Cool Historical Stuff and a #Giveaway

Today I'm over at Embracing Romance talking about how I love learning new things from reading novels--and how I like to put stuff I find interesting in the books I write. And there's a giveaway.
Hop on over and comment for a chance to win a free book.

http://wp.me/p5fbTi-3v0

These are Roman fibulae -- brooches for fastening garments. I took this picture at the British Museum, I think, several years ago. I don't remember whether I put one of these in a book yet, but I will sooner or later.

And this is a bunch of Roman coins. Imagine finding a hoard like this in one's back garden, and wondering about the soldier who buried them there hundreds and hundreds of years ago. I really love it when I learn about this kind of thing in fiction--history come alive!

Barbara

Happy April Fool's Day! Lord Quickthorn's Bargain is out. :)

It's the perfect day for the re-release of my Regency novella with magic, Lord Quickthorn's Bargain. (It was originally included in the Embracing Romance anthology, Passionate Promises, but that's no longer available, so I have released it all by its magical little self.)

Much as I like writing about the more or less real historical world (can't say how real, exactly, as I've never had the opportunity to travel back in time), I am absolutely compelled to add magic now and then. So this little story has a half-human, half-fairy hero with a mischievous heart, and a heroine with a smidgen of fairy blood and an unacknowledged heart's desire. Here's the blurb:

Sensible Gwen Appleby is aghast when her foolish sister vows to pursue the notorious rake, Lord Quickthorn. To save her sister from certain ruin, she turns to her friend, the custodian of the fairy well. A simple spell, making Lord Quickthorn indifferent to her sister’s beauty, is all that’s required.

But Gwen’s friend is no longer at the well, and the new, mischievous, very male custodian agrees on one condition: Lord Quickthorn will turn his seductive wiles on Gwen instead. To save her sister’s virtue, must Gwen sacrifice her own? Worse, will the promise of passion make her long to do so?

It's only 99 cents US. Here are some buy links if you're so inclined:

Amazon US   Amazon Canada   Amazon UK   Amazon Australia

Kobo

(Barnes and Noble link not available yet but should be soon.)