His Judas Bride – by: Shehanne Moore

On By ResaIn Art Gowns Interviews

‘Tis a thrilling adventure unfurling in the Scottish highlands.

This fiery, passionate romance thrills without much graphic reference. True, Lady Kara wears a see through gown, revealed at the top of the story. However, it’s not her choice. She makes many choices, good and bad, but her gowns are imposed by her vile father.

Comments are in regular type. My questions are in italics. Shey’s answers are in bold.

1 – Shey, I want to draw Lady Kara in her gowns. It feels like 1700. Is there an exact year to this tale?

I based the Trojan horse premise of this book on the actual Glencoe Massacre. Let’s be clear that whole bit of Scotland was a law unto itself. South of the highland line was an entirely different Scotland. Anyway, the way to get into Glencoe, which was pretty impregnable at that time, was to come as friends. I liked that idea of a small clan who largely survived where they were because no-one could get in or out.

I looked up the Glencoe Massacre. It was in 1692. So, without mentioning an exact year, the flavour of your writing sets up the right time frame.

2 –  Ewen and some other characters speak in a dialect that give the Scottish highlands an authentic feel.
“Whit? Can ye no see Ah’m busy.” “How is it no’? Mah horse, laddie.” Is this written by ear, or have you studied  Gaelic? Or?

Now here in Scotland we probably speak English, in  a local dialect. This is sometimes incomprehensible to those who are not local.

We also speak…maybe not old Scots but certainly Scots as Ewen and some of the other characters do. Gaelic would have been spoken by the clans. It was mainly spoken in the Highlands and islands of western Scotland. It is still spoken by about 58,000 people in these parts. When you’re writing dialogue and trying to give something an authentic feel, you’re torn between that and being understood which was why I didn’t have everybody speaking in some form of Scots. I think it’s fair to say we often joke that there’s more than one book set here which we don’t understand because the dialogue is not authentic.  For example ‘donnae’ is a name, not the word for ‘don’t’ which is ‘dinnae’!

3 – I find certain small bits of your writing make me laugh…..such as Ewen’s talents, the description of the green dress and Callm asking himself:

Is it just me? Or do you insert this humour on purpose?

No and no. It’s not just you and no I don’t mean to do it, but it sort of comes out. I mean, I love that people have idiosyncrasies. They are what makes us. Kara’s little habit of firstly, secondly, thirdly, and her mantra about doing  things that she will be happy, or not happy with, when it comes to choices–quite awful things in some instances. These are her little idiosyncrasies.

Also people can be gloriously unselfaware. As you see with Callm asking himself why he shouldn’t be considered suitable, is a rich seam to be mined. Also let’s face it too, funny things do happen to people. Things like Kara not being able to get on that horse and walking round the yard trying to, while making out she knows what’s she’s doing. Well, honestly one day in the middle of nowhere in Yorkshire of all places, this woman asked if I could hold this absolute beast of a horse steady while she got on it. She’d been walking for miles at this point trying to do just that and hadn’t come across anybody.  As for asking me? Well… But hey (no pun intended) I did it.

In truth I’ve never been any good at being serious, or keeping a straight face. It’s probably why my palms have half inch fingernail dents in them. Just joking. But not actually.  So I guess I don’t bung the humour in on purpose. It just appears.

4- Near the end of the story, Ewen joins Callm on the mission. It’s a wonderful twist of sorts, that solidifies the family. When asked why, Ewen answers – “Te get mah bride, Kertyn. Or Ardene. Whitever ane will hae me.

Kertyn returns with Callm and Ewen’s entourage. Does this mean Kertyn marries Ewen?

Well now… I didn’t want to ruin it entirely for the poor girl given he’s not exactly an oil painting, but I guess she is gonna be lady ruler of Lochalpin while Kara is gonna rule her glen. That’s if Kertyn doesn’t do a runner next!!!!  I honestly just don’t like writing cardboardy villains. No-one is all bad.  (except maybe Snotra from the Viking!)

Hahahaha! No oil painting! Just oily! Still, you gave Ewen the talents of dancing and cooking/baking! 

