Christina Diane’s Avoiding the Merry Viscount releases later this week, and she was kind enough to answer some questions for us.
You can get your copy of this delightful 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 didn’t always know I wanted to be an author—mostly because I grew up in a “pick something lucrative, please and thank you” household. Creative pursuits were discouraged, for the most part. But the very first story I remember writing was when I was maybe eleven or twelve. It was a comic strip called Grizzly Grouch. It was a little series of funnies and starred a very irritable bear who bantered with the other forest animals. I wrote the dialogue, drew the art (badly) and loved every second. I wish I still had the copies!!!
As a teen and adult, I wrote sporadically. I freelanced as a side hustle for several entertainment websites, which taught me how to write fast, clean, and on deadline. Then in 2023, I randomly decided to draft a memoir (its publishing fate is still somewhere between “someday” and “absolutely not,” depending on the week). But later that same year, a group of characters showed up in my brain, refused to leave, and demanded I give them a home on the page. Once I started writing them, that was it. Writing was all I wanted to do. Those same characters became the heart of my Dragonblade series, Romancing the Ton!
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 like to joke that my very first round of research was the hundreds of Regency romances I devoured long before I ever considered writing one. Years of reading gave me a feel for the era and I’d been happily living in that world as a reader long before I stepped into it as an author.
Once I decided to write Regency myself, I picked up a few reference books for my desk and dove into the kind of research in my own way: the wonderfully random kind. One minute I’m looking up children’s toys from 1815, the next I’m checking which fabrics a dressmaker could realistically get her hands on, and five minutes later I’m down a rabbit hole about holiday traditions no one has celebrated in two centuries.
I don’t dress in character or reenact scenes (at least not yet) but I live in my process of chasing down those little historical details. The story unfolds, a question pops up, and off I go to figure out what might’ve feasibly been true.
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?
I really enjoy the escapism of historical romances. And with the Regency era in particular, I enjoy the social constructs of the era. It is fascinating the way that people communicate and follow the various social norms. For me the most difficult part about living in the era would be the time that it would take to get and share information. I don’t know if I’d do well without the ability to text and get answers quickly.
I’ve always loved the pure escapism of historical romance, and the Regency era in particular feels like stepping into a world where everything is elegant on the surface and complicated underneath. The social constructs of the time fascinate me. There are so many rules for etiquette and communication.
As for the hardest part of living back then? Hands down, the speed of communication. I’m entirely too reliant on instant answers and information. I am far too addicted to texting and Google searches.
What are your favorite kind of characters to write? Do you have a specific trope that you’re drawn too?
I love spirited characters that like to banter. I seem to really like reformed rakes. There’s just something delightful about a man who used to be trouble but crumbles spectacularly for the right woman. That’s probably why I also love instalust scenarios. That spark-on-sight, can’t-look-away, “who is this and why do I suddenly have no self-control?” energy is so much fun. It’s messy, fun, and always leads to complications.
Where is your favorite place to write? Does it change depending on where you are in the process?
I prefer to write from my desk with my big computer monitor. I have everything set up the way I like it and know that I can be comfortable and focus.
Which comes first for you: the plot or the characters?
The characters for sure. I usually get an idea of my characters first and then figure out how they are going to end up together!
Do you know where the story is going before you begin, or does it come to you as you write? Do scenes come to you fully formed or are you as surprised as the reader?
I tend to know where the story is going before I begin. I develop the characters, and then craft a high-level outline for the entire story. It leaves room for things to shift as the story unfolds, but gives me enough of a plan that I know where I’m going. There are definitely times where I’ve dramatically changed from the outline because the characters have decided mid-story that they want to do something different from what I planned.
Does your writing process include any kind of ritual? Story specific playlists, tea, or candles, for example?
I tend to light a candle and zone out my desk. To help keep from get distracted by the noise of my house, I tend to either listen to the Hamilton soundtrack or turn on Grey’s Anatomy or Bridgerton in the background as noise.
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 would love to write in the morning, but since I have a full-time corporate job, I have to write in the evening by default. I work from home for my day job, so I have gotten good at tuning out things around the house so that I can work. I don’t watch a lot of TV, so I usually write while my husband and kids play video games in the evenings!
When it’s difficult to physically travel, how do you find ways to escape?
Reading a good book or watching a horror move is enough of an escape for me! Writing also does the job since I can create a different world to step into! It’s so much fun to be able to step in and out of it each evening and know that it was something that came from my own head.
From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
I am a sucker for my male heroes. I tend to create them first and then determine what kind of woman they need in their lives to help them heal, making them better versions of themselves, etc. It’s very difficult for me to pick a favorite because they all have a special place in my heart. But… if I have to pick, I’ll go with Hudson. He gets his match in Book 6 of my Romancing the Ton series (sorry you have a while to wait, but he appears throughout the other books!). He’s broody, complicated, and misunderstood. He is dealing with things that he can’t talk about or face ruin that would impact his sister. And it manifests as being a bit of an ass. But there’s so much more to him than that!
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?
If I am not reading Regency romances, then I am usually reading a contemporary dark romance! I love the strong alpha men and unhinged vibes of dark romance! (I also write dark romance, too!) Growing up, I read a lot of R.L. Stine books, Baby Sitters Club, Christopher Pike, Jane Eyre… the list goes on. Jane Eyre has always been a longstanding favorite of mine!
