Tuesday, February 5, 2013

TBR welcomes Sherry Gloag

TBR: Welcome to TBR, Sherry Gloag. Will you share a little bit about yourself?
Sherry: I live in the beautiful English county of Norfolk which is part of East Anglia. The nearby coast is the only part of the east coast of Britain that faces west, so we get spectacular sunsets. I love the countryside and find it become the ‘silent character’ in my stories. I love reading, and gardening. Walking is a relaxation for me and a time to mull over plots and hold character interviews. Another form and important form of relaxation is my crystal craft work which then opens up the world of craft fairs from spring through to late autumn/fall.

TBR: Tell us about Vidal's Honor and where it's available.
Sherry: Vidal’s Honor, published by Astraea Press is my 7th published book, but only my second Regency romantic suspense. I surprised myself by enjoying the vast amount of research I had to undertake and came up with some odd little revelations, like the European continent have weather records going back more than a hundred years more than the English. And since the weather played a fairly important part in Vidal’s Honor, that nugget of omission created quite a set-back for a while, until I worked my round it in one particular scene. *grin* Vidal’s Honor was a real challenge to write and I am delighted that it has been a best seller in Amazon’s top 100 in the USA for nearly eight weeks, and in UK, off and on, for twelve weeks now.

 Amazon.co.uk  http://tinyurl.com/cgonnnk

TBR: Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Sherry: Vidal’s Honor opening scene, and excerpt, is set just hours before the battle of Salamanca, Spain in July 1812, which in turn sets in motion all the ensuing events in the story.

Tagline:
Which will Honor lose first? Her head or her heart?

Blurb:
When plunged into a world of spies, agents and espionage during the Peninsula wars, Honor, Lady Beaumont, flees for her life when the French capture her husband at Salamanca, and relies on his batman to arrange her safe passage back to England.
Viscount Charles Vidal is ordered by Robert Dumas, the First Lord of the Admiralty, to travel to Spain and escort the only woman he’s ever loved, Lord Devlin Beaumont’s widow back home before the French discover her whereabouts.
Their journey is fraught by danger, least of all knowing whether they are surrounded by friends or foe. Will they survive long enough to explore the possibility of a future together or will whispers of treason be enough to see Honor dispatched to Tyburn first?

Excerpt:
While Vidal joked with his cousin, the viscount scanned the room. The smell of fine wine, whiskey and cigar smoke blended into a rich aroma that was as much a part of Whites as the card games, the background chatter, and outbreaks of lewd laughter from the younger members of the club.
One member in particular interested Vidal tonight, and he watched Robert Dundas, second Viscount Melville, and First Lord of the Admiralty, take leave of his friends and head in his direction.
He wondered why the man spent the best part of the night watching his every move, and paused in the act of fobbing his snuff box while he waited for the viscount to join him.
“Take a walk with me?” Although couched as a question, Vidal noted the quiet steel of command in the other man’s voice. Dundas laid a hand on his arm; a companionable gesture for anyone interested enough to observe the two men leaving the club together. “I believe I live not far beyond your own house. I’d appreciate your company, and this is not the place for such a discussion. ”
With an indolent twist of the wrist Vidal returned the modish lacquered box, unopened, to his pocket and nodded agreement. A man’s club was no setting for private conversation, and it was plain the man wanted to talk about something away from flapping ears.
Together they strolled across the room stopping to take leave of several mutual friends.
 
TBR: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Sherry: I grew up reading the renowned British Regency romance author, Georgette Heyer and always hankered at having a go one day. Now I have two Regency stories that came out within a month of each other. I still find it hard to believe!

TBR: Are you a plotter or pantser?
Sherry: Pantser

TBR: How do you develop your characters?
Sherry: I don’t, they are in charge.

TBR: Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to share?
Sherry: You can fix a bad page, but you can’t fix a blank one. Attributed to Nora Roberts.

TBR: Did any music inspire your book? Do you have a playlist?
Sherry: NO, I don’t  usually play music while writing.

TBR: While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned?
Sherry: That I could and do enjoy the research.

TBR: Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Sherry: In Vidal’s Honor, while they are the usual setbacks, betrayals and black moments, Honor, Lady Beaumont is not a perfect heroine. While she is strong, she also has many weaknesses, as does my hero, Charles Vidal. Vidal’s Honor takes place while my hero and heroine are fleeing across the Spanish Pyrenees and into French enemy territory in a bid to reach England safely.

TBR: What's next for you?
Sherry: I am working on an unexpected follow-on story from Vidal’s Honor, featuring Juan and Consuela who are the Spanish guides helping Honor and Vidal to escape from Spain. I am also working on two novellas relating to my Gasquet Princes series. And since receiving a book for Christmas from my sister I am now working on a now project of several short stories sharing a common theme.

TBR: Any other published works?
Sherry: Apart form Vidal’s Honor, I have six more published stories. The Wild Rose Press published my first novel, The Brat. eTreasures published my first Rom Com Valentine novella The Wrong Target, while Black Opal Books published my second novel Duty Calls.  Astraea Press also published the first two novellas in my Gasquet princes series. From Now Until Forever and His Chosen Bride.  Finally Sweet Cravings Publishing brought out my first Regency novel, No Job For a Woman.  All are still available in e-format and The Brat, Duty Calls, and No Job For a Woman are also out in paperback.

TBR: What’s the most challenging aspect of writing? Most rewarding?
Sherry: Sometimes the writing itself, but always the promotional side of the business.

TBR: What’s the most interesting comment you have received about your books?
Sherry: Until I began receiving readers’ feedback I’d never considered my stories as suspense, but almost all of them are considered as such by my reders.  That was a big learning curve for me J

TBR: Where can readers find you on the web?
Sherry: My Website: http://www.sherrygloag.com
+ Goodreads, LinkedIn and Google+

TBR: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Sherry: Who is your favourite Regency character, and why?

TBR: Readers, Sherry will give away 1 pdf copy of Vidal’s Honor to one luck commenter to one lucky commenter. She'll pick a winner and announce the winner here. Be sure to leave your email address so she can contact you.

Thanks for visiting TBR, Sherry. All the best to you.

1 comment:

Talk to TBR guests!