Hello, Get Lost in a Story Readers. Today, I’m pleased to bring you fellow
Coloradoan and chapter-mate, Lana Williams.
Lana’s debut historical, A VOW TO
KEEP, book one in The Vengeance Trilogy, added an exciting new voice to
Historical Fiction. Please welcome Lana
as she introduces her second book in the trilogy, TRUST IN ME.
A VOW TO KEEP (Book I of The Vengeance Trilogy)
Revenge was all he lived for...
Sir Royce de Bremont has spent his entire life plotting
revenge against the uncle who murdered his parents and stole his birthright.
Kidnapping the man’s bride-to-be brings Royce one step closer to fulfilling his
vow of vengeance.
Lady Alyna of Montvue has no desire to marry nor to become a
pawn in a game of revenge. Her only wish is to find a safe place to raise her
young son, a child gifted with second sight.
until he met her.
Alyna soon realizes this bold knight has captured her heart
but fears she’s merely part of his plot for revenge. The beautiful lady and her
precocious son make Royce long for a family of his own, yet his plans have already
been set in motion and cannot be stopped.
As passions rise, Royce must choose between his vow of
vengeance and risking his heart for love.
TRUST IN ME (Book II of The Vengeance Trilogy)
He took her for vengeance...
When his brother is abandoned near death at the gate of his
keep, Lord Nicholas de Bremont seeks revenge against those he believes guilty:
Lord Crefton and his treacherous daughter, Elizabeth. But the old lord is too
feeble for Nicholas to fight. Desperate to protect her father, Lady Elizabeth
offers to take his place, but as Nicholas’s wife.
Nicholas vowed never to have a family and risk passing his
cursed second sight on to a child, yet how else can he make Crefton suffer but
to take away his only daughter? Determined to make Elizabeth pay for her part
in his brother’s injuries, he adds a punishing stipulation to her offer--he
refuses to bed her, dashing her dream of a family.
but she captured his heart.
As they feign a true marriage, Elizabeth tries to guard her
heart from the angry lord who appears to despise her, yet his small acts of
kindness crumble her defenses. Nicholas attempts to keep his distance from the
beautiful lady, terrified Elizabeth will unveil his dark secret, but is tempted
every moment he's with her. When his visions divulge a villain who intends her
harm, Nicholas must choose whether to accept her trust and love, or keep his
secret and claim vengeance.
And now… let’s get to know Lana Williams.
DONNELL: Hi, Lana, welcome
to Get Lost in a Story. Congratulations
on your new trilogy. This story is set
all around a knight’s search for vengeance.
So let’s start there. You don’t
strike me as a vengeful person. So, if
Sir Royce was standing before you, what would you say to him about his lust for
revenge?
LANA: Hey, Donnell! Thank you and everyone at Get Lost in a
Story for having me! Well, I am guilty
of holding a grudge now and then, but I can’t say I’ve ever sought
revenge. Royce (in VOW) spent his whole
life seeking revenge against his uncle. And
Nicholas (in TRUST) seeks revenge against those who nearly killed his brother. While both quests seem justified, it was fun
as a writer to see how love affected their desire for vengeance. Let’s just say neither man found revenge the
answer they were looking for. I would
ask them both to choose: revenge or love?
DONNELL: What’s your
favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?
LANA: Think about writing.
Read about writing. You know how
it is! It consumes you! LOL! But I love
to read, as most writers do, and I like to bake, especially this time of
year! We have two boys and enjoy all the
activities they participate in. We like to
camp, ride ATVs, hike - the things that are so fun here in Colorado.
DONNELL: You’re invited to auditions of actors trying
out for the parts of Sir Royce and Lady Alyna.
You have the ultimate say in who plays them. Who do you see starring in their roles?
LANA: Gerard Butler
for Royce, and probably Jessica Alba for Alyna.
It is helpful to have pics of real people for characters as you write
the story. They help me create a more vivid image in the story for readers.
DONNELL: Share with
us something surprising you learned when writing this series.
LANA: This trilogy is
set in 13th Century England, which I have always found to be an interesting
time period. The unique things people
did, like setting the table with the spoons facing down to prevent evil spirits
from lingering there, or picking herbs on Midsummer Night’s Eve to ensure the
potency, are fascinating to me. But
probably the one thing this trilogy has confirmed to me is the power of love. Each
story shows how a quest for revenge can change in a heartbeat.
DONNELL: What’s in your refrigerator right now?
LANA: Well, it’s
NaNoWriMo, so not much! LOL! I think there’s a little leftover pasta with shrimp
and peapods. I love pasta!
DONNELL: Favorite
cartoon character?
LANA: Bugs Bunny for sure! Love the classics!
DONNELL: Favorite
holiday tradition?
LANA: Gosh, so many!
Love spending time with my family, but Christmas Eve is always really
special. We attend candlelight service at church, then make clam chowder, and
open presents, one person at a time. Makes the kids appreciate their presents
more. J
DONNELL: The most
unusual thing you have in your closet?
