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All purple words in this newsletter are links you can click!
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Before we get to this week's free, 99-cent, and new books...
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Hi, friends and family~
My whole family is still healthy, and I hope you and yours are too.
I’m wondering...
How many points do you score on this “Never Have I Ever” quiz?
Click here to see my answer and post your own answer in my Chase Family Readers Group on Facebook! Look for the same blue graphic you see here.
In these difficult times, my thoughts are with you. Sending hugs!
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Join us for a virtual party!
In my Chase Family Readers Group on Facebook, our Book Club romance for the month of May is THE EARL’S UNSUITABLE BRIDE by my daughter Devon and me!
London, 1666: Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, finds his carefully planned life is turned upside down when the Great Fire of London lands a lowly jeweler's daughter in his arms.
Our party is THIS coming Tuesday in our group, and the theme is An Evening at the Court of King Charles. We hope you’l join us in escaping to 17th Century London!
If you haven’t read THE EARL’S UNSUITABLE BRIDE yet, hit the button below to join my readers group and grab this book.
Then mark your calendar for our virtual Book Club meeting/party on Tuesday, May 26th. My daughter Devon and I both hope to see you then. :-)
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From time to time, I share some history or a research tidbit from one of my books. Today I’m going to share some facts about King Charles II, who will appear at our Chase Family Readers Group party this Tuesday, May 26.
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Our book The Earl’s Unsuitable Bride takes place in England during the reign of King Charles II. The son of Charles I, Charles II was a popular king and a patron of the arts and sciences. He was born in St. James's Palace, London, in 1630. (Image: King Charles II as a baby.)
During the Civil War he lived with his father at Oxford, and after the victory of Cromwell's Parliamentary forces he withdrew to France. Accepting the Covenanters' offer to make him king, he landed in Scotland in 1650 and was crowned at Scone on January 1, 1651.
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An attempt to invade England ended that September by Cromwell's victory at Worchester. Charles escaped, and for nine years he wandered through France, Germany, Flanders, Spain, and Holland until 1660, when he was invited back to England as King. Shortly thereafter, in 1662, he wed Catharine of Braganza, the eldest daughter of the first king of Portugal. (Image: King Charles II with Catharine)
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Charles had many mistresses. He acknowledged nine sons and five daughters, although it is assumed that he had more. His first child, James de la Cloche, was born in France in 1646 to Marguerite de Carteret, when Charles was all of sixteen. James became a Jesuit priest. His favorite child, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, was born to Lucy Walter while Charles was in exile at The Hague, Netherlands, in 1648. Monmouth was beheaded after Charles's death in 1685, following an unsuccessful claim on the crown. (Image: Charles II in 1653, 11 years before he wed Catherine, but after he had fathered at least two children.)
Other mistresses who bore him children include Elizabeth, Lady Shannon; Catherine Pegge, Lady Greene; Barbara Palmer, Duchess of Cleveland; actress Nell Gwyn; Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth; and actress Moll Davis.
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Sadly, Queen Catharine never did present Charles with legitimate offspring, but at long last a descendent of his is poised to sit on the throne, since Princess Diana and her sons are descended from Charles II and Barbara, through their son Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, born in 1663.
(Image: Charles II after regaining the throne.)
If you haven't yet read The Earl’s Unsuitable Bride (or the steamy version of this book, When an Earl Meets a Girl), click one of the two book names to grab it and start reading.
Then mark your calendar for our courtly gathering on Tuesday, May 26!
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Book Club Picks: Friday Freebie, 99¢ Specials, and a Fab New Romance!
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Be sure to check the price before you purchase any books. The discounted books are often free or 99 cents for FRIDAY ONLY. All prices are given in USD and may not accurately reflect pricing in other currencies. Also, please "Look Inside" or read a sample before you buy. Some books may not be to your taste.
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First up this week, our Fab New Romance is a Regency, A DUKE WILL NEVER DO by Darcy Burke, the latest in her Spitfire Society series. After failing on the Marriage Mart, Jane embraces her newfound independence as a spinster—until she finds an unconscious viscount on her doorstep. When he offers to pay her for nursing him back to health, she requests payment in the form of private instruction of a scandalous kind... Steamy. Priced at $3.99.
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Our first 99¢ book this week is another Regency romance, MY LORD ROGUE by Katherine Bone, Book 1 in her Nelson's Tea Series. Lord Simon Danbury leads Admiral Nelson’s clandestine spy organization, but when Gillian, Baroness Chauncey, prevents Nelson’s assassination, Simon isn’t sure who poses more danger—the enemy or the masterfully seductive Gillian... Steamy. Regularly $2.99.
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Next, a 99¢ book for fans of contemporary romance: GETTING OVER BRETT by Cindy Procter-King. When Brett shows up on Tori's doorstep thinking he can make up for taking her virginity and skipping town the night of her brother's wedding, she quickly devises a plan to work him out of her system—for good! But getting over her first love proves trickier than Tori imagines... Steamy. Regularly $4.99.
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And finally, our freebie of the week is a Scottish romance, MACFARLAND'S LASS by Glynnis Campbell, Book 1 of her Scottish Lasses series. A young jeweler to Mary Queen of Scots becomes a fugitive and takes refuge in an abandoned church—where she finds herself at the mercy of a woodland huntsman. When forces conspire to turn Florie and Rane against each other, to survive they'll need courage, wits, and, most of all, love... Steamy. Regularly $4.99.
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England, 1688
Christmas is a time of love, harmony, and family…
But the Chases are no ordinary family. And when four happily-ever-after couples and their growing broods all squeeze into one house, it will make for one extraordinary holiday.
Combine a heap of adolescents (and adults who act like adolescents) with a handful of pranks, two secret engagements, and one surprise baby, and what have you got? A recipe for A Chase Family Christmas!
Revisit the beloved heroes and heroines of When an Earl Meets a Girl, How to Undress a Marquess, A Duke's guide to Seducing His Bride, and Never Doubt a Viscount—and meet the next generation of Chases!—in this hysterical and heartwarming holiday reunion story.
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Become an honorary Chase cousin!
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If you're on Facebook, join us in our Chase Family Readers Group and become an honorary Chase cousin! To welcome new members, my daughter Devon and I are offering a FREE copy of “Chase Family Recipes: A Historical Cookbook,” just for joining our group!
And hey, there are plenty of reasons to join besides getting a free historical cookbook. :-) We run a fun monthly book club party, plus you’ll be able to read behind-the-scenes details, see new covers before anyone else, ask me questions, and share your thoughts with me and your fellow Chase cousins. This private group also gets exclusive previews of my next all-new book!
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Join the group!
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My May contest prize is this sterling silver and mother-of-pearl rose pendant, inspired by my book THE GENTLEMAN’S SCANDALOUS BRIDE.
Would you like this? To enter to win, click the purple button below!
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If you want a chance to win, be sure to enter before the end of the month. The computer will pick a random winner from all the correct answers, and the winner will be announced in this newsletter in June—so be sure to check next month to see if you won. :-) Good luck!
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support, and especially for telling other readers about my books. If you have friends who love romance novels (and free and 99¢ books!), please click the white FORWARD link at the bottom of this e-mail to share this newsletter with them.
Until next time, please stay safe and healthy!
Hugs,
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LINKS TO BUY MY BOOKS ONLINE:
Kindle (Amazon) — ebooks and print books
Nook (Barnes & Noble) — print books
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