Author Post and giveaway: Henriette Gyland

Today's guest is Henriette Gyland. Welcome!

THE MYTH OF THE HIGHWAYMAN

In fiction and in popular culture the highwayman is perceived as a romantic and glamorous figure. Mention the word “highwayman”, and everyone sees before them a cavalier-like person on a handsome horse, bursting forth from the thicket on a moonlit night and uttering the immortal command “stand and deliver!” 

He will be wearing the customary uniform of the highway robber: the cape, the tricorne hat, and the mask, and he will most likely be a gentleman by birth because he rides a horse, and horses are expensive. Only the most desperate of circumstances would have forced him to break the law. Perhaps he is a victim of an injustice perpetrated against his noble family, or a widower with five children to feed and clothe. He will rob his victims in a humorous and genteel manner, flirting with the ladies and not humiliating his male victims too much.

The reality was, of course, a lot less glamorous because these men were often violent bandits and sometimes murderers and rapists as well.

So why does the romance persist? Why did people write songs and ballads about highwaymen? Why do they feature in books and films as dashing heroes? No one wrote songs about common footpads and pickpocket – what we would call muggers today. Burglars, embezzlers and pimps are also beneath our contempt yet the highwayman remains elevated to an almost mythical status.

I think the explanation lies in our admiration for their daring, and their devil-may-care attitude. A lot could go wrong when holding up a carriage, and therefore it took courage. The horses could bolt if startled, potentially leading to injury to the robbers as well as the victims in the process. The coachman and his co-driver would likely be armed (and some passengers too), especially if the journey involved traversing a desolate area such as Hounslow Heath where The Highwayman’s Daughter is set. 18th century pistols only contained one shot, so the highwayman had to carry more than one as there would be no time to reload if he had to fire his pistol. 

There was also the chance of pursuit if other (armed) riders came upon the coach while the robbery was in progress, or it could even be a patrol of redcoats. And finally, there was the risk of disclosure or betrayal when the robber had to dispose of those stolen goods, which were not in ready coin.

You may ask why I have chosen to perpetuate the myth of the romantic highwayman in my book. The answer is that I did that precisely because it makes for a dashing hero and a gutsy heroine! What could be more appropriate in a work of romantic fiction?

Thanks!

And now to the Giveaway

1 copy of The highwayman's daughter

1. Open to all

2. Ends May 24th

3. Just enter

The Highwayman's Daughter - Henriette Gyland

Hounslow, 1768. Jack Blythe, heir to the Earl of Lampton, is a man with great expectations. So when his stagecoach is held up by a masked woman, brandishing a pistol and dressed as a gentleman of the road, he wholly expects to have his purse stolen. And when he senses something strangely familiar about the lovely little bandit, Jack also expects to win his cousin Rupert s wager by tracking her down first.

But as Jack and the highwaywoman enter into a swashbuckling game of cat and mouse, uncovering an intricate web of fiercely guarded family secrets, the last thing Jack expects to have stolen is his heart.

My thoughts:

A little bit of drama, a little bit of suspense, a little bit of romance and a little bit of highway robbery and that is the mix of this book.

Cora is the highwayman's daughter and she robs people too. Her father needs medicine so she puts her life on the line. She is brave and all in all a cool heroine.

Jack is the man who gets robbed and he is obsessed with finding her. He, what to say, he was relentless in his search, but for good reasons in the end. The same can't be said about his cousin Rupert, oh I could not stand the guy!

Romance blossoms, but they are different classes, there are secrets and then there is the whole oh I robbed you thing.

Conclusion:

A nice romance that I read fast.

Cover

Nice

Paperback, 336 pages
Published May 15th 2014 by Choc Lit (first published April 1st 2014)
Historical romantic fiction
For review

Review: The Elephant Girl - Henriette Gyland

Peek-a-boo I see you…

When five-year-old Helen Stephens witnesses her mother’s murder, her whole world comes crumbling down. Rejected by her extended family, Helen is handed over to child services and learns to trust no-one but herself. Twenty years later, her mother’s killer is let out of jail, and Helen swears vengeance.

Jason Moody runs a halfway house, desperate to distance himself from his father’s gangster dealings. But when Helen shows up on his doorstep, he decides to dig into her past, and risks upsetting some very dangerous people.

As Helen begins to question what really happened to her mother, Jason is determined to protect her. But Helen is getting too close to someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden...

My thoughts:

This book is about one angry young woman, and she has every right to be angry. Her mother was murdered right next to her. Her family did not take care of her after it, instead she was put into the system. And life growing up was not easy as she is epileptic and kids can be cruel. Not to mention that adults can be stupid.

That is our introduction to Helen. The book takes off when she comes back to England as her mum's killer has been let out of jail. Revenge and answers is what she wants. Her anger and resentment felt real. She was lost and she had never dealt with her grief. I liked her determination to find answers.

The blurb talks about a certain Jason, yes we all know these two will meet and fall in love then. But that takes time. Helen has her anger and wants the truth. Jason wants to escape from his father's shadow (as his dad is a crook.) Their "friendship" starts with lies and there is darkness over it all. But he is a good guy, I liked him and as Helen changes something grows.

But the book is more than that. There is the whole mystery part. What happened 20 years ago when her mother died? Was the killer really caught? There are many questions and she finds it piece by piece. And as the hunt continues it gets more dangerous.

Conclusion:

The book has friendship, romance, mystery and suspense. And real characters.

Cover

Simple, but still good

Romantic Fiction / Suspense
Paperback, 400 pages
Published July 7th 2013 by Choc Lit (first published June 11th 2013)
(It's out in ebook form in the US now, but in print first in August)
For review

Review: Up Close - Henriette Gyland

How close is too close? Dr Lia Thompson has swapped her native Norfolk for a life in America, but returns to sort out legal matters after her grandmother's death. Unprepared for the viciousness of village gossip, she's vulnerable to insinuations that her grandmother knew something about the recent bomb threats against a nearby army base. Even so the longer she stays, the more she realises this is where she belongs.

Wounded ex-navy man and artist Aidan Morrell has accepted his physical scars, but is still bitter over the army's treatment of his older brother, which had a devastating effect. He expresses himself in his sometimes disturbing paintings and through scuba-diving, and sees Lia with her fear of water as a challenge. The attraction between them is undeniable. Should they dare to let the other get close?

My thoughts:

I kept wondering and wondering, yes this book brought me quite the mystery to solve.

Lia is a doctor who comes to Norfolk to settle her grandmother's estate as her mother refuses too. Yes drama at the beginning. Lia is smart, sensible, but with a few issues from her past.

Norfolk is painted as harsh, those who live there, well live there, they know the land. But it fits well with the story, because something is going on. Someone was watching Lia's grandmother, and did someone kill her? That is the mystery. Because strange things keep on happening while Lia stays there.

There is also a friendship that slowly builds, a friendship that might or might not lead to romance. Aidan has his own issues from the war, and there is secrets he is keeping too. Those I did figure out..after a while. I also liked how their story was built, there was friendship and something that could be more. It was real.

The mystery was good, so many questions and so many different roads to take.

Conclusion:

A good suspense novel, with a hint of romance.

Genre: Women's fiction, suspense, mystery
Pages: 369
Published: Dec 7th 2012 by Choc Lit

US Kindle / UK