Thanks
very much for having me on your blog, Kim!
I’m
really excited about the release of my new erotic romance Northern Relations. If any of you have read my recent Scottish story
To Protect the Heir, you’ll know my
writing has taken a bit of a historical turn of late. In previous stories, I’d
sort of stuck with the old adage ‘write about what you know’. While I don’t
have personal experience of being a professional ballet dancer or doctor, I
have kept my stories in the present day. It felt comfortable to know what
characters would wear or eat, and how they would communicate, because it’s what
we see and hear every day.
So
starting to write historical fiction was a little daunting. I like to keep my
stories as realistic as I can (although I’m sure readers will be able to point
out a few inaccuracies!), so it was time to do some research. Initially, I
thought it might be a bit of a chore, but it was actually really good fun. The
internet is obviously a wonderful source of information, and I am very grateful
to those generous people who take the time to put their research at the world’s
disposal. Of course, it took a while to sift through all that information and
come up with the most truthful picture I could.
One
of the most important aspects of creating a historical world is the clothing
the characters wear. Finding the correct terms, colours and materials can be
quite a challenge, but I think it’s worth it, as once you’ve got a picture in
your head of how the characters are dressed, it’s so much easier to get inside
their world. When Edward and Charlie don their tailcoats and breeches in Northern Relations (and yes, they do
spend a lot of time without them on, too), their words and actions follow far
more easily.
On
top of that, there are details of architecture, travel and food, which build a
world in which readers can hopefully lose themselves and believe they are in
Regency London or 16th century Scotland, or an Edwardian country
house in a story which is coming out later this year.
Having
said all of that, my debut novel Burning
Ashes, which is released in a few days’ time by Dreamspinner Press, is very
much set in the present day. (It’s about two cricketers, just in case you’re
wondering about the title!) So I haven’t lost myself in the past completely,
but it’s nice to visit from time to time.
Author
Bio:
H. Lewis-Foster has worked with books, in one form or another,
since leaving university. As a keen reader of gay fiction, she decided to try
writing herself, and is now the proud author of several short stories
and an upcoming debut novel.
H. has lived in
various parts of the UK and has recently moved to the north of
England, where she’s enjoying city life, especially the theatres and cinemas.
She tries not to watch too much television, but is a big fan of Downton Abbey,
and while she’s writing, she loves listening to Test Match Special (where they
spend far more time talking about cakes than cricket!)
You can find out more about H.
and her books at:
Northern Relations
by H. Lewis-Foster
Amber Allure
Edward, Lord Hadnall, leads a
hedonistic life in Regency London, along with his friend and occasional lover,
Charlie Brabinger. The only blot on Edward’s carefree horizon is the insistence
of his female relations that he settle down and get married. He intends to
ignore their pestering for as long as he can, and continue his decadent
lifestyle of dances and debauchery. But then Edward meets Charlie’s cousin,
Arthur Hathwaite, a kind and honourable country gentleman.
Edward accepts Arthur’s
invitation to visit his Yorkshire home and is surprised to find life on the
rural estate extremely agreeable. He enjoys Arthur’s company immensely and they
become firm friends. But when Edward makes an unexpected discovery, he is left
in a moral dilemma. Will Edward follow his usual indulgent urges or do the
right thing for once in his life? Or might he be lucky enough to do both?
