6th Anniversary Celebration - - Barbara Devlin's World of the Brethren

Barbara and PJ

Have you discovered Barbara Devlin's bestselling World of the Brethren? Filled with adventure, suspense and sizzle, Devlin's first series, the Brethren of the Coast brings us the stories of sexy Nautionnier Knights and the women who capture their hearts. There are six books in this series, with the seventh, Love With an Improper Stranger due to be released November 16th. Each book is written to stand alone so you can jump in at any point. If you'd like to give the series a try, check out the Brethren of the Coast: Volume 1 boxed set, currently on Kindle sale for only $0.99. The set includes the first three books in the series plus a prequel novella (descriptions from Devlin's website below).


BRETHREN OF THE COAST: VOLUME 1

Enter the Brethren - Book 1

Fate brings them together in a dimly lit cabin. He was looking for revenge and she was taking a bath.

Heartbroken and desperate to escape another London season, Caroline Elliott stows away aboard a friend's ship, never dreaming she'll be mistaken for a courtesan and abducted by a handsome mariner with wounds as deep as her own.

Trevor Marshall, sixth Earl of Lockwood, is a battle-hardened sea captain out to settle a score. But the inexpressibly gentle heart and unschooled passion of his beautiful captive weaken his resolve, and soon the seducer finds himself seduced by an unbridled desire unlike any he's ever known.

My Lady, the Spy - Book 2

Can the mind forget what the eyes have seen?

L'araignee, the Spider, is England's most notorious spy - and Lady Rebecca Wentworth's alter ego. After her partner in espionage is killed in the link of duty, Rebecca returns to London, only to discover a traitor has compromised the war effort from the highest levels of the vaunted Counteribntelligence Corps. To lure the villain into the open, Rebecca embarks on a new mission, acting as prey for a dangerous enemy. But it is the handsome former Navy captain tasked with her safety that presents the greatest threat, when she falls in love.

When Nautionnier Knight Dirk Randolph is sent to evacuate spies from the Continent, he is shocked to discover a beautiful noblewoman in service to the Crown. A no-nonsense man accustomed to a ruthlessly ordered life, his world is upended when he is paired with the intriguing operative and must act the part of smitten suitor. While he protects L'araignee, he does not guard his heart. But can he accept that his ladylove and the spy exist as two sides of the same coin? 

The Most Unlikely Lady - Book 3

Woo a gently bred young lady with a fishing rod and a bucket of worms? Oh-so dashing, but untitled, Everett Markham seeks a bride, and he has charged the field of Miss Sabrina Douglas, a woman who prefers trout to truffles. But, sometimes, even when both hearts are engaged, happily ever after isn't so smooth a journey.

Unabashed and unapologetic, Sabrina sets her cap for a second son, one who will smile patiently when he comes home to find she's misplaced the children. But marriage changes her in ways she could never have imagined, as the awkward debutante surrenders to a very real, very womanly, all-consuming love.

An irresistibly handsome English rogue, Everett plots his future with ruthless detail, but his chosen bride is anything but predictable, resulting in the zaniest courtship London society has ever seen. When a family tragedy upends his life, on his wedding day, no less, he must chart a slippery course with his most unlikely lady - as the new Earl and Couness of Woverton.

Loving Lieutenant Douglas: A Brethren Coast Novella (prequel)

If you've read the Brethren of the Coast series, then you know Admiral Mark and Lady Amanda Douglas as the patriarch and matriarch of the Nautionnier Knights. Would you like to know how they fell in love? Take a trip back in time, to 1785, when Horatio Nelson was a new captain.

It is the Age of Sail, England is on the brink of war with France, and Royal Navy First Lieutenant Mark Douglas is not looking for a wife. As is so often the case, fate has other plans, and Mark sets his sights on a fiery society miss with a spirit to match his own. But can he redeem himself after inadvertently insulting his prospective bride?

Lady Amanda Gascoigne-Lake is at first smitten with and then disappointed by the impeccable naval man. After all, is it not a woman's perogative to change her mind? When a soldier disparages her reputation, Mark defends her honor and wins his lady. What happens when her father rejects Mark's suit, and an ancient brooch with mystical powers portends doom? 

(This novella also appears in the anthology A Jewel in Time.)

