Welcome All!
Today I am interviewing Author of Regency Romances: The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren, and The Rogue’s Reluctant Rose, Daphne du Bois!
Thank you Daphne for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a bit about your background.
It’s a pleasure to be here, April! 🙂
I read somewhere that people become writers because they just can’t help it, and I have to agree. I come from a bookish family where there were always books being read, suggested and discussed, and I’ve always loved reading: I think I decided pretty early on that telling stories for a living was exactly what I wanted to do. On top of all that, I studied (medieval) English lit, linguistics, and history, which sort of sealed the deal. My absolute favourite non-writing job was as a volunteer gallery assistant/tour guide at Handel House Museum in London, which was full of music, art and other wonderful things. I’ve lived in a lot of different places, including London and Moscow, all of which have also fed into the stories I tell. I think if you’re a reader, you can’t help but associate certain books with different locations and stages of your life. Right now, I live in Johannesburg with my family, two dogs, five adopted cats and a big garden.
Sounds lovely! 🙂 What draws you to write Regency Romances?
I have always been a huge Austen fan, but I don’t think the idea of setting a story in that wonderful world occurred to me until I opened my very first Heyer, The Grand Sophy, and fell completely in love with the characters and the setting. I think there’s a great sparkle and elegance to the Regency era. It was so entrenched in manners and modes, and at the same time it was a very vivacious time. As a writer, it’s also great fun to work both in and around these social restrictions to tell my stories.
In many ways, the Regency was an exciting time to be alive and it makes for the perfect setting for a love story!
I loved the manners and the polite society that was portrayed in The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren. It really stuck out to me. It was refreshing! 🙂
Were you influenced by any Authors in particular?
I’ve already mentioned Austen and Heyer (although they definitely deserve a second mention!), but I also love the adventure romances of Sergeanne Golon and Orczy. And, of course, I love to curl up on a rainy day with the work of many current romance writers like Lisa Kleypas, and Elizabeth Hoyt – I think they do an amazing job bringing the 18th and 19th centuries to life, writing enchanting stores and characters you really cheer for.
Who designed your cover for The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren? Do you think the cover of a book plays an important role in the buying process?
I’ll own up and say I did that one myself! 🙂 I currently work in advertising, so I thought I’d try making my own. I think the question of covers is tricky. It’s definitely important because it’s the first thing that catches the eye: often, a cover also signals the kind of book a reader can expect (romance, horror, etc.). And, of course, I want my work to look attractive and memorable. Looking at a finished cover is always very exciting! That said, it also depends on the reader: I’ve known people who were put off by certain covers, and others who don’t pay attention to covers at all.
If The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren was made into a movie, who would you like to see play Miss Lorelei Lindon? And Lord Winbourne?
Ooh! What a fun question. I think Rosamund Pike for Lorelei (she was just perfect as Jane Bennett in the 2005 P&P), and Anthony Andrews circa 1980s for Winbourne (he was so dashing as The Scarlet Pimpernel!).
In The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren, is the infamous ghost who haunts little Paddlington Village based on a true legend? Or pure fiction?
The Little Paddlington ghost is my own invention – but she’s an amalgamation of many other local English ghost stories I came across in my research – it seems you can’t take a step in England without running into a local ghost story. 🙂
Hahahaha! Yes. 🙂
What is it about Lorelei, in The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren, that makes her so irresistible to Lord Winbourne, especially since he can have any woman he wants?
Lord Winbourne’s attention is caught by Lorelei’s unusually daring spirit – sneaking out to go ghost hunting wasn’t the done thing for Regency ladies. He doesn’t quite know what to make of her and becomes completely fascinated as he tries to figure her out.
Lord Winbourne’s trouble is exactly that he can have almost any woman he wants, except that Lorelei doesn’t seem to want him all that much – she pretends not to know him, and he can’t have that! She’s forever caught up in some adventure, and a good adventure is just what the jaded, bored Lord Winbourne needs.
Are you working on any projects at the moment? If so, what is it about?
I’m working on two rather different ones right now! One is a Regency romance, His Wayward Duchess, which will launch my new Lady Adventuress series. It’s a romantic comedy of manners about a duke who enters what he thinks will be a marriage of convenience with a plain but practical young woman. He thinks he just needs her help to set his estate to rights: only she turns out to be much more than he bargained for, as she charms London society, holds reckless carriage races and steals his heart. Adventure, blackmail, rakish cousins and true love abound. (Out Feb 2014)
My second project is in the promo stage, as it was released 8 Dec 2013 under the pen name Emily de Courcy. It’s my first venture into a romantic fantasy series in a genre that I like to think of a sort-of lyrical urban fairy tale. It’s an anthology called From Fairies and Creatures of the Night, Guard Me.
I’m pretty proud of the blurb:
In this collection of short stories, enter a world where a young woman paints the future, for a terrible price, and an automaton comes to life; where wizards roam the night, ice pixies invade every Yuletide and a vampire meets Death on a rainy night. Here, a musician plays cards with a fairy king in a game that isn’t really about cards at all, and a king’s long-suffering councillor must figure out a way to deal with a very pesky monster.
Learn the price of immortality and the meaning of loss, and discover the power of love, humour and friendship in these tales of magic and wonder.
Oh wow, very intriguing! I look forward to it! Thank you for sharing!
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I think the most important thing is for authors to write the stories they want to write – because if they love what they’re creating, they’ll find others who will too. And if you get stuck at some point in the story, just skip on to the next part and then go back and add things – but don’t give up.
Editing-wise, it’s a great idea to read your writing out loud – it helps to catch mistakes and check the dialogue flow. I always feel a bit silly reading out loud to myself, but it’s completely worth it!
Excellent advice Daphne, thank you. How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsDaphneduBois?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsDaphneduBois
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/daphnedubois/boards/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Daphne-du-Bois/e/B00CS7C420/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SingingNettle
Book Links:
The Rogue’s Reluctant Rose: http://www.amazon.com/The-Rogues-Reluctant-Rose-ebook/dp/B00BWV8AHQ
The Scoundrel’s Secret Siren: http://www.amazon.com/Scoundrels-Secret-Siren-Daphne-Bois-ebook/dp/B00FCWPM9U
From Fairies and Creatures of the Night, Guard Me: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7H1JOA
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/DaphneduBois
Thank you very much Daphne for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview!
Thank you for inviting me, April! 🙂 It’s been great fun.
A Well Read Woman 