AccessRomance interviews author Elizabeth Hoyt.

AR: There's been a lot of buzz about your debut novel, THE RAVEN PRINCE, which was released last month. For anyone who still hasn't heard about it, can you give a quick summary of what it's about?

Elizabeth: THE RAVEN PRINCE is a about Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, who lost his entire family in a smallpox epidemic when he was a boy. Edward survived, but is scarred, both externally and internally, by the smallpox. He’s trying to re-create his family and has already found a suitable young lady to marry, although he has trouble remembering her name. But then his land steward hires a new secretary for Edward while he is away. The secretary turns out to be an argumentative widow who turns all of Edward’s ideas—and his world—upside-down.

AR: This book takes place in Georgian England, an era not seen very often in historical romances. What made you decide to set the novel in that time period?

Elizabeth: I think it’s the swords. Every aristocratic male wore a sword as a sign of his rank during this time period. Isn’t that cool? Also, there was a lot of invention and intellectual thought going on, which is why it’s called the Age of Reason. At the same time, the Georgian is a bit earthier than the more familiar Regency. And the guys wore wigs and lace, which is sexy in a sort of perverse way. But mostly it’s the swords.

AR: RAVEN is the first book in a trilogy. When will the next two installments come out, and can you tell us a bit about them and how they're all connected?

Elizabeth: The books are linked by the heroes, an odd trio of friends who all belong to the Agrarian Club. Harry Pye, the hero of THE LEOPARD PRINCE (April 2007), is a rather mysterious land steward. He finds to his horror that his employer, Lady Georgina Maitland, insists on visiting the land he oversees in the north of England and interfering with both his work and his private life. Simon Iddesleigh, the Viscount Iddesleigh, is the hero of THE SERPENT PRINCE (September 2007). He’s an sophisticated gentleman with a cutting wit, but he is entirely undone by a provincial lady who sees right through his blather.

AR: Your educational background is in anthropology. What influence, if any, has that had on the kind of stories you write?

Elizabeth: One of the things you learn in cultural anthropology is not to judge other cultures—that just because something is done differently in another country that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Or right, for that matter. It’s just different. I think that kind of mindset makes it easier for me to put myself into the shoes of a eighteenth century man, for instance, whose values and everyday life might be very different from my own.

AR: Your website features several articles related to the Georgian period. Do research your novels as extensively as these articles suggest? How important do you feel that accuracy and detailed research is in historical romances?

Elizabeth: I do pretty extensive research, but alas, I’ve found that 95% of my research doesn’t end up in the book. I figure it’s kind of like the foundation of a house—the house would collapse without it, but you don’t spend a whole lot of time looking at it. And that’s how it should be, really. You have to do the research to write with authority about a time period, but most readers don’t want to slog through pages of detail about the stages of smallpox (!) or the history of coffeehouses in London. That’s why I put those articles on my webpage!

AR: What made you first decide to start writing romances, and how long did you write before you sold?

Elizabeth: I’ve always read romance, so when I decided to write, it seemed a no-brainer to write what I read. I’d been writing for five years by the time I sold.

AR: Do you find time for yourself in between being a writer, a wife and a mom? If so, what do you like to do?

Elizabeth: Read! Sometimes I lock the door and pretend I’m sick and lie in bed until I’ve finished a book. Is that awful or what? I also garden, but my garden is a wasteland of weeds at the moment, so I don’t think that counts.

And now for some questions posed by our readers of the AR All-A-Blog.

AR Reader: What is something about you that your readers would be completely surprised to find out?

Elizabeth: I can curl my tongue and I love pickled herring!

AR Reader: Who are some of your favorite authors?

Elizabeth: Julia Quinn, Robert B. Parker, Lisa Kleypas, Ruth Rendall, Suzanne Brockmann, Linda Howard, Stephanie Laurens, Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth Lowell, and Jayne Ann Krenz in all her pseudonyms. There are others I’m missing, I’m sure—these are just off the top of my head.

AR Reader: What inspires you to write your stories? Have you ever based a character on a real person?

Elizabeth: Men. I love men, I find them endlessly fascinating, and I usually start with the hero of the story—something about him that intrigues me. I’ve never based a character on a real person.

AR: Thank you for chatting with us, and welcome to AccessRomance!

Elizabeth: Thank you!

Visit Elizabeth's website at www.elizabethhoyt.com

Interviews Index > Elizabeth Hoyt (December 06)