Lol…I did!!  I wanted to give him something!! Also, I wanted to explore resentment between two brothers who ultimately are still brothers.

I wanted to explore Ewen as the younger sibling, the one the lassies never looked at. As he says, no very bonnie, he’s loud, overweight, and cos he has had the glen handed to him on a plate, even down to Callm keeping it safe for him, he’s fallen in with the wrong crowd and is throwing his power around. Meantime here’s the big bro who obvi has done so much right… the wife, the child … in the past anyway.

And by the way Shey, OMG! Snotra is a total bitch!!! 

On that note, I thank Shehanne Moore for  answering all of my questions. I totally enjoyed this book! A+

You can connect with Shey on her blog Shehanne Moore -Smexy Historical Romance

OR Click on the book cover below, and go to her Amazon page where this and all of her titles are available.

Remember, never judge a book by it’s cover, unless there’s a gown on it!

143 thoughts on “His Judas Bride – by: Shehanne Moore”

  1. Greetings you two. A beautiful interview and I’m blown away by the Art Gowns and Shey’s book cover. Shey, you are an amazingly gifted and prolific writer. Thank you both for letting us in the door on this gorgeous book, and those gowns, wow! Gorgeous! xoxoxo

    Reply

    1. Holly.. AG Model and beyond belief talented writer, Resa is one who has been epic here. I mean for various reasons she gave me back the heroine of this story, but mainly she did it with a stroke of her pen. xxxxxx

      Reply

    3. Greetings you one!
      Shey’s story is a wild adventure.
      It’s like if all the AGMs rode horses to escape bad guys, and their gowns were tearing.
      Actually, it’s lots & way better than that.
      Thank you dear Holly (meecekateer)!!!

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          1. Yeah. Oh I have sat this one out! So, busy re-editing it. And had a look at some covers too. Kind of chosen . Will order in the next week or so and pass a yah a quickie! You get first skeck!

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    2. Lovin’ your comment!
      Fracture….factor … both seem to work. 😀
      So, for once spell check wasn’t to blame.
      If this comment seems odd, I’m listening to Alice Cooper.

      Reply

  4. LOVE LOVE LOVE this interview with the dynamic duo. Shey – you had me at Glencoe and Resa – that see-through dress was brilliantly risqué. How is the tartan project coming? I enrolled in an online Gaelic class. What a remarkable language. (I never got the correct pronunciation, but it was fun). How do you create such magnificent books covers, Shey?

    Reply

    1. Ah, Rebecca.. I see you at Glencoe.
      I think the red gown is a new horizon, for me. Live learn and draw!
      The tartan is a challenge. Did you notice the tartan wrap in the last drawing?
      This is my newest approach….. style.

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    2. OH my darling Clansister, I get a designer on Fiverr to work on an image that I buy–generally from a website that specialises in images for historicals. But it can take me forever in that I seldom see THE one as in, that matches exactly how I see the characters and also cos so many authors use this site, I’m also looking for one that’s not already splattered all over Amazon etc. So I sometimes have to think outwith the box. Hey, great about the Gaelic. I expected no less mind you. Isn’t the see through dress gorgeous. And yes, her father has saddled her with a load of very risque gowns. Love what Resa has done here.

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      1. I went over the Fiverr just to take a peek and stayed there for a long time. WOW! Covers are so important because they give the reader a glimpse into the story, even imagining themselves as the heroine. The halo affect around the couple is very effective and I love how your name is positioned. You have a gift for writing and marketing, for knowing intuitively what stories need to be heard. When I first read about the Glencoe Massacre, I felt a profound awareness that brutality does not foster peace, but exactly the opposite. It is good to know that there are stories of love. Just downloaded “His Judas Bride”. Thank you Shey and Resa!

