Tag: heather webb
An Amazing Time in San Antonio: The Historical Novel Society North American Conference 2023
Hello dear readers! I am just back from the biannual North American HNS conference. Bit of trivia—I’ve attended every American HNS conference since the very first, held in Salt Lake City in 2005. Back then I was still working on my first manuscript and had no agent yet. Over my three days in Utah and I learned so much about the industry! To this day I consider the HNS conferences an indispensable event for staying up to speed on the publishing industry and gaining insights into the craft of writing for those of us writing in the historical genre. They are also a heck of a lot of fun.
I was a panelist in San Antonio, discussing the logistics of pen names—their creation, branding and management—along with the talented Eliza Knight, Libbie Grant and Kris Waldherr. Our panel had a specific focus on using multiple pen names, which means I got to be both Sophie Perinot and Evie Hawtrey in the same place at the same time (a first)!
Below you will find some photo highlights of the conference, featuring myself and other historical fiction authors you likely read, as well some of what we got up to. Enjoy! I certainly did!
Clockwise from top left: Eliza Knight, Heather Webb and me; cotton candy cocktail; Mariah Fredericks, Karen Odden and Judith Starkston; margaritas; Karen Odden and me; Kate Khavari and me; best guacamole ever. And right smack in the center–Nancy Bilyeau and me.
Happy Bastille Day!
I first fell in love with France and French history when I visited the Loire Valley as a college student studying abroad.
And the fascination stuck! If you haven’t noticed dear readers—but I suspect you have—three of my four historical novels are set entirely or significantly in France:
⚜️ RIBBONS OF SCARLET—Feel like starting a revolution? You’re in good company. Travel to 18th century Paris and meet seven amazing French women who fomented and fought in the French Revolution. RIBBONS, which I co-authored with five amazing fellow historical novelists, is a breathtaking epic novel illuminating the hopes, desires, and destinies of princesses and peasants, harlots and wives, fanatics and philosophers—unforgettable women who leave their distinctive marks on one of the most tumultuous and transformative events in history. But if anyone offers you a ride in a Tumbril just say NO!
⚜️ MÉDICIS DAUGHTER—Travel to 16th century France and visit the gorgeous palaces of the Loire and the steamy summer streets of Paris, with French Princess Marguerite de Valois. But be careful, Marguerite’s mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis is always plotting something . . . and a wrong move could be your last. Oh, and if you are invited to Marguerite’s wedding (her heart belongs to the handsome Duc de Guise, but her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce) you’d better dress for a massacre as well as dancing.
⚜️ THE SISTER QUEENS—This novel is 50% French. One of my sisters, Marguerite, is Queen of France in the 13th century, while the other—Eleanor—is Queen of England. Both were raised in Provence at the court of their father, the Count of Provence. And though they come to be separated by royal marriages, they are never truly parted.
For more about each book, check out its individual book tab! And for plenty of Francophile pleasing history, book-recommendations and more, peruse the archives of this blog!
Praise for RIBBONS OF SCARLET . . .
RIBBONS OF SCARLET is getting some terrific notice. I and my fellow #ScarletSisters were delighted to get this fabulous quote from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin!
To celebrate, I am GIVING AWAY a 6-WAY-AUTHOR-SIGNED ARC of RIBBONS on FaceBook.
To enter FOLLOW THIS LINK then COMMENT on my Facebook post, and please LIKE and SHARE! We are eager to spread the kudos RIBBONS is receiving! The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard time on July 31st and it is international.
RIBBONS OF SCARLET is available for PRE-ORDER!!! On Amazon, at B&N, on Google, iBooks, IndieBound, and Kobo
2nd Chance to WIN: If You Did Not Win My RIBBONS Giveaway . . .
Yes, it’s true, you CAN believe your eyes—a Goodreads Giveaway for Ribbons of Scarlet got underway this morning. There are 50 copies up for grabs. So head to Goodreads and enter . . . you could win one of this fall’s most anticipated historical releases before the leaves change color!
GOOD LUCK all! And remember, the surest way to be sure you have your copy or Ribbons in hand on October 1st is to pre-order. Check out the “My Books” tab for Ribbons for more about the novel, and all the pre-order links you could possibly desire.
