Jill Hughey

A Villainous Start #MFRWHooks #Redeemed

Jill Hughey — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 06:21:47 +0000

The beginnings of books are hard. Modern writers can’t often get away with pages of description, of guiding us into the setting and mood of the character. This is the favorite of my beginnings, featuring the hero of Redeemed, book two in my Evolution Series, who was the villain in book one and not a likable guy. I jump right into his head to show that, while he’s been working to change, he’s still prickly. Can a person really alter himself enough to go from being the bad guy to being the good guy? Some can. I mean, Doeg isn’t a sociopath or anything, he’s a man who has to stop feeling like a victim and admit he might deserve a little happiness in his life, if he’s willing to open up for it. We all know a real-life person like that. Maybe we each remember a fictional bad guy (or girl) we’d like to see smiling in a happy ending. Doeg was mine, so I wrote it for him.

EXCERPT

Doeg’s requirements in a prospective wife seemed simple enough when he started the search. He had learned in the last three years to examine his goals and break them into finite steps of surmountable size. He’d done just that, determining his essential needs in a spouse and discarding all other considerations. For example, he would not demand wealth, having turned over a new leaf to be an independent man. Intelligence was not needed and in fact, could be much over-rated where a woman was concerned. He also did not care if she was graceful, well spoken, or religious. And physical attractiveness had no bearing on it whatsoever. She could be tall, gaunt, and toothless since he had no intention of looking at her very often. He would not insist on a particular age as long as she would outlive him because he could not imagine ever going through this again.

No, he never wanted to waste another ten months of his life in the apparently futile search for the one woman in Bavaria who could meet his two requirements, which at the beginning of the hunt last March had seemed so elementary he had expected to be married by April.

END OF EXCERPT

Can a quiet widow help a damaged, secretive man find redemption?

Doeg has only two requirements in a wife and upon meeting Philantha he knows she is the one who will fulfill them. However, she has a requirement of her own that tests and eventually breaks the barriers Doeg has maintained around himself for decades. They struggle during the day to revitalize his estate while the night-time awakening of their passion leads to binding love and redemption beyond their wildest imaginings. When an unexpected threat to Philantha emerges, Doeg rises to the challenge, throwing off the shackles of his past once and for all.

Travel to Bavaria in 834 where Redeemed combines the best elements of historical romance with an exciting new setting. Book Two in the Evolution Series. You can learn more about this series and me here. All the stories stand on their own, so if Redeemed has intrigued you, grab a copy!

REDEEMED – AVAILABLE AT THESE ONLINE STORES

Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Kobo Smashwords

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Hummingbird Place – Listen to Romance News #blogradio #romancenews

Jill Hughey — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 13:08:31 +0000

Last night I was interviewed on Hummingbird Place, a fun place to find weekly romance news and listen to authors you may or may not be familiar with, all couched in a comfy, homespun environment complete with southern accents and “cyber-wine.” Host Donna Wright explored the topic of Virgin Heroes and Heroines with three authors. The character I discussed was Doeg from Redeemed, whose minor physical handicap interfered with his only attempt at sex as a teen. The humiliating experience discouraged any other forays into real intimacy with a woman. My character was definitely the oddball since the other two authors featured their short Christmas stories with sweet virgin heroines while Doeg, the handsome but unlikable villain from Unbidden, struggles to escape the dark, lonely fortress in which he’s protected his heart for nearly thirty years.

Such a variety of authors should mean there will be something for everyone and, as a bonus, in the middle of the show Mallory Kane shares a few minutes of recent news in the world of romance books.

Hummingbird Place is also super-convenient. Recorded every Monday at 7PM EST, shows remain available for listening long after the broadcast, hence the term blog radio. Recent topics included “Naughty and Nice — Bad Boys/Bad Girls,” and historical romances separated by genre such as Revolutionary War, and Regency.

Check out Hummingbird Place if you need a few minutes to put your feet up and listen to a chat with real people who create the characters we all grow to love.

Jill Hughey’s Books

Jill Hughey — Sun, 19 Jan 2014 17:57:00 +0000

Here they are! Every Jill Hughey Romance book available! I created this post – copied it from my Love Historicals page to be honest – to reduce the clutter on the home page of the blog. Every book is here, and the icons beneath lead directly to the individual book at your vendor of choice.