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        1. Fiverr are brill. There’s a desit=gn erI use dthere who works for the bigger publishing houses. I get them to get the figures on a background or recolor a gown —with O’Roarke’s Destiny it was the guy’s hair as well. The original image bore no resemblance to the finished article which was all glittering golds and lace and quite wrong for the story. Fiverr are very good for all sorts. I even got my car bay plan properly mugged up there so it would pass muster with the council, for next to nothing. .Covers are so important. And in my time I’ve been saddled with a few which bore no resemblance to the story or the characters where I’ve had to smile nicely you know! Even more nicely and refrain from saying, ‘Do you SERIOUSLY think I want to?’ when I got my rights back to these books with an attached warning about not using the cover. Thank you for downloading the book. You are very very kind as aye to me. GLochalpin was always Glencoe in disguise because I wanted to set a book there. I used a lot of places, the Hidden Valley, the Lochan, Eilean Munde and the Devil’s Staircase, one way or another, jsut under a diff name and layout. The Staircase is the old road in way way back so the first bit was set there . Callm’s cave was however based on a cave in Spetses called the Cave of the Bekiris. Yes the massacre was but the forerunner of so much thta was to befall that entire area and the way of life there. xxxx.

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          1. This morning, I went on-line to view book covers and how they engaged me to click on the link. I never thought about it before – this is a marvelous topic of conversation. I love your opening line… “Scotland, long ago and far away. Never look at the moon as you reach for the starts….” Goosebumps and I’m just on the first page.

            Reply

            1. Oh… Hiding behind my fingers now!!! I deliberately didn’t put a date on this one, partly because I genuinely see so many books set here that have . . rather a lot wrong datewise shall we say. And yeah Kara does rather look at the moon line one there. Fiverr is well worth keeping in mind for many projects. They are fast too. I just wanted the covers to look professional. And it is worth spending what is not that much really actually, to get a proper designer in. I used to edit and put together a history mag and I did all the interior design but I never touched the cover. We paid the printers to get their graphic artist in on that. Thank you for the lovely comment xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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          2. Great BG research Shey!
            I am sooo happy you got your rights back.
            N always asks why I don’t make gowns for people? I say then they will want input, for their money. Much is lost. Also, for what it would cost them, they could have a Designer Brand.
            NOW, if they want one I have already made, that would be a different story! xxxxx

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            1. Oh yeah. You need control of your creativity. The thing is… I sold this book to that particular publisher and it was all hunkydory. Had they said at the time, that they wanted the changes they did, I’d never have signed. But hey. All good now. Same with Viking.

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              1. It’s the same with bands. The company says …we love your songs and sound! Then as soon as the act is signed, the changes requests roll on in!

  5. Timothy Price

    That was a wonderful interview, Resa and Shey. The drawings of the Art Gowns are spectacular. You are producing exquisite drawings. You really nailed it on the sexy gown. It’s truly sexy. Wow! Shey’s a real heartthrob to begin with, but in that gown? Watch out, she’s a heart stopper! I think one could say “that’s gown is to die for!” I can’t think of a better way to go. Saint Peter: “What did you die of? Me: “Take a look at Resa’s drawing of Shey in a sexy Art Gown!” Saint Peter: “Gasp!” Me: “Damn! Got Saint Peter, also!” I am so impressed with you, your gowns and your drawings. And I am also impressed with Shey and her books. I read the “The Unraveling of Lady Fury”. It is great read. “His Judas Bride” sounds like a really fun read, also. The cover is fantastic. You two are simply wonderful.

    Reply

    1. Timothy you are just ..fantastic. I love Resa’s drawings. I have them framed all over the house here actually. She’s epic and she creates a whole world with a stroke of her pen. She is also epic at the interviews. I always love her questions. Thank you for reading Fury. Truly. i do love when a fellah reads one of my books.

      Reply

    2. Tim!
      Adore your comment! Yes, the drawings are getting better and better.
      LOL! It’s true, Shey writes a fiery romance, and this tale has a lot of passion. This book surprised me in many ways. Shey’s characters are always thought out, but the 2 brothers was a neat aspect that made for a love denied (temporarily) plot, then with a fab turn in the end.
      I mostly used the coloured pencils you sent. The quality is wonderful.

      I’m thrilled that you like our little book review, with drawings and chat. You are quite wonderful yourself, Tim!

      Reply
      1. Timothy Price

        Your are too kind, Resa. I’m always amazed how Shey and other novelists can develop characters. All the characters seem to be the same in the few stories I have attempted to write. Both of you are deserving of so much praise.

