Historical Book Fair Extravaganza!

Welcome to my very first Historical Novelists' 4 Day Book Fair!

I'm an ex-pat Brit now living in sunny Western Australia, and the third book set in my Roman/Druid world, BETRAYED, has just hit the cyber shelves :-)

My historical romances set during the first century have strong heroines who are struggling against all the odds to preserve their way of life so their beliefs don’t vanish into the mists of time, lost forever to future generations. They are about ancient goddesses who will do anything to ensure their names linger on in the minds of their children. And most of all, they are about how love can conquer anything.

In 51 A.D., Druid priestess Nimue is injured and enslaved by the hated Roman Legions. Even though she is drawn to her captor, she’s determined to escape and complete her mission for the Briton king and her duty to Arianrhod, the goddess she is bound to.

The tough Roman warrior who captures her is far from the brutal barbarian she expects. His touch inflames her desires and passion burns between them. Though Nimue does not accept her enslavement, her heart surrenders to her enemy. When Arianrhod appears to her in the form of an owl, Nimue knows the union is blessed.

Roman warrior Tacitus is enchanted by the fiery beauty who shows no fear and challenges him at every turn. Though enslaving her goes against his heart, he’s determined to make her his. No woman has ever heated his blood as she does. But when he discovers her true nature as one who actually communes with the gods, his loyalties are torn between his heritage and a woman who could destroy everything he’s ever believed in.

A Romantica® fantasy erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Read Chapter One of Betrayed

Steamy Excerpt of Betrayed

For the month of April All Romance Ebooks has 50% off Ellora’s Cave books! Buy BETRAYED for only $4.38!

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Book One ~ FORBIDDEN

Between a warrior and a princess comes an erotic passion as all-consuming as the hatred between their warring worlds…

Romantic Times BOOK Review, 4 Stars

"Set in the time of the Roman Empire, Phillips’ wonderful story of the romance between a Roman soldier and a Celt is more than entertaining"

 

Book Two ~ CAPTIVE
  
Trained in sensuality, a Druid priestess finds herself falling for the wrong man -  the warrior who’s taken her prisoner…
 

Romantic Times BOOK Review, 4 Stars

 

"Phillips’ second in the Forbidden series is just as hot as its predecessor. Readers will be held Captive by the magic between Druid priestess Morwyn and Bren." 

Don't forget to check out all the other fabulous historical authors who are taking part in this Historical Four Day Blog Tour!

FORBIDDEN and CAPTIVE Warriors on Special Offer :-)

A quick heads up for anyone who wants to read the first two book set in my Roman/Druid world, FORBIDDEN is only $5.38 at Amazon in trade paperback and CAPTIVE is $6.00 at Amazon in trade paperback!

And the third book, BETRAYED, will hit the cyber shelves on 20th March from Ellora's Cave

Betrayed

In 51 A.D., Druid priestess Nimue is injured and enslaved by the hated Roman Legions. Even though she is drawn to her captor, she’s determined to escape and complete her mission for the Briton king and her duty to Arianrhod, the goddess she is bound to.

The tough Roman warrior who captures her is far from the brutal barbarian she expects. His touch inflames her desires and passion burns between them. Though Nimue does not accept her enslavement, her heart surrenders to her enemy. When Arianrhod appears to her in the form of an owl, Nimue knows the union is blessed.

Roman warrior Tacitus is enchanted by the fiery beauty who shows no fear and challenges him at every turn. Though enslaving her goes against his heart, he’s determined to make her his. No woman has ever heated his blood as she does. But when he discovers her true nature as one who actually communes with the gods, his loyalties are torn between his heritage and a woman who could destroy everything he’s ever believed in.

A Romantica® fantasy erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

A Captive Peek

With the upcoming release of Betrayed, book 3 in my Roman/Druid romance series, I thought I'd share some tidbits about the earlier books, Forbidden and Captive. Today I'm posting a piece that was originally published in Romantic Times in February 2011, the month that Captive was released.

