Tuesday, February 28, 2012

New Historical Romance--The Lady and the Warrior!




Hot off the presses, Amazon Kindle rather, my new short historical romance,The Lady and the Warrior.  My talented art major graduate daughter, Elise, did the gorgeous cover–her first.  Mom’s proud.  So is her father.  And other friends and relations.

A tender adventure romance with a The Last of the Mohican’s flavor,  The Lady and the Warrior gives readers  a taste of my full-length American historical romance novels.  If you like The Lady and the Warrior, chances are you will enjoy Red Bird’s Song, Through the Fire and Daughter of the Wind...all have a Native American theme interwoven with the plot.

Blurb: An abused young wife stranded in the Alleghenies in 1783 is rescued from drowning by a rugged frontiersman who shows her kindness and passion. But is he more than he seems? And can they ever be together?

Pop over to Amazon and find out. FREE for Amazon Prime and .99 for others.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Who will live and who will fall? Welcome to the Colonial Frontier~

2009 Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books

The French and Indian War, a Shawnee warrior, an English lady, blood vengeance, deadly pursuit, primal, powerful, passionate… THROUGH THE FIRE

At the height of the French and Indian War, a young English widow ventures into the colonial frontier in search of a fresh start. She never expects to find it in the arms of the half-Shawnee, half-French warrior who makes her his prisoner in the raging battle to possess a continent––or to be aided by a mysterious white wolf and a holy man.



Excerpt:

For a moment, he simply looked at her. What lay behind those penetrating eyes?
Shoka held out the cup. “Drink this.”

Did he mean to help her? Rebecca had heard hideous stories of warriors’ brutality, but also occasionally of their mercy. She tried to sit, moaning at the effect this movement had on her aching body. She sank back down.

He slid a corded arm beneath her shoulders and gently raised her head. Encouraged by his unexpected aid, she sipped, grimacing at the bitterness. The vile taste permeated her mouth. Weren’t deadly herbs acrid?

Dear Lord. Had he tricked her into downing a fatal brew? She eyed him accusingly. “’Tis poison.”

He arched one black brow. “No. It’s good medicine. Will make your pain less.”
 
Unconvinced, she clamped her mouth together.

“I will drink. See?” he said, and took a swallow.

She parted her lips just wide enough to argue. “It may take more than a mouthful to kill.”

He regarded her through narrowing eyes. “You dare much.”

Though she knew he felt her tremble, she met his piercing gaze. If he were testing her, she wouldn’t waver.
 
His sharp expression softened. “Yet you have courage.”~


“Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.” ~Poinsettia, reviewer with Long and Short Reviews
 
Hear the primal howl of a wolf, the liquid spill of a mountain stream. Welcome to the colonial frontier where the men fire muskets and wield tomahawks and the women are wildcats when threatened.
 
The year is 1758, the height of the French and Indian War. Passions run deep in the raging battle to possess a continent, its wealth and furs.  Both the French and English count powerful Indian tribes as their allies.  The Iroquois League, Shawnee, and others bring age-old rivalries to the conflict—above all the ardent desire to hold onto what is theirs.  Who will live, and who will fall?


From Reviewer Sheila at Two Lips
     for Through the Fire!

“Ms. Trissel has captured the time period wonderfully. As Rebecca and Kate travel in the wilderness, though beautiful, many dangers lurk for the unsuspecting sisters. Away from the gentility they grew up around, the people they meet as they travel to their uncle in the wilderness are rougher and more focused on survival regardless of which side they belong. I love historical novels because they take me to times and places that I cannot visit and Through the Fire is no different.
 
As I read I am transported back to the mid-1700’s on the American frontier as Britain and France maneuver to control the American continent. I can see how each side feels they are right and the other side the aggressor. I watch how the natives take sides based on promises made but not kept. I felt I was there through Ms. Trissel’s descriptions and settings.”

*Available in print and digital download from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online booksellers.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Daughter of the Stars: First Kiss~Light Paranormal Romance Somewhere My l...

Daughter of the Stars: First Kiss~Light Paranormal Romance Somewhere My l...: ~Will blew the layer of dust from an ornate wooden box inlaid with ivory and lifted the lid. Inside were brass workings like the mechanis...

