Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. A longtime lover of romance, especially that of the Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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Can the reverend’s daughter and the reluctant Earl of Hawkesbury look beyond painful pasts and present prejudice to see their future?

I’ve always enjoyed the wit and banter of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer novels, and wanted to write a Regency novel with some of that sparkle whilst having a faith element as well. I want readers to laugh as well as (perhaps) cry. 

3. I really enjoyed the bantering between Miss Ellison & Nicholas. It reminds me a little of my favorite Jane Austen novel, Pride & Prejudice. So how hard was it to write those dialogues? 

What a nice compliment! (blushing!) I like to get ‘into the zone’ by rereading some of my fave Georgette Heyer’s, which then helps me see how I can do something not dissimilar in my own writing. Sometimes there is a sense of ‘flow’ where it’s easy to write, and my fingers are struggling to keep up with my thoughts. Other times it seems to happen when I’m asleep – I formulate amazing dialogue when I’m dreaming ;) -  and if I’m motivated enough I’ll grab my pen and notepad and write it down (and try and decipher my scrawl in the morning). If not, then I pray the inspiration returns! 

Of course it has to be one of the scenes between Lavinia and Nicholas (the seventh Earl of Hawkesbury). Let’s go with this one, from chapter 20:

“Miss Ellison?” 

She glanced up from her book, her cheeks heating. He seemed to appear at the oddest moments, almost like he knew she had been thinking of him. “Yes, my lord?” 

“You appear to be wool gathering. I asked you a question, which you ignored, yet I am determined to not take offence.” 

“I am glad for your sake, sir. To take offence at such a thing would display a stingy soul, indeed.” 

His lips curved. “Your wit indicates you are well on the road to recovery.” 

“Something you will no doubt miss when I am no longer here to plague you with it.” 

“I am scarcely plagued, Miss Ellison.” 

The humorous glint in his eyes, touched by something that looked remarkably like tenderness, made her heart flutter and her face warm further.

I think Lavinia and Elizabeth Bennett would ‘deal extremely well together’ – they both share an appreciation for the ridiculous and can see past people’s pretensions to value their inner qualities – once they’ve overcome their prejudices, that is =). Perhaps Lavinia might even be able to convince Mr. Darcy to part with some of his ‘ten thousand a year’ to help care for her ‘blessed poor children’!

‘The Captivating Lady Charlotte’ is book 2 in the ‘Legacy of Grace’ series. It centers around Lavinia’s cousin Charlotte, and recounts her entrée to Society and the Marriage Mart. This novel continues with the theme of grace, and releases in the US on June 27.

I always have a huge TBR stack that necessitates regular culls, just so I don’t feel too overwhelmed by what is demanding to be read. (You’d know about that too, wouldn’t you?) I’m enjoying Carrie Turansky’s ‘The Daughter of Highland Hall’ and ‘Shine Like the Dawn’, and Dawn Crandall’s ‘The Hesitant Heiress’, and working my way through Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s ‘The Quiet Place’ devotional, ‘Made to Crave’ by Lysa TerKeurst (I type that while eating chocolate ) and ‘Cyber Parenting’, by James & Simone Boswell (I have four kids & I’m somewhat technologically challenged – I need all the help I can get!).

I’m looking forward to reading Becky Wade’s upcoming release

‘True to You’. ‘My Stubborn Heart’ is one of my ultimate favorite books, so I always look forward to reading something Becky has written.