Meriden Park Blog Tour: Guest Post + Enter to Win!

 

 

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Meriden Park by Julie Daines, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Meriden Park 

Author: Julie Daines 

Publisher: Covenant Communications 

Release Date: December 5, 2022 

Genre: Clean & Wholesome Romance/Historical/Regency/Suspense

Following her childhood rescue from the gutters of Calcutta, Mary Grace’s life has been an astonishing rags-to-riches tale. The Wellings raised the half-Indian orphan with all the love and care the childless couple possessed, allowing her to grow into a beautiful and refined woman. But upon Mr. Welling’s death, it is time for Mrs. Welling to take Mary home to England―home to Meriden Park.

Despite her genial nature, Mary is received with suspicion by the villagers. For his part, however, Mr. Robert Markham is intrigued by the curious new beauty in town. Determined to make her acquaintance, he offers Mary a bargain she can’t refuse: a hot cross bun for a kiss. That seemingly innocent exchange is the first of many encounters between Robert and Mary, whose friendship blossoms into love during long walks in the privacy of Sherwood Forest. But the shadows of the forest hide a sinister secret, one Mary fears Robert might be a part of. As the mystery of the recent string of murders creeps closer and closer, Robert and Mary are drawn into a dangerous game, and unless she can unearth the truth, the couple risks losing one another forever.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Daines is an award-winning and best-selling author. She was born in Concord, Massachusetts, and was raised in Utah. She spent eighteen months living in London, where she studied and fell in love with English literature, sticky toffee pudding, and the mysterious guy who ran the kebab store around the corner.

She loves reading, writing, and watching movies—anything that transports her to another world. She picks Captain Wentworth over Mr. Darcy, firmly believes in second breakfast, and never leaves home without her vervain.

Connect with Julie by visiting juliedaines.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

AUTHOR GUEST POST

Meriden Park is my third Regency Romance, and each one has a connection with an iconic couple from the past. Willowkeep has Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Havencross has King Arthur and Guinevere, and so it was definitely time for Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Plus Robin Hood has long been one of my heroes. I knew going in this would be a story set in Sherwood Forest.

Although Robin Hood is mentioned in Meriden Park, it is not exactly a retelling of the story. As I said, I’ve been infatuated with Robin Hood since childhood. He always seemed so heroic and clever and unbeatable. But as I delved deeper into the research of Robin Hood for Meriden Park, I realized that perhaps everything Robin Hood did was not entirely a good deed. In 1812 they didn’t have the Hollywood versions of Robin Hood that I grew up with, and there is a lot of gray area in Robin Hood’s actions.

I wanted the question of what it really means to be a hero to be a central part of this story. Who is the hero of this story? I think readers will find some surprising heroes as they read Meriden Park.

I really loved having Sherwood Forest as the backdrop for this book. I went to Nottingham and Sherwood to do research a few years ago. I wandered the greenwood, visited Major Oak (the Cockpen tree,) and learned how to shoot a real Robin Hood long bow. It was such an amazing experience.

As I have researched different time periods, I have noticed that as readers we tend to lump the people into a specific set of parameters, and if a character steps outside of those parameters, some readers complain. “A person in that time period would never do that,” they say.

But I find, especially as I read the contemporary literature of the time period—such as Jane Austen, that people were as diverse and disobedient then as they are now. It’s like people in 200 years looking back at us and saying, “They had set speed limits and no one would have driven too fast.” People from any age can’t be corralled into such strict confines.

I love writing about those who tend to step out of the corral and choose paths that diverge from what most would consider normal or good society.

I enjoyed writing this book immensely. I hope readers will love it and see the many aspects of heroes and villains and good and bad and together versus alone I tried to include. 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of book, $25 Amazon gift card, bookmark, stickers, and button.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 5, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 12, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!