So Fair a Lady by Amber Perry

WIN a signed copy of this lovely story! Just leave a comment and your email address. I will do the drawing on Friday the 16th of May and announce the winner on that day.
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What a lovely story created around a tumultuous time in America’s history. People were divided over their political views even at the cost of their loyalties within their families and among their friends. Ms. Perry tells us a story of a young woman and her sister who, due to their father’s political allegiance and his recent death, find themselves on the run from all that is familiar and those they love. The heroine, Eliza is a woman who fiercely loves her sister and is strong in character. She feels herself drawn to the man who transports them away from their home, for their own safety. She struggles with the dawning awareness of her father’s secrets that have caused the upheaval in their lives. The love story develops between Eliza and Thomas, despite many obstacles. They find themselves drawn to each other and their chemistry ignites. Without giving away the story, let me say that if you love a romance, you will enjoy this story!

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And NOW for the interview with Amber Perry:

Tell us how/why you chose this time in history and this setting for your story? “I have always loved the colonial era! The political history and turmoil are so fascinating to me—not to mention the clothes!! I don’t know where my obsession came from, but I can trail it back to my early junior high school days. I visited Sandwich, MA when I was 15, and I never forgot it—it’s called to me from my memory, and I just knew I needed to set my story there, but I had no earthly idea how perfect it would be for the political time I was writing in.”

How do you develop a character? What goes into giving them “life”? “Oh goodness!! Great question. Well, for me, I think about what is motivating them. What do they want? All of us are motivated by something, and that drives us in everything we do. I wanted to make sure that my characters have strong motivations. Also, I acted on the stage for years and I loved it! I use my experience in theatrical training as I get into the characters heads to try and make them live and breathe.”

What was your favorite part of the story to write and why? “There were so many fun parts! But, I must say, the most fabulous part to write was what I have dubbed as the “Shakespeare” scene, where Eliza is asked to do a reading from Shakespeare for the evening’s entertainment. The romantic tension is killer! At least, I think it is. ;)”

The dilemma that people faced politically during that time in history must have been very traumatic. What went into your research? “You are absolutely right. The struggles and heartaches that people went through were horrible. People don’t often think of the Revolution as a civil war, but in a way—it kind of was! It tore many families a part and the animosity between sides was vicious. However, the colonist’s drive for freedom led them to persevere even through the wicked tribulation. I love that! And I love being able to share their passion for life and liberty through this story.”

Could you tell us one or more of the interesting facts that stood out to you from your research? “I guess I didn’t really realize how violent things were between the Whigs and the Tories even before the war began—in Boston especially. Nowadays, we would be horrified by some of the events that took place: people being tarred and feathered and paraded around the streets to be made examples of whether patriot or Tory, public hangings, people getting their ears chopped off, etc. The passion and drive for freedom was so strong—as was the desire for England to NOT let the colonies go, that the animosity and hatred ran very strong. I had always figured that was the case, but until I started really learning about it, I had no idea how deep those emotions went.”

Can you tell your readers about what you have in store for them next? "Absolutely! I’m so thrilled because, the next story in the series, SO TRUE A LOVE, will follow Doctor Nathaniel Smith and Kitty Campbell—two characters from book one. I simply cannot get enough of those two, and I hope that readers will enjoy the next story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.”

Amber Lynn Perry is a historical romance novelist, focusing on her favorite time in American history--the Revolutionary era. She received a Bachelor's degree from Portland State University and currently lives in Washington state with her husband and two daughters. She loves to hear from readers and you can contact her through her website, www.amberlynnperry.com or through her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/author
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Thank you, Amber, for sharing with us today! We readers love getting an inside perspective of what goes on behind the scenes as you develop your story.