Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors including Lynn Austin, Susie Finkbeiner, Jocelyn Green, Laura Frantz, Kate Breslin, Amanda Barratt, and Joanna Davidson Politano, sponsored by JustRead Publicity Tours! I am thrilled to not only be talking about this event, but interviewing the brilliant Kate Breslin!
You are Invited
A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors September 2, 2023 at 7 p.m. Palmer House Hilton Hotel, Chicago
Join us at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 2, at Chicago’s historic Palmer House Hilton Hotel for a tasteful evening with tea and talk of books, writing, history, and the power of story. Emceed by Chris Jager of Baker Book House, seven novelists will share what inspires them, tales from the research files, what they’ve learned on the journey, and their hope for readers.
Learn More about A Novel-Tea Evening with Authors
About the Authors
LYNN AUSTIN, whose titles include Long Way Home, Chasing Shadows, and If I Were You. Connect with her at LynnAustin.org.
AMANDA BARRATT, whose titles include Within These Walls of Sorrow, The White Rose Resists, and My Dearest Dietrich. Connect with her at AmandaBarratt.net.
KATE BRESLIN, whose titles include In Love’s Time, As Dawn Breaks, and Far Side of the Sea. Connect with her at KateBreslin.com.
SUSIE FINKBEINER, whose titles include The All-American, The Nature of Small Birds, and All Manner of Things. Connect with her at SusieFinkbeiner.com.
LAURA FRANTZ, whose titles include The Rose and the Thistle, A Heart Adrift, and Tidewater Bride. Connect with her at LauraFrantz.net.
JOCELYN GREEN, whose titles include The Metropolitan Affair, The Windy City Saga series, and The Mark of the King. Connect with her at JocelynGreen.com.
JOANNA DAVIDSON POLITANO, whose titles include The Lost Melody, A Midnight Dance, and The Love Note. Connect with her at JDPStories.com.
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Interview With Kate Breslin
Hello and welcome to the blog! Let’s get right to the questions. What made you want to write Historical Fiction?
To be honest, I disliked history in school. All of those numbers and dates to remember! Years later though, a friend gave me my first historical romance to read and after that I was hooked. I found that most of the authors’ books I read accurately depicted the eras they wrote about, but they brought the history to life for me through fiction—I was getting a history lesson without feeling like I was getting a history lesson! I soon fell in love with the genre, and when I began writing historical novels I wanted to pay that forward to my own readers.
We are basically the same – except I don’t write lol. I did not like history at all in high school, but now that I read historical fiction – I love it! What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?
I’m a nature girl, so I love gardening, hiking, and taking my daily walks through the woodlands. I’m also up for going camping with my husband at the beautiful parks here in Washington State. I enjoy traveling abroad as well, and I’ve been blessed to visit fourteen different countries. I’m always fascinated with the different cultures I encounter, and I find new inspiration for stories!
How awesome that you have seen so many different parts of the world! What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Well, it might take a crane to lift my massive stack of novels! I’m a bookaholic and have hundreds of books I plan to read. However, the top three gems on my TBR include Jocelyn Green’s The Metropolitan Affair, Carmen Schober’s Pretty Little Pieces, and Stephanie Landsem’s Code Name Edelweiss. I can’t wait to get started!
Ha! I know what you mean. Maybe we can share the crane! If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?
While my normal response as a British historical romance novelist might be to meet Jane Austen, I’ll choose instead to sip tea with Elizabeth Gaskell. An English novelist and biographer, Mrs. Gaskell wrote stories from her experiences in the mid-1800s about Victorian life in England, with such notable titles as North and South, Cranford, and Wives and Daughters, all three adapted into BBC movies. I’d love to ask her about all things British during that time period, and to know who inspired her writing.
Oh what a great choice! In Love’s Time was one of my favorite novels of 2022, and part of that was because of the unique storyline between Marcus and Clare. Where did the inspiration for their story come from?
Thank you! It’s a pleasure knowing you enjoyed the story. My inspiration was to give Marcus Weatherford, the enigmatic, war weary naval captain of my previous four WWI novels, his own chance to cut through the fog of duty and the next assignment in order to rediscover love, especially when he risked losing all. Working with the British Admiralty and Secret Intelligence Service during the war, Marcus was accustomed to keeping secrets about his life and after four years of battle fatigue, his emotional wall couldn’t be so easily breached. Only Clare Danner, a woman feisty, strong, and accustomed to setbacks would be able to break down that barrier, but she also risked everything if she succeeded. I made the stakes high because I wanted these two to fight for what they believed in, to fight for their love.
** Sigh ** The other reason I fell in love with the story was because of the fantastic secondary characters, like Natalya and Fanny. How do you balance how much to include the secondary characters without taking away from the hero and heroine?
Good question! I’m sure it must be a subconscious rule of writers that secondary characters should never overshadow the story hero/heroine. They can complement the main character(s) or help to move the story forward, but otherwise it’s like going to a play—you know who the star actors are and the secondary actors have their part, but the latter can never steal the show. As for determining balance, it really comes down to the storyline and the characters’ parts in the story. Natalya poses as Marcus’s “fiancée” in their mission to find the missing Romanovs in Russia, and she also becomes an obstacle in Marcus and Clare’s romantic relationship. So the more that the story revolves around either the mission or the main couple’s romantic conflict, Natalya’s “on stage” presence increases. Fanny has her own budding romance in the story, but it’s just a beginning for her, and dims in light of the central romantic conflict between Marcus and Clare. Fanny’s more significant parts to perform are as Marcus’s sister and Clare’s new friend, as she tries to bring the couple back together.
I thought you did an amazing job! What did you learn while writing In Love’s Time?
With each story, I find the message God puts on my heart to share with others also resonates with me long after the book is finished. With In Love’s Time I learned that along with my characters, I must trust in the Lord completely and lean not on my own understanding; He will lead me along the straight path, even when I’m not sure what that road looks like. During this past year I’ve faced some personal difficulties, and often called on this passage from Proverbs 3:5-6 when I needed it most. It’s made a real difference for me, and reminds me that I am always in His care.
This is such a great truth that we need to keep close to our hearts! What do you want readers to take away from In Love’s Time?
I hope it’s a gentle reminder that in our too busy, schedule-stretched lives, it’s easy get lost in the day-to-day grind; and that the more technology advances, we risk greater isolation from one another. God is relational—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and He made us in His image, so that we too are relational. We need one another, and love won’t wait on the world, so we must not be afraid to reach out to those we care about and let them know.
I love that. Thank you for sharing it. What can we look forward to next?
I’ve decided to create more WWI stories and I’m working up story proposals as we speak. More to follow!
I can’t wait!! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me Kate. I really appreciate you, and your stories!
Thank you so much!
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a tote bag, one bag of Pride and Peppermint Novel Tea, plus a $20 egift card to BakerBookHouse.com!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 12, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 19, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
Thank you for sharing. Blessings
great interview! thanks for being on the tour!
I wish I could go to this event. Is there a schedule?
Hi Audrey! I hope you can come, too! On Sat., Sept. 2, doors open at 6:30pm for tea, mingling, and book shopping! The evening formally begins at 7pm with small group time with each author. After a quick break at 8pm, there will be a panel discussion with all seven authors. After that, more time for shopping and signings! All the info is here: https://www.jocelyngreen.com/a-novel-tea-evening-with-the-authors Thanks!
I’ve read all of Kate’s books. They are so good! I love to learn about history through well-written and researched historical novels.
This was a great interview! My TBR pile is to the moon….and back I believe!