It is an honor to have with us best-selling author Victoria Hamilton, whose most recent work is “Shadow of a Spout,” the second in her Teapot Collector Mystery series, is released this month. Let’s welcome her and ask her a few questions. I read that our guest wanted to be a writer since she first read an Agatha Christie mystery when she was young. I think Dame Agatha made a difference in many people’s lives. I know of one woman in her late 20s who was a victim of her school system’s reading experiments and had a hard time concentrating on reading. She never read for fun until her mother-in-law insisted that she read, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, then she forced herself to learn to read better and devoured every work of Christie’s. In fact, she was the one who introduced me to both mysteries and some romance novels. I had been reading almost all non-fiction for years; it changed my world as well. Our guest has many published works, first under her own name, Donna Lea Simpson, and another series, using the name Amanda Cooper. Perhaps our readers know her better by these. However, it took many years before you published a mystery of your own mystery, Victoria.
Welcome! Since this is a ‘romance’ based blog, I have to ask:
– You published classical, historical romances first. What led you to the genre?
– They say you should write what you read, and I did! Though I always wanted to be a mystery writer, I also loved reading the Regency romances of Mary Balogh and others. That led me to writing them, and my first published book, The Absentee Heart, at a very, very VERY small press called Rubenesque Romances in 1997. From there in 1999 I sold a book to Kensington under their Zebra imprint, Lord St. Claire’s Angel, which has just been reissued by Beyond the Page! I’m so happy all my old Regency romances are finding a whole new group of readers.
– How much did you enjoy the characters within the time-frame of the stories?
– My first love is classic literature, especially the books of Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth, among others. So the opportunity to write about characters set in the Regency was such a delight. I got to read more about the era: the Napoleonic war, the clothing, the furniture and great houses in England… enjoyed every moment of it.
– Did you pick times and places which already had your interest?
– I did. I found I really enjoyed exploring (virtually, of course, and in books) Yorkshire, in the north of England. I bought books, went to the library, explored online… it’s kind of like traveling in your mind. I found that whatever interested me, I could fit into a Regency novel.
– Were your characters based on historical figures? How much research did you do and how did you do it for any of your works?
– No, I’ve ever really done that, used historical figures as inspiration. Research is a great love of mine, but when I first started writing, I didn’t have internet. It’s hard to imagine now, in this digital age, but in the nineties I spent a lot of time with library books and at used books stores. My most recent romance type works, the ‘Awaiting’ paranormal romance series (Werewolves and set in 1790s Germany!) and the Lady Anne Mysteries, (Set in Georgian England!) were written in the 2000s, so the internet made researching a lot simpler. However, you do have to be selective, because not every source is reliable. I once spent a whole afternoon on a site thinking I was learning Gypsy/Rom slang, when I was actually on a site dedicated to a video game, and the language was mostly made up. I’m just glad I figured it out before I used any of it!
– I have never found a romance novel that didn’t include a mystery of some sort. What made you shift gears and go into cozy mysteries?
– It didn’t feel like a shift of gears, rather the fulfillment of my life’s goal. I’ve always read mysteries. As you already mentioned, I started out reading Agatha Christie and other classic mysteries, but then I moved on to Charlotte MacLeod, Susan Dunlap, Virginia Rich, Gillian Roberts and others. It was natural for me to write cozy mysteries, and I think it has more in common with my romance writing than you may think. Both genres are character based, which is what I love most. Actually, as a side note, my long romance writing career is what caused me to use a pseudonym (Victoria Hamilton) for my mystery writing. My real name is so associated with romance novels, we thought it was best to choose a nom de plume.
– Do you base your characters on parts of your personality or people that you know?
– Yes and no. My characters come from observation of people, of course, but I never just lift a person’s traits and insert them into a character. It’s like cooking; an apple is an ingredient, but by the time it’s in a pie, or apple butter, the original form is gone. It’s been transformed into something wholly different. But I would say that each of my main characters has a part of me in them. Jaymie Leighton (Vintage Kitchen Mysteries, written as Victoria Hamilton) has my deep love of home and my rootedness to my city and even my neighborhood, which feels like a small town, to me. Merry Wynter (Merry Muffin Mysteries, written as Victoria Hamilton) has my love of classical music, my sense of humor, and my bemused view of the world and the people around me. Sophie Taylor (Teapot Collector Mysteries, written as Amanda Cooper) is less me than the other two, but I do think she has my optimism and love of people.
– I have shelves of teapots and cups around me as I type! Tell us about your Teapot Mysteries.
– The Teapot Collector Mysteries idea actually came from an editor who was looking for an author willing to write them. I fit the bill and loved the idea from the start. That’s why I took another name (Amanda Cooper) for this series, though; since it was my editor’s invention, the idea stays with them, and so would the author name, if I ever stopped writing them. I love the setting, a tearoom, and the idea of collecting teapots. I have limited space, so I only have a few teapots, but have more – dozens and dozens – of teacups. Sophie Taylor, the main character, is fiercely protective of her grandmother (Nana) and loves Gracious Grove, the town in which the series is set. But it’s a mystery series, of course, so folks keep getting murdered, and she and her Nana, her godmother, Laverne, and the quirky, hilarious neighbor, Thelma Mae Earnshaw, have to keep figuring out whodunit!
