We’re crazy excited about today’s guest. It’s not every day we get to chat with one of the staples in historical romance and yes, dear reader, you’re right—that means we’re talking to the one and only Eloisa James!!
WILDE CHILD isn’t the first book in this series to have a woman wearing breeches. Betsy is sporting a pair on the cover of SAY NO TO THE DUKE. But this time it’s her sister, Joan, who is conniving her way into a pair. And for those of us following the series, we’ve been waiting for the blonde-headed Wilde child to have her story because the Wildes all have dark hair…except for Joan who appeared after her mother ran off with a Prussian. How does her questionable parentage affect Joan?
Being known to be the daughter of the handsome (yellow-haired) Prussian who stole away a duchess has an effect on a child, of course. Many people might grow up feeling shamed, but Joan is confident in being loved, and comfortable in her skin. I would say that it made her feel free: for example, since Thaddeus could never marry her, she can be herself around him. Since young women are all nervous around a future duke, he finds that part of her personality enthralling.
We’re loving how Joan throws propriety to the wind and goes after what she wants, which is to perform on stage before a real audience. And we absolutely love that Joan will be performing Hamlet while her real life is a reflection of Hamlet. Which theme in Hamlet is your favorite?
That’s a hard question! Right at the moment I’m very interested in the fact that “Hamlet” the character is so malleable: there are violent Hamlets, and clinically depressed Hamlets, and loving Hamlets. So much depends on the actor and director! There is no answer to “Who is Hamlet?”.
Okay, we admit that last question was a pretty loaded one to ask a tenured Shakespeare professor. But character motives are so interesting! That’s why we love reading your books, the characters! You’re sailing through this series with WILDE CHILD being book six. Do you have a favorite character from the collection, or one that hangs out in the back of your mind nagging for you to write their story?
I do love Lady Knowe. Readers constantly ask for her story—almost as much as they ask whether Horatius is really dead. I have to say that Horatius… now that would be a fun story. Amnesia? Kidnapping? But meanwhile, I have a wonderful new series coming. The first novel is How to be a Wallflower, a sequel to My American Duchess. I can’t wait to see what people think!
With every release in The Wildes of Lindow Castle we have a new favorite character, which really boils down to pretty please, Eloisa, don’t stop writing!! Congrats on the release of WILDE CHILD. We’ll be eagerly waiting for your next book to drop in June, LIZZIE & DANTE, under author name Mary Bly and also keeping an eye out for your next historical romance! Cheers!
Thank you so much, Lexi!
About the Book
The Wildes of Lindow Castle #6
by Eloisa James
Format: 304 pages, Hardcover
Published: March 30, 2021 by Avon
ISBN: 9780063059313
Eloisa James returns to the Wildes of Lindow Castle series with the next Wilde child who runs and joins a theatre troupe -- and the duke who tries to save her reputation.
He wants a prim and proper duchess, not the Wildest of the Wildes!
Already notorious for the golden hair that proves her mother’s infidelity, Lady Joan can’t seem to avoid scandals, but her latest escapade may finally ruin her: she’s determined to perform the title role of a prince—in breeches, naturally.
She has the perfect model for an aristocratic male in mind: Thaddeus Erskine Shaw, Viscount Greywick, a man who scorned the very idea of marrying her.
Not that Joan would want such a dubious honor, of course.
For years, Thaddeus has avoided the one Wilde who shakes his composure, but he’s horrified when he grasps the danger Joan’s putting herself in. Staring into her defiant eyes, he makes the grim vow that he’ll keep her safe.
He strikes a bargain: after one performance, the lady must return to her father’s castle and marry one of three gentlemen whom he deems acceptable.
Not including him, of course.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James writes historical romances for HarperCollins Publishers. Her novels have been published to great acclaim. A reviewer from USA Today wrote of Eloisa's very first book that she "found herself devouring the book like a dieter with a Hershey bar"; later People Magazine raved that "romance writing does not get much better than this." Her novels have repeatedly received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and regularly appear on the best-seller lists.
After graduating from Harvard University, Eloisa got an M.Phil. from Oxford University, a Ph.D. from Yale and eventually became a Shakespeare professor, publishing an academic book with Oxford University Press. Currently she is an associate professor and head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University in New York City. Her "double life" is a source of fascination to the media and her readers. In her professorial guise, she's written a New York Times op-ed defending romance, as well as articles published everywhere from women's magazines such as More to writers' journals such as the Romance Writers' Report. http://eloisajames.com
Sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteStill loving the 'who is Hamlet' question. Cheers to Wilde Child!
ReplyDelete