Kate Hewitt, Far Horizons and Giveaways!

Today we invited author Kate Hewitt to tell us about her historical, Far Horizons, but she came bearing Gifts!

Far Horizons is the first historical novel I've ever written, and while it's quite different from my romances for Harlequin Presents it's certainly a story that is close to my heart.



The main characters, Harriet Campbell and Allan MacDougall, are actually my great-great-great (I think that's all the greats!) aunt and uncle. My mother has told me their story since I was a little girl, how Allan proposed to Harriet right before he sailed with his family to Canada, and how his father found out and forced him to set Harriet free. Allan gave her the letters she'd written him over the years as a sign of her freedom, but said she could keep her own as proof of his own faithfulness.



As a young girl I found this terribly romantic. Actually, I still do! And when I was in my twenties, I discovered that one of my relatives had typewritten copies of many of the letters Allan and Harriet wrote each other. Reading them was completely fascinating, immediately transporting me to a different time and place. But this sentiment, written by Allan, is what truly inspired my story:



How can I express the consternation of my heart, or account for the long and cruel silence on your part? This is the fifteenth letter I have written you since, but I am afraid they never got your length, or you would not be so long in writing me.



Why, I wondered, had Harriet not written Allan? And how distraught Allan seemed to feel, at not hearing from her. I decided to make up my own reason to account for her silence, and that is the story of Far Horizons.



I'm giving away one Kindle copy of Far Horizons and one copy of my Presents, Kholodov's Last Mistress, to two random winners who comment below.I hope you enjoy these different but still very romantic stories!

Happy reading,

Kate

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Far Horizons

Blurb

The Highlands of Scotland, 1819: On the eve of his departure for the New World, Allan MacDougall asks his beloved Harriet to wait for his return, when he will be established and able to marry her. When his father discovers his intent he insists it is dishonourable, and so Allan must free Harriet from her promise even as he vows to remain faithful himself. Through years of hardship, heartache, tragedy, and betrayal, Allan and Harriet cling to the love that first brought them together--yet it is the treacherous doubts of their own hearts that could prove to be their undoing, and drive them farther apart than ever.

Far Horizons is a sweeping saga that will take you from the Highlands of Scotland to the untamed Canadian wilderness and the bustling streets of Boston. Based on actual events, it celebrates the strength of a promise and the enduring power of love. Previously published in hardcover and written by USA Today bestselling author Kate Hewitt, this is Book One of The Emigrants Trilogy.


Kholodov's Last Mistress

Blurb

An innocent in Moscow When Sergei Kholodov rescued American tourist Hannah Pearl, her wide-eyed approach to the world shocked the man whose life had left him bitterly cynical. Hating how powerfully she affected him, Sergei made a cold-hearted decision to obliterate his dark emotions...He would lose himself in sinful pleasure before pushing her away and destroying her dreams. One year later, Sergei returns. Hannah has been seared on his memory - perhaps one more night will allow him to forget her once and for all? Or will he realise her innocence is a Pearl beyond price and that he'll never have enough...?


Two lucky commenters will be getting these fabulous books. Connect with Kate and talk to her!

39 comments:

  1. Kate I have a copy of 'Far Horizons' in my TBR pile and now knowing it the story of your GGGG grands can'st wait ti read it.

    Thanks for sharing.

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  2. How very, very cool! I love stories like that - passed down because of their own power. And I love the way you've used it as a base for your story! Sounds wonderful :)

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  3. Hi Sara,

    Thanks for coming along to read this post! You'll enjoy reading Far Horizon. I'm reading Book 2 of the trilogy now - Another Country.

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  4. Hello Jemi!

    I agree, Kate used her own family's passed down through generation history and wrote these historical. It's awesome!

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  5. Hi Kate,

    It was great reading about how you wrote this series of books. I guess we all can draw inspiration from our own histories!

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  6. Hi, Kate,
    I think it's pretty cool that you wrote this story based on people from your family line. It must have been fun to research.

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  7. How wonderfully romantic! I love stories like this~

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  8. How wonderfully romantic! I love stories like this~

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  9. Hi JL,

    Thnaks for coming along to read this post.

    All the best in the giveaway!

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  10. Hi Shelley,

    Thank you for coming along to read this post.

    All the best in the giveaway!

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  11. I love when real life events are part of our writing like that. I have a story of my grandfather I hope to someday use in a book.

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  12. How wonderful to be able to explore your family's history in a story!

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  13. The story behind Far Horizons truly is romantic. I love hearing how books came to fruition. Very cool!

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  14. Thanks everyone for your comments. I loved using my own family's history as the basis of the story, although I must admit I did deviate from what we know of real life for the sake of the story. There is an author's note at the back of the book to let you know what really happened and what didn't :)

    I also had to warn my mother before she read it that some of it was fiction. One of the characters in the book, Margaret MacDougall, is my great-great-great grandmother, and she is a bit of a family legend. I think the first time my mom read the book she put it down and said indignantly, 'Margaret did NOT do that!' Sorry, Mom...

    Seriously though being able to read the letters they wrote to each other was amazing. The sentiments were so eloquent and heartfelt; that kind of letter-writing is an ability most people never practice or possess today.

    So does anyone have an interesting story about their ancestor? A black sheep in the family, perhaps?

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  15. Kate - perhaps I could offer some insight. LIke the couple in Far Horizons, my husband and I had a long separation before we could marry. He lived in India and I lived in Ireland. I joined him in India eighteen years ago when his parents finally agreed to our marriage. We are now the parents of four children, two boys and two girls aged from eight to sixteen years.

