Ashley York stopped by to share her latest book. The
Gentle Knight is a historical romance set in Ireland and England and was
released on March 24th. Tell us more!
Ashley- The Norman Conquest series begins with The Saxon Bride, 1075, with a loyal
knight of King William's, John of Normandy, being given a Saxon princess,
Rowena Godwinson, to wife. Throughout this love story, John's good friend,
Peter of Normandy, is fiercely loyal and very helpful in reconciling husband
and wife. He was such a great character, I decided he needed his own story. So
The Gentle Knight was written.
Peter
speaks of his lady love, Jeanette, in The Saxon Bride, but she was not all that
he believed her to be. She died in childbirth before Peter returns to Normandy.
He is devastated at the loss. The fact that his own mother died delivering him
increases his guilt and vows to remain a solitary knight.
He
is sent by King William to northern England where they have never accepted
William as their king. Peter is accompanied by Mort (also a character from The Saxon
Bride) but they come across a strange band of men claiming to be delivering a
young woman, Brighit MacNaughton, to a Priory. Peter decides to step in to help
the woman even though he's not completely sure of the situation. He learns she
has a great sense of family honor and pride and he falls in love with her. She
does not want to set aside her father's death bed decree that she become a nun
despite her attraction to him.
Nancy- Wow! An awe-inspiring plot. When
did you start writing toward publication?
Ashley- I've
always wanted to be a writer and even quit my job to write full time. This was
before computers, however, and the research and information wasn't readily
available like it is now. I raised my family (devouring every historical
romance I could find), got my BS in History and then my MA in history both of
which exposed me to the plethora of information available online. I always felt
like once I met my goal of completing my MA Thesis, I'd never be able to stop
writing again. I was right.
I
decided to give fiction writing another go and joined a local chapter of RWA
(Romance Writers of America). The information I received there was that the
traditional publishers wanted vampires and BDSM. I wasn't interested in writing
either. However, the booming small press, e-book only and independent
publishing caused vast changes at the traditional publishers. It also put a lot
of highly respect editors, etc., out into the freelance business. I was able to
find some online chapters that shared my interests with amazingly supportive
members at all different levels of publication.
I
decided to try indie publishing. I had a few setbacks with "editors"
who promised one thing but never delivered. Despite what you may hear, not just
anyone can be a good editor because it's not just about reading a story. It's
also not just about learning proper English grammar. Also, where the editor is
from will change their perspective on writing. Culture does affect what people
want to read.
One
amazing writer even gave me the name of her own editor when she heard what I'd
been going through. He is amazing: supportive, encouraging and sincerely good
at his job. You can sign a contract with one of the Big Four and not get that
kind of editor. I've also found tremendously talented and dedicated formatters,
cover artists, and promotion teams to work with. I feel truly blessed.
Nancy- What
is your writing routine like?
 |
| Ashley BEFORE coffee |
Ashley- I'm
a morning person so I love to get up with the sun and get going—after my
coffee. I do not like winter because the sun takes so darn long to get up. I'm
not sure I could live in Scotland during the winter. At the moment it's just
me, my husband, two cats and one dog in the house.
 |
| Callie |
Once my husband leaves for
work and I get everyone else set, I'm off on my own.
I
try to limit the time on social media but promotion and marketing can easily
morph into something very time consuming. After a new book release, I have a
hard time finding any substantial amount of time for working on my manuscript.
Once I have, though, I write for about two hours in the morning and then three
to five more in the afternoon.
 |
| Seamus |
When
my husband goes to work in the afternoon, our time together is the morning. I
struggle a little with shifting my writing time to later in the day but I'm not
about to spend the few hours we have together to working...unless I absolutely
must.
Nancy- Having
achieved your goal to be a published author, what is the most rewarding thing?
Ashley- The
most rewarding thing is to get a letter or a review from a reader saying how
much they enjoyed it, how it gave them an escape, how they didn't want it to
end, how they wanted to be a part of the story, how they're going to re-read
it...these are all the things I always enjoyed about the stories I read and I
totally relate to them as readers. That I could actually be an author who gave
someone else the same pleasure that I enjoyed, and still enjoy, just blows me
away. I'm accomplishing my dream.
Please Share three
fun facts about you that most people don’t know.
1) I'm just learning
to play the Irish whistle and I'm not very good yet which is why my heroine,
Brighit, is so good at it ;)
2) I'm a terrible dog
trainer and my two year old labrador still can't walk nicely around our
neighborhood on a leash.
3) I'm a terrible
chocoholic! If it's not chocolate, why bother? BUT I can't handle chocolate
frosting on chocolate cake. That's too much. I love chocolate and peanut
butter, chocolate and peppermint, chocolate and...well you get the idea.
Nancy- What’s next for you?
