EQ Welcomes Elaine Violette
EQ: Welcome to EQ! Tell
us a little bit about yourself!
Elaine: Let’s
see. I love to write, write and write. Of course, that’s in my treasured alone
time when I can hide away. My writing room is cluttered with present and past
creative endeavors, including varied art
supplies, my guitar, two large book cases filled with books, photo albums,
porcelain dolls, and teaching materials. I am first and foremost a wife,
mother, and grandmother but I also carry the titles of published author and
veteran English teacher. I hold a BS in English Education from the University
of CT and an MS in Educational Leadership from Central CT State University. Now
retired from high school teaching, I presently teach
public speaking part time at a local community college and write Historical Romance
novels. I’m
a member of Romance Writers of America, CT
Romance Writers (CTRWA) and Charter Oak Romance writers (CORW).
EQ:Tell us a little bit
about your most recent release.
Elaine: I’m thrilled about the recent
launch of A Kiss of Promise on April 3rd, a Historical Romance ebook published by Ellora’s Cave under their
Blush imprint, i.e. sweet, sensual romances. Though
the story line can stand on its own, it is actually a sequel to the story of
the Blackstone brothers introduced in my debut regency, Regal Reward.
Fans of Regal
Reward urged me to write a sequel. I began the manuscript, but in my desire to
give voice to my poetic side, I completed another I was working on first. In my
second regency, A Convenient Pretense, my heroine, Emily Grace, is a poetess. What
fun it was to include my poetry in Emily’s story! Once A Convenient Pretense was published in
2013, I returned to my dear characters in Regal Reward whose stories needed to
be written.
In A Kiss
of Promise, Martin Blackstone’s story comes to life and the woman he previously
spurned, Alaina Craymore, is the strong-minded, self-sacrificing heroine.
Here’s the Back
Cover blurb of A Kiss of Promise
Adventurer Martin Blackstone escapes the stuffy rituals of England
to seek his destiny in America. He leaves Alaina Craymore behind, believing she
is better off without him. Suffering under the scandalous circumstances
surrounding her father’s death, only Alaina’s love for Martin and the memory of
their one stolen kiss have kept Alaina steady. But she hasn’t heard from Martin
in far too long and cannot wait forever in the hopes that he will return from
America. Just as Alaina begins to recover, one of her father’s associates
emerges from the shadows with a choice—she must pose as his fiancée in America
or he’ll send her brother to prison on charges of forgery. Willing to endure
ruin and an uncertain future, Alaina agrees—she can do no less for the brother
who’s spent his entire life protecting her. Only the man who spurned her can
save her from the black mailing scoundrel and a ruined reputation.
Martin hasn’t forgotten Alaina or the kiss they shared. When word
of her sacrifice reaches him, he’ll move heaven and earth to find her and make
her his, no matter the cost.
A Blush® historical romance from Ellora’s Cave
EQ: Describe how you
came up with the plot of your novel.
Elaine: In my first book, Regal
Reward, York and Martin Blackstone’s father is falsely accused of treason. The
two boys and their mother are tossed to the streets of London. The boys are
orphaned and forced to beg and steal to survive. York, the elder brother becomes obsessed to
clear his father’s name and regain the titles and lands lost to him. Younger brother Martin aids him, but he has
no title to gain and remains in his brother’s shadow.
In A Kiss of Promise, I wanted to create
Martin’s future. Since he was very young
when his aristocratic family was destroyed, most of his childhood was spent
surviving peril in poverty. He lives for
rugged adventure and freedom from commitment.
I wanted to send him on an adventure, very
different than his brother York’s, so off he goes on a voyage to America.
Despite his attempts to begin a life in the Virginia frontier, his memories of the
woman he left behind, haunt him.
In A Kiss of Promise, I
also complete Alaina’s story. She is the
daughter of the villain in Regal Reward and continues to be victimized by her
father’s illegal ventures. While Martin
and Alaina each face their own dilemmas, they share a heated passion for each
other difficult to contain. Because I
love to include a dastardly villain, one must be overcome and healing must
begin before my hero and heroine can resolve their issues and find a happy ever
after.
I loved including
characters from Regal Reward and giving them complicated dilemmas to resolve,
humor to lighten their stories, and satisfying resolutions. I especially
enjoyed moving the story from England to America and back.
EQ: Pick out one of the
best lines in your novel. What do you love about it?
Elaine: “The truth, not the
harsh wind, caused Alaina to shiver as the ship prepared to sail.”
I really like this line
because it illustrates the beginning of Alaina’s voyage toward either ruin or
love. She stands on the deck of a sailing ship destined for America. Leaving England
under duress, she fears the days ahead but she must take responsibility for her
decision. Desperate to save her brother and not knowing if she’ll ever be able
to come home again or salvage her reputation, she agrees to a blackmailer’s demands. Her self-sacrifice leads her on a frightening
journey to face a bleak future without the man she loves.
EQ: Who or what has had
the biggest influence on your writing?
Elaine: If
you don’t mind my altering your question just a bit, I’d like to share the influences
on my writing as well as the influence that has given me the ability to
persevere as a writer.
I began writing poetry at such a young age
that it would be difficult for me to pinpoint a person that inspired me to
write creatively. The desire to write my thoughts and feelings and tell stories
either orally or written feels as natural as breathing. I believe God expects
us to actively use the gifts He gives us and perfect them as much as our
abilities allow.
He gave me
a love of language and I became an English teacher. I was given the desire to
read extensively. Reading historical romance was my guilty pleasure when I
wasn’t studying the must-read classics for my profession. With my mom’s often
repeated saying in the corner of my mind: “You can do anything you put your
mind to,” I began writing what I loved to read, Historical Romance. My first regency,
Regal Reward received wonderful reviews and inspired me to begin another and
another…
The
patience and the perseverance to write full length novels grew through
suffering. Losing my son David when he was seventeen was the worse tragedy of
my life. It’s been many years but as every parent knows who has lost a child,
the pain never goes away. It is important to those who grieve to find avenues
of expression that allow space to enjoy moments when the heart doesn’t ache for
what is lost. Reading fiction was my escape and writing became a balm for pain.
At first, I wrote poems as a catharsis for my loss. Now, I write about love
since it is the best antidote for sorrow.
Patience
grows where there is pain. I would never have had the patience or perseverance
to write novels before my loss. Writing romance is an escape into worlds where
you can expect a happy-ever-after ending. Facing tragedy and all the emotions that come
with it, allows me to create deeply emotional characters. Though they live in
an earlier time period, readers can relate to my characters’ feelings and
emotions. Though my heroes and heroines are fraught with problems, there is
hope for happiness. I don’t think I could write a book that ended tragically. I want to leave my readers with a smile.
Buy links:
A Kiss of Promise available at Ellora’s Cave
For your Kindle
For your Nook
On Elaine’s website
Visitors
can follow Elaine on Facebook at
and
Twitter
Elaine’s
other books mentioned above:
Regal
Reward (print and ebook)
A
Convenient Pretense (ebook)
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