A Passion for History

Email Nicola

 1) When did you first start writing?  What made you want to become a writer?

I suppose I first fell in love with writing when I was at school.  I went through a phase of writing English essays stuffed with flowery adjectives and adverbs – until my English teacher asked if I’d swallowed a dictionary!  It wasn’t a conscious decision to become a writer.  I loved reading, historical and romance novels in particular, and eventually I decided I’d like to try to write one.

 3)  What do you believe are the three most essential ingredients in writing a Romance novel?

A plot that grabs the reader from the first line and doesn’t let them go, characters that are lovable and a chemistry between the hero and heroine that sizzles!

5) What and/or who inspires you? 

My love of history inspires me.

 7) Of the books you have written, which story or character is your favorite?  Why?

Choosing favorites… How can you do that?  It’s like asking me to choose between my cats!  I’m fond of them all for different reasons. I particularly like THE EARL'S PRIZE because I loved researching the Regency lottery and LORD OF SCANDAL because the background of celebrity was fascinating.  TRUE COLOURS is still very close to my heart as well. I like reunion stories – the idea of unfinished business between the hero and heroine fascinates me.

 As for characters – I have to confess that James Mullineaux from TRUE COLOURS is still my favorite hero and I know both my mother and grandmother are still madly in love with him! 

9) Do you have your own list of favorite authors? 

Oh yes – tell me when to stop!  For older regencies I read and re-read Alice Chetwynd Ley.  I adore all Stephanie Laurens’ books and love Julia Quinn’s wit and style. Ann Elizabeth Cree is another Regency author whose books I love, and I think Jennifer Crusie's writing is fantastic. There are so many great writers out there. I could go on and on! When I'm writing romance I tend to read crime fiction and thrillers, though. Harlan Coben and Robert Goddard are my current favourites.

11) Which historical character would you most like to meet?

Oh, there are so many of them I'd like to talk to. King Richard III because he strikes me as being such a courageous and able man and I'd like to ask him if he really murdered the Princes in the Tower! I'd also like to interview Henry VIII's wives.

13) Almost every author at some point or another, suffers from writer's block.  Have you ever had that problem?  How do you deal with it?

Oh yes! It’s an ongoing problem. If it’s just a temporary block I’ll probably go out and see someone, go to the library, do something else until an idea comes to me and gets me back on track. 

Last year I suffered from a really bad bout of writer’s block and couldn’t seem to get going again at all.  I got quite worried because I had a deadline and that just made me worse!  In the end I signed on with a writing class and it was brilliant, just what I needed.  Not only did I have to write something each week, which gave me back the discipline I needed, but I also had the support of the group, who were all fantastic.

15) Have you seen an evolution in your writing?  How or when did it come about? 

I think that my writing has evolved and I hope it will continue to do so.  I certainly keep striving to improve because I think and hope I’ve got a long way to go yet!

17)  What qualities do you most admire in a person?

 Integrity is top, closely followed by a sense of humour. Loyalty, resourcefulness, positive thinking... Oh, I'm describing my husband!

 19)  What is the most romantic city or place for you?

Scotland.  My husband’s family are Scottish and I love those bleak mountains and wild islands.

2) Did you always know you wanted to write romance novels?

No, but since I love reading them it seemed a good place to start. 

 4) What do you like best about writing?

I love working at something I enjoy so much.  It feels like such a luxury and if someone tells me they enjoy my books, that’s an even better feeling! 

6) Do you have a preference for one period of time over another?  Why?

I have mainly written Regency books so far and I love that historical period for its wit and charm and also because there’s such a contrast between the elegant surface of society and what is going on underneath.  Having said that, there are plenty of other periods of history that fascinate me: English history from the Dark Ages right through to the Stuart kings and queens… Scottish history, Russian history… I've written one book set in the English Civil War - LORD GREVILLE'S CAPTIVE - and I would love to write more.

8) How important is research in your writing? 

Very important.  Luckily I find research fascinating – I’m always learning new things and reading snippets that give me plot ideas. That's how I discovered the Regency lottery and cult of celebrity. I was reading up on something completely different and saw a reference to lottery tickets being sold in book shops and after that I had to find out more.  I believe it’s really important to get all the historical details of the story right.  There are a lot of very knowledgeable people out there and someone will tell you if you make a mistake! 

10) Which are your all time favourite books?

A list of all my favourite books would probably take up too much space! My all time favourites are: Frenchman's Creek by Daphne Du Maurier because I love the wonderful descriptive passages as well as the romance, Mist over Pendle by Robert Neill, which is a superb historical novel, Persuasion by Jane Austen, I Capture The Castle, by Dodie Smith and Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell.

12) What type of author are you?  Do you plot and plan the story before you actually sit down to write it, or are you more of a "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" writer?

I used to be a bit of a planner but I have to say that these days I am a pantser! I don't know how that happened as I tend to plan my life out in a pretty detailed way but more and more in my writing I will start a book and see where it takes me.  I used to have an outline of all the chapters and what should happen when. These days I have an outline idea and then I let the books take on a life of their own.

 14) What is the best advice you have ever received in regard to your writing/career?

I think it was when my husband told me to stop making excuses for not sending my manuscript to Harlequin Mills and Boon and just to get on with it!

16) Have you dreamed of writing a particular type of story or even a story in a different genre that you haven't done as yet? 

Oh yes, I’ve loads of plans for the future… I’d like to write big historical novels, I’d like to tackle a time travel romance and one day I might even try to write a crime novel! 

18) What would a perfect romantic evening or weekend constitute of for you? 

I go away every Valentine’s Day for a romantic weekend with my husband and it’s always been fantastic!  It comprises in no particular order: at least one visit to an historic site or stately home, a long walk in the countryside, a luxurious hotel with roaring open fire, a delicious dinner over which we linger and talk about all sorts of things, a four poster bed… Think I’ll stop there!

20)  What are some of your hobbies and do you ever incorporate them into your characters' lives?

I love walking and being outdoors. I especially love the atmosphere of a windy autumn night with a clear sky and a full moon, and the owls calling. The countryside features quite prominently in many of my books.

 21) What advice would you give to budding writers?

Believe in yourself. Believe that you will be successful even if you are trying to juggle your writing with a job, family and a hundred and one other responsibilities. Don't give up. Writers need to be determined to succeed!