Cassandra Samuels’s Once Upon a Wicked Wager releases today, and she was kind enough to answer some questions for us.
You can get your copy of this exciting historical romance HERE!
Did you always know you wanted to be an author? What is the first story you remember writing? How did you get from there to where you are today?
I have wanted to be an author since I was 15 years old. I read Pride and Prejudice in school and fell in love with the clothes the manners and the humor. That same year P&P came out on tv with Colin Firth (you know the one) and I was hooked. I remember writing an Australian set historical around the time of the Gold Rush on my mother’s typewriter. The premise was good, the execution, not so good, but I had fun anyway. Life got in the way and after getting married and having kids I decided I needed something just for me. I’d never stopped reading my beloved historical romances and so I thought why not have another go at it. I reached out to Stephanie Laurens who was the only Australian Historical Romance writer that I knew at the time and she gave me some wonderful advice and that was to join the Romance Writers of Australia, which I did and then I joined a local chapter called Breathless in the Bush. I quickly realised I had a lot to learn. I honed my craft and went in many contests and once I started winning and placing I knew I was ready to submit to a publisher. I pitched to an editor at the conference and they asked for the full. I sent it off and was offered publication in 2014. I have had some ups and downs between then and now but I found my feet again and submitted to Dragonblade and now my four book series will be released this year.
What is the most inspiring place you’ve visited and has it shown up in one of your books?
I went to England in 2010 and visited many castles and stately homes but I did use a historic house called Kingston Lacey as inspiration for one of my stories. The house was grand, the gardens lovely and they had a collection of Egyptian artifacts as well.
How much research do you do into the time period and places you write about? Do you have any experience dressing in character or participating in living history situations or are you more a fan of libraries and online resources?
I once went to a conference dressed in Regency garb.
What drew you to the era you write in? Is there something about the time period you think most people don’t know about? What do you think would be the most difficult part about living in that period?
It is all Jane Austen’s fault. The most difficult part for sure would be living without indoor plumbing.
What are your favorite kind of characters to write? Do you have a specific trope that you’re drawn too?
I like all sorts of characters and I do not seem to gravitate towards any particular trope although I do like enemies to lovers. I do have a common theme that seems to be in just about every book and that is self-worth and belonging.
Where is your favorite place to write? Does it change depending on where you are in the process?
I have an office in my home and that is where I mostly write, though I have sometimes written in bed.
Which comes first for you: the plot or the characters? Definitely the characters.
Do you know where the story is going before you begin, or does it come to you as you write?
Either the Hero or the heroine come to me and they show me the inciting incident and I work the plot around that.
Do scenes come to you fully formed or are you as surprised as the reader?
I do an outline but it is just a skeleton of the story and I discovery write in between. I am often surprised by the turn of events.
Does your writing process include any kind of ritual? Story specific playlists, tea, or candles, for example?
I do like to write to music which after a while becomes white noise to me. If not I get distracted by closing doors, dogs barking etc.
Do you write better in the morning or evening? How do you handle the distractions of working from home, especially if you’re sharing the space with others?
I write at night mostly. I have a full-time day job so I really only have time at night to write. I love working from home and still do my day job twice a week from home. As I work with numbers all day I prefer the quietness of my office. Everyone else is out of the house during the day so it is just me and my dogs. And I always have my headphones ready if I need them.
What do you like to read when you’re not reading in your genre? Did you have a favorite book or series when you were growing up?
My very first novel I read that has always stayed with me was a book called Baby Island by Caroly Ryrie Brink about two girls who get stranded on a desert Island with the four babies they were babysitting. I think I was about nine at the time. After that I just wanted to read everything.
