Today I'm welcoming fellow Clean Reads author Wendy May Andrews to my blog for interrogation (er, I mean interview) plus details of her new book...
Tell us a bit about your writing – How long have you been
writing? How many books have you written and in what genres?
Like almost all writers, I started out as a reader. I
learned to read when I was four and have had my nose in a book ever since. When
I was a teenager my aunt got me addicted to Georgette Heyer novels and that
cemented my genre. My husband doesn't understand my love of reading and cannot
comprehend the fact that the house could fall down around me and I wouldn't notice if I was in the middle of a good book. One day, in frustration, he told
me I ought to write a book instead of reading them all the time. I really
didn’t think I could but I decided to give it a try. That first effort actually
got published in 2010. I’ve written a handful of manuscripts since but The Duke
Conspiracy is the second one to get published. They are all Sweet
Regency/Historicals set in London, England.
Where is your favourite spot in which to write? Garden?
Study? Kitchen table? In bed?
I have a desk in our study, but also a very comfy chair in
our bedroom. Either place works well for me J
How long does it take you to write the first rough draft of
one of your books?
I have the capacity to write fast but rarely manage it. I
have twice done NaNoWriMo and gotten the 50,000 words done in a month. So in
theory two months should do it but that has never happened. And now that I am
actively involved in publishing and promotions, getting my current WIP finished
is a challenge. I am averaging about four or five months for the first draft.
But editing is the part I hate and it takes forever...
Do you plan a plot out in great detail before writing or
start with the basics and let the book evolve that way?
Each book has been a bit different. This book, The Duke
Conspiracy, started out with a title idea and the book evolved from there. I do
usually have a good idea of major plot points, but it can verge off on a
tangent. In fact, even though I started with the title, the book changed so
much that I had to change the title. I’ll be writing another book for that
title idea eventually.
Who is your favourite character from all the books you have
written and why?
The characters of my current WIP are always my favourite because
those are the ones I’m living with at the moment and so are the most vivid in
my mind. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the characters of my
first book because I spent the most amount of time with them and they were my
first. You never forget your first time for anything.
Is there such a thing as an average writing day for you and
if so what is it?
I wish. Up until now, since there was such a gap in my
getting published, my writing has been just a hobby, but I am hoping to get it
a more prominent place in my schedule and give it the respect it deserves J
What is your favourite book of all time?
OOO! Good question, but too hard! The first full length
novel I ever read was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and that
will probably always hold first place. But a close second is These Old Shades
by Georgette Heyer.
What was your journey to being a published author?
My journey was a bit rocky with fits and starts but I am
thrilled to finally be able to say I am a multi-published author now that my
second book has just been released. Because the books that I write are “clean”
or “sweet” it’s a little tough to find the right market. My first publisher was
a very small press that focused on the library market. But they were in New
York City and it was a thrill when my husband and I drove there to sign my
contract. Sadly, that publisher got sold and my momentum was lost. I kept
writing, though, and with my latest completed manuscript found Clean Reads,
formerly known as Astraea Press.
Advice to aspiring novelists?
Never give up. Just like our characters, we all deserve our
happily ever after and can make it happen J
The Duke Conspiracy
By: Wendy May Andrews
The
Duke Conspiracy is a 96,000 word Sweet Regency
Romance
A spying debutante, a duke, and a
conspiracy. Can love be found despite their feud?
Miss Rosamund Smythe, the only daughter of
a baron diplomat, is finding the Season to be a dead bore. After her stint at spying while in Vienna
with her father, she wants a higher purpose in life than “just” being a wife.
His Grace, Alexander Milton, the Duke of
Wrentham, wants a quiet life with a “proper” lady as his wife after the
tumultuous childhood he had. His parents
had fought viciously, lied often, and Alex secretly wonders if he was even his
father’s son.
Rose and Alex grew up on neighboring
estates and have been best friends since she was four years old but a family
feud has torn their friendship apart.
At a Society event Rose overhears a plot to
entrap Alex into a marriage of convenience.
