Interview with historical romance authors Carley Bauer and Lynette Willows

I’m happy to have 2 authors on the blog today. Historical romance writers Carley Bauer & Lynette Willows are here to talk about the new novel, No Gentleman Is He.

Carley and Lynette are offering two giveaways to two lucky winners during their virtual book tour. Winner 1 will receive a lovely pair of colonial era earrings (U.S. only, due to shipping constraints). Winner 2 will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. To be entered for a chance to win either gift, leave a comment below. And to increase your chances of winning, visit other tour stops and leave comments there.

Bios:

Carley Bauer enjoys life on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. with her husband and their blue eyed feline, Noelle. After 30 years as a state contractor in a self employed capacity, she decided to try her hand at her first love, writing.

She loves being an empty nester, free to travel with her husband. Still involved with her three grown on-their-own children, Carley loves big family events, where her home is filled with a passel of precious, precocious, precarious grandchildren. Some of her other hobbies are fashion, the occasional bite of the Big Apple where the excitement feeds her natural love of city life and home decor, which boasts a collection of Fenton Glassware.

No Gentleman Is He is Carley’s first book. It was released by Tirgearr Publishing in March 2013. The first in the Sons of Liberty series, written by Carley and her co-author, long-time friend and writing partner, Lynette Willows, is ranked #1 in Goodreads Hor Reads for Summer. No Gentleman Is He can be found on Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, ITunes, Kobo, Sony, BookStrand, All Romance Books and OmniLit.

Lynette Willows is a mother, wife, and the property of two Maltese. Verbally awkward, she has always put her thoughts to paper and eventually realized this was what writers do. Hence, the profession chose her instead of the other way around.

She served ten years of apprenticeship as a freelance writer in between raising boys and serving hot suppers to a hard-working husband.

She has a love of odd facts and her favorite hobby is historical research.

She is an avid camper, fisherman, and chases storms for the adrenaline rush. Lynette is an empty nester living with her husband in rural Alberta, Canada.

Welcome, ladies. Please tell us about your current release.
No Gentleman Is He is set in 1775 Virginia. Some scenes take place in Boston, but for the most part, it is in Richmond, Virginia. Cassandra arrived in the colonies in 1774, having left the Devonshire Estate where she was raised, to create a life of horse breeding with her new husband. Within a year, he died, leaving Cassandra living above a tavern loft with four horses. With a mare showing signs of a difficult birth, she sought the help of Colton Rolfe, the dark and powerful owner of Varina Farms. Distrustful of each other, the two set their skepticism aside in order to create a superior breed of horse. Caution to the wind, she moved to Varina Farms to steward his horses, agreeing to allow the use of her horses as the base of his new breeding stock.

As their story unfolds, the war for independence from England heats up, sending them on a mission to inform Boston's Sons of Liberty of the impending attack from the British. Already suspicious of her loyalties, Colton begins to suspect she is a plant. Cassandra, eager to keep her position at Varina Farms, fears Colton will discover she is the daughter of a titled Englishman.

Together they face danger and treachery, at the same time barely able to control their own flames that burn in their hearts for one another.

What inspired you to write this book?

Lynette and I have been writing interactively for over a decade. We decided to get serious, and wrote, in six months time, enough for four books. No Gentleman Is He is the first in the Sons of Liberty series.

Excerpt:

“How much do you charge for your stock?”

Startled by the abrupt topic change, she stammered, “Well, I have not sold any yet. The colt will be the first.”

Inwardly, Colton rejoiced at her inexperience. “How much?” he pressed, in an effort to keep her off balance.

“I have given it some thought. A price of twenty-five pounds seems reasonable.”

Colton’s jaw dropped open. “Are you insane, woman?”

She flinched and bristled, then found her voice. “With my quality horses, I cannot see why I should not demand a fair price.”

“Twenty-five pounds…” he stopped. “That is five pounds more than I charge and I have the best in the county!”

“You had the best,” she corrected saucily, her blue eyes shining with mischief.

Angry at her cheek, Colton urged his horse closer to hers and leaned over close in what he hoped was an intimidating manner, staring into her eyes. He was gratified to see her quiver, her hands tightening on the reins. Still, her gaze remained steady on his. Through his anger he admired her courage. Grown men quaked at his bullying tactics, yet this slip of a girl held fast under his stare.

