3 Questions for Lauren Smith (+ Giveaway)

I'm really excited to be able to welcome author Lauren Smith back onto the blog! I talked to her last year about historical romances, and I've shared my thoughts on her her historical romance novels Wicked Designs and His Wicked Seduction, as well as her historical romance novella Tempted by a Rogue. Together with my friends Rachel of Hello Chelly and Kelly of Belle of the Literati, I'm asking Lauren a couple of questions about historical romance! Without further ado, please welcome Lauren back onto the blog.

Alexa: Hi Lauren! First question - what's in a name? And by that, I mean, does the historical setting or plot of your historical romance influence your name choices for your characters? You can get really specific and talk about the character from Tempted By a Rogue, if you'd like. (And bonus question - what historical romance name would you want to have if you were going to be in a romance novel?)

Lauren: Oh names! I love and hate picking names. I like to let the characters tell me their names. I typically pick the names right off the bat because I want to feel like I can hear them in my head talking to me. Does that sound crazy? I hope not. But seriously, I do make sure that the names I pick are relevant and correct for the time period. You'll see more Emmas than say, Stephanies, in the Regency era and less Horatias in the modern day than say, Katies.

In Tempted by a Rogue, I have Gemma because I wanted her name to be like Emma, only different. Plus, her hero Jasper secretly thinks of her as his precious diamond, so it's a very subtle tribute to her worth to the hero. As for the hero, I always loved the name Jasper. I needed him to have a J name like his best friend James because the two boys would be swapping places when Jasper started to write Gemma letters.

Alexa: I don't think giving them names so you can hear them in your head sounds crazy; it sounds just about right for a writer. Okay, so we all know that it's often the setting of historical romances that helps add that additional draw for a reader. (It's definitely the case for me!) Is Regency England the only historical era you see yourself writing romances in or would you consider others (Medieval, Victorian, etc.)?

Lauren: Weirdly, Regency is my comfort zone, but I DEFINITELY (bounces on my desk chair) want to write other eras. My next most comfortable era is Victorian and I'm dying to sink my teeth into a vampire/gothic romance set in the Victorian age. (Alexa's Note: You write it, and I think I'm going to have to read it! I love the Victorian age too.) And I also want to try my hand at writing some Scottish Highlander (Alexa's note: !!!!!) books and medieval ones too. It comes down to research mainly, and at the moment, I haven't had the time to sit down and do the research for those other eras. But it's certainly in my long-term writing plan.

Alexa: And when it comes to character behavior, their clothing choices, and the setting, there must be an awful lot of research involved in making sure it's as close to accurate as possible (even with fictional liberties). Do you do research for your historical romances? What's the most interesting thing you've learned about and incorporated in your books?

Lauren: I definitely have to research clothing and the setting (mainly towns and houses and interior decorations). The behavior is easier, but any activities you certainly have to research. Fortunately for me, the Regency is a well documented era and I have tons of resources at my fingertips for such questions like, "What sort of gloves would a lady wear to a ball?", or "What type of gun would the hero take hunting?" I tend to write the story first, and go back in and flesh out parts that require details and research, but the most important thing for me is to not let the research bog the reader down on the page. I want the reader to enjoy the experience and feel immersed without the sometimes tedious nature of the research. I think the most interesting things I research are the types of card games they played back then, and the other ways they amused themselves. Everything else is a bit on the normal side. But, I do admit I love researching fashion, no matter the era! Ladies ball gowns are just too gorgeous!

Alexa: I'm with you on the fashion. I love looking at ball gowns and older fashions too! Thank you, once again, for being with us on the blog today, Lauren.

If you haven't checked out Lauren's books yet, I suggest you do! They're such fun historical romance reads, and if I had to choose a favorite, I'd pick Wicked Designs. But you won't regret giving these stories a read! Thanks to Lauren's generosity, we have three (3) paperback copies of Wicked Designs to give away to our readers. Please note that the giveaway is US ONLY.

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