Banking On Temperance
It’s been a little while since I had a guest post, and today I’m thrilled to welcome Becky Lower. Her newest Crimson Romance release, Banking on Temperance, is set in 1855 New York, a time that lends itself to all kinds of drama….
LR: Your three Crimson titles are all set in 1855 or so. What is it about that time period that appeals to you?
BL: It was really a happy accident. I wanted to write Regency romances complete with afternoon teas, Cotillion balls, long social seasons where women and men searched for potential mates. But I didn’t want to write any book set in England, since I’m a tried and true American girl. I started doing some research on when the Cotillion made its way across the pond and discovered it made its appearance in New York City in 1854. By 1855, it was an expected rite of passage for young women of marriageable age. It’s such a rich decade in American history—the buildup to the Civil War. And no one was writing about it. Fortunately the family I created has many siblings, each of whom get their moment in the sun. The Civil War is looming, and it will impact the lives of the Fitzpatricks in ways that I expect families were impacted at the time.
LR: I saw your first couple Crimson books are set in New York, while your upcoming release Banking On Temperance is set in St. Louis. How did you go about researching the new location?
BL: St. Louis is one of my favorite cities to visit. The bookstore at the Arch is one of the best in terms of finding obscure books about the westward expansion. On my most recent visit, I found a previously unexplored area down by the water where there were still cobblestoned streets and turnabouts in the intersections for the cable cars to reverse their direction. I took some great pictures, read tons of books, especially the Covered Wagon Women diaries and journals, and drank in the atmosphere of this great city.
LR: Do you always frame your stories in actual historic events? Are you sometimes tempted to take liberties, maybe by creating a battle that didn’t actually happen, but could have?
BL: I not only have happy accidents in my time periods, I also have happy accidents at finding actual events to tie my stories to. My first book, The Reluctant Debutante, climaxed in St. Louis. I knew I wanted it to end there, but didn’t know how to get my heroine there from New York. Then, I found out about the Gasconade Bridge railroad disaster. It was kismet. That type of luck has happened more than once.
LR: Now, I have an idea for a paranormal/historical set in 1910 Seattle, because, you know, some of my favorite characters are vampires. What about you? Have you ever toyed with adding a paranormal character to one of your historical stories?
BL: This question is funny for me. My critique partner writes only paranormal, and I have to keep stopping her stories to ask her to explain what is “proper” vampire behavior. I’m so clueless. I can help her with logic, POV, punctuation, the senses, etc, but supernaturals? So not my thing. I keep trying to get her to write an historical paranormal, but so far, she’s resisted.
LR: Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.
BL: Absolute quiet. Fortunately, I live alone, except for my little puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary, who also appreciates a quiet atmosphere, after living in the puppy mill for five years with hundreds of barking dogs all around her.
LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, are you a closet marathon runner? Could you crochet a house-cozy if you had to? Maybe you secretly want to appear on Antiques Roadshow?
BL: I go through stages, but they all have a central theme. Take a lot of little pieces and put them together to create something. At various times, I’ve been a quilter, avid jigsaw puzzle solver, I’ve knitted, and created stained glass panels. I’ve renovated old houses. I especially like to lay tile. I’m not really sure what that says about me.
LR: Jazz, classical, or rock n’ roll? Which one gets your blood moving the fastest – or is there another style of music you prefer?
BL: I’m a part of the Woodstock generation, so sex, drugs and rock and roll still appeals to me. I also spent a lot of time in the West Virginia woods where the only radio station that came in was a country one, so I love country, too. And, I like the big voices that are popular now—Adele, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, to name a few.
LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.
BL: In order to keep my historic romances fresh, I prefer to write a contemporary in between, and just have fun with them. I can write about stilettos and thong underwear and show off that side of myself. My current WIP is nearly done. It’s about a 41-year-old woman whose son just married, so she’s an empty nester. She decides on a whim to take a cross-county trip by herself. Her car breaks down in Tornado Alley and she is rescued by a cowboy name Cy—short for Cyclone. It’s been so much fun to write.
Banking On Temperance—Book 3 in the Cotillion Ball Series
Basil Fitzpatrick was born into a life of privilege. In 1856, at 23 years of age, he is the owner of the St. Louis branch of the family banking business. He has his pick of the ladies and life by the horns. Temperance Jones and her family are far from privileged. Her father is a circuit-riding preacher from Pennsylvania. But the rumblings of a war between the North and the South force the preacher to move his family to Oregon rather than to take up arms against his fellow man. However, hardship and sickness have slowed their pace, and they are forced to spend the winter in St. Louis, waiting for the next wagon trains to leave in the spring.
Basil is drawn to the large family the moment they roll into town, partly because they remind him of his own big family in New York. But also because of the eldest daughter, Temperance. She is a tiny, no-nonsense spitfire who is bent on fulfilling her father’s wish to get the family safely to Oregon. Basil is only interested in finding a mistress, not a wife. He knows if he allows Temperance into his heart, he is accepting the obligation of her entire family and their quest to settle in Oregon. He wants Temperance like he has wanted no other, but the burden of her family may be too much for him. And he can’t have one without the other.
Banking on Temperance is available from Amazon, ARe, and will soon be available from Barnes & Noble…
