Guest Post with Kate Pierce and Giveaway *ENDED* of Mark of the Rose (Open INT)

Today I have the pleasure of having Kate Pierce on for another awesome guest post and giveaway!  If you're not already familiar with her she writes the Tudor Vampire Chronicles.  I loved the first two, Kiss of the Rose (REVIEW) and Blood of the Rose (REVIEW) and am anxious to read the third one, Mark of the Rose.  

Today Kate is talking about her recent trip to London.  She's also doing a fabulous giveaway so read to the end!  Also, Kate sent along some fabulous photos she took but for some reason blogger isn't allowing me to post all of them.  But here are a couple!

I was lucky enough to grow up in the suburbs of London in 
the U.K. with a mother who was history-mad and dragged her somewhat reluctant offspring around to every historical site in London she could find. As some of you probably know, when you live in a beautiful place, you quite often don’t appreciate it until you leave it behind.

This summer I got the chance to go back and visit my family in the U.K. by myself and one of the things I was determined to do, was do some tourist stuff. Most of my family thought I was mad, but I did persuade my mother to walk around St. Paul’s cathedral with me and share her knowledge of the place. I was also surprised how HUGE and empty it was!

By contrast, I went by myself to Westminster Abbey, which you might be familiar with as the setting of the recent wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton. On T.V. the abbey looked bright, light and big. On the day I turned up, it was already raining, which meant the sky was a gloomy gray, and the interior was dark, despite all the lights.

I haven’t visited the abbey for more than twenty years. The thing that really surprised me, was how packed that place was. And I don’t mean by tourists, although that was an issue. I mean that it was packed with dead royalty. There were so many tombs of great and well-known English and British monarchs that they were literally stacked side by side or in tiny chapels where you could barely walk around them. As I was writing a series about King Henry VIII, I was particularly interested in his tomb and chapel and those of his father and children.

Despite the sense that I was walking through a rather badly organized closet, there is still a tremendous sense of time and history in the abbey and it is astounding to realize that it’s been there for a thousand years… Where I live now on the west coast, the oldest building is just over one hundred years old.

It certainly helps when you are able to picture the places you write about. I try and utilize places I have visited in my Tudor Vampire series. For me, the writing makes more sense if you can imagine yourself there. In the series I used Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court and Avebury, all of which I have visited. Unfortunately, Richmond Palace was torn down and there are only fragments of it remaining, 

Here’s my question to you all. Are there any great historical sites you would like to visit? 

(I still have a hankering to visit South America and see all those ancient civilization sites.)

Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles #3)

After hearing that Vampires have returned to the court of Henry VIII, Rhys Williams must form an unwanted alliance with Verity Llewellyn, a lady-in-waiting to the new queen. His childhood companion has grown into a clever and beautiful woman, but she is completely untried as a Vampire hunter. 
The revelation that the queen is pregnant only makes the situation all the more dangerous. Who is systematically draining her blood and how, without being noticed? As Rhys and Verity work together to untangle the mystery, the battle to save the queen and the heir to the throne heats up—as does the uncontrollable passion between them.

The Giveaway:ENDED

Kate is generously giving away two copies of Mark of the Rose and some perfume.

Open Worldwide.

Must be 17 or older to enter.

Ends 10/10

To Enter:ENDED

Answer Kates question "Are there any great historical sites you would like to visit?" Remember to include contact info.

Extra Entry:

Tweet the following phrase and link directly to your tweet in a separate comment.

Enter the #giveaway to win one of two copies of Mark of the Rose by Kate Pierce & perfume. Open INT. Go to http://tinyurl.com/6bf8t5t to enter.