First Kiss~Light Paranormal Romance Somewhere My love


~Will blew the layer of dust from an ornate wooden box inlaid with ivory and lifted the lid. Inside were brass workings like the mechanism of a clock.  He wound a small gold key in the back until it would wind no more, and released it. 
The wheels and cogs turned and wonderful music flowed forth, the beautiful strains of a Viennese waltz, The Blue Danube.
Julia clapped her hands. “A music box.”
He bowed. “May I have this dance, sweet Julia?”
She gazed up into his velvet brown eyes, and he gazed back. She managed a nod and he drew her into his arms.
Around the attic he waltzed with her secure in his lead.  Everything fell away except this moment while the haunting melody played on, taking her back to that faintly remembered place. She didn’t even stumble, not once.  It was as if some inner memory guided her in the steps, even though ballroom dancing hadn’t been a part of her lessons.
The music picked up and he swung her around and around. Her dress swirled as he circled. With each turn, he was Will—then Cole, Will—then Cole, both men in rapid succession, separate and yet the same. Her heart pounded from far more than the whirling dance.
The music faded and Will slowly stopped revolving. They stood, his arms circled at her back and waist, eyes locked on each other.
His brow furrowed. “Julia, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. “You may be the ghost.”
He tightened his mouth in an impatient line. “Don’t try to make me into Cole again.”
“Will, listen to me. I know it sounds crazy, but I think somehow you already are.”
He dropped his hands, turning away. “Only because you insist I am.”
She grabbed his arm. “No. It’s what I saw while we danced. You must believe me.”
“Believing doesn’t make it any easier,” he said flatly.
“That’s because you think I’m misled.”
He swiveled his head at her. Exasperation flared in his eyes. “There’s a simple reason for my laboring under that assumption. You are.”
“Don’t be angry. I hate that I’ve spoiled such a lovely moment.”
“You’ve a talent for that.” He turned and strode across the floor. His footsteps echoed on the boards with a hollow sound, just as her heart would beat if he left.
She ran behind him and reached out, catching his plush shoulder. “Consider me balmy, if you must, but don’t walk away. Please Will.”
He stayed as he was. “What do you want me to do, Julia?”
“I don’t know.” She wasn’t strong enough to turn him and dashed in front instead, grasping his upper arms and twisting the fabric in her fingers. “Something—anything.”
He smiled faintly. “Never say those words to a man.”
Cupping her face between his hands, he bent his head and closed his lips over hers in an all consuming kiss…so swiftly she hardly knew what had happened. Even if he hadn’t cupped her cheeks, she wouldn’t have moved. The compelling press of his mouth bound her in place. If possible, Julia’s heart thudded even faster than it had before. The surging pulse drummed through her entire being, reverberating in places she didn’t even know she had. From what she could remember of her dream with Cole, her feelings had been poignant but tender. The sensations coursing through her now weren’t entirely that. An exhilarating passion was sweeping her up in a shocking tide.
“Who am I now?” Will whispered against her mouth.
She loosened her grip on his jacket in speechless surprise, too breathless to tell him she didn’t care.~

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, FLASHBACKS TO EARLY 18TH CENTURY VIRGINIA, GHOSTLY, MURDER MYSTERY ROMANCE…

SOMEWHERE MY LOVE

“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca.” ~Joysann, Publishers Weekly
*Light paranormal romance novel Somewhere My Love is available in print and digital download at: The Wild Rose PressAmazonBarnes & Noble and other online booksellers.  The ebook is reduced to 2.99 at the Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Old Time Cures from the Shenandoah Valley


These cures are recorded in Shenandoah Voices by late Shenandoah Valley historian and author John Heatwole.  I knew John and much admired him.  He’s left a wealth of information behind in his books. For a sprained ankle take catnip, sprinkle salt on it and bind it to the ankle. 

‘Mullin tea’ was also used for sprained ankles.  The leaves of the mullin plant were boiled in vinegar and water and the ankle was bathed in it while it was still warm.

