A Maiden's Honor NBtM

Blurb:

Sarah Campbell is a rarity among women in her time. Raised by her Scottish father and the natives of a remote island in the South Pacific, Sarah and her father embark on a perilous journey to Scotland. Their crew betrays them and murders her father for the purpose of selling Sarah into slavery. She is rescued by an unlikely hero, Hassan Aziz, the most feared pirate on the Barbary Coast. She quickly discovers that she is unprepared for the complex world that is suddenly thrust upon her. Sarah must find a way to survive in a world that intrigues and terrifies her.

Excerpt:

Cora studied Naa’il. “May I ask you a personal question?”

“That depends on the question.” Naa’il’s posture stiffened.

“Do you love your second wife?”

“Yes,” Naa’il said without hesitation.

“Don’t you owe it to her to investigate whether or not she was telling the truth?”

“I know what I saw. Our laws are clear, Cora. Samina must be punished,” Naa’il said bitterly.

“Then I suppose that I should be put to death too.”

“This is different,” Naa’il snapped.

“Why? We are not related, yet we are alone. We have even shared a bed.”

“You are my slave; you must obey me.”

“I see.” Cora grimaced. “Regarding your wife, permit me to give you something to ponder.”

“Continue.” Naa’il flicked his hand in the air.

“Why do you post a guard outside your wife’s door?”

“He is there to protect her.”

“Precisely. When a soldier hears a scream from the person that he is assigned to protect, he is not going to hesitate to ascertain why, for he fears that delaying, even for a moment, may kill her. Likewise, when a woman is frightened, she is not going to delay her scream long enough to cover herself, especially if an intruder is attacking her. My point is Your Excellency, if you love your wife, love her enough to try to confirm her story. If she is truly innocent, then perhaps she and her guard deserve mercy.”

  

Josanna, thanks so much for stopping by. Tell us a little about yourself.
Hey there! I’m Josanna Thompson, and I'm the author of the historical adventure, A Maiden’s Honor. I'm a full-time writer with lots of stories to tell, and that’s an understatement. When I’m not working, my husband and I enjoy cycling, scuba diving, and traveling, emphasis on traveling.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve been weaving stories forever. However, it took me a long time to write them. I would often tell my stories to anyone who would listen. I met a number of writers throughout my life, and they encouraged me to share my stories with the world.

What was the inspiration for your book?

I shouldn’t admit this, but A Maiden’s Honor began as a steamy romance, minus the sex scenes. As I got to know my characters and learned about the Ottoman Empire, my story evolved and grew into so much more.

What’s a genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?

I’m passionate about writing historical adventures. However, I have a great idea for a children’s series. I also have an idea for a contemporary women’s fiction too.  I hope that I’ll take the time to write them.

Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?

I try not to read a lot historical fiction, even though I love this genre.  I befriended a number of authors on Facebook, and several have complained about their work being plagiarized. While it’s hard to come up with an original story line, I don’t want to steal ideas from others.

Okay, I’m not a fan of horror, fantasy, dystopian, or erotica.

What are you up to now? Do you have any releases planned, or are you still writing?

I’m currently working on the sequel to A Maiden’s Honor. It’s turning into another epic story that will take my protagonist, Sarah Campbell from Regency England to South Carolina, to the Caribbean. Needless to say, Sarah gets around in this story.

Alright, now for some random, fun questions. Favorite color?

Oh, that’s simple. I love, love, love periwinkle. I always have.

Favorite movie?    

My answer to that question is always, “Which category?”. Here’s a few of mine:

Comedy: Foul Play, Hopscotch, A Good Year, or the Princess Bride 

Western: Blazing Saddles or Silverado

Space: Spaceballs or the Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1 & 2. (Ok, the Guardians of the Galaxy were eh. I love the characters, especially Baby Groot)

Historical: The Man from Snowy River or Australia

Adventure: The Hobbit and the Lord of the Ring Trilogies.

Drama: The Ides of March

Disney: Frozen and Beauty and the Beast (Live and animated)

Super hero: Wonder Woman

I think that covers it.

Book that inspired you to become an author?

Alexandre Dumas is one of my all-time favorite authors. His Three Musketeers series captivated my imagination. I couldn’t get enough of this series, yet I was really disappointed in the ending to The Man in the Iron Mask. In fact, I was so disappointed in the story that I began to weave an alternate ending. In time, my own version evolved into my own story.

You have one superpower. What is it? 

Oh, that’s a good question. If I could have a superpower I would have the ability to permanently erase dishonest and evil thoughts. People would be compelled to be honest and do right because it is right. They would no longer have the desire to harm others. Wouldn’t the world be a better place?

Of course, having the ability to disevaporate (Spelling???) like the witches and wizards in the Harry Potter series would be really cool too.

 

You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?

That’s a tough question. There are so many people and characters that I would love to hang out with.

Alive: Diana Gabaldon: She is one of the most prolific authors I have ever seen. I would love to ask her about how she promoted Outlander when it first came out.

Dead: Captain James Cook. Captain Cook was an 18th century explorer who sailed to the Pacific. I would love to hear about his extraordinary adventure.

Fictitious: Winnie the Pooh – What can I say, I’m a super fan. How fun would it be to spend an evening with him in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?

I would have to say that I’m closest to Cora Bradley. We are both down to earth, and accepting of others. Cora hates the mistreatment of people, especially children; so do I.

That’s all from me, thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Thanks for hosting me. I enjoyed answering your questions!

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Author Bio and Links:

Josanna Thompson is the author of A Maiden's Honor and The Woman from Eden series. She has lived in many different places in the United States, including the Southeast, the Midwest, California, and the Northeast. When she is not writing; she enjoys traveling, exploring, and scuba diving.

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