“You insolent wench,” he huffed.

Cassandra shivered, but did not answer. She held her ground, and he strongly suspected she knew her position was strong. They held a glaring contest for a few seconds.

A slow smile curled one corner of Colton’s mouth. “You have brass ones, woman,” he murmured. “That is one reason I want to buy your horses and make them the foundation of my breeding line.”

Cassandra snorted in derision, obviously surprised at his offer. “Do you honestly think I would give up my horses after all I have sacrificed to keep them?”

“You admitted you are in a bad way.” He shifted in his saddle. “Tom Hardwick is a fine horseman and good foreman, but unfortunately the man is illiterate, only able to work out numbers with great effort. With my planned expansion I have need of a knowledgeable steward.” He studied her reaction at this unorthodox suggestion. “I also need a housekeeper. Martha is not able to read or write, either, and she is getting old. My sister, Frances Anne, who normally would take over the household duties, is abroad and not due home for a year or more. Therefore, I propose you be my housekeeper as well.”

Colton could see suspicion rising in her deep blue eyes. A fetching creature, he doubted she lacked admirers. He supposed she wondered if the proposition was business or if his pleasure would also be part of the bargain. Inexplicably, the latter thought made his groin tighten.

Proper English women were reared to manage a substantial household. Colton was unaware of her heritage, but assumed she garnered these qualities as a governess or housekeeper to prominent English families before coming to the Colonies. War with England was on their heels and Colton made it clear he was willing to make an investment in the fight for independence with his horses. Knowing her background beyond that of Seth Brooks’ widow may not set well with him, but he needed her horses to produce stronger stock if the Colonialists were to get independence from the Crown.

Cassandra sniffed haughtily. “I do not see how your offer could possibly tempt me.”

Colton’s eyes fixed intently on her, belying the informal way he rested his elbow on his thigh, leaning toward her.

“I want sole rights to your stallions to service my mares, Mrs. Brooks. I also claim sole ownership of any foals resulting from breeding our stock.”

Her mouth dropped open at his outrageous proposal. He continued, undaunted.

“The annual wage as steward and housekeeper at Varina Farms is two hundred and forty pounds. It is more than generous, you must admit. You can save up enough to open a small shop, or snag another husband, when my sister returns to take over the household. It is not often a mere woman is offered such an opportunity,” he added.

“You arrogant boor,” Cassandra huffed. “Just when I think you might be a gentleman, you manage to change my mind!”

What exciting story are you working on next?
Our current work in progress is the second book in The Sons of Liberty series. Much to the chagrin of both Lynette and I, we have not settled on the perfect title yet. We are excited about this book, though. We both learned so much in the writing of No Gentleman Is He, we feel much more confident this time around.

Our hero in our WIP is Jackson Lee who was an enormous hit in No Gentleman Is He, as the charming, womanizer of Lee Court Plantation, and loyal friend of Colton Rolfe. Swearing off any relationship that leads to more than courting, Jackson finds himself in a quandary when he falls head over heels for the last person on earth he ever expected to steal his heart. Set in 1776, his obligations to the Sons of Liberty pull him in one direction while his heart strings draw him in another. Readers will find Book Two of the Sons of Liberty series packed with action!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Easy. The editing process of this book.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Outside of taking on a bit of self-employed contracting work, yes I write full-time. My most productive writing times are between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Also try to switch off. Four to five days I write. The other two are spent paying bills, cleaning, running errands, and the like.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
That I must get up and pace when I'm stuck. Nothing else works.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I knew I wanted to write. I would day dream about my name in print, spent hours mulling over pseudonyms. (Always knew I would write under a different name. My original pseudonym had to be tossed since I gave the name to my only daughter!) When I won several writing contests in middle school, it only served to the fuel the write flame.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes. I am willing to bet if you give No Gentleman Is He a read, you'll fall in love with the characters, their story, and the time period.

Thank you, Carley. And thank you, Lynette. Happy touring and writing! Readers, don’t forget about the 2 giveaways! Leave a comment if you’d like to be entered for a chance to win.

Links: 

Carley Bauer
Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon author page | About me  

Carley/LynetteFacebook Fan Page 

Lynette Willows

Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads 

Purchase links

Kindle | Smashwords | Apple | Kobo | Nook | Sony | BookStrand | AllRomanceBooks | 

OmniLit