The books in the Evolution Series in chronological order are Unbidden, Second Love: A Short Historical Romance Story, Redeemed, Vain, and Little Witch. The Evolution Series is set what we now know as France and Bavaria in the years after Charlemagne’s death. There is also an Evolution Series Bundle that contains every story except Little Witch.

Way down at the bottom of the post you will find my sweet American historical romance, Sass Meets Class.

The Evolution Series consists of five stories in this chronological order:

Unbidden

When the emperor chooses a husband for Rochelle, she tries to drive her betrothed away, but by the time she realizes she might want to keep him, she has been too successful and other forces are dividing them as well. Will she trade her beloved estate to earn David’s love?

A whirling romance in the enchanting world of Charlemagne’s Empire in which a reluctant heroine and “drool-worthy” hero engage in a battle of wills. Unbidden is currently free at most ebook vendors and is Jill’s first audiobook release!

Second Love: A Short Historical Romance Story

Second Love is a SHORT STORY of about 10,500 meticulously crafted words. It is volume 1.5 in the Evolution Series, chronologically falling between the last chapter and the epilogue of Unbidden.

When Ingrid helps a noblewoman escape, she is sure her master’s retribution will be severe. Instead, the woman and her husband quickly return to offer the widow and her young son protection far away in Francia. Their new home provides comfort and stability but does not relieve her inner shame at what she’d done to survive. Certain she does not deserve a second love, she resists the yearnings of her heart and discourages a worthy suitor.

A story told through a year of seasons, Second Love unites a man and a woman who both have pieces of their pasts they would rather forget.

Redeemed

Can a quiet widow help a damaged, secretive man find redemption?

Travel to Bavaria in 834 where Redeemed combines the best elements of historical romance with an exciting new setting. Book Two in the Evolution Series

Vain

Lily had her life planned, neat and tidy as thread on a spindle, until her mother died and her father snipped at the seams of her future by abandoning Lily in their shop. A nobleman unexpectedly gives her hope when he brings fabric for a special garment. Lily survives on his first payment, and immerses herself in sewing and embroidering an incomparable tunic for him, as her tidy plan continues to unravel.

Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville, takes his responsibility to his townspeople seriously and, therefore, does not dally with local women. Desire wars with duty when Lily glances up at him while adjusting the hem on his Easter tunic. As her deteriorating circumstances push them together, Theo and Lily learn that the path to his heart just might be through his wardrobe, though the exquisite outfit she creates is the only part of her that fits in his precarious aristocratic world.

Little Witch: Historical Romance Novella

The night is dark. The moon is bright. She brings his heart into her light.

The fifth book in the Evolution Series and a 49,000 word historical romance novella.

A vicious neighbor uses a series of coincidences to label Salena as the local moon-charmer, making her an outcast in rural Francia. When Salena encounters her brother’s childhood friend, Nox, out on business for the Lord of Ribeauville, she fears he will accept the locals’ tales about her, especially since they relate to the death of his family a decade before. He is, instead, as charmed by her as she is by him.

Nox’s sympathy for Salena evolves into affection in spite of his strict rule against close ties with people. Afraid to risk another loss like that of his youth, he abruptly ends their relationship, unaware that Salena has already been downtrodden by her father denying her request to venture farther out into the world.

A threat to Salena’s family prompts her to run away in the hopes of protecting those she loves while forging a new path for her life. Too late, Nox discovers that she has also run away with his scarred heart.

The Evolution Series Bundle

This single purchase contains Unbidden, Redeemed, and Vain, with Second Love: A Short Historical Romance Story as a bonus! This is definitely the most cost effective way to get most of the Evolution Series, plus you can read straight through all four romances without being pulled away to visit your favorite ebook vendor!

Evolution Series Bundle - Jill Hughey" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/evolution-series-bundle/id647455850?mt=11&uo=4%22%20target=%22itunes_store%22%3EEvolution%20Series%20Bundle%20-%20Jill%20Hughey%3C/a%3E" style="color: #1772af; text-decoration: none;">

Sass Meets Class

I’ve also written a light, sweet romance, Sass Meets Class, set in 1880s Arizona Territory that one reviewer described as “Mr. Darcy in the Wild West.”

Conversation gets pricklier than a cactus and desert temperatures are bound to rise when American common sense meets British nobility in Arizona Territory.

