For as long as she can remember, Bethany Swafford has loved reading books. That love of words extended to writing as she grew older and when it became more difficult to find a ‘clean’ book, she determined to write her own. Among her favorite authors are Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Georgette Heyer. When she doesn’t have pen to paper (or fingertips to laptop keyboard), she can generally be found with a book in hand.
Twenty-year-old Diana Forester, a country-bred young woman, fears that her inexperience and uncertainties have discouraged the charming Mr. John Richfield. On arriving back home from London, she learns that he has already arrived, ready to continue their acquaintance and explore whether they are suited for each other.
If Diana thought that deciding her future marriage mate was difficult in London, courting takes on a whole new aspect when Diana’s younger siblings become involved. She finds herself dealing with her own feelings, her sister, her younger brother, jealous members of a house party, a jilted suitor, and a highwayman as she falls in love with the charming Mr. Richfield.
Q&A With the Author:
1. Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction besides writing?
a. I love movies. As with books I read, I have a rather eclectic taste: Star Trek, Jane Austen adaptations, Disney, How to Train Your Dragon, etc. I love going to a theater, having a bucket of popcorn and just ignore everything going on outside the theater.
2. When did you first realize you were an author?
a. I just realized I was an author when I had A Chaotic Courtship published. The majority of my writing before this point had been for myself or for my sister. A Chaotic Courtship was a book I knew I wanted to share with others.
3. Have you done anything writing-related, but besides actually writing your books, that seemed to get a lot of positive response? Something that encouraged you?
a. Nothing really comes to mind for this question.
4. What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?
a. I struggle with staying focused. It is so easy for me to be distracted by a new idea, or a new release from a favorite author, or even a random article that comes up on my feed. The best way for me to defeat this is to set a timer, write for 10-15 minutes, and then take a break. This trains my brain to recognize that when the timer is going, it’s time to write.
5. What is the “message” of your writing?
a. I suppose I would have to say I’d like for my books to show that “old-fashioned values” doesn’t mean a lack of romance. For me, a sweet and clean story makes my heart flutter more than any detailed sex scene ever could.
6. Are your characters/stories/scenes, etc. based on anything in real life?
a. When she read the first draft of A Chaotic Courtship, my sister accused me of having written it when I was angry with her. I definitely pulled the family relationship of the Forrester family from my own family.
7. What are your future projects?
a. I am in the middle of a Regency Mystery Trilogy. I have all the books written and I am hoping to release the first book of The Lady’s Maid Trilogy, Keeping the Past, late this spring.
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