It’s Meet the Author Monday! Each week we meet a new author and get to know a little about them, their writing process, publishing experience, and tips for other writers. Today we’re talking to Felicity George, author of A Courtesan’s Worth.
About Felicity George:
Felicity George is a writer and teacher from Toronto, Canada, where she lives with her husband, her two teenage children, a large cat, and a tiny dog. A lifelong devotee of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, Felicity adores a happily-ever-after. She is currently writing a five-novel Regency romance series, the Gentlemen of London.
About A Courtesan’s Worth:
A mistress cannot marry for love…
As one of the famous Preece sisters, Kitty is the most sought-after courtesan in London. But with the vicious Duke of Gillingham scaring away any man who looks her way, securing a new arrangement with a wealthy gentleman will be no easy feat. Kitty’s only hope to find someone suitable is through her loyal and cherished friend, the Reverend Sidney Wakefield.
Sidney has devoted his life to the church, but it was never by choice. He is a writer and Kitty his muse. As he is roped into Kitty’s plotting, he begins to realise that protecting her from the malevolent Duke comes at a price – and it might mean losing Kitty to someone else entirely.
As Kitty and Sidney try to find a way out, it becomes clear that years of friendship have developed into something deeper. Except that they are from different worlds and Kitty’s heart has never been hers to give away…
Author Interview with Felicity George:
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- Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me most of the time. In fact, writing – or some creative outlet – is essential to my mental health.
- Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I do write under a pseudonym, but I don’t do it to hide my identity. I chose ‘Felicity George’ as my Regency romance persona because I might consider delving into other genres at some point in the future.
- Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I attempt to do both. I believe in the value of genre expectations. For example, I myself would be devastated to read a novel marketed as romance, just to find it didn’t have a solidly happy ending. I turn to romance when I need comfort reading, so I want to be assured from the beginning that no matter what twists and turns happen in the plot, all will be well in the end. That’s the power of genre fiction. It’s a sort of contract between author and reader.
That being said, I try to draw the inspiration from my Regencies from primary sources – novels, letters, and memoirs, for example, published at the time, which I think is a bit different in the genre. Additionally, I put an extra emphasis on the historical research because nothing draws me out of a historical romance more than an anachronism – but I’m by no means the only Regency author that does that, of course.
- What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I have several author friends, and I am very active ononline author communities and on the Twitter writing community. I think having writing friends is critical for any aspiring or established author. Writing friends ‘get it’ in a way non-writers can’t. They are tremendous emotional support, and their support during the writing process itself as critique partners is essential.
- Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I have written three of the five Regency romance novels in my ‘Gentlemen of London’ series. So far, each one stands alone, but there are little connections between them which readers should enjoy if they are read in a series. I intend to continue this way for the rest of the series, and it’s probably a model I will use again, if I write another romance series.
- What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Without doubt, taking the ‘Wicked Good Fiction Bootcamp’ writing course from my mentor, Suzy Vadori. It’s a virtual course and quite affordable – I recommend it to any aspiring author, especially if you are struggling to get beta readers to engage with your writing.
To learn more about Jennifer C. Wilson, here’s where you can find her:
Facebook: @FelicityGeorgeRegencyRomance
Twitter: @ElizabethWelke
Website: felicitygeorgeauthor.word-press.com/
Instagram: @felicitygeorge_romance
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