A Noble Betrayal: Behind the Scenes
After three years (thirty for the book characters) we’re back to where it all began. The 13th century border of England and Scotland where love clashes with political intrigue and family alliances reign supreme. From the moment I finished The Knight’s Reward I knew I wanted to return. But a few other book projects were in my head as well. A paranormal and contemporary romance series. A fantasy historical romance. But Scottish medieval romance is where I began and where I’m excited to return with a spin-off to the Border Series.
A Noble Betrayal, the first book in Brotherhood of the Border, re-introduces old characters and spotlights new ones too. From the son of Sara and Geoffrey in The Thief’s Countess to the son of everyone’s favorite bad boy Bryce, this book kicks off a brand new cast of characters. I’ll let you read for yourself (available now on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited) but for those who have already headed back to the border with me, a enjoy few behind the scenes tidbits.
Sometimes, authors of fiction change things. Dates, locations, even facts. In romance there is an expectation of historical accuracy, but readers known lots of it is “fudged” as well. From plaids which evoke the idea of kilts because we Scottish romance readers LOVE them (even though we’re a few hundred years early. You will notice I never actually refer to a kilt in the series.)
Here are some of the changes I made for the sake of this story in A Noble Betrayal:
- Edward wed Margaret of France, the 17-year-old daughter of King Phillip III of France and Maria of Brabant, and their marriage was celebrated in Canterbury on 8 September 1299. NOT Westminster as it is claimed in the book.
- It is atypical for a woman to hunt. To join in the hunt? Yes. To actually hunt, no.
- King Edward’s appearance is exaggerated in the book though he was quite tall with sagging eyelids as it claims.
Some other fun facts:
- There is either a Shakespeare or Star Wars reference in most of my books. Can you find it in this one?
- My favorite lines in the book are:
“So, my lady wife, are you ready to tell me what you were told about this eve so I can determine whether I need to live up to, or debunk, your idea of what lovemaking entails?”
Halfway up the stairs she turned back to look at him. Haydn had not been expecting her to appear so relaxed. The ale, thankfully, had taken its effect.
“I’ve been told this could be the worst, or best, evening of my life.”
“A fair assessment, actually,” he said. “And I can easily assure you, it will be the latter.”
- My favorite scene to write in a medieval romance? One you can almost always expect. An inn!! From the Fox & Hound to Heston House to my favorite, The Wild Boar, you can always count on a medieval inn scene and this book is no exception.
- In every book, I flush out the characters but have one “prevailing trait” that guides them. Haydn’s was “loyal” and Phillipa, “tenacious.”
- A “black moment” in a romance novel is usually 3/4 into the book which is the lowest point in the novel. Originally the black moment in this book was going to be Haydn finding a letter Phillipa wrote to her father revealing details about his family. But, as always happens, the characters took turns I didn’t even see coming. PLOT TWIST! Even for me, the author, sometimes.
If you did read A Noble Betrayal be sure not to miss the extras which you can grab here. Hope you’ve enjoyed going behind the scenes! ~Cecelia
