Welcome back to the lovely and talented Victoria Chatham!
Victoria Chatham’s tag line History,
Mystery, and Love says it all. She is a history buff, especially of the Regency
era, adds a little mystery into her novels and seals them with a loving happy
ever after ending. She is active in her local writing community but when not
writing enjoys the great outdoors, especially if it includes playing around
with horses. She lives near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
What would you say are your strengths as an
author?
Firstly, I mostly write historical romance,
especially Regency romance so in the first place I write what mostly appeals to
me. It is where I am happiest and think that automatically lends itself to
stronger writing. Next, I would have to say characterization. All my heroines
tend to be strong women in their way, or ways in which they can be, given the
strictures of Regency society. I like to balance their characters with that of
the men in their lives. Setting is also something I find fairly easy to write
about, as is dialogue. My weakest component of writing is narrative, which is
where I have to work the hardest to link my scenes together.
How often do you write, and do you write using a
strict routine?
I try to write something every day. If I am
actively writing a book, then I write every day, Monday to Friday and sometimes
on the weekend depending on what I’m doing socially. At the moment, with most
people in lockdown, I thank goodness I have something with which to fill my
time and occupy my mind. I wouldn’t say I have a strict routine, maybe more an
organized one. I like a clear desk, apart from a notebook and pen, and I do
like to have complete quiet when I write.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself
as a writer?
In five years, I will be, unbelievably, 81 years
old! I find it hard to comprehend the age I am now, but I would still expect to
be writing something. To me, there is a huge differential between the number of
years a person has under their belt and how they deal with that. Some people
let themselves get old while others don’t give it a thought. I think I fall in
the latter group. As long as I have stories to tell, I’ll just keep writing
them.
If you could offer once piece of advice to a
novice writer, what would it be?
I taught Introductory Creative Writing for
several years and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of encouraging novice
writers. My one piece of advice to every one of them was to keep writing,
whether for their own satisfaction or ultimately publication.
What would you consider to be the best
compliment a reader could give your book?
That they enjoyed it. I have a fan letter which
I received after the release of my first Regency romance, His Dark
Enchantress, which I framed. In part – you took me into a pub where I
could see the beer stains on the tables and smell the tobacco smoke in the
rafters.
What are you working on now?
I have started a new series entitled Those
Regency Belles. I’m moving away from lords and ladies and telling stories
of slightly classy young ladies. The first is called Hester Dymock and
will be released in September 2020. There may be a lord or two involved
throughout the series, but I felt that for my heroines being untitled gave them
a bit more scope as to what they may be able to do or get away with doing.
His Unexpected Muse: Berkeley Square series
Book 3
When Lady Olivia Darnley is
seemingly abandoned by her mother, she accepts the assistance of a stranger,
Lady Skeffington, who offers her a position as a companion, much to her son’s
dismay.
Lord Peter Skeffington is not at
all pleased that his mother has chosen to not only take Lady Olivia under her
wing, but her dog, too. Despite his reservations, he finds in Olivia a shared
interest in books and begins to look for her daily until he faces the
uncomfortable realization that he is in love with her.
Still hurt by her mother’s
disappearance and desperate to find her, Olivia relies more and more on Peter’s
support but a shocking betrayal by
the man she has come to trust and love, shatters her new-found happiness. Will
Peter manage to overcome the rift that he has unwittingly caused between them?
Will Olivia accept not only his apology but also his proposal of marriage? Is
there a future for this apparently mismatched pair?
