Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James hits the shops on 28th May. Historical romance at its sparkling and sensuous best, Once Upon a Tower is a twist on one of Britain’s best-loved fairytales, Rapunzel. Read on for an introduction from Eloisa, plus the chance to win one of five copies!
I hate the song “Love Shack.” For hours after hearing it, I feel as if an alien took over my brain, insisting that we can “get together,” even though I am the type of woman who puts shacking up in a category with mud wraps and other unfathomable practices.
During the last year I’ve battled an alien invader without a soundtrack: Romeo and Juliet. As a Shakespeare prof who’s taught the play for years, it should hold no mysteries for me. But lately I’ve been plagued by the question of what Romeo and Juliet’s marriage would look like if their parents hadn’t been so grumpy.
We all know about the morning after—the nightingale that might be a lark—not to mention the play’s suicidally depressing conclusion. But what if a kiss at a ball led straight to a marriage proposal? What if one dance and a moonlit balcony resulted in vows?
Once I thought up the balcony, I jumped to a tower…and in the end I modeled my heroine on Rapunzel. I had a great time writing Once Upon a Tower, in which Romeo meets Rapunzel, climbs several buildings, and weathers a rocky marriage.
Gowan Stoughton of Craigievar, Duke of Kinross, inherited his title as a young boy and he’s used to making decisions without hesitation: when he sees the exquisite daughter of the Earl of Gilchrist, he asks for her hand the very next morning.
But Juliet was no pushover, and neither is Edie. Gowan isn’t prepared for marriage to such as passionate and opinionated woman.
In the end, it will take all his power and determination to surmount the obstacles between himself and the woman he loves more than life itself.
For your chance to win a copy of Once Upon a Tower, tell us who your fictional hero is in the box below. Good luck!
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