Risky Regencies: Welcome to the blog, Julia! Tell us about your July release, A Most Unconventional Match
Julia: Thanks for inviting me! A Most Unconventional Match is about finding yourself–and love–after suffering tragedy and heartache. As the story opens, Elizabeth Wellingford Lowery has lost her husband, an older man who placed her on a pedestal and took care of all the details of everyday life so she could pursue her painting. Suddenly left with no one to help her, as all her family is abroad, she is floundering when Hal Waterman pays her a call.
Possessed of a demanding, Society leader/Diamond of a mother, Hal has always carefully avoided Beauties, particularly Elizabeth Wellingford, siste-in-law of his best friend Nicky. He had an instantaneous attraction to her when they first met 7 years ago. But with her family absent at the time of her husband’s death, Hal feels obligated to stop by and offer his assistance. He intends to help Elizabeth settle her financial affairs and make a quick exit–until he meets her little boy, desolate with a grief Hal, who lost his own father as a child, recalls only too well.
So cautiously begins the dance of attraction between a gruff “man’s man” and a china-doll beauty who seem to have nothing in common–but come in time to realize they’re each other’s perfect complement! I hope readers will agree.
RR: How did you get started writing Regency-set books? What draws you to the period? And is there any other historical period you love and would like to write about?
Julia: I’ve loved the Regency since I read my first Georgette Heyer in college! Her humor, her exacting eye for the foibles of human nature played out against the backdrop of this exciting period immediately hooked me on the era. The wit and elegance of the language, the large number of unusual and interesting personages and events that give those years their characters continue to fascinate me. And of course, one day after reading a book that disappointed, I thought “I could write a better one!” So the challenge began…
I enjoy a number of historical periods. I have a Paris-set World War II book I’d love to do, another set during the Regency featuring the family of an emigre forced by the Revolution to flee France. I’d also like to do a contemporary suspense set in Texas, and a series about strong women in unusual professions that would kick off with a story about a female Navy fighter pilot.
RR: What was the research like for A Most Unconventional Match? And what are some of your favorite research sources overall for the Regency?
Julia: Since Hal is an expert on business and finance, I needed to find out more about how capital was invested and how the canal system was developed. I also needed more details about the Royal Academy, its exhibitions and school. Generally I try to write the draft of the story without doing a lot of detailed research–since research is so fascinating, I could easily get distracted and never go back to the story! As I write, I keep notes on what I need to go back and check, then explore various sources and correct/adjust the draft as needed. Priestley’s The Prince of Pleasure, Bryant’s The Age of Elegance, and Life in Regency England are good general sources, but I find it’s the small pesky details that are hardest to verify. I have a pretty large library of specific sources on everything from carriages to the art of Turner. If those fail, I appeal to the infallible source: the experts on the Beau Monde loop!
RR: We know all about that!!! And what is “risky” about this book?
Julia: Two things I suppose: since it’s as much a story of a woman’s recovering from grief and coming into her own as it is a love story, I risk alienating readers who prefer that the book focus solely on the interplay between hero and heroine. Second, since Elizabeth loved her late husband and is struggling with grief, the physical bond between her and Hal develops slowly. Maybe not the wisest approach in a market where the most popular books focus on hot sex early and often! But I had to do what fit the story best.
RR: I know in your “other job” you teach French! Do you have any French-set books in mind? And do you have any tips for time-management?
Julia: I’d love toi do the two previously mentioned–the Regency England/Restoration France tale, and the WWII Paris one. Beyond that–the heroine of the Regency story has a good friend who escaped the Revolution as a child and survived by doing all manner of things, from picking pockets to smuggling brandy. I’d like to do his story!
Time management–if I ever figure out how to do that, I’ll let you know! 🙂 It seems I’m always behind. Prioritizing, setting aside absolute hours for writing, having a basic schedule and timeline are all good, but no guarantee against the disruption of Real Life.
RR: What is next for you?
Julia: I’m currently working on the story of the third friend featured in my very first book, The Wedding Gamble. Nicky was the hero of that one; his friend Hal is in the current release, and their other friend Ned is now getting his turn. After that, I’ll have a series of 3 unusual ladies who have secrets to overcome. My working titles (which will most certainly be changed!) are The Ruin of Miss Denby, The Redemption of Lady Winter, and The Rescue of Mrs. Gray. I also have a novella coming up, Christmas Wedding Wish in the Harlequin anthology One Candlelit Christmas in November!
HI Julia and welcome today. I thoroughly enjoyed your interview.
I like the idea of Hal and Elizabeth being totally opposites and, given time, come to realize that they compliment one another.
The story intriques me as I found love after suffering a heartache. My dh is ‘golden’ in so many ways. In my case though, he never came around whilse I went through the heartache; it was many years after.
