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Today I’m welcoming Faye Hall, author of steamy historical romances set in Australia. Thank you for stopping by, Faye!
All about Faye. . .
Faye’s passion-driven, mystery-filled books are set in small townships of North Queensland, Australia during the late 1800s. Her novels bring something symbolically Australian to her readers, from Aboriginal herbal remedies, to certain gemstones naturally only found in this part of the world.
Her books tell of a passionate connection between the hero and heroine, surrounded and threatened by deceit, scandal, theft, and sometimes even murder.
These romances swerve from the traditional romances, as Faye aims to give her readers so much more intrigue, whilst also revealing the hidden histories of rural townships of North Queensland.
Faye finds her inspiration from the histories of not only the township she grew up in, but the many surrounding it. She also bases most of her characters on people she has met in her life.
Faye was able to live her own passion-driven romance, marrying the love of her life after a whirlwind romance in 2013. Together they are raising their nine children in a remote country town in northern Queensland, Australia.
How did your life as a writer begin?
I started writing at a young age, mostly just poems and short stories for my parents. I was always telling them stories, and they encouraged me to write them down. At high school, I began to take writing more seriously. My senior English teacher laughed at me when I told him I wanted to be a writer. He told me I would never be good enough. His words stirred me so much that I just wanted to prove him wrong, and I’ve been pushing myself ever since.
How did you come with the idea for your current story?
Indulgence & Temperance is book number 2 in the Sins of the Virtuous series. I needed to come up with a story that represented gluttony. and I remembered watching a show once about mobsters in prohibition era of America who ran clubs that supplied laudanum. That gave me an idea for some of the plot. The rest came from the stories my Father told me of the old supply routes in Queensland – it made me wonder just how many people used those routes to escape the law and travel north.
Tell us about your writing process. Do you outline or are you more of a seat of your pants type of a writer?
I always have a very rough outline, usually brief character descriptions and a direction I would like the story to go in. Once I start writing, though, it is very much ‘seat of your pants’ kind of stuff.
What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?
My favourite scene to write was when Daniel finds William changing into the priest’s clothes. He thinks he is finally going to find where his once business partner has taken his sister. Their confrontation is interrupted, and Daniel is taken and restrained in the hotel for attacking the priest. Though he tries desperately to explain his actions and reveal the truth, no one believes him. He is helpless to stop William or to go after Beth. It’s such a heartbreaking part of the book, and it was so wonderful to write.
How do you spend your free time? Do you have a favorite place to go and unwind?
I love gardening, and my husband and I have a beautiful pergola out the back with hanging baskets, as well as a green house and small bush house to potter in or have a glass of wine under or both.
Tell us three fun facts about yourself.
I love singing songs from the 70s, usually very loud, which would be fine except I can’t sing – ha ha. I also have a huge love for tattoos. Last count, I have nearly 50. I got married in a black and red velvet wedding dress. Our photo went in the paper and there were all these beautiful white dresses, and my husband, myself and our kids all dressed in black. It was very cool.
What do you have in store next for your readers?
There are still more books to come in the Sins of the Virtuous series. Hopefully 7 all up.
Indulgence and Temperance by Faye Hall
Would you abandon the woman you love for your own indulgence?
Beth Meridian has returned home, hoping to leave her sordid past behind her and settle into a quiet life. When her childhood friend, Hannah Raeburn, offers her a place to stay, Beth knows it won’t be long until she runs into Hannah’s brother, Daniel. What she doesn’t expect is for him to reignite feelings deep in her heart, reminding her of the kiss they shared before she left town.
Daniel Raeburn’s past is scandalous, his sinful indulgences allowing him more wealth than he could ever need. Still, he wants more, and his gluttonous appetite for wealth and women leads him to buy into a partnership at the local hellfire club.
When Hannah goes missing, Beth and Daniel follow her trail through the Australian outback. Witnessing the womanizer Daniel is, Beth flees on a cattle train headed north. Desperate to explain his actions, Daniel follows her.