Susan Mellott doesn’t pay much attention to the outlandish Englishman who joins her family for the last leg of their overland journey She considers Alexander Dorcester a source of bowing and boot-polishing amusement until he helps scare off a couple of curious Apaches on their last day on the trail. The Brits and her paths part in Gateway, and even though she knows he will be visiting his parents just five miles away, her family’s new general store requires so much attention she mostly forgets about the Redcoat. Until he arrives to do some shopping with his oh-so-proper mother. He returns alone the next month, then again the week after, and the week after. Not sure of his intentions, Susan decides to encourage Alex a little. Next thing she knows, he’s bolted for England.

Or has he? Time and distance and secrets cannot end a friendship that is meant to be love.

Sass Meets Class. A sweet romance in which two mismatched people discover they are just what the other needs.

Redeemed on First Sight Saturday

Jill Hughey — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

On First Sight Saturday, I usually feature a guest author, but this week I’m going to be my own guest and share the first meeting between Doeg and Philantha from Redeemed, the second book in my Evolution Series. If you haven’t read the series, Doeg is the villain from the first book, Unbidden. The first inkling of the difficult childhood he endured was given near the end of the first book, where I tried to create enough sympathy for him that readers would want to see if he could, indeed, be redeemed.

SETUP OF SCENE: Doeg has decided he needs a wife, strictly as a housekeeper. His idea of an interview is to see how she reacts to his filthy house. Philantha has been widowed, losing her status as mistress of her home, a purpose in life she misses very much. She has no romantic dreams, with only one requirement in a prospective husband that threatens the barriers Doeg has carefully maintained for decades. Other characters who appear are Philantha’s Aunt Begga, and her cousin, Guy, who is employed by Doeg.

EXCERPT:

She felt the master’s stare on her. She lowered her face. She knew her place in the hierarchy and could tell by his posture that he did too. It would not do to study him nor, God forbid, openly challenge him by staring back. But when her horse came to a placid stop near the steps, his physical appearance stole her breath.

He was a beautiful man. A virile, well-built man, his pale but thick blond hair and striking blue eyes at complete odds with the dark house from which he’d just emerged. She could not stop a tremulous smile as hope rose within her. Certainly this man could achieve her one requirement!

He strode to her horse resolutely, then reached up for her without a word, his right hand gripping her waist firmly as she slid from the saddle, his left catching her other side just before her feet touched the ground, easing her carefully onto the slippery packed snow.

“Thank you, sir,” she said softly to the center of his chest as she lifted her trembling hands from the solidity of his shoulders. She let her vision rise only to the pale stubble on his chin, noting in her peripheral vision the left arm fixed in a permanent right angle at the elbow. There had been no weakness in his grasp, no apparent difference in strength between his two arms. His elbow simply did not flex, as Guy had explained. She did not care about that. She had no need of his elbow.

He drew the rough brown fabric of his cloak over his left arm, purposely hiding it from view as he backed away from her. “Welcome to Atrum Calx,” he said, his voice deep yet as chilly as the air around them.

Behind her she could hear Guy struggling to get Aunt Begga out of the cart, then cursing softly at the walking stick that refused to be freed. The man before her scowled, momentarily distracted by the scene, and Philantha took the opportunity to study him, starting at the ground. He had rather large feet in well-worn brown boots. His legs, wrapped in brown wool braise, extended to her waist at least, or so it seemed based on where the leather belt gathered his buff tunic into careless folds. Overall, he stood much taller than her, which wasn’t unusual since she was considered short. His shoulders and chest were broad and his stomach showed no sign of excessive eating. Nor did he smell of ale or wine, a pleasant surprise late on a winter afternoon when most Bavarian noblemen would already be well into their cups.

She hazarded a glance at his face, noting distinct cheekbones and a narrow straight nose. His lips were full but his mouth not particularly wide. A muscle worked along his wide, firm jaw. As the walking stick finally came free, he looked down at her again and his eyes glinted like unforgiving blue ice. He raised an arrogant golden brow at her before he turned to the door, gesturing with his good arm to indicate that she should proceed to the house. She slipped once. He caught her elbow, not letting it go until she reached the dry floor inside the door.

