A Smuggler by Trade

Reflecting upon the sacrifices made by men and women in the defence of our freedom, it seem to me that the more things change, the more they remain the same. The only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn. If we did, why would we still have wars that cost thousands of lives and never seem to resolve anything?

The loss of life in the Napoleonic wars was especially horrific. Those that survived had a right to expect gainful employment when they returned to England. Of course, it didn’t happen. Perhaps that’s why those who came from coastal towns were tempted into smuggling. It was a way of life anyway, made almost respectable by tradition, something to be proud of. Men unloading illegal contraband for one night could earn the equivalent of one week’s wages from a legal job. Not hard to see why they were tempted. Their methods of hiding their cargo were pretty ingenious too. ‘Burying’ at sea and hauling it out again when the coast was clear often kept them one step ahead of the law. They constantly changed their landing sites and often the customs men were in on it anyway.

It was thoughts of these displaced men, almost being forced into a life of petty crime, that got me plotting Duty’s Destiny. I actually worked out the finer details whilst riding pillion on my husband’s Harley across Spain, but that’s another story. (Great place to plot, by the way. No one can talk to you, phones can’t distract you and you’re legitimately alone with your active imagination).

Felix, Viscount Western, is outraged when he learns that his father’s shipping line is being used to import ex-slaves from the Indies into England, where they’ll once again be forced into lives of servitude. Determined to put an end to the evil trade, he hot foot’s it to the coast, convinced that Saskia Eden isn’t the innocent widow she makes herself out to be and that she’s somehow orchestrating matters on behalf of her father.

Within half a day of meeting Saskia and her feisty twins, Felix already has doubts about her culpability. Drawn into a web of lies and deceit, passion simmers between them as Felix fights against time to get to the truth and protect the woman he’s fall in love with…

Go to my website at http://www.wendysoliman.com where you can read the entire first chapter of Duty’s Destiny.

Duty’s Destiny now available to download from Musa Publishinghttp://bit.ly/s7zdNw Price $4.99

Wendy

My first born

Do you think kids instinctively know what they want to be when they grow up, or does it take time for their natural talents to emerge? I recall my sister picking wild flowers and arranging them in jars when she was still a toddler. She’s now a florist with a whole string of letters after her name. A kid in my class used to bring his guitar into school and serenade us. He’s now a newspaper editor in Australia, where his employees benefit from free recitals.

Me, every spare second was spent either on horseback, reading or scribbling stories. Nothing’s changed, except that I don’t have horses anymore.

I wrote my first book at fifteen, my second ten years later. Then life, husbands and horses took over for quite a while but the desire to put pen to paper never left me. Eight years ago, with time on my hands, I took it up again. Lady Hartley’s Inheritance – a fun regency romp and my first serious attempt at novel writing– was accepted for publication by a house in London. So too were the next four but, as all you mothers out there will know, your first born holds a special place in your heart.

Lady Hartley is now making another appearance. This time it’s in digital form with Musa, the impressive and innovate new e-publisher, and has benefited greatly from the attentions of their sharp editing team. Here’s the striking cover.

Clarissa Hartley is distraught when she discovers that her late husband left his entire estate to a son she knows nothing about. Her godmother’s son, Luc Deverill, the Earl of Newbury, suspects fraud.

Thrown together during the social whirl of a Regency season in full swing, Luc is increasingly drawn towards Clarissa, but she thinks him an idle dissipate and finds little to admire in the ways of high society …

Go to my website at http://www.wendysoliman.com to read an excerpt.

Lady Hartley’s Inheritance, available from Musa Publishing http://www.musapublishing.com/  or Amazon.com from October 14^th.

Visit my Facebook author’s page,https://www.facebook.com/wendy.soliman.author?ref=ts 
click like, leave a message mentioning Lady Hartley’s Inheritance and you could win a copy of the book.

Last week I talked about Halloween and asked for suggestions about Father Christmas’s leisure activities. Here’s what Alison Runham said.

Father Christmas is, of course, a kindly soul. So he spends much of his year caring for the other supernatural creatures that don't get out much - you know, ghouls, the Easter Bunny, the occasional Tooth Fairy whose patch is just a tiny hamlet in the Hebrides. And of course when Mrs Christmas demands her sunshine break (well wouldn't YOU, if you lived at the North Pole?), they have to invite Jack Frost to their Barbados villa too. "He's at a loose end," Father Christmas explains to his wife. She wraps her beach kimono around herself and pouts.

"It's intolerable, Crimbo!" she cries, batting her eyelashes at her twinkle-eyed hubby. "He drips all over the floor!"

"He can't help it, dear" says Father Christmas gently. "It's in his nature."

Mrs C sniffs. "You wouldn't say that if YOU were the one who spent the rest of the year scooping up Easter Bunny's pellets. Easter Bummy, that's what I'd call him."
The conversation always ends the same way. She stalks out and Father C sighs, knowing once again his generosity will cost him a brand new 'Mary Christmas by Chanel' suit for Mrs C.

Congratulations, Alison. You win a copy of my novel, A Class Apart.

Wendy

Welcome to my World

Confession number one: I said I’d never do it. Run my own blog, that is. With thousands of intelligent, thought-provoking sites already well-established, the market’s overcrowded. Who’s got the time or inclination to care about the disjointed thoughts of a British author who has trouble taking life seriously?

Well, I’ve gone and done it anyway so let’s hope I’m wrong about that and I'm not talking to myself.

Welcome to my shiny new blog. I’m Wendy Soliman (nee Wood), native of the Isle of Wight in Southern England. This is me today, British by birth, gipsy by inclination.  

My intelligent, kind, witty husband André and I divide our time between Andorra and the west coast of Florida. Here we are earlier this year, enjoying the Florida lifestyle. As you can see, we believe in getting into the spirit of things!

Jake, a Spanish rescued dog of indeterminate pedigree, condescends to share our lives. I named him Jake Bentley after the hero in one of my books on the basis that they’re both hunky mongrels with independent spirits and naughty streaks. Here he is, attempting to tear the head off the squeaky chicken I brought back for him from America. The Yanks know how to make tough toys and he’s yet to make any…er, headway. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the dreadful pun).

I’m a huge animal fan. I grew up falling off horses and have had dogs all my adult life. If you get round to reading any of my books, you won’t find many where an animal doesn’t steal the show. Take The Hunter Files, for instance. I’m glad you asked about them. Oh, you didn’t. Well, never mind, since we’re on the subject, The Hunter Files is a series I’m writing for Carina Press under my W. Soliman persona featuring a retired policeman now living on his trawler yacht, the No Comment, in Brighton marina. He shares his life with Guilty, a large multi-coloured mutt who’s the hero of the hour in the first book in the series, Unfinished Business, due to be released in October.

Okay, so now you know all my secrets. Wendy Soliman writes Regency and contemporary romance. W. Soliman writes marine crime mysteries. The professional advice is to write about what you know and who am I to disagree? And just so we’re clear, that would be boats not crime. Honest!

If there really is anyone out there, thanks for stopping by.