Aloha to Jillian Stone and AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY

It was a historical weekend for me. 

- I finished debut author Jillian Stone's AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY, set in 1887 London.  It is the first book in The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard series and today is its release!

- I watched SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, set in 1891 Europe.

- I watched DOWNTON ABBEY, set in a country estate during WWI.

These stories spanned over thirty years as they shared one common theme - change. The good, the bad, and the violent. Kicking off the change is AN AFFAIR WITH MR, KENNEDY:

London, 1887. Part stoic gentleman, part fearless Yard man, Zeno “Zak” Kennedy is an enigma of the first order. For years, the memory of a deadly bombing at King’s Cross has haunted the brilliant Scotland Yard detective. His investigation has zeroed in on a ring of aristocratic rebels whose bloody campaign for Irish revolution is terrorizing the city. When he discovers one of the treacherous lords is acquainted with his free-spirited new tenant, Cassandra St. Cloud, his inquiry pulls him unexpectedly close to the heart of the conspiracy—and into the arms of a most intriguing lady.

Cassie is no Victorian prude. An impressionist painter with very modern ideas about life and love, she is eager for a romantic escapade that is daring and discreet. She sets her sights on her dour but handsome landlord, but after she learns their meeting was not purely accidental, she hardly has a chance to forgive her lover before their passionate affair catapults them both into a perilous adventure.

Mary Cassatt's TEA

Victorian Society enjoys modern conveniences and modern ideas ... yet struggles with poverty and anarchism.   Jillian Stone delivers a compelling romance that spans several genres - historical, suspense, and even a hint of steampunk.    Read my review on Goodreads at this link.

Mary Cassat's IN THE BOX

Jillian herself is equally compelling.  From her interview with RT Bookreviews (at this link),

Regency seemed like a crowded field (filled with very talented writers). And I didn't want to write about dukes and earls who sit around in gentlemen's clubs and make wagers. I began to notice that a few romance authors were writing in the Victorian period. I was particularly drawn to Amanda Quick's novels, which were historical romance but incorporated mystery, suspense and occult elements. Then I got to thinking about Scotland Yard detectives. It seemed to me that Yard men were always portrayed as bumbling inspectors, five moves behind Sherlock Holmes. So I thought, what if there was an elite group of detectives? I began to do some research and found out that there was a division of Scotland Yard created in the 1882 called Special Branch. I added a dash (as in dashing) of James Bond Steampunk and that was the start of The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard. The heroines in the series are fascinating, progressive Victorian women: an Impressionist painter, an industrialist and a ballerina/jewel thief/spy! 

I am giving away a print copy of AN AFFAIR WITH MR. KENNEDY to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about one modern convenience that you cannot live without in today's modern world.  Now imagine how you would live without it in the Victorian Era.

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 4, 10 pm in Hawaii.   I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 5.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

To learn more about Jillian Stone and her books, including links to purchase, check out her website at www.gjillianstone.com.

Mary Cassatt's SUMMERTIME