Today, the Riskies welcome Anthea Lawson! And answer the question below to be entered to win a copy of Passionate.
Anthea Lawson is the pseudonym of a husband-wife writing team whose romances are set in early Victorian England, with a touch of travel to exotic locales. Their second novel, ALL HE DESIRES, has just been released. Their debut novel, PASSIONATE, was nominated for a Best First Book RITA in 2009. Visit their website, http://www.anthealawson.com for all their latest news!
About ALL HE DESIRES:
Far from home and her noble relatives, Miss Caroline Huntington has been injured in a fall from her horse. Called to her side, Alex Trentham knows he must assist her, though he has not practiced as a physician for a long while. Just to see so lovely a woman in a state of undress is a hard test of his self-control. Caroline is all that is warm and feminine, beautiful and pure.
Brave to a fault, she does not flinch under his hands, and soon she is on the mend. Alex struggles to hide his feelings, knowing that his dark past shadows any hope of a future. But Caroline’s radiant innocence is dangerous to a worldly man, and she seems achingly eager to experience all the pleasure he could show her…
“I find this to be a wonderful example of historical romance. Ms. Lawson tells a powerful love story and draws the reader in within the first chapter. This tale comes with a high recommendation from this reviewer.” – Coffee Time Romance
“This husband-and-wife team’s second novel sweeps from the shores of Crete to the streets of London… readers will enjoy the characters and the beautiful descriptions in this nice tale.” –Romantic Times
Please welcome Anthea Lawson:
Q. You two are a couple, AND you write together. What the hell? Are you trying to make all us squabbling married couples look bad? And how do you do it?
Writing together is not squabble-fee, but we’re used to creative collaboration from many years playing in a band, producing CDs and doing other other fun, creative projects together. Each of us brings very different strengths to the process, and we’ve learned to respect our unique talents. When we disagree over something while writing, that is just a signal to search for something better that pleases both of us.
Q. How did you think of writing this particular book? Did it start as a character, a setting, or some other element?
Anthea had the first sentence in her head months before we began writing — “Caroline Huntington was falling.” We also knew we wanted to set the first part of the book on the Isle of Crete. Also, we wanted a moody and dark hero with a haunted past. Things just unfolded from there.
Q. What fascinates you most about the early Victorian period?
The English were all over the globe, invincible in their sense of Empire. Add the burgeoning industrial revolution, the everyman scientist, and you have rich ground to plant all kinds of stories.
Q. How long did it take? Was this an easy or difficult book to write?
We had a little over a year to write this book. Being under a contract deadline was totally different from being able to work at our leisure, like we did with our first novel. ALL HE DESIRES was more stressful to write because of that, plus we were working on deepening the the emotions in our writing. There was (and is) so much left to learn about writing great romances. Our editor left the publishing house partway through, and that also made things a little more complicated.
Q. Tell me more about your characters. What or who inspired them?
Our heroine appears briefly in our first book, PASSIONATE — she’s the sister of that book’s hero. She was an interesting, spunky character, and we had a hunch we’d want to write about her. After that, we spent time figuring out a hero that would be an impossible and stubborn match for her. 🙂
Q. Did you run across anything new and unusual while researching this book?
We got to find out more about erotic Roman frescoes! That was fun. (We posted on this the other day at the Naughty & Spice blog for those interested in reading more.) We also got to immerse ourselves in the history and culture of Crete — though only in a virtual sense. One of our dreams is to be able to travel for extended periods to the exotic places we like to write about.
Q. What do you think is the greatest creative risk you’ve taken in this book? How do you feel about it?
We really wanted to increase the emotional intensity of the story and explore some deeper emotions. We gave our hero a tortured past that he refuses to talk about. His story is slowly revealed to both the reader and the Heroine. Moving him emotionally to a place where he could love freely felt risky. There was definitely some worry that the event that triggered his self-exile from England would be a problem for readers, but so far it seems to not be an issue.
