Eloisa: I grew up on a farm on Minnesota - about as far as possible from the glamorous ballrooms I write about! Now I live in New Jersey, with my husband and two children. My husband grew up in Florence, Italy, so we spend quite a bit of time there in summer with his relatives. That's possible because we're both professors - he teaches Italian lit and I teach English lit (when I'm not writing romance). When I'm not working, I spend all of my time chasing after my 6 year old and 2 year old. My 2 year old is particularly demanding - she's developed a bellow that can be heard two counties away.

Donna: Did you always want to be an author?

Eloisa: No, I didn't. My ambitions were along the lines of saving the world and curing cancer. I was also very melodramatic and quite certain that I wouldn't live past the ancient age of 18, so my future didn't seem that important.

Donna: What made you choose to write romance?

Eloisa: I read it. All the time. And I always have. We didn't have a television when I was growing up. My parents basically thought television was a waste of time. The general effect was that I read a lot (and thus ended up teaching literature and writing romance), but I also find sad/tragic/violent stories very hard to handle. I think television helps desensitize people - anyway, I find myself crying hysterically in sad movies (a drag, because my husband's favorite movie genre is the film noir). Of course, it could be just because I'm a total wimp.

Donna: How does your family feel about you writing romance - are they supportive?

Eloisa: My husband is extremely supportive and has read my manuscripts (once he got over the shock of finding out that my first hero, Alexander, had black hair shot with silver). His name is Alessandro and he has similar hair, so he was morbidly sure that all his colleagues would pick up POTENT PLEASURES, figure out who it was, and make jokes about him. But what do you know, Italian Literature professors have not yet discovered the delights of romance, and so his reputation is unharmed.

Donna: Where do you get ideas for your books?

Eloisa: I steal mine from Renaissance literature, because that's what I teach. In my second book, for instance, Patrick climbs up the ladder to fetch Sophie from her bedroom - so that she can elope with his (Patrick's) best friend. And he ends up not coming down that ladder as promptly as he should have. I borrowed that plot device from a very obscure play written in the 1600s. Of course, the rest of my novel is very different from the play, but that plot device sparked my interest.

Donna: Do you ever use personal experiences when writing your stories?

Eloisa: All the time. I don't think any novel is worth reading - romance or otherwise - unless it has a great deal of truth in it. I'm not a glamorous Englishwoman. But when I wrote the birthing scene in POTENT PLEASURES, I was suffering from an irrational fear that my sister would have a difficult labor. There's genuine fear there. And there's a lot of truth in MIDNIGHT PLEASURES too, although I won't wreck the plot by telling you which parts.

Donna: What type of research did you do for your books?

Eloisa: For MIDNIGHT PLEASURES, I had to learn quite a bit about Turkish rulers and Napoleon's reign; for ENCHANTING PLEASURES (due out from Delacorte in August 2001), I learned a lot about the East India Company.

Donna: How did you go about selling your first book? How long did it take?

Eloisa: I was lucky; it didn't take very long at all. I sent a prospectus and one chapter to five agents. Three turned it down and the fourth requested the whole manuscript - which I hadn't finished! So I wrote a quick ending and mailed it off. Within a month or so, it had been multiple-submitted and became the subject of a little bidding war between Dell and Avon.

Donna: How do you plan your stories? Do your characters ever try to take over and rewrite their scenes?

Eloisa: That's one very weird thing about being a novelist. I used to hear people talk about characters 'doing their own thing' and changing the story, and I thought it sounded crazy. But that's exactly what happens. You start a scene going one direction, and end up in a totally different place.

Donna: How long does it take you to write a story?

Eloisa: One year. I'm slow, I have another job, and I have (most importantly) small children.

Donna: Do you let anyone read what you have written before you send it to your editor?

Eloisa: Yes. My husband reads it, and I have a wonderful critique partner.

Donna: Do you belong to a local writer's group?

