Forgetting the Earl is out tomorrow! It’s book one in the Arrogant Earls series and part of the Dragonblade Flame line. Kathleen was kind enough to answer some questions for us.
You can get your copy of this spicy 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’ve always wanted to tell stories. As a child, I was a daydreamer and as I became an adult, I found myself still daydreaming. I thought for a long time there was something wrong because I was always living in a fantasy world…until I attended a writer’s conference. Everyone at my table did exactly the same thing. It was eye-opening! I wasn’t daydreaming. My characters were alive and writing out their stories in my mind. That was the moment I realized I was writer.
What is the most inspiring place you’ve visited and has it shown up in one of your books?
Hands down, Newport Rhode Island. The city is a perfect combination of colonial and Gilded Age history. So is New York City. I adore the history of both. Manhattan does make an appearance in one of my books —New York society is so much fun to write. I’ll be going back there! I hope to do a series set in the Gilded Age. Stay tuned.
How much research do you do into the time period and places you write about?
Quite a lot. I have a notebook for each book filled with tidbits on the time period. I watch You Tube videos on the locations so that I get the details correct. The hard part is finding the balance between too little or too much historical detail. I might spend hours looking up a particular detail and then I might only mention it in one sentence. I like visiting in person when I can. I read a lot. I’m also a big fan of documentaries.
What drew you to the era you write in?
I’ve always loved reading historical romance. I really like the early Victorian period. Things were happening. Men were still wearing those tight leather breeches but also trousers. Dresses were fuller. Travel became easier. The middle class was being established.
What do you think would be the most difficult part about living in that period?
Being clean! It was really difficult, even if you were wealthy. Poor hygiene led to a lot of deaths, especially women in childbirth. I’m actually writing a series where the heroine is a wannabe OB-GYN or as much as she can be in that time period.
What are your favorite kind of characters to write?
I love writing villains. The more evil they are the more fun they are to write. I like complicated, flawed main characters. Humor and wit are a big part of what I write. I tend to lean towards family dynamics.
Do you have a specific trope that you’re drawn too?
I adore enemies to lovers. Probably my absolute favorite.
From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
Marcus Barrington. Even though he’s no longer alive, his love and legacy live on in the memories of the other Barringtons. I get teary eyed just thinking about Marcus. I also adore Henry, the Earl of Huntly in Chasing the Earl. His rude behavior and bearlike physique hide a deeply sexual and sensuous man.
