Blair Bancroft

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About Blair Bancroft

I like to think of myself as an author who writes books that can be read by anyone age 14 and up, maybe even by a precocious 12-year-old. Yes, I have one series and a thriller I suggest for 18+ only, but that is because they deal with some frank and unsavory situations, not because of erotic content.

I also like to think I write Sparkling Characters, Elegant Drama, & High Adventure,

with a Strong Dollop of Humor. (Well, maybe not all four in every book!)

So how did I end up an author?

Although it’s been more years than I care to remember, I still recall walking a mile home from school each day when I was seven, passing the time by telling myself stories. Yet because my mother was an author, it never occurred to me we could have two in the same family. So I came to writing late in life. But when the light finally dawned, I managed to win RWA’s Golden Heart for Regency Historical, be a RITA nominee in the same category, win Best Regency Romance from Romantic Times magazine, Best Romance from the Florida Writers Association, and Best Young Adult from the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition.

After nine print book, I plunged into indie publishing in the winter of 2011 and never looked back. I currently have over thirty novels and novellas available online, with at least four books in the pipeline for the coming year. Long an advocate of indie publishing, I consider hand-held e-readers (tablets & smart phones) one of the great boons to mankind—thank you very much, Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek.).

I happily admit to being an “out of the mist” author. My favorite saying is: I can hardly wait to get up each morning, go to my computer, and find out what my characters are going to do today.

Because I find variety the spice of life, I occasionally deviate from my first love, Regency England, to write Mystery and Suspense set in Florida. Even one international Thriller (LIMBO MAN). With a couple of Contemporary Romances thrown in for good measure. And then there’s my Medieval written for the Young Adult market. And—would you believe?—a SyFy Paranormal Saga that refuses to stay in just one genre. (Not enough bare skin for a Futuristic, too much adventure for a romance, too little science for the hard-core SyFy reader. Sigh.) But it has some great characters—some heroic, some devious, some heart-tugging—plus romance, space battles, and as much humor as I could fit in around the drama. I suggest age 18 and up only for LIMBO MAN and my Regency Darkside series.

In addition to writing in multiple genres, I have been offering Writing and Editing tips on my blog, Grace’s Mosaic Moments, since the winter of 2011 (https://mosaicmoments.blogspot.com/). These posts cover a wide variety of topics from how to transform manual tabs to auto, to Capitalization, Point of View, Characterization, Rule Breaking, World Building, How to Write a Bad Book, and much, much more.

Projected books for Fall 2017 through December 2018:

THE BASTARD PRINCE, Book 3, Blue Moon Rising series (Sept 2017)

THE BLACKTHORNE CURSE, a Regency Gothic

HIDDEN DANGER, HIDDEN HEART, Contemporary Suspense

ROYAL REBELLION, Book 4, Blue Moon Rising series

THE LAST SURPRISE, a Christmas Regency

Thanks for your interest. It's much appreciated. I will try to keep my bio up to date as new works come out, so come on back!

Clarissa Harwood

Amanda DeWees

Jude Bayton

Irina Shapiro

Grace Burrowes

Stella Riley

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Titles By Blair Bancroft

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The Secrets of Stonebridge Castle: A Gothic tale of ghosts, murder, and lost love Sep 20, 2021

by Blair Bancroft

( 36 )

$3.99

When bullies threaten Aurelia Lacey and her five-year-old daughter Nell, they are rescued by an old friend, Jason Durand, younger brother of an earl. Jason, once a daring spy, has fallen into depression and drunkenness since the war, but he rallies long enough to offer the outcasts the shelter of his brother's country seat, Stonebridge Castle. But the ancient castle is not the quiet refuge they expected. Aurelia and Jason—both lost souls from the war against Napoleon—must deal with a bevy of hedonistic house guests, seven hundred years of ghosts, multiple murders, and a chance—a very slim chance—that love will triumph over all.

Author's Note: Although ghosts are prominent in The Secrets of Stonebridge Castle, they appear as characters, not creatures of horror. And there is more emphasis on romance than in my previous Gothic novels.