It was the smell that hit her first, a nauseating combination of cooking odors, rodent urine, and dust. Aunt Begga came up beside her. They clung to each other’s hands, mutually appalled at the milieu before them. The hall was spartan and filthy and filled with a haze of smoke and pestilent vapors. Food remains and grease covered the surfaces of the table and its accompanying benches, though the idea of a person actually eating here made Philantha gag a little. The cushions on the chairs around the fire sported burn holes and stains to the point that she could not even begin to speculate what their original color may have been. Below them, she could see just enough of the floor beneath a layer of mud and food detritus to know it was stone, and around the edge, where it met the sooty, spider-webbed walls, a drift of grime softened the intersection to a gentle, disgusting curve.

“My God, Aunt Begga, the house is a pigsty,” Philantha blurted, her usual reticent manner completely overcome by the rank filth. Her heart dropped into her already churning stomach. She knew immediately that she’d just ruined everything. After two days hard travel she’d not even gotten her cloak off before destroying her opportunity. A dirty house could be fixed but a direct insult to the master of the house was probably irreparable. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed her fear. Her host stood just behind them, bent slightly at the waist, obviously having heard her disparaging comment

Before she could begin to apologize, he froze her with his piercing eyes. He studied her while nodding slowly and assessingly, even moving up beside her so he could look her full in the face.

He must be deranged, she thought. Yet she couldn’t look away. He exuded expectation, his gaze entreating as though he hoped she’d speak again. But between the mortification of her last utterance and the chill of his stare, she could not force her mouth to work.

Aunt Begga finally broke the trance, exclaiming “Ach!” with her usual phlegm. Doeg’s eyes flicked to the old woman who pointed at the left wall. “I just saw a mouse run to its little nestie under those steps.” Her aunt dropped Philantha’s hands to march toward the steep stairs that clung precipitously to the left wall, their whole length elaborately draped in webs and dust. Begga brandished the walking stick like a weapon as she peered beneath the first step then struck, rewarded by small squeaks and the soft crunching sounds of tiny bodies. “Guy! Go find a cat. This house has great need,” she called.

“I am a clerk, Aunt Begga, not a housemaid,” Guy retorted as he strode across the hall. “Clerk to the manager of this whole estate, and I do not fetch cats!”

“Do not backtalk me, boy. Pretend you are a stablehand and go find a cat. Every barn has one.”

“No,” Guy replied as he disappeared into what appeared to be the kitchen. Aunt Begga shook her stick at him. Little mouse bits scattered off the end to be absorbed among the general filth on the floor.

The master of the house watched the squabble with rapt attention. His steady expression did not even twitch, yet Philantha sensed increasing eagerness. His cold stare swung back to her and she knew it was her turn to do something appalling.

Philantha sighed at this odd predicament. The least she could do was find a way to clean up the mess her aunt had made before the mute observer sent them back to Martin’s house. She noticed a young boy peeking out the kitchen door and smiled at him. Philantha knew how a household worked. One did not send the master’s clerk after cats. One sent the child of a servant. She beckoned to the waif while digging in the folds of her tunic for the little bag concealed there. His pace quickened when he saw it, though she noticed he kept a wary eye on the observant man still frozen behind her. She held out a coin, a trifling bit of money, as she bent to speak to the lad. “What is your name?” she asked.

“Gunter,” he whispered.

“Do you know where to find some good mousing cats?” she asked secretively.

He nodded, his clean little face out of place in this filthy cave of a room.

“Will your mother mind if you go to find some?”

He shook his head. “My mother don’t live here no more. Cook lets me stay with her.”

Philantha figured there was more to that story but focused on the task at hand. “I will give you this coin if you can bring three good mousing cats into this house before dark.”

Gunter bobbed his head up and down excitedly before he scampered back to the kitchen, arms and legs pumping. She could hear his animated babbling before another door opened and closed. Philantha braced herself. She’d leapt across the bounds of hospitality, but there had been no help for it. She turned to face her host, not surprised to find his cold stare still on her. She’d felt it these last few minutes and known he’d never stopped mentally recording observations of her since that first impetuous outburst. Yet there was something there other than ice, an intense curiosity as though he could not wait to see what she would do next. And what could she do after exhibiting such rudeness but apologize?

“I beg your pardon, sir,” she said to his chin. “It was much too presumptuous of me.”

He brought his right arm up to cross it with the left. “It is fine,” he said shortly. “Do continue. Do whatever you would like to assure your comfort.”

A flush rose to her cheeks as she dropped her head in mortification. “Now you are just taunting me.”

