Guest:Author Collette Cameron

I am very pleased to have Collette Cameron join us today.

Collette and I have many mutual Facebook Friends. Since we seem to post more than many, we see quite a bit of each other.

I am treated to pictures of Collette’s family, her darling dachshunds, her many activities in writers’ circles, photos of period pieces … and anything BLUE! Collette has an affinity for everything blue, especially “cobalt” blue. The delights include pictures of true-blue dresses, shoes, hats, furnishings, china, houses, you name it!

Collette writes Regency and Scottish period romances, which are not exactly ‘blue’ (!), but are not completely tame, either. Let’s let her tell us more.

Welcome Collette!

Thank you! It’s so wonderful to be here.

Besides the incredibly beautiful blue articles of clothing and furnishings, you post period pieces of other colors as well on an additional Facebook page, “Blue Rose Romance”. (I encourage everyone to drop in.) How do you come up with your incredible finds for the page?

As I see things on Pinterest or the Internet that catch my eye, I’ll save the images to my computer to use later on. Other times, I’ll get an idea about something I’d like to feature and then I’ll do a search to find several captivating images to share. For the Blue Rose Romance page on Facebook (sadly, it is no longer active) I had two readers who also volunteered to supply content.

We love what we love, but does the color cobalt blue have a particular meaning to you or have a memory associated with it?

Not that I can recall. I’ve always been drawn to blue, particularly shades of royal and cobalt blue. I have an aunt who has the exact same taste that I do, so perhaps I saw things in her house when I was young.

Please tell our readers what inspires you to write historical romances and the humor you add, which sets your work apart from many of the others.

My love affair with historical romances began when I was 13 years old and a friend gave me a Barbara Cartland Regency to read. From the first page I was hooked and after several decades of reading historicals, I decided to try my hand at writing one.
As a history buff, historicals are my genre of choice, not only because I love escaping into the past, but because I learn something with every book I read or write. I have a good sense of humor and the quirkiness finds its way onto the page no matter how hard I try not to let it. I’ve stopped fighting that battle.
Some readers don’t get my humor, but those that do, tell me they enjoy it.

How do you do your historical research?

I use the Internet extensively, but also have historical groups I’ll put questions too as well as many period reference books I use to validate facts. Even with extensive research, I’ve made some mistakes in my books,
I recently returned from a research trip to Scotland and found myself wincing more than once at a new inaccuracies I discovered. The Internet isn’t always correct!

 

You enjoy dressing in period costumes for conferences, etc., and you look lovely in them! Where do you acquire your gowns and accoutrements?

Victoria Vane has made most of my period gowns. I do have three that I purchased from Victorian Choice. I’ve found many of the accessories on Amazon, so they’re not period accurate but I still feel like a princess wearing them.

Like several of us here, you didn’t start writing novels in earnest until a bit later in life. How did you first get published?

I’d just finished my Master’s Degree in Teaching and my youngest child had gone off to college. Though I was substituting, I had time to spare and that along with empty-nest syndrome had me looking for something to fill up my spare time.
I’d had a scene frolicking around I my head for months and decided to see if I could write a historical romance based around it. Highlander’s Hope was the result. I was very fortunate to have one of the first publishers I submitted it to offer me a contract, and my career as an author began.

If you’d care to talk about them, I read that you have a notebook which contains ideas for other series, including time-travel, inspirational, YA and paranormal. May we ask a little bit about these plans, in general? We don’t expect you to give away all of your ideas. [

I’ve got a Scottish time-travel percolating, and my trip to Scotland gave me many additional ideas for it. I also have a YA time-travel series I want to write, and the protagonist will be named after a former student of mine with the most spectacular name. My idea for paranormal series also has inspirational elements.

Do you foresee the doors to be more opened to your other works since you have a number of works already published, or do you think your publishers will encourage you to stick with your historicals, which are successful? (I personally hope we see the ideas above come to fruition!)

Excellent question. I don’t think I will attempt to write all those genres under the same pen name and juggling more than one pen name can be a challenge. I’m a hybrid author, meaning though I’m traditionally published, I also self-publish, so I have much more power when it comes to publishing other genres.
Though there’s something to be said for building and staying with my historical reader fan-base, I’m not ruling out dabbling in the other genres either.

You have lived in the Pacific Northwest all of your life, am I correct? I know that you enjoy the outdoors. What is the best thing about living in Oregon?

I’m an Oregonian, born and raised. We have it all here: the ocean, mountains, desserts, rain forests, lakes… I love the greenness and the fresh air where I live.

You also like to cook! Do you have any particular type of cooking you prefer?

