Here are the questions:
1. What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the next novella in my Whitehchapel Wagers series. This one's called Reckless Wager and features Kate Guthrie, the sister of my hero from the second novella, Wanton Wager. Like the other stories in the series, this one's set in Whitechapel in 1888, during the period of the Jack the Ripper murders. The story's hero, Detective Sergeant Benjamin Quinn is obsessed with catching the Ripper, even months after the murders seemed to have stopped late in 1888.
2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?
I think this particular series differs from others in the historical romance genre because of the setting. This series was conceived as being set in Whitechapel at a very specific time, and I knew some of the characters would be involved in the Ripper investigations. Though these aren't mysteries per se, the mystery of the unsolved Ripper crimes does provide—I hope—a tense and interesting background for the stories.
3. Why do you write what you do?
3. Why do you write what you do?
I write historical romance because I love historical romance. I have been reading historical romance for years, and there are few genres that are as near and dear to my heart. Perhaps it's because I love studying history, and the 19th century has always held a special fascination for me.
4. How does your writing process work?My process always starts with an idea that strikes me. I will often envision it like a scene from a movie. I'll see a character and know their core desire, their motivation, and sometimes their conflict. Then I start building their story. I am becoming more and more of a plotter as time goes on, as it truly helps me to be more productive when I sit down to write. So lately I have been filling out charts and spreadsheets and creating copious notes about my story before I actually begin writing. Once I start writing, things always change a bit, but I am happy to have a clear road map (my plotting notes) along the way.
It's always interesting to learn about people's processes. Author's who write historical romance are a special bunch because of all the research you do while still making the time period and people so interesting to the rest of us. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maggie! I certainly hope I can make the time period and people I write about interesting. That's my goal. :) Sometimes we come to care so much about our characters, it's hard to see them objectively—a bit like family.
DeleteThanks for commenting!