“No,” he said sharply. His hands balled into fists then pointedly relaxed. “No,” he said again but with great care, “I mean what I say. Do what you think should be done.”

She could not stop herself from glancing at his face. The man was in earnest. He wanted her, as a guest, to change what should be changed about his house. That was what he had been waiting for. The list of tasks unfurled in her mind like the tapestries that should be softening the walls of this hall. The list was long. And it would take days. No, weeks. “It is nearly dusk,” she answered. “There is little that can be done today. But the weather is very mild. If you do not mind, I would open the door to let some sweeter air into the hall.”

He lowered his chin in assent. She eased past him to wrench the door open, cringing at the screech as she swung it wide to catch the last of the afternoon air. “Those hinges could use a daub of grease,” she noted, mostly to herself.

“What is your name again?” he asked.

She whirled. “Oh, sir, I am sorry. I thought Guy would have told you.” It just got worse and worse, didn’t it?

He waved her apology away impatiently. “He probably did tell me. Your name?” he demanded.

“I am Philantha, sir.”

“Philantha, you will marry me.”

END OF EXCERPT

You probably noticed that Philantha is submissive. Some readers take issue with that, but Doeg would never in a hundred lifetimes be attracted to a forceful woman, not to mention the reality of the time period was that of a strong male family leader who was obeyed. Throughout the book, we are shown that Philantha does stand up for herself when she knows she must. She works within the system to get what she needs, with unwavering loyalty for a husband she does not immediately understand but begins to love. Doeg has enough baggage for the both of them. He needs her uncomplicated devotion to give him a safe place to BE so that he can become the man he should have been all along.

If you want to get to know these two non-typical romance characters, you can find Redeemed at the following merchants. Redeemed is available in print from Amazon and Createspace.

Amazon – any region Barnes and Noble Kobo Apple iBook Smashwords

Historical Titles on Book Lover’s Buffet!

Jill Hughey — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I’m so excited that Redeemed is part of the BOOK LOVER’S BUFFET, featuring 175 books all priced at $0.99 from many online vendors, including some wonderful historical romances you can find here. I’m providing a brief overview of each in the list below. Check them out! I’m sure you’ll see some delicious reads you can’t resist. And why should you when they are all 99 cents and calorie-free!??

Rogue’s Hostage by Linda McLaughlin. His hostage. Her destiny. In the midst of a war that threatens the fabric of her life, Mara Finds herself torn between love and loyalty.

An Improper Situation by Sydney Jane Baily
From dusty Colorado to civilized Boston, Charlotte and Reed encounter sinister forces and scorned women. With passions ablaze yet often at odds, they find themselves in a very Improper Situation.

Wear Black by Eilis Flynn and Heather Hiestand

Death did not end his service to the British Empire. Death is only the beginning…Wear Black

Regency Romance: To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield – Book #1 Wicked Wagers Trilogy

Spirited heroine, rakish duke, and three wagers that will change their lives…

Tame a Wild Wind by Cynthia Woolf

He’s looking for work not love. She’s looking for a ranch foreman not the love of a lifetime.

To Wed The Earl – Regency Novella

Miss Miranda Price detests her neighbor Edward Havens, the rakish Earl of Edgerton – but when he catches her breaking into his library at midnight, secrets are revealed that will change the course of their lives… forever.

The Escort by Gina Robinson True love runs deep.

Storm on the Horizon: Kit thinks he’s helping Tatiana to hide her powerful magic from Georgian society, but he’s about to find out her secret’s much bigger than he ever imagined.

An Exotic Heir: Warning–dangerous to your heart: love and revenge in Regency Calcutta.

Ventre a Terre
Rosamund Hilliard, singing for her supper at the grand houses of England, must flee her suitors when her scheming is discovered.

And, last but not least, Redeemed by Jill Hughey. Can a quiet widow help a damaged, secretive man find redemption?

I hope you’ll visit the BOOK LOVER’S BUFFET where you can find a wide assortment of romances for just 99 cents, plus enter to win prizes!

Book Lover’s Buffet!

Jill Hughey — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Introducing the Book Lovers’ Buffet. Load up, you won’t gain a pound!

The Buffet’s “Bouquet of Books” sale will be open May 1-3. More than 175 ebooks, all reduced in price to just 99 cents, including the second book in my series, Redeemed, on sale for the FIRST TIME EVER.

