Blog Tour - Guest Post & Giveaway: Once Upon A Masquerade by Tamara Hughes

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Once Upon A Masquerade by Tamara Hughes
EBook: 293 pages
Release Date: February 10, 2014
ISBN: 978-1622664511

New York City, 1883
 
A Prince Charming meets his match…
Self-made shipping magnate Christopher Black first spies Rebecca Bailey at a masquerade ball and is captivated by her refreshing naiveté and sparkling beauty. She’s a stark contrast to the hollow behavior of the ton and the guile of his former fiancée, but the closer he gets to her secrets, the further she pushes him away.

A Cinderella with a secret…
Rebecca is drawn to the charismatic Christopher from the first, but she cannot risk him discovering that she is really a housemaid impersonating an heiress. Her father's life depends on it.

A Happily Ever After that could never be…
When Christopher’s investigation of the murder of his best friend leads him straight to Rebecca, he fears his ingénue may be a femme fatale in disguise.  Now he must decide if he can trust the woman he's come to love, or if her secrets will be his downfall.

About Tamara: 
 
A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds. She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh. To learn more, stop by her website: www.tamarahughes.com. You can also find her on:




Guest Blog: How much research did you have to do to write this book?

First off, thank you so much for having me on your blog today. I’m thrilled to be here. The question posed to me by Book Liaison was how much research I did to write Once Upon a Masquerade.

The short answer: a lot.

I’ve read quite a few historical romances over the years, so I was familiar with many terms and rules of etiquette just from reading. But, I found that there’s big difference between reading historicals and writing them. I chose to set this story during the Victorian times in New York City. For whatever reason, this isn’t a popular setting in today’s historical romances. Which seems odd to me. High society in New York City in the Victorian age was very similar to that of London. In fact, the wealthy highly respected their English counterparts and attempted to emulate them in every way.

I found New York fascinating, and I used quite a few real events and locations that I researched. For instance, the Vanderbilt masquerade ball at the beginning of the book actually occurred. The descriptions of the house, some of the guests, and the entertainment provided were taken right from an article I found in The New York Times dated March 27th, 1883.

And of course, along with the big events of the day, I had a lot to learn about day-to-day life as well. How did these people dress (from the skin out)? What did they eat? How did they treat one another? The list goes on and on to the tiniest detail. Did they use coat hangers or hooks? Door knobs or handles?

I researched in libraries and on the internet, and had the wonderful opportunity to visit New York and actually see the place in Central Park where one scene is set (by the Bethesda fountain). I also made good use of my Webster’s dictionary, constantly looking up individual words to see if they would have been used at the time of the story.

I put a lot of effort into making Once Upon a Masquerade as realistic as possible. It was a lot of work, but extremely interesting all at the same time. And hopefully, it made Once Upon a Masquerade a richer story.
Giveaway Details:
1 $25 Amazon Gift Card US Only
3 eBooks of ONCE UPON A MASQUERADE International
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule
Week 1:
2/10/2014- ThePassionate Bookworms- Review
2/10/2014- NightOwl Reviews- Guest Post
2/11/2014- DandelionnWine Book Blog- Review
2/11/2014- HEARomances With a Little Kick- Guest Post
2/12/2014- TheReading Addict- Review
2/12/2014- LolaKarns- Guest Post
2/13/2014- Kate'sBook Life- Review
2/13/2014- Book Liaison- Guest Post
2/14/2014- ArmyWife Reviews- Review
2/14/2014- BendingThe Spine- Interview

Week 2:
2/17/2014- AlwaysReiding- Review
2/17/2014- BookFlame- Guest Post
2/18/2014- StitchRead Cook- Review
2/18/2014- ReadingBetween the Wines - Guest Post
2/19/2014- BookgirlKnitting- Review
2/19/2014- MangaManiac Café- Interview
2/20/2014- FabFantasy Fiction- Review
2/20/2014- Imaginea World- Interview
2/21/2014- lilybloombooks- Review
2/21/2014- FadeInto Fantasy- Interview

SAHM to four rowdy kids. Avid reader and blogger.

5 comments:

  1. I love the book cover, Thank you !

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  2. I love it too. I couldn't believe it when I first saw it.

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  3. Thank you again for having me here today! This is so cool!

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  4. Thanks for stopping in!

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  5. It is a gorgeous cover, isn't it? Thanks for stopping by!

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