And today I will spoil you with a guest post!

Synopsis

In this epic and unforgettable love story, set in the wilds of Missouri and the glamour of high society Boston at the dawn of the Gilded Age, one woman’s life changes forever the day that a stranger turns up on her doorstep.

Missouri, February 1874: The last thing struggling homesteader Ginny needs is a scandal on her hands. But when a badly injured drifter arrives at Snow Farm in desperate need of medical attention, Ginny’s kind nature and good upbringing means she has no choice but to treat his wounds and care for him until he’s back on his feet, no matter the danger he might pose.

Ginny’s been running the farm and looking after her fourteen-year-old sister Mary-Lou since their papa died two years ago, each morning pulling on his old leather coat and pushing her feet into stout boots that come up to her knees, before heading out to tend to the cattle. She’s determined to hold onto the one thing that connects them to memories of their parents – whatever the cost. And when their uninvited guest – Lex – is well enough he offers his help, and she surprises herself by accepting it.

But not long after Lex moves on, Ginny realises that her heart has gone with him. And when the farm’s fortunes take a turn for the worse, she faces her hardest test yet. Can she save the only home she’s ever known, and everything she holds dear? And what if doing so means risking a chance at love and happiness she never expected to come her way?

An utterly spellbinding story perfect for fans of Amy Harmon, Olivia Hawker and Kristin Hannah. Readers will love this breathtaking and vivid historical novel of passion, destiny and divided family loyalties.

“Captivating…will leave an indelible mark on your heart.” Rachel Wesson

Pre-order Links 

Under a Gilded Sky multi retailer choice link – all retailer options : https://geni.us/176-al-aut-ch

About the author

Imogen writes sweeping, historical fiction. Her first two novels are set in nineteenth century America.

As a teenager, she took the Greyhound bus from San Francisco to New York. Over those three days of staring out of the window at the majestic mountains and endless flat plains, stories wound themselves into her head: tales of brooding, charismatic men captivated by independent women.

Since then, she has worked in a coffee-shop in Piccadilly, a famous bookstore, and a children’s home. She has run festivals, and turned a derelict housing block on one of the poorest estates in the UK into an award-winning arts centre.

During 2020 Imogen was selected by Kate Nash Literary Agency as one of their BookCamp mentees, a mentorship programme designed to accelerate the careers of promising new writers.

Married with two children, Imogen divides her time between Wales and Sardinia.

She hopes her books will bring you the tingle of a new love affair whilst immersed in a different time and place.

Social Media Links

Website: https://imogenmartinauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ImogenMartin9

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImogenMartin.Author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imogenmartinauthor/?hl=en-gb

Guest post

The love stories in films and books that have influenced my writing.

Our stories come from a life time soaking up books, films and TV shows and I’m an absolute sucker for a love story. 

My set book for A level was Pride and Prejudice. I remember being handed it before the summer holidays and being told to read it before September. I wasn’t keen. I mean, it’s not the greatest of titles, is it? Some deep exploration of abstract concepts. But, boy, I loved it! Spirited Elizabeth, the underdog who eventually gets her man (the teenage me was hoping this would be how my life would turn out). Brooding Mr. Darcy, the proud man who is concealing all sorts of hurts. Ultimately, these two are the models for my Gilded Age heroine Ginny and the mysterious Lex who suddenly appears at her homestead, more dead than alive. 

It’s not just books though that inspire my writing. One of my favourite films is The Big Country. It is an epic Western made in 1958 staring Gregory Peck and Jean Simmons. Gorgeous broad-shouldered Gregory Peck is former sea captain James McKay who travels to the American West to join his fiancée,Patricia. Her father owns an enormous ranch (yes, it’s a BIG country). Jean Simmons is the local school teacher, Julie. Gradually McKay and Patricia realise they aren’t right for each other and McKay’s feelings for Julie deepen, in a buttoned-up brooding sort of way. I love it. And the film score is one of the best ever written. 

If I haven’t had enough Gregory Peck, I can always re-watch Roman Holiday where he stars as a reporter on the tail of a runaway princess, played by Audrey Hepburn. One of the most delightful films ever.

Hollywood gives so much inspiration for romance writers. There are those films of the 80s: Melanie Griffith in Working Girl, whispering to Harrison Ford that she has “a brain for business and a bod for sin.” Or Diane Keeton in Baby Boom,going misty eyed when she turns down a big offer to come back to New York: “there’s this veterinarian…” 

One of my favourite films of the 90s is While You were Sleeping, when Sandra Bullock thinks she’s in love with Peterbut actually she should be with Jack, played by Bill Pullman, the much more down-to-earth younger brother. 

Coming into the 21st century, Emma Stone has made many great films but I still think you can’t beat Easy A. Smart, sassy, with a great underlying message about it being nobody’s business who is going out with who.

The books we read, the films we watch, the box-sets we work through, these all seep deep inside us. I’m hoping some haveemerged in the slow-burn love story set against a sweeping American backdrop in my debut novel Under A Gilded Sky.