Ha! I used to bake all the time, but anymore, I have very little time. I’ve been known to trot downstairs and make a batch of shortbread after writing a scene in a book that includes the tasty treat.

And I know that you like to work in your garden. What do you plant?

I find working in the yard/garden helps me unwind. I love flowers, so not only is my yard full of them, I have many pots too. My husband says too many. [I respectfully disagree with him! -T]

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

I offer a free starter library for new subscribers to my VIP Reader Club. Check out all the details here: https://collettecameron.com/free-book/

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Collette! Please tell our readers how they can find out more about you and your work:
Connect with Collette:
Website: http://collettecameron.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/collettecameronauthorhttp://facebook.com/collettecameronauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/colletteauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Collette_Author
Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/collettecameron.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/collette-cameron
Instagram: https://instagram.com/collettecameronauthor/

An escapee from the Pacific Northwest’s rainy, gray coast, COLLETTE CAMERON believed teaching her destiny until she dared to tap out her first novel. She’s been enthralled with writing ever since.

Blessed with three spectacular children, fantastic fans, and a compulsive, over-active, and witty Muse who won’t stop whispering new romantic romps in her ear, she still lives in Oregon with her mini-dachshunds, though she dreams of living in Scotland part-time.

A bestselling, award-winning author, Collette pens Scottish and Regency historicals featuring rogues, rapscallions, rakes, and the intelligent, intrepid damsels who reform them. You’ll always find dogs, birds, occasionally naughty humor, and a dash of inspiration in her sweet-to-spicy timeless romances.

A member of Novelist Inc., Romance Writers of America, as well as several RWA chapters including The Beau Monde, Hearts Through History, Celtic Hearts, Rose City Romance Writers, and the Greater Seattle Romance Writers, Collette admits to a quirky sense of humor, enjoys trivia and inspiring quotes, adores castles and anything cobalt blue, and is a self-confessed Cadbury chocoholic.

Her motto for life? You can’t have too much chocolate, too many hugs, too many flowers, or too many books. She’s thinking about adding shoes to that list.

 

EXCERPT

First Meet Scene

“May I ken whom I’ve had the pleasure of rescuing?” Her hero raked a big hand through his gingerish locks, ruffling the curls atop his head.

Ach. Bless Mayra’s darned and mended stockings, Scots after all.

The way Mr. Wallace said pleasure, the word rolling from his tongue in a low, mesmerizing brogue-turned-purr, wrenched her attention from her ministrations to his much too enticing lips.

Since when did a man’s mouth fascinate her so?

That same mouth notched up a trifle before her gaze inched higher to lock with his.

Her heart frolicked about behind her ribs like a litter of frisky kittens.

Lord help me.

A flirtation with this man might prove much too dangerous. Given her uncharacteristic, dazed response he might be much too dangerous.

“Allow me to introduce ye.” Searc, beamed, his wide face wreathed in an enormous smile. “Miss Mayra Findlay, may I present Mr.— ”

Searc scratched the back of his bulging neck, his face folded into confused creases. “I dinna recollect if ye told the missus yer first name when Mags registered ye.”

Her hero dragged his attention from Mayra for an instant. “Och, aye… Coburn. Coburn Wallace.”

As Mr. Wallace respectfully dipped his head, polite but not the least subservient, the sun caught the bronze streaks ribboning his russet hair.

“Mr. Coburn Wallace, Miss Mayra Findlay,” Searc finished, another broad smile stretching his kind face as if he’d been granted the highest honor in introducing them.

Mayra adjusted her sleeve, smoothing the cuff over her glove.

 Ach. Not done.

Searc only meant to be helpful, but in introducing her to the stranger, he overstepped propriety. Mama and Bettie wouldn’t be please.

Mayra ought to nod her head and sweep past the men without another word. Most peculiar thing, though. Her feet stayed fixed where Mr. Wallace had deposited her and seemed as loath to move as Glen Coe’s majestic mountains towering beyond the horizon.

“Miss Findlay? Of Dunrangour Tower?”

A different glint, more keen and assessing rather than appreciative, entered Mr. Wallace’s interesting eyes. His hot gaze leisurely crept to her scuffed half-boot clad toes, and then made the reverse journey over her midnight blue and hunter green arisaid to rest on her hair secured in a simple knot beneath her hat.

“Aye, I am.” Mayra’s stomach renewed its frolicking when he’d said her name. Mindful of the intrigued onlookers, she inclined her head in what she hoped was regal manner.

“May I ask what brings you to our fair village, Mr. Wallace?”

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2urnEfq

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-love-a-highland-rogue-collette-cameron/1126816052?ean=2940154733547

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/to-love-a-highland-rogue

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/to-love-a-highland-rogue/id1261530721?ls=1&mt=11

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