Save in categories such as Young Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense, Erotic Romance, Historical and more! PLUS, visit the website to win gift cards to your choice of online retailers. $400 in gift cards up for grabs!

Titles from popular authors such as:

· Gemma Halliday

· Angie Fox

· Jenna Bennett

· Amanda Brice

· Jennette Marie Powell

· Clover Autrey

· Carly Carson

· E. Ayers

· Genevieve Jourdin

· CJ Lyons

· Renee Pace

· Sophia Knightley

· Tori Scott

· Meredith Bond

· Emily Ryan-Davis

· Anthea Lawson

· Diana Layne

· Lindsey Brookes

· Gina Robinson

· McKenna Chase

Come stock up on delicious books for your spring and summer reading at www.bookloversbuffet.net!!

Vain – third week – on First Sight Saturday

Jill Hughey — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Last week I posted the second portion of a scene of from my new release, Vain, and here is the rest of it. Lily, the abandoned daughter of a tailor, has just sworn to Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville, that she indeed knows how to sew. As she made her promise she placed her hand on some beautiful cloth he has brought. Theo found this amusing, so the excerpt starts with a laugh.

BEGINNING OF EXCERPT

Her lord threw his head back. In Willis the weaver’s tiny abode, unexpected masculine laughter rang off the walls. Lily smiled, surprised the skin on her face remembered how to accommodate the action. “I am satisfied, Lily,” he chuckled. “Do you need my measurements?”

“Has anything changed?” she asked, recklessly playful after his mirth, and nearly drunk at having conversation and joy in the home that had become more like a jail. “Did you indulge in too many rich meals over the winter?”

His hand went to his flat stomach, then he laughed again. “Nothing has changed.”

“We will use what we already have then. Would you mind if I just drape the fabric on you for a moment to help me finish the tunic in my mind’s eye?”

“Not at all.” He held his arms out to his sides.

She unwound three more rounds of the wool, handed him the bolt, and lifted the end over his shoulder. Even doubled as it was, the material cascaded weightless down his chest. “You always bring such wonderful things to work with,” she repeated with honest pleasure. She adjusted the wool around his neckline below the heavy gold clasp holding his cloak. “Squarish, you said,” she confirmed as she backed away.

“Yes.”

“I do not think a true square will be right for you. Might I angle it a bit for your inspection when the top is pieced together?” she asked, warming to the welcome task. “I can always change the cut to square.”

“As long as you do nothing permanent, I will agree,” he replied.

“The color is very good for you,” she added, returning to him to move the fabric again. She placed her hands on the outsides of his shoulders, testing their shape and reminding herself of his proportions. “Gold embroidery, I think, at the neck and wrists, but only enough to set off the burgundy. The cloth itself is what should impress about the tunic.” She looked up to test his reaction. His brow furrowed. She could not tell what he thought of her ideas and feared her creative rambling might be bad for business. She backed away cautiously.

Her lord pulled the Blood of Christ from his shoulders to wind back on the bolt. She retrieved the burgundy mass and clutched it to her, afraid he might change his mind.

He untied a small leather bag from his belt and tossed it on the table with the blessed clink of silver. “We are of one mind on this tunic. In the sack you will find gold thread for the embroidery, burgundy thread for the sewing, and my usual deposit.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she gushed in giddy gratitude. “I will inform you when enough is done for you to inspect.”

“You will also inform me when Willis returns from Strazburg,” he ordered, giving her a stern look as he pulled his cloak back over his shoulders.

Reality crashed down on Lily. The Lord of Ribeauville would be watching more than her sewing this spring.

END OF EXCERPT

Buy Vain at the following sites:

Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo AmazonUK AmazonCA

Vain – second take – on First Sight Saturday

Jill Hughey — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Here is the second portion of the first scene in Vain. Last week we saw Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville, stop by a shop searching for a tailor reported as having been scarce for the last few months, leaving his daughter alone. He has just asked Lily when her father left, and she tries to distract him by asking to see some cloth he brought.

BEGINNING OF EXCERPT

“In the morning,” she answered. He arched one thick brow, hearing the vagueness in her response. She rushed to fill the questioning silence. “Please, my lord, may I see what you have brought? You always choose such beautiful cloth for us to work.” His lips pursed within the circle of the beard he kept neatly trimmed beside clean-shaven cheeks. She knew that he knew she was playing on his vanity. “Is it linen or wool?” she prodded, desperate to avoid questions about her father.