Q. Is there anything you wanted to include in the book that you (or your CPs or editor) felt was too controversial and left out?
One of the best things about working with our publisher was the freedom we had to write the story we wanted. Since we work as a team, the book really has a lot of editing complete before we turn it in. The things we thought might be controversial we left in.
Q. What are you working on next?
We’re working on a series set against the glittering backdrop of 19th century musical celebrity. We’ve been professional musicians for many years, and its so much fun to capture the excitement of performing and make it part of the story. Music is a language of emotion and there is a lot that goes on backstage. We are about half-way through the first novel and we think readers will love this story. The romance is really working.
Q. Is there anything else you would like readers to know about you or your books?
Our first novel, PASSIONATE, was nominated for a 2009 RITA Best First Book. It’s not in most stores now (most romances have only a couple of months on store shelves) but it is available through Amazon, Powell’s, Borders, and other on-line retailers. If you like All He Desires, we would encourage you to give the first novel a read, too!
In fact, to help facilitate that, we’ll be giving away a copy of PASSIONATE to one lucky commenter. So tell us, what kind of risks do you think work – or don’t work – in historical romance?
For me, the risks have to consistent with the characters’ personalities and the mores of the time period.
It’s a romance so they have to be willing to risk all. Love the Q&A. All the very best.
Hi 🙂
Thank you for having Anthea Lawson here. Thank you both for sharing. I loved learning more about the writing process involved. PASSIONATE sounds like a great read.
Thanks again for sharing,
All the best,
twitter: @RKCharron
xoxo
Well the good news is I just went to Amazon.com to check out Passionate and there are only 5 copies left. The bad news is I can’t get it on my Kindle. Do you think you will do an e-version?
I particularly like Victorian times and I like the idea of traveling about the globe like so many of the British did.
The risks I like to see are unconventional heroines. I like my heroes clean cut, but I must admit I like it when the bookish wallflower gets the great guy.
May I just say I’m in awe that you write together. I won’t even let my husband read my books, LOL.
Lately I’ve just been torturing the heck out of my characters, giving them risky pasts that may not sit well. We’ll have to see what happens.
Congratulations and continued success!
I never know what risks will and won’t work until I’ve read the book. I’ve loved some books with premises and characters I originally thought I’d hate, and vice versa. The only really important thing for me is that there be a degree of historical accuracy. I can only suspend my disbelief so much, y’know? I feel like, if you don’t want to do adequate research, choose a contemporary setting, or create a fantasy world. Don’t write a historical if you don’t care about keeping your history accurate.
Wow, a couples writing team doing historical romance. That is fantastic! Can’t wait to read these.
Fortunately if it is well-written and woven into the story and characters’ lives almost any risk is possible in this genre. The Regency and Victorian periods were so much wilder than the average person could ever believe that some of the things you can include are historically accurate in spite of the fact that the average reader might read it and think “They didn’t do THAT, did they?”
An adulterous hero or heroine can be rather touchy. As can a hero or heroine with any sort of physical or mental disability.
I’ll read any of it IF it is well-done and not done just for the sake of shocking the reader.
There is a Jekyl and Hyde film starring John Malkovich and Julia Roberts – I can’t remember the actual name. Mr. Hyde is a monster, a murderer, and Dr. Jekyl is all too aware of the monster he looses when he takes his formula. The film makers take all sorts of risks with the characters, but in the end it is actually a sort of love story. An impossible one, but a love story nonetheless.
Louisa, it’s called Mary Reilly .
Thanks, Jane! You’re right! I actually only have it on VHS which tells you how old it is. I need to find it on DVD.
Welcome to the Riskies, Anthea Lawson, both of you.
My husband wants me to collaborate on a book with him that he calls “The Vicar’s Vixen.” He talks about it all the time. Problem is, he doesn’t believe me that nothing about it is historically correct. I don’t think we’ll be collaborating soon…
Your book sounds great!