Hi, Julia!
It is wonderful to have you at Risky Regencies today.
I bought my copy of An Unconvetional Match on the road to Georgia, at a Borders that actually did a great job of displaying the Historicals.
I’m looking forward to it. It sounds like the sort of story that made me fall in love with the Regency.
And I promise the “time management” question was not my doing…although, had I been organized I might have asked it!
Squeee! A fan girl moment here as I LOVE Julia’s books!! Great interview, Julia and your latest has a fascinating premise going for it. My favorite of yours so far is The Untamed Heiress, although frankly ALL of your books are keepers.
It is interesting that you speak of the trend towards books with hot sex in the first few chapters. Do you feel pressured in any way to mold your writing to that trend? Do you think editors and even readers are looking for that or are their still people out there who want to watch a relationship develop before the hero and heroine hop into bed? Also, was the addition of Elizabeth’s child a problem for your editors?
And last, when so many editors demand a strong, capable, kick butt heroine were you worried about writing a heroine who needed some help? I ask this because I can completely relate to Elizabeth. When I was singing I had an agent who took care of everything! His job was to make everything smooth so that all I had to do was sing. My late dh did a lot of that as well. I was by no means helpless and managed to survive my husband’s death and manage the finances well enough. There is something, however, about the “artistic” temperament that makes us a bit oblivious to the things that make daily life possible. I don’t see myself as a “helpless” woman by any means, but I wondered if you feared some might see Elizabeth as helpless at all. (I realize in the Regency period that would not be a problem at all!)
Hi, Julia! I’m looking forward to An Unconventional Match–I love second marriage stories, especially when the widowed hero or heroine sincerely mourns the lost spouse.
I really love the idea of a WWII Paris romance, and I hope we get to read that one someday!
Hi Julia, welcome to the Riskies and congrats on your release(s).
Does your heroine intend to support herself as a painter?
Janet (diving back into the deadline hole)
Welcome, Julia, and thanks for the lovely interview! The story sounds very intriguing with the contrasting elements of art and business.
I wish I had a better handle on the time management, though mostly I think I just need MORE TIME. 🙂
Hi, Julia! Thanks so much for the interview–I very much enjoyed that! I like the idea of Hal and Elizabeth’s relationship developing at a slower pace–as Louisa said, sometimes it seems like more stories now jump straight into a physical relationship, but not all relationships have the same time line. I do very much enjoy related stories, and am looking forward to reading yours. Do you have a release date yet for Ned’s story? And I’m intrigued by your series of ladies with secrets! Can you give us any more hints? 🙂
Welcome, Julia!
I actually bought this book a couple weeks ago, and I highly recommend it. 🙂 The characters are so deeply drawn that by the end I felt like I really knew them and was close to them, which made their HEA all the more moving.
BTW, those people on the cover are NOT the people in the book! I’m just sayin’…
Hi, everyone, and thanks so much for the warm welcome, Riskies!
Lots of questions to answer (yeah!) so let me take them in order:
Robyn, {{hugs}} on your heartache and so glad that you found your “golden” hero. One of the writers on our Harlequin Historical loop also found her hero after suffering a long and difficult marriage–so it is possible to find a second love that is as fulfilling as the first. Enjoy!
Diane, if you find out how to beat this time management thing (other than inventing MORE time, Elena) please let me in on the secret!
Hi,Louisa, and thanks for the kind words about HEIRESS. Yes, there is definitely a push–from editors as reflecting the current market–for hot historicals. (In fact, if you read any of the interviews with editors about “what they want” and “historical” is mentioned at all, it’s always “hot historicals.”) There are readers for stories where the physical element is less prevalent and develops more slowly, (since my editors let me do this book!) but evidently alot fewer (alas!) No, my editors did not object to the inclusion of the child as a major secondary character in Hal’s story. In fact, in my upcoming Christmas novella, two of the Wellingford family offspring are major players…but that’s another discussion.
As for the less-than-capable, sheltered heroine, they weren’t concerned about that either, as long as they felt Elizabeth wasn’t portrayed as a complete wimp. (Sort of a diversion for me, as my heroines do tend to be kick-butt.) But it allows her to grow tremendously as a person at the same time she is discovering love, real love, for the first time. I didn’t see her as truly helpless, just untrained. Who of us wouldn’t let someone else take care of the mundane details of life so we could follow our passion? (I’d happily accept volunteers to cook, clean and do laundry.) So no, I wasn’t afraid that readers might find her too helpless. BTW, what sort of singing did you do?
Susan, I too hope I can do that WWII story some day, because I absolutely LOVE it. However, the premise might be a bit risky since the hero is a half-German, half-French Luftwaffe pilot–absolutely heroic, I promise!