    We'd been dating for over a year and then he had to return home. We waiting for six years to get together. During that time, I, being a writer (blogger, book reviewer with a couple of novels written and three short stories pubbed) wrote hundreds of letters. In that time, he, being a quiet man who works very hard, remained faithful to me the whole time until we could get together, but hardly wrote to me six times. It was agony for me, I used to suffer from mental and physical anguish. This was in the days before internet and mobiles. Well, they weren't available to us even if they were around. Anyways, we survived and we are still very much together, with all the ups and downs of life.

    I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading your books but I fully intend to put that right soon.

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  16. Sounds like a cool story and even better that it is based on her ancestors. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Wow, Maria, what a great story! That is a book in the making, I think... and I never thought of one person in a couple being a letter-writer and the other one not having that ability so much, yet both of them still fully committed to the relationship. That is great you guys are together after so long!

    I gave Harriet a more dramatic reason for not writing, however... but I won't give that away right now ;)

    Thanks for sharing your story. How did you guys actually meet?

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  18. Hi Kate,

    I really love the idea that you incorporated your family history into the book I adore the idea ! I do not have any great family generations stories to share, I have not had great luck in gathering my families history but from what I have learned is that we are a fun bunch so somewhere there must be great stories I just need to find the person to tell me ,but I have lost all my grandfathers and grandmothers so to gather the stories is not that easy.

    Thank you for sharing your story with us and for visiting the blog your books sound fabulous !

    Thank you Nas for bringing Kate to the blog. And thank you Kate for the brilliant giveaway.

    Desere

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  19. @Kate - He was in Dublin on a post-doctoral fellowship and I was working in the Embassy of India in Dublin. We met socially that way.

    For a book you'd have to give a much more dramatic reason for not writing, I do agree. I found it so strange that even after not answering several thousand letters, he still loved me. I still can't get over it sometimes! Absolutely everyone was telling me to forget him, but somehow, I couldn't. But it is unusual I know.

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  20. sounds a good book, looking forward to read this book :)

    eli_y83@yahoo.com

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  21. Nas, you have the most interesting authors on your blog.

    Kate, that's awesome that your ancestors' story inspired your novel. Gosh, if only you had a way to find out what really happened, huh? I bet you made their story real, though.

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  22. Wow, those letters sound fascinating! You're lucky to have a family history that's so rich with great stories! :)

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  23. Wow, Maria, thousands of letters?! You really kept the faith. That's wonderful; I'm so glad you and your husband found your happily-ever-after!

    It would be interesting to know the real reason why Harriet didn't answer Allan for so long; I suspect it might be that her letters went astray, as mail back then was very dicey! But you never know. I do know she waited seven years until he returned, but I've changed that in the book :)

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  24. @Maria, as I'm currently reading the second book in the series Another Country

    which takes up the story ten years later from Far Horizons
    and the mail still gets delivered six months later!

    @Kate, I think Far Horizons was FREE on Kindle a while back and I tweeted it? Maria you missed my tweet probably.

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  25. @Nas - I was offline for a couple of days recently, otherwise I'd have snapped it up!

    @Kate - maybe thousands is a bit strong, it was probably more like hundreds LOL - but it's true, he wrote something like six times in six years and it was sooo difficult. I'd analyze those letters, try reading between the lines....I'm so glad email is available nowadays, I'd never advise anyone to go through that.

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  26. Yes, email does make all the difference, doesn't it, in terms of being in touch with people? And yet I think there is something special about handwritten letters, even in this digital age. I've kept all the letters my husband wrote me when we were dating and separated by distance (for a short while, only!). I do like rereading them on occasion. However, I rarely reread emails!

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  27. Oh wow! I love how you used your family. I have a story I'm working on like that. About my Irish grand-pappy. I cannot wait to read this book! *waves*

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  28. Hi Robyn,

    What's the story with your grandmother? I'm always amazed to think what my ancestors experienced and endured. They were made of some tough stuff!

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  29. Looks like I'm not alone in loving stories when they're based on real people. Sounds awesome. Thanks ladies!

    Denise

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  30. Aw, I love the story of how you came to write Far Horizons.

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  31. I appreciate this intro to Kate and her book! I do enjoy a good historical.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  32. Anonymous27 May, 2012

    I enjoy historical fiction, and it's so cool that this is based on the author's family history.

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  33. Oh I love how your ancestors' true stories inspired you Kate!! Makes Far Horizons even more romantic and amazing!! Yay! take care
    x

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  34. What a wonderful thing - to take a true story from your own family, and such a romantic one indeed! The best stories are often true ones.

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  35. wow, kate! what a great idea used your own family's history to write your book. i think it's so romantic and makke me feel that true love is happen in real world as your great, great, great... uncle and auntie. i wish i can find my own true love ^^
    and the Kholskov story? i would love to readyour books :)
    Thank you for the giveaway :)

    Regards,
    Kristiana S
    kris.lilis[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  36. I always love hearing what inspires the story idea! Thanks, Kate!

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  37. Thank you all my lovely friends for coming along to read this post!

    By putting all names in a dish, Kate Hewitt picked up the name of Maria Mohan for FAR HORIZONS and Jemi Fraser for KHOLODOV'S LAST MISTRESS! Congratulations Ladies!

    Please contact Kate for the win?

    Thank you Kate for chatting with us and for this giveaway!

    There are more Kate Hewitt Giveaways at Romance Reader currently!

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  38. Thank you so much to Nas and Kate. I'm really delighted.

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  39. Yay!! Thanks so much! :) You made my day!

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