Arriving in the small town of Jarvisfield, Daniel is shocked to learn that Beth is now the owner of the largest cattle company in the area. He’s even more shocked to discover that the preacher controlling the town, and stealing from the townspeople, is his once business partner William Maxon. He’s convinced this man is also responsible for his sister’s disappearance. When he learns William has Beth picked out as his next victim, Daniel knows he must do whatever it takes to make her listen to the truth. But she has no interest in hearing anything he has to say.
Faced with losing the two women he loves, Daniel is forced to choose between their freedom and the possessions and wealth he has hoarded over the years. But even if he gives it all up, he still might lose everything.
Content Warning: contains sex, strong language, and some violence
Genre(s): Historical Romance
Excerpt
“What would you have me do? Pretend that this man chasing my sister is genuine and not some money-grabbing monster?”
“You don’t know him,” she tried again.
“Neither does she,” he said, his voice raised. “And neither do you.”
She went to walk past him, following Hannah’s direction out the back of the house. He reached out, his hand on her forearm stopping her.
“I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, Beth,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded as if understanding. “I understand that you love your sister. So do I. I shan’t just sit back and watch her walk into a trap. Nor shall I stand by and watch as her brother robs her of a chance of what may be happiness.”
“How dare you presume to know what I want for my sister.”
She pulled away from him. “I dare because I grew up with you. Every time your sister wanted to do something you always had to interfere.”
“She is naïve,” he told her. “Had I not taken control of her life, heaven knows what would have happened to her.”
She raised her brow. “I understand you need to protect Hannah against lecherous men. That doesn’t explain why you had to be her constant chaperone when she was meeting up with me.”
He lowered his gaze. “I needed to go with her.”
“Do you think that I would also take advantage of your sister?” she asked. “That I have prolonged our friendship only so I might get my claws into her fortune?”
He shook his head, his gaze cautiously rising back to hers. “I know you would do anything for my sister, Beth.”
“Then why did you need to follow Hannah everywhere we went?”
“I did it for you,” he whispered, the words being dragged from him.
“What?” she asked.
He smiled softly. “I played chaperone for my sister so I might be able to see you,” he repeated. “In the hope that you would notice me.”
“All you ever had to do was ask,” she whispered. Approaching him, her lips gently fused to his.
His hands went to her upper arms, pushing her away. “What are you doing?” he asked. Trying desperately to grip onto what remained of his control, he reminded himself that being here with this woman so intimately was far from appropriate. No matter how much he desired her, he couldn’t afford to succumb to such passion. Not there, and certainly not now.
She shook off his hold, her fingers hesitantly going to the buttons of his shirt. Slowly, she began undoing them one by one. “Do you remember the last time we saw each other before I left town?” she asked.
His hands went to hers, stilling her movements. “The image of you that day…” His words drifted off. He didn’t understand why she was acting this way with him, but he couldn’t deny that her movements were ripping at his restraint. He had always hungered for this woman, but now that she was there with him like this, he couldn’t help but wonder why. “Why did you send for me that day?” he asked, his words strained.
“I wanted to see you before I left town,” she muttered. Shaking off his hands, she continued unbuttoning his shirt. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened had your sister not arrived?”
Connect with Faye Hall
Website https://www.faye-hall.com
Blog http://www.faye-hall.info
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Faye-Hall/174774709247649
https://www.facebook.com/faye.hall.3363?ref=tn_tnmn
Twitter https://twitter.com/FayeHall79
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6882637.Faye_Hall
Tumblr http://fayehallauthor.tumblr.com/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/fayehall79/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fayehallauthor/
Flipagram http://flipagram.com/fayehall79
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoS8vLrlO0XZT80xTuJnrkA/videos
Buy Links
http://beachwalkpress.com/faye-hall/
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00DPIMSMW
https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/faye-hall/id1104960880?mt=11
https://www.kobo.com/au/en/search?query=Faye%20Hall&fcsearchfield=Author
Elizabeth McKenna 