Chesterfield couch, in royal purple – just perfect for our distinguished guest on tonight’s show.
I was thrilled be asked to be part of Eva Scott’s blog hop for the launch of her third novel Barbarian Bride. This is a full length novel set in the same universe as Eva’s debut title The Last Gladiatrix. In addition to setting romances in the Roman Empire (a period of history that I love), she is also an accomplished contemporary novellist too.
Welcome to the purple couch Eva!
First of all, when did you decide to write the follow up to The Last Gladiatrix? Was it during the writing of the first or was it afterwards?
Definitely afterwards. The heroine of Barbarian Bride is a Hun woman named Klara. She appears briefly in The Last Gladiatrix and my editor asked me to write her story. I hadn’t considered a follow-up until then. Now I’m writing a third!
What do you do about giving your heroine her own voice, considering that both Xanthe (heroine of The Last Gladiatrix) and Karla are very strong assertive women?
I get each character to write me a letter at the beginning of the writing process. They tell me who they are and where they’re at in their lives, what’s important to them, their fears and dreams. Each character’s voice come through so clearly. Letter writing is the best process I’ve discovered to make my characters really come alive on the page.
Author Eva Scott’s second historical romance, Barbarian Bride is released today.
Brilliant! I love the idea very much. Our characters are real within the universe of our novels, they share with us their motivation.
The Last Gladiatrix was a novella, what length is the new book?
Barbarian Bride is a full length novel. I didn’t want to leave Klara and Lucius. I was having so much fun!
Hooray! I loved The Last Gladiatrix and my only complaint was that it was too short. Can you share what Barbarian Bride is about?
Klara is the daughter of a Hun chief who, on the eve of her arranged marriage, literally runs into Lucius. He is an adventurous and unconventional Roman hero who ends up accused of murder. Klara and Lucius end up on an adventure which takes them across the Roman Empire in search of justice, freedom and love.
What specific research did you do and did you discover something surprising in your research?
Finding reliable information about the Ancient Hun is really hard. There are loads of “romantic” websites dedicated to the memory of Attila the Hun but few sporting hard facts. I found a remarkable book written in the 1960s by an eminent scholar of Ancient Hun. While academic and dry it was a fabulous resource. Hun women fought alongside their men in battle and a great many Hun were bow legged from riding horses from the time they couldn’t stand up unaided. The women decorated their clothing with tiny lozenges of mirror so they sparkled in the sun. And they all lived predominately on a diet of meat stew!
Wow, that would have been an impressive, sight. Now, please, please tell me that Xanthe and Titus find her brother. Shameless plea!
They haven’t yet! Lots of people have asked me that question and perhaps I should take the time to find the answer.
Available to purchase today
Yes, yes you should! :-D Are there more ‘romancing the Romans’ on the roster?
Right now I’m writing the story of Lucius’ sister, Alexandra. She’s feisty and funny. She gets rather a raw deal in Barbarian Bride after finding herself caught up in her brother’s (mis)adventures. So I thought I’d make sure she got her own happy ever after.
I love with when secondary characters demand their own story. Are you working on anything now?
I am currently editing my contemporary novel, Red Dust Dreaming. It’s a complete departure from the Romans. Set in Central Australia it follows the story of Elizabeth who has lost herself trying to be what everyone else thinks she should be, until she meets Caden Carlyle and the residents of Yuendumu’s art community. But all change comes with a cost!
I can’t wait to read it – I hope to be at Uluru later this year.
Thank you very much for sharing your time with us. Barbarian Bride is doing insanely well in pre-sales and it is available to purchase from today (Tuesday, 4 Februrary), so what are you waiting for!
Title – Barbarian Bride
Category – Historical Romance
Tagline – On the bloody ground of the Colosseum, she fights to save her life. In the treacherous boxes above, he fights to save their love.
Blurb –
Though Klara didn’t love the man who was to be her husband, she didn’t want him murdered, and she vows to track down the man who committed the crime. Sickened that she’d been attracted to the mysterious Roman, Klara tracks Lucius Aurelius to the fringes of the Roman Empire, only to find that they’ve both been trapped in a clever plot to overthrow Klara’s father, the Chief of the Huns.
Klara is separated from Lucius, captured by slavers and sold to a gladiator school. She is the only one who can save herself, by fighting for her freedom. Lucius can ensure her battle is easier, but only by sacrificing himself. How much is he willing to give up for the fiery woman he’s come to love?
Excerpt –
Settling back, Klara surveyed the room for the candidate most likely to know Lucius Aurelius. With so many unwashed, bearded rascals to choose from it was hard to pick. Finally her gaze alighted on a burly old man whose eyes reminded her of Lucius. Abandoning the revolting beer she made her way cautiously to where the man sat alone. He was intent on a dish of stew and didn’t notice her approach. Klara stood before him, awkward in her uncertainty of what to do next.
She cleared her throat. The man shovelled another spoonful of stew in his mouth and did not look up. She tried again, a little louder this time, and still the man ignored her. Sliding her knife from its sheath Klara slammed the point down into the table where it quivered menacingly. The spoon stopped half way to the old man’s mouth. He looked up under busy eyebrows and regarded her for a long moment before the spoon continued its journey. Chewing slowly he simply sat and looked at her.
Klara put her hands on her hips. Now she had the man’s attention starting a conversation about Lucius seemed even harder than she thought it would be. The man lowered his gaze, scooping up another spoonful of stew, and she found herself dismissed.
“Hey!” she slammed both her hand down on the table. “I want to talk to you.”
“So talk.” The fact he didn’t bother to look up infuriated Klara. The man has no manners— and they call Hun barbarians.
“I’m looking for a man.”
He looked up then. “Really?” Pushing the bowl away he leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes roam over the curves of her body. “I’d be happy to oblige.”
Klara swept the empty bowl off the table with the back of her hand. It clattered on the floor and rolled under the table. Her chest heaved with suppressed anger.
“Might I suggest you would do better with men if you tempered your aggression? So unattractive in a woman.”
Klara wrenched the knife out of the table and held it towards the man. “Do you know a man named Lucius Aurelius?” she hissed.
The old man’s bushy eyebrows shot up and disappeared into his hairline. “Lucius? How on earth do you know Lucius?” He narrowed his blue eyes and leaned forward, his hand shot out grabbing her wrist. “Who are you?”
She tried to reclaim her hand but the man was too strong. Cleverly he’d grabbed her hand holding the knife so there was very little point struggling. She raised her chin and said, “I am Klara…”
“The Hun,” the man finished softly. He let her go and settled back. “I’ve heard about you. Sit down. You’re in luck.”