Regency Romance Revival

Today I am delighted to welcome Regency Romance author Rose Gordon to LadySilk’s Regency Romance Revival. To celebrate the event Rose will award a copy of her novel Intentions of the Earl to one lucky commentor, and I have created a commemorative musical jigsaw puzzle of the cover just to thank everyone for stopping by to visit.

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Hi Teresa and readers, thanks for allowing me to come by today, it is truly an honor. My name is Rose Gordon, I write historical romances, specifically Regencies. When I’m not writing, I’m doing one of my many hobbies which include but are not limited to: hiking, camping, launching model rockets, fishing, biking, symmography, reading books or most likely, chasing my two little boys around the house as they run away from me with whatever they managed to sneak out of the fridge while I wasn’t looking.

Q. Tell us about Intentions of the Earl

A. It’s a Regency romance set in 1812 where an impoverished earl named Andrew Black, is bribed to ruin a young lady’s reputation. Desperately needing money, Andrew agrees and has no idea he’s about to lose his heart. The young lady he’s selected to ruin has a tendency to flout the rules which makes her easy prey, but all the more desirable. The book doesn’t waste a lot of time getting into the plot and a good majority of the book is spent with him trying to figure out how he’s going to pull this off without losing his heart or hurting her. Both of which are inevitable to some degree. In the end, the choice comes down to what’s more important to Andrew: a secure future with a steady source of income or his newfound love for Brooke which will not only keep him in poverty, but could possibly expose her or one of her sisters to something far worse than the appearance of a ruined reputation.

Q. What was it about historical romances that captured your fancy?

A. I like to escape to a time when life was simpler. Or at least I think it was. Ladies and gentlemen didn’t have to worry about cooking or cleaning, they had someone else who was more than happy to do it for them. However, the biggest attraction to historical romances is the respect—whether deserved or not—people showed to each other, especially the way gentlemen treated ladies.

Q. Do you have an all-time favorite novel in your genre, and what elements make it your favorite?

A. An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. I like the second chance at love with the one you’ve loved all along theme—especially when you don’t realize it’s the person you once lost your heart to once before. I also like books where neither the hero nor heroine refuses to acknowledge their feelings for the other the whole book. That’s not romance to me. An Offer From a Gentleman has all those elements, so to me, it’s the perfect romance novel.

Q. How do you research your novels?

A. I have several ways. The most common way seems to be the Internet. It’s so easy to do a Google search on something you’re not sure about and only a moment or two later you have your answer. This is a time waster for me, however, because I often find myself sidetracked as I visit all the great sites that come up in the results. Another way I do research is I have an entire bookshelf full of books dedicated to the time period that I enjoy picking through when I have a bit more time. A lot of these books have quotations from people at the time giving details on any given subject. There’s also a few with some extremely detailed sketches of different rooms in their houses, wardrobes, dances, and just about anything else you can imagine. It also helps that I majored in history for a while in college when I thought I’d like to teach history.

Q. Tell us about your favorite novel that you have written, and why it’s your favorite?

A. My favorite is always the one I’m working on, so it changes quite frequently, I’m afraid. Just now I am editing my fourth novel, Her Sudden Groom which is due out in the fall. This book is about the cousin mentioned in the first series. He’s a bit socially awkward—okay, not a bit, he’s just plain weird—but it’s because he’s so intelligent he has a hard time connecting with people because he either bores or intimidates them. His problem, however, is he’s just learned he has a month to overcome his awkwardness and take another wife or be shackled to someone most would consider to be the worst woman on the continent. The reason this book is my favorite is because I’m Alex. We’re both rather nerdy and awkward so it was easy for me to write his part. At the same time, I am also like the heroine in many ways. She’s also intellectually inclined, thank goodness. In my not-so-humble opinion, I think I’ve made good matches for all of my previous characters by matching them with opposite personalities that complement each other, however, these two characters are very much alike, and yet, it works.

