Crave the Heat Blog Tour - Leia Rice and THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS

Crave the Heat Blog Tour has raised the temperature to a new level ... joining us today is Leia Rice - a woman after my own heart.  From her bio,


Leia Rice is an avid lover of everything Parisian, Ancient Grecian and Ancient Roman. She wishes that women would still wear the pretty dresses and petticoats that they did back in the 18th century, but she’s well aware how much of a pain they must have been.

Leia writes historical fiction, romance and erotica in these areas, because she cannot get enough of each respective time period.

Currently, Leia resides in Maryland with her wonderful husband her doggie, Sailor.

Kim: I agree about being a lover of everything Parisian, Grecian, and Roman! Can you share a special thing (sight, sound, smell, experience) from Paris, Greece, and Rome?

Leia:  Yes! I have a picture here taken at the Palatino in Rome. After taking a sweltering hot, four hour train ride from Florence to Rome, I got to the Palatino just before it was going to close, and just before the rain came. I was able to get this amazing shot, and it's one of my favorites. I edited it myself!

(my regrets that my blog does not do this picture justice)

Palatino during the day from Wikipedia

Kim:  Where do you find your research when you are not traveling to Paris, Greece, and Rome?

Leia:  I usually scour the internet, or I find information from other books. The best way to get to know your time period is to read other books from it. Other authors find out so many neat things, and everyone has something different to lend. It's great when you learn something new. 

My family's favorite act at Ren Fest - Fight School with real swords!
www.freewebs.com/fightschool101

Kim:   Do you have an 18th century dress? If yes, when do you wear it? How about the Maryland Renaissance Festival - do you eat, drink and be merry?

Leia:  I wish I did, but no, I don't. I have never been to the MD Ren Faire, but I've been to the PA Ren Faire several times, and I love it each time I go back. It's a nice little break from real life, you know? 

Albannach is amazing - we have three CDs!
www.albannachmusic.com

Kim:  Yes, I know!  My husband and I love the Maryland Renaissance Fair where we discovered the Scottish Tribal Band, Albannach - they play with rebel attitude!  Speaking of rebels, tell us about THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS!

Leia:  Well, since I based THE QUEEN'S CONSORT around a Lady's Maid of Marie Antoinette, I wanted to find another angle from which to base THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS. I decided to go with a revolutionary's point of view, but to mix a little bit of Royalist action in there as well. What we get from this formula is a naughty barmaid, Mariette, who has to entertain two different men in order to secure herself during an unreliable time. It was really fun to write, and I hope it's even more fun to read!

Kim:  What's next for Leia Rice? 

Leia:  I've been paying a lot of attention to my YA series, LUMINOSITY, which is written under my pen name, Stephanie Thomas. It's certainly a change of pace, and has been very challenging and refreshing to write. You can check out my other self at www.stephaniethomasbooks.com. 

Mahalo, Leia, for joining us at SOS Aloha!   Readers, turn up the heat with Leia's THE REVOLUTIONARY'S MISTRESS:

Barmaid Mariette hates that she’s had to resort to giving favors to men for a few extra francs, but everyone is scrambling for money with the revolution boiling out of control. Even so, Mariette enjoys her illicit activities—particularly when she meets Rene, a caring, handsome patron whom she desires even more than his coin.

But Mariette has also caught the eye of a revolutionary who makes her share his bed and one of his missions. A mission that plunges Mariette deeper into the revolution when she’s tasked with seducing a rich lord and Rene at the same time….

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Leia Rice and her books, check out her website at www.leiarice.com.

Speaking of revolutions, on this date in 1893, US businessmen overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy.  To learn more about the Hawaiian revolution, log onto www.hawaiilibertychronicles.com.   

Sailors from the USS Boston in Honolulu.