Eloisa: I'm a member of the New Jersey Romance Writers of America - a fabulously supportive group.

Donna: What is the hardest part of writing a story?

Eloisa: Actually sitting down at the computer and writing it. They bloom in your head, but sitting down and writing is hard work.

Donna: Is that difficult to write the sex scenes for your books? Is it made anyeasier knowing that the majority of romance readers are female?

Eloisa: It's actually a fun part of writing. There's no getting around the fact that you have to be feeling sexy yourself, though. Otherwise the scene doesn't feel genuine. All I mean by that is that sometimes a sex scene doesn't happen in the morning, or when you've had no sleep, or when there's no wine within reach.

Donna: What kind of books do you read for pleasure? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Eloisa: In no particular order, I love Laura Kinsale, Judith McNaught, Connie Brockway, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Loretta Chase - lots of other people whose names I can't remember at the moment.

Donna: What has been your favorite question or comment by your fans?

Eloisa: I love hearing either what people think of my characters, or how parts of their lives are like my book. I got a lot of great letters about Charlotte's labor in POTENT PLEASURES - those are particularly interesting, as a writer.

Donna: How were you, as a debuting author, able to get your first book published in hardcover? Do you think this affected the initial reader exposure?

Eloisa: It just happened. I actually argued against it. I remember calling my agent and insisting that she intervene. At that point I had never bought a hardcover romance (since then I've succumbed to Jennifer Crusie in hardcover), and I just couldn't see them fitting into my budget. So I thought nobody would read my book. And I think it was hard, for a first novel to go into hardcover. I made historical mistakes in the hardcover, because I didn't know that readers cared. If the book had appeared in paperback, I think readers would have been more forgiving of a first-time author. As it was, I had some truly vicious letters. But I learned a lot from it, and now I'm very proud of being in hardcover!

Donna: The covers of your books are intriguing. They catch your interest and you just have to know the story behind the picture. Were you happy with the covers?

Eloisa: I love both covers. Dell wanted to do something new and fresh, since I was an unknown name going into hardcover - and I think they've done a wonderful job! POTENT PLEASURES just won the Artemis Award for best cover from the Romance Writers of America (Long Historical category).

Donna: I read that when POTENT PLEASURES was released in paperback, that you had made revisions. Why was this done?

Eloisa: Well, that's what I was talking about above. I totally messed up on some historical details in POTENT PLEASURES. For example, I knew that men didn't wear pajamas in the period, but I didn't like the sound of a nightshirt. And I didn't have any idea that it would matter to someone. I'm afraid that I'm a very uncritical reader, which is kind of weird for an academic. In fact, the only time I remember criticizing a book for being unhistorical was a romance in which Queen Elizabeth I put out her hand and said, "Put it here!" Even then, I finished the book. Probably all first-time writers write for themselves, because that's the audience they know. I can assure you that the paperback of PP and the new hardcover (MIDNIGHT PLEASURES) are as accurate as I can make them!

Donna: Charlotte is a very strong, yet naive heroine. Is there some of you in her?

Eloisa: I would be proud to claim her, but she appeared all on her own.

Donna: Charlotte and her parents, especially her mother, had a very strong relationship. Is this something you brought from your own experience?

Eloisa: I love my mother very much - but in this case, I think it was more of myself thinking about being a mother. How would I react if my daughter came to me with Charlotte's story? (I guess I would hope to react as well as Charlotte's mom.)

Donna: Alex is such a strong and sensual hero - is he based on a real person?

Eloisa: Well, my husband would say no. I would only claim the good stuff for my family members.

Donna: Alex is the perfect hero up until the wedding night. And he did redeem himself later, but couldn't you have tortured him just a little more? *G*

Eloisa: I hate to tell you this, but he used to be even less tortured! The reason is that I study gender relations in the Renaissance. With the evidence that Alex had regarding his wife's infidelities (including her lack of virginity), he could have murdered his wife and been let off in a court as justified. But my editor made only one real change to PP: she said, "He needs to GROVEL, Eloisa." SO - he grovels!

