I am thrilled to be hosting the fabulous Rachel Brimble at Tattered Pages today, who speaks to us about what goes into researching her wonderful historical romances! Take it away, Rachel!
Historical research…how much? How little?
I often get asked how much research goes into my Victorian romances and I find this really difficult to answer. As I write romance rather than historical fiction, I focus on the central relationship more than anything––which basically means the emotion. To my mind, the emotions of people during the 1800s would have been more or less the same as today…even if their problems and concerns were entirely different.
My research begins once I have decided on the theme of my book – for What A Woman Desires, my latest Victorian romance, the central theme is “Home is where the heart is”. So what did this mean as far as research is concerned? Well, first and foremost, I had to know how homes were run in the late 19th century. A home of the poor as well as the wealthy, because I had already decided my heroine was from a middle-upper class family and my hero from a lower class.
For my next Victorian book (and current work in progress), I am researching children’s boarding houses during the late 1800s as my heroine will end up working at one in bid to add something fundamentally important to a life she views as mundane and without purpose. I have cried over some of the stories I have read and hope I manage to capture the heroine’s passion and care for children as well as her love for the hero.
I spent a lot of time talking to the Bath Record Office and read books on the boarding houses as well as the Workhouse in the city. The problem with research is often knowing when to stop! If you enjoy history, the temptation to keep researching rather than getting on with the writing is hard to resist.
Through my reading and visiting, I have become more and more interested in delving backwards as well as forwards in time from the Victorian era. I wouldn’t be surprised if I write a Georgian and Edwardian series in the future. Watch this space!
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Monica Danes always wanted more than the village of Biddestone had to offer. After a failed courtship to a man of her parents’ choosing, she fled for the city of Bath and never looked back. Today, Monica is the undisputed queen of the theater—a wealthy, independent woman. But when she is called home in the wake of tragedy, Monica returns—intending to leave again as soon as possible.
Thomas Ashby has been a groom at the Danes estate since he was a boy—and has been enamored with Monica for almost as long. He knows he isn’t a suitable match for his master’s daughter, despite the special bond he and Monica have always shared—and their undeniable attraction. But now that she’s returned, Thomas has one last chance to prove himself worthy—and to show Monica a life, and a love, she won’t want to give up...
Rachel lives with her husband and
two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several
novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011.
In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in
2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released
in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released
Jan 2015.
Rachel is a member of the
Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected
to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest.
When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking
the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her
dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than
connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel
would love to hear from you!
Here's where you can find Rachel on the web!
1 comment:
SOOO happy to be hear with one of my besties on release day!! Looking forward to chatting with your visitors, sweetie :D
Rachel x
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