Romance author Ella Quinn joins me today to chat about her new Regency romance, The Marriage List, part of The Worthington Brides series.
During her virtual book tour, Ella will be giving away a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for your chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side (political science professor and lawyer). Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.
She is married to her wonderful husband of almost fourty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, a Great Dane named Lilibet, and a cat named Winnie. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true lived on sailboat for three years. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She’s currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement. She expects to be back on the boat in 2022.
Welcome, Ella. Please tell us about your current release.
The Marriage List continues The Worthington’s series. The family has been waiting (dreading) for years the come outs of Lady Eleanor Carpenter, Lady Alice Carpenter, and Lady Madeline Vivers.
As part of a large, rambunctious family, Lady Eleanor Carpenter has gained some knowledge of what makes a successful marriage. She’s even compiled a list of essential qualifications in a potential husband. John, the Marquis of Montagu, seems of good character (check), with money enough to support a family (check). But what of the many other requirements on her list?
Montagu, meanwhile, believes the key to a comfortable life lies in marrying someone quiet and docile. Yet the one lady who captivates him could hardly be more different to what he envisioned. Lady Eleanor is as opinionated as she is lovely, determined to improve working conditions for the poor, even at risk to her own safety.
From evenings at Almack’s to carriage rides in Hyde Park, this Season will contain many pleasures—and a few surprises that compel both John and Eleanor to rethink their expectations. For one thing is certain: love will not be defined by any list . . .
What inspired you to write this book?
My readers. The series started out with eleven children and two Great Danes. I promised my readers all of the children would get their own stories.
Excerpt from The Marriage List:
Elizabeth jumped off the sofa. “Zeus, Posy, come. It’s time to play.”
Madeline rose and shook out her skirts. “We know who those Danes belong to.”
Eleanor laughed. “I suppose it is only fair. We had Duke and Daisy.”
“And we will have our own dogs,” Alice added. “That reminds me. We should make a list of what we want in our husbands.”
Eleanor shot a smile at her twin. That was exactly what she had been thinking.
“What an excellent idea.” Madeline went to the desk and drew out a piece of cut foolscap while Alice and Eleanor took chairs from the round cherry table and moved them to the writing desk as Madeline dipped a pen in the standish. “I think he should be intelligent.”
“Yes.” Eleanor wouldn’t want a dim husband, but there was something even more important. “He should be kind.”
“Oh, indeed.” Alice nodded. “I agree.”
“I as well.” Madeline wrote down the first two qualities. “He must like animals.”
“House animals,” Alice insisted. “Most men like horses and hunting dogs.”
“And children.” Having been raised in a family where the children were never confined to the nursery, Eleanor believed allowing young children around was important.
“Like children more than just the getting of them,” Madeline wrote.
“Make us laugh,” Alice added. “It is not good enough that he has a sense of humor. Most people do to some extent, but the gentlemen we wed must be able to make us laugh.”
“And think that we are funny as well.” Eleanor was glad her twin thought of doing this.
“He must be interested in the plight of the poor and unfortunate,” Madeline added. “Ever since Dotty and Grace started the charities, the rest of our sisters and their husbands have added to them. I wish to do the same, and my husband must support me.”
“I agree,” Alice said.
“I do as well.” That was another good idea. Eleanor would not be happy with a man who did not care about others.
“Good-looking?” Madeline asked scrunching up her face.
Eleanor leaned back in her chair. “Well, I do not want to cringe when I gaze upon him. But his character is more important. Think of Byron and how handsome he is said to be, and he is a complete cad.”
Madeline nodded. “I shall write ‘passable-looking.’”
“That will do,” Alice agreed.
“He must allow me to be myself. I will not have anyone trying to control me.” Eleanor could not think of a worse fate.
“Indeed,” Alice and Madeline said at the same time, then laughed.
What exciting story are you working on next?
I finished Madeline’s story this past summer. I’m working on Alice’s story now. The problem is I’m having trouble understanding the hero. The way he thinks is all over the place.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I got my first rejection. I’d submitted to an agent who didn’t represent historical romance (I had no idea at the time that different agents represented different genres). I asked her if she thought I’d be published and she told me she did.
Do you write full-time? I do. If so, what’s your work day like?
I get up at 6AM, shower and take the dog out, make breakfast and start writing while I eat. I write one chapter a day. After that, I to Pilates or weights, study Italian for an hour (we recently moved to Italy) and take the dog out again. The rest of the evening I spend with my husband and a book.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know if this is a quirk or not. I have to have silence to work and be left alone.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A lawyer. And I was for twenty years.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’d love to get to know all of you. I’m on Facebook almost daily and I’m on Instagram. I’ll be a BookLovers Con if any of you are there.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon Author page | Amazon buy page
Lisa, thank you for having me on your blog!
Thanks for hosting!
Sounds like a good book.
The book sounds like a wonderful read. Love the pretty cover.
I guess with three sisters there is going to be all different ways to qualify for each one to be able to pick a husband-WOW
I enjoyed the excerpt.
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading The Marriage List