I am absolutely thrilled to welcome author Rachel Brimble to the blog today for an exclusive chat. I am very excited about this interview, Rachel is the author of over 25 novels which includes; The Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series and the Templeton Cove Stories. I am a big fan of Rachel’s work, I have far too many sitting unread on my TBR pile (I will get around to them – but I must stop buying books first😅) I can’t wait to share this wonderfully insightful interview with you all.
Author Interview
Hello Rachel, Welcome to Chicks, Rogues and Scandals! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.
Firstly, what five words would you use to describe yourself?
Um…hardworking, disciplined, kind, funny (I hope!), curious
Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
A Very Modern Marriage is set in the beautiful city of Bath during the mid 19th century. I say the beautiful city of Bath but not all the places the characters visit or the people they meet could be deemed ‘beautiful’. There were darker places in Bath at this time, the same as any other city. There were also sinister people…
This is the final instalment of my Ladies of Carson Street trilogy (all books can be read stand alone). Octavia Marshall, a prostitute living and working with her best friends Louisa and Nancy, feels it is time to move on from Carson Street and find a new way of living. When she meets businessman and Manchester mill owner, William Rose, he catches her interest. Intelligent, astute and kind, William appeals to Octavia as a man who could teach her about the business world.
And he agrees to do just that…for a price. Can she trust him? Will their deal benefit her as much as him? One way or another, she is willing to find out, especially if it means leading the life she wants…
This book (and series) sounds amazing!! – When not writing, what do you like to do to relax?
I am an avid knitter (and reader!) so I am always happy when I am sat in front of the TV, watching a favourite period drama with my latest knitting project in hand – bliss!
If you could have a holiday home anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Ooh, great question! I LOVE travelling and if money was no object, I would be travelling all the time – it is rare for me to want to visit a place more than once because there are just so many places to see in the world. Having said that, I would definitely go back to Croatia so maybe that is where I would have a holiday home…for now.
If you could have one of your books made into a film, which book would it be and who would play your lead characters?
Can I say I would love the entire Ladies of Carson Street trilogy to be played out on screen? The lead characters would be played by Myanna Buring (Louisa), Sophie Rundell (Nancy) & Jessica Brown Findlay (Octavia).
When writing, do you plot or just go with the flow?
I am a plotter to the extreme! I start each book trawling the internet for pics of my lead characters (hence why I could easily answer the previous question!), then I construct characters sketches for each of them which usually gives me their goals, motivations & conflicts. Once I have those, the plot begin to grow, and I write a chapter plan, finishing with a 3-4 page synopsis.
Only then do I start the actual writing – which means straight through from beginning to end. The hard part comes in the following drafts!
What three tips would you pass on to an aspiring author?
- Read, read and read some more!
- Write YOUR way – you are good enough and have no need to copy or emulate anyone else.
- (The best advice I was ever given) – Give yourself permission to write a crappy first draft. If you don’t get to the end, you’ll never know if you can even finish a novel.
Brilliant tips, thank you! If you were hosting a dinner party what three people (dead or alive) would you invite?
Peter Kay (he’s makes me laugh SOOO much)
Oprah (no explanation needed)
Catherine of Aragon (I’m obsessed with the Tudor court and deeply admire Catherine)
Amazing guest list, can I come too? – Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today, I have just one more cheeky question, just for fun;
What is your favourite snacking food?
Toffee Popcorn!
Thank you, Frankie x
About the Author
Rachel lives in a small town near Bath, England. She is the author of over 25 published novels includingthe Ladies of Carson Street trilogy, the Shop Girl series (Aria Fiction) and the Templeton Cove Stories(Harlequin). In January 2022, she signed a contract with the Wild Rose Press for the first book in a brandnew series set in past British Royal courts.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association as well as the Historical Novel Society andhas thousands of social media followers all over the world.
To sign up for her newsletter (a guaranteed giveaway every month!), click here: Newsletter
Links
Website: https://rachelbrimble.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en
About the Book
A Very Modern Marriage
A Very Modern Marriage Blurb:
He needs a wife…
Manchester industrialist William Rose was a poor lad from the slums who pulled himself up by his bootstraps, but in order to achieve his greatest ambitions he must become the epitome of Victorian respectability: a family man.
She has a plan…
But the only woman who’s caught his eye is sophisticated beauty Octavia Marshall, one of the notorious ladies of Carson Street. Though she was once born to great wealth and privilege, she’s hardly respectable, but she’s determined to invest her hard-earned fortune in Mr Rose’s mills and forge a new life as an entirely proper businesswoman.
They strike a deal that promises them both what they desire the most, but William’s a fool if he thinks Octavia will be a conventional married woman, and she’s very much mistaken if she thinks the lives they once led won’t follow them wherever they go.
In the third instalment of Rachel Brimble’s exciting Victorian saga series, The Ladies of Carson Street will open the doors on a thoroughly modern marriage – and William is about to get a lot more than he bargained for…
Chicks,Rogues and Scandals 
Hi Frankie! Thanks so much for having me here today – I’m looking forward to chatting with your visitors 🙂
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Thank you so much for chatting with me today Rachel, it’s always a pleasure having you visit. 💖
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