Welcome my latest Guest Rosemary Morris!

I want to welcome Rosemary Morris Multi-Published historical novelist.

Tell us about your latest release.

I am delighted to announce that my *5 Regency, romance, mystery and suspense novel, False Pretences, has been published by Books We Love, and is available as an e-publication and a paperback.

“Five-year-old Annabelle, who does not know who her parents are, arrives at boarding school fluent in French and English. Separated from her nurse, with few memories of her past, a shadow blights Annabelle’s life.

When high-spirited, eighteen-year old Annabelle, who is financially dependent on her unknown guardian, receives an order to marry a French baron more than twice her age, she refuses. 

Her life in danger, Annabelle is saved by a heroic gentleman, who promises to help her discover her identity. Yet, from then on nothing is as it seems. To protect her captivating champion, broken-hearted, she is forced to run away for the second time.

In spite of many false pretences, even more determined to discover her parents’ identity, Annabelle must find out who to trust. Her attempts to unravel the mystery of her birth lead to further danger, despair, unbearable anguish and even more false pretences, until the only person who has ever wanted to cherish her, reveals the startling truth, and all’s well that ends well.”

Now I have a few questions for you – I have found readers do like to know fun things about us writers.

1,) Who is your favorite villain – it can be from a book (even one of yours), movie or TV show. And why?

Viscount Ravenstock, who appears in my novel Far Beyond Rubies, set in the early 18^th century in England is my favourite villain. He is a libertine, who challenges anyone who casts the slightest slur on his reputation to a duel to the death, and takes pride in his expertise with a sword.

In spite of Richelda Shaw’s determination not to obey her half-brother’s order to marry Ravenstock, when she met him, “she could not help gazing at the viscount, whose cheeks were delicately tinted blush-rose pink, giving color to his milk white complexion. Perhaps marriage to him would not be as bad as she imagined. To be successful, a womaniser must know how to please her sex, and more than likely, Ravenstock was gentleman enough to treat his wife with respect… Every feature of the earl’s heavenly countenance conspired to belie his shocking reputation.”

Ravenstock is as determined to marry Richelda as she is determined not to, but when he proposes he is honest.

“ “Why do you want to marry me?” Richelda asked.

“Would you believe me if I said you have captured m’heart?” He scrutinised her. “Ah, judging by your icy expression, you would not believe me. I suspect you are the rarest of creatures, a clever young lady”…“Mistress Kemp, instead of courting you with sweet words, I shall be honest. Please believe me when I, a connoisseur of beautiful women, say you are so exceptional that I might fall in love with you.” He tilted his chin. “Who knows whether you might reciprocate my love? It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that we could sail on the sea of matrimonial felicity.”

Richelda shook her head, unable to imagine sailing on any sea with him.

Ravenstock intrigued my fans. He would like to be the hero in another novel, and I am trying to decide whether or not to grant his wish.

2.) Who is your favorite character out of your books? Why?

Kate, Countess of Sinclair in The Captain and The Countess., set in early 18^th century England.

Kate, known as ‘the fatal widow’, an acclaimed beauty, is mentally strong, and wealthy, but, behind her façade, in fashionable early 18^th century English society, is a lifetime of pain. If she is to find happiness and peace of mind she must put the past behind her.

3.) What genre do you write? What made you pick that one?

For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed reading quality historical fiction and studying historical non-fiction, as well as visiting places of historical interest. My profound interest in times past led to my writing historical romance, mystery and suspense.

4.) What are you working on now?

I am writing a series of novels which take their titles from the nursery rhyme, which begins “Monday’s Child is fair of face.” Sunday’s Child and Monday’s Child set in the ever-popular Regency era, will be published by Books We Love as e-publications and paperbacks. Each novel is independent of the previous one, but some characters provide the link between them.

I am now working on Tuesday’s Child, which is set in Brussels between Napoleon Bonaparte’s escape from Elba and the Battle of Waterloo.

5.) What got you to start writing?

My imagination was vivid even when I was a small child. For years I made up stories. At school I always received excellent marks for English composition and essays that I enjoyed writing and excelled at. In my early twenties I wrote my first novels, which remain unpublished. Real life intervened. I had no time to write, but an imaginary world lived with me, and I knew that one day I would write more novels.

6.) Where do you get your ideas from?

The plot usually arises from historical non-fiction. For example, I read about Charles II’s brother James II. Most of the country did not want a Roman Catholic king. The majority of those, who knew him disliked him as a man, and his countrymen and women deplored his politics.

After James fled to France, his daughter, Mary and her husband William of Orange succeeded to the throne. After their deaths his younger daughter, Anne became queen. However, the peers of the realm had sworn an oath of allegiance to James. Some of them refused to pledge their loyalty to James’ successors while he lived.

What, I asked myself, would happen to the children of those noblemen who did not swear an oath of allegiance to the crown during James’ life?

In my novel, Tangled Love the heroine goes from riches to rags to riches, and the hero, who has been brought up in France, comes to England after the deaths of his father and his king, James II.

7.) What would people who read your work be surprised to find out about you?

I was born in England, lived in Kenya for twenty years, then lived in an Ashram until I returned to England.

8.) Do you have any special talents?

I am a keen amateur organic gardener. Although my front and back gardens are small, I grow fruit, herbs and vegetables as well as flowers, shrubs and trees in the cottage garden tradition. My home grown produce is put to good use in my vegetarian cuisine.

9.) What was the one piece of advice you received when you were an aspiring author that has stuck with you? Why?

At a time when I thought I would never be published a dear friend, a successful novelist, told me not to be discouraged by rejections because, one day, I would be published. Encouraged I kept on writing.

10.) If you could talk to any famous figure (present, past or fictional) who would it be and what would you talk about?

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, whose translations of classical literature, such as The Bhagavadgita As It Is, and their purports, are fascinating.

11.) What song would you say describes your life?

Off hand, not a song, but the 23^rd psalm. The Lord Is My Shepherd. With faith in the Supreme Lord I do not want.

12.) If you could come back as any animal – what would it be?

I don’t want to come back in any form; when I leave my present body I want to go to heaven.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

http://rosemarymorris.blogSpot.com