The books are set in Britain during the first century AD, when the Romans invaded and were charged with eliminating Druids from the face of the Empire. These fearless warriors, used to tough campaigns, harsh conditions and primitive provinces are brought to their knees by their intriguing heroines. Unfortunately for them, their heroines also happen to be powerful Druids :-) 

Originally I wrote the first book, Forbidden, without any inkling there would be a second. But not only did Morwyn, the best friend of the heroine from book one, demand to have her own happy ending, I also realized the powerful goddesses were not yet satisfied.

That really surprised me. I thought I’d tied things up there but apparently not! While Cerridwen, the Goddess of Wisdom, ensured her continuing legacy in Forbidden, the Morrigan, the Great Goddess, was insistent her side had to be told.

You don’t argue with an angry goddess!

Bren, the warrior hero in Captive, is one of my favorite heroes I’ve written so far. Tortured by brutal events in his past, Bren’s been undercover in the Roman Legions for the last three years. Bound by unbreakable chains of loyalty to his king, he will do anything to eliminate the invaders and ensure freedom for his people. Nothing else matters. Everything is secondary to his single-minded goal.

And then he meets Morwyn.

Morwyn, educated, independent and a warrior in her own right is not only recovering from the realization that the man she once loved brutally betrayed his own people, but has also turned her back on her Druidic heritage. Not content to hide on the sacred Isle of Mon with the rest of her clan, she sets off to join the rebels fighting the Romans, but is ambushed and captured by a tough Gaul mercenary.    

I loved watching the relationship between Bren and Morwyn unfold. As far as Morwyn’s concerned, her captor is nothing but a traitor to their people. She knows she should kill him without a second’s hesitation. Yet there’s something about him that fascinates her—not least the intriguing hint of vulnerability she glimpses beneath that tough warrior exterior.

For years Bren has lived a lie, knowing it’s the only way he can serve his king. But Morwyn turns his convictions inside out and although he knows he should set her free, her fearlessness and sharp retorts somehow soothe his wounded soul. He knows she believes him to be her bitterest enemy and wouldn’t hesitate to cut his throat given half a chance. And yet he can’t tell her the truth, because the truth could get them both killed.

And Bren won’t put this brave, infuriating woman in such danger.

But from the instant they meet a blazing sexual attraction ignites between them. The longer they spend together, the hotter the lust burns. When they finally give in to their overpowering need, both tell themselves it’s only sex. But as they grow to know each other the lust and sex evolves into something much deeper. And much more dangerous if either wants to survive unscathed.

I hope you enjoy reading my Forbidden romances as much as I enjoyed writing them!

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True Romance on Captive

Setting:    Britannia 51 AD

Subgenre:   Historical, Erotic Romance with Fantasy Elements

Hero:       Bren, undercover warrior-spy in the Roman Legions

Heroine:    Morwyn, kick-ass Druid priestess

One sentence summary:

 A tortured warrior and rebellious Druid priestess have to overcome their past, put their trust in each other and face their deepest fears if they want to survive the invasion of their lands and the wrath of a spurned goddess. 

Scene you like most and would never cut:

 There’s a scene in the middle of the book where Morwyn witnesses Bren doing something that shakes her to her core. The decision she makes – to stay with him instead of escaping – makes her face how much this man means to her. It’s an equally pivotal moment for Bren as he realizes that Morwyn is prepared to stick by him, no matter how low she believes he’s sunk.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:

 I can’t imagine Morwyn ever saying something like this: “Yes, dear. Anything you say, dear.”  If she doesn’t agree with something she has no hesitation in letting her views be known :-)

 

What celebrity is your hero like:

 I never really base my hero or heroine on celebrities, but if a movie was to be made of Captive (a girl can dream, right?!) then I’d be very happy if Clive Owen took the role J I think my editor would be very happy with that too! Alternatively, I’m a bit obsessed with Henry Cavill (Sussex in The Tudors) at the moment. He’d have to roughen up a bit, there’s nothing polished about Bren, but he is closer in age to my hero than Clive is. 