Turpentine was also rubbed on a sprain.  You never covered it or it would burn.~Catnip tea was made for children with the colic.~

Queen Anne’s Lace made into a tea is said to relieve backache.~Sage and honey tea is a good brew to give to someone with pneumonia~Drinking tea made from aromatic sage is said to keep a woman’s hair from turning gray prematurely.~

Lobelia tea was used by Thomsonian herb doctor Gabe Heatwole as a purge.  Lobelia is an annual or perennial plant of the bellflower family. Goldenseal and Comfort Root (*Pinelands Hibiscus or Cut-leaf Hibiscus) teas are good for an upset stomach. 
If you have kidney problems, swamp root tea can be used for relief.~

Greasy mustard plaster was used on the sufferer’s chest for a deep cold.To avoid being burned by the mustard, this plaster was made with lard and spread on a cloth that could be laid on the sufferer’s chest without burning. ~
Another non-burning plaster was made with mustard, lard, and egg whites.~
A family in Singers Glen used a mustard and lard poultice for pneumonia.  When the patient’s chest started to turn red, it was removed. The patient was washed off thoroughly, and then a hot onion poultice was applied. ~
For a bad cold or pleurisy, they’d put lard on your chest with salt sprinkled on it of a night.~

A tea made of peppermint leaves will stop a stomachache.~Pennyroyal tea was used to break a fever, for upset stomach and to treat the common cold.  It is of the same family as mint and yields aromatic oil.

During the Civil War, some Valley soldiers chewed slippery elm bark when in battle or on the march. It was said to relieve thirst and hunger.~

Miss Gray Pifer of Mt. Crawford said that ‘horehound grew down near the creek. Momma made a horehound syrup with brown sugar for coughs.’

~In Page County a woman said that her grandfather smoked a corncob pipe, and if a child in the family had an earache, he’d blow smoke in the ear as a cure.  She also said for spider bite, you should cut a piece from a new potato and hold it against the bite. Eventually the potato will turn black as it absorbs the poison. ~

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Daughter of the Stars: More About Historical/Paranormal Romance Author Be...

Daughter of the Stars: More About Historical/Paranormal Romance Author Be...: Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia surrounded by my children, grandbabies, a...

More About Historical/Paranormal Romance Author Beth Trissel


Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia surrounded by my children, grandbabies, and assorted animals.  An avid gardener, my love of herbs and heirloom plants figures into my work. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the people who journeyed here from far beyond her borders are at the heart of my inspiration.  In addition to American settings, I also write historical and time travel romances set in the British Isles.
My fascination with Colonial America, particularly stirring tales of the frontier and the Shawnee Indians, is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. In Red Bird’s Song, I honed in on my early American roots in a story featuring the Scots-Irish and an Indian attack that happened to my ancestors.  Native American themed historical romance Through the Fire is also based on research into my colonial forebears and the French and Indian War.  I signed a contract for the sequel to Through the Fire, entitled  Kira Daughter of the Moon, due out later in 2012.
“Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.” ~Poinsettia, Long and Short Reviews
“This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating.” ~ Laurie-J Reviewer for Red Bird’s Song at Night Owl Romance
“With “Red Bird’s Song”, Beth Trissel has painted an unforgettable portrait of a daring and defiant love brought to life in the wild and vivid era of Colonial America. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and romance lovers alike!” ~Review by Virginia Campbell
Intrigued with all things Celtic, much of my writing features these early Scot-Irish ancestors who settled in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. This absorption with Colonial America also extends to the high drama of the Revolution and ancestors who fought on both sides of that sweeping conflict as depicted in Enemy of the King.
*Image of the Alleghenies by my mother, Pat Churchman
“An amazing and vibrant look into the American Revolution…this sexy historical is a must read!” ~Coffee Time Romance And More
“I love historical romances. They are one of my favorites and anymore when I think of a historical I think of Beth Trissel.”~Reviewed by Bella Wolfe, You Gotta Read Reviews
“Beth Trissel is a skilled storyteller and scene-builder. She immediately plunges the reader into  action and excitement with a vivid sense of time and place.” ~Historical Romance Author Kris Kennedy ( for Enemy of the King)
Historical/light paranormal romance Daughter of the Wind, following on the heels of the Revolution, is set in the ruggedly beautiful Alleghenies among the superstitious Scots with a young couple caught in the clash between two warring Peoples.  The story is inspired by a tragic and true tale but I conjured a happier ending for mine.
“Ms. Trissel’s alluring style of writing invites the reader into a world of fantasy and makes it so believable it is spellbinding.” ~Camellia, Long and Short Reviews
Moreover, I’m intrigued by ghost stories, and Virginia has more tales than any other state. I find myself asking if the folk who’ve gone before us are truly gone, or do some still have unfinished business in this realm? And what of the young lovers whose time was tragically cut short, do they somehow find a way?  Love conquers all, so I answer ‘yes.’  The theme behind light paranormal murder mystery, ghost story romanceSomewhere My Love, the first in my ‘Somewhere’ series.
“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca long ago. Using deliciously eerie elements similar to that gothic romance, Beth Trissel has captured the haunting dangers, thrilling suspense and innocent passions that evoke the same tingly anticipation and heartfelt romance I so enjoyed then, and still do now.” 
JoysannPublishers Weekly
Time Travel, Ghosts, and Reincarnation.  Sacred relics and star-crossed lovers. Fantasy, mystery, magic, and above all romance... 
The idea behind my ‘Somewhere series’ is that the story opens in an old home, so far Virginia, and then transports the reader back in time either in the same old house or another place entirely, such as the Scottish Highlands“Know that love is truly timeless.” ~Author  Mary M. Ricksen 

