Jessica Cale is the talented author behind The Southwark Saga books. Today I had the honor of sitting down with one of her characters, the meek and humble heroine, Alice Henshawe, from The Long Way Home. Alice has an honest air about her that truly captivated me. I can't wait to read about her and Jack's adventures.
Oh, and Ms. Cale has a lovely Rafflecopter giveaway at the end so be sure to enter!
Oh, and Ms. Cale has a lovely Rafflecopter giveaway at the end so be sure to enter!
1. What’s your spirit animal? I can climb like a monkey, but if I were an animal, I’d be a mouse. I’m small and common, not particularly noteworthy, and my hair is an indeterminate color. I’ve a talent for hiding and fitting into small places. I’m easily overlooked, but there’s not much I don’t see. Ysabeau calls my hair color ‘mink’, but this is only another way to say I look like a rodent.
2. What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’ve never experienced it myself. I’ve seen it, though. Jane Virtue is the happiest women I’ve met. She’s married Mark, our carpenter, and she has a new baby every year. I’ve not seen her look anything less than radiant in five years, ten months, and two days. I don’t think it’s only him keeping her happy--although he has a singular talent for making women smile--I think it’s that she is estranged from her family and does as she chooses with her life. Under duress I would confess to loving my sisters, but I believe I could be perfectly happy without them.
3. What do you most dislike about your appearance? That I do not look like my sisters. I have four of them, all tall and blonde with angelic faces and perfect figures. I am short, small, dark, and plain, with eyes far too big for my head and the figure of a thirteen year old boy. I used to want to be beautiful, but I have grown to appreciate the merits of invisibility.
4. What is the quality you most like in a man? Do I have to choose one? I suppose my favorite quality in Jack is his kindness. He’s always looking for ways to be helpful. When I am rushed off my feet at the inn, he helps me to clear the tables. Whenever Harry gets into trouble, he’s the first at Newgate with the money to feed him. In the nine years I’ve known him, he’s never set a foot wrong or said an unkind word.
5. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I very seldom speak. If I say the wrong thing--and I always do--I carry that embarrassment with me always. I find it is better not to speak at all.
6. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Jack Sharpe. I saw him for the first time in late September the year I was twelve. He was the carpenter’s new apprentice, short as I was and half-starved. They came to the inn for supper, him and Mark, and Jack gave his bread to Toby the beggar. I risked my sister’s wrath to bring him another loaf. He smiled at me, and that was it. I haven’t seen him since he joined the army five years ago, but I love him as though he’d never left.
7. When and where were you happiest? Working at the inn, years ago. When Jack was here, before Harry was transported to America, before Carys left for Wales. Everyone’s gone now. Southwark is rougher these days, and the boys seem to get crueller every year.
8. Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to have Bess’ courage, or Meg’s self-assurance. I’d like to be able to speak without putting my foot in my mouth, and I’d like to be able to ask for what I want. I’ve never been able to speak my mind and I am convinced if I could, my life would be very different, indeed.
2. What is your idea of perfect happiness? I’ve never experienced it myself. I’ve seen it, though. Jane Virtue is the happiest women I’ve met. She’s married Mark, our carpenter, and she has a new baby every year. I’ve not seen her look anything less than radiant in five years, ten months, and two days. I don’t think it’s only him keeping her happy--although he has a singular talent for making women smile--I think it’s that she is estranged from her family and does as she chooses with her life. Under duress I would confess to loving my sisters, but I believe I could be perfectly happy without them.
3. What do you most dislike about your appearance? That I do not look like my sisters. I have four of them, all tall and blonde with angelic faces and perfect figures. I am short, small, dark, and plain, with eyes far too big for my head and the figure of a thirteen year old boy. I used to want to be beautiful, but I have grown to appreciate the merits of invisibility.
4. What is the quality you most like in a man? Do I have to choose one? I suppose my favorite quality in Jack is his kindness. He’s always looking for ways to be helpful. When I am rushed off my feet at the inn, he helps me to clear the tables. Whenever Harry gets into trouble, he’s the first at Newgate with the money to feed him. In the nine years I’ve known him, he’s never set a foot wrong or said an unkind word.
5. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? I very seldom speak. If I say the wrong thing--and I always do--I carry that embarrassment with me always. I find it is better not to speak at all.
6. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Jack Sharpe. I saw him for the first time in late September the year I was twelve. He was the carpenter’s new apprentice, short as I was and half-starved. They came to the inn for supper, him and Mark, and Jack gave his bread to Toby the beggar. I risked my sister’s wrath to bring him another loaf. He smiled at me, and that was it. I haven’t seen him since he joined the army five years ago, but I love him as though he’d never left.
7. When and where were you happiest? Working at the inn, years ago. When Jack was here, before Harry was transported to America, before Carys left for Wales. Everyone’s gone now. Southwark is rougher these days, and the boys seem to get crueller every year.
8. Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to have Bess’ courage, or Meg’s self-assurance. I’d like to be able to speak without putting my foot in my mouth, and I’d like to be able to ask for what I want. I’ve never been able to speak my mind and I am convinced if I could, my life would be very different, indeed.
