Hello Arabella! Thank
you so much for visiting Written Butterfly with me today! It’s such a pleasure to chat with you. So tell me…
Q) How did you dream
up the dynamics of your characters?
Arabella: Hi,
Beth. Thanks for having me on Written Butterfly.
So…you want to know how I envisaged the subtleties and
undercurrents that were meant to happen to my leading characters between the
covers of the book.
Well…I had this story in my head that needed to be told. It
went along the lines of: Lord Redfield needs a wife. How was he going to find
her? And what were the problems he would face internally and externally before
“she” (whoever she was going to be) said yes to his proposal.
And then it came to me… I would tell the story from every
characters own point of view.
An individual chapter for an individual character.
Instead of changing mid-scene from the hero’s side of the
story to the heroine’s take on things, I allocated them their own chapters. I
also worked in the same way when it came to featuring the maids and the footmen,
and other family members who also play a vital part in the story.
It made for interesting reading and lots of hot, steamy love
scenes!!!
Q) Can you give a
fun or interesting fact about your book?
Arabella: You might not know this, but as well as
writing historical romance, I also write contemporary sensual novels. When my
nine-to-five day shift is done, I then sit at the laptop and write. On average,
so far, each novel I’ve written has taken me approximately six months to write.
This novel, A
Bride for Lord Redfield,
was like butter on a hot knife. The words just seemed to drip onto the page. It
took me two weeks to write. Two weeks to edit. And the rest is history.
When I sent
the manuscript off to my American publisher, Beachwalk Press at http://beachwalkpress.com/, to consider,
I received a reply saying: “great job” and the contract was signed then and
there.
Q) What do you think is your strongest asset
as a writer? …What is your weakest factor as a writer?
Arabella: I believe my strongest asset as a
writer is in knowing that I can’t please all of my readers all of the time. I
deliver what I hope to be a good romance that will stand the test of time and
hope the reader likes it too.
Years and
years ago, my debut novel, “Blinded by Desire” (a billionaire romance with a
hint of passion…and more), kick started with a few bad reviews. One reader’s
review said she wanted more explicit action in the bedroom and another reviewer
covered the fact that there were several spelling errors.
I took these
comments on the chin realizing my sensual
is different from their erotic and
that U.K. spelling and grammar check is different to the U.S. way of writing
things.
As a
consequence, any subsequent novels have been written with these harsh reviewers
remarks in mind, and I think I’ve improved.
My weakest
factor as a writer is . . . Marketing!!! It takes me away from the time I have
to write and I dislike having to promote myself and my books into the spot
light. My life is never front row seats…it’s always been back row, upper
circle.
Q) Do you try more to
be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Arabella: A bit
of both, I think.
No reader wants to read the same old thing, so an original
slant on the classic love story is a must. Irrelevant of the genre, or
sub-genre, (m/f, f/f, m/m, mfm or any other combination), a reader wants
something different…but something that still delivers the predictable and
desired happy-ever-after ending.
Q) Do you plan all
your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as you write?
Arabella: I’m
what we call in the trade…a pantser. Someone who flies by the seat of their
pants. Wings it. Makes it up as they go along.
To a certain extent I plot…but it’s minimal. I sometimes
draft out the blurb (info that’s found on the back cover of a book) and build
the romance, tensions and conflicts from there.
Q) What are your
upcoming projects?
Arabella: I never
like to say I’m going to do this or that. It’s a sure way to put a jinx on
things. In the pipeline is another sensual and another sweet historical regency
romance, but that could all change. I could start work on another billionaire
contemporary…
A Bride
for Lord Redfield
Arabella Sheen
A risqué regency
romp enjoyed by both servants and masters as love and passion is
discovered―above and below stairs―in his lordship’s household.
At Redfield House, everyone is busy with
preparations for a ball, and rumor is rife in the servants’ quarters that the
master is about to propose.
Lord Thomas Redfield realizes the time has
come for him to take a wife and that this duty can no longer be delayed. The
only trouble is…he isn’t sure the desire he once felt for Catherine, the woman
he was previously betrothed to, is over and a new life with Rosalinda can
begin.