Ashley- I'm working on Tadhg
MacNaughton's story. The Irish legend I grew up with was that the seventh son
of the seventh son of the seventh son had magical powers. My father was the
seventh son of the seventh son but he had three daughters. I was the youngest.
In my story Tadhg was
the sixth son of the seventh son of the seventh son. If his sister, Brighit,
had been a boy, Tadhg always believed she would have been the one with the
special blessing. In my next story, you'll learn why that wouldn't be true.
BOOK BLURB:
A medieval soldier
returns home to find his lover died in childbirth just as his own mother had.
Believing he is cursed, Peter of Normandy turns from love. When he must give
escort to an Irish princess more noble than many knights, he struggles with his
decision to live a solitary life. Can he take the chance that his love won't be
a death sentence and possibly make them stronger?
Padraig
MacNaughton's death bed decree rips his daughter, Brighit, from the shelter of
her protective clan in Ireland. Forced to take vows at a Priory in England, she
finds herself in the hands of lecherous mercenaries with their own agendas.
Dare she trust the Norman knight to see her safely to her new life as a nun?
Even when she finds in him the fulfillment of all she's ever wanted?
Or
will honor and duty eclipse their one chance for happiness?
Excerpt:
The barrenness of the countryside
would take Brighit some time to get used to. Perhaps it was only this area, but
it seemed nothing like her home which was so lush and green. She missed her
family. A tightness began to build in her throat but Brighit refused to
acknowledge it. A splashing sound came to her from just beyond the tree stand.
She glanced back the way she'd
come. The need to return immediately or confront Ivan's wrath had her clenching
her teeth. That splash sounded very much like the lake Lachlann had mentioned. A
chance to clean her face and hands in a refreshing body of water rather than with
a soaked cloth? The heat in that confined carriage was making her wilt. She sniffed
and confirmed her stench was overwhelming. Before even thinking it through, she
headed in the direction of the sound.
Brighit paused on the barely
discernible path. Sure she heard rustling, she glanced behind at the open field
she'd come from. It was empty. Nothing behind her that could make such a sound.
Was it a deer perhaps? Taking a few steps farther, the small rise gave way to
the breathtaking sight of a small lake. The top glistened like glass without a
ripple to disturb its surface.
The slight breeze carried the
pungent aroma of honeysuckle and lavender. The plants would be a wonderful
thing to find and put in with her few belongings. Each night she would be
surrounded by the smell of flowers. Without another thought she headed through
the bushes to her right, careful to not make a sound in case the deer were
still nearby. Movement along the banks drew her attention and she froze.
A man stood there dripping wet
and naked. He pushed his hair away from his face. A handsome face with a strong
jaw and a thick brow. She followed the movement of his hands, sloshing the
water off his chiseled body. Blond hair spanned his broad chest and across his
rippled torso, leading down his muscular legs, glistening in the fading light. His
tarse was visible even from this distance. She looked long and hard. Her
breathing became labored. Magnificent.
He turned in her direction. She
ducked. She held her breath and shivered in the bush, willing her heart to stop
pounding so loudly. When she ventured another peek, he was gone. Disappointment
welled up inside her gut. She'd wanted nothing more than to sit and watch him, imagine
how it would feel to run her hands down his expansive chest and firm body as he
had done, to appreciate the rippled strength there. She blew out the breath
she'd been holding and licked her dry lips. That certainly wasn't going to
happen, not in this lifetime—as a nun. A small bush of purple flowers brushed
her hand and she snatched it. Lavender. The sun was dropping below the hills in
the west and she needed to get back. Enough of these wasted desires.
Desire
made things happen.
It was her grandfather's favorite saying. As the seventh son, he had been a man
of some notoriety among Irish nobility. He was given the Celtic Princess,
Faighrah, to wed. When he sired his own seventh son, the other leaders turned
to him for guidance, for wisdom, in return for unfailing loyalty. The belief
always that the seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son had a special
anointing from God. No evil could befall him.
Brighit was no son and evil
seemed a little too close. Ivan had told her he would not hesitate to make up a
lie about who she was. Even saying she was his wife. Others would believe him
because he was a man. Perhaps a little more protection from the same God who
made her a female was not asking too much.
Buy Links
More About Ashley York
I have wanted to
be a writer since the sixth grade. My first story was a mystery and I
discovered that my classmates loved it and it kept them guessing. I was a
voracious reader, even at a young age, and loved the history in the novels I
picked up. I was so enthralled with that history that I decided to get my MA in
History. The early medieval period is my favorite, as you can tell from the
novels I write.
Although my
works are fiction, I often like to incorporate authentic places, events, and
people to increase the reader’s enjoyment. One of the more valuable lessons I
have learned as a writer is the importance of using real history with the flair
of artistic license. You’ll discover a world of fiction wrapped around
historical people and events! I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I
delight in writing them. I live in New
England with my husband, two cats and a yellow Labrador named Caledonia.
You
can find more information
about Ashley York here:
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