Aloha to Grace Burrowes and THE VIRTUOSO

Let's start our countdown to Thanksgiving with a special guest - historical romance author Grace Burrowes:

Grace Burrowes is the pen name for a prolific and award-winning author of historical romances. The Heir, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, and was selected as a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for 2010. Both The Heir and its follow-up, The Solider, are New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. She is a practicing attorney specializing in family law and lives in a restored log cabin in western Maryland without a TV, DVD or radio because she's too busy working on her next books. For more information, please visit http://www.graceburrowes.com/. 

Western Maryland
nvatu.org

Kim:  Can you share a favorite sight, sound, and smell from Maryland?

Grace:  There are so many. Much of the year, it’s green as can be here. The old folks talk about “turn your back on the yard and it goes back to the mountain,” meaning weeds are soon joined by saplings, and a couple seasons later, you can’t tell it ever was a yard. It’s lush here… 

In early spring, I listen for the peepers, little cheeping tree frogs singing for their true loves; summer brings lightening bugs; fall is the best—frisky with the sound of the corn husks scraping in the wind and the scent of fallen leaves on the breeze. Winter brings the first snow flurries, the horses in shaggy winter coats, and of course, long, cold nights and brilliant frosty mornings. 

Maybe the variety is what I love best—the constant change. 

visitmaryland.org

Kim:  What did you learn from law school, law practice, and/or master's program that you could apply to writing?

Grace:  The master’s program was an interesting slice of life, dealing as it did with conflict resolution in a context larger than my US frame of reference. I learned a lot of lessons there, not the least of which is that sometimes, we need to “make haste slowly;” that is, sometimes it’s better to be patient with the front end of a process—with plotting a book, for example—so the execution of it goes more smoothly and successfully. I also learned that solving problems with other people is largely a function of taking responsibility for our own thoughts and actions, and that listening has more to do with problem solving than glowing rhetoric does. 

My characters occasionally stumble across the same lessons—what a coincidence! 

The Piano Lesson by Edmund Blair Leighton

Kim:  What influenced your decision to write Regency Romances? What resources do you draw upon for research?

Grace:  I’ve been reading Regencies for about forty years, and there are many, many first rate authors with big lists in the Regency sub-genre. I draw upon them, particularly Georgette Heyer for historical detail—but also a lot of online resources, craft books, historical references and the occasional trip to the UK. 

Kim:  Tell us about your Regency books - are they connected? What inspired your newest release, The Virtuoso?

Grace:  With the release of Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, in October, and The Virtuoso in November, we have the third and fourth siblings, respectively, in the Windham family series. We have four more siblings to go (that I know of—His Grace was a rascal before Her Grace got her mitts on him) and I’m sure there will be many spin-offs, sequels and pre-quels. 

The Virtuoso is the story of a man whose entire identity is wrapped up in his hard won skill as a pianist. My editor occasionally admonishes me to “torture the hero” so, of course, Lord Valentine Windham had to lose access to his music. When his spirits are at their nadir and all he wants to do is lick his emotional and physical wounds, he meets a woman whose troubles make him forget his own because he’s so focused on solving hers. 

Courtship by Edmund Blair Leighton

Kim:  What's next for Grace Burrowes?

Grace:  Lucky, me! I’m hard at work finishing the Windham siblings’ series—Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal comes out next May—and in summer 2012, we’ll launch the first in a trilogy of Scottish Victorians. 

Mahalo, Grace, for joining us at SOS Aloha!  Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH:

A luminous holiday tale of romance, passion, and dreams come true from rising star Grace Burrowes, whose award-winning Regency romances are capturing hearts worldwide.

All she wants is peace and anonymity…
Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.

But Sophie’s holiday is about to heat up…
With his estate in ruins, Vim Charpentier sees little to feel festive about this Christmas. His growing attraction for Sophie Windham is the only thing that warms his spirits—but when Sophie’s brothers whisk her away, Vim’s most painful holiday memories are reawakened.

It seems Sophie’s been keeping secrets, and now it will take much more than a mistletoe kiss to make her deepest wishes come true… 

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about your wish for the holidays - other than Peace on Earth, what would you like?  Make it whimsical!

Having met Alex O'Loughlin, I am satisfied.  No, wait, I'd like to interview Mark Dacascos who plays Wo Fat.  

2.  Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to North American residents only.  I have a special holiday treat for one international reader.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 26, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, November 27.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii 

Grace's Holiday Wish ....