– How can our readers learn more about you and your works?
– I am online everywhere! Here are a few links to follow me, and learn more about the Teapot Collector Mysteries:
Website: http://www.victoriahamiltonmysteries.com
Killer Characters – 21st of each month: http://www.killercharacters.com
Victoria Hamilton/Amanda Cooper on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaHamilton
Teapot Collector Mysteries on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Coopers-Teapot-Collector-Mysteries/296605927102353
Teapot Collector Mysteries on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/vintagekitchenm/teapot-collector-mysteries/
And here is a little more about Shadow of a Spout:
Avid teapot collector Rose Freemont takes a break from her Victorian tea house only to find a new mystery brewing elsewhere…
Leaving her home in Gracious Grove behind her, Rose is off to the annual convention of the International Teapot Collector’s Society. Her granddaughter Sophie is minding the tea house while she’s away. Rose is eager for tough cookie Zunia Pettigrew to appraise a prized antique teapot she believes may be a holy water vessel from China.
But when Zunia declares the pot a fake, Rose is really steamed. After Zunia’s found dead beside Rose’s dinged-in teapot, Sophie must rush to her grandmother’s aid and find the real killer—before Rose is steeped in any more trouble…
Well, that certainly has my interest! Thank you, Victoria.
Readers, Victoria/Donna/Amanda has very, very generously offered several give-aways!
#1: A copies of both the first of the Teapot Collector series, “Tempest in a Teapot AND the newest release, “Shadow of a Spout”!
#2: A $10.00 gift certificate for Omni Bucks to be used at All Romance Books (ARe);( you can use it toward any book,maybe get started on the Teapot series?)
#3: With a nod to our romance roots here at 4F,1H, a lovely tote bag, “Writing is my passion” and Donna Lea Simpson matching pen, (I suggest you use it to carry all of your Victoria Hamilton works and to make sure you write your name in them!)
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment by midnight [EDT] on Thursday, April 9, 2015. I’ll post the winners on my post on the following day. Please include an email address in your post, or if you prefer not to do so publicly, please private message me, Tonette Joyce, on Facebook.
Please stop by to thank our guest, Victoria Hamilton, for visiting with us and for her gifts.
[ WordPress is very busy or very temperamental today. It often makes me approve comments by those new to the blog and sometimes, the posts don’t show up…please check back to see that your comments have posted.If not, please repost to make sure that you are entered. Thanks.]
Welcome, Amanda!
Love your quote “It’s like cooking; an apple is an ingredient, but by the time it’s in a pie, or apple butter, the original form is gone.” That captures perfectly how I feel about it, though I could not have described it as well.
Love the anecdote of spending an afternoon on a gaming site!
I know my wife would enjoy your Teapot series… and I believe I would also.
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I, too, truly appreciated the apple analogy. It is clear and says it all. sure Victoria/Donna/Amanda answers to any name at this point,Jeff. [Donna Lea Simpson she will always be; she’s here as Victoria Hamilton.]
While, if you win the books, you would both enjoy them, I’ll bet your lovely Denise takes the tote if that is your prize…and I bet the Omni Bucks go straight into YOUR account!
[Send Denise in for a visit and her own chance to win!]
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she’s busy working on some outside decorations while the weather is nice.
But if I win, I’ll let Denise have the omni bucks
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How sweet of you!
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Love your books and would love to win. I need that tote , it’s the perfect quote.
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A poet! You are now in the bin with a chance to win!
Thanks for coming by, Karen.
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I love reading your books. I find the characters memorable and the plots very interesting. I normally do not read cozies..more of a hard core thriller fan..but your books are pure entertainment. Keep up the good work.
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Thank you for stopping in and commenting.You are entered.
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Love this series, actually everything she writes, and what a nice interview. Thanks for the terrific giveaway,
sallycootie@gmail.com
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Thank you so much, Sally. You are entered.
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I love Victoria Hamilton! ❤ I enjoyed your interview as well! 🙂
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Sorry I missed this,Tonya, but I caught you in time to get you into the hopper! Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to let us know you liked this.
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Hi Victoria! So thrilled to have discovered you and your mystery series. Mystery is my business! Thank you for the chance to win a book.
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Thanks for coming in, Debbie! now you have me intrigued! You are entered into the drawings.
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Debbie, I hope you see this message. You have been pulled out of the basket as the winner of the gift certificate, however, you failed to send contact information. Please contact me here or message me through Facebook before Midnight, Saturday , April 11th,or I will have to award your prize to another entrant.
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What an awesome giveaway!! I love mysteries. pp92596 at outlook dot com
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Who doesn’t love a mystery?! Thank you, Robin. You are entered.
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I would love to read the books in this series! Love teapots and tea!
