Hi, Elisabeth! I am thrilled to welcome you to my blog for your very first visit with me - I am looking forward to learning more about you and your work. The cover of your latest release, A WAGER FOR THE WIDOW, is gorgeous! Let's get started with my questions...
1.)
What was your first job? Did you like or
dislike it? Why? I worked as a waitress in a greasy
spoon café from around thirteen years old.
It was busy, hard work being on my feet from 10-6 carrying trays and
washing up, but the staff were nice and it was the first time I’d been
independent and earned my own money which felt great. I also had a crush on the son of the owner
who used to pop in occasionally which always made the day better.
2.)
Do you have a pet peeve? If so what is it? Brioche buns for burgers in hipsterish restaurants. It might go back to a trip to Paris as a
student where I thought I’d bought normal rolls to make ham sandwiches and got
a nasty surprise, but they’re just wrong. I’ve eaten amazing things with brioche (I had
a white chocolate bread and butter pudding the evening I wrote this) but sweet
bread doesn’t go with meat and it soaks up the sauce too easily. I’ve had funny looks asking for bunless
burgers in restaurants a few times.
3.)
Would you describe your style as shabby chic,
timeless elegance, eclectic, country or ____? Charity
shop chic. I love finding a bargain and
spend hours trawling charity and vintage shops.
I have a great selection of tweed skirts that I’ve accumulated over the
years. I tend to mix them with a lot of
supermarket basics such as jeans and leggings.
The only jewellery I wear on a regular basis is earrings and I’ve got
around thirty pairs. I’ve never been big
on labels but I love Doc Martens and have recently bought a bright purple pair
I practically live in.
4.)
Tell me about your book A Wager for the Widow and where you got your inspiration for it? This was my second
Medieval romance (I’ve published six altogether) and Will is still one of my
favourite heroes. When Harlequin Mills &
Boon offered me a two book contract off the back of So You Think You Can Write
I panicked slightly as I wasn’t sure I had a story. Then I remembered a line of backstory I had
put in my first book about the hero’s father being a household steward who married
a nobleman’s daughter. I didn’t link the
two stories but that was the basis of it.
The story is set
at Midwinter (but was published in July) and involves Will, an ambitious
steward making a hefty bet that would make his fortune if he can win a kiss from
Eleanor, the widowed daughter of his master before Midwinter’s Night. Eleanor is determined to resist remarriage
because widowhood gives her more autonomy than marriage would. As they work together to plan the Midwinter
celebration, she begins to fall in love with Will - and he with her – but he
can’t hope to keep the bet a secret forever.
I’ve always loved
St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, which is only accessibly by causeway and gets
cut off twice a day when the tide comes in.
I decided it would be the perfect setting for a lonely independent woman
to seclude herself away. Also it meant
there was a great opportunity for Eleanor and Will to be stranded alone
overnight, and strong seas in winter to add a touch of danger.
5.)
Who is your role model? Why? I have huge admiration for Professor Mary Beard and watch
everything she does on TV. She has a knack of making people and places from
history accessible as if she were talking about her next-door neighbours and
conjures the time so effectively. She
also seems very down to earth with a great sense of humour and has great taste
in footwear. She liked a couple of my
tweets and I was over the moon.
6.)
How much of your book is realistic? Because I write mainly in the medieval period I try to
balance what readers will want to know about the period with what life was
like. I don’t think anyone wants a hero
with bad teeth and lice, and thirteen year old brides are definitely out! I
make sure details about daily life such as food, clothing and housing are as
accurate as I can research. I completely agree with Will in this book that oysters are
best eaten cooked not raw. I’ve written books set after the Norman Conquest which are my
darkest books and I sometimes have to remind myself that I’m writing Romance
not textbooks. The emotional responses
are realistic (I hope) because I think love, anger and attraction are timeless.
7.)
What are your ambitions for your writing
career? I currently teach four days a week in Primary
(year 1, which is always fun) so my writing time is squeezed into my day off
and any spare time I can find. I would
love it to be my full time career, or at least change the balance so I’m
writing more and teaching less. There
are so many stories I have in mind to write that I need a lot more hours in the
day.
8.)
Share one fact about yourself that would
surprise people. I’m a huge geek. I love Doctor Who, Star Trek, Terry Pratchett
and graphic novels. I’ve put a few
Easter Eggs in my books in the form of quotes or cameo appearances. I’d love to know if anyone has spotted them.
'I SUPPOSE A KISS OF GRATITUDE IS OUT OF THE QUESTION?’
Widowed Lady Eleanor Peyton has chosen a life of independence. Living alone on her rocky coastal outcrop, she’s cut herself off from the world of men – until William Rudhale saves her life and demands a kiss!
As steward to Lady Eleanor’s father, Will knows the desire he burns with is futile – but he’ll still wager he can claim Eleanor’s kiss by midwinter! Yet when the tide turns Will realises vulnerable Eleanor is far too precious to gamble with. Can he win his lady before it’s too late?
and buy link viewbook.at/WagerforWidow
BIO:
Elisabeth’s writing career
began when she entered her first novel into Harlequin’s So You Think You Can
Write contest in 2013 and finished in third place. She was offered a two-book
contract and hasn’t looked back. Since
then she has published six Medieval romances with Harlequin Mills & Boon
and doesn’t have any plans to stop!
Elisabeth works as a Primary
teacher but she’d rather be writing full time because unlike five year olds,
her characters generally do what she tells them. When she isn’t writing, she spends most of
her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book. She loves historical fiction and has a
fondness for dark haired, bearded heroes.
Elisabeth enjoys skiing, singing,
and exploring tourist attractions with her family. Her children are resigned to spending their
weekends visiting the past. She loves hot and sour soup and espresso
martinis - but not at the same time!
She lives in Cheshire because
the car broke down there in 1999 and she never left.
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