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| An Unexpected Gift |
Katherine Grey, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let's talk
about your book, An Unexpected Gift.
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover artist: Rae Monet
Length: 276 pages
Heat rating: Spicy
Tagline: Two wounded souls find happiness in the most unlikeliest
of places, with each other.
Blurb:
Known only as Lazarus to the band of cutthroats and thieves he
leads, William Prescott will do anything to find his missing sister, even blackmail
a fragile young woman into helping him. But he never plans to fall in love with
this mysterious woman with a troubled past.
Haunted by the memories of war, Olivia St. Germaine wants nothing
more than to live a normal life. But when her brother, a doctor, suddenly leaves
town without a word, she is forced to use her medical knowledge to help an injured
man who puts her life in danger. Can she keep herself safe as she tends Lazarus,
or is her heart more vulnerable than she realizes?
Buy links:
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=905&zenid=19ddc2a69255daafde7f9df62f69e86e
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-unexpected-gift-katherine-grey/1114371314?ean=2940016394534
What are your main characters' names, ages, and occupations?
Olivia St. Germaine is 26 years of age. She has no formal occupation.
William "Lazarus" Prescott is 28 years of age. He leads a band of
thieves.
Interview
Tell us about your story's world. What is it like in this
period or place?
An Unexpected Gift takes place in London during the Regency period. It shows a side
of life in London
outside those of the aristocracy. Both Olivia and Lazarus live on the very fringes
of Society.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was asked to write a novella for my publisher's Love Letters
line. In writing that story, Lazarus appeared on the page larger than life. I had
a hard time controlling him and keeping him from taking over the story. It only
made sense that I tell his story as well.
Which character in your current book do you think readers
will like the most? Why?
I think Lazarus would the favorite. While he does things that
aren't necessarily legal and right, he does them with the best of intentions. He
goes out of his way to protect those he considers his family and is loyal to a fault.
When you're not writing, what would we find you doing?
I love to bake bread. I find the whole process of kneading the
dough to be very relaxing. It's also a great way to work out scene in my head while
doing something constructive. Of course, the smell of freshly baked bread filling
the house isn't a bad thing either.
Are you a plotter, or do you prefer to make it up on the spur
of the moment?
I say I'm a combination of both. I write two to three sentence
paragraphs detailing the main points of each chapter, but other than that, I let
my characters have free reign and write where they take me.
What's your writing schedule like?
I write Monday through Friday for approximately an hour and half
when I get home from my day job. I have a weekly goal of twenty-five pages of new
material each week. It helps keep me on track and not lose the threads of the story.
When an idea hits you, what do you do to capture it?
I have a notebook where I jot down the idea, character names,
plot points, any scenes or snippets of dialogue and anything else that comes to
me. If I'm out, I have a small pocket sized notebook I keep in my purse for the
same thing, though I have been known to write on the paper napkins when at a restaurant.
Which of your books was the hardest to write and why?
My novella The Muse was the hardest to write. It was the first
short story I'd written and I had a hard time keeping it within the word count requirements
to be a novella. I kept having to go back and delete subplots and the like.
What are you currently reading for fun? Anything for research?
I'm currently reading Fifth Grave Past The Light by Darynda Jones.
It's the fifth book in her Charley Davidson series. If you haven't read any of them
yet, I highly recommend them, but read them in order. For research purposes, I'm
reading The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes: The True Story of A Forgotten Hero in
Wellington 's Army
by Mark Urban.
Do you believe in luck?
I do believe in luck but at the same time, I think we make our
own luck by taking advantage of opportunities presented to us.
What kind of music do you listen to while driving? Same question
when writing?
When I'm in the car, I usually listen to whatever's currently
popular on the radio station. When I'm writing, I listen to classical music.
Do you play any musical instruments?
I play the violin and a tiny bit of the piano. I would like to
take formal piano lessons some day.
What's your favorite movie?
I have two favorite movies – Disney's Beauty and the Beast and
I Am Sam. Sean Penn was amazing.
Please complete the sentence
I love pizza with cheese and pepperoni.
I'm always ready for a cup of cinnamon apple tea and a good
book.
When I'm alone, I read my manuscript pages out loud. I like
to hear the rhythm of the dialogue.
You'd never be able to tell, but I have five tattoos.
If I had a halo it would be slightly
tilted.
If I could write full time, I'd be the happiest person
on the planet.
I can never kill a spider because I'm terrified of
them. I don't have any problem getting other people to kill them for me though.
Previous Books
Impetuous
The Muse (novella)
Find Me Here
Website: http://katherinegrey.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AuthorKayGrey
Wonderful blurb and interview, Katherine. I enjoy getting to know more about my fellow Roses. Tip- spray bug killer goes where you don't dare when your target has eight legs! *shivers* I have a couple of those buggers in my horse's barn I need to hit with spray today. I put off doing it yesterday but I think if I wait til tomorrow they just may be bigger than me!
ReplyDeleteMorning, Calisa. :) Thanks for the tip. I hear vacuum cleaners work too, but then you have to wonder if they can get back out...
DeleteIntriguing blurb, Katherine. I look forward to reading a 'Regency' that isn't set in the heart of the ton. It's on my Kindle, waiting for me. Barb Bettis
ReplyDeleteHi, Barb! I agree about that. A Regency set elsewhere is a refreshing idea.
DeleteHi Barb,
DeleteThat An Unexpected Gift doesn't take place in the heart of the Ton is one the things I try to stress when doing promotion. Most people think one Regency romance is pretty much the other so I wanted to focus on those people who weren't necessarily members of the aristocracy.
I hope you enjoy Lazarus and Olivia's story. :o)
Hi Calisa,
ReplyDeleteI work in a building across from a huge open field. While I enjoy seeing the wildlife (deer, turkeys, foxes and such) through the window, we unfortunately get huge spiders in the building in the late summer and early fall. I'm forever encountering one of the things when I least expect them. Thankfully, the guys in the office will kill them for me without too much teasing. :)
The perils of living on the fringes... like your characters. :)
DeleteI love Regency books and think writing about those living on the fringes is necessary and an intriguing departure from the norm. Congratulations on your release!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to RLF, Ashantay. :) Thanks for posting.
DeleteHi Ashantay,
DeleteThanks for the congratulations. :o) Writing about characters who aren't members of the Ton or the Beau Monde required some really interesting reading. I read quite a few accounts of thieves, gambling scandals, murderers, and of course, adulterous affairs that ended quite badly. There was definitely enough information to keep a writer's imagination churning.
The setting sounds intriguing. I love the cover. I played (notice past tense) the violin and also tinker with the piano. Good luck with The Unexpected Gift and congratulations on your release.
ReplyDeleteHi Judy,
DeleteThank you for the good wishes. I don't play the violin as much as I used to. I need to keep it up so I don't lose the skill. It's so easy to do - lose the skill, not play the instrument. LOL. Thank you for stopping by.
Thank you, Kayelle, for hosting me today. The interview questions were great fun to answer and I had a great time visiting with everyone.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read and enjoyed the interview. Maybe one of these days you can write about your tattoo's. I bet there's an interesting story there!
ReplyDeleteHi Debra,
DeleteThere's an interesting story about one of them -- I lost a bet. Thanks for stopping by. :o)