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| Siege of the Heart |
About Siege of the Heart
Genre: Medieval Romance
Author Name: Elise Cyr
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
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Interview with Elise Cyr
Why did you write this book?
As a lover of history, I have always been fascinated by accounts
of how one person can have a profound effect on events. This story started with
one person as well: William Malet who was an English advisor to Duke William as
he prepared to cross the channel and take England for his own. I wondered at how
an Englishman could come to help a Norman take over his homeland, and figured there
must be others in England who would be in a position to help Duke William in the
conquest, given the charged political climate. Thus, my heroine’s father, Lord Bernard
Dumont, was born, a man with conflicting loyalties who could ease the way for Duke
William’s rule. His actions set the book’s plot into motion and are the means of
placing my English-born but Norman-blooded heroine in the path of the hero—one of
William’s honor-bound knights.
What is your favorite genre to read?
Romance! I found romance novels in my early teens. Classics by
Jane Austin and the Brontë Sisters, gothic suspense by Victoria Holt, Harlequin
Superromances, and the audacious but unputdownable bodice rippers. I read them all,
but something about historicals in particular kept me coming back for more. The
appeal of another time and place, love that risks everything, and of course the
dresses!
What is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own characters)?
I think Lizzie Bennett will always have a special place in my
heart, along with Egyptologist Amelia Peabody in Elizabeth Peters’ mystery series.
Do you enjoy films and/or TV shows? Which are your favorites?
It’s hard to only pick a few… There’s a special place in my heart
for nearly all Masterpiece Theatre productions. I’ve been enjoying the first two
seasons of Elementary and love watching standup comedy. Movies-wise, I’ve always
been a fan of James Bond, the original Star Wars trilogy (which has some medieval
tropes, surprisingly), and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
What are you working on at the moment, and what are we likely to see from you in the coming months?
I’m currently revising another medieval story set during the
crusades. After that, I have a another book I want to write, but I’m still thinking
about it—often I let stories simmer in the back of my mind until the pot boils over,
so to speak, and I’m compelled to start writing.
Please tell us about your latest book.
It’s a medieval romance called Siege of the Heart from Kensington,
set during the Norman Conquest of England, with a knight seeking his place in the
world and noblewoman struggling to hold on to all she holds dear. It’s the first
novel I ever got to “The End” on. It has taught me so much about writing
and myself, and I’m so glad to share it with the world.
He fought for king and country, but that battle is nothing
compared to the one he’ll wage for a woman’s heart.
Still reeling from the news of her father’s death during the
Norman Conquest, Isabel Dumont is unprepared when trouble arrives at the castle
gates. Alexandre d’Èvreux, a Norman knight with close ties to England’s new
king, has arrived to secure the land and the loyalties of the Dumont family.
Desperate to protect her people, Isabel strives to keep the confounding knight
at arm’s length and hide the truth about her father’s death.
For Alexandre, the spoils of war come with more than just a
generous gift of land. They come with Isabel Dumont. Vowing to marry only for
love, Alexandre finds himself in a difficult situation as a conqueror granted
dominion over the land and its people. Isabel is the one person capable of
helping him win the regard of those living in the war-torn country…if he
chooses to accept her.
Just when Alexandre finds a spark of hope that he and Isabel
have a chance at love, she vanishes. His quest to find her plunges him deeper
into the conquest’s fallout. Was she taken? Or did she leave?
CONTENT WARNING: Entering into this novel may cause extreme
affection toward knights of old, admiration for strong-willed women, and the
overwhelming belief that love really can conquer all.
Author Bio
Elise Cyr has always loved adventure, romance, and happy endings.
She writes primarily in the medieval period. Because there’s still so much we don’t
know about that time in history, the writer’s imagination is essential for fleshing
out the research and making it come to life on the page. Plus swords and castles
are just plain fun. She lives in New Mexico with her husband and the sweetest dog
ever. When she’s not writing, she hikes, bikes, cooks, and (of course) reads. Siege
of the Heart is her debut medieval romance.
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