Commiseratons, Janet, on the deadline miseries. (Only thing worse is NOT HAVING a deadline.) One of the elements that creates tension within the story is Hal’s encouragement of Elizabeth to share her talent (particularly her ability to beautifully capture the likeness of children) with the larger world and the social complications that would cause for a Regency woman of good birth.
Hi, flchen. No release date for Ned yet; I would guess late winter early spring? Okay, here’s a hint for the first Lady story–probably The Ruin of Miss Denby: to put an end to her stepmother’s increasingly desperate schemes to persuade, coax or compromise her into marriage, Caroline Denby decides to find a rake who’ll agree to ruin her. She has a secret, dire, definitely serious reason for wishing to avoid matrimony. And she thinks Max is just the rake to compromise a young lady of breeding and leave her reputation in ruins as he walks away without a second glance. But to Caroline’s dismay, it turns out Max has more scuples than she thought…
Ammanda, I’m so glad you liked UNCONVENTIONAL. But oh, don’t get me started on the cover! Elizabeth is supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous, her hair a golden tangle loosely pinned up out of her way so she can paint; Hal is BLOND, rugged, and masterful. Instead we have a pained ballerina and a Pillsbury dough boy against a really ugly colored background…and a back cover blurb that would never tempt me to pick up the book. HH has done such wonderful covers…but this wasn’t one of them. I think you expressed similar dismay about your last Venice cover. At least that looked intriguing! If, as they say, readers generally pick up the book based on its cover, this may be my worst-selling book yet! Okay, I’m done whining now!
Thanks to all for their comments.
Julia, thanks for the snippet–that was quite tantalizing! And that’s interesting to hear what the current trend is for historicals (hot, apparently!) It’s great that you’re able to write the story you envisioned here rather than having to fit that particular trend!
Great answers, Julia! Thank you! I am an aspiring Regency romance writer so I am always trying to learn more about the twists and turns of this business.
I am a retired professional opera singer. I sang primarily in Europe – Germany and Eastern Europe for the most part. I had a ball!
I love the sound of your book. Personal growth stories are so wonderful to read. And the next series – the ladies with secrets sounds intriguing. Who doesn’t love a good secret?
Hi, Julia. Your story sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to finish the current book from hades, so I can get started on my tbr pile–all regencies mind you. Can’t think of a better historical read for me than a Regency.
Julia, FWIW, though I agree that the pic of your heroine looks a bit odd, I don’t think your hero comes across to a random browser quite as badly as you fear. In fact, he does look rather manly, IMHO. 🙂
By the way, I’m wondering: Julia and Diane, when you run into each other, do you exchange the secret Golden Heart Winner Handshake? (If so, you may have to teach it to Louisa soon!)
Cara
Well, I don’t know if everyone picks up the book just based on its cover. I admit, I have a few times–how can we ignore all those washboard abs out there? 🙂 Although I would like to see those men’s faces.
I do read the back cover blurb and the excerpt in the front. Harlequin’s online excerpts are good because they give you more than a few paragraphs.
And then there’s the library. If I hate the book, back it goes. But if I like it, I run out and buy my own copy. And Julia, you are on my “automatic buy” list.
A Most Unconventional Match sounds like another wonderful book for you, and I look forward to reading it. I just read The Untamed Heiress, and I loved it! It is going on my “keeper shelf”!
Cheri, isn’t The Untamed Heiress terrific?
Linda, I agree, Julia’s books are automatic buys for me, as are all the Riskies! I have a stack of TBRs – mostly Regencies, all historicals, but my critique partner told me I can’t read ANY of them until I finish this last revision of Lost in Love AND make more progress on The Raven’s Heart. Anyone else have a slave driver critique partner cracking the whip?
Oh and Cara, you are so sweet! From your lips to God’s ear, my dear! I didn’t even know there WAS a secret handshake!! Cool!
Wow, Louisa, opera! When we were in Tunis, our Sat afternoon entertainment was to listen to our opera series. We made it to the opera in Munich several times and saw “Tosca” performed outdoors at the Baths of Caracella in Rome. Nowadays, we try to get to the Dallas Opera once a season, usually to a performance with some sort of a French theme so we can bring along the French club. It’s such fun to expose students who have never seen such a thing to the wonders of a full stage production (tho the first year we went, the over-the-stage projector with the English translation wasn’t working and the teens sat through 3 hours of Italian none of them understanding a word! It’s a testament to the beauty of the music and the talent of the performers that many of them wanted to return again the next year.) Real Life in the US must seem rather tame after touring around Europe. Good luck on the Golden Heart, BTW. Diane and I would be happy to initiate you into the Secret Handshake. Though the best initiation is the First Sale Shout of Glee–may you soon experience it! While you are waiting, get cracking on those revisions and the new mss.
