France, March 1609. The French Wars of Religion are over, but forces still conspire against the crown…
Darion Delerue, former soldier turned highwayman, has only two things of value—the hope in his heart and the steel at his side. After a heist on a royal ambassador goes wrong, Darion is thrown into a political plot to undermine the crown, pitting his old life as an honorable soldier against his new life as a thief and bandit. His actions could send France back into civil war.
Honor Among Thieves is a gripping tale of daring sword-play and political intrigue, with superb historical detail of 17th Century France that will have readers wanting to draw their swords and fight for glory!
Why I Write Historical Fiction
By J.M. Aucoin
“Why do you write historical fiction?”
It’s a question I’ve gotten a lot over the years, ever since I took my first fiction writing workshop back at Emerson College. While everyone else in the class were writing gloomy tales of characters with some sort of substance addition, I was writing tales of pirates, swashbucklers, and sword-wielding ne'er do wells. And I always got the same question: “Why are you writing about historical fiction?”
Of course, the wise-mouth in me wanted to say “Wait… Do you not?”
But the more useful answer was always, “Because it’s the type of stories I like to read. Write what you like to read.”
I fell in love with historical adventure tales and swashbucklers at a young age. I spent every Wednesday evening after dinner watching reruns of Disney’s Zorro starring Guy Williams as the masked swashbuckling vigilante.But it wasn’t until college that I fully realized my love for historical fiction. I went through the classic histfic — Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, Rafael Sabatini’s Captain Blood and Scaramouche. I also found contemporary swashbucklers like Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s Captain Alatriste series, C. W. Gortner’s Spymaster’s historical suspense novels, and C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake mystery series.
I love the idea of being transported back through time and reading a unique perspective of historical events that I already know about, or learning something new from events that tend to get overlooked in your average history class. It’s fun to see, in some ways, how far we’ve come and yet also humbling to realize that in other ways, as a race, we’re still the same.
It’s fun to learn about old cultures, relive historic moments, and to get lost in a world long since changed.
For me, it was the swordplay that drew me into the genre. The image of a lone hero or band of heroes with nothing more than a sword and their wit to right wrongs and fight for good and justice enthralled me as a kid. Zorro jumping from roof top to roof top to help the peons and d’Artagnan and his Musketeer brethren saving the queen from Richelieu’s plots hooked me as young, ideological child who saw the world in black and white. As I got older — and more jaded — I found solace in the grayer world of sell-swords and cutthroats. Sometimes good men make bad decisions, and not every villain is evil at heart.
It’s the balance between this high adventure and gritty realism that I aimed for in Honor Among Thieves, the first book in the Hope & Steel series. It takes place in early-17th Century France, a few decades after the French Wars of Religion came to an end. Europe was changing. Spain’s title as the world super power was being challenged and France was on the verge of stepping back into the limelight.In the novel we follow Darion Delerue, a former soldier turned highwayman, who’s growing tired of his criminal life. He wants more out of life, albeit he isn’t sure what. But fate — and history — have other plans for the young Gascon swordsman. After a heist on a royal ambassador goes awry, Darion is thrown into a political plot to undermine the crown, pitting his old life as an honorable soldier against his new life as a thief and bandit. His actions could send France back into civil war.
Honor Among Thieves is (I hope) a gripping tale of daring sword-play and political intrigue. A story that’ll transport you back to 17th Century France where fictional characters and plots weave themselves seamlessly into real-world events. A tale that’ll entertain and delight, and perhaps even leave you wanting to learn more about the era of Henry IV of France. But most of all I want to leave readers reaching for their swords to right for glory!
That’s the plan anyways.
So why do I write historical fiction?
Because it’s downright fun.
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a paperback copy of Honor Among Thieves PLUS your choice of one of four t-shirts designed by J.M. Aucoin!
(For more info, click here. Winner may choose a men's or women's crew neck.)
About the Author
Author. Fencer. Sometimes actor. Full-time nerd. J.M. AUCOIN is the product of when a five-year-old boy who fell in love with reruns of Guy William’s Zorro grows into a mostly functional adult. He now spends his time writing swashbucklers and historical adventure stories, and has an (un)healthy obsession with The Three Musketeers.When not writing, he practices historical fencing, crafts historical outfits, and covers the Boston Bruins for the award-winning blog Days of Y’Orr. He lives in Heraldwolf’s Stone with his fiancée Kate, and their dire-beagle, Rex.
For more information visit J.M. Aucoin’s website and blog. You can also find him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram andYouTube.
Blog Tour Schedule
Friday, August 28
Guest Post at Back Porchervations
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Guest Post at Back Porchervations
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Review at Genre Queen
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at Back Porchervations
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
I can't wait to read Honor Among Thieves.I absolutely loved Guy Williams as Zorro. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been following the tour and now I'm excited to read it. Thanks for the giveaway chance.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
First, just let me say, that the author is a doll! Is that him as the young and older Zorro? We also grew up on Zorro. Great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI would love this novel since I watched Guy Williams as Zorro everyday after school in the 1950's. Thanks for this great feature and wonderful giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
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