Goodreads asked Marjorie DeLuca:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Marjorie DeLuca I got the idea for A PROPER LADY when I was doing some research for my previous historical novel UNNATURAL (out for submission to publishers). I discovered this obscure little book written in 1893 about how ladies should take care of every aspect of their person, how they should eat, walk, care for their hair, teeth, skin etc. It was full of such quaint advice and fascinating recipes for potions and creams. It gave me several ideas for the story of a young farm girl who is scooped up by a rich, mysterious woman who uses these techniques to turn her into a beautiful young lady. She joins the woman in an enterprise to transform the plain daughters of rich women into attractive marriageable girls, but it turns out, however, that the enterprise is not exactly what it appears to be and our young farm girl finds herself in a very difficult situation!

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