Book Details:
Book Title: Her Own Legacy, Book 1 of the Chateau de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 870 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Le Vin Press
Release date: Sep 2022
Tour dates: Mar 13 to Apr 3, 2026
Content Rating: PG-13 + M: No explicit sex scenes or bad language, but one of the main characters is illegitimate. Violence of the French Revolution included, but no gore.
A captivating tale of courage, betrayal, and resilience set against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution
To save her world, she must risk losing it.
Chateau Verzat’s vineyards have sustained generations, but ancient laws forbid unmarried women from inheriting land. Countess Joliette de Verzat secretly manages her estate, haunted by the fear of losing everything for herself and her people.
Revolution erupts, chaos descends. She risks her life to save her forbidden lover amidst the turmoil and flees to Paris where she uncovers a shocking truth: her illegitimate half-brother, Henri, is the rightful heir.
Now hunted by her father’s killer, Joliette must trust those she has saved to protect her and help her reclaim her legacy. But as she faces impossible choices and dangerous enemies, she must also confront her own desires and the true meaning of family.
For fans of strong women and forbidden romance, Her Own Legacy is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for self-determination. Experience the passion and turmoil of a woman defying tradition to claim her rightful place.
Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. Her work has been honored with a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick, numerous awards--including: Winner Best Book Series, Page Turner Awards and the Independent Author Award, Runner Up, and many five-star reviews.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads
Fashion & Fiction
As a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, I try to weave my knowledge of history, fabrics, and style in my historical fiction novels. Fabrics and fashion also happen to be my passions, and I delight in the discoveries my research often reveals.
For example, on a recent trip to a local museum, I noticed one of the 19th century gowns was displayed inside-out on the mannequin. The work was so fine and beautiful, I didn’t immediately notice that I was looking at the wrong side of the gown. It was then that I discovered the fabric loops and cords that ran in vertical lines on either side of the back of the gown. When the cords were pulled, the fabric gathered into a bustle, and the tighter the cords were pulled, the higher the bustle sat on the woman. The contraption looked like the inside of soft-fold Roman drapes we use today. Very impressive technology for the 19th century that is still employed today, albeit in drapes, not so much gowns.
Accuracy is very important to me, so I believe the devil is in the details, but I don’t give the devil free reign. In “Her Own Legacy,” I had to be familiar with fashions for both the nobility and peasantry.
Prior to the French Revolution, women carried their belongings in Hanging Pockets that were embroidered and hung from a cord worn around their waists and hidden amongst the folds of their over skirts. When fashion changed from huge voluminous skirts to Grecian column-like silhouettes in the late 1790s, thanks to Josephine Bonaparte, there was no place for those bulging pockets to hide, so, designers created the very important bag, held in the hand with a handle. Bag + Handle = Handbag!
Pockets haven’t disappeared and as a matter of fact, I won’t buy jackets, sweaters, pants or skirts without them. Also, I’m guilty of wearing a hip bag aka, fanny pack. My contemporary romance protagonist is a hip-bag-wearing fashion designer who tries to invent a bathing suit with a built-in life preserver in “His Last Christmas Gift.” I learned there is no such thing as a swimsuit with a built-in life preserver for a very good reason.
It sounds like an interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
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