It is our pleasure to have Allison Chase, author of the newly released, Most Eagerly Yours join us for awesome book goodness today on Book Binge.

Most Eagerly Yours is the first book in Chase’s new series, Her Majesty’s Secret Servants and it is a series that is definitely on our radar here at Book Binge.

We look forward to keeping up with this brand spankin’ new series and would like to welcome Allison Chase to Book Binge. She’s here to speak about our heroes.

Check it out:

Three Queens and a Healthy Dose of Girl Power!

The “kick butt” heroine: she’s a popular addition to romance and she’s here to stay – and thank heavens for that! No modern woman wants to read about wimpy heroines who cry in the face of danger and wait for the hero to save their fragile hides. But what does kick butt mean? Lara Croft comes to mind, right? And Buffy – one of my favorites!

But let’s face it, the whole Lara Croft concept is pretty new, and you won’t find many examples of her in history. Sure, we had Boudicca and Joan of Arc, but they were the exceptions. Still, women throughout history did find ways of flexing their metaphoric muscles, especially when that muscle involved more brain than brawn.

Two of the longest-reigning and most notable English monarchs were both women. I’m talking Elizabeth I and Victoria, of course, although you could also add Eleanor of Aquitaine to the list of history’s most formidable females because while she never reigned in her own right, she was certainly not a gal who sat quietly embroidering in her bower.

Contrary to tradition AND the emphatic wishes of everyone around them, each of these intrepid ladies had a firm hand in the politics of the day, True, they were queens, but they were also women, and everyone pretty much expected them to come trotting out for official ceremonies but otherwise leave the governing to the men. There were always people trying to control them, but in the end each one had the chutzpah to assert her independence and, well, do as she bloody well pleased.

Cunning Eleanor often had her husband, Henry II, over a barrel; Elizabeth refused to marry at all, preferring to keep her royal powers to herself, thank you; and Victoria, who initially would have liked to remain single, ended up marrying, not for political advantage but for love. That not seem particularly radical to us, but for a woman of her time and position, it was an act that required a digging in of her royal heels. As a foreigner and a German at that, not to mention an impoverished one, Albert wasn’t the most popular choice for England’s new queen. But Victoria wanted him, and Victoria made sure she got him.

Odd, but while hundreds of years separated them, these three queens did all share something in common: imprisonment of one form or another. When Eleanor went too far in instigating her sons to rebel against their father, she ended up in “comfortable confinement” for the next 16 years – until Henry died. Elizabeth spent time in the dreaded Tower of London after being implicated in Wyatt’s Rebellion against her sister, Mary. And Victoria, never officially imprisoned, nonetheless spent her childhood & teen years isolated and restricted by her mother’s stringent rules. She had no friends, no privacy and no freedom whatsoever.

Did they cower? Back down? Decide it was easier to behave? No way! They bided their time and then came out swinging – metaphorically, of course. And that’s because each one of them had enough confidence to recognize her own capabilities – and how to make darn good use of them. In other words, they used their Girl Power to gather their courage, stand up to their adversaries and claim their rights. Yea!

In my Victorian Series, Her Majesty’s Secret Servants the four Sutherland sisters are pretty typical, country-bred gentlewomen – at least on the surface. They also grew up restricted and isolated on their uncle’s estate after the mysterious deaths of their parents. Now that they are adults, they discover hints that their own lives may be in jeopardy, and that their uncle had been trying to protect them. But having finally tasted independence, the Sutherlands aren’t about to cower or hide.

When their childhood friend-turned Queen of England comes calling with predicaments of a delicate nature, these ladies must step up to the plate and become Victoria’s “super heroes”… her Secret Servants. It means setting aside propriety and safety, and drawing on their considerable stores of ingenuity and sheer pluck, even if it means risking their lives, hearts and occasionally their virtue in the service of their beloved young monarch.

In the first book, MOST EAGERLY YOURS…Laurel, the eldest, is the first to be called. The Queen is threatened by her jealous cousin, George Fitzclarence, who is known for speaking treason. She asks Laurel to pose as a wealthy widow and use her charms to win George’s trust, then find out what he is really plotting. Laurel is prepared for the risks of acting a part, but she encounters an unexpected and formidable obstacle in the Earl of Barenforth–George’s friend and a notorious rake, whom Victoria has warned her to avoid…

An undercover agent for the Home Office, Aidan Phillips, Earl of Barensforth, is on the trail of a financial hoax involving alchemy, murder…and George Fitzclarence. When a lovely young widow wanders into his path and turns his well-laid plans on end, he senses she is hiding something. Aidan is no stranger to seduction, or to the wiles of beautiful women. And he intends employing wiles of his own to uncover the lady’s secrets…

To celebrate the release of MOST EAGERLY YOURS, I’ll be giving away a copy to a random commenter today. We all like to pick out heroes to admire and emulate. The above-mentioned ladies are three of mine. But a hero (or heroine) can be a sports figure, a philanthropist, or even a family member – the only real definition in my opinion is someone who inspires us. Who do you look up to, and why?

Thanks again to Allison for stopping by and gracing us with your presence here on Book Binge. Now, you’ve heard the lady, if you want a chance to win your very own copy of MOST EAGERLY YOURS then leave a comment on this here post and Allison will choose a winner on Friday 3/12/10. The contest will run until 11:59pm tomorrow night.

Good luck and thanks again Allison Chase, it was lovely having you on Book Binge! If you lovely readers have any questions you’d want to ask Allison, she’ll be popping in and out all day to answer any questions thrown her way.

Thanks!