exist and the only artistic license I took with the story is that the caves weren’t ‘officially’ discovered or made public until a few years later than 1816. I like to think that the locals could have been aware of the existence of the caves, and the art, but might have been unaware of the importance of them from an anthropological standpoint. There’s no reason to suppose they wouldn’t have shown interested, if eccentric, foreigners like Heloise their local treasure. . .

The top image is of the interior of the wonderful prehistoric / Neolithic art that can be found in the Altamira caves.
And here is a link to the Wikipedia page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_Altamira

In fact, lots of events in my stories have a basis in real, historical fact. For example, A Raven’s Heart features a proposed prisoner swap between the French and the English. In my research, I found evidence for this surprising – if unusual – wartime practice; In 1813, Soult and Wellington agreed to an exchange of three Frenchmen for one Englishman and two Spaniards, a plan agreed by Napoleon.

The heroine in A Raven’s Heart, Heloise, is a talented codebreaker for the British, and in the book she and Raven get to meet her codebreaking idol, George Scovell. Major Scovell, later General Scovell, was is real historical person, and he played a crucial role in cracking the French codes and ensuring a victory for Wellington and his troops in the Peninsular campaign.
Here he is:

For those who would like to learn more about this interesting man and his achievements, his Wikipedia entry is fascinating! Sometimes truth is even greater than fiction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Scovell

In A Raven’s Heart I hint that Raven and Heloise are like the Greek gods Hades and Persephone – Hades kidnaps Persephone and takes her down to the Underworld, but the two end up falling in love and learning to compromise.
My question to readers is: If you could host a dinner party and include any couple—they can be real historical or fictional/mythological, who would you choose? Anthony and Cleopatra? Elizabeth and Darcy? Cathy and Heathcliff?
Let me know . . .

Today I’d like to welcome fellow Historical Romance Author Betty Bolté to my blog. Betty’s latest release, ‘Undying Love’ is out today – 10th January 2017.
Let’s hear a little more about it shall we?

Undying Love.
When architect Meredith Reed inherits her family’s plantation after the devastating loss of her own family, she must choose how to move on with her life. Keep the plantation? Not a good idea. Sell it? Better. Turn it into a memorial park? Better yet. But can she go against her family traditions and the hunky but irate lawyer?
Max Chandler needs two things to complete his life plan: become a senior partner and find his soul mate. He’s due a promotion once his legislation to protect the county’s historic properties is approved. The wife part he finds more challenging, having never met the right woman. If only the talented, attractive, aloof Meredith didn’t want to destroy the very property he cherishes.
While Meredith struggles to reconcile her past and future, will she learn a lesson from the spectral Lady in Blue in time to save both her family and home from destruction?

About Betty.
Betty Bolté writes both historical and contemporary stories featuring strong, loving women and brave, compassionate men. No matter whether the stories are set in the past or the present, she loves to include a touch of the paranormal. In addition to her romantic fiction, she’s the author of several nonfiction books and earned a Master’s in English in 2008. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and the Authors Guild. Get to know her at www.bettybolte.com, signup for her Newsletter, or follow her on Facebook.

In Undying Love, both Meredith and Paulette, two sisters who are working on becoming friends again, both enjoy spending time together in the beautiful wrought iron gazebo situated at the back of the plantation home.
Here’s a little excerpt:

An owl hooted from outside the kitchen, dragging Meredith’s attention from loading the dishwasher. She leaned onto the sink and stared out the window. The black, velvety sky sparkled with untold stars and a sliver of moon. She let her gaze slide back to the ground, touching on the white gazebo gleaming in the night.
The dishes could wait. She closed the door of the appliance and dried her hands on a towel. Flicking the light switch by the back door, she peered through the window. Yes, the fairy lights glowed across the ceiling of the gazebo. Hurrying, she strode through the house.
“Paulette, where are you?” She poked into each room she passed and then took the steps two at a time to the second floor and went down the hall where light peeked from beneath Paulette’s door. She tapped twice before pushing it open. “There you are. Come on, it’s a lovely night to sit outside and share a bottle of wine. You game?”
Paulette lay on her bed, her head propped on two pillows, a book open and resting on her tummy. She laid the novel aside and pushed to a sitting position, a grin on her lips. “If you insist.”
Before long they rested beneath the mass of tiny white lights, an open bottle of merlot between them. The soft glow of a citronella candle flickered on the table. Crickets chirped in the background.
“I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed sitting out here,” Meredith said, stretching her legs and crossing her ankles.
“Grandma had great taste in vino too.” Paulette sipped the dark red liquid.
“Her latest interest, apparently.” Meredith angled her glass, watching the candlelight dance in the reflection. She sipped, swallowed. “So, want to share why you came here? What happened to Mr. Perfect?”
The cricket symphony hushed in anticipation as Paulette sighed. “He’s probably wrapped up in a parka somewhere in Alaska.” She shook her head, peering into the darkness surrounding them.
“Really? Whatever for?”
“His dream job. Wildlife journalist for National Geographic. Ugh.”
“I can’t imagine you among the polar bears and penguins, anyway.” Meredith chuckled. “You’re too much a hothouse flower.”
Paulette laughed. “You’ve got part of it right. First, there aren’t penguins in Alaska. Second, you’re dead-on about me needing a warmer climate. That’s why I’m here.”
“I thought you wanted to make me squirm.” Meredith sipped her wine, imagining the crickets rubbing their legs to create their unique music like a symphony orchestra warming up.
“I love seeing you squirm, but that wasn’t why I really came to find you.” Paulette scooted back in her chair, sitting more upright. She leveled her gaze on Meredith, resting her wineglass on her tummy. “Truth be told, I missed you. Or more accurately, I missed our friendship.”
“That was eons ago.” Meredith looked away. Although she longed for the closeness they once shared, she would never allow her sister to maneuver close enough to hurt her ever again. The emotional barrier she’d erected had to remain in order to protect herself from Paulette’s barbs.

The sisters have a lot of history to sort through and work out before they can be friendly with each other again. It takes time and patience for their relationship to heal, but the outdoors provides a place, a setting, where they are reminded of who they once were to each other.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?! If this story is just your sort of historical catnip, you can find Betty’s book here:

Happy Reading!
Kate

It’s here! A Raven’s Heart is finally on sale everywhere bodice-ripping goodness is sold! I can’t wait for you to read about Raven and Heloise. . .I hope you fall in love with them as much as i did!