Her loyalty to their old friendship as well as her knowledge of the
conspirator, Sir Jason Broderick, causes Rose to overcome her aversion to
Wrentham in order to warn him of his danger.
Alex’s complicated childhood has caused him to despise all forms of
deception so Rose avoids telling him how she knows so much about Sir Broderick.
When Rose is abducted by Sir Broderick to
prevent her interference, Alex must deal with his own conflicted feelings to
help her rescue herself. Can they claim their happily ever after despite the
turmoil?
READ AN EXCERPT:
Alex
gazed at his old friend in admiration. If anyone had ever told him he would be
standing in Burlington House surrounded by Elgin’s Marbles debating with Miss
Rosamund Smythe about who might be conspiring to entrap him into marriage, he
would never have believed such a claim. But here they were. And she looked
mighty fetching as she gazed up at him expectantly. He had to make an effort to
remember what she had said. Oh yes, something about ideas to investigate. He
wondered absently what she could possibly know about investigations and clues
and all that. But she was right. They needed to have a direction. The only
trouble was he was drawing a blank about any possible ideas.
All
he could do was shrug helplessly. “I am so sorry, Rose, but I have absolutely
no idea where to start. To the best of my knowledge I have never had any
dealings with Broderick. I developed an instant dislike of the man upon first
making his acquaintance, but I cannot even tell you why, as we have barely
conversed.”
The
duke was clearly flabbergasted over this development and was even slightly
ashamed to not have a ready solution. Rose must have realized this. She
hastened to reassure him. “Never mind about that. We both agreed earlier that
the best place for us to start is with Lady Anne. That will have to be my job,
as you will just be walking straight into their plot if you try to do anything
about it. Now, I really must be going, so we must hurry and establish another
appointment to meet up to discuss any of our findings. In the meantime, you
should speak to your solicitors or man of affairs or whatever you might have
along those lines and see if they are aware of any issues Broderick might have
with you. Those gentlemen might know more on the subject than you.”
“How
did you get so smart about such things?”
Alex
was intrigued by the blush that spread over her face at this unanswerable
question. The only thing she could offer was “My father is a diplomat,” with as
much dignity as possible.
Alex
allowed the moment to pass and was rewarded by the look of relief on her face.
He hurried to make an appointment as they saw her maid approaching. “Would it
be remarked upon if you come here again tomorrow or the next day?”
“Probably
not,” Rose answered. “My mother never rises before noon and is really only
concerned with how I spend my evenings. But you had best give me at least one
day to try to make the acquaintance of Lady Anne, so let us say the day after
tomorrow. That gives me a day and a half to gather as much information as
possible. I shall start with my friend Lady Elizabeth. She is a font of
knowledge about the ton, as well as
being friendly with Lady Anne.” While she was speaking she fumbled with her
drawing supplies, finally tucking them under her arm. “Wish me luck,” she
concluded as she once more faced the duke.
The duke watched a myriad of
emotions chase themselves across his companion’s face. He was unable to
identify most of them, but he thought she looked rather wistful as she offered
him a brief curtsy before she hurried away without another word.
Alex stood in the same spot for several
moments, watching her retreating figure, wondering if she would look back
before exiting the building. He was unprepared for the profound disappointment
that swept over him as she strode away with purpose, never once glancing back
in his direction. Slowly bringing his focus back to the statue she had been
sketching, the duke allowed the entire interlude to play itself out in his
mind. Giving his head a shake to rid himself of the melancholy that had
befallen him, he followed in her footsteps and strode from the hall.
BUY LINKS FOR THE BOOK:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Wendy May Andrews has been reading whatever she could get her hands on since the age of five. She has been writing for almost as long but hasn’t been sharing those stories with anyone but her mother until recently. Wendy lives in Toronto with her own real-life hero. When not writing or reading, they love to travel wherever the mood takes them.
Wendy's Website:
Find Wendy on Social Media:
Twitter: @WendyMayAndrews
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