In addition to the Brethren of the Coast, Devlin is also writing books for the five original Templar Knights: Arucard, Demetrius, Morgan, Aristide, and Geoffrey in her new Brethren Origins series. The first book, Arucard (Brethren Origins Book 1) was released in July. 

For more information about Barbara, her Templar Knights, and Nautionniers, visit her website. Connect with Barbara online at Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Barbara is also one of the authors participating in Amazon's first historical Kindle World:The de Wolfe Pack, contributing her novella, Lone Wolfe. But more about that tomorrow!

Are you reading Barbara's books? Do you have a favorite?

Do you enjoy adventure in your historical romances?

Ever been on a sea voyage? A cruise? Tell us about it!

Who else has fantasized about being taken captive by a sexy sea captain? (I can't be the only one!)

Giveaway:

Three randomly chosen people leaving a comment will each receive the Brethren of the Coast boxed set (Kindle copy) and Lone Wolfe: a World of de Wolfe Pack novella (Kindle copy).

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment will receive a Kindle Fire, 7". (U.S. only) (If winner lives outside the U.S. a $50 Amazon gift card will be substituted for the Kindle)

Deadline for comments to be entered in giveaway is 11:59 pm (EST) Thursday, November 5th.

Many thanks to Barbara Devlin for her generous giveaway!

Readers, be sure to check out the other 6th Anniversary posts and Giveaways while you're here! 

Today's Special - - Barbara Devlin

I recently "met" Barbara Devlin when author Jeanne Adams hosted her at the Romance Bandits blog.  I found both Barbara and her books fascinating and am excited to introduce her to our readers here at TRD. Many thanks to Jeanne for hooking us up!  

A Texan, Barbara has been a lover of books and storytelling for most of her life.  Following university, she tried out a couple careers until an injury sidelined her.  After she recovered, Barbara went back to school, earned an MA in English, began work on a Doctorate and started writing historical fiction.  

You can learn more about Barbara and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to the Romance Dish, Barbara.  Congratulations on the release of the first three books in your The Brethren of the Coast series.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from each of these books and from the series.

Well, romance is at the heart of each book, but the stories, themselves, are quite different.  For instance, Enter The Brethren is what I like to think of as a good old-fashioned romance, with a little high seas adventure, some pirates, and a damaged hero and heroine seeking acceptance from the world and each other.  My Lady, The Spy is best described as Romantic Suspense.  Lady Rebecca Wentworth, aka L’araignee (The Spider), is loosely based on the Spanish women employed by Wellington during the Peninsular Wars.  It is a dark book, in some respects, given the torture, but it has the requisite HEA.  After writing Spy, I needed something a little light-hearted, which is how The Most Unlikely Lady became a character-driven Romantic Comedy.  As for the series, expect to revisit the main characters and the world I’ve constructed, whenever one of my Brethren women or my Nautionnier Knights throw caution to the wind and take a chance on love.

Should these books be read in order or do the stories stand on their own?

I’d say it’s a matter of preference.  Each book is written to stand alone, so they can be read out of order.

This series is set in England during the early 19^th century.  

What is it about this place and period of time that inspires you?

The primary lure for my focus is the British Navy and the Peninsular Wars.  I completed part of my undergraduate studies at the University of London.  Of course, while living in the UK, I enjoyed some great sightseeing.  One of my first adventures, given that I was only nineteen when I arrived, was a day jaunt to Greenwich and a tour of the Naval Academy.  What struck me was the odd mix of unutterable elegance amid a military installation.  The early 19^th Century was, in so many ways, very refined in terms of culture, fashion, and manners.  Yet war was very brutal and, compared to today, rudimentary.  It offers me the chance to create my alpha military men with unique vulnerabilities.  As for my ladies, I enjoy constructing strong characters that struggle to fulfill societal expectations, while exercising their independence in private.  It’s the opportunity to compose a duality in the human condition during that era that I love.

The covers for these books are stunning and perfectly set the mood for the stories within.  Who is responsible for the artwork?  What cover last caused you to pick up a book?

