Author Interview and Giveaway: Pamela Sherwood

Today I have Pamela Sherwood on my blog and there is also a giveaway of her latest book.

Welcome!

1. Tell me about yourself...

I am a third-generation Chinese American and an ardent Anglophile. As a child, I was a voracious reader (and  still am!), which led, naturally enough, into making up my own stories and entertaining myself with them  when I was bored--like on long car trips or the daily walk to and from school.  Eventually, I began committing some of those stories to paper, leading to the discovery that I wanted to be a writer. It took me a number of years to make the transition into writing full-time, but I’m glad that I did!

2. Why is A Song at Twilight the perfect historical romance book for the Fall?

Romance novels often have a seasonal "mood," I've found. Light, frothy books tend to be perfect for spring and summer--my previous novel, Waltz with a Stranger, contained some angst, but otherwise was very "summery" in mood and feeling. Books with somber or more serious tones and subjects seem appropriate for fall and winter, maybe because those tend to be seasons of reflection and thought for many of us. I also feel that an older, more introspective couple revisiting their relationship are  likewise apposite for the fall. A Song at Twilight concerns two lovers whose early romance was blighted by shocking secrets from Robin's--the hero's--past. They meet again four years after their heart-wrenching break, as older, sadder, wiser people. But they're also stronger and more resilient--especially the heroine, Sophie, who's had to grow up a lot in the intervening years. When Robin sets eyes on her again, she's become a successful professional singer, a rising star of the opera and concert stage. She's acquired poise, confidence, and self-assurance--despite never having fallen out of love with Robin. He, in turn, has learned patience, endurance, and self-sacrifice. But when fate hands Robin and Sophie a second chance at love, they're determined to take it--and to fight for the happy ending they were denied the first time around.  

3. How did you decide to go for a Victorian romance?

I love the Regency, but it’s an eyeblink compared to the 64 years that comprise the Victorian period. So many exciting things happened in that era--huge changes in technology, science, art, society, and politics. Inventions like the telephone, electric lighting, and railroads all brought us closer to the world we know today. The role of women changed dramatically: by the end of the 19th century, women could travel, seek employment outside the home, and study at universities.  Laws were changed so they could retain their property after marriage, and, in some cases, custody of their children if their marriage broke down. True equality between the sexes was far off--some would argue that it still is--but an important start had been made. And since I have always preferred historical romances in which the hero and heroine were on a more equal footing, I found myself gravitating towards the late Victorian and Edwardian eras rather than the Georgian and Regency periods.

4.  For something fun:  If you could choose, which era would you time-travel too? :)

The Roaring '20s! Such an exciting time, with exhilarating new freedoms for women to explore. They had the vote in both the US and the UK, they could receive degrees at Oxford and Cambridge, they could party, drink, and let their hair (after bobbing it), with the same abandon as men. And I've always wanted to learn the Charleston … I'd be sure to check out of the '20s before the stock market crash, however!

5. What's coming next from you?

Right now, I'm working on several projects, including a novella featuring Thomas Sheridan and Amy Newbold, the secondary couple from my first book, Waltz with a Stranger. They travel to Newport, Rhode Island for the summer season, where they find romance--and danger. And I'm plotting a novel about Sophie's brother Sir Harry Tresilian, who falls in love with the beautiful but mysterious tenant of his family's summer cottage. And there's an all-new project in the works as well--about a  somewhat dysfunctional ducal family who get together (explosively) for Christmas.

Thank you for hosting me today on Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell!

And now on to the 

GIVEAWAY

1 copy of A song at Twilight

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends Oct 13

3. Just enter :)