Month: January 2021

Every writer has a unique path to publication, if they choose to publish what they write. My guest today has a moving tale to share about how became published. Please welcome Trisha Faye! Let’s look at her background and then move on to find out more about her and her stories.

Trisha Faye writes about people, places, and items from the past – when she can tear herself away from researching, which is her favorite activity. But, in true Gemini fashion, she also enjoys writing magazine articles, children’s stories, and inspirational pieces. When not settled in front of a computer screen, she plays with a house full of rescue cats (far too many!) or digs in the garden.

Trisha is a past-Secretary and past-President of Keller Writers’ Association. She gives presentations and holds writing workshops at local libraries and for local writing groups and conferences. She is published in Quilter’s World, Country Magazine, Good Old Days, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Women’s World and in other national and regional publications.

Website * Facebook * Blog

Betty: When did you become a writer?

Trisha: Writing entered my life slowly. I’m not one that can share that ‘I’ve been writing stories ever since I was a young child’. In the late 1990s, I started a monthly herbal newsletter. But I didn’t feel I was writing. I mostly shared recipes and reported on how to use herbs in crafting and gardening. Looking back, I think I felt that was a ‘safer’ route.

After my Grandma Jones died, I wanted to document some of the family stories and write a book about them. I did dabble with the start of a few stories that featured Grandma and my mom as a young child. But I doubt I ever wrote more than one or two chapters, and that project died a slow death.

The year I turned 50, I moved to Texas and that’s really when my writing began. I started with some articles for our small local paper. From there I started branching and getting magazine articles accepted. Gradually, with each acceptance I felt more confident in myself and started expanding the type of writing I did.

I soon became brave enough to start working on fictional short stories, most of a historical nature, along with some books – both non-fictional and historical fiction, and some children’s stories.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Trisha: Counting the years when I didn’t consider myself a real writer, to publication of my first newspaper article, was probably about ten years – off and on.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Trisha: I think what I most enjoy about writing is the creative process. Many of my stories begin from an item from the past – a postcard, a vintage cookbook, a photograph, an embroidered dish towel, or a tattered quilt.

Or, am I simply justifying one of my greatest pleasures – drifting about in a myriad of antique stores on the hunt for ‘treasure’? If that prized bit I discover becomes a story or a book, then it’s all good, right?

I pick up a worn dish towel with its hand embroidered design and think of the woman who stitched this piece so many years before. From the patterned pieces that came from its initial life as a feed sack, I feel that the dishcloth was crafted in the ’30s or ’40s. My mind begins creating the tale of the woman that stitched this lovely towel, thinking of what her life must have been like. What difficulties did she face? What challenges did she overcome? What delights did she find in her life?

And from there, a woman from long ago starts rising from the fragments collected in my brain and I end up creating a lady, her family, a story that surrounds her.

New projects, new characters, new tales – I feel like I’m molding these snippets of the past into new people, creating lives and memories, and honoring past lives when I’m able to.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Trisha: Oh dear, I remember the first writing class I took. Or should I say, the first class that I attempted? I was about twenty years old, just starting some classes at the junior college in Azusa. I was not one of the bold, young, confident ones. I was one more afraid of my own shadow. One of my classes was a creative writing class. I couldn’t tell you what my story was about. But I can report that when I read my first story aloud to the class – it was ripped to shreds! Along with my fragile ego. I never returned.

About fifteen years later, as I navigated the murky days of divorce, I began going to a counselor who helped me through the process. She is the first one that told me these words – “You are a writer.”

Of course, it still took about another fifteen years before I believed her and began crafting with words instead of fibers and glass and clay.

Alas, by this time I also saw that those cruel, scathing words from my first critique were not all that wrong. Even though the local newspaper accepted several articles for publication, encouraging me in the notion that I could be a writer, I saw that I still needed to learn a lot.

I began devouring books on writing. Fortunately, the internet had exploded by then, and a wealth of writing blogs, newsletters, podcasts, and such awaited me on these virtual airwaves coming straight to my desk.

I felt like a sponge soaking up knowledge. And I’m still learning.

