For where your treasure is...: Author Interview: Leah Garriott, Promised

Welcome to my tour stop: Q & A with Leah Garriott! I love the Proper Romance novels, especially since I've discovered a few of my favorite authors in this line of books. I am particularly excited about this new author.

Here is the link to my own review: Promised book review

Interview with Leah Garriott

What were the first books from your childhood that hooked you on reading?

The first ones I remember (and still have) are The Callender Papers and Jackaroo, both by Cynthia Voigt. I loved the mystery and love story in both.

When did you discover that you wanted to be a writer?

About six years ago I was trying to figure out something new to do with my life and was introduced to the idea of writing. I sat down and wrote my first book in a few weeks. Then I spent the next few years figuring out how to actually write a book. Promised is the result of that effort.

Did your inspiration for Promised come to you in a flash, or was it a gradual process?

The idea to have a woman want to marry a rake and instead fall for the cousin came all at once. Everything else in the book, from the family and friends to the events surrounding how the cousin and woman fall in love, came gradually.

The novel starts with a marriage market party at a country manor in England. Can you share your research and the history of this Regency-era practice?

House parties were a way for the gentry to not only pass the time when the London season had ended, from about August to the end of the year, but was also a means of escape from the season. In such a case, a group would be invited to a country estate near London for a few weeks to escape the heat and crowding in the city. While these gatherings weren’t always formed with the intent of making matches, many of them were hosted with just such an intent. I played upon that idea a little liberally in creating the ‘marriage market party’ at the beginning of the book.

Tell us about your heroine Margaret Briton. What are her strengths and weaknesses?

Margaret is like many people I know, including myself: she gets an idea in her head and has a difficult time acknowledging that a different option might be better. This is really the basis of the story—having her acknowledge that a different, better option might be possible.

How would you describe the relationship between Margaret and Lord Williams?

I would describe their relationship as ideal, yet real. They find in each other a person who widens their world while also loving them for who they are. There is no hint that they’ll get along perfectly, but there is the hint that it’s the type of relationship where they’ll work out whatever comes up.

Why did you choose the Regency-era for your debut novel?

I don’t know that I necessarily chose the Regency era. It may have chosen me. When I first thought of writing, it was the only era that presented itself to me, really. This was the case with the next story as well. So it’s what I wrote.

Is there a theme or message that you wanted to convey to readers in Promised?

There’s that theme that maybe the decisions we make aren’t the best decisions, and it’s okay to change our minds. And then there’s also the theme that love isn’t necessarily at first sight or with the best-looking man. Sometimes the most fulfilling love is the gradual one, the one that happens while you were out doing something else. It sort of sneaks up on you, and in the end you realize the person you’re in love with also happens to be your best friend.

Was your road to publication smooth or rough?

Super rough. Years of rough. And even now, having published one book, it’s still an uphill battle.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to read. And be outside. And spend time with my family. If I can manage all three by having a bit of downtime I can use to read while my family is camping somewhere, then I’ve hit the jackpot.

What are you currently reading?

I’m about to start The Butterfly and the Violin by Kirsty Cambron. I’m also reading The House at Riverton by Kate Morton.

Can you share any details about your next book?

The book I’m working on hasn’t been accepted by my publisher yet, and I’m not certain that they’ll pick it up, so I’m not sure what my next published book will actually be. But the one I’m currently writing is a companion to Promised, because everyone deserves their own happily ever after.

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Personally, I'm hoping that means there is a story in the works for a certain rake. I love a redemption story. And the more flaws a character has, the more impressive and relatable the growth. Can't wait!

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