Thank you for inviting me over, Leanne. I’m happy to be here.
(You're most welcome, Scarlett. I'm thrilled to have you visit.)
How/why did you
start to write?
I’ve written, off-and-on, since I
was a child. I was reared in an
orphanage so writing stories was an escape for me. As an adult with a hectic schedule, I found it harder to find
time to write. I tried to fit it into my family life and work schedule. It was tough. My career as a clinician was so demanding that I was exhausted,
with nothing creative left at the end of the day. My perspective on life, and my priorities, changed after my
battle with breast cancer in 2008.
Writing has become even more important to me since then.
How did you
become an author?
That’s an interesting question. I’ve always been a writer. I became an author when I made the decision
to publish my work. The path to that decision was paved with hard work, study,
brain-storming with other authors and plenty of prayer.
What did you do
before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing? How?
I am a licensed clinician with
about 20 years experience in healthcare.
I resigned as Clinical Coordinator of an area hospital last year in
order to commit myself to writing on a full-time basis. My experiences as a
clinician impacted me profoundly. Many
of my short stories (which I have not yet published) relate to situations I’ve
witnessed and could not forget. My
childhood experiences at the orphanage inspired the antics that Amelia gets
involved in, particularly in The
Finishing of Lady Amelia.
What inspires
you?
People, my Faith and the
connection I feel to others. I know I’m
blessed and I try to celebrate that. I
feel a need to let the stories that form in my head come to life and hopefully
bring a smile to my reader. It gives me such joy to create a tale that takes a
reader away from their troubles awhile.
I know how important that is.
How many books
have you written? Do you plan to write more?
I’ve written three in my Sisters
of the Hearts series: Promises of the
Heart, Seduction of a Bluestocking
and The Finishing of Lady Amelia. The series is set in 18th century
England. Betrayals of the Heart, the 4th book, coulda-woulda-should’ve been finished at the start of the year
but that pesky Amelia kept bugging me to tell her tale. Betrayals
is in the ‘tweaking’ stage now, so it will be out soon. I promise. (Upon a recent visit to Scarlett's blog I was delighted to see that a new book--While You Wait--has just been released. )
What was your
first published piece? Where was it published? How long ago?
Promises of the Heart (book one of my Sisters of the Heart series)
was my first published work. I think it
took about 2 years to complete the first version of Promises of the Heart and nearly seven for the final. I published
the first version of Promises of the
Heart via Lulu. The final version
was published by ARTEMIS Books in 2011.
Do you have a
link to your website?
You can find me at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CWNEPO. I enjoy
hearing from readers and friends. My
favorite means of doing that is via my blog.
Please, stop in and visit at: http://scarlettrainssistersoftheheartsblog.blogspot.ca
Where we can
purchase your books?
Thank you for asking. The following links are a starting point to
find books in my series:
Please share one of your successful marketing
techniques.
My approach to marketing is a
little atypical. I realize marketing is necessary, but I want to form more
solid relationships with people than just bouncing Tweets at them to better my
stats. I do use many of the social
media formats, like Twitter and Facebook, but I try to remember that I’m
interacting with human beings and offer my support wherever possible. I’m finding that I enjoy interacting with
readers and authors on GoodReads and Book Blogs. I guess, the bottom line is, write a good book, network and form
friends as you do. I think success is
bound to follow.
Closing thoughts
Thank you for inviting me to
spend time with you, Leanne. I hope you
will come visit my blog for an interview soon.
(Thank you, Scarlett. I hope you enjoy it.)
(Thank you, Scarlett. I hope you enjoy it.)
Blessings to you, and all your
readers,
Scarlett Rains' books...
Promises of the Heart
When Amelia Fitzailwyn, Duchess of Kensington is orphaned at a very
young age, she must leave home and travel to her new guardian’s estate. She
embarks on the journey with her beloved governess, Rachel: wishing all the
while that her Uncle William would somehow rescue her. To her delight, he does!
Uncle William is her new guardian...and he has two sons! Amelia happily settles
in to life at Havenwood Manor with her new family.
What are the servants whispering about? Have they noticed all those
heated looks between Uncle and Rachel? Amelia sees mysteries everywhere... and
would solve them all if her cousins would leave her alone long enough to do her
research! She wishes John, the eldest, would keep his nose out of her affairs
and poke it back in his theme book, ‘How to be the Most Boring Personage in the
Realm’. Alex, the skirt-chasing hypocrite, irritates her even more: going
on-and-on about her one little rendezvous with Simon.
When it turns out
‘Uncle’, is not really her uncle, Amelia begins to see the irksome boys in a
new light. In fact, she plans to marry one of them! Will John stop straining
his steely, grey eyes reading and see her for the woman she is? Or will Alex
stop pulling the curl out of her hair long enough to notice the sheen of it as
it wraps around his finger? Solve the mystery dear reader, as you enjoy this
delightful tale of a young woman’s coming of age in Georgian England.
Seduction of a Bluestocking
Jilted and heart-broken, Miss Rachel Steele leaves home to begin a
new life as governess, mind-made-up never again to succumb to a man’s charm.
Then William Seaton, old friend of her employer, disturbs her peace: meddling
in matters outside his concern. ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish,’ she says when
he finally leaves. Soon thereafter, disaster strikes and Rachel accompanies her
charge to the estate of her guardian, the Duke of Warwick: who from his letters
sounds like a man well in his dotage. Rachel marches in to his study to persuade
the doddering old coot to keep her on as governess. Words fail her when she
finds that he is not at all old…definitely not doddering, -but none other than
the irritating, William Seaton!
William Seaton’s life is precisely as he would have it: mistresses
all prettily lined up in a row, a cozy chair at Whites molded comfortably to
fit his frame - fine port and cheroots a nod away…just perfect! He is anything
but charmed to renew Miss Steele’s acquaintance, she is a nuisance he does not
want or need, -in fact, he’d prefer to hear nothing except farewell from her
tightly-pressed lips. Knowing the annoying bluestocking will likely disrupt his
well-ordered life, he agrees to retain her for the sake of his ward.
Hence
begins a sizzling romantic campaign of Napoleonic proportions which draws the
unwelcome attention of a villain from William’s past. Will Rachel and William
realize their love for one another before he seeks revenge?
The Finishing of Lady Amelia,
Prequel to Betrayals of the Heart
Lady Amelia Fitzailwyn
knows everything about everything... she certainly does not require Finishing
School! If John and Alex had not tattled on her, she would still be home! It
was fine for them to chase every skirt in the Kingdom but she has one kiss
...or two, and Uncle carts her off! Day one of her banishment, at Madame de
Rigeur's Young Ladies Finishing Academie, is dismal. Her roommate is insular,
Clarissa is cruel...and that spotty girl's rash is probably contagious! Then,
she meets Monsieur Pelfrie, the handsomest man she has ever seen, and Amelia
decides it might just be possible to endure the two long years away from home.Enjoy this delightful tale of mischief and mayhem as a sheltered young woman comes of age in Georgian England.
