A Very Modern Marriage by Rachel Brimble

Please welcome Rachel Brimble author of A Very Modern Marriage

Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

A Very Modern Marriage

by Rachel Brimble

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GENRE: Historical romance

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INTERVIEW:

What expertise did you bring to your writing?

As far as writing expertise…none! I am completely self-taught, although I have taken a few online classes along the way. I loved English at school and my teacher was devastated when I had to leave to help the family finances. I was just 16 when she told me I had a future as a writer – I loved Mrs Bryant so much!

I think the real ‘expertise’ that comes out in my stories are my heartbreaks, a 24 year happy marriage, raising two daughters, being a dog owner, having a father with dementia and losing him to such a terrible disease, long lasting friendships, a weakness for food and wine… yep, plenty of life expertise!

As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I plan to keep writing for as long as I can – I decided at the start of the year that I am not going to focus on the publishing, the money or anything outside of the actual writing for the next 12 months and see how happy that makes me.

The pandemic made it incredibly hard to write throughout 2020/1 and, somewhere along the way, I fell out of love with it. That should not happen to any writer if you are writing from the soul. So this year, it’s all about loving what I’m writing and not worrying about whether or not it will be published or languish in a drawer somewhere!

If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

I would love to be Louisa Hill who is the heroine in the first book in the Ladies of Carson Street series A Widow’s Vow.

She is the woman who brings Nancy (heroine of book 2 Trouble For The Leading Lady) and Octavia (heroine of A Very Modern Marriage) together and makes their welfare and happiness her mission. She cares for them deeply as her friends and comrades against the world and will protect them no matter what.

I am very much like that with my friends and family, but Louisa is striving for so much in a dark and dangerous underworld in a vast Victorian city. She is strong… but then again so are all three Ladies of Carson Street!

If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your leading roles?

This is an easy question for me to answer because I start every book looking for images of my hero, heroine and villain (if I have one)! For A Very Modern Marriage, Octavia (the heroine) would be played by Kara Hayward and William (the hero) would be played by Jamie Dornan

When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I made a decision to start writing a novel with publication in mind when my youngest daughter started school time in 2005. I wrote the book and several drafts in about 18 months – I then submitted it to the New Writers Scheme which is an invaluable service offered by the Romantic Novelists Association where a published romance author reads and gives feedback on your entire manuscript.

My reader told me she thought it almost ready for submission and gave me a little direction to make it even better – I then spoke to lots of friends online who told me to try The Wild Rose Press. I submitted to them and it was accepted! I couldn’t believe it – I have had at least one book published ever year since 2007.

Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I’m a huge plotter, but the books always end up taking a different turn or two than I expected! I tend to start with the main characters’ goals, motivations and internal conflicts and then build the story around whatever it is the characters want or are most afraid of.

I write a chapter plan which consists of 2-3 sentences of what occurs in each chapter, then I write a 3-4 page synopsis and then I start the actual writing. I write the entire first draft without looking back – the hard part comes in the following drafts!

Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?

I have finished the first book in what I plan to be my next series and halfway through the first draft of the second – I am hoping to receive a contract offer very soon so I super excited. All I can tell you is that the books focus on the servants of past British royal courts…

Watch this space!

Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

I feel like there are several black moments in A Very Modern Marriageor at least moments when the Octavia or William must decide whether to go into fight or flight mode. I love writing the pivotal scenes where whatever one or both of the characters decide to do, the outcome changes the story in some way.

In A Very Modern Marriageone of my favorite moments like this is when Octavia is forced to realize that if she wants to be William and enjoy their life and his business, she cannot continue to react emotionally to all that is wrong, and instead, either accept that there is a dark side to building wealth or leave. Her disillusionment comes at a price, but is it one she is willing to pay?

What is your favorite reality show?

I love The Apprentice and Strictly Come Dancing (I think it’s Dancing With The Stars in US) – you couldn’t get two more different shows but I love one for the laughter factor and the other for the awe-factor. You decide which one causes which reaction!

Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like to write a series.

I love writing series so much, its very hard to imagine I’ll ever write a single title ever again! When I started writing series, it happened by accident. The book was Finding Justice, my first with Harlequin Superromance. I fell in love with the town (Templeton Cove) and by the time I had finished the first draft, I loved one of the female secondary characters so much, I started writing notes for her story.

Luckily for me when I submitted to Harlequin, they asked me if I had an idea for book 2 in mind… the series eventually ran to eight books! Now, I tend to write 3 or 4 books in a series – I just love working with a big cast of characters and having two center-stage and others from previous books making cameo appearances.

BLURB:

He needs a wife…

Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.

She has a plan…

But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.

They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.

In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…

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EXCERPT:

Louisa and Jacob’s conversation dimmed as Mr Rose slowly turned his gaze to Octavia. She barely resisted the urge to flinch. His eyes were as dark as his hair, their gaze so intense it was as though he looked to read her thoughts, desires and dreams. The notion was bizarrely unnerving, intoxicating and a frisson of trepidation – or maybe shameful anticipation – shivered through her. Suddenly it didn’t seem such a bad idea to allow Mr Rose’s unexpected visit to play out. Yet, impromptu admittance was not the Carson Street way…

As Louisa and Jacob seemed too imbedded in debate to address Mr Rose and his companions, Octavia raised her chin and held Mr Rose’s unwavering stare. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Rose, but it’s house policy that no girl spends time alone with a man we do not know. Therefore, I kindly ask that you leave for the time being. However, if you wish—’

‘Now, now, Octavia,’ Louisa said firmly as she brushed past her. ‘I don’t think it’s necessary to toss Mr Rose so unceremoniously out of our establishment on such a cold and dreary night, do you?’

‘Louisa…’ Octavia looked pointedly at her friend, her eyebrows raised. ‘Jacob is right. Mr Fairham should not have taken it upon himself to offer his friend’s unkept appointment to Mr Rose. Therefore, Mr Rose should leave.’

Octavia faced Mr Rose and, once again, fought the urge to flinch when she found herself the object of his intense study a second time. She pulled back her shoulders. He had better think again if he thought for one minute she might be intimidated by him.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels including the Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories (Harlequin).

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society and has thousands of social media followers all over the world.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Rachel Brimble will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4049