Judith James's Blog

I am thrilled to release The Highwayman, the third book in the Rakes and Rogues series at last. One of the toughest hurdles in launching the series was finding the right covers. These stories aren't traditional romance in the current sense of the word, nor are they traditional historicals. They are a blend of fact and fiction, history and romance, with a dash of adventure, a generous helping of sensuality, a bit of a literary twist and an angsty love story at their core.

Finding images to represent them, let alone ones that are historically appropriate was a daunting task, but thanks to Rob Lucas I was able to do just that. Blogger, photographer, model, re-enactor, weapons consultant, and clothing designer, Rob also owns a period clothing store. His Rakish Highwayman was the inspiration for all three covers so I'm very excited to say that the The Highwayman The Highwaymancover has been chosen for the Book Rhythm cover contest. Voting is from 8 PM EST tonight to midnight on Thursday. If you get a chance to drop by and take a look please do so. I think Rob Lucas has done some gorgeous work. See if you agree :) Your vote at http://bookrhythm.com/book-cover-cont...
would be much appreciated!(less) "

It's been a long wait, but The Highwayman will be released in two days, on August 25th. To celebrate it's available now as a pre-order for $2.99 before it returns to its regular price of $6.99. Thanks so much to the wonderful Sabrina Jeffries for taking the time to read it, and for her lovely quote!

"Rooted in an authentic historical setting, this thrilling tale of passion and adventure will leave you breathless."

~Sabrina Jeffries, NYT bestselling author

The Highwayman

Libertine's Kiss #1 Rakes and Rogues of the Restoration is on kindle countdown until August 29th

$1.99 US

http://tinyurl.com/nomjvha



and 0.99 in the UK

http://tinyurl.com/mr6nsp7

Yay! The Highwayman is available for pre-order at last.

Swift Nick’s deeds are legend, but the thrill of a highwayman's life is growing cold...until he meets intrepid travel writer and spinster, Arabella Hamilton. The adventures of real-life highwayman Swift Nick and the observations of 17th century travel writer Celia Fiennes are woven throughout this tale which takes the reader from the privileged world of London’s aristocracy to the highways and byways, inns and hunting grounds of some of England’s most celebrated rogues. Rich with history and sizzling with passion this is a love story you won’t soon forget.

http://tinyurl.com/naox3kq

I have some exciting news at last! I want to thank all of you who have sent enquiries, written words of encouragement and continued your support through what I know has been a long wait. The release of The Highwayman was delayed a few times due to negotiations regarding it, and the other two books in the series. I am very pleased to announce that as of April of this year, I have acquired the worldwide rights to Libertine’s Kiss, The King’s Courtesan and The Highwayman so I will now be able to publish these books as a series as was originally intended.
The series title is Rakes and Rogues of the Restoration. For those of you who didn’t know or haven’t read it, in book # 1 Libertine's Kiss, we met the libertine William de Veres and his childhood sweetheart Elizabeth Walters, along with a cast of historical characters including Charles II and Lady Castlemaine. William is based on the notorious libertine, court poet and friend of King Charles, John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. Book #2 will keep the title The King's Courtesan as a subtitle, but will now be called Soldiers of Fortune. In it, we catch up with Captain Nichols, William, and Elizabeth and of course King Charles II from Libertine's Kiss. We also meet Hope Mathews, a character based in part of the historical Nell Gwynn. The last page of Soldiers of Fortune/King's Courtesan leads directly to book #3 The Highwayman, in which we follow the adventure of the real 17th century highwayman Swift Nick, and a female heroine based on the 17th century traveler and journalist, Celia Fiennes.
I will be releasing them each about one month apart, starting in July. This will give those who are interested a chance to catch up on books they might have missed, although each one can be read as a stand-alone. I am very excited about the new covers and hope to tell you all about them soon (and show them off). I am delighted to be re-launching these books as a series as originally intended and absolutely thrilled that The Highwayman will be available to readers at last. Thanks once again to some of the best…and most patient fans anyone could hope for. I look forward to sharing covers and release dates soon!

While researching Highland Rebel I came across some of the poetry of John Wilmot Earl of Rochester(played by Johnny Depp in the film version of The Libertine) I also found a first edition (1680) of bishop and historian Gilbert Burnett’s account of the Earl of Rochester’s conversations with him while on his death bed, which Burnett attended. I started researching the Restoration for a possible story based on that character and I fell madly in love with the time period, which I have always been interested in since reading Antonia Stuart’s biography of Charles II several years ago. The neglect of the Restoration puzzles me as there was so much going on with politics, religion, philosophy and thought. Cromwell’s regime was moralistic and repressive. Much loved entertainments including gambling, theatre, and dancing were outlawed and church attendance made mandatory. The Restoration of Charles II, an informal and easy going womanizer dubbed the Merry Monarch, resulted in a social rebellion. The Restoration court was filled with a host of colorful characters and was one of the most bawdy, hedonistic, and lively courts in history. In terms of literature and science it rivaled the Elizabethan period. Women had more freedom during this period than they would for many years to come and there is so much room to develop characters and so much interesting material. John Wilmot exemplifies the times. Tall dark and handsome, a renowned rake, court poet and wit, he wrote fearless and ferocious satirical verse that was profane, sometimes pornographic, and often very funny. Unfortunately, his lifelong promiscuity and early death make him unsuitable for any kind of happy ending, but his character and the things that shone about him made me ask what if? That question led to LIBERTINE’S KISS, and The Earl Of Rochester was the inspiration for the character of William and speaks through him with his poetry. I’ll be spending much of my time in the 17th century over the next little while and right now there’s no place I’d rather be. If you’re interested, here’s THE BLURB
William de Veres, the handsome son of a hard-drinking cavalier was abandoned at an early age to a brutal school system and a predatory and abusive tutor. He soon discovers the escapes of poetry, literature, alcohol and sex, and the defences of a sharp sword and lacerating wit. By the time he graduates he is thoroughly debauched. As a titanic struggle erupts between parliament and king, William takes up arms in the Royalist cause and pursued by Cromwell’s men, finds himself seeking shelter from a sober young Puritan woman in a cottage deep in the woods.
The Civil war has cost the once high spirited Elizabeth Walters her best friend and her father, leaving her unprotected and alone. She flees an unwanted marriage, seeking safe haven, but what she finds there is something she never imagined. Despite William’s gratitude and promise to aid her, Elizabeth never expects to set him again, but the Restoration of Charles II to his throne will bring her to the attention of both William and the king.
Can a debauched court poet and notorious libertine convince the wary Elizabeth he is capable of love, and can a promise long forgotten and a friendship forges in the past help two lonely people find each other and themselves? These are the questions asked by LIBERTINE’S KISS

