Backwoodsman Samuel Heath doesn’t care what others think of him-but his young daughter’s upbringing matters very much. But freedom is hard to come by as an indentured servant, and downright impossible when she’s forced to agree to an even harsher contract-marriage to a man she’s never met. I suppose if you held a gun to my head I’d go with A Heart Deceived because I wrote it during a really tough time in my life so it was a great escape.The wild American wilderness is no place for an elegant English governess On the run from a brute of an aristocratic employer, Eleanor Morgan escapes from England to America, the land of the free, for the opportunity to serve an upstanding Charles Town family. Q: Of all the books you’ve ever written, which one is dearest to your heart?Ī: That’s like picking a favorite child, which of course is impossible. I do have a thing for Steinbeck and Carl Sandburg as well. But of course you must toss in Jane Austen. I love whipping out my red pen.Ī: So many! First and foremost is Charlotte Bronte and Mary Shelley. Q: What is your favorite aspect of writing a book?Ī: Editing. I’m going to go with Samuel Heath from The Captive Heart, which surprisingly is a Colonial. If you could bring one of your characters into existence, which character would it be? Why?Ī: Oohh…tough call! Sheesh. Q: What is one thing that annoys you when you’re trying to write? People talking in the other room? The neighbor’s lawn mower outside? Your cat?Ī: When I’m out of cashews and chocolate chips…my preferred writing snack. I always prefer a story that’s a shade darker and that’s about as dark as it gets for Austen.

Q: Of all Jane Austen’s books, which is your favorite?Ī: Northanger Abbey. Q: I had a similar experience with crayons! Very funny! All right, if you could dress in muslin gowns and pelisses instead of T-shirts and jeans, would you?Ī: Heck yeah! The Empire waist covers a multitude of sins on your tummy. It felt like a sore behind when my mom discovered it. Q: How interesting! What was the first moment you realized you were born to be a writer? How did it feel?Ī: Hah! I’ve been writing since I first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I first decided to write a Regency when I ran across an advertisement in a historical newspaper for a Bow Street Runner, the first fledgling police force in England, which happened to be at their peak during the Regency period.

Q: For question number one, have you always been a Regency fan? When did you first decide to write in that era?Ī: I’ve always been a historical fiction fan.

The captive heart by michelle griep