New Zealand writer Eva Shepherd’s book Awakening the Duchess is a marriage of convenience story between an American heiress and an English Duke. It will be released in April. Here […]

I am delighted to welcome to Bookish Jottings historical romance author Eva Shepherd for a chat about Victorian England, dashing heroes and the appeal of the 19th Century!

Like so many other Harlequin authors before me, I’d been waiting for “the call” for years, and yet when it came it took me completely by surprise.

Previously I’d submitted seven manuscripts to Harlequin. I had just started working on manuscript number eight when I saw that Harlequin was having a book blitz. They wanted the first chapter and a synopsis, and they guaranteed feedback on every submission.

I figured I had nothing to lose. I’d get some valuable feedback and find out early in the writing process where I was going wrong.