“Wool,” he relented as he placed the bundle reverently on her father’s worktable. “I have never seen so deep a burgundy before.” He untied the twine and unfolded the flax to reveal a bolt of cloth that burned almost black in the shadows of the shop.

“Oh, my lord,” Lily breathed as she approached.

He flipped the mass to find an end then held out the corner for her inspection. The yarn had been spun impossibly fine, then woven tightly to produce a thin fabric that flowed over her fingers like a sheet of burgundy water. She lifted the material toward the window to admire the rich red in the fading dusky light.

“Not really a spring color,” her lord noted doubtfully. “I wanted a tunic for Easter, but perhaps this cloth will not do.”

“Blood of Christ,” Lily whispered without thought, then turned to see if she had offended him. He entered Ribeauville’s beautiful church on the hill as often as he should, though was not known to be a particularly pious man. Perhaps he would not like the idea of wearing holy blood.

Theophilus cocked his head to one side. The corners of his eyes crinkled with the suggestion of a smile. She’d always liked how his eyes drooped down on the outsides, implying there might be a softness to him, a sympathetic nature that only showed in the soulfulness of the shape of his eyes.

“A tunic, then,” Lily plunged on. “What did you have in mind for its structure?”

He threw his cloak back over his shoulders eagerly, keen as always to plan a new garment. “I saw a man in Thionville last autumn wearing a tunic with a squarish neckline and short sleeves, but it just flowedto his knees. Not in a feminine way,” he corrected quickly. “Even belted, it moved with him like the skin on a stallion. The weight of the fabric was similar to this, so I hoped your father could make one for me.”

Excitement pulsed in the room. Lily needed this job, yes, but the creativity, the possibility of fashioning the garment that Theophilus described immersed her in an energy she had not experienced for months. She unwound a length of redness, let it drape over her arm. “I see it,” she said simply, because she did.

He scratched his ear. “Will Willis have time to complete the garment? He appears to have much business outside the shop.” The pulse diminished. He knew. He knew her father had not been home for days and days. He wanted his burgundy fabric to be worked by the man he thought had crafted his tunics for decades. He also wanted to know where that man had gone.

So did Lily. She could not indulge in that curiosity right now. She needed this job because she needed her lord’s coin. Supplies for the shop were one thing. Food was another. This week, for the first time in her life, she’d gone to bed hungry, with nothing in the larder, no money to spend, and no goods to barter. “We have over a month until Easter, my lord,” she reassured. “I can start on the tunic in anticipation of my father’s return.”

Theophilus frowned. He did not care for that idea. Starting meant cutting and she could see he did not trust her to cut his fine wool. She did not blame him. The price on such a piece in such a color must have been extravagant.

“Did you know I helped to make the cloak you are wearing today?” she inquired. “We sewed it three years ago. I remember because we all liked how the blue brightened the worktable that January. And you brought it in last spring to mend a tiny hole on the inside,” she added. “I have worked fabric with my parents since I was a young girl. Father has allowed me to cut for nigh on ten years now.” In reality, Father had demanded she do all the cutting, which suited her just fine. She did not make mistakes, but more importantly, she had a good eye. She could see things in the fabric and the person who would wear it like no one else. Or so Mother had said before their lives unraveled.

The Lord of Ribeauville studied her. He searched her face and she imagined she saw his soulful sympathy extend to her in a softening of his handsome eyes. He examined the length of her body analytically. “Did you make that tunic?”

“Yes, of course,” she said. Did he think that merchants hired out their own work?

He critically appraised the neckline. “You have done something different over the shoulders.”

She ducked her head in pleased embarrassment. “Yes, my lord.” She had been taught by her mother to always regard the man before her as her better, careful to speak and think of him as the Lord of Ribeauville, though with that being such a mouthful she often shortened the title to thelord, or her lord, or my lord. She shied away from even thinking his given name, although her friends bandied it about as if he were one of them. Or, at least, they did when they knew he was not in residence.

Her lord scowled. “Well, what did you do?” he demanded impatiently, his eyes not so soulful any more.

“Oh,” she breathed as she lifted her fingers to the subtle pleats of the cloth. “I shaped the top to make my shoulders appear broader.” What a humiliating admission!

