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Interview – Arabella Sheraton

Interview

– When did you start writing novels, what moved you to start writing?

With a writing background in non-fiction, I had never thought of writing a novel. Mom complained that the novels she was getting from a big (not to be named) romance publisher all sounded the same. “I’m sure you can write a lovely Regency romance,” she said. So, I did, and the rest is history.

– Tell us about your books. Why should everyone buy them?

If I say so myself, my books are charming, witty, with clever plots and all the things historical romance/Regency readers look out for – sparkling repartee, dastardly villains, strong heroes, unconventional heroines, and lots of adventure. I am also very particular about historical accuracy in my novels.

– What is your all time favorite novel/book? What makes it special?

That’s hard. My two favorite Regency novelists are Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. If I had to choose one must-have book from these two authors, then Pride and Prejudice (Austen) and Arabella (Heyer). They are just perfect stories.

– Tell us a bit about your writing process.

I work a bit backwards. I think of a title first, something catchy and witty that rolls off the tongue. This is almost a challenge for me. Then I create a story around the title. It is amazingly easy. I have several on the backburner.

– What author would you love to have dinner with?

Can I pick two? Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, of course!

– Tell us about your hobbies and passions other than writing.

Reading, of course, watching movies (I love movies), walking the dogs, travel, trying out a new restaurant, although I am very picky and tend to stick for a long time to one that has the best food.

– We have many followers who would like to start writing a book or are already writing their first novel, any advice for these brave people?

If you have never written before, do a basic course to learn the nuts and bolts of actually creating a plot and characters. If your grammar and punctuation from high school are shaky, do a refresher course. No one just sits down and writes a bestseller. Plot carefully, write even more carefully, and if you can afford it, enroll in a writing college course to get your novel completed. Keep your day job until you reach that bestseller status.

– How often do you write, daily, every other day or?

I write as much as I can, when I can. I also have an editing job, so this tends to take most of my day.

 – How important is it to get your facts right and are there any instances when you bend history to fit your story?

If you are writing historical fiction, remember that your readers will be fans of the era and they can be very unforgiving if you start playing around with facts, or introduce social issues that would not have existed at the time.

– What are you reading at the moment?

Interestingly, a book of ‘newly discovered’ Sherlock Holmes’ case files. These are written by modern authors, not Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but I am enjoying their renditions of his style.

– Certainly you have had some interesting episodes as an author, fans related or others, share one of them with us.

I never expected my romance novels to be so successful, nor for fans to respond so well. I have had so many people email me to say they love the stories. It makes it all worthwhile.

– A final message for our circleofbooks.com readers.

If you are a reader, support your favorite author by leaving a review anywhere their books are sold. It makes such a difference. If you are a writer and have yet to complete your first novel, hang in there and make sure you seek expert help in making it as perfect as you would expect to find in a book you have purchased.

Thank you Arabella Sheraton. We at circleofbooks.com wish you much success!

Click here to visit the author page here on Circle of Books.

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