Fallen Women Week: Guest Post with Sophia James + Giveaway

Today for Fallen Women Week we have Sophia James sharing her latest release, LADY WITH THE DEVIL'S SCAR. Sophia writes historicals for Harlequin and her book covers are gorgeous. You know how we like our covers here at Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance. Let's give Sophia a warm welcome...

WELCOME TO THE BLOG SOPHIA!!!

Meet Sophia:

Georgette Heyer novels formed Sophia James's reading tastes as a teenager lying in the sun on her grandmother's porch overlooking a wild west-coast beach.

Her writing life, however, started in Bilbao, Spain. After having three wisdom teeth extracted she was given a pile of Mills and Boons--filled with strong painkillers she imagined that she could pen one, too.

Many drafts later she thinks she has the perfect job writing for Harlequin Historical as well as taking art tours to Europe with her husband who is a painter.

Three almost-grown-up children, lots of pets and house renovations that are never quite finished complete the equation.

Connect with Sophia: Author Site | Twitter

My name is Sophia James. I am a New Zealand author who has written twelve books so far for Harlequin Historical. I write in two time periods, Regency England and Medieval Scotland and have won the top Australian prize, the Romantic Book of the Year or R*BY, in 2010 & 2011.

I enjoy writing about Fallen Woman because the scope of the tension in the book widens with just the concept.

A woman who has some huge secret rolls any story along more quickly and if the secret comes out in little pieces you can capture the reader along with you.

My latest book is Lady With the Devil’s Scar and it is a medieval romance set in Scotland in 1360.

I love Isobel Dalceann. She is woman whom life has hurt both physically and mentally, a woman trying to save her keep from the wrath of a king. Isobel strides across her land in the garb of a boy and on her cheek, the mark of a sword lingers.

It is so easy to write emotion in the tale of a Fallen Woman because there is such poignancy in the reader knowing things about her that nobody else does. Communally she is judged by deceit and by lies, yet her braveness shimmers on the page and makes readers want her to be successful, to win against the odds that are just so unfair.

A Fallen woman allows an author to plunge the heroine into the depths of despair so much more easily than a sweet heroine. A Fallen Woman heroine can often be more feisty and on the edge because her character is marginalised already and in effect she has less to lose.

Less to lose makes a woman do things other heroines might never consider: like defend a keep against a rightful king or rescue a stranger from the stormy waters of Fife Ness.

Fallen Woman are often really good at certain things because to survive they have had to adapt. But on the other hand their human regretful side can be such a wonderful counterpoint to all that bravery they use as a mask to keep others at bay.

It was not enough to die yet!

The scar that crossed Isobel’s cheek smarted with the waste, ticking heavily to its own rhythm. She knew that Andrew would have seen the movement , but had become adept at the art of not noticing. If she had been the sort of woman who enjoyed the touch of others, she might have lain her fingers on his arm in thanks, but she was not that sort of woman.

Isobel is a warrior woman and she uses her fallen status like a shield...to keep others back and to ward away further hurt and betrayal. Barriers form the tension in a book and keeps the plot rollicking along.

I’d like to give away two copies of Lady With the Devil’s Scar to the first readers who can tell me the name of the heroine and hero in the book.

My website is www.sophiajames.net and you will find the answers there.

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LADY WITH THE DEVIL'S SCAR:

Genre: Historical
Length: 284 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Historical (August 1,2012)

Badly disfigured Lady Isobel Dalceann has fought fiercely to defend her keep, with little thought for her safety. Why, then, has she let a stranger within her walls? While he threatens danger, his battered body marked by war mirrors her own scars and tempts her to put her faith in him.

Marc de Courtenay is a mercenary and a loner, although he is drawn to damaged—beautiful—Isobel. But in taking him into her highly defended, buttressed walls, she has unwittingly given him secrets that will enable him to betray her. What would she do if she were ever to find out who he really is…?

Get Your Own Copy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | iTunes | Harlequin | Diesel
Book Extras: Read An Excerpt

Sophia is giving away two(2) copies of LADY WITH THE DEVIL'S SCAR. Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment answering Sophia's question:tell me the name of the heroine and hero in the book. Find the answer here.
• Leave your email address ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com

***Lila DiPasqua is hanging out at Aislynn's blog. Stop by for a fun interview and giveaway***

A huge thanks to Sophia for stopping by and for donating 2 copies of LADY WITH THE DEVIL'S SCAR.