Showing posts with label #Regency romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Regency romance. Show all posts

Friday 7 April 2017

Regency author Vonnie Hughes is my guest



Hello Vonnie. Thank you for accepting my invitation to talk about your latest book.

Could you tell us something about the subjet?

DANGEROUS HOMECOMING was originally titled COMING HOME. It is a Regency historical and was aimed at the British market, but I have since discovered that the majority of my readers are American. Under the circumstances, when my U.K. publisher closed down, I retitled the novel, made some alterations and self-published it. The audio rights to the original are with another British publisher.
                        
                                                                      
What led you to write about this theme?

Most of all I like the theme of redemption. The only fairy tales that called to me were ones where the hero or heroine attained redemption after struggling through great adversity and they were redeemed by the strength of their character(s).

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

It entailed the usual heavy research which is essential when writing in the historical genre. But as I come from the Antipodes and did not have information at my fingertips such as a British writer would, I had to make doubly sure that my facts were correct.

And what was the most enjoyable part?

Doing the editing! I love editing; writing the story not so much. But as you edit it all falls together and you can think, “I like this book.”

What motivated you to write about this period?

The Peninsular Wars are a favourite setting for me. After reading Georgette Heyer in my teens, I subsequently married a man with an antique arms collection which included various swords, duelling pistols and shotguns from the Regency era. Recently we travelled to Spain and saw a couple of the 1809-1812 battlefields for ourselves. 

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

Our family owns many history books and that is where I start. Sure, there are great references online, but you have to remember that much of the information online is uploaded by people with an axe to grind. Whatever I read online I then verify from library books or more importantly, personal diaries.

How do you choose names for your characters?

Now I must admit that with the contemporary romantic suspenses I write, deciding on names is much easier! I can even invent one or two if I like. But when you write historicals you must use era-appropriate names and it is surprising how narrow the field is. There are only so many derivatives of Elizabeth and Mary and Henry. It can be a real challenge to name characters appropriately, particularly if one is perhaps the villain or anti-hero and needs a darker name.

What elements do you consider make a character believable?

I am not sure. Some authors have a gift for making the most improbable characters sound authentic. I’m referring to writers such as Sandra Brown (contemporary suspense) and Amanda Quick (historical romance). I think the depth of a character’s emotions make them believable more than anything else. A lacklustre characterisation makes for a light-weight hero or heroine.  

If you could go somewhere for a few months to write, where in the world would you go?

Italy, Italy and did I say – Italy?

Which authors do you choose to read for pleasure?

I re-read Georgette Heyer – not just her historicals but also her detective fiction. Other authors I love to re-read are Mary Stewart and Beverly Barton. Authors still writing whose work I enjoy and learn from are Tami Hoag, Lisa Gardner, Jayne Ann Krentz, Michael Connelly and J.D. Robb. Those are well-known writers. But I also number favourites among less known writers such as Maris Soule, K.M. Rockwood and Daniel Silva.  

What do you do when the inspiration falters?

Get angry with myself! I read and read and read and watch mindless T.V. And I people-watch. Eventually my faltering imagination fires up again.

 How do you make time for writing?

Lock out the world and put fingers on keys.

What are some ways in which you promote your work?  Do you find that these add to or detract from your writing time?

Oh, I hate, hate marketing. My blog site remains vacant for months at a time. But I belong to many online Yahoo groups and Facebook groups and I try to do a soft sell on those. I absolutely detest that “Hey, look at me!” stuff. Occasionally I get asked to do talks at one of the local libraries, and I quietly leave my personalised pens lying around on the shelves at bookshops or in libraries. I also belong to a lot of writing groups generally.

What projects are you working on at present?

Almost finished a romantic suspense (with the emphasis on suspense) for the Lobster Cove series at The Wild Rose Press. I also have a few bits and pieces of half written historicals and I’m going through them at the moment discarding some ideas and developing others.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Take your writing more seriously. You would have succeeded better if you’d not looked on it as a hobby but more of a career. Shove other distractions aside.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Depends on the book. Two Regency historicals (one named THE SECOND SON and a Regency novella called ENTANGLEMENT) took only four months each. But mainly my books take a good year to write.

Do you find Social media useful?

Useful? She grinds her teeth. Yes and no. It can waste your time, but it does help to get the word out there.

 Do you use elements from your day job in your plots?

Yes, definitely (in my contemporary suspenses I mean).

Thank you, Vonnie, for sharing your ideas and writing tips with us. Now let's look at the details of how to find your novel.