Donna: Alex was such a wonderful father to little Pippa. Do you think he was ahead of the times?

Eloisa: In some ways, yes. Obviously men had very little to do with their children until recently. But in terms of love and emotion, no. There are heart-breaking poems and diary entries, dating from the 1600-1700s, in which fathers write about the deaths of their children.

Donna: You created several secondary characters that we come to care about. Was it difficult to create the depth of so many characters in one story?

Eloisa: Nope. For me the trouble is keeping my focus on the main couple.

Donna: Even though they were never actually in the story, I found the story of Charlotte's sister, Winifred, and her American intriguing. Will you ever write her story?

Eloisa: Goodness - I never even thought of that! Probably not, since Winifred is already married!

Donna: I especially love stories that have secondary love stories within. You did this in both books. Will you continue to write this way?

Eloisa: Yes - ENCHANTING PLEASURES has a secondary love story - Lucien's. Lucien is the Frenchman, an ex-marquis, who turns up in both PP and MP.

Donna: In MIDNIGHT PLEASURES, Sophie is very different from Charlotte. She is a delightful mix of of worldliness and innocence. Was her character harder to develop that Charlotte's?

Eloisa: Actually, both women came to me as themselves. I've had more trouble with Gabby (Gabrielle), the heroine of ENCHANTING PLEASURES. Gabby is a plump, untidy girl who fibs easily. I absolutely adore her, but my critique partner became concerned that she wasn't "romancey" enough. Sophie was such a love to write - she keeps sneaking back into the manuscript of ENCHANTING PLEASURES as well!

Donna: Patrick and Alex were identical, yet very different. Was it difficult creating Patrick without making him too much like his twin brother, Alex?

Eloisa: No, Patrick was very very different, from the moment we meet him in POTENT PLEASURES - he's singing, and he has a wicked smiling glint in his eye. Whereas Alex is a wounded one, a bit more bruised by life.

Donna: On page 165 of the ARC of MIDNIGHT PLEASURES, there is a big "S" to begin the sentence at the beginning of the chapter. The first word in the second center is "exhaustion." This was funny because the word "Sexhaustion" sort of jumps out at you in exactly the right point of the plot! (I know, probably only a Rebel would have noticed this! *G*)

Eloisa: Awk! I had to run over to my copy of MP - you're absolutely right! I will say one thing regarding Sexhaustion - for whatever reason, I seem to be getting more and more sensual as my trilogy continues.

Donna: One of the secondary characters that begs for his own story is Quill Dewland. Do you have plans to write his story?

Eloisa: Quill is the hero of ENCHANTING PLEASURES!

Donna: Can you give us any hints about future stories?

Eloisa: Quill is a wonderful person, but he has a terrible problem: although he's mostly over his injuries, he suffers a terrible migraine after any kind of rhythmical exercise (OK ladies! What kind of rhythm am I talking about???!!). ENCHANTING PLEASURES is the story of his marriage to Gabby. It is (she said modestly) a lovely story.

Donna: Will you ever write other types of romance?

Eloisa: I'd like to write one contemporary - a baseball contemporary. I'm dreaming it up now. But my next book after ENCHANTING PLEASURES is another regency historical, currently entitled SWEET WILLIAM.

Donna: How does the internet affect you as an author?

Eloisa: I love hearing from readers - and so far, I'm able to write each one back. That's a great feeling.

Donna: What are some of your favorite web sites and discussion boards?

Eloisa: I've only just discovered the whole discussion board thing. I've only been to RBL - and it's great!

Donna: What is the best way that we as readers can help to promote new authors such as yourself?

Eloisa: Just talk about our books. Make a buzz. Thank you!

Donna: Do you have any advice for the aspiring authors here at RBL?

