The More Things Change-The More They Stay the Same – Guest Post by M.J. Schiller, Author of An Uncommon Love

The More Things Change~The More They Stay the Same

Okay, now. I’m speaking to you contemporary enthusiasts out there. I know what you’re saying. I look for books that strike home with me. What do I have in common with a princess and a blacksmith? Well, my theory is, in essence, men and women are not that different today than back in the days of bow and arrows, royal courts, and castle-dwellers.

Seth is much like many a modern guy trying to pick up a girl in a bar. He trips all over his words, makes assumptions, and gets carried away with his emotions. Adriana is much like many women today. She can be clueless, but she is tough and kind, and willing to do just about anything for the people she loves. As a couple they have the same problems couples have now. They come from different backgrounds. They don’t look at money the same. They don’t communicate well, at first.

I’m telling you, take Seth out of the coarsely made pants and loose linen shirt and slip him into some jeans and a polo…wait, let me just picture that a moment…sigh.  Take Adi out of her gowns and finery and put her into a mini-skirt and designer blouse, and their problems will be the same. Garin, Adi’s betrothed, would be her Wall Street shark fiancé. Her father would be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Hey, this is fun! My point is, people have not changed that much.

Don’t believe me? Buy a copy. I bet you’ll hear the same arguments that you’ve had with your spouse a dozen times before. You’ll feel the heat and confusion of that first love you remember from when you met. You’ll understand Seth’s devotion to his family. Still don’t believe me? Buy a copy. I dare ya!

Here’s a blurb to give you an idea about what it’s all about:

Princess Adriana had her life all figured out.  Or, to be more precise, she had her life all figured out for her.  Before she was even born she was betrothed to Garin, and that was perfectly acceptable as he became her childhood friend, and then, eventually, the person she would swap kisses with inside the palace gardens.  She never questioned it, never had a reason to, until the day a commoner was brought before her father, the King, to be punished.

As soon as Adriana’s eyes connect with Seth’s across the stone courtyard, she begins to question everything in her life.  For his part, Seth Hobbes is confused about his feelings for the beautiful princess who refuses to match any of his preconceived notions of what a princess should be like, starting when Adriana begs her father to release him.  When Seth creeps into the castle at night to thank her, they begin to build a relationship with one another that is often as explosive as it is endearing.  When fate ends up separating the two, they must undertake a long and arduous journey to be reunited and then overcome the objections Adriana’s father has to their relationship.  Will Adriana be able to make Seth see her for herself and not as the princess that he imagines?  And if she does, will she ever be able to convince her father that, despite his objections, there is nothing “common” about Seth at all?

I decided to do something a little different for my excerpts on this blog tour. They are sequential, so if you follow from beginning to end, you’ll have read nearly all of the first chapter.

Excerpt:

Adriana stared at her father. She did not recognize his voice as it rumbled forth from on high, so uncaring, so…icy. As she turned her head to hear Derrick’s response, she noticed another face in the crowd. A woman was looking on with her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes filled with tears. She was beyond beautiful, with huge, meadow-green eyes and long, wavy hair the color of deep mahogany. She had high cheek bones and a delicate nose, and she was watching the prisoner’s face with rapt attention. So, he had a girlfriend, or wife, she surmised, taken aback by the wave of disappointment that swamped her heart.

“Sire, this is the commoner who assaulted me earlier today.”

“Has he not been scourged?”

The attractive brunette in the audience winced.

“Aye, Sire.” Derrick answered with a wicked grin.

Adriana thought her father’s lips turned up as well as he nodded. “And…?”

Here, Derrick’s formerly cheerful countenance clouded. “The prisoner refuses to apologize.”

The king’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Perhaps a trip to the river will change his mind.” His tone was ominous. The brunette gasped and a woman nearby grabbed her arm to support her as she seemed to swoon.

Adriana turned to Garin. “What does he mean?”

“Adriana, you should not be here—”

“Garin,” she hissed, desperate to understand what was going on, “what are they talking about?”

He shrugged. “They will take him down to the river and hold his head under water until he apologizes or until he drowns.”

“What?” She stared at him in disbelief, her stomach dropping like a bucket in a well.

“You wanted to know,” he responded blandly.

She turned slowly to catch Derrick chuckling, and her father looking on in, what appeared to be, amusement. She saw a shadow of fear flit across the prisoner’s face, but then it became like stone. He looked at the dark-haired woman apologetically, but seemed resolute. The group as a whole turned to leave.

Thank you so much for having me, Babette! It has been a real pleasure! And here’s an opportunity for you to win a prize!

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Click here to enter M.J.’s Rafflecopter giveaway

In the excerpt above, Adriana is caught in a tough position. She has witnessed an injustice. Should she speak up? What about you? Have you ever had an occasion where you had to speak out about something you felt was wrong?

Find out what Adriana does tomorrow on Diane Burton’s blog!

http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

M.J. Schiller~

MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh, can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has an eighteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and sixteen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.

You can find MJ Schiller at:

www.mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com

MJ on FB

Twitter

Pinterest

Goodreads

You can find AN UNCOMMON LOVE at:

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble.com