                           
On April 2  I self-published a Regency re-release. It was originally called COMING HOME, but if you look at Amazon you will see that there is a plethora of books all with that name.  I altered some of the text to a more universal standard since the original publishers were British and upgraded the title to DANGEROUS HOMECOMING

It is available here:


They are both scarred by war; she because of the shattered men she nurses; he because of the loss of friends and the horrors he must endure daily.

Colwyn Hetherington has a chance to put it all behind him and return to England. Juliana Colebrook desperately wants to go to England to seek out her relatives. They take an almighty chance and travel together, setting in train a series of events that neither could have anticipated.

With only their love to sustain them, they clash head-on with the reality of England, 1813.



Friday 10 March 2017

First meeting

                         It all starts badly

Riding on a vital mission through the Pyrenees, Louise is pursued by Napoleon's agents. A mighty thunderstorm makes matters worse. Then, when she seeks shelter in a cavern, it seems that is the worst choice she could make. 

She was shivering more violently than ever as he reached them and held his lantern aloft, training it first on Joseph and then on her. She forced herself to sit straight, and stared into a dark, angry face with gleaming eyes that seemed to see through her disguise.
 Joseph said something in the local dialect. Louise made out only a few words, just enough to know that Joseph had not revealed she was a woman. He had merely asked for shelter. The man held the lantern closer. His almond eyes were suspicious.
 ‘How am I to know you're not a spy?’ he growled. At least he spoke French, not this dialect she could scarcely follow.
 A surge of dislike rushed through her at his hostility. ‘I am on an urgent mission,’ she croaked, through chattering teeth. ‘I must get to my rendezvous quickly. But someone is pursuing me and I need to escape them. If you are unwilling to give us shelter from this storm, we'll leave now before night falls.’ She tugged at her horse’s bridle but to her dismay, she swayed and nearly toppled from the saddle. The man looked more closely.
 ‘You’re just a boy,’ he exclaimed, putting a hand on her horse’s nose. The beast immediately stilled. ‘Very well. Get down. You can strip off and dry.’
 Oh heavens! He would discover her secret; and as she thought again of that woman’s moans, she feared he was not to be trusted. But Joseph had already dismounted and was holding her bridle. The flash of rage had faded, leaving her head spinning with fatigue. She slid off the horse and her knees buckled. The stranger caught hold of her.
 ‘Not a seasoned adventurer, are you?’ He laughed and slid an arm round her ribs to steady her. She felt his hand jerk as it encountered her breast.  Awareness snaked through her as he brought his head close, examining her face keenly.
 ‘No, leave me,’ she protested, ‘I can manage.’ Panicked, she pulled away but staggered and sank to her knees with a little sob. Immediately his strong arms were hauling her up. Then everything blurred. 

The book is available here :   https://tinyurl.com/zlwnczj

and it will be on free offer between 14th - 18th March


Louise's cavern in the Pyrenees. She was so glad to get out of it !!






Wednesday 7 September 2016

A new appearance


April and May
A new edition for ebook and paperback
Click on the title to see details
                           April and May
                                                                                                                                     

When they met in London in 1799, Rose Charteris and Tom Hawkesleigh fell instantly in love. 
But disapproving families and misunderstandings came between them, and the romance was over as quickly as it started. 
Five years later, Tom is working for a powerful minister in Constantinople and he runs into Rose once again when they cross paths in the ambassador’s residence. 

Now a widow, and a fiercely independent woman, circumstances mean that Rose has no choice but to work with Tom on a top secret and dangerous document for the Sultan. 
Work in Constantinople becomes increasingly perilous, with spies from all sides desperate to find out what is planned. 

Even back in London, danger is not far away. 
Rose also has the burden of finding her place in high Georgian society, as well as trying to decide between the increasing charms of both Tom and ambassador Kerim Pasha. 

Will Rose be able to evade the increasing threat to her well-being that her work has led to? 
And will she succumb to her desires and give Tom back her heart? 

Spanning the magical lands of Constantinople and the traditional streets of London, April and May is a heart-warming tale of a love that knows no boundaries. 



Thoroughly enjoyed reading April and May by today. A delightful Regency romance with a vivid and unusual setting.




Looking across the Golden Horn from Pera.
                       

File:John Cordrey - A Gentleman with His Pair of Bays Harnessed to a Curricle - Google Art Project.jpg

Tom's curricle, when he returns to London.

                                                

The Rosetta Stone

Yes, these all belong in the story...........