I also joined two local writing groups, where their insightful critiques keep helping me polish my prose as I grow and learn more each week, each month, each year.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Trisha: I wish I knew then that we are never, never, never going to get it perfectly right the first time out. Our first draft, no matter how good we think we’ve done, is always going to go through several mutations before it ends up as a final product – sometimes with massive transformations.

But every word cut, every word changed, every modification only creates a better product. And the words of critique that help us along – sometimes kind and considerate, sometimes not so much – only help us strengthen our craft.

I wish that I could have had a thicker skin in those days. Because I didn’t, and I didn’t keep going, I wasted thirty years. I think that’s why I like to share my story of that time so long ago when some harsh words halted me on my path and diverted me for far too many years. I want to encourage others who may be feeling discouraged to keep going. Keep muddling through and keep putting the words on the paper.

No, we may not be Stephen King or JK Rowling. We may never even make it close to their level of expertise. But we do get better. Every day we write. Every thousand words we add to a manuscript. Every time we make another editing pass through a story. Keep on writing and we will keep getting better.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Trisha: Dr. Barbara Sinor, who is no longer the counselor who aided me as I traversed some dark, difficult days, is now my friend and mentor. She has been a huge inspiration to me, both with her encouragement, and the inspiration of her beautiful, lyrical writing.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Trisha: I know it seems strange to be sharing a book of Christmas stories with you the last week in January. But this is my latest book released last November, 100 Years of Christmas, and it’s perhaps one I’m most proud of. Most of the stories in this book had their beginnings from an object found at an antique store, or in the case of the 1934 quilt squares (Stitching Christmas Memories), a set of 30 quilt squares purchased at a yard sale in California.

Since most of the quilt squares had names on them, I eventually was able to track them to a small, now-non-existent town of Athelstan, Iowa. The squares were stitched by women and young girls in 1934. In 2014, I traveled to southern Iowa and donated the quilt squares to The Taylor County Historical Museum, where I met many descendants of these women and created friendships that continue to this day.

The stories in the book are themed around Christmas. Some of them I started two to three years ago. But they’re not really Christmas stories. They’re stories of seven different women through the years 1849-1948, who struggled to remain strong, to protect their families, to thrive and grow despite the circumstances surrounding them.

A few true facts, along with a few pieces from the past, are woven together with a large dollop of fiction, creating women and honoring those from the past. It’s one of the things I most like to do.

Thank you, Betty, for giving me this chance to come aboard and share some of my thoughts with your readers. I genuinely appreciate it and wish you all a day filled with blessings – and good stories.

Come join us as we travel through the years, peeking in on seven different women as they navigate the Christmas holiday and come to terms with their own inner life struggles. Hannah Tate’s story starts off in the Texas frontier in 1849. We travel through the years and end with Flora Luper in northwest Arkansas in 1948.

Excerpt:

Hannah threw another log in the fireplace, plopped down in a chair, and drew her knitting basket onto her lap. Picking up her needles, she continued with her current project, one she only worked on when her husband, Benjamin, was away from the house. Her shoulders sagged with fatigue. How she longed to join the younger girls on the bed. But as every other pioneer woman, she plodded along from sunup to sundown. She was pleased to be able to rest, while plying her needles, and still be productive.

She didn’t like the frosty bite of winter, especially when the howling wind and frigid cold found its way through tiny, unchinked spots. She was delighted the fall harvest was over. That season, with its harvesting and preserving, kept her busy.

Thinking of all the goods put up to last the family through this coldest of the seasons, she sent a silent prayer of thanks up toward the heavens. The tornado that ripped through north Texas earlier in the spring destroyed much of their earthly possessions. She was thankful it came in April, before the crops were sown and the vines and stalks were heavy with bounty.

Knit, purl, knit, purl—the stitches went on, one after the other, the repetitive motion lulling Hannah to a drowsy mood. Shaking her head, she fidgeted in the chair and tugged at the apron stretched taunt across her bulging belly. I’d better finish these up. There’s more I’ll need to be knitting.

Buy links: Amazon

What a fascinating idea for seeking inspiration for a story, Trisha. I’ll never be able to walk through an antique store again without thinking of you.

Happy reading, folks!

Betty

Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories

Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.