Can Lord Redfield take Miss Rosalinda Mills for
his wife, and will she agree to an engagement knowing he could still be in love
with Catherine?
As the weekend unfolds and the fun begins, a
bevy of illicit encounters are enjoyed between maids, footmen, grooms, and
guests, while his lordship inwardly struggles with the problem of finding a
wife.
Content Warning: contains
passionate, sensual love scenes
Genre(s): Historical
Romance
Excerpt
A Bride for Lord Redfield
Lord
Thomas Redfield intended to marry Miss Rosalinda Mills, but as yet, she was not
aware of his wishes.
She
wasn't a beauty by any means, but she had an attraction of sorts. Refined,
polished, and cultured, she also had a conversation that did not bore him. Most
women he knew were chatterboxes and windbags or bluestockings and dull. But Miss
Mills was neither.
She fell
into none of these categories, and after several days and evenings spent in her
company, Thomas was prepared to discover more.
* * * *
"Which
debutante would you have me consider? Which of your many friends will wish to
parade their daughters before me?" Thomas asked his mother cynically.
"Well,
actually, I was thinking about―"
"Enough,
Mama. I'm afraid I must decline your suggestion. Your attempt at arranging a
marriage between Catherine and myself was not exactly a success." He
recalled with bitterness the outcome of that proposed union. The fact that
Catherine and Harry had married had hurt his pride and ego enormously. "An
arranged marriage that is of your making and to your liking is not for me. I
refuse, especially after my enlightening experience with Catherine. My lesson,
when it comes to taking a wife, has been well and truly learned, and I would be
a fool if I were to repeat such an endeavor again."
Those
were empty words, and he knew it. At some point in time he would have to marry.
The difficulty was finding the right woman who was malleable and compliant to
tie the knot with. Someone who would obey him without question. Someone who
would tolerate his illicit liaisons without too much objection. And that type
of woman was hard to find.
"But
you have to try to find a wife."
"If
I do, this time, love will definitely not be in the equation."
Thomas
decided that a marriage of convenience, where he would wed and bed someone
without properly wooing her for love, was his best option. And that was what he
was going to propose when he offered for Rosalinda. He liked her. They got
along. But the all-consuming passion and physical attraction he had once felt
when betrothed to Catherine was missing when he thought of Rosalinda.
A wife
was needed, and she would have to be of good birth and excellent breeding.
Someone with whom he could produce an heir. The only question was…with whom and
exactly when? So far, by process of elimination, Rosalinda was the best
contender.
Having
compiled a list of potential candidates from the many socialites within his
circle of friends and acquaintances, Rosalinda seemed the best option. He had
known her for years, and although he had never thought of her as a potential
wife until recently, he was now prepared to do so. There was respect between
them, and he hoped some sort of convivial relationship could blossom. It was a
shame that the all-consuming love he had felt for Catherine was not there.
"Your
betrothal to Catherine was more than three years ago, and even though I suspect
your heart was never truly given to her, your feelings must have recovered.
Surely?"
That
just proved how little his mother knew him. Like many of his acquaintances, she
thought his emotions had not been affected by Catherine's decamp. She was so
wrong. His wound was still raw.
"Mama,
the subject is closed for discussion. At least for now. I have to go riding
with Rosalinda and―"
"So
the servants' rumors are true. You are thinking of proposing to
Rosalinda!"
Thomas
approached his mother and bent to place a kiss upon her cheek. "Don't
fret. You will be the first to know if and when she accepts my offer."
His
mother's chin dropped, her mouth open with astonishment. And with that
announcement, Thomas left the room and went to change into his buckskins and
riding boots.
Buy Links:
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About
Arabella Sheen
Arabella Sheen is a
contemporary and regency romance author of sensual, passionate love stories.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and was shortlisted for
the RNA – Joan Hessayon Award.
Having worked for
nearly twenty years as a theatre nurse in the amazing city of Amsterdam in the
Netherlands, she now lives in the southwest of England with her family.
One of the many
things Arabella loves to do is to read. And when she's not reading or writing
romance novels, she is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the
seasons or she's sitting on the sofa pandering to the demands of her
attention-seeking feline.
You
can find Arabella and her romance books at the following places:
