IT'S GUEST AUTHOR SATURDAY!! Please welcome Regency romance author Catherine Kullmann...

 

1.)              Do you use pictures as inspiration at the start of a book?

Not directly. My novels are set in the extended Regency period and there is a wealth of contemporary images available, ranging from portraits to book illustrations, caricatures, fashion prints etc. etc. I have an extensive collection of hand-coloured engravings that help me immerse myself in that world as well as verifying specific details of locations such as Hyde Park (below) or one of the London theatres of the time.

2.)              What is your favourite period drama?

Love and Friendship, based on Jane Austen’s epistolary novel, Lady Susan is in every way a delight. Starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny, it was filmed on location in Ireland, an added pleasure.

3.)              Are the titles of your books important?

Very. Sometimes the title comes to me immediately, even before I write the book but with others I wait until the end. Then I sit back and ask myself ‘what is this book really about? What is the underlying theme?’ That is how The Murmur of Masks came to me.

4.)              If you’re struggling with a scene or difficult character, what methods help you through it?

I take a break and let it simmer. Sometimes it helps to write it from a different Point of View e.g. the hero’s instead of the heroine’s. If that doesn’t work, I must ask myself why? Is the location wrong? Will this scene progress the plot? If not, what will?

5.)              Are you an early bird or a night owl?

As far as writing is concerned, more of a night owl. I get up early, but have my breakfast, read the paper, do the crossword and the day’s chores before going to my desk.

6.)              Who’s your favourite author? Why?

Jane Austen. Such elegant prose and such a wicked wit.

7.)              Do you have a pet peeve?

People who sprinkle their books with phrases in a foreign language without taking the trouble to check that usage, spelling and grammar are correct. It infuriates me.

8.)              Can you tell me a little about your next project?

It is part three of my series The Lorings and is the story of Chloe Loring, Ann Overton and Cynthia Glazebrook as they navigate the shoals of the London Season, hoping to find that one person with whom they can imagine spending the rest of their life.

ALL OF CATHERINE'S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON:

 

Catherine Kullmann was born and educated in Dublin. Following a three-year courtship conducted mostly by letter, she moved to Germany where she lived for twenty-five years before returning to Ireland. She has worked in the Irish and New Zealand public services and in the private sector. Widowed, she has three adult sons and two grandchildren.

Catherine has always been interested in the extended Regency period, a time when the foundations of our modern world were laid. She loves writing and is particularly interested in what happens after the first happy end—how life goes on for the protagonists and sometimes catches up with them. Her books are set against a background of the offstage, Napoleonic wars and consider in particular the situation of women trapped in a patriarchal society.

She is the author of The Murmur of Masks, Perception & Illusion, A Suggestion of Scandal, The Duke’s Regret, The Potential for Love , A Comfortable Alliance  and Lady Loring’s Dilemma

Catherine also blogs about historical facts and trivia related to this era. You can find out more about her books and read her blog (My Scrap Album) at her website You can contact her via her Facebook page or on Twitter