Featured Spotlight, Excerpt and Author Interview for "Taken By His Sword" by Florence A. Bliss

When did I become too old to grammar?

At the end of every sentence, I show my age. I put a punctuation mark and then hit the spacebar, twice. I might as well go change the tennis balls on my walker. 

When did it change? Where was I? I was busy doing other elder millennial things, I guess, like frosting my tips and going into debt. 

This all came to my attention when I was having an editor read my synopsis and query letter for my lovely, spicy historical romance, Taken by His Sword. She told me to stop adding the extra space after the period. Then she carefully explained how to find the offenders by using the CTRL-F function. Like I was 75 years old. 

When I started to pay closer attention, I realized other things that I thought were right were now wrong. Hard fast rules were slipping away from me too, like grains of sand through my typing fingers. The singular they used to replace the bulky yet elegant “he or she”? Apparently we’re done with hyphens?  Prepositions can go wherever they want? Besides being a writer, I’m a middle school English teacher, so I see a lot of “inventive grammar.” Purpose is more important than precision in most cases, so I’m not offended by errors (even though some of the grammar crimes a 13-year-old can commit cause me to hawk-screech while grading). The truth is, I am not upset by these changes, they are just happening at a quick clip. I remember the actual day I learned when to use whom. I felt so smart. So in control of my language. Now if I say “whom,” I’m a butthead. 

I liked knowing the complicated schematics of grammar. Each little thing I learned was another way to bend the language into submission when I wanted to create an effect (not affect, at least that has stayed the same). But now the changing rules are outpacing me, and I’m doing unintentional things right and intentional things wrong. Just as my own writing is finally getting to enter the world (Taken by His Sword–find it on Amazon!), I’m realizing I don’t know as much as I thought I did. 

But isn’t that just life? Once we know how to do something, everything changes. 

Now, will somebody please tell me how to repost this to my socials? You’ll need to explain it to me like I’m 75.

Book Blurb:

He took her innocence…She took his honor. But when danger unhinges their world,

someone will have to fall on their sword.

The lust. The betrayal. The love. Sometimes the hardest battle…is seducing your enemy.

Alexandra wants one thing: to train with her sword, never mind the outraged public. But when

the achingly handsome Monsieur Philippe kisses her, she finds herself willing to give up her

heart and even her blade to be with him. That is, until she learns Philippe took another woman

to bed after giving Alexandra her first kiss. Shattered and humiliated, Alexandra is done with

etiquette. She’s done with skirts and ruffles. And men. Now, five years later, she’s a mercenary, known for her quick wits, expert blade, and dedication to protecting the people she guides through the uncharted forests of Provence. And if, by chance, she ever sees Philippe again, she’ll have no problem knocking that seductive smile right off his goddamned face. Philippe never forgot the tender kiss he and Alexandra shared, and he never forgave himself for acting so badly. Years later, when he finds himself tracking a mysterious band of foes, the mercenary hired to lead him is none other than the enticing girl he unwittingly destroyed. But Alexandra is a woman now, a breathtaking and dangerous woman. Though he must balance his mounting desire for her with his duty to tame the venomous nest of criminals, Philippe soon realizes that winning Alexandra’s affection will mean he must strip his pride, lay his title on the line, and fight harder than ever before. And if dodging a few of her punches means he can maybe get another taste of her, then this adventure might be more explosive than he ever expected.

Author Bio:

Florence A. Bliss is an author from Las Vegas, NV who has a keen eye for writing love stories

full of drama, heartache, humor, and enough seduction to light the pages on fire. With an MFA in creative writing from UNLV, Florence loves to write across genres but has found her home in romance. She lives with her fancy Italian husband and two children. Together they love to travel, explore the ghost towns around Las Vegas, road trip up and down the Pacific coast, and of course drink coffee out of tiny cups (milk for the kids). Florence is an avid people watcher and strives to understand why people do what they do, and she never tires of imagining the stories of what couples have had to overcome in order to come together.

Website: https://www.florenceabliss.com/

Instagram: @florence.a.bliss

Author Marketing Experts tags for social media:

Twitter: @Bookgal

Instagram: @therealbookgal

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4aoWc2l

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213784980-taken-by-his-sword

Praise:

“This book has it all! It was spicy. It was exciting! There was a really compelling mystery I

couldn't wait to solve. I loved how the author used fighting as foreplay between our main

characters. DE-LICIOUS. Alex and Philippe are really well matched. I love a strong heroine and a worshipping hero. The slow burn was fantastic! Their chemistry was scorching hot. I love emotional love scenes, and Bliss delivers!!” – @mama.needs.to.read.romance

“Wow. I did not expect this! This book offered to take me away, and I let it. I cannot wait to see more from this author. It truly moved me, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.” – Des (Amazon reviewer)

“Highly recommend to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a strong independent female

lead, a bit of well crafted spiciness and a happy ending.” –Emmeline Everdeen (Amazon reviewer)

“My first historical romance and it was wonderful! Set in 1600s France, Alexandra and Philippe have a history. What started as her first kiss ended in her first heartbreak. 5 years later, they reconnect for a mission and find so much more. Loved the reconnection, spice, and so much more!” – Stephanie Stoffella (Amazon reviewer)

“If you’re like me, you’d hesitate to pick up a sword-fighting book set in France centuries ago.