Like many people, I have a love affair with the Highlands. I live in Nova Scotia (New Scotland) a place that resembles the rugged Highlands right down to lochs and glens and a town called Inverness. It's where many Scots rebels and refugees came to settle, and in Cape Breton in the north lies one of the foremost Gaelic Colleges in the world. Indeed some say Gaelic is more widely spoken in Cape Breton than anywhere else. Like many of you, my heart swells and I feel a strange pang when the bagpipes call, and who doesn't get a thrill enjoying a nicely draped kilt and shapely manly knees. I also have a love of the 17th century, a time of political and religious upheaval and social change that reminds me somewhat of the sixties with it's questioning of the authority of family church and state, and the simultaneous rise of idealism and a weary cynicism. It's a period of history ripe for storytelling, and rich with drama. I will let THE BLURB explain the rest.
Set in a dangerous time of religious and political upheaval and civil war, HIGHLAND REBEL tells the story of Catherine Drummond and Jamie Sinclair, two proud and lonely outcasts whose struggle for acceptance and survival draws them together in a partnership based on mutual interest that will transform them both. In so doing it transports the reader to Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, the court of King James II, and the coffee houses, backstreets and taverns of seventeenth century London, while chronicling the brief reign of England’s last Stuart king.
Born in the waning days of Cromwell’s England, despised as a bastard by his Puritan father, and abandoned by his mother, James Sinclair has learned from an early age to fend for himself. Charming, dangerous, and decidedly amoral, his quick wit, good looks and military prowess have served him well in the courts of two Stuart Kings, the grudgingly Protestant Charles II and the openly Catholic King James. Adventurer, courtier, mercenary and spy, he’s a master of disguise who can transform from aristocrat to beggar and disappear in any crowd. Sent to mind a troop of foreign mercenaries, he looks forward to completing his mission and collecting his reward, and when an inconvenient spark of gallantry and his own perverse humor cause him to marry a maid captured on the battlefield he intends the marriage to be in name only.
Raised in the Scottish Highlands, heiress to a title, a fortune founded on the whiskey trade, and properties in Scotland and in France, Cat Drummond is far from the camp follower Jamie mistakes her for. Fiercely loyal to family, clan and king, she’s born to rule, trained on the field of battle and at the court of Versailles, and equally comfortable in men’s breeches or a gown. Disguised as beggars on the streets of London, or glittering amongst the courtiers of Whitehall Palace, Catherine and Jamie will join forces in an age where treachery and adultery are the fashion, and cynicism, cruelty and barbed wit are the qualities most admired. But in a world where family, creed, and princes can’t be trusted, and faith fuels intolerance, hatred, and war, they’ll soon find themselves on opposite sides of a growing conflict that will force them to question everything they know, and test the bounds of friendship, loyalty and love.

This is the book that started it all for me, with enormous help from three lovely ladies, Julianne MacLean, Laura Leone, and Kristie Jenner. Most authors will tell you their first "baby" is special. It's the one you do before deadlines and critiques, while you are still innocent and naive. The book of your heart. I'd just said goodbye to 15 years of counseling in the prison system. So many of my clients were young men who'd been severely abused as children. Some had grown hard and cold,others still clung to hopes and dreams, still longed for love and acceptance, and struggled to do their best day after day. They made me reflect on the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. But they were damaged in ways so deep one sometimes despaired there was any way forward to a happy life. My daughter gave me a leather bound book with an inscription that dared me to follow my dreams.BROKEN WING was my way of giving the happy ending that eluded so many, and though it was Gabriel’s story, it could not have happened without Sarah’s unconditional love and acceptance, and her ability to see past his defenses to the beautiful spirit within. It's a difficult subject to tackle, and I hope I did it justice. For anyone interested, here is THE BLURB
Abandoned as a child and raised in a brothel, Gabriel St. Croix has never known tenderness, friendship or affection. Although fluent in sex, he knows nothing of love. Lost and alone inside a nightmare world, all he’s ever wanted was companionship and a place to belong. Hiding physical and emotional scars behind an icy façade, his only relationship is with a young boy he has spent the last five years protecting from the brutal reality of their environment. But all that is about to change. The boy’s family has found him, and they are coming to take him home.
Sarah Munroe blames herself for her brother’s disappearance. When he’s located, safe and unharmed despite where he as been living. Sarah vows to help the man who rescued and protected him in any way she can. With loving patience she helps Gabriel face his demons and teaches him to trust in friendship and love. But when the past catches up with him, Gabriel must face it on his own.
Becoming a mercenary, pirate and a professional gambler, Gabriel travels to London, France, and the Barbary Coast in a desperate attempt to find Sarah again and all he knows of love. On the way, however, he will discover the most dangerous journey, and the greatest gamble of all, is within the darkest reaches of his own heart.