Guest Post – Author Rue Allyn

I’ve got a special guest post from a great fellow indie author.  Say hello to Rue Allyn!

Author of historical, contemporary and erotic romances, I fell in love with happily ever after the day I heard my first story. (Yes, I was a precocious little brat who read at the age of two, but I could hear much earlier than that.) I studied literature for far too many years before discovering that writing stories was much more fun than analyzing them. Heck, as an author, I get to read the story before anyone else. I am happily married to my sweetheart of many, many years. My husband and I share the home of two cats, who condescend to allow me to feed them and clean their litter box. (The cats only tolerate my husband’s assistance when I am not available.)They occasionally permit me to pet them but demand my love and attention as their right. (Funny, my husband demands the same. Could I be married to my cats? Does that make me a trigamist?) Regardless of my specific relationship status with our cats, I am in awe of their feline ability to dominate with half a glance or a mere twitch of tail. Insatiably curious, an avid reader and traveler, I love to hear from readers about your favorite books and real life adventures. Crazy Cat stories are especially welcome. You can send me your words of wisdom… Don’t shake your head at me; all words are wise in one context or another. You can trust me on this; I’m an author. As I was saying, you can send your words of wisdom, humor, and friendship to me at contact@RueAllyn.com. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Follow her at:

Website: http://RueAllyn.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynFriends

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RueAllyn

Blog: http://authortravels.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn

 

And here she is…

James thank you for hosting me on you blog today. I’m eager to get to know you and your readers. My medieval romance, Knight Errant, released on August 17, 2015 and tells the story of a knight errant seeking redemption and a beguine and one time noblewoman seeking independence. In romance novels knights errant are a dime a dozen—though I like to think Sir Robert Clarwyn is a bit out of the ordinary. However, I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance in which the heroine is a Beguine.

What’s that? You thought the beguine was a dance?

Well you are correct, it is a dance. However, a Beguine (note the capital letter) is a woman belonging to a lay sisterhood which follows an austere life of faith but is not a nun. In the middle ages women had difficult lives and few choices. The Beguine sisterhood offered a supportive community and a refuge from abuse, neglect and coercion. Knight Errant’s heroine, Juliana Verault became a Beguine for just those reasons. She saw the sisterhood not only as an escape from an onerous life but as a means for having a productive and useful life that was under her personal control.

Yet, in the Middle Ages, all was not rosy for this independent community of religious women. Many men, both lay and religious, in the medieval masculine power structure saw the Beguines (and other similar communities) as a threat. The Beguines were as often persecuted as heretics as they were sought out for their productive generosity. I found an interesting article about modern day Beguines at http://www.dw.com/en/sisterhoods-make-a-comeback-in-germany/a-1719066. If you’d like to know a little more about Robert, Juliana, and Knight Errant or some of my other books, I’ve include a blurb and links below. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about Beguines, knights errant and the concept for Knight Errant.

 

What about her new book?

 

Lady Juliana Verault gladly left England—and its men—far behind in her quest to live as a Beguine. But the Christian community ceases to provide a safe haven when she’s called to travel to Palermo, Italy, where she’s entrusted with a letter from the pope that could radically change the church’s stance on women. Juliana holds the key to upending the power structure throughout Europe, but only if she can dodge her cousin, King Edward I of England, and his betrothal plans for her.

Edward sets Sir Robert Clarwyn, a knight errant and loyal hunter of criminals and traitors, on Juliana’s trail to retrieve her. Robert has never failed to bring home his target before … but then, he has never encountered a quarry like Lady Juliana, who can befuddle and bemuse him with just a smile.

If he can’t find a way to compel her to return to England, he’ll lose any chance of regaining his family lands and redeeming his heritage. Yet Juliana must complete her mission or risk endangering her gender’s future in the faith.

With danger and intrigue mounting, Robert and Juliana must rely on each other and be willing to risk everything … including their hearts.

Pre-order: Amazon, Crimson Romance

 

by