It's Beginning to Read like Regency Christmas 2023: Author Interview with Camille Elliot

How did you come up with the idea for your Christmas book? Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?

I was reading Old Christmas by Washington Irving (published in 1875), which describes Christmas at Bracebridge Hall sometime between 1813 and 1819. You can view a beautifully illustrated version for free on Archive.org : https://archive.org/details/cu31924022259596/)

I thought it would be so neat to write a Christmas Regency romantic suspense in a country house like Bracebridge Hall in the book, so I came up with the story for The Spinster’s Christmas. Here’s the short description of the book:

In this Christian Regency romance, spinster Miranda Belmoore and naval Captain Gerard Foremont, old childhood friends, meet again for a large Christmas party at Wintrell Hall. Miranda is making plans to escape a life of drudgery as a poor relation in her cousin’s household, while Gerard battles bitterness at the fact that his career was cut short by the injury to his knee. However, an enemy has infiltrated the family party, bent on revenge and determined that Twelfth Night will end in someone’s death …

The main characters are Miranda and Gerard, but I also introduce some side characters who are the main characters of my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

When I was growing up, a week or two before Christmas, my mom would roll out sugar cookie dough and we’d decorate them however we liked. Honestly, our cookies were horrendously ugly, but they tasted really good.

What’s next for you in writing? 

I’m in the middle of writing my Lady Wynwood’s Spies series, a Christian historical romantic suspense in a serial novel format—each book has a story arc that concludes, but the overarching plot continues through each volume of the series. It’s projected to be 11 or 12 volumes, and volume 7, Spinster, will release hopefully before the end of the year.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
Read a lot. Definitely in your genre, but also outside your genre, and try to read books with really good writing that you admire. I think that the beauty of good writing seeps into our brains and helps make our own writing better.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I wish I’d started trying to improve my productivity earlier. I didn’t have very good discipline when I was younger and I think I could have written a lot more if I’d been more disciplined and had a more streamlined, efficient writing system.

Any last words or tips?
I’ve eventually realized that when my spiritual health is good, everything else in my life follows. So take care of yourself mentally and spiritually.

Are there any other books that you’d like to tell my readers about?
You can get a free Christian Regency adventure novella, The Gentleman Thief, when you sign up for my newsletter. You can find more information at my website.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Camille's books, go to her website at https://camilleelliot.com/

If you've never read a Regency romantic suspense, here's the opportunity to read one of Camille's books for free! Go to  https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n0dnatyhqw  and you'll receive an eBook of  The Gentleman Thief