Subscribe to My Newsletter to learn the inside scoop about releases and more!

Follow Me on Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

Today’s guest author is a fellow historical fiction author who has been writing all her life in one form or another. Please help me welcome Eileen Joyce Donovan to the interview hot seat! Here’s a quick peek at her bio and then we’ll learn more about her and her writing.

Although born in New York City, where she spent most of her life, Donovan has lived in six states and visited most of the others. She earned her MA in English at Northern Arizona University. In one way or another, she’s been writing her entire life, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for industrial clients.

But she never felt her stories were “good enough” to be published. At the persistent urging of her late husband, she finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of them and take the plunge. Although accepted for publication, the book never made it all the way to print. However, this gave her the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a published author.

Years later, her persistence paid off and her debut historical fiction, Promises, was released in 2019 from Waldorf Publishing and won the 2019 Marie M Irvine Award for Literary Excellence. She is also a contributing essayist to various themed anthologies.

She lives in Manhattan, New York and is a member of Authors Guild, SCBWI, Women’s National Book Association, and The Historical Novel Society.

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Betty: When did you become a writer?

Eileen: I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. I guess that’s part of my Irish storyteller heritage. In the past, I enjoyed making up stories I told to little children I babysat about stray stuffed animals or dolls, or the adventures of runaway fire engines and trains. Of course, as I got older, I started writing some of the stories down, but never considered them good enough to be considered for publication. After college, I worked for an advertising agency and started writing many of my clients’ ad copy. Since my clients were business-to-business ones, the copy was technical and very different from my adolescent fantasies. But it showed me that I could write something that was publishable, which eventually led me to revert to making up stories again and pursuing publication for them.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Eileen: As an English major in both undergraduate and graduate school, I guess I’ve always worked on my writing skills. And, of course, when you’re teaching writing at the college level, you’d better be sure your skills are first-class. But as far as writing fiction for publication, I guess I really hunkered down on those skills when I began to seriously consider writing for publication. I started attending writing conferences, read tons of writing craft books and blogs, and joined local critique groups so I could have objective eyes evaluate my work. I’d guess, although strict attention to dates and lengths of time are not my forte, I did that for about four years before my debut novel. But I still do all those things. I don’t think you can ever stop learning about your craft and improving your skills.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Eileen: That’s a tough one. I really don’t know who I would put in that category. I guess I’d have to credit Sara Donati and Kate Morton as two strong influencers. It was reading their books that made me realize I wanted to write historical fiction. Before that, I was floundering through different genres, none of which felt right. But now I feel that I’ve found my niche and intend to stay there.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Eileen: Amazingly enough, something that has absolutely nothing to do with historical fiction. It started when I was reading a book of Victorian fairy tales, Beyond the Looking Glass. I’ve always been a lover of fairy tales and had an extensive collection of them. However, this book had tales I had never read or even heard about. I couldn’t believe they had just disappeared when they were so wonderful. So, I decided to rewrite them for a 21st-century audience. Three of the books were accepted for publication; however, due to “circumstances beyond my control” they never made it to print. But that encouraged me enough to continue writing.

