We got permission to post an interview with historical author Cathy Maxwell and we’re pretty excited about it. Holly reviewed Maxwell’s latest release, The Seduction of Scandal this morning and she enjoyed it so we thought it would be a great idea to post the interview where Cathy Maxwell herself divulges more on the book and her writing in general.
It’s an awesome read so check it out:
You’ve written more than twenty novels, several novellas, your stories have become New York Times best sellers, and you’ve set all of them in or around England in the Regency era, including your new book THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL. What fascinates you about this time and place?
I just like men in tall boots. Is that a crime? I think not! Actually, the Regency era, the early 1800’s in England, fascinates me because it is the beginning of many ideas we accept as common sense now.
How did you learn so much about the Regency period?Books, books, and more books. I have a super research library. However, the point of a romance is not the history. It’s the dynamic between two people who are falling in love—and that doesn’t change whether we are talking about ancient Rome or light years into the future.
What attributes do you share with your protagonists—especially Corinne and Thorn—in the Scandal and Seductions novels? Humor? Resilience? Intellect? Impetuousness?
All my female characters share a common trait—they are not happy with their lives and they realize if there is to be a change, it is up to them. I believe each of us has the power to make our lives better if we are willing to toss expectations to the wind and seize living with everything we have.
How do you manage to keep the wonderful traditions of the genre fresh and exciting? Highwaymen, forced marriages, virgins…
Listen, this isn’t just me keeping these traditions alive. Readers play a hand in this as well. The veil of history softens some things. For example, I don’t know that I would write a contemporary romantic comedy about a convenience story robber.
It seems as if Thorn is a true alpha male. How about Corinne—alpha woman? Did you plan them that way or did they surprise you?
I don’t buy into the alpha/beta debate. I think most people have elements of each in order to be well-rounded and I think fake people i.e. characters in books should be the same. Thorn does have his alpha moments, but he has plenty of beta ones as well. That’s what makes him
interesting.As for Corinne, she’s getting her alpha on. Women take on life when they takeover their lives. Did that make sense? I’m interested in women who decide to buck the status quo, who want to shake up their family tree.
You write really wonderful intimate scenes in your novels. How do you manage to keep the sexual tension high throughout a book?
Sex is just another form of communication. When writing an intimate scene, I try and keep in mind what these people really are saying to each other.
I find it fascinating how we can be alone and independent and then meet someone special and in the matter of hours, days, weeks, our whole lives are turned inside out. Love has that power. It breaks down barriers, overcomes disabilities, inspires and renews. And that is what we are writing about.
What compels you to write?
I’ve always been a storyteller. When I was a kid, I used to spend the day on the backyard swing set telling stories to myself. I’d start swinging and develop my own world based on books I was reading, television shows, and movies. Anything that captured my attention. I was really taken with the Roman Empire and the Civil War. Trust me, it was very odd behavior! But I turned out okay. I also wore out three swings.
Motherhood—did you write and publish the entire time you were raising your children?
I started writing when my youngest was two. The poor child, she hasn’t known a time when I wasn’t talking to myself . . . and answering!
And how do you manage everything you’re doing now? You write full time. You raise horses, correct? Are there other animals? And you spend time working with new writers at conferences and workshops.
I own two horses, two dogs, and a cat. I have three children. My oldest is a nurse in West Virginia. My son is taking the scenic route through college. My youngest just graduated from college and accepted a commission in the Coast Guard.
I do give workshops and I like speaking to writers of all levels. Writing is also an on-the-job-training profession. We learn more from each other over a cup of coffee or a martini than we do in writing seminars. I’m blessed to have a host of wonderful writing friends.
Will we see Corinne and Thorn again? Are you working on your next book?
Corinne and Thorn wrap up the Scandal and Seductions series. I’m working on a trilogy involving an ancient curse and the family it is determined to destroy.
What do you most want readers to take away from The Seduction of Scandal?That loving well is the greatest adventure of all.
Where can readers reach you?
www.cathymaxwell.com and on Facebook.
We’d like to thank Cathy Maxwell and her team for letting us post this interview as it lets us readers into her writing world and she writes some pretty fantastic historicals so it’s a definite treat to get these.
You can catch Holly’s review of The Seduction of Scandal right below this post so head on over and check it out! It’s also part of the K.I.S.S. and Teal campaign that Avon is promoting to help raise awareness for ovarian cancer so go on out and buy yourself a copy!
Oh, I love reading Cathy Maxwell’s interviews!
I’ve actually seen interviews with her and she always comes off as such a nice lady.
And she wrote one of my favorite books ever – Treasured Vows.
Anyway, I loved the interview! and I need to pick the last book int he series!