Getting To Know You - Elizabeth Bailey

We’d like to welcome Elizabeth Bailey to the blog as one of our regular bloggers. Elizabeth will already be well known to many readers for her wonderful historical romances written for Mills & Boon. Tell us a bit about yourself, Elizabeth.

It's always difficult to answer that "tell me about yourself" question, isn't it? You either sound dry and dull, or horribly enthusiastic. The truth is, like the heroes and heroines of my stories, I fall somewhere between the two. Life has this tendency to throw you around, and you struggle to stay on top of it, while trying to follow your dreams. I feel lucky to have found several paths that have given me immense satisfaction - acting, directing, teaching and, by no means least, writing. Through the years, each path has crossed the other, honing and deepening my abilities in each sphere.

I've been privileged to work with some wonderful artistic people, and been fortunate enough to find publishers who believed in me and set me on the road. I’ve written many historical romances for Mills & Boon, as well as historical mysteries for Berkley. Now, with the advent of the ebook, I do it myself. What changeable times we live in!

None of us make it alone, and it's a joy to me to see other writers bloom and grow, and when I have a hand in their success, it's doubly rewarding. To invent a world and persuade others to believe in it, live in it for a while, is the sole aim of the novelist.

My own love of reading has never abated, and if I can give a tithe of the pleasure to others as I have received myself, it's worth all the effort.

I write "sweet" historical romances set in the Georgian era, in the tradition of Regency Romance. They are stories of adventure, intrigue or mystery, darkness and light, comedic romps and the violent or gentle travails of the human heart. They are set in the later years of the 18th Century, when fashion and custom dictated the rules, when social position was all important and a fall from grace meant exile. Treading the pages are a selection of courageous ladies and alluring gentlemen, all too vulnerable to the piercing of Cupid's malicious dart.

 Fated Folly will serve as an example. In the tradition of Regency Romance, it’s a sweet and poignant tale of the ogre and the minx. Clare’s mischievous adventures land her in a marriage of convenience to the dynamic older man with whom she’s fallen in love. Here’s a bit more about it:

When youthful Clare Carradale beards the ogre in his den, she is instantly smitten with Sir Rupert Wolverley’s raw and powerful attraction. In an attempt to prevent her brother eloping with Sir Rupert’s niece, Clare is herself compromised. She must either marry his young cousin, Lord Ashendon, whom she detests, or Rupert himself. Can Clare’s hopes of a radiant future be realised in this uneven and improbable match? Both Fate and Ashendon conspire against her. But Clare’s true battle lies in overcoming Rupert’s inner demons, if she is to save her marriage and win through to a promise of happiness. 

If you like Regency cozy mysteries, you might also enjoy The Gilded Shroud. Ottilia Fanshawe, some time companion and sleuth extraordinaire, has to unravel the clues to find a murderer. Against the background of late 18th century life, she must overcome the restrictions of being female and battle the odds for justice. Enter Lord Francis Fanshawe, stalwart at her back, fiercely loyal and more than a match for those who would seek to intimidate his courageous "Tillie".

I hope this has given you an insight into my world. I look forward to contributing to the blog over the coming years. You can find out more about my books on my website or on my Amazon page UK  US

Thank you, Elizabeth! We’re very glad to have you here.