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Eileen: Children’s stories, fairy tales mainly. I guess I thought they would be easier to write than adult fiction. Boy, was I wrong. But the research I did for those stories led me to my true love of historical fiction.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Eileen: I enjoy bringing characters to life and trying to see what their lives will be like and how they will cope with the conflicts they encounter. Since I’m a “pantser” I’m never completely sure what my characters are going to do, so I’m solving their problems right along with them. And sometimes, they seem to run away from me, and where I thought they were going turns out to be somewhere else entirely.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Eileen: All of the above. And my critique groups. I can’t say enough about how helpful they have been in honing my skills and supporting me in my efforts.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Eileen: I wish I fully understood how difficult it can be to get published and how much time it takes to go from contract to actual printed book-in-hand. I expected it to be a difficult process, but not as lengthy as it is. I guess I also wish I had realized how many rejections I would have to endure before someone said, “This is the one.” But, all that said, I wouldn’t stop writing for the world. In fact, I’m still going through the same agent querying process (and rejection emails) for my present manuscript. I sold Promises directly to a traditional publisher without an agent. I’m not sure I would do it that way again, but with all the acquisitions and mergers, I may.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Eileen: Oh, there are so many.  I’ve been in love with books since I was three years old and I think everything I’ve read has inspired me to create my own stories. I just needed someone to push me into believing in myself enough to sit down and write them. My late husband did just that, and I thank him for his faith in me every day.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Eileen: I watched a documentary on PBS, “Lost Children of the Empire” about British children who were exported from Great Britain to the British colonies in Canada, Australia, South Africa. In the beginning, this was done by private, mostly religious, groups and most of the children were orphans and homeless. living on the streets. However, that morphed into taking children away from prostitute mothers, destitute families, criminal parents, etc. Although the people in charge of these programs felt they were doing a service to the children by sending them to a better place and a better life, this was often not the case. The children were frequently abused and some died while in the care of their new “parents.” This emigration program spanned the years from the late 1800’s to 1968. After seeing this program, it stayed on my mind for about three years. No one I talked to had ever heard about it so I decided I should write about it and bring it to light, focusing on when the government took over during World War II and formed the Children’s Overseas Reception Board. The focus was to keep the children safe, but the abuses were the same. Of course, Lizzie and Colin are from my imagination, but their ordeal is based on facts gleaned from extensive research into this program.

In Promises, 13-year-old Lizzie and her 9-year-old brother Colin are on their way from England to Canada in 1940. Nightly German bombings convinced their mum to enroll them in a government evacuation program. They’re told this short holiday will be filled with trips to the Rocky Mountains, the chance to meet cowboys and Indians, and promises are made to return them to England when the war is over.

When one of Colin’s friends is swept overboard, Lizzy’s doubts about this adventure begin. Arriving in Nova Scotia, they are placed with Mr. and Mrs. Harris, who work them like slaves – Colin as a hand on his lobster boat, and Lizzie as a servant victimized by Mrs. Harris’s abuses. Can she rescue Colin and herself from the Harrises? Will she keep her promise to her mum to protect him?

Excerpt:

Chapter 1

“Farming or fishing?” The matron’s hand waited to grab the right stamp. “Come on, come on! We don’t have all day for you to decide.” Her bulldog face glared out at Colin and me from behind the heavy metal desk.

            She terrifies me so much I can’t even answer her. This is not anything like the grand adventure I thought it would be.

            “Well?” she barked.

            “I like fishing, Lizzie,” Colin’s tiny voice whispered. He squeezed my hand so tightly it hurt. I looked down into my little brother’s eyes and saw fear and confusion. I wanted to grab him and run back home to Mum.

            “Fishing it is,” the matron said, and stamped our papers with a force that shook the desk and made us jump. “Next!”

            Another matron attached a baggage tag to our collars: “Children’s Overseas Reception Board (CORB)” with our names, a number (mine was #158, Colin’s was #159), and our destination – Halifax, Nova Scotia. A different matron herded us to long wooden benches in the corner of the cavernous room. The ceiling must have been three stories high and the walls were dirty gray concrete. One wall was missing. The open space led directly to the docks and the sea. Workers and seamen roared out orders to get the ships loaded while the squawking gulls circled above looking for scraps of food.

            “Girls to the left, boys to the right.”

            “No!” Colin screeched. “Don’t leave me, Lizzie. I’m scared.”

Buy links: Amazon     

What a powerful story to tell, Eileen. Thanks for bringing that story to life and to light. And congratulations on the award, too!

Thanks as always for reading!

Betty

Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories

Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.

Subscribe to My Newsletter to learn the inside scoop about releases and more!

Follow Me on Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

My guest today has a very interesting background before she tried her hand at writing fiction. Please welcome Marilyn Pemberton! Let’s take a peek at her bio and then we’ll learn more about the inspiration for her most recent book.

Marilyn Pemberton retired from being a full-time IT Project Manager in October 2019. During research for her PhD, Marilyn “discovered” Mary De Morgan, a Victorian writer. Marilyn wrote her biography, Out of the Shadows: The Life and Works of Mary De Morgan, (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012). There were still many gaps in her knowledge and she decided to write a fictional novel based on De Morgan’s life – The Jewel Garden (Williams & Whiting, 2018). This novel was a semi-finalist in the Chanticleer 2019 International Goethe Book Award for post 1750s Historical Fiction.

