Welcome to New Faces, where we are delighted to introduce some of the newest romance authors. We're pleased to welcome debut author Deborah Hale, whose historical romance MY LORD PROTECTOR is available from Harlequin Historicals now. Welcome, Deborah!

Tell us about yourself.

I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, between the historic British garrison port of Halifax and the romantic Annapolis Valley of Longfellow's 'Evangeline'. I'm actually a native of the neighbouring province, New Brunswick (north of Maine). The book I'm currently working on is set there. I've been married for almost twenty years. My husband is a medical physicist at the Nova Scotia Cancer Center. We have four children under ten, including five year old twins who are mildly autistic (but doing very well in regular school with assistance). It's a busy, often stressful life.

Romance reading, and later writing, has always been my 'escape hatch' when I need a break from the real world. So if you like gritty stories about the seamy underbelly of history -- don't read mine! If, on the other hand, you just want to open the pages and step into a soft, impressionist painting, get thee to your local book seller for a copy of MY LORD PROTECTOR.

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

I considered a career in journalism, but decided I didn't want to write about real life (see above). So, I went to university and became a special education teacher. It's incredibly rewarding work, but it takes alot out of a person, emotionally. Since the boys were diagnosed, I thank God everyday for my special ed. training. Sometimes it seems as if I've been training all my life to raise these little guys. I took a hiatus from teaching to raise my children, but always thought I'd return to it once the youngest got to school. Now, there's no way I could work with special needs children all day then come home to my own at night. I'd have nothing left for them. Breaking into publication just when I did has been the most remarkable good fortune. I can write while the children are in school, yet still be at home for them.

What led you to write romance?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember and my stories have always dealt with a subject I consider important -- relationships. I am definitely a longtime reader of the genre, starting with some excellent inspirationals from Zondervan when I was a teenager. My favorites have always been British-set historicals, which is what I now write.

Tell us about your road to publication.

I wrote my first full length romance novel in 1992, so that's seven years. I joined RWA in '94 and started entering contests and networking with other writers. In my very first contest, one judge gave me a perfect score and a glowing critique. I reread it many times afterwards when I needed encouragement. I entered the Golden Heart three times with the same story.

On my third try, I made the Long Historical finals and actually won. That was a thrill matched only by my first sale. I was fortunate to encounter some incredibly generous people on my path to publication. One judge from my first Golden Heart (the last in which they gave critiques...don't get me started) offered to line edit my manuscript for free. She lived way out in California, so we mailed chapters back and forth for the better part of a year. It was like a one-on-one writing course. So many of her lessons are ingrained in my method to this day.

Another big turning point for me was getting a critique from Susan Wiggs in a 'critiques for charity' program. She gave me some wonderful encouragement, but didn't pull any punches when spelling out my story's shortcomings. On her advice, I cut the first three chapters from my book and totally rewrote the last 25%. It was after that I won the Golden Heart. I have a nice thick file of rejection letters from editors and agents. I consider them badges of honor. They show I was serious and persistent about my writing.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

If you piled up all the books I used to research my first novel, the stack would be taller than my house! I kept a big binder full of snippets of information, pictures of houses from the National Trust, etc. Of course, you can't use all that in a novel or it'll bog down the story too much. You just want a rich texture of the period. Later I recycled some of that research into my website, particularly all the 18th century theatre gossip, the recipes and menues, etc. I have a acquired an invaluable set of first-source references for the Georgian era from the Folio Society -- Rides Round Britain, Diary of a Country Parson, Our Village. I knew first-hand about Georgian fashions, having worn some while acting in high school.

Who are your influences as a writer?

Top of the list -- Roberta Gellis. I still have my full set of the Rosalynde Chronicles. I also love Norah Lofts. I'm a big fan of Susan Wiggs and Pam Morsi. Eileen Wilkes, who writes for Silhouette Desire and Intimate Moments is a writer whose books I snap up the minute I see them. I use them as treats for myself when I accomplish my writing goals. I'm honored to be in the company of so many consistently excellent writers at Harlequin Historical -- Suzanne Barclay, Margaret Moore, Deborah Simmons...I could go on and on.

What does your family think of having a romance author in their midst?

When I won the Golden Heart and it looked like I had a real shot a publication, I promised my kids that if I sold my book we would go to Crystal Palace for a weekend (this is an indoor amusement complex about three hours drive away). Well, the day my agent called with Harlequin's offer, my kitchen exploded with kids jumping up and down chanting, "We're going to Crystal Palace!" We did, and it was a ball. My husband has been incredibly supportive of my writing all along. He created my website and kept my computers going. In his job, he interacts with many female nurses and technologists, and he loves telling them all about how my writing's going.

Tell us about plans for future books.

My next release will be in December. It's a Regency historical titled A GENTLEMAN OF SUBSTANCE. 'Sabrina' gets the Jane Austen treatment in this tale of a vicar's daughter who must choose between her feelings for the charming cad who got her with child and his brooding, taciturn brother who 'made an honest woman of her'. After that, I'm contracted for THE BONNY BRIDE in the spring of 2000. I have only a couple of chapters left to finish. That's the one set in my native New Brunswick and based on the fascinating courtship of my great-great-grandparents. Harlequin Historical are looking at two more proposals from me at the moment, another Regency and a medieval. Some day, I'd love to write a story set immediately before and during the Russian revolution.

How can readers get in touch with you?

Thanks for asking! I'd love to hear from readers. My snailmail address is: Deborah Hale, P.O. Box 829, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada, B4E 2R0. My e-mail address is DeborahHale@compuserve.com. Most of all, I'd like to invite readers to my website
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/DeborahHale

They can also reach it through the Harlequin/Silhouette author links. I like to think it has a real flavor of 18th century London. There are several different pages with settings that figure in MY LORD PROTECTOR: The Chapterhouse, where I post announcments and have my guestbook; Millar the Bookseller, where I have an excerpt from the book as well as articles on writing craft; Eldridges Select Supper Club has menues and recipes, particularly one for the most decadent cup of chocolate! At the website you'll soon be able to find out all about my promotional contest. I'll be having a drawing for a fashion doll dressed as my heroine, Julianna Ramsay, in a costume from the book. I'm hoping to make this an ongoing promotion with my books. Part of the reason I love to read and write historical romance is to imagine myself wearing those gorgeous clothes!

Deborah, thanks for visiting with us! Readers, don't miss our four-heart review of MY LORD PROTECTOR.

April 3, 1999