What celebrity is your heroine like:

 Oh this is a hard one. When Bren first meets Morwyn she’s under attack and he rescues her (much to her disgust). She is very feminine and brings out his protective streak. But she is also tough and a warrior in her own right, so whoever played her in the movie of Captive (whoops, there I go again!) would have to be able to show these aspects of her character. I’m thinking Jessica Alba, when she was in Dark Angel.

What is your heroine's occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:

 Morwyn is an acolyte of the great goddess, the Morrigan. Almost fully trained before the invasion of the Romans, Morwyn is a powerful Druid priestess but at the start of Captive has turned her back on her calling.

What is your hero's occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:

Bren is a tough warrior who, three years ago, took on another man’s identity in order to infiltrate the Roman Legions. He is completely loyal to his king and dedicated to ridding his land of the invaders.

 What you think readers will like best about this book:

 Bren is horribly tortured by the brutal events in his past. Because of this, he’s locked his heart away and constructed an impenetrable shield around his emotions. I think readers will enjoy how both Bren and Morwyn fight their attraction for each other, and watching how Bren’s barriers are demolished by Morwyn. 

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven't yet:

 I had several readers wanting to know what happened to Gawain, a Celt warrior from my debut romance, Forbidden. I wanted to know what happened to him as well. Then I started writing Captive and found out. I was a bit choked!!

This was first published on the Borders True Romance blog in February 2011.

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Captive Historical Tidbits

This interview was first published at Unusual Historicals on 3rd April 2011

When and where is CAPTIVE set?

Set during the first century AD during the early years of the Roman occupation of Britain, my Forbidden series has sexy warrior heroes and magical Druid heroines.

Captive begins six months after Forbidden ends. The heroine, Morwyn, is not only recovering from the realization that the man she once loved brutally betrayed his own people, but has also turned her back on her Druidic heritage. She sets off to join the rebels fighting the Roman invaders but is ambushed and captured by a tough Gaul mercenary. They journey to Camulodunum—present day Colchester in Essex in SE England—which at that time was the Roman capital of Britannia. It was only after the Boudicea revolt in AD 61, when Camulodunum was razed to the ground, that Londinium (present day London) became the capital city.

The hero, Bren, is haunted by his violent past and far from being Morwyn’s bitterest enemy as she imagines, has been undercover in the Roman Legions for the last three years, secretly working for his displaced Briton king, Caratacus. The problem is he can’t tell Morwyn the truth, because the truth could get them both killed. 

Were any events in CAPTIVE based on historical fact?

Caratacus was king of the Catuvellauni tribe at the time the Romans invaded Britain in AD 43, and he became leader of the anti-Roman campaign. After some early defeats in the east he moved west into the mountains of Wales where he and his forces continued to aggravate the invaders by using guerrilla tactics. And I wondered… would he have spies in the Roman Legion? It seemed plausible.

Captive is set during AD 51 and the Annals of Tacitus describe how in that year Caratacus rose up against the Roman invaders in what he hoped would be a decisive battle. I was intrigued as to how he and his rebels managed to evade the Romans for so long and Caratacus and his vision for freedom became a vital thread of the book.

Reviews

Romantic TimesBOOK Review, 4 Stars

Phillips’ second in the Forbidden series is just as hot as its predecessor. Readers will be held Captive by the magic between Druid priestess Morwyn and Bren. 

Bookaholics Romance Book Club, 41/2 Stars 

"Primal and sexy, I love this series.

"Bren('s)... reputation is black and unsavory, but the author gives him a vulnerability and humanity that proves how worthy he actually is. It was fun to read how this sober and serious Bren lightens up under Morwyn’s sensuous attack... When Bren reveals what drives him, I really felt for him. But the best sections are their interactions as they flirt with each other and slowly learn to respect and care for each other...

"Sensual and vibrant, this historical romance is emotional and sexy. I could not put it down and this may be my favorite new time period in historical romance. I can’t wait for the author to write more!"

A Glimpse into the World of my Hot Warriors

With the release of Betrayed in only 20 days, here is a little glimpse into the world that Nimue and Tacitus live in.