Marilyn’s second novel, The Song of the Nightingale: a tale of two castrati, (The Conrad Press, 2019), was inspired by a program on Radio 3. It is a historical novel, set in 18th century Italy that tells of two young boys who are bought from their families, castrated and then trained to be singers. It is a story of passion, revenge, jealousy, love and redemption. It won the Fiction category of the 2020 International Rubery Book Award.

Marilyn is currently working on the second book of a trilogy that will tell of three generations of women who are story-tellers but who face sometimes insurmountable obstacles to getting their her-stories heard.

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Betty: When did you become a writer?

Marilyn: Having finished my English O-levels in  the late 1960s, the first thing I wrote that was not for work or my degrees was a book of little known fairy tales that I put together with a short introduction in 2010 (Enchanted Ideologies: A Collection of Rediscovered Nineteenth-Century English Moral Fairy Tales) when I was 56.I then wrote a biography of Mary de Morgan (Out of the Shadows: the life and works of Mary De Morgan), which was first published in 2012.  My first fictional book, which I suppose got me hooked on the writing of historical novels, was published in 2018, when I was 63. So I am very much a late starter.  I’m still not sure I consider myself as a writer, though.

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Marilyn: When I knew I wanted to write a fictional book, The Jewel Garden, I was worried because I hadn’t written anything using my imagination for 40 years or more, so I joined a writing group in nearby Nuneaton. I used to read them bits of the novel and they were all very supportive, which helped my confidence no end. Ann Evans, the leader, also made us write short stories and poetry and to write in genres outside of our comfort zone, which I found immensely challenging but also very satisfying. Being part of a writing group made me realize that I did still have an imagination and that I could use it to write words that other people enjoyed.  I was in the group for about three years before The Jewel Garden was finally published.

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Marilyn: To be honest I don’t think my writing style has been influenced by any author.

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Marilyn: My obsession with Mary De Morgan! On completion of my PhD (as a very mature student) I had found so much about Mary De Morgan that I decided to write her biography. Then, because there were so many gaps in my knowledge about her, I decided to write a fictional account of her life. By now, I was well and truly hooked by the writing bug!

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Marilyn: I feel I am repeating myself here. The first book I had published was an academic collection of little-known fairy tales, followed by a biography. Then came the fiction books – all of which have been historical. I love to read crime but there is no way I could ever write it.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Marilyn: I love writing my novels. I love being lost in a world of centuries ago. Very occasionally I will write a poem if there is the right trigger, but I don’t consider myself a poet, although people have said my writing is poetic. I have absolutely no interest in writing a novel set in contemporary times.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Marilyn: Although I joined a writing group I don’t think it actually taught me how to write – but it did encourage me to write. I have never felt the need to read a ‘help yourself’ book on writing. I have been to a few writing conferences but I went more to hear from literary agents than to learn any skill.

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Marilyn: How difficult, time-confusing and soul-destroying marketing is. Like most authors, I enjoy the writing, not the prostituting of oneself in order to tempt just one person to buy your book.

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Marilyn: My interest in the telling and retelling of stories and the difficulties of women being heard is definitely as a result of my obsession with Mary De Morgan, who was a Victorian writer of fairy tales. The current trilogy I am writing is all about women telling tales in a world deaf to the female voice.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Marilyn: Having written the biography of Mary De Morgan, I realised that there were still some gaps in my knowledge, despite years of research: why did she never marry, why did she travel to Egypt, how did she become the directress of an Arab girls reformatory? So I decided to write a fictional account of her life, written in the first person by Hannah, a fictional character, who becomes a life-long friend of Mary. I address all the unanswered questions, using my imagination.

It was a time when women were starting to rebel against Victorian conventions and to strive for their independence. This is a story of Hannah Russell’s physical, emotional and artistic journey from the back streets of the East End of London to the noisy souks and sandy wastes of Egypt; from the labyrinthine canals of Venice to the lonely corridors of Russell Hall in Kent. Hannah thinks she has found love with Mary De Morgan, a writer of fairy tales and one of William Morris’s circle of friends. But where there is devotion there can also be deceit and where there is hope there also dwells despair.