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        2. Timothy, you are so wonderfully creative. I mean the writing, the song takes, the photography. I am the one in awe. I just like to give all my characters, no matter how minor they are, some kind of little idiosyncrasy, even if they are just there for once scene. They also have their ‘stakes’ in terns of the story, maybe only a tiny little one, and I try to use them in relation to the leads that way, be it to show a state of mind, or what kind of people the leads really are.

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          1. Timothy Price

            We all have idiosyncrasies large and small. That attention to detail brings your characters to life and makes it easier to identify with them.

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            2. Ps… Another thing is names. You can get a lot of mileage out of a name. I named a serving girl Dainty, in one book, when she was a giantess, then it all came to me that it made the hero, who had this awful rep and being pretty awful on the surface, seem nice when he offered to have a word with Dainty’s midget mother for beating her again. Not that Dainty was anything other than cheerful about it all. So yeah. Names

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      2. Aw Resa xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx So glad you liked the turn out for ‘The Bros.’ I felt it was important for them, to get out of the mire they were actually both in and couldn’t see as such. It would have been so much simpler to just have made Callm the shining saint –Lord perfect, as Ewen calls him at one point– and Ewen the abso bastard, to be honest. It is what I set out to do. But it didn’t seem right. I wanted to explore how they’ve both lost the way in very different ways because of circumstance, xxx

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  6. “Remember, never judge a book by it’s cover, unless there’s a gown on it!”
    Wiser words were never writ!
    I never understood this. If we aren’t supposed to judge a book by it’s cover, why is so much time, talent and money, spent on book cover art?
    I did mistype this, as I normally do, lately. A mind is a terrible thing to lose. At first I typed, “If we aren’t supposed to judge a boob by it’s cover……”
    The boobs I judge to be good. Your covers are magical.
    Love to you Resa.

    Reply

    2. Hello Cindy!
      “Remember, never judge a book by it’s cover, unless there’s a gown on it!”
      I made that up! I’m hoping it catches on and then everyone will have a gown on their book cover. A book about archeology… a gown blowing around in a Sahara sand storm. A murder mystery… a torn gown. How to books…. gowns.
      New cover for “To Kill A Mockingbird” – a gown with a mocking bird print on it.

      Great question about the book covers. This is why I’ve gone gown.

      Love to you Cindy!

      Reply

        1. 😀 You know, there’s so few gowns in the world… why not have beautiful gowns.
          I’s not like I’m suggesting bikinis on all book covers!

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  7. Resa your description of Scotland in the 1700s is very interesting, I did not know the existence of the Glencore massacre. Gaelic is abstract to many people.
    Anyway the three dresses you have designed for Lady Kara are superb and her sensuality is highlighted.

    Reply

    1. Aren’t the gowns wonderful. She gave me kara in a few brush strokes. That massacre was quite a deed of infamy. Glencoe is a place I’ve come to know and love. We spend a lot of time there out on the moors and mountains.

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    2. Hello Jean Daniel!
      I’m crazy for drawing women in gowns.
      This novel by Shehanne was inspirational for the gowns I drew.
      I’m so honoured you visit Art Gowns and enjoy my work.
      Your art is wonderful! Thank you!

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      1. Oh that’s Viking and Courtesan I am editing, cos it is not available just now as the contract on it is now up and I got the rights back last week. Been waiting mind you for that happy happy day!! The other books are all out there. xx

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              1. PS .Resa, just so you know, the fact it rained and I had to move it all indoors meant one thing. I wore a gown. Yeah. A floor trailer ruby one.Couldn’t have done it outside cos it would have got wrecked.

              2. Understood!
                A gown should only be wrecked if the heroine is riding horseback through harsh terrain, pursued by thieves, in a storm and fleeing love! xoxoxoxo

  12. Resa and Shey, Shey and Resa, wow girls! That was a fabulous interview / interaction / interconnection…. Two super talented ladies intercomplementing eachother!
    Wonderful interview!
    Love the cover and Resa, your Art Gowns are otherwordly!
    Thank you both and many hugs to both!
    …from Hera too! 😉
    xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

    Reply

    1. Marina, I love Resa and her work to bits. ANd, as if that’s not enough, I love her interview questions. Always very different. Great to see you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and thank you.

