Interview with author Christi Caldwell

Along Came a Lady (All the Duke's Sins, #1) by Christi Caldwell
Also by this author: The Love of a Rogue, Seduced By a Lady's Heart, Loved by a Duke, My Lady of Deception, The Heart of a Scoundrel, To Wed His Christmas Lady, To Trust a Rogue, To Woo a Widow, To Redeem a Rake (The Heart of a Duke Book 11), The Rogue's Wager (Sinful Brides #1)
Series: All the Duke's Sins
Published by Berkley Books Genres: Regency Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 0593334914
Goodreads

The brooding, illegitimate son of a duke meets his match in the determined woman hired to transform him into a gentleman from USA Today bestselling author Christi Caldwell—perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
Rafe Audley lives to thwart his father, the Duke of Bentley. The ne'er do well who abandoned his children claims he wants to make up for his failures, but Rafe only cares about protecting the people of his mining community and providing for his three siblings, who've been his sole responsibility since childhood. So far, Rafe has turned away the duke's man of affairs, solicitor, and other interlopers, until the clever duke sends the unlikeliest of people to convince Rafe to join English High Society—a bold and intriguing woman.
Edwina Dalrymple has never failed a charge. She's quite adept at successfully transforming young women of the gentry and daughters of newly minted lords to take their place in society. Taming a bastard son of a duke will be child's play, plus this job promises to enhance her reputation within the ton. All she has to do is fetch the wayward Rafe and groom him to be presentable to Polite Society.
As the tenacious teacher and her domineering, stubborn, refuses-to-be-taught pupil engage in a fiery battle of wills, their chemistry ignites and the true lesson becomes clear: opposites attract and hearts must be heard.

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Caldwell has written a delicious tale of heartfelt romance centered on two characters who are born on the wrong side of the blanket. Edwina and Rafe are characters who are both struggling to find their places in the world, and Caldwell pulled me into their story from the first page. I love romances where couples connect on a visceral level and in Along Came a Lady, Caldwell made my heart swoon with Edwina and Rafe’s romance.

Interview with Author Christi Caldwell 

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m a mom to three exceptional human-beings. Twin girls, age 7, who ride horses and swim like fish, and an almost-13-year-old boy who adores books and would also happily spend his entire day in the pool if he could. Rory also happens to have Down syndrome.

 

My kids keep me busy in the best possible ways. I’m also blessed to have a husband who cleans and cooks and loves cooking (which readers will see a nod to in Along Came a Lady!) and who always supports me in my writing.

 

I began writing romance novels in graduate school at UConn where I was working towards my degree in history education, and I continued writing over the years. However, after my son’s birth, is the period I credit with the birth of the characters I bring readers today: heroes and heroines who are multi-layered and who know or have known struggles.

 

2. What drew you to write in the historical romance genre.

I started reading romance when I was 13 years-old. I discovered a copy of Jude Deveraux’s Eternity on my aunt’s coffee table, and the moment I turned those pages, like every other romance reader, I was forever lost…in the best possible way to the world of romance. I’d always had a love of history: a desire to understand what life was like in the past; the struggles, the triumphs, the real experience of real people.

 

3. What historical research did you do in preparation for Along Came a Lady?

I’m no stranger to characters of the working class, as many of my titles see a merger of the nobility, and heroes/heroines born outside the peerage. However, Along Came a Lady introduces characters who live and work in a mining village, and although I did study some back in my university classes, it is a topic that required me to break out primary sources on what an actual mining town in England looked like…and the men, women, and children who worked within those communities. As Rafe is a foreman, I had to be familiar with all the terms and details surrounding his role as foreman. The historian in me loves when I have the opportunity to dive deeper into my research.

 

4. Can you tell us about Edwina the heroine of Along Came a Lady?

Edwina is one of my favorite heroines I’ve written, and with more than 60 books written, that’s saying a lot. J She’s a resourceful woman. A self-made one whose relied on her own skills, determination, and wit to survive. Her life has not been an easy one; she’s a servant to oftentimes underappreciative employers…and yet, she’s just this great bundle of sunshine. She’s managed to retain the ability to laugh and smile and, just as important, she sees the good in people…and aspires to help other people make better lives for themselves.

 

Like so many of us, however, Edwina tends to put others first, and in Rafe she’ll find a hero who reminds her that she deserves dreams and happiness for herself.

 

 

5. What makes Edwina stand out in the crowd of historical romance heroines?

I love the modern historical romance heroines as they are independent and strong, and Edwina certainly possess those qualities, however, I had fun also exploring her vulnerabilities as a woman on her own, working to survive.

 

6. How does Rafe compare to a character like Simon the Duke of Hastings from the very popular Bridgerton series, as they both have major issues with their fathers; that drive both characters.

What a great question!

 

Not unlike Simon, there’s a layer of cynicism to Rafe, that is a product of his birth, however, unlike the Duke of Hastings, Rafe didn’t have the benefit of a comfortable life and an easy birthright. Everything Rafe has, he’s earned. He’s toiled. He’s taken care of his family in a way that is more relatable to how a 21^st century reader can identify.

 

We also see similarities in the protective quality to their characters, that I, as a reader and writer find so endearing and appealing.

 

Smooches

• Beach or Mountain

Beach

 

• Book or movie?

Book

 

• Can you roll your tongue or tie a cherry stem into a knot with your tongue?

I can roll my tongue!

 

• Chicken or Fish?

Chicken. I dislike all fish. (That is fish as a meal.)

 

• Chocolate or vanilla

Chocolate!

 

• Cowboy hat or cowboy boots?

BOOTS!

 

• Craziest thing in your fridge right now?

A random, half-opened strawberry PopTart.

 

• Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yes! When I first saw my husband, we were high-school students. He passed me in the hallway, and I knew I’d marry him. (And I did!)

 

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