Excerpt:

It had been 1882, when I was twenty two and Mary ten years older. By then I had known Mary for two years and had already fallen in love with her. I had wanted to give her something special for her birthday. Over a week of dreary, wet winter days, when Mary had been out of town visiting some distant relations, I created a watercolour garden for her. The flowers were all based on real ones, but I let my imagination run free and mixed winter jasmine with spring cherry blossom; summer delphiniums with autumn roses. The blooms ranged from alabaster to deep purple, and I added even more colour by painting exotic butterflies that balanced on the edge of the petals, looking as if the slightest breeze would blow them off the paper. I had the painting framed and I was pleased with the end result.

On the day of her birthday, February 24th, I invited her around to my house for tea. She arrived promptly at three o’clock and we chatted happily over bite-sized sandwiches, dainty cakes, an assortment of pastries and numerous cups of tea. She asked me what I had been doing whilst she was away and I suddenly felt rather shy. I handed her the painting, which I had wrapped in brown paper and waited nervously for her to open it. Mary, impatient as ever, tore off the paper, giggling excitedly like a small child rather than a thirty-two year old woman, but when the picture was revealed she suddenly went silent and her face paled.

Buy links: Amazon

I find it very interesting that Marilyn wrote a biography and a novel about the same person! I’ve thought about writing a biography of Martha Washington after penning the novel Becoming Lady Washington, but there are already two biographies about her so have not. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Marilyn!

Thanks for reading!

Betty

Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories

Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.

Subscribe to My Newsletter to learn the inside scoop about releases and more!

Follow Me on Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

Please help me welcome a fellow historical romance author, Erica Taylor! See if you can spot the similarities between our backgrounds…

Erica Taylor is a mother of two and military wife married to her high school sweetheart. Raised in the mountains of Colorado, she holds a BA in History from the University of Colorado. Erica has been writing stories since she can remember, picked up her first romance novel while on a beach vacation as a teenager, and fell in love with falling in love, with sexy heroes and the feisty women who challenge their lives.

Erica loves anything Harry Potter, Doctor Who, or Star Wars, can spend hours in Home Goods with a Starbucks and truly believes a cat makes a home. Erica can often be found writing during baseball practice or piano lessons and is not afraid to let dinner burn if it means getting the story out of her head.

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Betty: When did you become a writer?

Erica: I started writing fan fiction in high school and college and I feel like I never stopped! For me, writing historical romance is along the same lines as fan fiction— I love history and romance and playing in the regency world. 

Betty: How long did you work on your writing skills before you became published?

Erica: I worked less on writing skills and more on historical knowledge before becoming published. It wasn’t until after I’d signed my first publishing contract I discovered the world of writing craft and learned about pacing, tropes, character motivation, etc. 

Betty: What authors or stories do you feel influenced your writing style?

Erica: Julia Quinn, Gaelen Foley, Mary Balogh. 

Betty: What prompted you to start writing?

Erica: Writing in general, it was just the need to put words to paper. Writing historical romance started after I’d read a particularly bad story and I thought “I could do so much better.” And I hope I’ve done that. 

Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Erica: Harry Potter fan fiction!

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Erica: The escape and the fantasy of it. Figuring out how two people fall in love just as they are themselves. Plus I love the research involved!

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Erica: Craft lectures at conferences mostly. Other than just figuring it out as I went along. 

Betty: What do you wish you knew before you started writing/publishing?

Erica: All of the craft I learned after the fact!

Betty: What other authors inspired you (either directly or through their writing) to try your hand at writing?

Erica: I’m inspired every time I pick up a book.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Erica: I liked the idea of two damaged, messy people finding each other and helping each other heal. It’s not a “love cures all” story, but more finding someone who gives you what you need when you didn’t even know you needed it. They aren’t whole and perfect by the end but together they are much stronger. There is also an element of saying goodbye to someone as they go off to war, and it’s probably the only thing in my books I’ve pulled from my actual life. 