The Long Way Home
(The Southwark Saga, Book 3)
By Jessica Cale
Release Date: February 29th, 2016
Genre: Historical Romance, Adult Fairytale, Romantic Comedy, Action/Adventure
A paranoid king, a poison plot, and hideous shoes…it’s not easy being Cinderella.
After saving the life of the glamorous Marquise de Harfleur, painfully shy barmaid Alice Henshawe is employed as the lady’s companion and whisked away to Versailles. There, she catches King Louis’ eye and quickly becomes a court favorite as the muse for Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. The palace appears to be heaven itself, but there is danger hidden beneath the façade and Alice soon finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue, murder, and Satanism at the heart of the French court.
Having left his apprenticeship to serve King Charles as a spy, Jack Sharpe is given a mission that may just kill him. In the midst of the Franco-Dutch war, he is to investigate rumors of a poison plot by posing as a courtier, but he has a mission of his own. His childhood friend Alice Henshawe is missing and he will stop at nothing to see her safe. When he finds her in the company of the very people he is meant to be investigating, Jack begins to wonder if the sweet girl he grew up with has a dark side.
When a careless lie finds them accidentally married, Alice and Jack must rely on one another to survive the intrigues of the court. As old affection gives way to new passion, suspicion lingers. Can they trust each other, or is the real danger closer than they suspect?
“Really brilliant writing that's so engaging with such endearing characters! I especially love the way Jack and Alice are both so devoted to each other! I was totally absorbed in this exciting and fascinating world Jessica Cale created from the very first paragraph to the last! I read this all in one sitting, staying awake late to finish, just had to!” – Romazing Reader
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28499321-the-long-way-home
Save 20% when you pre-order with Liquid Silver Books: http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php
Find the rest of the series here: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW
You’re Invited! RSVP to The Long Way Home Leap Year Ball to chat with your favorite authors and enter to win fabulous prizes all day Saturday, February 27th: https://www.facebook.com/events/1040328009352362/
********************************************************************************************************
Rafflecopter: Win a 7” Kindle Fire. Open from 2/22-3/14.
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a3e75ab71/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="a3e75ab71" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_rzwtzrdw">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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********************************************************************************************************
The Long Way Home
(The Southwark Saga, Book 3)
By Jessica Cale
Release Date: February 29th, 2016
Genre: Historical Romance, Adult Fairytale, Romantic Comedy, Action/Adventure
A paranoid king, a poison plot, and hideous shoes…it’s not easy being Cinderella.
After saving the life of the glamorous Marquise de Harfleur, painfully shy barmaid Alice Henshawe is employed as the lady’s companion and whisked away to Versailles. There, she catches King Louis’ eye and quickly becomes a court favorite as the muse for Charles Perrault’s Cinderella. The palace appears to be heaven itself, but there is danger hidden beneath the façade and Alice soon finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue, murder, and Satanism at the heart of the French court.
Having left his apprenticeship to serve King Charles as a spy, Jack Sharpe is given a mission that may just kill him. In the midst of the Franco-Dutch war, he is to investigate rumors of a poison plot by posing as a courtier, but he has a mission of his own. His childhood friend Alice Henshawe is missing and he will stop at nothing to see her safe. When he finds her in the company of the very people he is meant to be investigating, Jack begins to wonder if the sweet girl he grew up with has a dark side.
When a careless lie finds them accidentally married, Alice and Jack must rely on one another to survive the intrigues of the court. As old affection gives way to new passion, suspicion lingers. Can they trust each other, or is the real danger closer than they suspect?
“Really brilliant writing that's so engaging with such endearing characters! I especially love the way Jack and Alice are both so devoted to each other! I was totally absorbed in this exciting and fascinating world Jessica Cale created from the very first paragraph to the last! I read this all in one sitting, staying awake late to finish, just had to!” – Romazing Reader
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28499321-the-long-way-home
Save 20% when you pre-order with Liquid Silver Books: http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php
Find the rest of the series here: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW
You’re Invited! RSVP to The Long Way Home Leap Year Ball to chat with your favorite authors and enter to win fabulous prizes all day Saturday, February 27th: https://www.facebook.com/events/1040328009352362/
********************************************************************************************************
Rafflecopter: Win a 7” Kindle Fire. Open from 2/22-3/14.
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a3e75ab71/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="a3e75ab71" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_rzwtzrdw">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
********************************************************************************************************
About the author
Jessica Cale is the award-winning author of the historical romance series, The Southwark Saga. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in North Carolina.
Website: http://www.authorjessicacale.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicacale
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819997.Jessica_Cale
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/bMas0P
Jessica Cale is the award-winning author of the historical romance series, The Southwark Saga. Originally from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in North Carolina.
Website: http://www.authorjessicacale.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicacale
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaCale @JessicaCale
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rainbowcarnage
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Cale/e/B00PVDV9EW
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9819997.Jessica_Cale
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/bMas0P
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