"Beth Trissel has written a captivating ghost story entwining a contemporary love story with the mystery of a murder from the nineteenth century. The wonderful characters and evocative historical details caught my attention from the first page.” ~ Romance Author Helen Scott Taylor for light paranormal romance Somewhere my Love
In Somewhere My Lass, I journeyed back to 1602 Scotland and more deeply explored my Scottish roots.  I’m at work on the sequel.
Reviewed by: Silvermage of Night Owl Reviews ~’Somewhere My Lass was a wonderful time-travel romance. I enjoyed that the time-travel went from the past to 2009 and not the other way.”
“Somewhere My Lass presents a convoluted time-twisting conundrum which becomes more intriguing as it goes along. I found the romance of it touching, the enigma baffling, and the resolution unexpected. A light, interesting blend of contemporary and historical fiction.” ~joysann, Publisher’s Weekly
Nostalgia about the late 1960’s and an earlier era, WWI, coupled with a vivid dream inspired my vintage American Christmas ghost story romance Somewhere the Bells Ring.  
‘ALTHOUGH SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING HAS A HOLIDAY THEME, IT’S AN ANYTIME READ FOR ROMANCE LOVERS.’
*Image of the Virginia Family home place (circa 1816), the inspiration and setting for the old home in Somewhere the Bells Ring.
For Somewhere the Bells Ring:
“Ms. Trissel captivates her reader from the moment you start reading the first page. She has written a compelling love story that spans some fifty plus years and keeps you entertained every step of the way with the story within a story…I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.”
~Reviewed by Robin for Romancing the Book
Though set in England, the tumult taking place in France during the explosion of the French Revolution is the backdrop for my new historical romance, Into the Lion’s Heart.  This story launched the new series The Wild Rose Press is debuting called Love Letters, the premise being that a letter is responsible for bringing the hero and heroine together.
“A brilliant historical romance by Beth Trissel. You can feel her passion in the story, very well written and characters that you can feel. Into the Lion’s Heart will take you through a journey of love, and enough surprises to keep you hanging on. If you love a beautiful historical romance you will enjoy this story!”
Recently I branched out beyond historical and light paranormal romance with a nonfiction book about country life entitled Shenandoah Watercolors,available as a Kindle, FREE to Amazon Prime members.
I’m a member of RWA ®, Virginia Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.  My work has received many awards including a 2008 Golden Heart Final with my American historical Through the Fire.
2008 Winner Preditor’s & Editor’s Readers Poll
Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books of 2009 
2010 Best Romance Novel List at Buzzle
Won Book of the Week Five Times At LASR
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.” ~ William Ward

  
For more on my work please visit my website at: www.bethtrissel.com
My Daughter of the Stars Blog is loaded with a variety of posts centered around the general theme of Historical and Light Paranormal Romance, gardening with a focus on herbs, heirloom plants, and country life, but many other topics as well. Even more articles are posted at my other blog One Writers Way at: http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/
*Image of my garden taken by daughter Elise