Visiting Bath & A Weekend with Teri Wilson…
I am lucky enough to live just a short thirty minute drive from one of the most famous cities in the world…Bath, England. Taking this into consideration, how could I not write historical romances? My career started by writing contemporary romantic suspense and mainstream contemporary romances, but all too soon the sights of Bath poked and prodded at my muse until I had no choice be to sit up and take notice.
Bath is probably most famous for the Roman, Georgian and Regency eras, but none of these periods were as appealing as my already established love for all things Victorian. If I was going to attempt an historical––which terrified me––I had to choose an era I found fascinating, so the Victorian period won!
What A Woman Desires is the third Victorian book in my series with eKensington/Lyrical Press (although they can be read stand-alone), and I am currently writing the fourth. My books are darker romances because the majority of the characters are lower class, with a sprinkling of the upper classes, so the issues are a lot more intense than balls and dances. Be warned, lol!
When an online friend, Teri Wilson contacted me to say she was flying in from Texas for a visit to the UK, I couldn’t wait to take her to Bath. This was the first time Teri and I had met so it was such an exciting time! It happened to be the week of the 2013 Jane Austen Festival which was perfect. Teri and I had so much laughter, chat and fun, I truly didn’t want our short forty-eight hours together end. We watched the parade, visited The Guildhall where we watched dancing, tried on hats (and moustaches) and even had our palms read. After a bizarre show in the evening (which I’m still not entirely sure was about eighteen months later), we were exhausted and said good night before finishing the next day with a lecture on the seedier side of Bath during the 19th century…which was, of course, of immense interest to me!
Bath is a place of great history, amazing architecture and fabulous sights – if you haven’t been, add Bath to your bucket list. You won’t be disappointed.
Oh, and my parting tip – do not order a veggie burger from the local cafes…Teri knows why!
BLURB:
From country girl to actress of the stage, one woman dares to live her dreams—but is she brave enough to open her heart…?
Monica Danes always wanted more than the village of Biddestone had to offer. After a failed courtship to a man of her parents’ choosing, she fled for the city of Bath and never looked back. Today, Monica is the undisputed queen of the theater—a wealthy, independent woman. But when she is called home in the wake of tragedy, Monica returns—intending to leave again as soon as possible.
Thomas Ashby has been a groom at the Danes estate since he was a boy—and has been enamored with Monica for almost as long. He knows he isn’t a suitable match for his master’s daughter, despite the special bond he and Monica have always shared—and their undeniable attraction. But now that she’s returned, Thomas has one last chance to prove himself worthy—and to show Monica a life, and a love, she won’t want to give up…
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Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington–her debut was released in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released Jan 2015.
Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
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