My very talented cover artist is Lyndsey Lewellen.  I had a very distinct vision for my books, as well as the badge of the order, and Lyndsey listened to everything and brought my vision to life.  My primary goal was not only to set the tone for my books but also to brand my body of work, as a whole.  I want readers to recognize a Barbara Devlin novel with the slightest glance.  Interestingly enough, the description of the badge preceded the actual creation of the image.  I sent Lyndsey an excerpt of Enter The Brethren, in which the badge is described, and she worked her magic from a paragraph of details.  The design evolved, based on stylistic decisions, and I eventually omitted a few items from the original description so that everything matched.

The last cover that caused me to pick up a book is Adulthood Rites: Book Two of the Xenogenesis Series, by Octavia E. Butler.  The cover features the silhouette of a naked man with some sort of solar system in the background.  It’s very provocative.  I’ve since read the entire series.

Lyndsey does beautiful work.  

Okay, so with that cover description you know I had to go check out Adulthood Rites.  Sounds like a fascinating science fiction series.  

Where can readers find your books, Barbara?  In what formats are they available?

I opted to publish exclusively with Amazon, as it is the largest online retailer.  My works are available in the Kindle format, but anyone can purchase a book on Amazon and use the free software Calibre to reformat for just about every eReader in existence.

What’s next for The Brethren of the Coast?

So much is on the horizon for my Nautionnier Knights and their ladies.  Book 4, One-Knight Stand, featuring Cara Douglas and Lance Prescott, should be live for purchase by the end of February.  Book 5, Captain Of Her Heart, will premiere Summer 2014.  My critique partners and I recently gathered at my home in Texas, and we plotted Book 6, which features Dalton Randolph, and a novella for a Christmas anthology, which details the romancing of Lady Amanda Gascoigne-Lake by a young Lieutenant Mark Douglas.  I’ve had so many readers ask for the story of Admiral Mark and Lady Amanda Douglas, so they’ll get their HEA.  And, due to reader requests, I’ve decided to write the stories of the five original Templar Knights, whose 14^th Century vignettes serve as the prologues for each book.

Sounds like we've got lots of great stories ahead!  

We’ve talked about your characters, Barbara.  Now let’s talk about you for a bit.

Many readers have what we call comfort reads, those favorite books that never fail to lift our spirits no matter how many times we read them.  To what books or authors do you turn when your spirits need a boost?

Oh, boy, that’s a tough one, because I’ve collected the classics since I was in middle school.  I’d have to say my go-to authors depend on my mood.  Usually, I love anything by Henry James, Willa Cather, and Kate Chopin.  For contemporary reads, I’m a Tom Clancy fanatic, and I’m going to miss him.  From my days in London, I developed a love for the intrigues of Jeffrey Archer.  But, not a week goes by that I don’t have something by Dean R. Koontz or John Saul in my purse or on my iPad.

That's quite a diverse list of authors!  I share your sadness over the loss of Tom Clancy.  I'm a huge fan.  

What would readers be surprised to learn about you?

That I am a disabled in-the-line-of-duty, retired police officer—but I prefer cop, turned exceedingly eccentric, and more than a little insane, English professor.

If you could insert yourself into the life of any fictional character, who would you choose and why?

Oh, that’s easy.  For so many reasons, I’d love to be Scarlett O’Hara, if only to kiss Rhett—Ashley, not so much.  But I’d really enjoy the opportunity to deliver the line, “I want everyone who’s ever been mean to me to be pea green with envy.”

I'm sure many Gone With the Wind fans would share that wish.

Where can readers connect with you online?

I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and I can always be reached viabarbaradevlin.com.

Barbara, thank you so much for visiting with us today.  Would you like to ask our readers a question?

So many questions, so little time…  Okay, in the spirit of the Winter Olympics, which I absolutely love, if you could be a winter Olympian, which sport would you pick and why?  

For myself, I’d love to try the new slopestyle event, because it looks absolutely crazy and well nigh impossible.  I think Bob Costas insulted every slopestyle athlete when he compared the new event to the MTV show “Jackass.”  What an asinine comment.  Johnny Knoxville’s antics are nothing more than clumsy stunts designed to inflict pain and incite a response from the audience.  Slopestyle requires unimaginable skill, strength, and sheer guts, and I can only envy the athlete’s talent and fortitude.  And thank you for hosting me.

Readers, Barbara is giving away two e-copies of My Lady, the Spy today so let's get those comments going!