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Writer Wednesday: Meet Elizabeth Johns

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Margaret — 4 Comments ↓

Welcome to Writer Wednesday, in which you’ll meet a different romance writer each week and learn a little (just a little) about them.

Writer Elizabeth Johns — Elizabeth Johns

This week I’m glad to welcome Elizabeth Johns, whom I met at the recent Love Between the Covers romance conference in DC. She was sitting directly ahead of me, and while we were waiting for the conference panels to begin, we chatted a bit, discovering along the way that she also writes Regency romance, and uses the same editor (Tessa Shapcott) as I. Is that kismet or what?

Here Elizabeth shares with us answers to three (plus a bonus!) questions, and then reveals a bit about her latest novel.

What inspires you to write?

I wrote my first book out of a personal need to share a traumatic experience and how I finally learned to overcome it. The subsequent books were spawned from that, but I try to have some type of good message included—with an HEA of course!

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book.

I think I have a much better appreciation for what the conditions of war were like. The battle scene of Waterloo was only one chapter in the book, but getting into the weeds while researching made it more real. I cannot fathom living out in the open, walking miles upon miles to fight and then having to endure the poor medical care in the field.

What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?

Other than Austen (naturally), I adore Georgette Heyer. Her witty dialogue blows me away, and she transports me back in time while creating realistic characters.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to the community and be involved. I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and help from readers and authors alike.

Tell us about your latest release…

Book 3 in the Loring-Abbott Series, Seeking Redemption

At nineteen, Lady Lydia Markham was beautiful, bookish and naïve. Her sheltered, loveless upbringing had not educated her in the ways of the beau monde, or the men who inhabited it. So when she met Nathaniel, Lord Fairmont, it was all too easy to be swept away by his rakish charm and good looks. She was devastated when he did not propose marriage, but joined Wellington’s army instead.

Six years of battle has changed Nathaniel: older, wiser, the conqueror of the addictions that drove his misspent youth, he’s avowed to start afresh. But a chance meeting with Lydia unnerves him; she is so very keen to speak to him, yet he cannot fathom why. Has she waited for him all these years? He is unfit for her and is focused on making amends for another’s life that he ruined, and he urges her to forget him.

Nathaniel’s indifference leaves Lydia heartbroken, but she reaffirms her vow to begin anew. Unfortunately, she needs Nathaniel’s assistance. If ensuring his aid means following him to the Continent, where he’s gone to fight Napoleon with the Household Guards, then so be it. But will he help once he knows her secret?

Find Seeking Redemption here: Kobo, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, amazon.com, and amazon UK.

Want to connect with Elizabeth? Find her on her website, or on Facebook. Check out her Amazon page for links to Surrender the Past and Seasons of Change.

Thanks so much, Elizabeth!

A Romance Writer Goes to London: The British Museum and Sir John Soane Museum (part 9 in a series)

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Margaret — No Comments ↓

I’ll admit that I was mostly excited for Day 3 of our trip because we would be attending Mojo the play – and seeing COLIN MORGAN!! – that evening. But I was also fired up to visit the world-famous British Museum and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Even hubby was pretty excited, as, like me, he loves museums and large cathedrals.

Unfortunately, the day dawned gray and rainy. Although given it was the first time we’d had rain since we arrived, I shouldn’t complain. Plus we had mostly indoor activities sketched out for the day, so besides being a bit of a mood dampener, the rain didn’t deter us. Upon arrival at the museum, hubby and I immediately split up – I wanted to search out any Regency-related artifacts I could find, whereas hubby headed to the Greek and Roman displays. Sadly, many of my pictures didn’t really come out, but I enjoyed examining Regency jewelry and buttons and watches and clocks. There were fewer items from the early 19th century than I’d seen at the V&A, I think.

Regency dishes celebrating the defeat of Napoleon

A portrait of Lord Byron, who reminds me a bit of John Mayer - and Tom Hanks. — Lord Byron, who reminds me of singer John Mayer – and actor Tom Hanks.

After the Regency displays, I sought out the medieval sections of the Museum, still feeling affection for my former area of doctoral study. I loved studying the various artifacts. I stumbled across a display of pocket watches and clocks, and also one of money. It was fun to search out those from my period of interest, but also to see pieces across time and geographical space. and eventually found my way over to the other side of the Museum myself, in which I looked at ancient Greek vases (and thought of my step-dad, long a classical Greece enthusiast), then raced through rooms full of marble statues as I sought out the mummies. My favorite was the cat mummy display.

BM10 — A citole – predecessor of the modern guitar. @ 1300.

Ivorians from the Ottonian period (10th c Germany) — Ivory carving from the Ottonian period (10th c Germany)

This gorgeous piece I actually got to handle. I believe it was 12th century.

Bank of England one pound note. — Bank of England one pound note, 1821.

BM14 — Silver and gold coins from the Georgian period, 1797 and 1804

Unfortunately I ran out of time – we knew it was going to be a time-crunched day with all we wanted to do, so we’d agreed to spend only two hours or so at the Museum. Two hours are not enough – not nearly enough – to see everything. I know there were numerous displays I’d missed, but frankly I was happy (and a bit overwhelmed) with everything I’d taken in that morning, so after zipping in briefly to see the infamous Elgin marbles and a few other ancient items, we headed out in search of some lunch.

It had stopped raining by that point, so I took advantage of that to snap a few pics of the exterior of the museum. We wandered briefly around the neighborhoods near the museum, searching for a Greek restaurant, but ultimately ended up at a chain pizzeria – the same chain at which we’d eaten the first night. Whatever. I didn’t care, and it’s what hubby wanted.

