Author interview: Rachel James
[image error]I am delighted to welcome author Rachel A. James to my blog today.
A Field of Forget-me-nots by Rachel A. James
When the patron of the Foundling School takes pity upon young orphan, Georgiana (Ana) Weston, Lady Dunston raises her as one of her own. However, years pass and Lady Dunston’s health begins to fail. With the Longworth estate entailed away, Ana is faced with an uncertain future.
Mr. Luke Renshaw still mourns the loss of his parents, and would rather travel the world than live in a place that reminds him of so much pain and loss. But responsibilities await, and when his only aunt becomes sick, he returns to Longworth. After all, it is where he will receive his inheritance.
Luke and Ana used to play together as children, though many years have passed and much has changed. The prospect of marriage without love holds little hope for their romantic ideals, and yet it seems the most sensible solution for both parties.
Buy Now: https://www.amazon.com/Field-Forget-me-nots-Ponder-This-ebook/dp/B084JRTCLQ
A few questions for Rachel:
What inspired you to write this story?[image error]
I’ve always written Medieval Romance, but I love many time periods and quite fancied having a go at the Victorian era. When I was approached by my publisher to contribute toward the ‘Ponder This’ series, I saw this as an opportunity to write a Victorian romance. I was given “Whatever is noble”, and the first thing that sprang to mind was the wife of noble character from Proverbs 31. I’ve always seen this character as an ideal to aspire to, and wondered what this type of woman would have been like. So this is what I set out to do; create a lead character that modelled the Proverbs 31 woman.
Any special research you had to conduct?
Yes, I researched the Victorian period extensively. One of my discoveries was that the Victorians considered the idea of home to be very important. Prominent writers of the day, such as Mrs Beeton, modelled how women could run the household, which very much parodied, in my opinion, the Proverbs 31 character.
Interesting writing quirks/ habits while writing this piece? How did these help the story progress or increase your investment in your narrative or characters?
While writing this piece, I often frequented a stately home near to where I live, called Brodsworth Hall. This is a Victorian mansion that inspired my own fictional Longworth Hall. The gardens there are particularly lovely, and they play an important part in the story of A Field of Forget-me-Nots.
What is your favorite aspect of this story and why?
My favourite part of the story is the relationship between hero and heroine, Luke and Georgiana (Ana). As a pastor’s wife, I have counselled many married couples over the years, and I continue to be surprised at how many of those couples struggle simply because of a lack of communication. I wanted to explore this a little in the novella. Bearing in mind that this is a Victorian setting, I imagine candid conversations would have been more stifled than they are today. I really enjoyed seeing Ana and Luke grow together and work through their difficulties.
List some (or all) of your previous writing projects
I’ve written a Christian medieval book series, ‘The Forgotten Kingdoms’, consisting of three novels, Elmetia, Meigen & Rivalyn, and I’ve also just released this as a box set. I currently have a free medieval Christmas novella available for those who sign up to my newsletter.
What projects are you working on now?
I’m working on a new medieval book series, and hope to have the first book out by the summer.
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