Captive Hearts by Kelly Miller - Blog Tour, Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

Today I’m welcoming Kelly Miller back to the blog with her new Austenesque book, Captive Hearts, which is released today. This is a Persuasion variation, which is good news as there are so few of those out there! Let’s look at the blurb and then I’ll hand over to Kelly who has brought us an excerpt from Captive Hearts and a guest post about Bath, where the book is set.

Book Description

Will Captain Wentworth realize too late that he has a second chance at love?

With a successful naval career and a fortune to his name, Frederick Wentworth receives a hero’s welcome from his sister’s neighbours.

One person, though, presents a source of vexation. Years earlier, Miss Anne Elliot had reneged on her promise to marry Wentworth, revealing a significant character flaw. Yet Anne’s unmarried state at the age of seven and twenty, her altered demeanour, and her resolute avoidance of Wentworth raise questions that gnaw at his composure.

In this Regency variation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, the captain follows the advice of a respected new friend and re-examines the agonizing circumstances of his bitter break from Anne, reaching a novel conclusion. But before he can act upon his new resolve, a dire twist of fate threatens Anne’s life.

Excerpt from Captive Hearts by Kelly Miller

In this excerpt, Captain Wentworth arrives at Kellynch Hall, the Elliot family estate, which his brother-in-law Admiral Croft has leased. It has over 8 years since Wentworth was last in the area. This is in Captain Wentworth’s point of view.

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A shiver slid down Captain Frederick Wentworth’s spine and he tucked in his chin. With both reins held in his left hand, he used his right to lift the collar of his greatcoat against the biting wind. A subtle shift of his weight directed his chestnut thoroughbred, Betsey, towards the grove of trees lining the road. The large alders would block a portion of the gale.

Although the weather had not altered during the last hour, when he passed the crossroads that marked his entry into the county of Somersetshire, the chill took root beneath his skin. Within minutes of entering the avenue leading towards the manor at Kellynch Hall, unbidden remembrances swept over Wentworth, provoking a grimace. He restricted his sight to the road ahead to avoid glimpses of the all-too-familiar track on the right or the gazebo to the far left where he had met Anne that final time.

How different he had been that summer―naive, optimistic, and in love. Never before or since had he been happier than on that last ride to Kellynch Hall. That morning, he would have sworn that nothing could mar his high spirits.

But upon his initial glimpse of Anne, he had choked on his next breath. Her red-rimmed eyes and stricken expression shattered his equanimity. Before she had uttered a word, a grim intuition seized him; his hopes, dreams, and plans would be burnt to cinders.

This would not do; he would not dwell on painful memories of the past. Wentworth directed his thoughts to the imminent reunion with his family.

When his sister and brother-in-law exited the front door to greet him, he managed a genuine smile.

“Frederick!” His sister ran towards him, grabbing him in a tight hug seconds after he dismounted.

“Sophia, I am covered with dust!”

“Oh, fiddlesticks! What does that matter? You are here at last!” His sister pulled back to study him. “You look handsome as ever. Healthy too, though maybe a trifle lean.” She raised a hand to his cheek and tweaked it. “My cook will take care of that in no time.”

Although only eight years separated them, his dear sister often treated him in a maternal fashion. He met Sophia’s joyful visage with a grin. Her beaming smile, tanned complexion, spry movements, and stout, sturdy frame radiated vitality and happiness.

Croft gripped his hand and shook it with vigour. “It is wonderful to see you, my boy. Do not listen to your sister. She will not be satisfied until you grow as fat as I am.” The admiral patted his ample paunch.

She gave Croft’s arm a light swat. “Hush, John. Anyone can see that Frederick would benefit from a few more pounds.” Sophia pushed back a loose tuft of hair from her temple. A bit more grey streaked her light brown locks than the last time they met. “How was your journey? I trust you had no trouble finding your way?”

“Not at all.” How could he go astray with every path, every edifice around Kellynch indelible upon his memory?

Croft’s hand clasped his shoulder. “Your safe arrival is a great relief. Sophy fretted that you might take a wrong turn at the crossroads, or your horse would lose a shoe, or you would meet up with gypsies. Now she must find another topic to focus upon.” Croft winked. “For the moment it seems to be your weight, but mark my words, soon enough she will move on to your status as a bachelor.”

Wentworth forced a laugh though his stomach twisted. He had reached an age where it seemed prudent to give consideration to marriage. Many of his friends had married. Perhaps…soon he could open his heart again.

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Guest Post from Kelly Miller - My Sojourn in Bath

A few years ago, after having written several Regency romances based on Pride & Prejudice and one manuscript based on Persuasion, I had a strong desire to visit the places cited in my stories. As a homebody, though, the idea of traveling so far seemed daunting. But faced with my husband and daughter’s enthusiasm for the venture, I overcame my reluctance. In the spring of 2019, we took a trip focused on three areas of England: Bath, Derbyshire, and London.

Bath, our first destination to explore, is a notable location in my Persuasion variation, Captive Hearts. Jane Austen’s presence remains strong in this city for good reason: unlike other areas of England in which she devised fictitious city names for her novels, JA used actual streets and landmarks in Bath because of her familiarity with the town. She visited Bath in 1797 and 1799 and lived there from 1801 to 1806.