WIN Ribbons of Scarlet (an Advanced Reader Copy)
Four months from today—that’s when Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution’s Women officially lands on bookshelves (and in the mailboxes of those who pre-order from Amazon or elsewhere). That’s a looooooong time to wait. Trust me mes amis, I feel exactly the same way.
But what if you could get your own copy—an Advance Reader Copy (ARC for short) before the month was out? What if you could read the epic stories of 7 remarkable women as told by 6 award-winning and bestselling female historical novelists in 1 seamless novel MONTHS before anyone else?
MAYBE YOU CAN . . . Yes devoted readers it is CONTEST TIME.
I will be giving away TWO (2) ARCs of Ribbons, and you can earn multiple entries. Just follow the instructions below (the only thing required to put your name in the hat is a comment on this post—but there are ways to earn additional chances to win).
Bonne chance!
Goodreads Giveaway for RIBBONS OF SCARLET
RIBBONS OF SCARLET Cover Reveal
Drum roll please (okay maybe not, that does remind one of the moments before the blade falls on the guillotine—at least if one is an aristo) . . .
Here it is,cover of my next novel RIBBONS OF SCARLET–co-authored with the amazing Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray, Heather Webb, Eliza Knight and Laura Kamoie!!!
Are those the Market Women, members of the original WOMEN’S MARCH, marching on Versailles? Why yes!!! But my role in RIBBONS OF SCARLET was to offer the story of the only Royalist—The king’s intelligent, pious, and ultimately daring sister Princess Elisabeth, who takes a stand to defend her brother, spirit her family to safety, and restore the old order, even at the risk of her head.
As Madame Elisabeth scrambles to save those she loves, and the women of Paris march on towards Revolution and their destinies, you dear readers can march to your favorite purveyor of books and PRE-ORDER your copy of RIBBONS OF SCARLET (which will release October 1) TODAY!
Here are those handy “buy” links–
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Indiebound
RIBBONS OF SCARLET NEWS!
It’s time for another sneak-peek into the world of my next novel—RIBBONS OF SCARLET (coming October 1, 2019). WE HAVE OUR OFFICIAL COVER COPY, guaranteed to give you all the feels!
HERE IS A TEASER . . . .
DO YOU HAVE THE SHIVERS YET? CLICK THE LINK AND READ the back-cover in full. Then don’t forget to pre-order your copy! Because #historicalfiction rules!
ANNOUNCING RIBBONS OF SCARLET!!!
Dear faithful fans and readers,
I am over the moon to be able to AT LAST share this BIG NEWS with you! Fall 2019 will see some new Sophie Perinot (written in conjunction with my brilliant co-authors from History 360: The Historical Fiction Collective) on sale and shelves everywhere—a revolutionary telling of the French revolution from a purely female perspective! Here is the deal announcement from Publishers Marketplace:
RIBBONS OF SCARLET, a novel about the women of the French Revolution, featuring royals and peasants, harlots and wives, and fanatics and philosophers across the political spectrum who plotted, fought, marched, and crossed each other’s paths at Versailles and on the tumultuous streets, in an attempt to defend their beliefs, open new doors for women, and create a bold and equal new world–by bestselling authors Kate Quinn, Laura Kamoie, Stephanie Dray, E. Knight, Heather Webb and Sophie Perinot, at auction to Tessa Woodward at William Morrow by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in a good deal.
We are looking at an Autumn 2019 release. BELIEVE ME you have NEVER read anything like this. So mark your calendars and, to make certain you don’t miss the cover release or any extra snippets and goodies, if you are on Facebook, please to LIKE/FOLLOW all of our author pages!
[Facebook Author page links: Moi, Stephanie, Laura, Eliza, Kate and Heather]
It’s Women’s History Month and I Sit Down With Greer Macallister to Talk About Intersections Between the Past and Women’s Presents
Greer Macallister, bestselling author of THE MAGICIAN’S LIE and GIRL IN DISGUISE. is doing a wonderful series of #womenshistoryreads interviews in honor of WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. So far she has featured some of my favorite authors like Kate Quinn, Allison Pataki, Sarah McCoy and Heather Webb.
TODAY IT IS MY TURN! Check out our wide-ranging discussion touching on everything from historical graffiti, the bond between sisters (even when they are queens) and how historical women would identify with the stories of today’s #metoo movement.
