After eight years of unfulfilled promises, there may finally be a wedding at Twill Castle. In the second book in Tessa Dare's Castles Ever After series, Say Yes to the Marquess, Clio Whitmore has found independence and is ready to break her long engagement to the Marquess of Granville, but his brother is determined to see the two tie the knot. Of course, Rafe Brandon just has to keep from falling in love with Clio himself.
We caught up with Dare and chatted about the allure of castles, her favorite historical era and more in a 7 questions interview.
Describe your book in one sentence.
A ne’er-do-well prizefighter tries to save his older brother’s wedding from disaster—but ends up falling for the bride instead. Also, there’s cake! Lots of cake.
What do you love most about writing historical romance?
I’ve just always loved the romance of historical settings. Since I spent my teenage years inhaling Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Julie Garwood (among others), I think my formative reading permanently wired my brain to connect cravats, kilts and carriages with swoony romance.
What do you love most about your heroine, Clio Whitmore?
Clio has a lot of good qualities, such as patience and generosity . . . but I loved writing her more human touches. For instance, the fact that she “floor-skates” in stockingfeet around her inherited castle (because wouldn’t you?) and makes little happy noises when she eats cake.
What are the sexiest scenes to write?
The sexiest scenes are always the ones with the most raw emotion. A great love scene is about getting the characters naked in more ways than one. They have to reveal themselves, their deepest fears and their needs.
What inspired you to pen a whole series set at various castles?
Well, let’s be honest . . . partly, I just thought it would be great fun to be able to visit castles and call it research! But also, writing about women who’ve inherited castles gives me a way to write about heroines empowered to take on new challenges and make bold choices. In that day and age, a woman who owned property was a true rarity.
What’s your favorite period of English history?
My books are all set in the Regency, so I think I would have to say that one! It’s just a great setting for romance. The country was at war. The Enlightenment and Romantic period opened new worlds of knowledge and artistic expression. The class system was in force, but it was starting to become a tiny bit more flexible. Restrictive Victorian morals (and necklines) had yet to appear.
What are you working on next?
Next in the Castles Ever After series is When a Scot Ties the Knot. At last, I’m getting to write a hero in a kilt! Verra, verra exciting.
Author photo by Raphael Maglonzo
