I’m
delighted to welcome Audrey
Harrison to my blog.
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| Audrey Harrison - Author |
Hello Audrey – It’s lovely to have you on the blog, and I’m sure your Regency readers
are looking forward to reading what you have to share with them today. But
before we discover more about your latest Regency release, Lady Edith’s Lonely Heart,
here are a few questions which will hopefully give your followers an insight
into some of the things that matter to you.
Arabella: Authors can release
books, making them available to readers in various ways…via an agent, or
working directly with a traditional publisher, or they can even go the
self-publishing route. Which method of publishing do you prefer, and why?
Audrey: For
me it’s always been the self-publishing route. I’ve been told by publishing
houses that there is no market for Regency Romance (!) My readers would suggest
otherwise. Being self-published also gives me the opportunity to be in total
control of every aspect of the publishing process – I admit to being a control
freak! – and it helps me to connect to my readers and publish to my writing
programme. I love the flexibility of it, that’s not to say it’s easy. It can be
damned hard work, but I think the benefits outweigh the work needed.
Arabella: How do you research your Regency novels and characters?
Audrey: I have over 400 books at home which include diaries of Regency people, recipes, etiquette, and all forms of living in the Regency time. A lot more research is done than actually appears on the page, but I hope it helps my stories to be more authentic. Actually, the diaries are hilarious and can be quite rude! Life was a lot more risqué than appears in a lot of the Regency novels of today.
Arabella: Who or what inspired you
to write your latest Regency release, Lady
Edith’s Lonely Heart?
Audrey: I very often have an idea milling around in the back
of my mind to start with. With Lady
Edith’s Lonely Heart, it was that I found out The Times
newspaper had been advertising Lonely Heart’s Ads since the 1600s. The moment I
found that out at some point it was inevitable that I’d do a story around
letters. I also love the films The Shop Around The Corner and You’ve
Got Mail. I think the written word is a very romantic way to communicate.
Arabella: If the person of your
dreams (husband/wife/partner/or Regency beau) were to invite you out, where
would they take you, and which vehicle would they use:
1) Phaeton
2) Landau
3) Curricle
4) Barouche
Audrey: I
don’t think I’d feel safe on a Phaeton! I had the opportunity of travelling
around Stamford in a Landau as part of their Georgian Festival last year. It
was quite cosy, very noisy and I loved every minute, so that would be my
choice.
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| Landau Carriage |
Arabella: Which is your most favourite
period drama or historical film you’ve seen to date, and why is it so special?
Audrey: I’ve
already mentioned The Shop Around The Corner (1940), but I suppose I’d
have to say my absolute favourite is Alastair Sim’s A Christmas
Carol/Scrooge (1953). Christmas is my favourite time of the year and I just
love this version. It’s such a wonderful film of hope.
Arabella: When writing a book or
chapter, which do you concentrate on first: plot, character, or setting?
Audrey: As
I’ve mentioned with Lady Edith’s Lonely Heart, it was an idea which led to a
plot. My two-part story about Foundlings, was written after a visit to The
Foundling Hospital in London and Mr Bailey’s Lady developed from my own town’s
industrial heritage. So I find that anchor and then develop the story around
that.
Arabella: A slice of Chocolate Cake, a piece of Fruit, or Burger and Fries?
Audrey: A slice of cake, every time, but not chocolate cake I’m afraid. I love cake (which you can tell from my picture)
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| Cherry Cake Squares |
Arabella: What advice would you
give to someone who is starting out on their writing journey?
Audrey: Publishing
has changed so much in recent years, it’s now accessible to us all. I think
that’s amazing. I’ve done it and I’m from a very working-class background in
the North of England (yes, I do have a funny accent!). I would urge everyone
who has that overwhelming urge to write, to get their stories out there. Don’t
write in secret, like I did for years. I’m overwhelmed that readers enjoy my
books, but if I can do it, anyone can!
Thank you for joining me on Arabella’s
Blog and Chit-Chat, Audrey. Your latest release, Lady Edith’s Lonely Heart,
sounds amazing.
I’m in awe of the fact you've ridden in a Landau Carriage. And if only I'd been in Stamford to see you riding on-high in all your Regency splendour...
I’m in awe of the fact you've ridden in a Landau Carriage. And if only I'd been in Stamford to see you riding on-high in all your Regency splendour...
All the best and wishing you lots more
happy-ever-after Regency writing.
Arabella
About Audrey Harrison
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| Audrey Harrison - Author |
AMAZON UK KINDLE STORYTELLER COMPETITION
FINALIST 2018!
I was born about two hundred years too late.
In the real world I always longed to write,
writing a full manuscript when I was fourteen years old. From the moment I
could read I had my head stuck in a book. They were my prized possessions.
Work, marriage and children got in the way as they do and it was only when an event
at work landed me in hospital that I decided to take stock. One Voluntary
Redundancy later, I found that the words and characters came to the forefront
and the writing began in earnest.
So, although at home more these days, the
housework is still neglected and meals are still late on the table, but I have
an understanding husband. Most of the time!
Social Media
Website: www.audreyharrison.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AudreyHarrisonAuthor
Book Blurb Lady Edith’s
Lonely Heart
A dashing tale of romance from a bestselling author of
Regency Romance.
She is under pressure to find a
husband she doesn't want.
He keeps to the fringes of society
because of family constraints.
Will the written word be enough to
bring two lost souls together?
Lady Edith Longdon is an heiress, in
danger of being classed a spinster, and disillusioned with the fops, dandies,
and fortune hunters surrounding her in society. Deciding it’s time to take her
future into her own hands, she devises a foolproof way of finding someone she
can love. She's convinced nothing could go wrong…
Lord Ralph Pensby, overwhelmed by a
sense of obligation, and with no one he can turn to, is adrift from those around
him…
Two people drawn together, both on a
journey which will affect them in ways they could never have foreseen.
Secret correspondence, mistrust and confusion, not to mention cads of the
highest order, make this novel a fast-paced, heart-warming story, with
appealing characters and a strong sense of time and place.
Perfect for lovers of all things
Regency.
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0852RMGJJ
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