After a filling lunch, we walked to the Sir John Soane Museum. Hubby totally indulged me here, as I’m sure he wasn’t particularly interested in this Regency architect’s home. I was, though, as John Soane bequeathed his home and its contents to the England, and it is essentially an extant – if a bit unusual – Regency house. Pictures inside were not allowed, but I still enjoyed seeing the various rooms, and bought a guidebook so I could later remember the interior. Sir John Soane’s home lies directly across from the Lincoln’s Inn Fields, another large, beautiful green space in London, so I snapped a quick pic. Had I been on my own, I would have lingered much longer in the home, but I could tell hubby was chafing to get over to St. Paul’s…so off to the Tube we went!

Beautiful houses on the way to Sir Sloane Museum

Lincoln's Inn Fields — Lincoln’s Inn Fields

Who Are Your Favorite Romance Authors – Past and Present?

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Margaret — No Comments ↓

I started reading romance when I was ten years old (sorry, mom). Our local library sent a bookmobile down to the elementary school near us once a week, and one my favorite activities was browsing the kids’ books to find new reads. I quickly exhausted the selection, however–what was a bored bookworm to do?

I turned around. To the adult section. Most of the titles didn’t interest me, but I found one book that had a gorgeous woman on it clad in a beautifully flowing emerald-green dress. My eyes soaked it in, and when I flipped it over to read something on the back about a pirate, I was hooked. I devoured that book in a day. It was my first romance. Sadly, I can’t remember the title or author, but I do remember it sparked a life-long love with the romance genre.

After reading through the small bookmobile romance collection, I started saving my allowance to buy romances at the local Waldenbooks in the mall. I think the first title I ever bought was by Phoebe Conn – but again, I don’t remember much else besides loving the book (oh, the many curses of a terrible long-term memory. Stupid brain.). Other romances quickly followed, whether borrowed or purchased: love stories by Constance O’Banyon, Constance O’Day Flannery (who introduced me to my beloved time-travel romances; man, I soaked those up!), Johanna Lindsey, Catherine Coulter.

I found “older” romances and read Bertrice Small, Shirlee Busbee, Kathleen Woodiwiss. I couldn’t get enough, even as my peers and family mocked me for my genre of choice. “When I grow up,” I declared, “I’m going to write romances!” I was trying to legitimize my obsession in some ways through such a statement, but in the back of my mind the idea was always there: write, write, write.

In the late 80s I discovered one of my all-time favorites: LaVyrle Spencer. I LOVED (and still love) her books. I’d read an entire one in an afternoon. I read them over and over again. I couldn’t get enough. To her I added other new author loves, like Jude Devereaux (whose Knight in Shining Armor remains in my Top Five), Kristin Hannah, Elaine Coffman, Pamela Morsi, Dorothy Garlock. I hope I’m keeping the time frame right – forgive me if I’m off by five or so years.

I even bought romances in German when I lived in German in 1989. I have many of Johanna Lindsey’s books auf Deutsch, and even a LaVyrle Spencer one! And yes, I read them, too.

As I headed off to college, I took new favorites with me. Christina Dodd (maybe she was late 90s – again, faulty memory), Jane Feather, Susan Johnson, Laura Kinsale, Betina Krahn, Lisa Kleypas. Ah, Ms. Kleypas. I bought her debut novel. I was stunned to see we were around the same age. That again fueled the belief, the hope, that if she could write romance, so could I. Then I stumbled on to Lynn Kurland. Ah. Lynn Kurland. Another time-travel romance writer who wrote my favorite romance of all time, Stardust of Yesterday.

By this time, I was in graduate school. The goal was to obtain that doctorate in medieval history and land a professorship somewhere. Writing novels seemed so far removed from a viable choice that I didn’t think about it anymore. My novel collection dwindled, as well–after one particular ribbing from my family I boxed up all the books I had and donated them to the library. Score for the library, but oh, how I wish I still had them.

I did the same thing again in the early 2000s; I had gotten married and was now the mother to a young son, and somehow stopped reading romance. I mean completely stopped. Part of me, I think, felt as if a married mother shouldn’t be reading such books (not that my husband has ever cared). Off to the library they went, and I spent the early 2000s reading…I don’t know what. (Probably People magazine in five-minute increments in the bathroom while the toddlers banged on the door, or played on the floor.)

That is, until I stumbled across Julia Quinn‘s The Duke and I. And the love affair flamed anew, fast and furiously. I consumed her Bridgerton series as quickly as I could, then discovered Jo Goodman‘s Compass Club quartet, which was delicious. Next followed works by Eloisa James and Sabrina Jeffries–if you haven’t read them, you are missing out! Not only was I back in love with romance, but I’d found a whole new set of authors and a time period which enchanted me completely. In the past (and still some today) I read lots of medieval romances, American west romances (gotta love those sheriff and schoolmarm ones), some set in Russia, some in Europe. I loved them. I still do. But it’s the Regency which feeds my fantasies now, so most of the books I’m seeking out are set in that era.

New discoveries are enriching my romance novel experiences, as well. I’ve fallen in love with Katy Regnery and her emotionally evocative yet simple writing style (even though she doesn’t write Regency!), and Sarah MacLean‘s Nine Rules to Break While Romancing a Rake has leapt into my Top Ten, I’m sure. I’ve a number of Tessa Dare and Erin Knightley books in my To Read pile, and I’m looking forward to them.

In truth, my To Read pile must number at least 100 books, if not more – and that’s not including the titles I’ve downloaded to my Kindle. Will I ever read them all? I don’t know, but it’s the kind of quandary I love to have.

So there’s my recounting of the authors who’ve left indelible marks on my aging brain through the characters and stories they’ve brought to life. I’ve probably missed at least a few.

Now I’d love to hear from YOU. Who are your Can’t Miss authors, whether recent or classic?

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