Title: Once Beloved
Author: Amara Royce
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Author: Amara Royce
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Once, Helena led a charmed life. After eloping
with the charismatic Captain Chase Martin, she left behind her childhood
country home for a blissful life in London. Devastated by the death of her
husband during a labor riot, she has spiraled into depression and agoraphobia,
which she now combats solely for the sake of her children. When her grandmother
summons Helena to her deathbed, terror at the thought of such a trip clashes
with her sense of duty and affection toward her grandmother. Facing the
village’s enmity for her long-ago betrayal, Helena finds an unlikely ally in
her former fiance’s brother, Daniel Linfield. When Daniel travels to London for
business, the last person he expects to encounter is the woman who jilted his
brother years ago, destroying a land deal that would have been a boon to the
whole village of Marksby.
Despite his family’s long-standing grudge
against her and his own deep-rooted mistrust of women, he finds her vulnerable
and in need of help he is in a unique position to provide. Logic and duty
overrule his animosity as he offers to transport her and her niece home. The
return to Marksby is argumentative, tumultuous and illuminating for both Helena
and Daniel as an unwelcome but undeniable desire grows between them. Helena
must face the consequences of her choices, while Daniel wrestles to overcome
his own past and his shifting loyalties. When Helena returns to her London home
and family, both face momentous decisions about their future together.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Once Beloved is available at Amazon
About the author:
I write historical romance set mainly in
Victorian London. Currently, I’m focusing on the mid-nineteenth century (the
1850s). I have a PhD in English literature, specializing in 19th-century
British novels, so much of my academic background filters into my fiction
writing. In my other life, I’m a community college professor of English
literature and composition. I hope my books never come across as dry, didactic,
or intellectual just for the sake of being intellectual.
I’m married and have a wonderfully supportive
spouse and family. Really, I couldn’t do what I do if they weren’t so committed
to my happiness. They’re remarkably understanding about work that takes me away
from them.
I didn’t think of myself as a writer until a
few years ago (approximately 2006-ish). Sure, I’d written little throw-away
snippets in high school. I vaguely remember writing silly “meet cute” vignettes
about my best friends in high school, including one of my friends encountering
her true love while riding a horse through the French countryside. I’ve lost
touch with that friend, but I’d like to think maybe she did meet a significant
other that way.
Still, I didn’t think I had what it takes to
be a writer until relatively recently. Then, I happened to read a few books
like Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and Audrey Niffeneggar’s The Time-Traveler’s
Wife and was inspired. What could it hurt for me to try, right? When I opened
the floodgates, lots of burgeoning ideas came rushing out. Let’s see…I started
a literary fiction (set in the same time period I’m writing now–Victorian) and
a contemporary women’s fiction (Practical Magic meets, hmm, maybe “Babel”) and
a Young Adult contemporary (a YA modernization of Don Quixote). I was all over
the place. And I was still learning. I am still learning. I am ALWAYS learning.
A couple of years ago, I decided to do
something entirely different. Historical romance enabled me to combine two of
my favorite things: Victorian history/literature/culture and happy endings. I
hope the fire and joy I feel when writing these historical romances translate
to my readers.
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