VICTORIA HOLT FOREVER

VICTORIA HOLT FOREVER

Last month I wrote about my early love affair with Jean Plaidy and her historical novels. Naturally after this introduction it was only a matter of time before I started reading the Victoria Holt novels – those tales of plucky Victorian heroines armed only with their wit, beauty and spirit to help them navigate the stormy seas of life as an impoverished governess/lady’s maid/companion. They often ended up in some exotic foreign location, their lives imperilled by an evil suitor, before being rescued by the dashing alpha male. My most favourite Victoria Holt, however, was ‘The Legend of the Seventh Virgin’. Determined Kerensa Carlee has only her resolve and wild Spanish good looks to further her fortune in the harsh environment of nineteenth century Cornwall. I loved everything about it: Kerensa’s exotic name, the descriptions of Cornwall, the mad grandmother who gave her a cherished Spanish comb to dress her hair with.  It wasn’t long before I was devouring any Victoria Holt book I could find.

I didn’t even care when after about a year I realised they were all basically the same girl, just different locations. Being transported out of my own life to those rocky Cornish coasts or, even better, foreign shores in search of love, adventure and romance wiled away many a long winter evening.  In fact I loved them so much that I based my first published novel around this format. The Scarlet Queen takes place in Egypt and involves my heroine Kate, an Edwardian bluestocking, trying to locate a fabled Egyptian statue, whilst battling the shadowy figures ranged against her, one of whom might even be the man she loves. I wrote it ten years ago (yikes!) and moved on to paranormal romances so it is with great pleasure that I can announce it is being republished by The Wild Rose Press and will be available from 4^th December 2015. Long live the historical romantic thriller!

Jacqueline Farrell writes historical and paranormal romances with The Wild Rose Press. Her two paranormal novels ‘Sophronia and the Vampire’ and ‘Maids, Mothers and Crones’ can be purchased from Amazon. Her latest novel, a historical romance, ‘The Scarlet Queen’ is available to pre-order from Amazon and all good e-book stores.  Follow her on twitter @jacquiefw1 and on her website www.jacquelinefarrell.co.uk