New interview with romance author Rachel Brimble

Novelist Rachel Brimble is back! Today we’re chatting about her new Edwardian romance/sage, The Mistress of Pennington’s.

During her virtual book tour, Rachel will be awarding a $25 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:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book is The Mistress of Pennington’s.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Rachel.

Please tell us about your newest release.

The Mistress of Pennington’s is an Edwardian romance/saga set in Bath’s finest department store. The theme is female empowerment and the story is about Elizabeth Pennington’s fight to convince her father that she should take her rightful place as heiress to Pennington’s Department Store. The story is full of ambition, intrigue, suspense and romance…

What inspired you to write this book?

I loved the TV series The Paradise and Mr Selfridge, but something was missing for me. I soon realised I wanted more focus on the female characters and the women’s issues of the day. I struggled for a long time wondering whether writing a book in a department store was the right thing to do but when Aria Fiction offered me a four-book deal on the basis of The Mistress Of Pennington’s, I was convinced my instinct to write a series was right!


Excerpt from The Mistress of Pennington's:

He moved to walk away, and she reached for his arm before she could think just how dangerous such contact could be. He halted, and even when he looked at her fingers clutched on his forearm, she did not remove them. It suddenly felt important she touch him; that he understood she had care for what he said or asked her.

Even though the physical contact set her heart racing, she held her grasp. ‘Why do you ask me about your family?’

He closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest.

Disquiet whispered through her. What had caused such uncharacteristic hesitation in him?

‘Joseph…’ She slid her hand from his arm, ignoring the pang of loss that the break of contact brought. ‘If there’s something bothering you, please, share it with me.’

He slowly raised his head, his blue eyes full of irritation once more. ‘I will, but not here. Not on the street. I’d prefer to come to your office tomorrow.’

How was she supposed to wait until tomorrow? Her curiosity was rife. It was clear something had changed between them. Something, it seemed, of which she was the cause.

She nodded. ‘I’ll send a message to you first thing in the morning.’

‘Thank you. Until then, I bid you good day.’

He walked away, leaving Elizabeth with questions and words flailing on her tongue. She stared after him, fearful of the pull deep in her chest that Joseph’s concerns had somehow become hers. No good could come of such caring. Her only goal should be proving her worth and capability in Pennington’s and beyond. She could not allow one man, any man, to have such an effect on her.

She inhaled a long breath and walked towards Pennington’s doors.

What’s the next writing project?

I am waiting for edits for Pennington book 2 (The Suffragette At Pennington’s releases Jan 2019) and also writing the first draft of Pennington’s book 3. I’ve also plotted a brand new contemporary romantic suspense which I hope to get started on within the next month or so. Busy, busy!

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

My biggest challenge is always ensuring the plot idea I have is strong enough to stretch to 90,000 words! I plan my books rather than just write by the seat of my pants but every book I write seems to come to a screeching stop around the 50,000 word mark and I have to figure out what’s missing. So far, I’ve managed to find it…often with the help of my critique partners! Writing is hard and, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to get any easier.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

A bit of both – before I start a book I read a lot about the period and issue I want to explore, if historical or the issue if I’m writing contemporary. I tend to plot quite a bit before I start writing but once I start, I write the first draft from beginning to end without looking back. If anything needs researching pops up during that first draft, I’ll make a note and push on. For me, moving forward is the best way to ensure a book is finished.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I am lucky enough to have a home office with a huge antique white desk and bookshelves as well as two corkboards in front of me for all my story ‘visuals’. As I live in the UK, I am more or less in my office every day because of the weather but, in the summer months, there is nothing I love more than taking my laptop into the garden.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

So many! But my favourites are Nora Roberts and Jill Shalvis for contemporary and Philippa Gregory and Alex Grecian for historical. I read a lot of non-fiction historical stuff, too. Especially biographies of past British kings and queens.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

Just to thank everyone who buys my books and has followed me on my journey – I appreciate every one of you! Oh, and my next release is Pennington’s book 2 – The Suffragette At Pennington’s is due for release in January 2019.

Links:

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