Denisel, good luck finishing the Book from Hades. Currently involved in same, so I can relate. Cheryl St. John, who writes wonderful westerns, once expressed much more brilliantly than I am here that sense of dismay as you wonder how an idea that seemed so unique and exciting when you wrote the proposal can be so dang hard to turn into a book.
Thank you, Linda, for the vote of confidence. I hope that UNCONVENTIONAL will live up to your expectations. You, too, Cheri, when you get to it. I’m so glad you enjoyed HEIRESS. I have to admit that Helena was one of my favorite heroines.
Cara, I’m relieved that you find the cover image of Hal “manly.” I guess it’s because the images are so different from the ones in my head that I was so dismayed to see the actual cover. Although I did consider pulling a Suz Brockmann: when she got a Pillsbury Dough-Boy (and he really did look like one) for one of her SEAL heros, she had a sticker made that fans could send for to put over the offending face on the cover. I thought of having some Catherine Deneuve and Matthew Magonahey (sp?) stickers made up to plaster over the faces on my cover so the h/h look like **I** picture them. Maybe also a plastic overlay of rich deep ruby to go over the purple/brown background (which actually was rich deep ruby before they “lightened” the cover in an attempt to make the hero’s hair look less black…)
Diane, you are going to be in SF for the Golden Heart Winner handshake, aren’t you? Can’t believe National is just 3 weeks away. My favorite conference ever!!! Can’t wait.
BTW, forgot to mention, if you haven’t visited my website, please do. I’ve a contest up now in which the winner gets a basket full of assorted rose-scented products, in honor of Elizabeth’s bewitching perfume.
I love artistic characters. Can’t wait to read the book!
Ms. Justiss is so right about the cover of her newest book — it’s bland, bland, bland. Without her guest column I might have passed it by. I don’t judge books by their covers but at the moment I’ve way too many books in the TBR and am trying to keep my book buying down. Without a hook (beautiful cover to catch my eye, excellent review, or, as here, an intriguing discussion of the book itself) I may leave it on the shelf in the store. So I’m happy to hear more about Elizabeth and Hal. While very different from the H/H of “The Proper Wife”, the new book sounds like it may take up residence alongside the earlier work on my keeper shelf.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your books and am so excited about this one. Thanks for not following the conventional path in telling this story. Sometimes it’s the build that makes a book rock – at least it is for me.
So, it looks like I’ll have to ‘catch up’ with the other friends in this story while I hunt this book down. I am also looking forward to the next series. The titles alone have me intrigued!
Thanks for stopping by!
Diane, you are going to be in SF for the Golden Heart Winner handshake, aren’t you? Can’t believe National is just 3 weeks away. My favorite conference ever!!! Can’t wait.
I am! and I’m flexing my fingers for the secret handshake! I have very little pressure at this conference, so I’m prepared for nonstop fun.
Hi, Michelle! Glad you like artistic characters. I love Irish medievals, so I’m so glad that you will be ditching the day job to write full-time (or at least as full-time as a mom of active youngsters can be.) I want more, more, more and faster!
Oh, Susan, I’m not so glad you confirmed my suspicions that many busy readers are going to look right past poor CONVENTIONAL on the bookstore shelves. WAAAH! Of all the things beyond an author’s control, perhaps the most frustrating is the cover treatment and it’s so crucial to sales. Okay, I’m done on whine # 2. Yes, Hal and Elizabeth are very different from PROPER WIFE’s Clare and Sinjin (who, BTW, appear in my upcoming Christmas novella; their daughter Bella is a key character.) Where Clare was assertive and outgoing, Elizabeth is shy and introverted; where Sinjin was eloquent and charming, Hal is brusque and reticent. However, both heros start off thinking the ladies in question are so absolutely NOT what they are looking for–and end up discovering how very wrong they were. Hope you will enjoy the new version!
Bless you, Santa, for your enthusiasm! Though you don’t need to have read GAMBLE or PROPER WIFE to appreciate UNCONVENTIONAL, it is nice to follow along all the characters. Don’t count on recognizing the titles of the next series, however; those are **my** titles and almost certainly will change to something marketing thinks will sell better. (Which means including some key word like bride, wedding, marriage, seduction, rake, spy, bed, etc.)
BTW, what do y’all think about “tag” titles like that? Personally I don’t like them and would prefer to have something that tied into the story, but supposedly they sell better.
Diane, here’s to being able to simply relax and enjoy conference! It’s absolutely my favorite event of the year: all those writers in one place talking writing 24/7, no cooking, cleaning, chores or distractions, nothing to do but join in that 24/7writer talk binge…ah, heaven!