Double the Celebration! Congratulations to Lisa Karon Richardson and C. J. Chase!

 

Have you ever attended a party in a carriage?

Welcome to our plush Party Carriage!

Well, don your best traveling costume and hop on in, because we're on the move today, from colonial Virginia to Regency England...evading danger, solving mysteries, and maybe encountering a bit of romance. (Oh, of course there's romance! Who do you take us for, anyway?)

But wait...there's more!

Ah yes, we're all here! Let's be off then, madam.

Get ready for two times the excitement as we celebrate a double-Release Party...

Congratulations Lisa Karon Richardson and C.J. Chase!

Both Inkies' historical romances release tomorrow, Feb. 5, but we just couldn't wait to get the party going.

The carriage is in capable hands

In the spirit of all good parties, contemporary and historical, there will be delightful nibbles and noshes served while we travel along these unpaved, rutted byways. What pretty scenery we pass through! With all of this green, we could very well be in either Virginia or England, where the novels are set (convenient, don't you think?).

Oh my, the carriage is pulling to a stop. Is the ride over already? Nonsense! We're pausing to accommodate the arrival of our waitstaff.

Why, there's Graham Sinclair, hero of Lisa's book, The Magistrate's Folly. I see he's keeping the tea tray perfectly balanced as we resume our ride down the road.

Thank you, Graham. I'll have Bohea, please. Milk, no sugar.

And here is our pastry server, looking very serious as he prepares to offer us a selection of sweets.

I'll have a one of those berry-topped biscuits, please. And the cream puff. And the chocolate.

This is far more enjoyable than eating fast food in the car!

Another biscuit, ladies? They are calorie free.

Something curious has happened. We're no longer alone on this country road. Say...There are magistrates in both of these books. Are we in some sort of legal trouble? Why else would we have picked up a military escort? (British, of course.)

Huzzah! What's all the hullaballoo?

Ah, I hear music. That explains everything. Look who's marching alongside our carriage for our entertainment.

What a divine road trip! More tea! I'm so glad we aren't in danger like the heroines of Lisa and C.J.'s books.

Speaking of our poor heroines, what sort of trouble are they into, anyway?

The Magistrate's Folly by Lisa Karon Richardson

After her father’s death, Merry Lattimore survives by finding work as governess. Her dull, but tolerable existence is shattered when she is accused of a theft she didn’t commit. Narrowly avoiding hanging, Merry travels to the American colonies as convict labor. Physically, she has been spared harm, but her faith has been mortally wounded. When her sole friend, a slave woman, is accused of murder, Merry is torn between her resolve to return to England and prove her innocence, and her determination to battle injustice.

Magistrate Graham Sinclair thought he’d seen everything in his courtroom, but nothing could have prepared him to see Merry, the girl who jilted him for an Earl’s son, manacled and accused of a crime. He can’t deny the weight of the evidence and reluctantly binds her over for trial. Her transportation to the colonies seems to end the matter until new evidence comes to light that proves her innocence. Graham eagerly secures her pardon, and tracks Merry to Virginia. Drawn into the fight to save a slave woman, he finds himself also hopelessly drawn to the one woman he’s convinced could never return his affection.

When attempts are made to silence Merry and the case seems to be crashing down around them, Merry must trust Graham with her life. But she’s not sure she can trust God with her future.

The Reluctant Earl by C. J. Chase

 Alone in a gentleman's bedchamber, rummaging through his clothing—governess Leah Vance risks social ruin. Only by selling political information can she pay for her sister's care. And the letter she found in Julian DeChambelle's coat could be valuable—if the ex-sea captain himself had not just walked in.

As a navy officer, Julian knew his purpose. As a new earl, he's plagued by trivialities and marriage-obsessed females. Miss Vance's independence is intriguing—and useful. In return for relaying false information, he will pay her handsomely. But trusting her, even caring for her? That would be pure folly. Yet when he sees the danger that surrounds her, it may be too late to stop himself….

Oh my, our two heroines do have a bit of a bumpy road ahead, don't they? 

The carriage will make a circuit around the park all day. Feel free to read, enjoy more biscuits, and view the lovely scenery.

Should you choose to descend from the carriage, be sure to allow one of the waitstaff to assist you. Then come back all week to learn more about our Double Releases! And be sure to leave a comment, including your email address, to be included in a drawing for a giveaway of Lisa's book.

Would you rather purchase? Lisa and C. J.'s books are available on Amazon and wherever inspirational fiction is sold.

Congratulations, Lisa and C. J.!

 

Interior of the Antrobus travelling chariot at the National Trust Carriage Museum at Arlington Court ©National Trust Images/Mark Bolton
tea goodies: http://webadit.co.uk/cakelady/?page=afternoon
tea cup: www.susannedietze.com
 Soldiers: www.visitwilliamsburg.org