Guest Author: Grace Burrowes

Among her many accolades, my guest today is a NY Times best-selling author and has been a RITA finalist 5 times. She’ll be in Australia very soon and is to be the guest at an Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous on the 14^th of August in Melbourne. I am speaking, of course about the incredible Grace Burrowes.

 I find Grace Burrowes’ stories wonderfully absorbing—the type of characters who feel more like friends than characters— but I also find her personal story both fascinating and one I admire. She’s taught piano, been a technical writer and an editor, successfully completed a law degree and worked as a child welfare attorney while being a single mum. And, at last count—which could now be out of date because she’s so prolific!—she’d published almost 50 novels and a couple of dozen novellas!

Grace, I know how busy your schedule must be so thanks for taking the time today to join me on the blog.

Firstly, I’d love to hear about your latest release and whether it posed any particular challenges to write.

My most recent release--My Own True Duchess--match a hero whose financial and emotional empire rests on having created the premier gaming hell in London with a widow whose marriage was ruined by her husband's gambling. The moral conundrum of gambling is still a tricky wicket, and working out their compromise so nobody was a wimp, and nobody a villian, was a challenge. They did work it out though, much to my relief. 

What’s next for you as an author?

I usually have several projects going at once. I'm working on my next True Gentlemen, and also writing a third Rogues to Riches. I'd love to get a historical mystery series going with all of my "not ready for prime time" characters--the Belmont sons prominent among them, but I'm still fishing for a plot. 

Your covers are all absolutely sensational. Do you have any input into the cover process and do you have any particular favourites?

Interesting you should say so, because lately, my covers are going in a slightly different direction. I am a huge fan of Lee Avison's photographic talent (True Lady, True Duchess, My One and Only Duke, No Dukes Allowed, a few others). While some of these are not precisely Regency (they lean Victorian in a few cases), they are historically accurate, beautifully executed, and a perfect fit for my brand. You know how we wish some authors would write faster? I wish Lee would shoot faster. 

For My One and Only Duke, Grand Central was very receptive to my suggestion that we try using Lee's work on a traditional cover, and I do love the result. 

I agree, Lee Avison is very talented. Of the older style covers, I will say that my personal favourite Grace Burrowes' cover is Lady Jenny's Christmas Portrait! 

I love the colours and style.

We’re all looking forward to having you in Australia, especially those fortunate enough to be attending the ARRA function. What are you most looking forward to experiencing while you’re in Australia?

EVERYTHING!!! But wherever I go, whether I'm wearing an author hat or not, it's the people that make a place special. That ARRA will put me in touch with readers and authors who share my love for romance is just the very best icing on the cupcake. 

I know that you wrote a lot of material prior to your first publication, as a break from the heavy demands of your law career. You’ve set such a cracking pace in publication, have you been able to publish all or at least some of the stories you wrote prior to that first publishing contract?

They have all been published, thanks to the flexibility of my first publisher, Sourcebooks. The Lonely Lords in particular were a Sourcebooks project, coming out one a month, one right after another. Now I look back and think, "How did we do that!?" because often, revising an early work is more effort than just writing a new one. But we did it, and I'm so glad those books are on the shelves. 

Thank you again for being my guest here. I hope you have a fabulous time in Australia.

Tickets for the ARRA Romantic Rendezvous with Grace Burrowes are selling quickly, so be sure to sign up quickly for the opportunity to meet Grace in person. Visit the Australian Romance Readers Association website at: australianromancereaders.com.au 

You may find out more about Grace on her website:  graceburrowes.com   and, I have to say it’s a great site to visit. I found something there I don’t see very often on an author’s website—deleted scenes. These are fabulous to read, particularly if you’re familiar with the story from which they came.  Something I particularly loved on her website was that she said, “I owe my reader so many hours of joy, and the only way I can think to repay that gift is by writing more stories!’  Well, Grace, we love your stories too, so keep writing them and I will do my best to keep up, and also to catch up on any stories from your backlist that I’ve missed!

Leave a Comment Below for the chance to win one of three

      titles (reader's choice) that Grace is kindly giving away.

Names of all who leave comments will be entered into the draw, and the winners will be randomly drawn and announced in a special blog post on July 23rd, 2018.

Please join me on July 11th to welcome my special guest, Jane Porter. Until then, Happy Reading!

Alyssa J. Montgomery

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About the Blogger:

Alyssa J. Montgomery is an Australian contemporary romance author who is published by Escape Publishing (Harlequin Enterprises, Australia). She also 

writes medieval romance as Alyssa James,

 

http://www.alyssajmontgomery.com/