LANA: What a fun
question! Hmm...probably a Cher costume from when my husband and I went to a
Halloween party dressed as Sonny & Cher. And no, we cannot sing like them but we did
have a great time!
DONNELL: What is
something not many people know about you, but you’d like more people to know?
LANA: One of my
critique partners, Michelle Major, and I have a blog called Thriving Writers to
help us (and any other writers in need!) to stay focused on the positive
aspects of life and to strive for balance between all the balls we try to keep
in the air. Many women face the challenge of juggling careers and family and
relationships--it can be overwhelming at times! The link is www.thrivingwriters.com.
DONNELL: If you could
meet anyone past or present, who would it be?
LANA: I would love to
meet Charlemagne. He seems like a Renaissance man who held ideas ahead of his
time. He united most of Western Europe and encouraged the concept of a common
identity among the people. He established universities, and revived art,
religion and culture. Oh, and I’d also like to meet Gerard Butler, because,
well, because he’s Gerard Butler. Grin.
LANA, NOW IT’S YOUR TURN, TIME TO ASK THE READER A QUESTION.
– Readers, answer Lana's question for a chance to win a free Kindle-ebook.
LANA'S QUESTION FOR READERS: When you read historical romance, do you prefer books steeped in historical details or those that are lighter on the history?
Links: www.lanawilliams.net, www.thrivingwriters.com
LANA'S QUESTION FOR READERS: When you read historical romance, do you prefer books steeped in historical details or those that are lighter on the history?
Links: www.lanawilliams.net, www.thrivingwriters.com
Note:
Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American or Canadian
addresses only. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of
drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes
are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A
Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize.
GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the
commenter publicly posts their email address.
Lana, welcome to Get Lost in a Story. For me, I love love love historical steeped in historical detail. I feel like I'm learning something as well. What fantastic covers and writing. Wishing you much success!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me, Donnell! I agree - one of the reasons I enjoy reading is to learn something new!
DeleteGreat interview and excerpt. Congratulations on your release.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThank you, Ella!
DeleteHi Lana, where do you research your material and how do you add it in so that you don't overwhelm the reader? Which you've done a good job of.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by, Chris! That's a great question and it is always a challenge. I think as writers, it is very tempting to share all we've learned with the reader, but that can make for some boring narrative. My research comes from several nonfiction books about the period, including a couple of children's books. They are great reference tools as they go to great lengths to capture children's interest. Love, love, love the internet too!
DeleteHi Lana-Loved your interview. Do you and your husband pull out those costumes just for fun sometimes? :-)
ReplyDeleteI like a mix of historical detail - especially when it's authentic to the time period like yours. But I'm always reading primarily for the love so that's my favorite part!
If you only knew...JK! :)
DeleteAs romance writers, we can't forget including the love story! That's my favorite part too!
Hi Lana! I love historical romance & I'm always excited to come across an author I've not read before. Got to check out your books right after this!
ReplyDeleteI like a lighter history; some detail but not so much that it overwhelms the story of the relationship between the characters.
Hi Linda! Thanks for considering my books! I do think there is a line between historical fiction and historical romance, at least for me. I don't read historical fiction very often as it is a bit too heavy on history, but on the other hand, I want to learn something new in addition to watching the hero and heroine change and grow and finally get together. Love that part!
DeleteHi, Lana! I just love a book that can combine the right amount of historical details and a moving plot, like what you do in your stories. I reading a book right now that is so bogged down with interesting historical details that it is slightly annoying to get through. Granted, the details are fun to learn, but after a few hundred pages of them, with nothing moving forward as far as the plot is concerned, I want to throw the book against the nearest wall. But that might be just me. I'm an action girl--I like lots of adventure.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays!
Lani
Happy Holidays to you, too, Lani! I hear you on struggling through too much info! Love that action/adventure aspect as well.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
Hi Lana, I always love the characters and the story the most. But it's fun to learn little tidbits of history through the character's actions or dialogue.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely check our your Thriving Writers blog. Love any tips to help juggle all of our roles, especially as writers!
Thanks, Lana!
Jennie
Hey Jennie! So glad you stopped by. I've heard from a few readers who had never read a medieval romance before they read mine, and it's been fun to see which historical details they thought were interesting. Hope you enjoy the Thriving Writers blog too.
DeleteA lot of the time, I feel like I could use just a touch more setting, especially at the times that the characters are really involved in it. Nothing like an epic fantasy novel, where you just flip past pages and pages of the stuff. Just a little extra spice of setting.
ReplyDeleteI totally cast my books, too :)
Hi Lana! I loved your interview...I would think with NaNoWriMo you'd have lots of take-out in your frig, ha! Great questions, Donnell, it's fun to see many sides of a writer's life.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to the question-I love history so the more I learn about history along with the story the more fun it is. That's one reason I love reading Lana's books.
Thanks Lana!
I don't have a preference. Nice interview.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Bn100 HAS WON LANA WILLIAMS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. THANKS ALL!
ReplyDelete