Interview with romance author Wendy May Andrews

Today’s special guest is Wendy May Andrews who is talking with me about her new Sweet Regency romance, The Reluctant Debutante.

During her virtual book tour, Wendy will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there too!

Bio:

Best-selling author, Wendy May Andrews, has been in love with the written word since she learned to read at the age of five. She has been writing for almost as long but it took her some time before she was willing to share her stories with anyone other than her mother.

Wendy can be found with her nose in a book in a cozy corner of downtown Toronto. She is happily married to her own real-life hero, who is also her best friend and favorite travel companion. Being a firm believer that every life experience contributes to the writing process, Wendy is off planning her next trip.

Welcome, Wendy. Please share a little bit about your current release.

The Reluctant Debutante is set in Regency era England, a time period that I love. The earl sees an attractive young woman and is intrigued but immediately finds out that she is his niece’s enemy. His initial reaction is to somehow try to use her in his revenge against her uncle, but he cannot bring himself to do so. They have many obstacles to overcome in order to reach their happily ever after.

What inspired you to write this book?

I love the initial reaction of seeing someone for the first time. I had the idea for the opening of my hero seeing the heroine as she climbed the front stairs to her home. But in this case, there’s the complication of him realizing that she is actually going into the house of his sworn enemy. From that initial kernel of an idea, this story developed. I loved their complicated journey!


Excerpt from The Reluctant Debutante:

chapter 3 – first sparks

Victoria was beginning to feel quite miserable. She was soaked from head to toe, most of her body immersed in the water. Her heavy skirts were feeling like lead weights as they pulled her towards the current. Her boots were slowly sinking into the sludge on the river bottom. And the gorgeous stranger was now looking at her appraisingly.

“Can you reach my hand?”

Victoria felt a shiver slither up her back at the sound of his deep voice as he leaned down for her.

Wishing there were some other way, Victoria looked at him then up and down the river once more. Unfortunately, the riverbanks had not changed in the last few minutes and there was still no way to get up the bank on her own. Turning back to the stranger, she gritted her teeth and stretched out her hand.

Bryghton was struck by the young woman’s beauty. Her remarkable eyes held so much expressive emotion. He could tell she was scared and embarrassed but she had the wit to realize she had little choice if she wished to be rescued from her precarious position. The duke knew that not too much farther downstream the river deepened considerably.

The feel of her cold little hand in his large, warm one sent a strange sensation through him, but he knew this was not the time to be distracted. Despite her slight frame, her soaking clothes were weighing her down considerably, and effort would be required to get her out. In a similar gesture to hers, he too gritted his teeth and yanked on her arm.

With a plop, and after a swift scrabble up the bank, Victoria landed on the edge of the river next to the impeccably dressed, handsome stranger. Blushing again, she offered a shy, hesitant smile as she pushed herself to a seated position.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I am currently writing the first book in a new series which I’m very excited about. The entire series was inspired by a historical plaque I saw while I was in England doing research. I’m so excited about it because the possibilities are endless with where I can go with this series which is great because I always have more ideas than time to write them so having a broad range to build a series will be fantastic. Writing the first draft is, for me, the very best aspect of being an author. And I’m actually at the most delicious part of the story, just before my hero is about to become truly heroic. I can’t wait to see how the story turns out! Stay tuned…

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I always loved to read but even though my aunt used to joke about me becoming a writer, I never thought it would be possible. Even after I actually wrote a book I didn’t feel like a “real” writer until the day I received the first shipment of my first book, in hardcover no less. I cried a little bit, I will admit. To see an actual book that I had spent so many hours working on, that was surreal. And then my first writing related workshop. It was the first time I ever met other writers. It felt like I had finally found home. It was so reaffirming! Like I wasn’t alone anymore.

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?

I don’t yet write full-time. I have a day job. I’m a bookkeeper for a small business. I actually love numbers, so I don’t mind my job, but of course, the dream is to be able to quit the day job and focus on writing, no matter how much I like the numbers. Finding time to write that is the age-old question – we all only have 24 hours in the day. The fact that I really love it helps. Everyone finds time for the things they really enjoy. Even if I can only squeeze in a few minutes each day, as long as the story is progressing I can keep it active in my mind. I have never yet been blocked so as soon as I sit at my desk words can flow. I’m fortunate that way.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I love naming characters after people I know. In this story, almost everyone is named after or by friends and family members. My sister-in-law named my hero, Bryghton. It’s an unusual name, I’m not sure where she came up with it. But I love her, so I kept the name ;-) And my hero is wonderful and suits his unique name.

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

Apparently, I did not have high aspirations. I wanted to be a zamboni driver when I grew up. In case you don’t know, a zamboni is a machine used to resurface the ice at a skating rink. I still think it would be really cool to get to drive the zamboni some day but I’m glad I ended up down a different career path. Although, come to think of it, a zamboni driver would probably have a lot of free time for writing. Maybe I ought to revisit that idea…

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I am an avid reader. I am in love with words. I will even read the cereal box over and over. Traveling is another favorite hobby. And I also enjoy long walks. Living in a vibrant city, I love to walk to the coffee shop or out to dinner. And I absolutely love hearing from readers, so please visit me online at my Website, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Amazon, or leave some comments or questions here.

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

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