Author Spotlight: Vivienne Lorret, When a Marquess Loves a Woman

This year, I've rediscovered my love for historical romances thanks to Vivienne Lorret, author extraordinaire of one of my favorite series for 2016, Season's Original. In celebration of the third and final full-length novel, When a Marquess Loves a Woman, in the said series, the author graciously took time out to answer a few questions, and I'm thrilled to share the interview with all of you!

A Q&A with Vivienne Lorret

1. All your novels are set in the Regency era. What first sparked your interest in that time time period? What is it about that time that has you coming back to it over three series?

Like most Regency authors, I love reading Jane Austen’s novels. Yet, as much as I revere her books and complex characters, I must confess that I was first drawn to the Regency era for the clothes.

In studying history, it amazes me what women had to go through simply to get dressed each day. Regency era heroines wake up, traipse to the washbasin, use a flannel and homemade soft soap to freshen up, brush their teeth with the frayed ends of a stick or marshmallow root and tooth powder, and slip into their aired-out morning dress. Fortunately for them, gone is the time that clothes were hung in a garderobe (essentially a closeted lavatory over an open cesspit), where people commonly believed that the stench would ward off insects.

I’m also a fan of independence. While the Regency heroine might require assistance with a few buttons at the back of her gown, she also has the option of being self-sufficient with a bib-fronted dress. Even her stays could lace in the front. She doesn’t need to be stitched-in or cinched-in like her predecessors. So if she wants to do anything in her story—even seduce the hero—her wardrobe won’t be much of a hindrance.

2. What was your inspiration behind the Season's Original series? What sets it apart from Wallflower Weddings and The Rakes of Fallow Hall?

It seems as if there has always been a popularity contest to be the “it” girl or guy, like the head cheerleader and the hunky captain of the football team. But what did it take to be the most sought-after in Regency England? The inspiration for this series stemmed from the idea of becoming the Original, and the two characters (Max and Juliet) who believed they knew exactly how to accomplish it. Even before I wrote the prequel, “The Duke’s Christmas Wish,” I knew Max and Juliet would enter into a competition to see who was right. And thus, the series idea was born.

While there are many similarities (wagers, social class struggles, the desire to fit in, etc.), I wanted the Season’s Original to poke fun at the idea of being beneath an ever-present quizzing glass. Nearly everything the characters did ended up in the Standard. The more the series progressed, I looked forward to what the Standard would (or would not) reveal and how society would react.

3. If given a chance to go back in time to the Regency era, what are the three things exclusive to that time that you want to make sure to experience?

1. Wear as many Empire waisted gowns as I can.

2. Waltz at Almack’s.

3. Fall in love with a rake and drive like mad to Gretna Green.

4. Among the four gentlemen of Season's Original—Northcliff Bromley, Jack Marlowe, Liam Cavanaugh, and Maxwell Harwick—who would you a) take as a husband, b) have an illicit affair with, c) consider purely as a friend, and d) run to if you wanted something criminal done?

This is tough. I love all of them. Not only that, but I think of them as married men. So, for the sake of your question, I will imagine all of them before they met their soul mates.

A. Max, because he loves so deeply and gives the most creative gifts.

B. Jack Marlowe! (Those hands! Those arms!)

C. Liam, because I love his wicked sense of humor.

D. And North, because he would definitely know interesting ways to dispose of the body.

5. Among the four ladies of Season's Original—Ivy Sutherland, Lilah Appleton, Adeline Pimm, and Juliet Granworth—who would you a) entrust your darkest secret to, b) feel safe leaving your husband with, c) name godmother to your children, and d) go to if you wanted to do something scandalous?

A. Juliet, because she truly knows how to keep a secret.

B. Lilah, because she’s married to Jack Marlowe. She doesn’t need another man.

C. Adeline, because she has the purest heart.

D. Ivy, because she’d already have the carriage ordered, a note written to North, telling him not to wait up, and be half way to the door before I even finished asking her.

6. What do you have in store for your fans and readers now that Season's Original has ended? Would you ever consider writing a standalone or a series set in modern times?

I’m currently working on a proposal for a late-Regency set series, with a new cast of characters. It’s a lot of fun! And yes, I also have a contemporary series on the back burner that I’m dying to unleash.

7. If you had a whole weekend all to yourself, free of personal and professional responsibilities, how would you spend it?

I’d swim, take photographs, listen to music, drink tea, and read.

8. What words of wisdom would you share with aspiring writers who look up to you as their inspiration?

Feed your writer’s soul. Whatever inspires you—watching old movies, listening to music, taking long drives—do it often. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Also, write every day. If staring at a blank screen intimidates you, then pick up a pencil. If the blank notebook page seems too daunting, then use the back of an envelope. There is always a way. You can do it.

Thank you so much for having me here today!

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My sincerest gratitude to Vivienne Lorret generously agreeing to the interview and to Emily Homonoff of HarperCollins for facilitating. ♥

Read my reviews for the Season's Original series:

The Duke's Christmas Wish

(Northcliff Bromley and Ivy Sutherland)

My Five-Starred Review

The Debutante is Mine

(Jack Marlow and Lilah Appleton)

My Five-Starred Review

This Earl is on Fire

(Liam Cavanaugh and Adeline Pimm)

My Five-Plus-Starred Review

When a Marquess Loves a Woman

(Maxwell Harwick and Juliet Granworth née White)

My Five-Plus-Starred Review

About Vivienne Lorret

USA Today bestselling author Vivienne Lorret loves romance novels, her pink laptop, her husband, and her two sons (not necessarily in that order … but there are days). Transforming copious amounts of tea into words, she is an Avon Impulse author of works including: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone, the Wallflower Wedding series, The Rakes of Fallow Hall series, The Duke’s Christmas Wish, and the Season’s Original series.

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Books by Vivienne Lorret