The Scholar’s Heart: A Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway with Antonia Aquilante

We’re so pleased to welcome author Antonia Aquilante today on the tour for her new novel, The Scholar’s Heart. Enjoy her guest post, the excerpt she’s provided, and then be sure to check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for the chance to win an ecopy of The Prince’s Consort or The Artist’s Masquerade.

And now, here’s Antonia.

Thank you so much to The Novel Approach for hosting me today! When I started putting posts together for this tour, I asked on social media if anyone had any questions they’d like me to answer, and I got some really great questions. I can’t answer some of them yet because of spoilers – sorry! – but I’ll answer the ones I can. One question I was asked is how I name my characters.

I will admit that I agonize over every single name. I study name books and websites. I have names I like highlighted and circled in the books, and I keep lists of names that I think might work in the world but that haven’t been right for a character yet. I’ve been fascinated by names for a long time. I’m always interested to find out their origins, history, and meanings. I’m even more interested by the connotations names have. What do people think when they hear the name? Impressions vary from person to person, of course, but some names just seem a certain way. Like I said, I’ve been interested for a long time. I got some strange looks as a fourteen-year-old buying baby name books in my local bookstore, but even then I liked to read about the names – and find the right ones for my characters.

It takes me a long time to name characters usually. There have been a few that were quick and seemed perfect for the character, but more often I spend a lot of time looking for the perfect name. I have to have names for my main characters before I start writing, but I can write whole books without names for a lot of the other characters. And then I have to go back and hunt out the right names for them after.

About the Book

Series: Chronicles of Tournai
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 294 Pages
Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance
Release Date: 30 May 2016
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
Add the book to: Goodreads
Blurb: Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press ebook || Dreamspinner Press paperback || Amazon || AllRomance || Kobo || Barnes & Noble || Apple

About the Author

Antonia Aquilante has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours, she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years, but one thing has remained consistent – they all end in happily ever after.

She has a fondness for travel (and a long list of places she wants to visit and revisit), taking photos, family history, fabulous shoes, baking treats which she shares with friends and family, and of course reading. She usually has at least two books started at once and never goes anywhere without her Kindle. Though she is a convert to ebooks, she still loves paper books the best, and there are a couple thousand of them residing in her home with her.

Born and raised in New Jersey, she is living there again after years in Washington, DC, and North Carolina for school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, the New Jersey Romance Writers, and the Rainbow Romance Writers.

Social Links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

The Giveaway

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