An Excerpt from Think of England
by KJ Charles
Archie Curtis, British officer, gentleman, and solid Victorian soul, meets Daniel da Silva for the first time, and, it’s not quite instalove…
“Mr. Curtis, this is Mr. da Silva.”
Curtis looked at the gentleman indicated and decided on the spot that he’d rarely seen a more dislikable man.
He was about Curtis’s age and just a few inches shorter, close to six foot, but with nothing of his own bulk. A slender, willowy sort, and very dark, with sleek and glossy black hair, brilliantined to within an inch of its life, and eyes of such a deep shade that it was nearly impossible to tell pupil from iris. His skin was olive-tinted against his white shirt. In fact, he was quite obviously some kind of foreigner.
A foreigner and a dandy, because while his shirt was impeccable and the tailcoat and tapering trousers cut to perfection, he was wearing a huge green glass ring and, Curtis saw with dawning horror, a bright green flower in his buttonhole.
Da Silva walked a few steps over, giving Curtis just enough time to register that he affected a sinuous sort of movement, and offered him a hand so limp that he struggled not to drop it like a dead animal.
“Charmed,” drawled da Silva. Somewhat to Curtis’s surprise, his accent was that of an Englishman of breeding. “A military gentleman and a pugilist, how delightful. I do enjoy spending time with our brave boys.” He gave Curtis a curling smile and moved away, snake-hipped, taking Lady Armstrong with him as the party formed little groups.
“Well. Who’s that chap?” asked Curtis quietly.
“Dreadful dago,” said James, not quietly. “I’ve no idea why Sophie tolerates the man.”
About Think of England
Lie back and think of England…
England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage.
Curtis’s search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts.
As events unfold, Curtis realizes that Daniel has his own secret intentions. And there’s something else they share—a mounting sexual tension that leaves Curtis reeling.
As the house party’s elegant facade cracks to reveal treachery, blackmail and murder, Curtis finds himself needing clever, dark-eyed Daniel as he has never needed a man before…
Available at: Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo
About KJ Charles
I’m a writer of romance, mostly m/m, often historical or fantasy or both. I also have a contemporary thriller coming out soon. I like to mix it up.
I’m a commissioning editor in my daily life and I blog about writing and editing at kjcharleswriter.wordpress.com.
I live in London, UK, with two kids, a tolerant husband and an even more tolerant cat.
You can find KJ on her Website, Goodreads, Facebook or Twitter.
This blog tour giveaway is for one ebook copy of Think of England and a $25 gift certificate to your online book retailer of choice. To enter, just click the link below!
Rafflecopter Giveaway
Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.
Don’t forget to check out Heather C’s review of Think of England to see what she thought of it!
Good luck!
The Blogger Girls 
Congrats, I love your stories, looking forward to this one
Dreadful Dago. :D. Thanks for the excerpt!
Hi KJ, congratulations on your newest book. Can’t wait to read it.
Widdershins.
This new book sounds great. Looking forward to reading it.
From the rafflecopter – I have read a lot of m/m historicals. Too many to list, but the most recent was Necropolis (OK – its a paranormal, too), which I LOVED.
I’ve read other m/m historicals by Ava March, Jordan L. Hawk etc.
Love this series. It is a favorite, love the mix of historical, romance and mm.
I have read quite a few m/m historical books from different historical periods, but just a few recent ones have been written by Ava March, Bonnie Devon, Tamara Allen, Jordan L Hawk, Harper Fox & a delightful free read by Kaje Harper called ‘Into Deep Waters’. Thank you for this giveaway 🙂
Let’s see Piper Vaughn’s Love Rising and Kaje Harper’s Into Deep Waters for sure I think i have read some other but not sure.
Right now I’m reading Death by Silver. Not exactly sure if it qualifies for M/M, but I think so. 🙂
I’ve read A Charm of Magpies series
Thanks for the great excerpt! I’ve read Jordan L Hawk’s Whyborne & Griffin series and other historicals by Ava March, Tamara Allen, and Summer Devon to name a few. I love the Charm of Magpies series too. Looking forward to reading this one.
I love this scene!
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Some of my favorite historicals: Flanders by Patricia Anthony, Home Fires Burning by Charlie Cochran, A Young Man in Paris by Sophia Deri-Bowen.
I’ve read a lot of books by Ava March. Can’t wait to read this one!
Hoooo boy, that’s going to be interesting!
One of my favorite historicals (other than more of K.J.’s!) is the Widdershins series by Jordan L. Hawk. J’adore.
I haven’t read many m/m historical. I’ve read the first book in the Whyborne & Griffin series and some short stories by Anna Martin, and from LT3 press.
W&G series by Jordan L. Hawk, Ms. Charles’s Magpie series, the Enlightenment series, and various other standalones. Historical is one of my favorite sub genres.
Just finished it! Just loved it! I’m a fan of historicals, the wonderful books of Alex Beecroft spring to mind first, but I still think even those who aren’t as into them will love it, too.
I’ve read, and enjoyed, Ava March’s Brook Street series. Plus the Griffin & Whyborne series is also a fave. As is the Magpie series.
I’ve read quite a few of Ava March’s, and I really love Jamie Fessenden’s THE CHRISTMAS WAGER and KA Mitchell’s AN IMPROPER HOLIDAY.
I’ve read quite a few by Ava March, KA Mitchell, Bonnie Dee & Summer Devon, and Joanna Chambers and have so many others on the tbr — m/m historicals are a favorite genre.
Congrats on the great review.
Congratulations in this awesome book!