Q&A with Beverly Adam (Regency historical romance author)

Beverly Adam is our guest author today. Beverly writes Regency historical romances for Lachesis Publishing. And her books always have a good dose of humour. Her Gentlemen of Honor series follows three wonderful heroes (and heroines) in Ireland.
When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer and why?
I tried to write my first book when I was ten years old. I was an avid reader and wanted to see if I could create an imaginary place like the adventurous books I’d been reading. The adults in my family read my first efforts and encouraged me to keep at it, telling me that I would improve if I kept writing. Since then I’ve never wanted to be anything else but a writer.

Describe your favorite place to write?
Call it feng shui vibes, if you will, but I usually write at the dining table in front of the window. I feel mentally blocked facing walls. Plus, watching the antics of the squirrels and little fledgling sparrows is relaxing.  Sometimes I write by the storefront window at the martial arts studio where I’m a part owner. People watching can be almost as much fun as nature watching.

What would I find on your desk at this very moment?
I live in Northern California where there is currently a heat wave taking place (95 degrees). A water bottle is at my right with a glass and directly in front of my computer is a colorful sunflower arrangement sitting on a rainbow runner. I love decorating. Two family members’ computers are occupying the space to my left.

What is your tea/coffee beverage of choice when you’re writing?
In the mornings, homemade vanilla coffee, and like my characters, a strong English blend with a splash of milk is to be had at almost any time. On hot days I’ll sip an iced caramel coffee as the much needed caffeine keeps me going when I’m in need of a jolt of energy.

What do you love to read?
I enjoy romance novels of all genres, in particular those with funny moments that cause you to laugh out loud and say to yourself, Oh no she didn’t. I can’t resist reading cozy murder mysteries where the female character has a hunky love interest who knows how to handle a weapon, which probably explains why I include all of the above in my own writing.

What is some good advice you can give to an emerging writer?
Without conflict there is no story. This applies to every story you will ever write. The more conflict there is, the more interesting the story. A lesson I have to work on every time I write. Can true love triumph against cutthroat pirates, interfering relatives, and some personal baggage about trust? Turn that page and find out!

What do you do after you finish a book?
Do you celebrate or take a nap? My work is not a holy text. I wait with anticipation to hear how much the publisher and editors enjoyed my book and to receive their honest feedback. Their opinion and the readers’ means a lot to me. I often take into consideration some of their suggestions for future books once the book is published.

You have a Regency historical series with Lachesis called Gentlemen of Honor. While your heroes are wonderful, your heroines are very unique. Tell us about these strong women.
The ladies are not the typical debutantes, courtesans, or governesses that one normally reads about in a Regency novel. The first is feisty Lady Beatrice O’Brien, who in The Spinster and The Earl, is a strong minded, self-made heiress whose family is trying to entice an impoverished earl into marrying her. The second is the angelic looking Sarah Duncan, who is an Irish healer in The Lady and The Captain. She comes aboard a handsome English captain’s ship as his pretend betrothed, despite some personal misgivings, in order to help solve the mystery concerning an attempted murder. And in the third, The Widow and The Rogue, a young widow, Lady Kathleen Langtry, must learn to trust a charming barrister to help run her estates after her controlling husband’s untimely death. All three ladies come to terms with issues concerning their past and the problems they have about trusting men.

You have a gift for writing colourful secondary characters. If your books were movies, your supporting cast would steal every scene. How important are the secondary characters in a romance novel (or any story)?
Yes, aren’t secondary characters a hoot?!  I can’t imagine not writing a story without a cast of them. They are very important, providing comic relief, sinister villains, interfering relatives, and acts of selfless friendship. I enjoy writing witty barbs between them and my protagonists. In a few instances their stories became plots in themselves. I wrote books two and three of The Honorable Gentlemen because the secondary characters were so interesting.

What do you love about writing historical romance?
I love history and having a good story to tell. I become a time traveler and it is an adventure in writing and researching that I enjoy sharing with the reader. I remember one reviewer said she hadn’t expected to learn anything while reading my romances, but was pleasantly surprised she had, and I took that to be one of the best compliments I could have possibly received. As for romance, it’s a fun challenge to write about the struggle and sexual attraction between the two lovers trying to figure out how to reach their happily ever after. Yes, writing historical romances can be a lot of fun!

Connect with Beverly Adam online on her blog and on facebook and on goodreads.
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