Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Stay tuned for the Rafflecopter link.
England in the Edwardian Era
I am lucky enough to live just a short 30-minute drive from the famous city of Bath, England. A city which holds its place in history (in my opinion) as much as cities such as London, Liverpool and Bristol.
Each city has its own claims to fame, but Bath easily holds its place as a destination of historical interest. It held incredible social attraction during the Georgian, Regency and Edwardian periods…not to mention the expected and believed powers of its healing waters.
Edwardian England was not alone in being an era where the class divide and hunger to climb the ladder was held in a young person’s mind as much as any other daily struggle. In fact, it could be said that social segregation is still felt by some to this day. Therefore, this is an element of life and history that fascinates me. Social advancement is featured quite often in my books as there are so many different types of people who wanted advancement for any number of reasons.
It wasn’t always about money – it was often about gaining opportunities otherwise closed to them. Respect. The need to make a difference. Having more for their children than they had themselves.
There are many motivations a writer can explore.
My books are all about romance, inspiration and female empowerment so when I decided to write the Pennington’s Department Store series, I knew the female characters would be the focus of the stories.
In A Rebel At Pennington’s, I deal with the most prominent women’s issue of the Edwardian era – women’s suffrage.
During the early 20th century, the passion and extremes women were prepared to face was growing at a phenomenal rate and, for the government, a very scary speed. At the time, the suffragists (peaceful) were of a higher number than the suffragettes (militant), but there was an underlying feeling of the scales tipping.
Women were frustrated, angry and determined to be heard – Edwardian England was in the grip of a campaign that was not likely to disappear, and, in turn, this uprising meant other things were bound to be challenged and, ultimately, change.
Edwardian England was a time when women were beginning to find their way out of domestic service and into shops. Out of having no marital rights to a few. Change was afoot and it’s this growth and development that is prevalent in my books.
Nothing inspires me more than exploring the real-life women who paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy and, sometimes, take for granted, today.
Yes, propriety and convention were still present. Dress and decorum still expected. Money for some and poverty for others. All these things are true of Edwardian England, but the period was about so much more than manners, clothes and wealth.
It was a period of change, philanthropy and women forging forward – hence why I love writing about it!
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GENRE: Historical romance/saga
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BLURB:
1911 Bath. Banished from her ancestral home, passionate suffrage campaigner, Esther Stanbury works as a window dresser in Pennington’s Department Store. She has hopes and dreams for women’s progression and will do anything to help secure the vote.
Owner of the prestigious Phoenix Hotel, Lawrence Culford has what most would view as a successful life. But Lawrence is harbouring shame, resentment and an anger that threatens his future happiness.
When Esther and Lawrence meet their mutual understanding of life’s challenges unites them and they are drawn to the possibility of a life of love that neither thought existed.
With the Coronation of King-Emperor George V looming, the atmosphere in Bath is building to fever pitch, as is the suffragists’ determination to secure the vote.
Will Esther’s rebellious nature lead her to ruin or can they overcome their pasts and look to build a future together?
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Excerpt:
His beautiful daughter beamed as she held the cricket set aloft, Nathanial standing tall and proud beside her. ‘Daddy bought me the cricket set.’
Miss Stanbury looked from Rose and Nathanial to Lawrence and back again, her face lighting with a smile. ‘Well, look at that. I’m so glad your father saw sense in the end.’ She met Lawrence’s gaze over their heads, her eyes glittering with victory. ‘That’s wonderful.’
He stared at her, his smile fixed and his heart pounding with frustration. Did the woman not see how condescending she sounded? ‘Wonderful or not. I thought it important you knew I am not the tyrant you clearly consider me.’ Dragging his gaze from hers, Lawrence looked at his children. ‘Come, Rose. Nathanial. Let’s leave the nice lady to her work.’ He took their hands before looking at Esther once more. ‘It was…interesting meeting you.’
Her gaze shadowed as she glared, her smile too bright to be sincere. ‘I hardly thought you a tyrant, Mr Culford.’
‘Good, then the matter is settled.’
He turned towards the department exit and didn’t look back…regardless of the almost overwhelming urge to do so.
The woman had infuriated him, bewildered him and left him feeling she’d ended the conversation on her terms once again. Damnation!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Rachel lives with her husband and their two daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with Kensington/Lyrical.
In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book, The Mistress of Pennington’s released July 2018 with book two coming February 2019.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America and has thousands of social media followers from all over the world. To sign up for her quarterly and new release newsletter, click here to go to her website: https://rachelbrimble.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Brimble/e/B007829ZRM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1490948101&sr=8-1
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1806411.Rachel_Brimble
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-brimble
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:
Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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