You have sold a trilogy to St. Martin’s. Can each book be read as a stand-alone novel? How are the books connected?

I have tried to make all of my novels stand alone in case a reader starts somewhere in the middle of a trilogy. That being said, there are recurring characters throughout the books that some readers may prefer to read as they are introduced—explained below.
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How are your books connected?

The first book, THE SURRENDER OF A LADY, is loosely connected to the last two. The Marquess of Rothburn—the hero—visits the harem with his long time friend, the Earl of Asbury. Asbury is the hero of book two.

In book two, THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE, we are introduced to the heroine Emma, Countess of Asbury. She has two siblings, Grace, the middle sister and Abby, the youngest sister.

Abby Hallaway is the heroine in book three.
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Your books are set in the Victorian era. How did you choose this time period?

I love everything historical. My voice and style worked best in the Victorian period, which, for me has a raw and grittier feel than other periods. Society was constantly changing during the industrial revolution; the lines in social status were transforming and disappearing altogether.

Another thing I love about the time period is that the growing working force allowed—within the aristocracy—for something more than living a life of leisure that aristocrats were used to in earlier time periods; everyone had to get their hands dirty. There is just so much to explore in the Victorian era.

On a less practical note, there is something eternally sexy about a man in a cravat—or necktie, depending on the occasion.
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What (or who) inspired you to write historical romance?

Jo Beverley, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas.
Their novels spoke to me and made that inner writer claw her way to the front of my imagination so she could be heard. I’m also a really big fan of DH Lawrence and Anaïs Nin.
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Could you imagine writing something else entirely in the future?

I love historical romance a lot. I love to read in all genres but my heart is in historical right now.
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What are your heroes and heroines like?

I tend to write heroine driven novels. My characters are fighters and want to carve the best life they can no matter the circumstance they might find themselves.

My men tend to be self-made men of the upper class. They don’t shy away from getting their hands dirty, whether in labor, the arts or trade.
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How did you come up with the idea for THE SURRENDER OF A LADY?

One of my favorite forms of research is to look at art. I was looking up Orientalism and came upon a picture of a Veiled Circassian Beauty by Jean-Léon Gérôme, which lead to a series of other searches about historical Persian societies. Anything I could get my hands on—for harems especially—I read.

The most interesting tidbit of information I found was the tales of women who were captured at sea, taken in war, and then sold into harems for emperors and sultans. It didn’t matter what class those women were from, or what color their skin was. If they were young and healthy enough to bear children, then they were good enough for a harem.

I was completely fascinated by the beauty of the culture and society that I asked myself the famous “what if.” What if I had an English heroine? What if she were sold into a harem? I guess, as they say, the rest is history.
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How many books do you usually write a year?

I write two to three novels in a year.
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What do you like most about being a writer?

It’s what I love and am most passionate about.
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Do you outline your novels before you begin writing or make it up as you go along? Are you a pantser or plotter?

I’m not a plotter. I never know the end of the book until I get there. I might have a vague idea about the story overall, but I don’t know the fine points. I hash them out as I get to them.
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How much research do you do and how do you do it?

My research varies from online searches to reference books, to old letters and diaries to biographies. If I’m touching up on a topic I’ve never researched before I tend to glom everything I can find for sale, or on the Internet, in art, etc.
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What are you working on next?

Right now I’m working on Abby Hallaway’s book. She is the youngest of the Hallaway siblings, and she’s first introduced in THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE.
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Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Write a book to the end; find a critique partner, someone you can trust to read your work and someone who can give you unbiased feedback. Listen to what they say without taking it personally. Then revise. And revise again. Revise until you are sure you can’t revise anymore. Also remember to write the next book while you are at it.

Something else that helped me was joining Romance Writers of America and my local RWA chapter, Toronto Romance Writers. There is a wealth of information in the other writers around you if you just ask. Participate, volunteer, and talk to other writers. Never give up if it’s your dream.
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When will I be able to buy your first book?

THE SURRENDER OF A LADY is slotted for Fall of 2010. The moment I have an exact date I will let readers know.
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Who is your agent?

The very wonderful and incomparable Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary Agency.
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I want to be a writer, will you read my book?

I’m afraid I cannot give you input on your stories. First, I have my own writing priorities and deadlines and am unable to spare time to look at anything anyone might send me. I never make an exception. Second, for legal reasons, I cannot read any unsolicited material or ideas that are unpublished. Any unsolicited material I do receive will be deleted.

My recommendation is to join a writer’s group to get feedback from peers who write the same type of material you write. If you write full length fiction I highly recommend Romance Writers of America, which can be found here: www.rwanational.org. I also know there are fantasy, sci-fi and horror writer associations that should come up in an internet search.

Remember that writing is a subjective field, my opinion does not matter as much as an agent’s or editor’s. If you want to pursue writing, I suggest you seek representation. A great place to start with that is here: www.agentquery.com.
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