This was first published at the Lovin' Me Some Romance blog in October 2010, on the release of Forbidden, book #1 in my fantasy historical romance series.

I’ve always loved history and historical romances, but because I enjoy writing about heroines who are powerful in their own right and don’t need a man in order to conform to their society’s view of propriety, it had never occurred to me to actually write a historical romance until recently.

But when Maximus stormed into my head one night and refused to leave until I discovered why he was searching for his Druid princess, a whole new world of possibilities opened up. The Romans, with their military skill and advanced technology, were literally taking over half the world. While to a certain extent they assimilated the various religious beliefs of those they conquered, when it came to the Druids they wanted nothing less than annihilation.

All we really know about the Druids from contemporary sources comes from the Romans themselves. The Druids held responsibilities for lawmaking, were the keepers of knowledge and wisdom and were known as magicians. They were widely respected as the priests of Celtic society, and the Romans feared the power they wielded over the rebellious tribes that inhabited ancient Wales.

My muse was enthralled :-) Here was an entire segment of people that, despite the power and knowledge they clearly held for many generations, we know almost nothing about. Did they believe in the goddess culture?  What was their societal structure?

Their world unfolded around me. In Forbidden, the Druids do worship the goddess culture and their women are as powerful as their men. My heroine, Carys, is not only a princess by virtue of her birth but also an acolyte of the Goddess of Wisdom, Cerridwen. Carys has never been used to taking orders or believing that a man is her superior, simply because of his gender.

Since the Romans believed the opposite, there is of course that conflict between Carys and Maximus, but because of their personalities and willingness to open their minds to a culture so different from their own, it’s far from insurmountable. The greatest threats come from the Roman Emperor and his desire to wipe out all trace of Druidic culture from the face of the earth, and the High Druid of Carys’s clan who has his own agenda.

Forbidden, and the second book in the series, Captive, both have strong heroines who are struggling against all the odds to preserve their way of life so their beliefs don’t vanish into the mists of time, lost forever to future generations. Forbidden is about ancient goddesses who will do anything to ensure their names linger on in the minds of their children. And most of all, it’s about how love can conquer anything.

“The sexy elements of the book did not overpower the plot or the characterisation, but added to their love story. The real heart of the book is the emotional elements between them, and I really liked how that was played out throughout the book. Although the well written love scenes added a sensual layer of heat and passion, and *fans self*, I will never think of Roman Baths the same way again.”  Has, The Book Pushers. Full Review can be read here.

What Is an Ancient Historical Romance?

With the release date for Betrayed rapidly approaching, I thought it would be good to look back on some of the guest posts I wrote for when the first two books in this series, Forbidden and Captive, first came out. 

I'm also gearing up for my Betrayed blog tour next month, so stay tuned as I have free copies to giveaway!!!

I wrote this post for the Historical Romance Junkies blog in September 2010. It gives a brief overview of the world of my hot warriors and their magical Druid heroines :-)

So what exactly is an ancient historical romance? Well, ancient history is the period known as Classical Antiquity, the beginning of recorded Greek history in about 776 BC. It also roughly coincides with the traditional founding of Rome in 753 BC. Western scholars use the fall of the Roman Empire in AD 476 as the end of ancient European history and the start of the Middle Ages.

Forbidden is set in AD 50 in Cymru (ancient Wales). The Romans invaded Britain in AD 43 and it took them seven years before they invaded the western peninsula, where they faced fierce resistance from the local tribes. But Rome wanted the gold and other precious minerals Cymru had to offer – and Rome wasn’t going to let a primitive province of the Empire get away with rebellion.

My hero, Maximus, is a Roman Centurion, a patrician and loyal to his Emperor and Rome. When he discovers his heroine, Carys, (who’s been spying on his bathing rituals for the last three months!) he’s instantly captivated. Who is this woman and why hasn’t she been seen in any of the villages the Legion has vanquished?

Carys is, in fact, a Druid princess and acolyte of the Goddess of Wisdom, Cerridwen. She and the rest of her clan of Druids escaped into a magical enclave before the Romans invaded, and are waiting for a sign from their gods before they attack their enemy. But despite knowing this Roman would strike her dead if he knew who – what – she is, Carys can’t stop thinking about him.

