About the Book

Book: Revealing the Truth

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre:Historical Romance

Release date: May 30, 2023

His suspect holds a secret, but can he uncover the truth before she steals his heart?

When Katherine Jenkins is rescued from the side of the road, half-frozen and left for dead, her only option is to stay silent about her identity or risk being shipped back to her ruthless guardian, who will kill to get his hands on her inheritance and the famous Jenkins Lipizzaner horses. But even under the pretense of amnesia, she cannot shake the memory of her sister and Katherine’s need to reach her before their guardian, or his marauding bandits, finish her off. Will she be safe in the earl’s manor, or will the assailant climbing through her window be the death of her?

British spy, Stephen Hartington’s assignment to uncover an underground horse-thieving ring brings him home to his family’s manor, and the last thing he expected was to be struck with a candlestick upon climbing through the guest chamber window. The manor’s feisty and intriguing new house guest throws Stephen’s best-laid plans into turmoil and raises questions about the timing of her appearance, the convenience of her memory loss, and her impeccable riding skills. Could he be housing the horse thief he’d been ordered to capture—or worse, falling in love with her?

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About the Author

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

More from Lorri

Horses, spies, and romance…

Horse stealing in Regency England was a lucrative venture. In some instances, a sale would bring in the equivalent of a quarter of a year’s income. If caught, however, horse thievery held a high price—capital punishment, typically by hanging. Criminals were a varied group, ranging from child pranksters stealing their neighbor’s workhorse for a joy ride to professional horse-thieving rings who transported their contraband a considerable distance, over 31 miles (or 50 kilometers) and sometimes internationally. They traveled to avoid buyers who’d recognize stolen property.

The British spy network of the Regency era didn’t yet hold the famous name MI6. Instead, it formed two departments the War Department, which handled international matters, and the Home Office, which dealt with domestic issues. Revealing the Truth’s hero, Lord Stephen Hartington, works as a contracted spy for the Home Office, assigned to catch horse thieves in his hometown near the rolling hills and flowing rivers of England’s Cotswolds.

The heroine, Katherine Jenkins, has reservations regarding love and trust. She inherited the well-known Jenkin’s Lipizzaner horses, and her fortune attracts her ruthless guardian. He has two options to get his hands on her money that won’t raise her solicitor’s suspicions—marry her or have her meet with a seemingly accidental demise. Due to her guardian’s actions and Katherine’s fiancée’s rejection after her parents passed, it’s no wonder she’s hesitant about love. Through watching Stephen’s interactions with his family, God heals her heart enough to take steps of faith, but allegations of her being a horse thief threaten to undo the progress she’s made.

The seeds of Revealing the Truth were first planted when I was in the seventh grade. I used to carry an idea notebook and jot down scenes whenever inspired. My mother found my old notebook a few years ago and mailed it to me. In it were faded pencil scrawls about a girl escaping into the cold night and collapsing. She’s taken in by kind passersby who nurse her back to health, only to be surprised when their handsome young son climbs in through her bedroom window and so enters Stephen into Katherine’s life.

Enjoy!

To learn more, check out my website at lorridudley.com or wildheartbooks.org or watch the Revealing the Truth book trailer by clicking here: Revealing the Truth book trailer.

Interview with Lorri

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

I love to dabble in art and was an elementary art teacher. I loved seeing the kids’ faces light up when they realized they were budding artists. One time, however, I had two art students who were frenemies. We were working with pastels, which is a chalk-like medium. While helping a student, I heard a commotion and looked up to find both girls rubbing their chalk-covered hands in each other’s faces. They looked like chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins. I had to work hard not to laugh. 

Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?

Revealing the Truth was inspired by a scene I wrote in middle school where the hero crawls in the bedroom window. My mom sent me a bunch of my old notebooks that she didn’t want to throw away. I found the scene, and it sparked the idea for my novel. Also, Revealing the Truth has a love triangle between Stephen, who has decided it’s time to settle down and start a nursery. He thinks he’s settled upon a woman of good breeding—the logical choice, Miss Julia Napier—but Katherine changes his view of his future and the woman he wants in it.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

I’d have to say Katherine because she and I share many of the same firstborn traits. We desire to nurture people but also feel responsible—like we have to be perfect and have it all together, which makes it a struggle to ask for help. When my second child was born, my parents came up to help but they got the stomach bug. My firstborn didn’t like sharing mom’s attention and the baby had colic and wasn’t sleeping, so neither was I. A friend stopped by, saw my face, and took the baby for a walk. When she returned, she started folding my laundry. I cried. I didn’t know how much I needed help until she swooped in like a Godsend.

What were the highlight or key challenges you faced when writing this book?

I’ve always been a fan of James Bond and the 007 movies, but MI6, as Britain’s secret service, wasn’t formed until 1912. Before that time, little information on spying is accounted for. In her book Regency Spies, Sue Wilkes says, “The idea of state-employed spies and informers affronted the British sense of fair play. Spying on one’s friends and neighbours was something the French did—it was thoroughly un-English.” There is evidence of the use of spies during the Regency Era. The War Department even opened a Foreign Letter Office, which later became The Alien Office and was the unofficial headquarters for intelligence. Still, most records from the Alien Office have disappeared. This could be because the agents of the Alien Office were very good at their jobs. However, it made researching British spies very challenging.

What is the key theme and or message in the book?

The issue of trust comes up repeatedly. Katherine has legitimate reasons not to trust her cousin and flee the home she’d always known, but when God places her among people who love her and care about her, she struggles to open up and speak the truth. It takes her seeing the fingerprints of God’s hands and how they protected her and guided her to realize that she doesn’t have to battle alone. 

Blog Stops

Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 30

Holly’s Book Corner, May 30

lakesidelivingsite, May 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, June 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, June 2

Kristina Hall, June 2

Texas Book-aholic, June 3

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, June 4 (Author Interview)

Christina’s Corner, June 4

Lily’s Book Reviews, June 5

Cover Lover Book Review, June 6

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, June 6

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , June 7

Betti Mace, June 8

She Lives To Read, June 8

Connie’s History Classroom, June 9

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 11

Blogging With Carol, June 11

Pause for Tales, June 12

For Him and My Family, June 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/263d5/revealing-the-truth-celebration-tour-giveaway