On Writing:

Q. Is there anything you absolutely must have in order to write?

A. Yes, a computer. Add to that MS Word, an Internet connection, a pad of paper with a pen, a tall glass of water, my five song play list and I’m good to go. (Yes, I did say five songs. That’s all I have on the laptop I’m currently using; but I wouldn’t change a single one of those songs.)

Q. What is the most difficult part of writing for you?

A. Stopping. My novels tend to run into the upper 90,000 word range, or higher. My shortest one I think was around 95,000. Another problem with stopping I have is I’ll tell myself, okay let me just finish this thought then I’ll get up and change the laundry. Well, thirty minutes later I’m far past where I was supposed to stop and my clothes are still sitting in the washer/dryer.

Q. What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write?

A. My day is hectic to say the least. I push my husband out of bed at five in the morning and while he showers I make him a quick breakfast then open my inbox. After answering my e-mails, I start on my blog. I’m usually done with my daily post before he leaves for work, which is good because that’s when my two little boys get up. I cook breakfast again, then play games with them for most of the morning, squeezing in a paragraph here and there as time allows. After lunch, my kids play together while I sit down and write. I usually write all afternoon until my husband gets home. Then I’m basically done writing for the day.

As to where I do all this writing, you don’t really want to know because it will make the inner writer in you cringe. I do it at the dining table. I’ve set up my laptop at the dining table along with papers, pens and anything else I need and write there so I can watch my kids as they play and still be able to quickly break up any fights that break out.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your life online and the sites you maintain.

A. I’m somewhat active online, but not as active as most. I have a blog and a website. My website I maintain and update almost weekly it seems. I put up new information and add links I think are of interest. My blog is a five day a week deal for me. At first I hated blogging. I felt like it was a complete waste of time. Not to mention, I’m shy by nature so talking (writing) about my book all the time really put me out of my comfort zone. But that’s all changed now. I still run the blog, but I abandoned the boring: this is what’s going on with my writing and started doing the most interactive character interviews I’ve ever seen. Usually I take a character from my upcoming or newly released book and have a “conversation” with them. It’s a lot of fun and I’ve gotten an outstanding response. When I’m not doing character interviews, I try to keep it simple by giving a rundown of what I have going on and/or running polls. I like to get the readers involved, that’s what makes blogging worth it to me.
Links:
Website Rose Gordon Romance
Blog: Rose’s Romance Ramblings
Facebook: Rose Gordon Historical Romance Author
Goodreads: Rose Gordon

Just For Fun:

Q. What is your favorite quote?

A. “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

Q. Where is your favorite place to read?

A. Outside on the swing in my backyard.

Q. What is your favorite Chick-Lit book and author, and why?

A. Something Blue by Emily Giffin. Though I normally like to see unlikable characters get their just desserts, and there was no denying Darcy was unlikable, I honestly didn’t like the way Something Borrowed ended. I may have hated Darcy and didn’t think she deserved Dex, but I think it was pretty crummy of her closest friend to sleep with her fiancé and the other way around. So, not only was I happy she did end up with a man who would treat her right and be true to her, she also grew up a lot in the book and that’s what made it a good book and redeemed Giffin, in my opinion.

Q. If you were a supernatural or mythological entity, what, or who, would you be, and why?

A. Oh dear, I’m about to expose a part of me that isn’t intelligent. I’m not very familiar with the supernatural or mythological entities. Now, if I could be a superhero, I’d be Superman—even though that would require a little…er…operation. I think it would not only be cool to fly around, but to also have his x-ray vision and be tough as steel.

Q. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you desperately want with you, and why?

1. A lifetime supply of matches, for as outdoorsy as I am I cannot get a fire going with sticks.
2. A big old pot that could be used to boil water or cook a meal—a girl’s gotta eat, you know?
3. My laptop–with an everlasting battery and an internet connection, of course. Laptops are a portal to the world you can download music, watch TV, surf the net, write a novel, publish a book, the list is endless!

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And that dear friends is a fun and fascinating introduction to Rose Gordon, Regency Romance author. For your chance to win a copy of her novel Intention of the Earl please leave a comment below…and don’t forget to download your commemorative musical jigsaw puzzle before you leave us.

Smiles and Good Reading,
Teresa