United By Book is glad to have Claire Delacroix some of you may also know as Deborah Cooke is taking over the blog today......
The Power of Love
What would you do for love?
Romance novels almost always have the theme “love conquers
all”, and love does conquer a great deal in real life, too. Love can dissolve
boundaries between people, and make the differences between them seem manageable
instead of insurmountable. Love allows characters to listen and to understand,
sometimes even to hear things they’d rather not hear. Love is optimistic and
there’s power in that - the message that love can triumph is at the core of the
entire romance genre.
But when a person takes a risk for love, that’s an even more
powerful choice - in a way, taking a chance because of love is putting our money
where our mouth is. Instead of just saying “I love you”, the person does
something about it, and is prepared to accept the consequences of that choice,
whatever they might be. Because that person is potentially sacrificing something
important for the sake of love, the stakes are higher. It’s a noble and powerful
choice. We admire people who do this.
We all do this in real life on a small scale. It’s common for
most of us to make choices because of love - we take care of people we love when
they’re ill, for example, even if they are sick with something contagious. We
can also be braver because of love. We might take chances that we wouldn’t risk
otherwise - or for ourselves - when the safety or welfare of someone we love is
at stake. We’ve all seen a mother step into danger to save her child, without
regard for her own safety. It’s the selflessness of love that we find very
compelling.
When people sacrifice their own interests for love, in books
and in real life, we find their stories inspiring, or even transforming. We love
to read about love conquering all, about peoples taking big risks that pay off
even bigger. We like to see the noble and heroic people win the day. In books,
the stakes are often higher than in real life. Most of us don’t risk our lives
for love, but I love characters who do - as a writer, I make sure that character
gets rewarded, instead of having to pay a high price.
In my new medieval romance, THE RENEGADE’S HEART, Isabella
falls hard and fast for Murdoch. Isabella is the impetuous one of her siblings,
but she also has grown up in a large and loving family. Part of the reason she
has such confidence is that she has always been loved. She knows her family will
always be there for her. Murdoch appears to be a renegade and a troublemaker -
even worse, he seems to be one determined to make Isabella’s older brother pay
for a crime against Murdoch’s family. Isabella is so sure of Murdoch and his
noble character that she defies her brother. She’s so sure that Murdoch is good
and noble, that she risks her reputation to be in his company. She’s so
confident that there must be a misunderstanding, that she doesn’t care how far
she has to go to discover the truth. And ultimately, she’s so confident that her
love is reciprocated by Murdoch, that she puts her own life in jeopardy to save
his.
That’s powerful stuff. Isabella believes in the power of love
because of her upbringing. Murdoch is a little more skeptical, because of his
upbringing, but Isabella shows him the truth. In fact, Isabella’s decision to
risk so much is (of course!) the reason that love does indeed conquer all in
this story. It’s not a spoiler to tell you that everything works out in the end,
but Murdoch’s predicament does test the limits of Isabella’s devotion to
him.
In the end, though, Isabella’s choices have left me wondering
how far would I go for love? How much would I risk? I’d like to think that I’d
risk as much as Isabella!
Today, you can win a signed trade paperback copy of THE
RENEGADE’S HEART just for commenting on this post. Tell me how much you would
risk for love, or tell me what you have risked for love in the
past.
You can also grab a free copy of my medieval romance THE
BEAUTY BRIDE right now at most portals. (The links are on my site, right here:
http://www.delacroix.net/tbbX.html)
THE BEAUTY BRIDE is the first book in my Jewels of Kinfairlie series, which
introduces Isabella and her siblings. Madeline, Vivienne and Alexander have
their stories told in that trilogy, then my new series, The True Love Brides,
takes us back to Kinfairlie to hear the stories of the other siblings. Isabella
skipped queue to go ahead of Annelise (I told you she was impetuous!) with THE
RENEGADE’S HEART. Annelise’s story, THE HIGHLANDER’S CURSE, will be published
next.
Bestselling author Claire Delacroix sold her first romance, a
medieval called THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE, in 1992. Since then, she has
published more than forty-five romance novels and numerous novellas. She
has also written under the names Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke.
THE BEAUTY, part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first
book to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books.
She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on
medieval studies, and is an avid reader of medieval vernacular
literature, fairy tales and fantasy novels.
She makes her home in Canada with her husband and family. When
she isn't writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for
vintage patterns.
For all promotional opportunities and requests, please email Carla, who is Claire's virtual assistant. You can also email Claire.
********* GIVEAWAY *********
Claire has generously offered up a paperback copy of THE RENEGADE’S HEART to one lucky person.This is open to all so INTERNATIONAL people can enter as well. All you need to do is fill out the rafflecopter below to be entered.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
