Michelle Styles: Celebrating My 25th Harlequin Mills and Boon Historical plus giveaway

On 1 Feburary 2017 (or 17 January 2017 depending on where you are in the world) my 25^th Harlequin Historical will be officially published — SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR.

When I first sold to Harlequin Historical, I hoped that  Gladiator’s Honour would not be a one hit and that there would be more.  The memory of that day lingers long in my mind. I had convinced myself that the calls only happened on  Thursday and when Linda Fildew phoned, I thought – well it will be more revisions and I must be very close.  Linda was confused as she always phoned on a Friday to give the new author a wonderful weekend. It was the start of a special relationship which lasts until today.

The print version of the article with my cover

It was Linda who suggested that I might like to try writing Vikings. The resulting book Taken by the Viking was recently called by The Times an unimprovable title and used as a pivot for a supportive article about Mills and Boon. What impressed me was that the journalist, Ben Macintrye who is better known for his serious  hard-hitting pieces about the secret services manage to capture the essence of how I write Vikings — namely ‘The heroine may be taken by the Viking but, by the last page, the Viking is no longer the brute he was.’ The piece also used the UK cover of Taken to illustrate it in the print version. So it was thrilling on Christmas Eve  to make The Times.

One of the reasons why Harlequin has bought my stories is the readers. To honour those who had asked for more Viking stories, the book is dedicated to them. The first feedback I have had from a reader has been positive which is excellent and I do hope people like this tale.

I wrote SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR because my youngest son has been volunteering on the Western Scottish Isle of Oronsay and told me about how the Vikings had based their fleets there. My husband and I then went on a holiday to Islay and I became inspired to write this story, particularly after I learned more about the history of the island and how Somerled was most likely half Gaellic and half Norse.

I currently hard at work on the sequal.

The back cover reads:

In her captor's bed! 

Women are not part of Sigurd Sigmundson's existence, and Eilidith should purely be a means to an end to gain access to a well-guarded Viking stronghold. He would have to be made of iron, though, not to be stirred by the warmly sensual woman beneath her ice-cold shield. 

Liddy has been made to feel ugly and insignificant because of her facial birthmark. Surely her captor couldn't physically desire her? But, oh, how the stifled, passionate Liddy yearns to experience unrestrained love in his arms…

You can read the first chapter at overdrive.

It is available online at Harlequin, Amazon.com, Mills & Boon, Amazon.co.uk and Barnes and Noble to mention a few places.

Because it has been a tradition with me:

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away ONE signed copy of SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR

Please email me at michelle@michellestyles.co.uk  the name of the hero and heroine of SOLD TO THE VIKING WARRIOR. I will be choosing the winner on 28 January. void where prohibited.

Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historicals in a wide range of historical periods. You can learn more about Michelle and her books on www.michellestyles.co.uk