Monday, February 8, 2016

Interview with Laura Trentham, author of 'A Brazen Bargain'






An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she's shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as large as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

Her latest book is the Regency historical romance, A Brazen Bargain.
For More Information


Title: A Brazen Bargain
Author: Laura Trentham
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Pages: 236
Genre: Regency Historical Romance

Love soothes the deepest of scars.

Minerva Bellingham is at her wits’ end. Her younger brother, Simon, will have them penniless and on the streets if his extravagant gambling habit isn’t curtailed. An enormous debt to Lord Rafe Drummond is the final indignity.

Signing over her dowry is their only choice. Until Lord Drummond suggests something much more scandalous. She can keep her dowry—in exchange for the Bellinghams working three months as a housemaid and stable boy.

Scarred from his service to the Crown, Rafe recognizes the young Simon Bellingham has the makings of a good duke. Minerva is a different story. Her pure, delicate beauty only underscores Rafe’s tarnished, bleak soul.

Yet he delights in cracking Minerva’s icy reserve to reveal a fiery, stubborn woman. And Minerva discovers the gruff master of Wintermarsh has the heart of a poet. But before they can find a future safe in each other’s arms, a menace from Simon’s licentious past slithers back into their lives, forcing Rafe to plan the most important rescue mission of his life.

Warning: Contains a paragon of the beau monde who gets the hang of polishing silver, and a master of the house who’d like her to make his bed—preferably with him in it. Also passion unleashed with the mere touch of a finger. Readers are encouraged to swoon.

For More Information



Thank you for this interview!  I’d like to know more about you as a person first.  What do you do when you’re not writing?

I have two kids who require lots of attention. Getting them places is almost a part time job! Not surprisingly, I love to read. I also love to watch college football! I’m a huge Tennessee Volunteer fan. I actually incorporated my love of football into a contemporary book series called Falcon Football that released in 2015.

When did you start writing?

I started late…I was 38. I sat down in Jan 2012 as soon as the kids were back in school from Christmas break. I wrote four books that year. Writing became an obsession (according to my husband:) I felt like I’d finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life! The books needed a lot of work and I had a lot to learn, but the first two eventually became An Indecent Invitation and A Brazen Bargain, the first two books of my Spies and Lovers series.

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life?

I entered a writing contest in the summer of 2012 and finaled. Not only was the final a shot of confidence, but one of the judges ended up becoming my agent in 2013. That moment I realized I might actually have a shot at a traditional book contract! The dream of seeing my book on the shelf became real.

If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your next book, where would that be and why?

I would rent out a castle in Scotland during the summer. It’s one place I’ve never been, but have been fascinated with since I was a kid. I even had a Scottish pen pal for a time when I was in elementary school.

If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?

Sleep for an extra hour for sureJ

The other three I would spend writing. There are too many books and characters in my head wanting to get out!

Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done yet?

The book I’m working on now takes place in Cornwall and Scotland, and I’m super excited about it! I also write Southern contemporaries, and even though I grew up in Tennessee, I haven’t set a book there. I want to write a Southern gothic romance set in the mountains of Tennessee.

Back to your present book, A Brazen Bargain, how did you publish it?

My agent put the first book in the series on submission to publishers. I had multiple offers, but chose Samhain Publishing because they were interested in the series as a whole.

In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?

I wish! A Brazen Bargain is set in Regency England (1814). Think Jane Austen. I’ve been to England before, but long before I became a writer. I would love to go back. My research involved lots of reading.

Why was writing A Brazen Bargain so important to you?

I grew up reading romances by Kathleen Woodiwiss and Judith McNaught. Historical romances were my jam back in the day. When I decided to try to write a book, there was no question it would be a Regency historical.

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is?

I get my best ideas in the car shuttling my kids to/from school and activities. Music is a *huge* inspiration to me. I have Spotify playlists on my website for each series. I keep a notepad in the car just in case. (I do stop before I make notes thoughJ)

Any final words?

I hope everyone loves Rafe and Minerva as much as I do! Happy reading, everyone!

No comments:

Post a Comment