It’s release day for Claims of the Heart!

Here’s the blurb:

Since a perilous fall, Lucie Macbeth has been seeing more than a settled future as the heiress to a Scottish barony. The visions plaguing her include a man—one far above her class and breeding, and English to boot. He’s engaged to a duke’s granddaughter as well, and thus wholly inappropriate. Though she can’t marry him, and she won’t become any man’s leman, when the Sight warns her of danger to him, her conscience and her heart tell her she can’t walk away.

Since returning from Waterloo, Major Lord Rudgwick has been rusticating in the country teaching himself how to live as a man with only one hand and pondering how to end the engagement he contracted before his world turned upside down. But then a letter arrives from an old army comrade, requesting Rudgwick’s aid for his daughter, Lucie Macbeth, the woman he met one year earlier, the woman whose claim on his heart he can’t deny.

Find your copy today at all major retailers:  https://books2read.com/u/bpwQlE

Quick hits on the historical research for Claims of the Heart:

I was able to draw from much of the research I did on the first two books in this series, Fated Hearts, set in Chelsea and London, and The Comtesse of Midnight, set in Suffolk, just a stone’s throw from the county boundary with Norfolk.

In past blogs I’ve covered some of the special research for Claims of the Heart. Here’s a rundown.

In Search of a Hand

The valiant hero, Major Lord Rudgwick, lost a hand at Waterloo. His mother arranged for James Potts of Chelsea (who created the Marquess of Anglesey’s leg) to create a prosthetic hand for him.

Norfolk

Since a good part of the story takes place in Norfolk, I researched the coastal areas and came across a smuggling vicar. Not exactly relevant to my story. I also discovered an old Roman road, Peddar’s Way which I was able to work in a mention of. And I learned something new from my English editor, or something else new since she’s always helping me anglicize my writing: you can tell it’s a Roman road on a map because the Romans made all their roads run straight. Good thing Norfolk is flat!

Women bankers

I dipped into a book I’d read a couple of years earlier to find out more about Norwich bankers. Yes, there were women bankers, and I have one in my story. Not mentioned in my prior blogs, Norfolk was adversely impacted by the war with France and was suspected of being a hotbed of rebellion. That fit nicely with my plot.

And file storage

Such a minor thing! The way files were stored is one of those small insignificant details that would drive knowledgeable readers crazy. I hope I haven’t erred with any others in this story!

Covent Garden Theatre

I knew the story would begin with the heroine attending the theater so researched the British newspaper archive for theater schedules and showings during our period. Thus, we first glimpse the heroine attending a presentation of The School for Scandal at Covent Garden. The theatre had burned down in 1808 and was rebuilt on a grander scale.

For that evening’s festivities, the heroine needed a new gown that I modeled on one worn by Russian Tsarina Elizabeth Alexeyevna Romanov. I haven’t been able to upload her picture, but here’s a link to this absolutely gorgeous portrait on my Pinterest page.

Have you picked up a copy?

Lucie Macbeth’s story is only 99 cents, but the price will go up soon!

Happy reading, and if you enjoy the story, please leave a review at the retailer of your choice.