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I’m sure you will like them, Kathy! Thanks for coming in. Your name in in the running.
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This is one of the most informative interviews I have read. I enjoy and appreciate the works of Victoria Hamilton. Knowing the background and interests that helped create her respective works explains why each series is so well written and appreciated. servedogmom@yahoo.com
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Thank you! I try not to do run-of-the-mill questions, but Victoria really came through with wonderful answers.
You are in the drawing.
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I have the read first book and then looked up some of the teapots online. It helped me visualize what they were talking about. Thank you Amanda for the wonderful giveaway.
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Thank you for coming in, Sandy! Aren’t teapots lovely? You are in the running for the gifts.
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I LOVE cozy mysteries! Thanks so much for visiting 4F1H and sharing your books!
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Isn’t this a fun guest,Patty? I have you in the hat!
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Thank you for taking the time for the guest blog, it truly shows how much an author cares about their readers when they take the time chat, blog and be active on social media. Though I am a fan of books in my hand v. the e-books, I feel they go with my love of reading and tea drinking better. I also have a small teapot collection and a personal,passion for trying new teas. Have a wonderful holiday and thank you again.
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I asked Victoria to guest because she said that she loved answering her fans’ questions! She is truly a down-to-earth lady.
Thanks you and I hope you have a wonderful holiday, BreAnna. You are now entered.
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I’m a big fan of Victoria’s Vintage Kitchen mysteries. I have not read romances before but I may have to expand my horizons and give one of hers a try. I’m sure she’s a very talented author no matter what genre she’s writing in. Thanks to Victoria for taking the time to be your guest. It’s a very interesting interview and I enjoy learning more about the authors I love.
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Last week I talked about reading a genre or topic I normally would not if I knew the author’s other works and liked their style, so we think alike, Chris! Thank you for your kind words. You are entered to win.
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what great giveaways!!!
thank you!!!
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Yes! Victoria is being extremely generous.Thank you for stopping by.You are now entered in the giveaway!
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I like reading cozy mysteries and this sounds like a great series.
Wskwared at yahoo dot com
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I’m sure that we won’t be disappointed in this body of work. Thank you for visiting and you are now entered in the contest.
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I really enjoy all three of your cozy series. Congrats on the new one.
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How nice of you to come and let us know, Kari, thank you. You are entered into the drawing.
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I collect Teapots so this is really right up my alley. I especially love the 1920’s and 30’s ones but collect English Teapots also. Please enter me and thank you.
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
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Another teapot lover! Welcome! Thank you for joining us and yes, you are entered.
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Great interview! I loved the anecdote about learning what she thought was Gypsy/Rom slang only to find out it was made up for a video game! It reminded me of the episode of “Frazier” where he thought he was delivering a blessing in Hebrew for his son’s Bar Mitzvah but his Star Trek-fan coworker translated it into Klingon instead. I’ll be looking forward to reading her mysteries! Thank you for introducing your readers to her work.
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Those are funny stories, for sure. Thank Heaven Victoria caught hers before she went public! Thank you for taking the time to come by.You are in the running for the gifts.
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Cozy mysteries are a favorite. Thanks for sharing and sponsoring such giveaways.
Bettyjo.English@gmail.com
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I love a good cozy, too! It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have a guest like Victoria. Thank you for coming by and entering the contest.
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I would love to read your cozy mysteries—thanks for the opportunity to win them!
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Thank you for coming by,Sheila. You are entered in the giveaway.
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nice interview
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Thank you for coming in and visiting. You will be entered in the giveaway.
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What a wonderful interview! I’d love to read these books… I’ll send a message with my e-mail. thanks!
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Thank YOU. What a nice message. You are entered.
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Love all of her interviews, this one is no exception! Love to win any of the giveaways and love the series! I also collect teapots and cozy mysteries, which I think are a heavenly combination! Thank you SO much!
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And thank you for coming by! You are in the hat.
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Great interview! I love hearing how authors come up with their characters; personalities.
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Yes, Susan, Victoria is a wonderfully interesting guest. Thank you for dropping in. We have you entered to win.
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Thank you for the opportunity to win this fabulous contest. I adore this series. Victoria Hamilton is one of my favorite authors. itsacatslife17@yahoo.com
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Thank you for taking the time to drop by and enter.You are in the running.
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Love all your books and would love to win these. I collect teapots so these are right IP my alleyl
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Deb, you are in under the wire! I’ll have the drawing tonight. Thank y ou so much for taking the time to come by.
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Would love to win these.
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Thank you for posting the interview with Victoria Hamilton. I would love to win any of the giveaways!
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Thank you for coming by,Anne. You were in time to be in the hat!
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Love this series . Tea, reading nothing better!
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You are entered.Thanks for coming in.I let it run to accommodate the time difference.
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Love Teapot series.
Bettyjo.English@gmail.com
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Because of confusion over the time difference, you are entered.Thank y ou for your interest and for visiting.
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The contest is now closed. Thank you.
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