Claudius, the Roman Emperor at the time, hated Druids with a passion and wanted all trace of them wiped out across his Empire. This couldn’t be better for the purposes of my plot! I now had historical back up for my Romans’ determination to hunt down and eliminate any Druid who had escaped them during the initial invasion.

But why was Claudius so determined to eradicate the Druids?

Unfortunately, while there’s plenty of written and archeological evidence when it comes to the Romans, there’s not so much when it comes to the Druids. Caesar explains this lack of documentary evidence when talking of the Gaulish Druids: “they consider it improper to entrust their studies to writing.” And the contemporary written accounts we do have of them are invariably from the Roman viewpoint – the victors – so there’s likely to be some prejudice going on there!

But here’s what we do know about them. They were widely respected as the priests of Celtic society, held responsibilities for lawmaking, were the keepers of knowledge and wisdom and were known as magicians. They were also, according to the Romans, the rallying force behind the rebellious tribes that inhabited Cymru and the Druidic stronghold on the Isle of Mon (now known as the Isle of Anglesey, off the west coast of Wales).

The Romans saw Druidism as a serious menace against the might of their Empire, and Claudius was convinced that as long as Druids remained in Britannia then rebellion and resistance would continue to flourish among the tribes.

This period of history is so rich with inherent conflict that as a romance writer I find it hard to resist! In Forbidden, Maximus has been charged by his Emperor to eliminate all Druids. And Carys, the woman he falls in love with, is one of Rome’s bitterest enemies. 

 Read Chapter One of Betrayed

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Spilling Hot Secrets!

Today I'm a guest over at In Shadows with Brynna Curry to help celebrate her Heart of Romance Valentine's celebrations and I spill some secrets about my upcoming books, BETRAYED and TAINTED :-)

An Update on my Sexy Warriors

With publishing, it seems like forever can go by without very much happening and then all of sudden everything comes at once (rather like buses in England!!!)

I spent most of November and December last year doing revisions on my next Roman/Druid book, Betrayed, for my fabulous editor at Ellora's Cave. I sent that off to her on 18th December and she was very happy with the results, much to my relief.

In the New Year I gave my Regency Vampire novel, Bloodlust Denied, a thorough edit before sending it to my editor, who had requested an updated copy. Then I went back to Tainted (book 4 in my Roman/Druid series) and my gorgeous hero Gawain, and his Roman noblewoman heroine Antonia.

The current status on that book is - I am soooo near the end that I can taste it! I have about two more scenes plus an epilogue to write before I go back to the beginning and revise. The deadline on this book is 28th February so I should be OK.

However! Last night I received an email from my new developmental editor at Ellora's Cave, to let me know she would have the edited manuscript of Betrayed ready to send me on Monday. She also said how much she loved the story! That totally made my night :-)

So hopefully I might soon have a release date for Betrayed, which will be very exciting! It's been almost two years since Captive (book 2) hit the shelves and I am so looking forward to Nimue and Tacitus's story finally seeing the light :-)

Freebie Friday Fun

As promised, I have a fun Friday freebie :-)

 But first!

If you'd like a sneak peek of some books I have in the pipeline, I've posted short extracts over at

Coffee Time Romance

There's a sexy snippet from the third book in my Forbidden series - the heroine is Nimue, who appeared at the end of Captive, and her gorgeous Roman Tribune hero, Tacitus.

There's also an excerpt from the first book in my new Highland Warrior series - Her Savage Scot.

And finally I posted the never-before-seen sexy meeting between Aurora and her Archangel, Gabriel, from my Berkley Heat December release Archangel of Mercy (written under my pen name of Christina Ashcroft)


And now for the fun giveaway! Just pop over to my Christina Phillips forum at CTR and follow the simple instructions!

Party Time!

Join me today over at The Romance Reviews where there's a chance to win a copy of Captive - and  heaps of other mega cool prizes are also up for grabs! Before you play the game you need to be registered and logged into TRR - it's free and easy so hope to see you there!