Eloisa: Join the Romance Writers of America! If I'd joined RWA earlier, I would have quickly discovered that most regency readers love accuracy, and saved myself a lot of tears.

Donna: Do you have anything you would like to say or questions you would like ask the readers here at RBL?

Eloisa: Please - if there's something you enjoyed about one of my books, let me know! I dream up new books all the time, and knowing what parts of a book really touched readers helps me shape new plots.

Eloisa, we thank you for taking time from your very busy schedule to do this interview with us. You have such a bright future ahead of you, and we hope that you will let us share it with you. We welcome you to RBL and hope that you will stay around and join us.

~Donna~



Ketchup
January 2005

The Pleasures Trilogy

               


The Duchess Quartet

                       


The Four Sisters

       

Judy: When we last "chatted", you had just released the second of your Pleasures Trilogy MIDNIGHT PLEASURES. It seemed to me, as a fan, that your success was pretty much immediate with the release of your first couple books. Is this truly what happened? Were you an "overnight success"?

Eloisa: Well, it didn't feel that way to me! The first three books in the Pleasures Trilogy did okay - but not fabulously. I felt that the hardcover format was really hurting sales; at the same time, it gave me terrific visibility. I think things really took off when I bought back DUCHESS IN LOVE from Bantam/Dell and moved to Avon and a paperback format. Avon was really excited about publishing me - and they promptly put DUCHESS IN LOVE on the New York Times Extended bestseller list.

Judy: I remember that you were teaching when you first began writing and publishing. Do you still have your "day job" or are you a full-time writer now? How has your "coming out" as a romance writer affected your career(s)? Why did you feel it was important to reveal your romance writing career?

Eloisa: Oh, no, I'm a professor, full-time. I don't know that I could do the writing without the intellectual balance of teaching Shakespeare. I find that teaching Renaissance drama brings depth to my own work: I ruthlessly use his and other dramatists' work to improve my writing!

As for why I "came out" - there were two reasons. I suppose it all goes back to why I kept it a secret. There's a lot of shame attached to writing - and reading - romances by our culture! That term "bodice-ripper" just never seems to go away. And yet there I was, a professor who was supposed to be teaching the "greatest" literature. Especially when I was an assistant prof, I thought it might make other academics look down on me.

But then the shame started to turn the other way. I made the New York Times Bestseller List, for one thing. Wasn't it as if I was saying that I was ashamed of my readers? And I wasn't! Or ashamed of my writing? Again, I'm not! So the time seemed ripe to drop the second identity - thus all the TV interviews.

Judy: You've taped an interview for CNN's American Morning show, to be aired this month! Will you share some of the "behind the scenes" scoop with us, as well as give us a sneak preview of the on-air interview itself?

Eloisa: Of course! I did put a little on the RBL Board - about thewoman who was crying in the Green Room (where they make you wait before going on camera) because her brother was lost to the tsunami, and about all the makeup they put on (Tammy Baker, here I come!). The truth is that the interview was so short and fast that I have absolutely no idea what I said. All I know is that I looked pretty good - and considering that I have been OBSESSED with what to wear on camera, I was happy about that!

My husband and I had a vacation planned in Paris (yes, I do know how lucky we are!). Anyway, I decided to buy a jacket in Paris to wear on television. And I found one! It's beautiful purple tweed, with a wild fake fur collar that's detachable. But I guess I'm going on TV without the collar, because the PR person from Harper Collins is worried that animal lovers wouldn't realize it was fake (they'd have to be blind - it's dyed with spots). I had a great day shopping. My husband took the children to the zoo (where they saw a baby gorilla swing on his papa's privates, which made the whole trip to Paris worthwhile for them). And I spent the whole day drifting around Paris, buying expensive clothes and pretending that I live like that every day!

Judy: Your husband grew up in Italy, and now you are living in Italy. Where are you living? What can you share with us about living there?