Lady Norah Macalister is perfection: beauty, charm, grace, elegance—all a carefully constructed lie. No one would ever suspect her of anything scandalous, and no one is the wiser when a terrible secret threatens to destroy her.

Major Trevor Hayward has unraveled after a decade at war with Napoleon—or so everyone believes. When his cousin is murdered Trevor finds himself the prime suspect. Placed under house arrest at the home of his oldest friend, Trevor doubts those investigating his cousin’s murder will see past his marred reputation.

Refusing to accept her fate, Norah is determined to punish those who have wronged her. Her plan is ruthless, and she will see it through, even if she must manipulate those around her to avenge the wounds of her past. Norah is the most confounding woman Trevor has ever met, but he cannot deny, try as he might, that his best friend’s little sister is all grown up. When she is the only one who can prove his innocence, Trevor has little choice but to agree to her risky plot to destroy a mutual enemy.

While Trevor and Norah collude and execute Norah’s plan, succumbing to the spark between them brings their secrets to light. Can they play with fire and not be burned? Or will the madness of their scheme be the downfall of them both?

Excerpt:

London, England
April 1815

​The first thing Lady Norah Macalister thought as the dark-haired man walked through her front door was, He doesn’t look insane.

Major Trevor Hayward did not notice her as he dropped his hat and gloves to the butler, giving Norah a moment to contemplate his arrival and what to do next. His appearance was untimely, as her companion was not someone Major Hayward would want to see. He looked ragged, Norah admitted silently, with dark circles under his deep brown eyes, and his hair needed a trim. It was not long to his shoulders, or cropped short, but a length in between, hanging over his ears and rather unkempt. His clothes were slightly ill fitting, the brown of his coat drooping over his shoulders. He appeared to have lost a stone or two in weight since she had seen him eight months prior, not that he’d remember seeing her then. The last time she had laid eyes on Major Hayward, he had gone quite mad; it was not a sight she would soon to forget.

The sharp intake of breath from Norah’s companion standing directly behind her drew his attention, and his gaze snapped to where the two ladies stood on the staircase.

For a long moment, Major Hayward stared at Norah, his gaze cold, before flickering to the person behind her. If possible, his gaze grew even colder, harder, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the woman standing behind Norah.

“What are you doing here?” Lady Laura Pythe demanded, exuding disdain.

Major Hayward seemed to share her disgust. “I should ask you the same thing, cousin.”

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There are some serious sparks flying in that opening to An Enchanting Madness! Thanks for sharing that teaser with us, Erica!

Thanks for reading!

Betty

Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories

Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.

Subscribe to My Newsletter to learn the inside scoop about releases and more!

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Let’s kick the new year off with a bit of suspense, shall we? Please welcome Sally Brandle to the interview hot seat! Here’s a bit about her background and then we’ll talk about the inspiration for her latest story.

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories motivating readers to trust their instincts. Her two rescue pups and kitty are her companions during long spells of writing. Afternoons are spent trail riding on her thirty-year-old Quarter Horse. The Hitman’s Mistake opens her Love Thrives in Emma Springs series of stories (without intimate scenes). Torn By Vengeance, Book 2, continues showcasing friendship, courageous women, and the men who deserve their love. The Targeted Pawn, Book 3, features a second chance for a life filled with love for humans and their furry friends.

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Betty: What type of writing did you start with?

Sally: I began writing romantic suspense stories, which are my favorite books to read. After penning seven novels in my small-town Montana series, Love Thrives in Emma Springs, I wrote a couple of romantic suspense books with a science twist. Note to self: romances involving science breakthroughs aren’t topping the charts.

Betty: What do you most enjoy writing? Why?

Sally: I enjoy crafting a female heroine facing challenges she can overcome by trusting her own gifts. Throw in rescue animals who help along the way and a motivated villain, and I’ll be busy pitting them against one another for months. I’m no shrinking violet. I succeeded for thirty years in a career dominated by men. I like to believe that my male characters are realistic. In the day job I learned a bit about how men think, react, and feel. I live with a husband and two adult sons, so the education continues.