The Ghosts of Rushton Court: A bride's new home has a host of unexpected residents Jan 9, 2019

by Blair Bancroft

( 100 )

$3.99

A Regency ghost tale inspired by the classic saying: "Marry in haste, repent at leisure."

The widowed Lady Marian Talbot is keeping a low profile as her exquisitely lovely sister, Vanessa, makes her come-out. Yet somehow it is Marian who attracts the attention of the most eligible bachelor London society has seen in a decade, a marquess who has spent the last dozen years in India. After a whirlwind courtship, Marian—now the Marchioness of Rushton—arrives at her new home, only to discover she is expected to solve the challenges of dealing with her husband's hostile brother and sister, his illegitimate young son, and a staff at war with itself. And, as if that weren't enough, Marian must also adjust to a panoply of ghosts, all supposedly benign, but that becomes doubtful as someone—or some thing—makes repeated attempts to kill both the marquess and his new bride.

The Vicar's Daughter: a young woman encounters misogyny, smugglers, a ghost cat, & an earl Aug 7, 2020

by Blair Bancroft

( 56 )

$3.99

Independent and capable Prudence Wedderburn, daughter of a vicar, is a woman before her time. She not only manages the parish duties usually performed by a vicar's wife, she has learned the art of healing, and during her father's final illness, she also assumes some of his religious duties—all actions welcomed by her village until her father's death abruptly ends her life as First Lady of Kenner's Cove, Kent.

Well aware she must curb her independence—even learn to practice subservience, a quality entirely unknown to her—Prudence accepts a position as governess to a five-year-old girl in Cornwall. Where, alas, rumors of her activities in Kent plunge her into difficulties with the church, she clashes with her pupil's father (an earl), finds herself hip-deep in smugglers and Cornish legends, is befriended by a 500-year-old cat, and discovers that someone—several someones?—want to kill her. Finding a happy ending in a deluge of disasters will be the vicar's daughter's greatest challenge.

Brides of Falconfell: A spinster finds romance . . . and danger Sep 20, 2013

by Blair Bancroft

( 57 )

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Miss Serena Farnsworth, spinster, is a managing female, the crutch for her extended family, for whom she functions as nurse, companion, and household organizer. In short, she lives a life of service, devoid of romance. Until she is invited to attend an invalid at a gloomy Gothic-style estate in Northumberland, where she encounters two suspicious deaths, personal animosity, a needy child, and even needier father. Add witchcraft, shake (sink) holes, Mid-summer Eve revels, and a variety of odd characters, as well as the certainty someone is trying to killer her, and Serena finds herself surrounded by a miasma of evil. The lord of the manor should be of help, but he, alas, is a prime suspect in the murder of the Brides of Falconfell.

Author's Note: "Brides of Falconfell" is a tribute to the great era of Gothic novels, written by Victoria Holt, Jane Aiken Hodge, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and other talented authors of that time. The books—more "Jane Eyre" and "Rebecca" than "Pride and Prejudice"—have several common elements: they are told in first person, as both heroine and reader must be isolated, unable to know what the other characters are thinking. Frequently, the heroines are married and begin to suspect their husbands of murder. There is often a child, usually the hero's from a previous marriage. A large, gloomy mansion is a must, where murder, madness, and evil abound, with the heroine escaping death by the skin of her teeth. I have put all these conventions in "Brides of Falconfell" and chosen an isolated location at the very "top" of England as a setting. I hope you will enjoy my personal attempt at "Gothic Revival." Blair Bancroft

The Blackthorne Curse: Can a marriage of convenience triumph over a deadly curse? Nov 27, 2017

by Blair Bancroft

( 58 )

$3.99

After the death of her father, young Serafina Blackthorne of New Haven, Connecticut, becomes a reverse immigrant, traveling from the New World to the Old. To her grandfather, who lives on Dartmoor, a place where eerie legends abound and where she discovers, to her horror, she is marked for death by the Blackthorne Curse. The more Serafina attempts to outmaneuver the Curse, the more she seems to jump from the frying pan into the fire. She finally has but one hope left. But does her childhood friend really want to save her, or is he destined to be her executioner?