Eloisa: We're living in Florence, as I'm on sabbatical from my university position all this year. Florence is an absolutely lovely city: small enough to come to know, and truly beautiful. The historical center (where we've been living) is car-free, except for taxis and police cars. So it's quiet, it's clean and it's safe to run around with the children!

Judy: I truly enjoyed A WILD PURSUIT from your Duchess Series. It had everything - a plot full of twists and turns and "musical beds", humor, sizzle, and characters who really are "characters"! There were actually three heroines - Esme, Beayrix, and Helene (who has her own story in YOUR WICKED WAYS) - and I loved them all, but Bea really appealed to me! She was a ReBeL in her time, and was exactly the opposite of the type of woman the hero was looking for. How did you come up with this seemingly mismatched couple? Was this book as much fun to write as it certainly is to read?

Eloisa: Well, you've probably realized by now that I have a true affinity for bad girls - ReBeLs all the way! The Pleasures Trilogy had Sophie, and then Esme turned into a major character all the way through the Duchess books. When I started A WILD PURSUIT, I thought it would be the book in which Esme was the top player. But - darn it - Bea, or Beatrix, showed up and before I knew it, one bad girl had trumped the other! I actually wrote most of the book with Bea as a secondary character. But my critique partner, Jessica Benson, read it and said, "Look, Bea is fabulous. You have to give her top billing." So I did! I rewrote it, letting Bea have her way - and yes, that rewrite was tremendously fun to write.

Judy: You are beginning a new series with your short story, "A Fool Again", in THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY and with your new book, MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU. What can you tell us about this new book? I read that you are linking the new series to the Duchess Series - how are you doing that? What is ahead for the other three sisters?

Eloisa: The PR department had me write a separate synopsis of MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU for public relations (other than the brief one on my website). So here it is:

Teresa Essex has a unique lot in life. Actually, she'd rather prefer that lots are not mentioned. She knows far too much about playing the odds: her widowed father gambled away any spare penny owned by their family. Shillings that should have been spent on gowns and governesses for Teresa (Tess) and her three younger sisters, Annabel, Imogen and Josephine, were spent keeping her father's horses in proper condition for the race track

When their father dies, the sisters are sent to the Duke of Holbrook, a marginal friend of their father's, who knows far more about brandy snifters than children. They arrive dressed in threadbare mourning clothes to find that the duke has prepared a nursery for children.

But Tess's challenges have just begun. With nothing more than a horse each for a dowry, and a drunken duke as a chaperone, they must achieve respectable marriages. She's more worried about her sisters than herself:

     � Wild Imogen wants no other man but Lord Maitland, a horse-mad entrepreneur who loves the track as much as their father did. Despite the fact that Maitland is engaged to another woman, Imogen runs after the man with no thought for the future other than a desperate passion and a distinctly creative way of getting what she wants.

     � Beautiful Annabel has apprenticed herself to the art of inspiring male desire. Money is her goal, and she cares little who wears the deep pockets, as long as the benefits of his bank account support her taste for silk.

     � Wry, wisecracking Josie is too young to play the romance game but not too young to tell her sisters just what fools they're making of themselves.

Tess soon finds herself engaged to a highly suitable lord, but attracted to the entirely unsuitable Lucius Felton.

In the manner of romantic heroines from the time of Jane Austen, Tess must make a decision whether to marry for financial, prudent reasons, or to follow her heart. But unlike those tales in which heroines prudently make the correct decision, whatever that might be, here fate steps in: Imogen's mad plans pay off, Annabel finds herself disappointed, and Tess must learn a hard lesson: not how to play at love, but how to play at that most serious of pursuits ...

Marriage.

Of course, I'm not going to tell you what's happening to the other three sisters! You'll have to wait and see. I just finished the second book in the quartet. I will tell you that Josie is shaping up into a truly ReBeL-ous character!

Eloisa's Website



Return to the
Index of Author Interviews.




Copyright � RBL Romantica!
All rights reserved.
Reproducing material from this site without permission is prohibited.