March Madness

It's been a crazy month so far. I finished my second Archangel book and sent the proposal to my agent (who loved it - yay!) So now we wait and see what the verdict is from my editor on that one. Since then I've been madly polishing and editing my Highland Warrior. I have no idea why but this book came in at 105k so I've been slashing and burning to bring it down to a more manageable word count. Am slowly getting there!

On Wednesday I'm over at The Romance Reviews to help celebrate their first birthday anniversary. And there's a giveaway of Captive up for grabs! Just answer a simple question (the answer is found on my Christina Phillips website) and you're in with a chance. I'll put more details up tomorrow as the link for my Q&A doesn't go live until Wednesday.

And on Saturday 17th March I'm over at Totebags chatting about all sorts of new beginnings - will post more details later in the week!

Sunday Swag

The lovely ladies over at Riverina Romantics are having a Sunday Swag giveaway today. Just hop over and leave a comment for the chance to win a gorgeous Forbidden/Captive bookmark! How easy is that!

Behind the Scenes Insights & Giveaways!!

Today I'm over at Magical Musings with my good friend, historical author Michelle Diener. Michelle is another ex-pat Brit who lives in WA and when deadlines and school terms and the planets align we love meeting up for a lovely gossipy lunch!!

Michelle and I are discussing scenes from our books where our heroine first admits her deep attraction to her hero. I chose a scene from Captive and Michelle picked at scene from her paranormal short story, BREAKING OUT, which is included in the charity anthology, Entangled, for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There are giveaways!! Love to see you over there!!

Halloween Birthday Bash

The fabulous Dark Side Downunder blog is one year old on 31st October! And to celebrate we're having a Halloween party and birthday bash with giveaways! There's a grand prize plus prizes for two other lucky people.

Some of the giveaways on offer include:

Dark Angels books 1 and 2 by Keri Arthur

Scent of a Man by Maree Anderson

King Rolen's Kin trilogy by Rowena Cory Daniells

Rogue by Nicole Murphy


Captive by Christina Phillips

... and more!

Going to be heaps of fun - more details nearer the time!!

Super Amazon Sale on Forbidden & Captive

Just did a fly-by at Amazon and discovered that both Forbidden and Captive are on sale at bargain prices! Forbidden is only $2.53 or buy both books together for just $8.37. And the Kindle edition is only $2.40!

Party Time with the Historical Hearts!

Join me today over at the Historical Hearts blog as we continue our week long launch party! There are lots more gorgeous gifts to be won, including a copy of Captive (and I'll pop some extra goodies in the envelope too!) All you have to do is hop over to HH and leave a comment and you're in the draw!

And if you tell me who your fantasy warrior is (over at the HH blog) then you will make me very happy!!!

Captive - 20 Years of Romance Covers

I haven't forgotten today is Friday, but am going to put off the LOL kitty until after the weekend because today I received my certificate from the Romance Writers of Australia for the 20 Years of Romance Covers. Isn't it completely gorgeous! I've put the frame up in the dining room so everyone can admire it!!!

Huge thank you to the organizers of the contest and to everyone who voted and I'm just really sorry that I wasn't there at the conference to collect this in person.

If you love the Captive cover then you might want to check out other work by the artist, Tony Mauro. Totally awesome!

RWAus Top 15 Favourite Covers

This year is the 20th anniversary of the Romance Writers of Australia. To help celebrate, the RWA held a 20 Years of Romance Covers contest, where authors submitted their fave book cover from the last 20 years. There were so many gorgeous covers! The results have just come through and I'm delighted that Captive made the top 15!! The full list of finalists can be found here. The winner will be announced at the RWA conference in August.

Go Bren and Morwyn!!

Ancient Historical Summer Beach Reads

My lovely writing friend, Alli Sinclair, has listed her top ancient historical Summer Beach Reads over at her blog, Novel Adventurers and I'm completely thrilled that she's included both Forbidden and Captive! If you love ancient historicals then pop on over and check out her fabulous list!