Monday, November 5, 2012

Guest Blogger, Katherine Bone on Rogues

I first met Katherine Bone at the Heart of Dixie Romance Writers of America chapter and was amazed at her tireless work  for not only the HOD chapter, but the Southern Magic Chapter as well. Organized, calm, friendly, and ready to lend a helping hand, Katherine kept things moving and shaking behind the scenes. It is my great pleasure, to welcome Katherine into the spotlight to dish about her intriguing debut release, Duke by Day, Rogue by Night. Without further adieu, give it up (that means buy the book!!) for my friend, Katherine Bone ~

Thank you for inviting me here today, Debra! ;)

I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to alpha males with a penchant for adventure, sacrificial love and devotion to duty, honor and country. That’s why I write Regency romance. The Regency period embodies age-old traditions of family, temperament and the importance of destiny. I think that can be said of the paranormal romances Debra writes too.

Ideally it’s the goal of every writer to discover what makes a great hero. That is, of course, what a reader desires, a hero willing to give his last breath for the one he loves. The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, The Origins of American English Words states that the word hero dates from 1550 and means “men of superhuman strength, courage or agility.” The first recorded use of the word in a story, poem or play dates to 1697.

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm describes heroes that “underlie our present-day consciousness, expressing these profound ideas in terms of individuroses2al biographies and events in comprehensible terms. The legend of heroes endure from age to age, and hold our attention because they dare to go to the extremes of human terror and delight.”

Mythological heroes showcase different aspects of human nature and writers can easily tap into these prototypes for ideas because readers intrinsically relate to them. For instance: Orpheus is the grief-stricken hero; Jason, the quest seeker; Zeus, the shapeshifter, fooling lovers and enemies alike; and Prometheus, Theseus, and Leander typify the self-sacrificing hero.

In my debut release, Duke by Day, Rogue by Night, Percival Avery embodies all these heroes combined. He’s the grief-stricken brother searching for his sister’s killers. He’s the mission-centered warrior, chameleon and secretive rogue disguised as both pirate and fop in order to keep his enemies and the ton at bay. And through it all, he’s sacrificed his own happiness and the success of his mission for one woman, Lady Constance Danbury.

In this day and age, we welcome heroes home from war, scarred psychologically and emotionally, but eager to return to their normal lives. We see firemen do amazing rescues from burning buildings or policemen curb riots in the streets. We instantly recognize heroes because they are the foundation of humanity. That’s why I write historical romance. To celebrate the heroes that laid the groundwork for the heroes of today.

Pirate_Treasure_Prize

 

Do you have a hero in your life? What one thing draws you to a hero in a romance novel?

One lucky commenter will win one of my treasure chests full of chocolate and bubblegum doubloons, a pocket watch, stress bone, journal, pirate hat, bandana, and more. 

Be sure to leave your contact info in your comment so you can be contacted in the event you’re the winner!

Duke by Day, Rogue by Night

Constance Danbury is fleeing an arranged marriage to lecherous Lord Burton, a man who has blackmailed her father and is nearly twice her age. Her escape takes her aboard a merchantman bound for Spain, where she hopes an aunt will help her procure funds to save her father’s dwindling reputation. But fate intervenes. Constance is captured by a pirate with a wit and stubbornness to match her own, and a secret he’ll do anything to keep.

Nobleman Percival Avery is a member of Nelson’s Tea, an elite group whose members are first sons from every tier in society. Undercover, he disguises himself as a pirate to infiltrate the gang of cutthroats responsible for his sister’s death. But when his vessel attacks a merchantman with valuable cargo, Percy is forced to choose between vengeance and saving the life of his commander’s niece, Constance Danbury. Mutiny is sure to obliterate his well-laid plans. It also aligns him with the one woman sure to see through his disguise. Forced to play the fop by day to outwit his enemies, he masquerades as a rogue by night in order to avenge his sister’s death – and to win his true love’s heart.

 

Buy Duke by Day, Rogue by Night

KatherineBoneWebPhoto20075089Bio:

Katherine Bone is addicted to history and romance. Raised an Army brat, she had the great fortune to marry an officer and travel the world. After raising four children and putting down roots in the south, the muse came calling with abandon, complete with swashbuckling adventure, mayhem, and Alpha males too impressive to ignore.

www.katherinebone.com
@katherinelbone

7 comments:

Patricia Bradley said...

Debra, you are so right about Katherine. She's a sweetheart! And I love her new book, Duke by Day, Rogue by Night!

Patricia Bradley said...

Debra, you are so right about Katherine! She's a sweetheart. And I love her new book, Duke by Day, Rogue by Night!

Debra Glass said...

Welcome to my blog, Kathy! Duke looks fabulous.

One of the favorite heroes I've ever read is Jamie Fraser in Outlander. He was both strong and vulnerable. He loved Claire with all his heart and grieved when he felt he'd wronged her. He possessed myriad emotions that made him real. Jamie almost...almost...made me like red headed men. :-)

Katherine Bone said...

Wow!! Thank you, Pat!!! Your kind words mean the world to me.

And congrats on your BIG news!!! Three book deals are a dream come true!!! <3

Katherine Bone said...

Hi Debra!! Thanks again for welcoming me to your blog today!! ;)

Outlander gets such great accolades. I really need to read that book! It's on my TBR pile and I just haven't gotten to it yet but everyone raves about it. So glad to hear that you loved it too. I've heard Diana Gabaldon speak at RWA conference. Very interesting author!

Crystal Lee said...

Duke by Day, Rogue by Night packs a powerful punch! I'm glad to finally see this book published!!

Katherine Bone said...

Hi Crystal!! Thank you!! I appreciate your kindess. ;)