Novelist Vanessa Riley is kicking off a very busy year with her newest release, An Earl, The Girl and A Toddler, the second book in her Rogues and Remarkable Women series.
Tell me about your latest book.
An Earl, The Girl, And A Toddler is a tale about finding the courage to love again beyond loss. We have a widower, a single father, who has recently been elevated to an earl, Daniel Thackery, the new Lord Ashbrook. We met the Blackamoor barrister in A Duke, The Lady, and A Baby.
Under normal circumstances, you’d see the hijinks of flaunting the new power and wealth associated with becoming a peer. But Lord Ashbrook is a man who’s been managing the roles of being a top barrister for the crown and keeping a low profile to protect his stepdaughter, Hope. The spotlight is on him in ways that make him cringe. Oh, did I mention he’s trying to keep his aunt and her woman, the Widow’s Grace out of jail? Then there’s the newest heiress in the ton, a member of the Widow’s Grace, who won’t leave him alone and won’t stay off his mind.
Heiress Jemina St. Maur, whom we meet also in A Duke, The Lady, and A Baby is determined to discover the missing years of her life, and she knows Ashbrook has answers. She’s drawn to him, but she hasn’t learned to trust her instincts. This is a woman without memories and though she now has been given a fortune, she is struggling to find learn everything about her past.
What inspired you to write it?
This is the second book in the series, so part of my motivation is continuity. The other part is I am invested in these characters from the first book. I want to see them grow and find their happy-ever-after.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
It was very early. I think it was a homework assignment and the book, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice changed from arduous to OMG, what is going to happen next.
What’s the best part of being an author?
Notes that I get from readers on how something I’ve written brought them joy or a better understanding of the world.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
Deadlines. I am very much a deadline and details-oriented kind of girl, but deadlines are real. They can cause anxiety unless my planning is on point.
What books have you read lately and loved?
Wild Women and The Blues by Denny S. Bryce is wonderful. She’s an exciting new voice in historical fiction with a gift for musical storytelling. I must also love The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. The romance, intrigue, and women-power dynamics in code-breaking are phenomenal. If you are open to a threesome, Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown hit me at the right time. I’m always in need of sparks and laughs.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
Chanel Cleeton’s The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba. I’m waiting for the lush details—her take on the beaches…and the prison. Also, Rhonda McKnight keeps dropping new romances for The Bennet Family Series. I love her. I’m collecting them all and will binge once I’m clear of my latest deadline.
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
Since Regé-Jean Page of Bridgerton fame is busy, I’d cast Michael Strahan for reasons that will become obvious when you read An Earl, The Girl, and A Toddler. Jemina is harder to cast. She’s a cross between a go-getting Jasmine Sanders and a Giselle-like Amy Adams.
What’s next for you?
I have another big release this year, Island Queen. It’s my debut in historical fiction, which captures the phenomenal life of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas. She rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest women in the Caribbean. My West Indies, Trinidadian roots were happy to find her. I’m currently working on a historical fiction about the women that shaped the Haitian Revolution called Sister, Mother, Warrior.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Thank you for all of your support. I have a lot more stories to tell, and it’s great to have company for the ride.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of An Earl, The Girl, and A Toddler.
To learn more about novelist Vanessa Riley, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: https://VanessaRiley.com
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