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    2. Thank you dahling, Marina!
      It was fun to do this with Shey!
      Drawing the gowns for Lady Kara is like working on a film, and you draw the outfits for the director. Well, in the old days. Now you draw for the director and a team of producers.

      I’ll be popping by your blog later. I wonder who I’ll be?
      LOVE… hugs and kisses to you and Hera!
      (what we need is a MOP emoji! :D)
      xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

      Reply

      1. 🧹🧼🧽🧹
        🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
        🧹🧼🧽🧹
        🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
        🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
        🧹🧼🧽🧹

        Reply

        1. Okay, I suppose a broom and soap can help!
          🧹🧼🧽🧹 xo🧹🧼🧽🧹xo🧹🧼🧽🧹xo🧹🧼🧽🧹
          xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

          Reply

              1. Hardly…I see it turning to boiling water!!!!! 🔥♨️🔥♨️🔥♨️🔥♨️🔥
                🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
                What, you’re also under a heatwave?!!!
                😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

    1. Resa always asks fabulous questions. And she mails them, as in, I was wondering etc, one at a time so, you not only have time to think about each one more, you don’t realise you’ve answered an actual question till you’ve well hit send! And she’s given me Kara which has been important to me for many reasons. x

      Reply

    1. Yay!
      You are right! It is a meeting of written and visual creativity.

      I don’t know what I’m doing about reviews/interviews. I just chat in emails, then get creative with our conversation in a post.

      Drawing the gowns is a must. It pulls the whole thing together for me!
      Shey is a lot of fun to talk to, and as she writes stories in other time periods, there’s gowns!
      LOL!

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    2. Resa does great interviews. She says below it’s more like chat and it is. She will send me an image and there’s a sort of query rather than a question. Just one. So I sort of answer . then a while later, in comes another lovely gown with another query. It’s not till I’m scribbling away back and I have hit send before I think … that was a question. I think. I wouldn’t now write a book without a gown!!

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  16. Fabulous interview post Resa, I love your questions and the answers from Shehanne. The blue fade to white néglige though is a dream outfit especially with the bow (sold).

    I should read more but I tend to listen to audio books instead because for some reason reading books on trains or in vehicles (which is the only spare time I have) makes me feel a bit travel sick. Also I’ve been driving the team bus 🚌 on this tour, I know! I’m a dab hand at reverse parking it now after some tips from our 🚛 tour driver.

    I’m also loving you find all this inspiration from all your blog chums xx.

    Reply

    1. Ahh, the gowns for this post were fun to draw, partly because I’ve been drawing Shey and her heroines for a while.
      Lala is a newer character, so I’m still a bit stiff drawing her. A few more drawings, and Lala will come fully into her Gowntoon life.

      I don’t have much time to read, either. Between sewing and drawing, my spare time is spoken for.

      Haha! When I just started designing, I drove a few wardrobe vans and trucks! Great memories, and a learning time!

      There are lots of fun people out here in bloggersville. I started blogging to relax and have fun. So, I am!
      You are lovely, Charlotte!
      xoxo

      Reply

      1. I love what you do with Lala not stiff at all. Wait till you see my Bubble McBea outfit I love it, I wrapped my hair into two side buns to complete the look wardrobe dreamed up for me. I found Shey’s blog from yours I was hoping to bump into her up in Scotland. I love that you drove the trucks too some of the Country lanes up here are a nightmare! I do miss reading my blog chums posts but I’m going to relax an hour tonight and try to do a bit of catching up. 😀

        Reply

        1. I just read your post and saw the Bubble McBea outfit! It’s fab, so much fun!
          I’m so happy for you!
          Yes, do relax a bit! Often, time we spend away from our main loves in life, makes our love grow more passionate.
          I guess I don’t need to tell you that; a newly wed away from her George!
          have the best week, Charlotte! 😀 xx

          Reply

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