Interview Barbara Burke Author of Counterfeit Viscountess
Give a warm welcome tt Barbara Burke, author of Counterfeit Viscountess. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Barbara and her Counterfeit Viscountess! I’ve got a few questions for you. Ready?”
Yep!
Who would you recommend this book to and what should readers be aware of before reading it?
I’d recommend Counterfeit Viscountess to someone who’s looking for a very light, quite sweet read. I don’t go behind the bedroom door – in fact, the entire conflict in this book centres on the fact that they mustn’t touch each other. As a consequence the entire romance plays out with words. If you don’t like dialogue this isn’t the book for you. Sometimes I think I should give up writing prose and just write scripts a la Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward (as if I had a drop of their talent). But I do love banter.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
So far my favourite character is a crusty old academic in a mystery I’m writing. He was meant to be quite off-putting but I’m loving him more and more and he’s now just delightfully eccentric. He’s also a complete page hog and is getting way more lines than he should. I also love Amanda from Recompromising Amanda. She was my first romance heroine and we never forget our first, right?
What makes you laugh out loud?
Well, this is embarrassing. When I stopped to think about it I came up with cat videos (also my own cat). They’re so serious in everything they do, how can you not laugh. Also, witty banter in books and on stage. I love me some good dialogue. Finally, and I guess this relates to the last point (and maybe the first) good conversation with friends around the dinner table.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
No, not at all. The whole point in writing fiction is to get away from the confines of your own being. My characters are imaginary creatures. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to know them in real life. I’d love to hang out with some of them. Probably because they’re way better (and more interesting) people than I could ever be. But what makes them truly different is that they never wake up at 2:00 in the morning and realise what they should have said – they manage to say it at the time. What a super power.
Speed Round
Favorite movie: To (if I was allowed more than one word I’d say To Have and Have Not)
Favorite book: impossible
Last book read: Lethal White (see how I cheated there and used two words?)
Favorite color: red
Stilettos or flipflops: stilettos
Coffee or tea: am coffee, pm tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: paperback!
Pencil or pen: pen!
Favorite song: see favourite book
Streak or not: I don’t know what that means
Favorite dessert: nope
Favorite junk food: potato chips
Favorite thing to do to relax: see next question
Champagne or gin: red wine
Paranormal or Historical: historical
Wonder Woman or Top Model: what is top model?
Favorite TV show: none
Hot or cold: hot
POV: my own
I’d die if I don’t have: pizza
Review or Not: Yes
Tell us a little about Counterfeit Viscountess.
What happens when they both start wanting a real marriage?
Practical Caroline Saxon must travel to London for the season, when all she really wants is to stay in Ireland and breed horses. But a carriage accident leaves her unchaperoned at a posting inn.
Dashing Christopher Hawking just wants a bed for the night. He didn’t expect to find it occupied by a beautiful woman or to be caught sneaking out of her room. In the light of day, a London-bound member of the ton finds them together.
Attraction flares between the two in spite of themselves. But how will they save Caroline’s reputation and calm the storm of the ton’s gossip?
Buy Links: Amazon
How about a sneak peek between the pages of Counterfeit Viscountess?
When they were alone again and the tea distributed, Christopher and Caroline did their best to explain to Eleanor the events of the morning and the evening before.
Eleanor listened without interruption, contenting herself with the occasional raised eyebrow as her only commentary on the convoluted tale. When they had finished she turned to Christopher and remarked, “I must say, it seems quite foolish to have allowed Annabelle Winthrop of all people to discover you. She’s a complete pea goose and she won’t take kindly to Miss Saxon’s appearance on the scene. She’s been setting her cap at you forever.”
“I didn’t exactly do it on purpose,” Christopher was stung to reply.
“On purpose or not, it’s got you into a great deal of difficulty which could have been avoided if you had taken more care.”
Recognizing the signs of temper on Christopher’s face, Caroline interjected quickly. “Indeed, Lord Saxon did everything he could. If not for his quick thinking, we would have already come to ruin. You really cannot blame him for the presence of Miss Winthrop in the same inn where we were staying.”
“Nonsense, I can blame him for anything I wish. I’ve been doing it since he was a baby and very handy it’s been as well. It’s one of the only advantages of having a younger sibling.”
The fond smile she bestowed on her brother precluded any sting Caroline, less used to the ways of siblings, might have imagined such a comment implied, as did Christopher’s bland acceptance of her outrageous assertion. Though she had watched, and frequently envied, the comfortable, if often fractious, interaction between the brothers and sisters she’d played with as a child, she clearly had much to learn about family relationships when adulthood was achieved.
“However, I suppose there’s nothing we can do about it now,” Eleanor conceded, magnanimously. “But mind, Christopher, I’ll expect you to take a great deal more care the next time you break into a respectable woman’s bedroom.”
About the Author:
Barbara Burke’s peripatetic life means she’s lived everywhere from a suburban house in a small town to a funky apartment in a big city, and from an architecturally designed estate deep in the forest to a cedar shack on the edge of the ocean. Everywhere she’s gone she’s been accompanied by her husband, her animals and her books. For the last ten years she’s worked as a freelance journalist and has won several awards. She was a fan of Jane Austen long before that lady was discovered by revisionists and zombie lovers and thinks Georgette Heyer was one of the great writers of the twentieth century. She lives by the philosophy that one should never turn down the opportunity to get on a plane no matter where it’s going, but deep down inside wishes she could travel everywhere by train.
Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Barbara-Burke
https://barbaraburkeauthor.wordpress.com/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Counterfeit Viscountess!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Barbara Burke, Counterfeit Viscountess, Historical Romance by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Enjoyed the interview. Wishing you all the best with your new release, Barbara!
Thanks Mary for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the interview.
Thanks, Mary. It was a lot of fun to answer Tena’s questions.
Interesting topic and approach.