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Welcome to our New Faces column, where you can meet debut romance authors and discover their books. This time we're welcoming Tessa Dare, whose first books are Goddess of the Hunt and Surrender of a Siren, released this summer by Ballantine Books. Tessa, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself. I was born and raised a Midwestern girl, and my family moved around a lot due to my parents' various work and educational endeavors. There was always a lot of reading and learning going on our house, which is no doubt to thank for my own love of books. That, and I had an absurdly early bedtime, but once in bed, I was allowed to stay up reading as late as I pleased! I went to college (undergrad and master's) in the heartland, then promptly moved out to California in search of work and new scenery. How I met and married Mr. Dare is a very looong story involving whirlwind courtship across two continents, but we did settle in Southern California and have lived here for several years. Are you coming to romance writing from another job? My master's degree was in Library Science, and I worked full-time as a public librarian for several years. After I had my first child, I stopped working full time outside the home, but I do still work one or two shifts a week at my local public library, to keep in practice. And because I love it! What led you to write romance? It's kind of a long and circuitous path! I've always loved period romances, both books and movies, but it took me an oddly long time to start writing them. Most of my early attempts were YA novels, although they usually had some romantic element. After my kids were born, I started writing some Jane Austen-based fan fiction for fun, and that was how I segued into writing original historical romance. Tell us about your road to publication. I began writing GODDESS OF THE HUNT in the fall of 2006, after being selected as a winner in an online writing contest sponsored by Avon/HarperCollins. My prize was a trip to New York to meet their editors, so I decided I'd better write a book! I pounded out the rough draft over the next four months, spent a month or so revising it. Then I started submitting it to agents and editors and collecting (some of them very encouraging) rejections. I also entered a few contests to get feedback and asked several people to read the book and give me their thoughts. By then, it was clear that I needed to rework the book in places, so I did an overhaul and started sending it out again. That version got me some agent offers. I signed with Helen Breitwieser of Cornerstone Literary in August 2007, and she sold the book to Ballantine in a three-book deal a few months later. I couldn't have been more thrilled! My two critique partners, Courtney Milan (debuting January 2010 with PROOF BY SEDUCTION, HQN) and Amy/Carey Baldwin (currently working on a fabulous thriller) were there from the very beginning, and I couldn't have written the book without them. They read draft after draft, offered criticism when I needed it and sympathy when I needed that. They're wonderful, talented women, and I'm so proud to call them my friends. What kind of research was involved for your first book? Honestly, when I started writing GODDESS OF THE HUNT, I was taking a huge risk. I quit a job to write and had a newborn to care for, and I knew I needed to write fast. Therefore, I purposely chose a plot and setting (Regency house party) that would not require a great deal of in-depth research and would make the best use of the general Regency-era knowledge I'd accumulated as a Janeite (Jane Austen fan). Now, when I started my second book, SURRENDER OF A SIREN, I threw that caution to the wind and did all kinds of research about ships, ocean voyages, the West Indies, goats, and more. Tell us about your debut book. GODDESS OF THE HUNT is a humorous, sexy historical romance. The tomboy heroine, Lucy Waltham, has been "in love" with Sir Toby for eight years. When Toby plans to marry another, she's desperate to snare him for herself. To practice her seductive wiles, she enlists the help of Jeremy Trescott, the Earl of Kendall, one of her brother's best friends. A brooding, chilly sort of man, Jeremy has no interest in Lucy, no interest in love at all-but somehow he's stuck with the task of distracting her before she ruins Toby's wedding and her own reputation. The proverbial sparks fly. Passion and sweeping romance ensue. Who are your influences as a writer? Well, it all started with Jane Austen and Julie Garwood, two authors I spent a lot of time reading in my formative years. As my critique partner, role model, and very good friend, new author Courtney Milan is a huge influence! I also love and admire the historicals of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, Teresa Medeiros, Lisa Kleypas, Loretta Chase, Elizabeth Hoyt, Julie Anne Long, Victoria Dahl, Jennifer Haymore, and many others. What does your family think of having a published romance author in their midst? Oh, my husband is very proud of me. His coworkers call him "Lance Romance", and he loves it. My parents and grandparents have also been wonderfully supportive. My children are a little young to grasp it all, but they know when they see "Mommy's book" in the stores! Tell us about plans for future books. I'm currently working on a new back-to-back trilogy for Ballantine, to be released Summer 2010. It's called the Stud Club Trilogy. The heroes are, of course, studs, but THE stud in question is a priceless racehorse. A duke, a war hero, and a scoundrel, the men have almost nothing in common, and they each have some very dark secrets - but as members of the Stud Club, they all own shares in this horse. The shocking murder of the club's founder makes them reluctant allies in the search for justice. Naturally, along they way they each fall desperately in love! How can readers get in touch with you? Please visit my website, www.TessaDare.com. On the Contact page, readers can find several ways to get in touch with me. I love hearing from readers!
Tessa, thanks for joining us, and best of luck with your future releases! Readers, we have reviews of GODDESS OF THE HUNT and SURRENDER OF A SIREN here at TRR.
September 27, 2009 |
