A Q&A with the author... Promised by Leah Garriott (Interview) @LeahGarriott @ShadowMountn

Welcome to my tour stop! I love this line of books and am thrilled when it brings me
to a new author whose story I love. I'll be posting my review next week, but today
I'm happy to be sharing an interview with the author with you. Check that out below...

Promised

(A Proper Romance)
By Leah Garriott
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 362 Pages
February 18th 2020 by Shadow Mountain

Summary

Margaret Brinton keeps her promises, and the one she is most determined to keep is the promise to protect her heart.

Warwickshire, England, 1812

Fooled by love once before, Margaret vows never to be played the fool again. To keep her vow, she attends a notorious matchmaking party intent on securing the perfect marital match: a union of convenience to someone who could never affect her heart. She discovers a man who exceeds all her hopes in the handsome and obliging rake Mr. Northam.

There’s only one problem. His meddling cousin, Lord Williams, won’t leave Margaret alone. Condescending and high-handed, Lord Williams lectures and insults her. When she refuses to give heed to his counsel, he single-handedly ruins Margaret’s chances for making a good match—to his cousin or anyone else. With no reason to remain at the party, Margaret returns home to discover her father has promised her hand in marriage—to Lord Williams.

Under no condition will Margaret consent to marrying such an odious man. Yet as Lord Williams inserts himself into her everyday life, interrupting her family games and following her on morning walks, winning the good opinion of her siblings and proving himself intelligent and even kind, Margaret is forced to realize that Lord Williams is exactly the type of man she’d hoped to marry before she’d learned how much love hurt. When paths diverge and her time with Lord Williams ends, Margaret is faced with her ultimate choice: keep the promises that protect her or break free of them for one more chance at love. Either way, she fears her heart will lose.

EARLY PRAISE:

"Promising Regency-set debut. Vivid period details and the hero's grand romantic efforts will please fans of historical romance."—Publishers Weekly

"Debut -author Garriott's smooth prose and character-driven story will enthrall readers looking for sweet historicals with Austenesque plots."—Library Journal

"Garriott's impressive debut distinguishes itself with its expertly evoked Regency setting, a cast of realistically flawed yet eminently relatable characters, and a sweetly satisfying love story. Teen fans of Austen-era love stories will fall hard for this impeccably crafted romance."—Booklist

“Promised is a sweet regency romance and one that I recommend to all of you romance fans, especially those of you that enjoy stories inspired by Jane Austen.”—The Book Diva’s Reads

“…a fun, entertaining, and perfect addition to the Proper Romance collection.”—The Readathon

“With an Austen-like focus on minute emotional detail and some amusing secondary characters, Garriott’s gentle novel promises a treat for Regency fans who like their characters well-bred, their interiors comfortable, and the romance no racier than the hero turning up in a wet shirt.”—Historical Novel Society

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Interview

Would you tell us a little more about Margaret and Lord Williams, the main characters from PROMISED?

Margaret and Lord Williams grew up in quite different familial circumstances. While Margaret grew up with siblings and friends, laughter and games and troublemaking of all sort, she wasn’t ever able to absolutely depend on her siblings and family—they could play a joke on her or get her into a scrape at any moment. Lord Williams, on the other hand, grew up under the weight of being the heir while trying to win the friendship and approval of his cousin—he lived quite a lonely life and never had the security of really belonging to a group. I think these differences in upbringing is one reason Margaret and Lord Williams are attracted to each other: Margaret represents something Lord Williams never had in life but has always desired, and Lord Williams represents a steadiness of character that draws Margaret in.

What one piece of advice would Margaret and Lord Williams each give about marriage?

Take the time to be together, whether with an early morning walk through the gardens or a couple’s picnic to an island in the middle of a lake. People generally get married because they want to be together, and yet sometimes it seems as though after marriage we have no time for each other anymore. Make the time.

Also, life was made to live—create experiences, laugh at mistakes and misunderstandings, and don’t be afraid to try something new.

What part or aspect of this story do you love the most?

This is a hard one. But I think I love the section beginning with the boat building and continuing to where Lord Williams lays the rose next to Margaret’s plate. It was an addition created at the last moment and I think it works really well for the story. It incorporates fun, romantic tension, and honesty, all qualities that define Margaret’s and Lord Williams’ relationship. Plus, I just love the image of Lord Williams laying a rose next to Margaret’s plate and her looking at it throughout the meal, and then having that rose image come up later in the story as well.

Did you find anything especially interesting while researching PROMISED?

I did extensive research on the building Lord Williams’ estate is modeled after, and while I was writing the story, the building came up for sale! I was able to travel to England the next year, but by then it had been bought by new owners and we weren’t able to see inside. However, the descriptions of his house, except for the entry room and the music room, are all true to the original building and how it would have appeared in the early 1800s. The two gardens and the river are actual features of the property as well. Now it’s difficult to see images of that building and not associate it with the fictional character of Lord Williams.

As this is your debut, what surprised you most about becoming published?

How difficult a journey it’s been—I didn’t anticipate it being quite so rough. Also, the people who have reached out to me to let me know how much they adore the book—I don’t know that I expected the story to become anyone’s favorite, and yet there are people who have already [read] it twice.

What’s one of your hobbies or something we might not know about you?

I love to camp, and I love the fun adventures that happen with every trip. Three years ago, we spent an extended weekend in Yellowstone, where my kids had to wear the same clothes the entire time because my husband forgot their bag of clothes at home. Two years ago, we spent a week in Glacier National Park where we saw all sort of animals and had the van searched by military personnel when we tried to get into Canada for maple ice cream. Last year, we traveled the Pacific coast from Washington to Northern California where we saw puffins at Cannon Beach and slept under the Giant Redwoods, yet the place the kids want to go back to is a free camping spot in the desert of North-western Nevada that had a fishing hole. This year we’re going to visit every National park and many state parks in Utah and I’m excited to see what memories we’ll make.

What book are you currently reading or what three books are on your tbr?

I’m currently reading The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides for my book club. The next three in my tbr pile are: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron, and Suffering the Scot by Nichole Van.

What are you working on next?

It seemed a shame that not everyone in PROMISED found love by the end of the story. So, I’m working on a companion novel to PROMISED where a rakish man meets his downfall in a rather determined and uninterested female.

About the Author

Though she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She's resided in Hawaii and Italy, walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She's currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. Leah is represented by Sharon Pelletier at Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret.

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Follow the Tour

Debut novelist Leah Garriott tours the blogosphere February 17 through March 15, 2020 to share her new historical romance, Promised. Forty popular book bloggers specializing in historical romance, inspirational fiction, and Austenesque fiction will feature guest blogs, interviews, exclusive excerpts, and book reviews of this acclaimed Regency romance novel.

PROMISED: A PROPER ROMANCE BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

February 17 My Jane Austen Book Club (Guest Blog)

February 17 Austenprose—A Jane Austen Blog (Review)

February 18 Katie's Clean Book Collection (Review)

February 18 Wishful Endings (Interview)

February 19 RelzReviewz (Character Spotlight)

February 20 Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen (Spotlight)

February 21 The Lit *itch (Excerpt)

February 22 The Debutante Ball (Interview)

February 23 Adventure. Romance. Suspense (Review)

February 24 A Bookish Way of Life (Review)

February 24 Austenesque Reviews (Guest Blog)