I also don’t know what will work until I read the story. Sometimes I’ll pick up a book which a trope I don’t normally like and be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for all the great comments! It’s a pleasure being here at the Riskies today~
Jane Austen: We know! Our publisher didn’t release PASSIONATE in any electronic format. Keep clicking that “I want to read this on the Kindle” button and maybe someday we’ll get lucky.
Diane Gaston: “The Vicar’s Vixen”! Love it~
Keep the comments coming – we love reading all your fabulous insights and it’s great to have so many authors’ perspectives, too~
Wow, I can’t believe that you two write books together. I couldn’t do it with my husband, we would kill each other before the book was complete, I’m sure! Your book sounds fabulous though and I would love to read it. I think you will always have to take risk in romance.
Sounds like a great book. It never occurred to me to write a book with my husband, but I think I could be fun.
I think the risks all depend on the characters and the setting. Some things wouldn’t work in the middle of London but would work away from the city, or perhaps in another country. So it’s about set up and execution for me.
Hello Anthea (both of you!)–welcome to the Riskies. I am in awe of the way you can collaborate on a story; I’m not sure I could do that with anyone. 🙂 What is your routine like? Who usually writes what?
I love to see writers take a risk. Of course, I think the risk should be believable and relevant to the characters. Apart from that, some of the most memorable books are the ones in which writers stepped outside of lines.
Thanks for the interview! Both books look fascinating!
When dealing with historicals, you can get away with just about anything. Of course the hero or heroine can’t be guilty of despicable crimes. No rapes, molestations, murder of innocents, etc. Being charged with a crime or having an action misunderstood is of course different. The Victorian penchant for travel, allowed many who had made mistakes to start new lives reforming themselves or leaveing the rumors or gossip behind.
Thanks for more great comments!
@Amanda: We get asked a lot about our process — understandably so! We talk through plotlines, characters, and arc of the story to begin. Sometimes that means fleshing out a synopsis, sometimes it means we just start and see where the story takes us. We talk over the upcoming chapter, and then Anthea writes the first draft. Lawson takes a look, comes back with comments/cuts, and sometimes writes a second draft, sometimes lets Anthea do the incorporating. We go back and forth again, until we’re both pretty satisfied, then move to the next chapter or scene. Basically, Lawson is a pro at plotting, digging deep into character motivation, and making sure the hero’s POV is not TOO inconsistent with the male mind. 🙂
Anthea is fearless about facing the blank page, so our strengths really balance out. Thanks for asking!
I enjoyed your post and reading about your writing process. This one is on my TRL.
Thanks for sharing.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
Thanks for sharing…I’ve never read any of your books but would love to try.
It’s that you two as a couple write together so we get an insight on the male as female perspective of what is romantic and sexy.
runningmatey at hotmail dot com
congrts on the nomination for a Best First Book RITA.
I think most risks work. Almost anything can be believable in novels. Things happen!!
I think a risk that most stories have a hard time handling is time travel. I dont’ know, but many historicals that try it just can’t seem to hit the right notes…for me at least.
Anthea Lawson…gotta admire you for your courage in working with your spouse. Do you ever argue how a scene should go and then who takes out the trash? 🙂
rachie2004 @ yahoo (d0t) com
I LOVE the term ‘everyman scientist’! That’s a great jumping off point right there. I’d be interested to see what you’ve done with it.
And the only thing I know about historical Crete (thanks, National Geographic) is that at some point the Cretans practiced human sacrifice to prevent earthquakes. Not very successfully.
Risks? I think using the term ‘burgeoning industrial revolution’ to describe a novel of commercial fiction is pretty risky. More power to you.
Rachie G. — Funny, but we don’t argue about who takes out the trash! Just about the writing. 🙂
M. — We didn’t describe our *novel* with those multi-syllabic words, only the Victorian era! Although there’s some burgeoning in All He Desires (wink wink).
Thanks for the congrats and fine comments, everyone!
I love the risks the characters take so they can be with the one’s they love.
milkavainamo@lyseo.edu.ouka.fi