Currently I’m finalizing edits on a book in a new genre—historical fiction or fictional memoir, with an authentic heroine. It begins in 1939 and is based on the incredible and romantic story of my Dutch American friend, Iris, who recently turned 97. She’s my nomination for the female poster child of the Greatest Generation. On Iris’s eighteenth birthday, 12/8/1941, Queen Wilhelmina of Holland declared war on Japan, setting in motion a series of events affecting her in a wonderful and then horrible manner. A movie scout once told me to connect a novel to a film, and what came to mind was a true version of a Jumanji film. Iris rode her horse in the jungle with a pet monkey, had a French Countess grandmother, and bicycled from a WWII Indonesian POW camp every day to give a high-ranking Japanese colonel a shot. Survival depended on her abilities to think fast and keep a positive outlook. Next year is the 80^th Remembrance Day of Pearl Harbor and my plan is to publish The Sapphire Promise in 2021.

Betty: How did you learn to write? A mentor, classes, conferences, craft books, or something else?

Sally: I’m continuing to learn the craft of writing through my editor, Sharon Roe. Eight years of conferences, classes, and wonderful beta readers and critique partners gave me a great start before I contracted my first book. Years ago, I paid for a workshop given by a successful author. He looked out at the hundred or so of us in attendance and made a declaration that stuck. To paraphrase, he mentioned that most of us were diligently taking notes. Ninety percent of us would never review the notes or put into practice the tips we would learn. I edit my books with my weaknesses in mind. My beta readers tell me each book I finish is better, and that keeps me striving to learn more.

Betty: What inspired you to write the book you’re sharing with us today?

Sally: All my books can be read independently. I’d written other books in the series when my dental hygienist insisted that I needed to finish the story of two characters who met in The Hitman’s Mistake. She was correct, so I got started. The incident affecting the heroine’s initial view of men in this story is based on what happened to a best friend and I when we were fifteen and naive. We often rode our bikes around an island where we’d see cute dudes parked in cars, looking to meet girls. A couple of slightly older guys invited us onto their jet boat, moored nearby, for a ride. The day was hot, and it sounded like fun. Decades later my friend and I can still recall the shock and horror when they cut the engine on the boat in the middle of the polluted river. In real life and the story, their vile intentions didn’t play out, but the emotional impact stuck. Writing it proved to be cathartic to me, and it set up a great dynamic with my heroine and a compassionate doctor.  

Look over your shoulder. He’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an ominous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he’s never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He’s read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting?

If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

Excerpt:

Set up: Corrin’s arrived in Montana to find she’s just missed the friend she’d come to help. Kyle’s more than happy to assist her.

She dragged down the hem of her skirt, and stared out her side window. A silver car sped toward them from the right, traveling well over sixty.

The same kind of car from earlier. Corrin lowered the visor as a precaution and watched the lone driver as he sped past. Her pulse spiked.

Bloody hell. Paunch Guy from the airport again. She clutched her shaking hands in her lap.

“Where’s the fire?” Kyle shook his head, then met her eyes.

Those baby blues could sway any jury, on any count, any day.

“Miranda told me you became her rock, the friend who kept cool and collected. Are you certain you’re okay?” he asked.

The car faded into the distance. Only a stupid coincidence, but Kyle readily spotted her unease. She tore her eyes away. “You’re witnessing my frustration. I can’t believe I travelled here and missed Miranda. She must be terrified. I won’t relax until she’s safe.”

He glanced at her hands. “She’s being protected by a top FBI agent and my best friend. We grew up together like brothers. I’d trust Grant with my life.” He accelerated onto a two-lane paved road.

Relax your fingers and breathe, she instructed herself, and concentrated on empty pastures out the window.

She’d known country naivety, too. Her nose wrinkled at the memory of smelling cow manure on the trek home from school. ‘You’re not scheduled to testify against a mob boss. The agent better protect her or he answers to me.”

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Thanks so much for sharing the inspiration for Torn by Vengeance, Sally! It looks like a compelling story, too.

Thanks for reading, folks! Happy New Year!

Betty

Best-selling Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories

Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.

Subscribe to My Newsletter to learn the inside scoop about releases and more!

Follow Me on Amazon / Facebook / Twitter