Please help me welcome Sandra Schwab to my blog today. She’s given me a great interview, for you to enjoy.

Tell us about yourself.

Thank you so much for having me, Cindy! – My name is Sandra Schwab, and I have been writing historical romance for the US market for the past thirteen years. My first novel, THE LILY BRAND, was published in 2005.

In my “other” life, I’m a lecturer of English literature, and I live near Frankfurt/Germany with a sketchbook, a sewing machine, and an ever-expanding library, where books multiply at an alarming rate.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always loved inventing stories and I started scribbling them down as soon as I could write. For as long as I can remember it has been my dream to become a published author.

Was your road to publication difficult or a walk in the park?

Since I was nineteen years old, I had tried to find a publisher, when finally, after years of collecting rejection letters, I had to face the sad truth that I was simply not writing the kind of things that a German publisher would buy from a German author. This could have been the end of my lifelong dream, but I wasn’t quite ready yet to give up hope. Instead, I started to write in English, which is a second language for me. A lot of friends told me I would never be able to compete with native speakers. I’m happy to say that I was able to prove them wrong. 

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be, and why?

In a small English village; preferably with a nice National Trust country estate nearby and a good train connection to London so I can easily visit the wonderful museums in London.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?

When I was still a child, I fell in love with historical fiction – I devoured retellings of medieval epics and Rosemary Sutcliff’s novels. Once I started to read historical fiction for adults, I often despaired about the many sad endings (hero and heroine die on top of a tower, pierced by multiple arrows – but hey, at least they swear neverending love to each other before they drop dead, that’s totally romantic, isn’t it?), ghastly details (the exploding wax baby), and horrible or downright disgusting sex scenes (the worst was the book with the goat sex scenes) (please note the plural: there was more than one such scene and more than one poor goat).
When I discovered historical romance in 1999, it was like a revelation: historical fiction, but with a nice, strong romantic plot and wonderful love scenes (and not a tiny, teeny goat in sight!). Given my love for this genre and for history, it was only natural that I eventually started to write historical romance myself.

What inspired your latest book?

A few years ago, I stumbled across the original black-and-white St. Trinian’s films. I was utterly enchanted by their very unconventional portrayal of female characters: the girls of St. Trinian’s are utterly fearless, they terrorize adults, they have great adventures, and get into many mad scrapes – but at the end of the day, they are always victorious. And woe betide the person who dares to stand in their path! What would happen, I asked myself (as authors are wont to do), if you let loose such girls in Regency England and tried to introduce them into polite society? And thus, the idea for SPRINGTIME PLEASURES was born.

Give us an elevator pitch for your current book, SPRINGTIME PLEASURES.

George Augustus Griffin, Viscount Chanderley has to marry – fast: His father has ordered him to find a suitable wife this very season. Alas, the only woman Griff has eyes for is the very unsuitable Miss Carlotta Stanton, who is not only unbecomingly tall but also wears the ugliest spectacles in all of England. Still, Griff is utterly bewitched by her intense green eyes. Yet however much he feels drawn to her joie de vivre, duty and honor demand that he stay far away from Miss Stanton.

Dubbed “the Giantess” because of her unfortunate height, Charlie Stanton finds the London season far less glamorous than she had thought it would be – not the least because she is consigned a place among the wallflowers. But then she becomes acquainted with the very dashing Lord Chanderley, whose life is overshadowed by a terrible tragedy in his past. Ever ready to help others, Charlie is determined to rid him of his Sad Melancholia – even if it means taking on wild boars and highwaymen. However, the biggest challenge might be the elusive viscount himself and his belief that he is beyond all redemption.

Where can readers find you?

Website: www.sandraschwab.com
Blog: sandyschatterblog.blogspot.com
Twitter: @ScribblingSandy
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SandraSchwab.Author
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/EnchantingFiction

Where can readers find your books? Print/Ebook?

Digital editions of my books are available from Amazon; print editions will follow soon
My Amazon Author Site: http://www.amazon.com/Sandra-Schwab/e/B001KIAPTC

Excerpt from SPRINGTIME PLEASURES

Charlie & her friend Emma-Louise chat about the hero

“The drive with Lord Chanderley was pleasant. Very pleasant, truth to be told.” Charlie looked up at her friend. “I wish you could meet him one day. He is so handsome. Indeed, I should say he is the most handsome man in all of London!” She smiled dreamily. “He can make his eyebrows mesh. Like this—” She curled her forehead, imitating Chanderley’s frown.

“A most peculiar feat,” her friend commented drily.

Grinning, Charlie nudged her with her elbow. “It is. And it has the most peculiar effect on me.” Reddening, she quickly continued, “But he is a charming man. And a nice one. It is not often that one finds a genuinely nice person, is it?”

Emma-Lee made herself comfortable on the arm of Charlie’s armchair. “He certainly sounds very pleasant.”

“Yes, pleasant. And sitting next to him on that box seat yesterday, now that was very pleasant as well.” Charlie grinned up at her. “It is most shocking, is it not?”

“Most,” Emma-Lee agreed. “Do continue.”

Charlie leaned her head against her friend’s shoulder “He smells very nice. And he has those lovely big hands.” She stretched out her right arm in front of her and wriggled her fingers. “They are quite lovely in gloves, but when everybody sits down to supper at the end of a ball, I can’t help looking at them in the, you know—” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “—nude.”

The two girls exchanged a glance before they burst into giggles.

“I suppose he would be much shocked if he knew that I am fantasizing about his hands,” Charlie finally gasped.

“Fantasizing!” Emma-Lee’s brows rose. “You’ve said nothing about fantasizing, Carlotta Stanton!”

“I know, it is most shocking. But his hands are so big and brawny and… and manly.” Charlie gave a happy sigh. “I never knew that hands could be so fascinating.” She glanced up at her friend. “Do you think I might be developing a brain fever? When I sat next to him in that phaeton, my body felt all warm and tingly. Prickly. As if I had fallen into nettles. Though not as unpleasant.”

“One should hope not!” Emma-Lee murmured.