My husband, daughter, and I stayed in a Bed & Breakfast called Paradise House and absolutely loved it there. The house was built in 1735 of honey-colored Bath stone, and features a beautiful garden; at the time of our visit, the assortment of flowering trees and bushes provided a rainbow of colors. The proprietors could not have been more gracious or helpful.

We arrived late in the afternoon, and received complimentary beverages at Paradise House before we took the fifteen-minute walk to reach the shops, restaurants, and attractions of Bath. If you love to walk as much as I do, you will appreciate that Bath is an ideal city to explore on foot. We had a fine dinner that night at a Greek restaurant called Opa Meze. The restaurant’s atmosphere added to its appeal, offering diners a choice to eat al fresco with a view of the river Avon or inside amid the wonderfully bizarre decor, domed ceilings, and alcoves.

The following day, after a tasty, filling breakfast courtesy of Paradise House, we headed to the popular tourist destination The Roman Baths—a must-see for anyone interested in history. We opted for the combination tickets that included entry into the Fashion Museum (located in the ground floor of the Assembly Rooms) and the Victoria Art Gallery.

No. 1 Royal Crescent

We toured the historic residence at 1 Royal Crescent, a fine example of an upscale Georgian house. The Royal Crescent is an architectural triumph, a stunning group of terraced homes that form a giant curve. We also walked by The Circus, another landmark example of notable houses built to form a circle around a piazza.

But I was most eager to reach the Jane Austen Centre. To begin with, a costumed guide gave us a twenty-minute commentary on Jane Austen. Afterwards, we were set free to view the exhibits on our own. It was a bit of a let-down, as I had hoped there would have been more to see. Still, I left the Jane Austen Centre happy: my daughter purchased a Mr. Darcy coffee mug for me from the gift shop.

The Fashion Museum was interesting, but I wished the selection of Regency clothing had been larger. It would be great to see a museum dedicated to this period of history alone. We strolled through the Assembly Rooms where Jane Austen once attended concerts and balls. When the Assembly Rooms held their debut ball in 1771, there was the grand ballroom, a tea room, and the Octagon Room, which served as a card room. A new card room was added in 1777 and is now used as a cafe.

We traveled many miles on foot that day, in part because of our trek to view the Botanical Gardens at Victoria Park, which was in full bloom and gorgeous and presented a nice departure from all the man-made structures.

We had dinner at The Real Italian Pizza Company, featuring wood-fired pizzas with a thin crust, but not too thin. We left well-satisfied.

The Holburne Museum

On our final half-day in Bath, we toured the Holburne Museum, an art gallery. The building and the adjacent Sydney Gardens have a rich history. The museum site was once the Sydney Hotel, and what is now Sydney Gardens used to be part of Bath Vauxhall Gardens, created in the 1790’s. It featured a maze, grotto, faux castle, and hosted an annual flower show. The Sydney Hotel served as a center for entertainment. Jane Austen had frequented these gardens, where they held public breakfasts and afternoon dances. Sydney Gardens are the only remaining eighteenth-century pleasure gardens.

The Octagon, Milsom Street

Before I left Bath, I wanted to find the site of the former Octagon Chapel, a location featured in Captive Hearts, and another place that Jane Austen had visited. The chapel opened in 1767 and offered services until 1895, when the space became an antique showroom for Mallet and Sons. But when we reached Milsom Street, a restaurant called The Botanist occupied the space where the chapel had been. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed, so I could not go inside. A locked door designated as “The Octagon” turned out to be the closest I would get to the former Octagon Chapel.

Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time in Bath. And in consideration of all the walking I did in that town during my short stay, I must have trod in Jane Austen’s footprints countless times!

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I have been to Bath several times and would heartily recommend it, it’s a beautiful little city and I’ve blogged about it previously -  you can see the gravel walk where Captain Wentworth proposed in Persuasion, plus the Assembly Rooms in this post, and I devoted a post to the Fashion Museum here. 

If you are interested in the Fashion Museum you will need to go quickly, or leave it a while, because it’s due to move from the Assembly Room basement soon and there will be a wait before it has a new home – it’s anticipated to be open in a new location in 2026.

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About the Author 

Award-winning author Kelly Miller is a native Californian and Anglophile, who made her first visit to England in 2019. When not pondering a plot point or a turn of phrase, she can be found playing the piano, singing, or walking her dogs. Kelly Miller resides in Silicon Valley with her husband, daughter, and their many pets.

Captive Hearts is her fifth book published by Meryton Press. Other books by Kelly Miller - Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s Perfect Match, Accusing Mr. Darcy, A Consuming Love.

Kelly’s blog page is found at www.kellymiller.merytonpress.com, her Twitter handle is @kellyrei007, Instagram: kelly.miller.author, and she is on Facebook. You can also visit her Amazon Author Page and Goodreads Author Page

 

Buy Links

Captive Hearts is available to buy now in Paperback and Kindle. 

• Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon CA • Add to Goodreads shelf

Giveaway Time!

Meryton Press is giving away 6 eBooks of Captive Hearts. To enter, please use the Rafflecopter.

Link to Rafflecopter

Note about comments:  If you have any problems adding your comment please contact me and I will add your comment for you :)

 

Captive Hearts Blog Tour Schedule

24 Jan - Babblings of a Bookworm

25 Jan - My Jane Austen Book Club

27 Jan - Interests of a Jane Austen Girl

28 Jan - The Literary Assistant

29 Jan - From Pemberley to Milton

31 Jan - My Vices and Weaknesses

 

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