“Thought only noblemen padded their shoulders,” he joked. “Is it common practice among women too?”

“I do not think so, my lord. But I did not pad my tunic. I added pleats and liked the balance they gave shoulders to hips,” she explained, blushing furiously. Imagine, talking about her body parts with her lord.

He nodded, the little silk tassel rubbing across his dark hair as he reviewed her homespun gray tunic from neck to toe again. “Clever. You say you cut and sewed this very tunic with your two hands? Your father had no part in it?”

“Yes, my lord. I swear it on…on the Blood of Christ!” she finished, laying her hand on his bolt of fabric possessively.

END OF EXCERPT

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Meet Lily!

Jill Hughey — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Vain, book three of my historical romance series, is on the cusp of release. Today I’m going to share a short excerpt to introduce you to my heroine, Lily, who is the daughter of a tailor in Francia in the year 839.

BEGINNING OF EXCERPT

Lily circled her father’s worktable, pondering the fine burgundy wool much as a mason scrutinizes the veins in a block of stone before placing his chisel. There were two tiny imperfections in the fabric. One a small bulge in the yarn and the other a nearly imperceptible snag. She was determined to avoid them both, and still have the front and back of the tunic match perfectly in the direction of the weave. Finally satisfied with her plan, she snatched up a piece of chalk to decisively draw her pattern on the red that stunned her eyes in the early afternoon light, stopping occasionally to check a measurement.

After her troubling conversation with Arn, she had taken a quarter hour to mix a batch of starter for bread and also baked some thin, unleavened crackers to tide her over until the starter matured. She’d indulged in cheese and an apple, then approached the work she really longed to do with a pleasantly full belly. It had taken nearly an hour to calm her mind enough to really see the fabric. Now she marked the wool confidently, her fingers remembering how she wanted the cloth to drape over her lord’s shoulders. Not too square, she confirmed as she cheated the corners of the neckline. Yes, that will suit him nicely.

She measured down from the shoulder to find the waist, then measured again to find the bottom hem. Her nose wrinkled as she considered the length, marking it longer than she thought she’d probably like. The lord had said just to the knees. She thought for spring perhaps the hem should ride slightly above. Besides, Theophilus had nice calves that looked well in summer hose. Lily’s cheeks grew hot as she acknowledged her second scandalous thought about her better today.

They would just have to see how it looked when he came for a fitting, and let him decide if he wanted people admiring his calves or not. She, for one, would remain indifferent.

She finished her markings, then stopped, not brave enough to do any cutting today. Besides, she did not want to miss the gathering at the market this afternoon, so she busied herself with sharpening her shears and studying the fine gold thread he’d provided for embroidery. She unwound a short length from the generous spool to curl it over the cloth. She smiled. The contrast was perfect. She would have to invent a clever pattern as the final, distinguishing characteristic of a garment that would surpass anything she’d ever created.

With another hour until her walk to the market, she doodled unsatisfactory patterns on a scrap of parchment, ate a large cracker, studied her chalk marks on the Blood of Christ, and tried not to contemplate her father’s whereabouts. Although she had been a solitary worker for years, assigned her own tasks, she had companionably shared the space with her father and mother. She missed their presences. In truth, Willis might as well have died with her mother for all the support or affection he’d provided since then. Had it really been just last autumn that Mother had died? Where did Willis go for weeks at a time? What if he died somewhere and she never even knew?

She stored her tools for the night then braced her hands on her hips. The same questions had twisted in her brain for months with no result at all. Right now, she would go to see her friends in the market. She would enjoy Arn’s company for the second time today and, hopefully, they would soon plan a future together. Tomorrow, the burgundy wool would fill her whole day with cutting and piecing and perfecting. Her fingertips caressed the cloth that she let spread over the worktable, knowing she would want to revisit it tonight and contemplate the lines she’d drawn.

She had a plan for today and a plan for tomorrow. Her belly was full, and she had money to buy more food if needed. Really, what did she have to worry about?

Someone pounded on the door.

END OF EXCERPT

Vain is coming soon next week!

Vain Cover Reveal

Jill Hughey — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Coming March 14, 2013

A tailor’s abandoned daughter fashions a vain nobleman’s tunic, finding passion between the neckline and hem as misfortune forces her into his precarious aristocratic world.