Author's Note: This book is a Gothic novel set in the Regency period—a style of story where a young woman finds herself basically alone and battling threats to her life, some from humans, some from possibly supernatural sources. But in spite of all the angst, it is also a romance. I hope you will enjoy reading this tale in a style made famous by Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Phyllis Whitney as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The Demons of Fenley Marsh: Evil threatens a governess & a wounded hero Mar 9, 2015

by Blair Bancroft

( 33 )

$3.25

When the widowed Miranda Tyrell escapes a dire situation in Kent by accepting a position as governess in Lincolnshire, taking her young son with her, she never dreams she is jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Instead of peace and safety, Miranda discovers the flat agricultural plains and salt marshes are rife with tales of mysterious fires, gutted animals, and strange sights and sounds in the night. Her new charge is a disturbed nine-year-old known as the Demon Child. In addition, rumors supported by the local curate claim that her employer, a badly scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, is a demon. And those are only the beginnings of her troubles as she attempts to teach two fatherless boys and deal with her wayward heart, which she swore would never love again.

Shadows Over Greystoke Grange: a Tale of Witchcraft, Murder & Romance Jan 21, 2020

by Blair Bancroft

( 35 )

$3.99

At eighteen, Adria Lovett can think only of making her come-out and finding the love of her life. Until, scant weeks before leaving for London, her world crumbles around her, pitching her into a situation shockingly contrary to anything she has ever known. And yet, far from London, Adria finds herself surrounded by a bevy of young men—though none of them what she envisioned when dreaming of her future. There is Dudley Greystoke, who should be Sir Dudley but is not; Chandler Satterthwaite, who has strayed far from the fold of his father, the vicar; the supposedly reliable Ned Steadman, son of the local squire; Garth Maddox, son of a gamekeeper, who calls himself Myrddin, the Welsh name for Merlin. And Drake Kincade, son of a wealthy merchant—the Drake Kincade, known to many as "the Devil's Spawn," who has fled to the country to escape a bride selected by his father. And then there is Dudley Greystoke's twin sister, Daphne, a young woman as willful as she is beautiful, who plunges Adria into the world of witchcraft—a world already complicated by a barrage of evil deeds ranging from nasty pranks to murder.

Grimoires, spells, devil-worship, rape, and murder—not at all the Season Adria dreamed of.

Tarleton's Wife: a war widow, a second chance & a resounding surprise (The Regency Warrior series Book 2) Feb 6, 2017

by Blair Bancroft

( 31 )

$3.25

On the night before the final battle in one of the most harrowing retreats in British Army history, a colonel wagers his only child in a game of cards. She is rescued by Major Nicholas Tarleton, who marries Julia Litchfield the next day, but only as he is dying. Julia, a hardy soul who has followed the drum all her life, takes over her husband's estate, becoming a heroine to Nicholas's tenant farmers, and is developing an interest in a new man when totally unexpected events plunge her into a conflict of love and honor that might have challenged Solomon himself.

Reviews Excerpts:

"A real historical novel, TARLETON'S WIFE places the author in the ranks with Victoria Holt and a handful of other writers of romantic fiction that I have read, reread, and loved." Patricia White, Word Museum

"TARLETON'S WIFE . . . is filled with action and emotion, and with well drawn, realistic characters headed by a strong, admirable and totally likable heroine. The author has extraordinary ability to bring her characters to life and to create a real world around them." Lily Martin, Romance Communication

"Ms Bancroft has a clear voice and the potential to be another Mary Jo Putney or Mary Balogh." Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

"This is a very well written piece, painted with rich history and wonderfully drawn characters. We will be seeing much more from this brilliant author." April Redmon, Under the Covers

Other Formats: Paperback

Tangled Destinies: A Runaway, a Baby, and Unexpected Romance Nov 10, 2016

by Blair Bancroft

( 12 )

$3.25

Miss Lucinda Neville has more than a few problems. She has felled her importunate brother-in-law, become a surrogate mother to a foreigner's baby, a keeper of dangerous secrets, and staunch defender of a child someone seems to want gone from this earth. And then she finds herself under attack as well. The person with most motive? The rakish son of a marquess who just happens to have the best reason for doing away with both Lucinda and the babe.

