Title Magic meets Sarah Mallory

Sarah Mallory is a brand new name in historical romance, attracting interest as far away as Singapore! The launch of Sarah Mallory represents a new departure for an award winning U.K. author of 'sweet' romance (as Melinda Hammond). Sarah is turning up the temperature with More than a Governess, published in the US in April by Harlequin Historicals. The book will be available in the UK early next year.

Major Collingham has a reputation as a devil on the battlefield and in the bedroom. He meets his match when he engages Juliana Wrenn as a governess for his children.

Today Sarah is talking to Title Magician Evonne about her new venture.

Welcome Sarah to Title Magic.

A new name and a new style. Can you tell us more about what characterises Sarah Mallory?

Hi, it’s lovely to be with you on Title Magic! Sarah Mallory novels will still be the mix of romance and adventure that I love to find in historical novels (and with a touch of humour) but they will concentrate more on the relationship between the hero and heroine and be more sensual, too.

I know you love to write romantic adventure. Can you tell us a little about Juliana's journey from London to Lancashire, which forms the backbone of the plot of More Than a Governess?
I frequently make the journey by train between London and my home in Yorkshire. Anyone who has been stuck at Euston or Kings Cross (or any other station, for that matter) will know the frustrations of modern day travel – it has made me think about how these journeys were conducted in earlier times – during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries great improvements were made to our road system but journeys were still slow and hazardous – I am amazed at how much people did travel! Juliana’s journey is supposed to take only a couple of days – it is planned by Major Collingham, who is used to travelling long distances in the Peninsula. He soon learns that moving a column of soldiers is very different to taking four children some 200 miles north, and Julianna is determined to protect the children at all costs.

We hear a lot about a city or a country being almost an extra character in a book. In the case of More Than a Governess the weather has something of a starring role -- how did that come about?
When I start a new book I always have to set it in a particular year – once it is written it might not be obvious to the reader, but it helps me with plotting and characters. I settled on 1816 as the year for More Than A Governess, and as I researched I realised that this was particularly wet. It seemed obvious to me that the weather would affect the journey north; the difficulty was to make it interesting!

Juliana is clearly no simpering miss -- what are the most enjoyable things about writing a spirited, feisty heroine?
Oh dear, the spirited, feisty heroine sounds so clichéd, doesn’t it? However, I believe there were many strong women in those days – they had to be to survive, although their career choices were very limited – marriage was the obvious one, a governess was another. I believe in a marriage of minds, a partnership, so the man and woman must come together as equals, both giving something to the relationship. I enjoy creating a heroine who can stand on her own feet – I want my reader to think that if all else fails she can live on her own and survive and that getting her man is the icing on the cake.

The Major comes over as a deliciously man's man. What are the characteristics that you would always want to include in any hero?
First of all my heroes have to have integrity. They do not have to be perfect – you may notice that the Major is not that much at ease with his children at the beginning of the book. After all, he has been away for most of their childhood (and in those days many men saw very little of their offspring, so there was nothing unusual in this). They do not even have to be particularly handsome: women are very good at seeing past a handsome face to the character beneath the skin.

The Regency and Georgian periods are very popular in historical romance. What is it that particularly draws you to that era?
I love the energy of the Georgian period: by the Regency it is tempered more by the manners that become even more restrictive in the Victorian period. I think the Georgians believed that anything was possible – a poor man or woman could progress by his wits and become part of the ruling class. They were bold, brash, sometimes very rude and could be extremely cruel, but they were moving forward – this was the time of great discoveries in science and industry. A fascinating period.

Research is essential when writing historicals -- can you tell us a little about your methods, and the things you’ve learned while researching? Any gems that you couldn’t use for this book, but which will find their way into print one day?
The awful weather of 1816 was due to the eruption of the volcano Tambora in Indonesia the year before. Of course at the time no one in England understood about dust in the atmosphere etc affecting the climate but the results in England were catastrophic – it was called the year without a summer: crops were ruined, many were prophesying it was the end of the world and preachers were telling their congregations that the bad weather was due to man’s sinfulness. There are so many more stories that could be written about this!

When you're not writing, what sort of books do you like to read?
Anything and everything – it depends what comes along at that particular time. Historicals, of course, and I enjoy factual books about the past. The writers I particularly enjoy write contemporary novels - P D James, I admire her writing style enormously - and I love Katie Fforde’s wonderful romances – they are my comfort reads, along with Georgette Heyer (naturally).

What next for Sarah Mallory? Is there a new book bursting to get out?
There are lots of books bursting to get out – I have to be very disciplined to finish one before I think too much about the next one. I have a book currently with my editor, so it is a nail biting time. Most of the writers I know are always nervous about “the next book” – however, if we did not worry, we would become complacent which is never a good thing.

Thanks to Sarah for joining us today on Title Magic.

Sarah can be found at www.sarahmallory.com
www.melindahammond.co.uk and blogging with a wonderful group of historical authors at historical romance.uk