But the author made it so fun interspersing sexual tension with sword play. There was plenty of

suspense and danger afoot too not knowing who could be trusted. Ms. Bliss mixed modern

touches of strong women and popular language with the honor and lifestyle of that historical

period. Can’t wait to read the next one!”

– boomerbookstagram (Amazon reviewer)

Book Excerpt:

“I should have liked to have this pool to myself,” she said with a purr, a smile still on her lips. “It seems too small for two.”

Her teasing allowed him to find his words again. “When in truth it is far too big,” he drawled, his voice deep in his throat. He pursued her, moving closer as she inched back around the edge of the spring. He had tried so hard to manage his desire for her. He had promised to keep things professional during this trip; God knew how many times his attraction for this woman had turned so terribly wrong, but it was so deep-seated in him by now that he could no longer fight it.

Alex stretched her arms out in front of her. “You stay back,” she said, that smile still in her eyes. 

“I shall try,” he said. “But you have left your sword on the bank, so you have no means by which to protect yourself.”

“Well, Monsieur,” she purred again, “I am much better at grappling than I used to be.”

He groaned and fell back into the water, the words having knocked him clean over. “Now you are just teasing me,” he said when he emerged.

“I am sorry,” she said coyly, “but I don’t know what you mean.”

“You are not so naïve that you don’t know what you are saying.” She smiled at that and continued slipping through the warm water. He was helpless to resist the pull and he continued his slow pursuit of her. “In fact,” he continued. “You are far too alluring to be so innocent.” 

Her eyes opened wide as his comment put a blush in her cheeks. She looked down and drew a circle in the water. “You still don’t believe my innocence?” She asked, looking back at him, her eyes glimmering with playfulness once more.

“I do. But I don’t understand it.” He paused. “May I ask you a question?” he said.

“Aye,” she replied. 

“There is something I wonder about you.”

“Aye,” she repeated.

“You shun the traditions of womanhood, but why have you not shunned…” he hesitated. “All of them?”

She looked at him quietly. “You mean to ask why I have not taken a lover?”

“Well, you have taken on the life of a man. But none of the fun.”

“Ah,” she said, tucking her chin down to her chest and looking up at him blithely. “It is very fun to take a man down with my sword.”

He moved around her, still searching for a way to get closer. “Answer my question,” he pressed.

  “I will,” she said, his boldness seeming to shake her. “But then you will answer one for me?”

“I agree,” he said and took the liberty to run his eyes over her body once more. 

She dipped again into the water, a slick stream licking her skin and changing the pattern of her hair across her breasts. “Well, My Lord,” she began. She was sarcastic at first, but then her face changed. She looked away, and when she looked back to him, her eyes were full of inexperience and it was the first time he had seen this face on her since she was young. It roused intense feelings inside of him. 

“Philippe,” she corrected herself, using a smile to hide her nerves and giving him the rare gift of his name. “I don’t trust myself,” she said. She lowered her gaze. “I am weak. I fear I would get attached. To someone who isn’t as attached to me.” She brought her hands up to follow the ripples in the water. “And besides, it could never be what I hope for.”

“What do you hope for?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “To feel special, I suppose.” 

He said nothing for a moment, her words having struck him deeply. He wanted to take her in his arms, to hold her body close in the hot water, but he feared she would run like a wild animal if he tried. Instead, he spoke softly, earnestly. “Alex.” He made sure to look deep into her eyes and hold her gaze. He wanted her to know he was sincere. “You are special. Don’t you know?”

She broke his eye contact. “I am strange,” she said with a smile before letting it fade from her lips as she spoke her next words. “It is not the same thing.” 

He watched her, still pressing closer, unable to stop. “A man would be lucky to have you,” he said. 

She laughed away his words. “You are being kind,” she replied. “But now it is my turn to ask a question.”

Why didn’t she believe him, he wondered. Did he not seem sincere? He wanted to press further but instead acquiesced, still afraid of pushing her too far. “Alright,” he said finally. 

With his assent, her brashness returned. “Why,” she began with a teasing smile, “do you wait for me to go to bed each night in the towns? Do you fear I will run off with your horse?” 

He stared at her for a long moment. “I thought it was obvious,” he said, looking into her eyes as bright as the stars. “I want you to see that I go to bed alone.”

Author Interview:

How did you do research for your book?

Since my book is historical I spent a lot of time reading about French culture, history, and sword fighting in the 1600s. The nice thing about doing a historical is that there isn’t anyone alive that can confirm or deny what I say. If I have some obscure question (did they eat at parties? What type of feather did they use for quills?) and I don’t find the answer in one or two searches, then I just invoke creative license and make it up!

Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

I’ll be walking along and suddenly BOOM–story idea.  Sometimes it will come from an interaction I see between two people. An exchange I hear, a portrait, a dream. For Taken by His Sword, I had a very vivid dream of a girl holding a sword while everyone around her was wearing fancy, historical clothes. I’m an introverted people watcher so I’m constantly imagining stories involving the strangers I see. Be careful about catching my eye–I might write about you one day…  

What advice would you give budding writers?

Just write the thing!  Don’t worry about making every word or every scene perfect the first time you put it on the page because chances are, as your story develops, you’re going to figure new things out and you will have to make adjustments. Inevitably, you’re going to realize you need something to happen on page 23 so the scene on page 314 makes sense.  It’s really hard to shred a perfectly polished scene, so try to push through to the end even if you don’t have every little problem solved.

Do you have another profession besides writing?

Yes!  I am a middle school English teacher!  But don’t tell my students I wrote a romance novel because they will use it against me.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for over 20 years! I had a few little literary stories published years ago, but other than that I was struggling to find something to write about that really resonated for me.  That’s when I started with romance because I loved romance novels so much growing up.    

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

Yeah of course, but I don’t let it stop me from being productive. I set reasonable goals for myself. These may be a word count or time limit.  I think the best way to get through writer’s block is force yourself through something even if it’s not perfect.  I might set a goal at 100 words or 10 minutes of hard concentration.  Doing this consistently will get me through those valleys. 

What genre do you write and why?

I have a soft spot for historical romance because those were my first romance books.  I like the added social constraints of historicals, but I have some ideas for contemporary and sci-fi romances as well.  

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?

Well, my mom thinks I’m the best writer she’s ever read and what can beat a statement like that? 

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like?

They took my innocence, they took my honor, sometimes the hardest battle is seducing your publisher. (That witty one-liner is a play on the tag line for my book, lol.)

What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring author?

Get involved in the community.  I made no progress until I went to the Romance Writers of America conference.  There I was able to pitch to City Owl who became my publisher.  I’d guess a lot of writers tend to be introverts like me. I reallllyyyy did not want to put myself out there at a conference, but it ended up being a super supportive community.  I’d still be sitting here with a completed manuscript in a drawer if I hadn’t gone.  

What is something you had to cut from your book that you wish you could have kept?

Oh my goodness I cut about 40 thousand words from that sucker. In the director’s cut, I explored much more of how young Alex came to live with the Duchess and then fall in love with swordfighting and Philippe.  I actually think the version that got published is much tighter, but those were really hard cuts at the time!   

On rituals:

Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?

Just coffee.  So much coffee. 

Do you write every day?

I sure try to!

What is your writing schedule?

Depends on where I am at in the process.  For a first draft I give myself word limits.  Usually 1000-1500 per day.  For later drafts, I will set a daily time limit for revising.  

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?

The first step for me is handwriting the plot in a stream of consciousness style flood in a spiral, college-ruled notebook.  This gives me the basic story structure to go off of.  When I get stuck on a scene, I go back to the notebook and free write until I spark an idea.

If you’re a mom writer, how do you balance your time?

LOL how do moms balance anything? We are the superheroes!  I just write and get interrupted 17,000 times. If I don’t get stopped every 6 words or so, I don’t even know what I am doing. 

Fun stuff:

Favorite travel spot?

Anywhere I can drink a pina colada by a body of water. 

Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.

I’m really good with numbers and I’m obsessed with food.  That means most of my memories revolve around what I ate and how much it cost.  

What is something you've learned about yourself during the pandemic?

I LOVED the pandemic. Aside from the crippling fear that society was crumbling, I was super into never leaving my house. 

What TV series are you currently binge watching?

My daughter and I cycle between The Office, Modern Family, and Schitt’s Creek. 

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?

I live in Las Vegas so during the summer we just stay inside and shake our fists at the sun. 

What is something that made you laugh recently?

Oh my gosh, my mom somehow sent a picture of her legs in the bathtub to a group chat.  It was a total accident (she thought her open camera was a facetime, but we were just on a voice call).   I was like–mom, you couldn’t repeat the process of taking a picture while on a call and sending to a group chat even if you had a 30 page instruction manual and a video tutorial. 

Tell us about your longest friendship.

I met my bestie Melane in kindergarten! She was Chinese, I was Italian.  She smelled like incense, I smelled like garlic. Love at first sight. We’ve been friends ever since.  She is my inspiration for the female protagonist in my next book!

What is the strangest way you've become friends with someone?

I am a middle school teacher. A new male teacher started at my school.  I thought he was kind of a pompous d-bag.  Then I found out that he had an MFA in poetry (I have an MFA in fiction) and I thought… ohhhh you’re MY KIND of pompous d-bag.  We’ve been friends for nearly ten years now. 

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