Author's Note: Tangled Destinies is the fifth in my series of Regency Gothics in the grand tradition of the Victorian and contemporary Gothics of Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart. I would like to thank my readers for showing so much interest in my books, which are set in the early 19th century period known as the Regency. I truly love creating them.

The Mists of Moorhead Manor: Romance & multiple murders in Devon Aug 5, 2014

by Blair Bancroft

( 36 )

$3.25

Author's Note: THE MISTS OF MOORHEAD MANOR is a Gothic novel in the tradition of Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, and Blair Bancroft's previous Regency-set Gothic, BRIDES OF FALCONFELL.

Penelope Ruth Ballantyne has lived at the tail of the army all her life, experiencing the rigors of life in India, followed by five years of war in Portugal and Spain. Not surprisingly, now that she is orphaned, she accepts the most challenging position available, companion to an invalid who lives on the edge of Exmoor in northern Devonshire. After years of constant travel, Penny longs to settle under one roof, find a true home. Instead, she encounters hysteria, mysterious deaths, a nasty rival, and the constant fear of dismissal as she attracts the attention of more than one young gentleman in the household. Though the only one she truly sees is Robert, Lord Exmere, heir to Moorhead Manor. Together, they face a startling dilemma worthy of the judgment of Solomon.

A Gamble on Love: a beleagured young lady hires a husband Apr 26, 2011

by Blair Bancroft

( 17 )

$2.99

Miss Aurelia Trevor has a problem. Until she reaches the age of twenty-five, she will have no control over her beloved Pevensey Park, and by that time her unscrupulous uncle will have run it into the ground. Marriage to someone other than her uncle's leering son is her only way out, but, one by one, she rejects the men on her list of suitors. In desperation, Aurelia does the unthinkable. She hires a solicitor to find her a husband strong enough to stand up to both her uncle and her cousin. And soon learns the truth of that old adage: Be careful what you wish for.

Thomas Lanning is a man of the City. Unlike Aurelia, who stands to inherit vast land and wealth, he has made his own place in the world. He is not at all tempted by the suggestion of marriage to an heiress, but other considerations, such as a power base for a seat in Parliament, tweak his interest. Plus an unexpected twinge of chivalry when he hears the full extent of Miss Trevor's difficulties with her uncle and his family.

Aurelia, who only wants to live in peace on her acres, finds she has acquired a ready-made family in Thomas's younger sister and brother, as well as a head-strong husband whose campaign for MP fills her household with a shockingly odd assortment of characters. It seems her marriage of convenience is fast becoming a marriage of inconvenience. Just how far will this strong-willed pair bend to accommodate each other? And will they do it before it's too late?

Reviews:

"Blair Bancroft's warm and tender [novel] boasts a great heroine in Aurelia: She's attractive, courageous, vulnerable and intelligent."
Robin Taylor, Romantic Times

"Reading how they gradually learn to like and eventually love each other is wonderful. Blair Bancroft is now definitely one of my favorite traditional Regency authors and this book is a prime example of why."
Nicole Hulst, Romance Junkies

"Set against a backdrop of rural politics (and a fascinating look at the early world of "buying votes) this is a story that entrances, enlightens and endears."
Celia at A Romance Review

The Abominable Major: a wounded veteran clashes with a scandalous countess Jul 20, 2019

by Blair Bancroft

( 5 )

$3.99

Major Courtland Randolph, after losing a leg at Waterloo, abandons the world of his birth for a hops farm in Kent. He is not pleased when his former commanding officer maneuvers him into returning to society as protector of a lady who once termed him, "The Abominable Major." Yet in the course of dealing with a dashing Russian countess, political unrest, his ex-fiancée, an importunate prince, a mysterious young man from the London slums, a high-born runaway, and a dramatic change in his private life, Court finally accepts that he is still a man. Man enough to love and be loved.

Author's Note: Each book in the Regency Warrior series is a stand-alone story, but THE ABOMINABLE MAJOR has so many cross-over characters from THE LADY TAKES A RISK that you might want to read LADY first. And please keep an eye out for the spin-off series about the adventures of Matthew Wolfe. Book 1 - THE MAKING OF MATTHEW WOLFE - should be available late in 2020.

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