My review will be up later today!
Hello Cassandra and welcome to Passages to the Past! Thanks so much for stopping by today to talk about Finding Lord Farlisle!
To begin, can you please tell us a little about yourself and your writing?
I’m Cassandra Dean, and I write romance of the historical and fantasy varieties. I’ve presented at conferences both in Australia and overseas, and I was fortunate to win the Romance Writers of Australia’s Ruby Award in 2018.
My books are heartfelt, emotional, humorous, and compelling. My heroines and heroes support and champion each other, making themselves more completely themselves through their relationship. And, of course, they fall in the forever kind of love.
What inspired you to write Finding Lord Farlisle?
When I was developing the idea of Finding Lord Farlisle, I was reading a lot of Anna Campbell’s novellas work and I credit her with helping me see the forest for the trees. Sometimes I can get lost in the minutia of writing and need to remind myself of the mechanics. Reading Anna’s work helped me remember the nuts and bolts of story, and the first draft of Finding Lord Farlisle came relatively quickly. Then there was the edit…
Finding Lord Farlisle is the first book in your Lost Lords series. What can we expect from the other books in the series?
The series revolves around the three Farlisle brothers – Oliver, Stephen and Maxim. Oliver, the eldest, is the Earl of Roxwaithe, and Maxim, the youngest, was lost at sea and presumed dead, while Stephen is the classic middle child – mostly forgotten about. All three brothers are lost in some way, and their heroines help them find themselves.
RESCUING LORD ROXWAITHE is the tale of Oliver and this pesky girl he’s known since she was born…Alexandra’s sister, Lydia. There’s an age gap between them and Oliver can’t quite wrap his head around the fact Lydia is grown, but she is quite determined to bash it in to him 😊
STEALING LORD STEPHEN will wrap up the series and feature Stephen and his heroine. I don’t want to say too much about this one at this stage (top secret stuff, peeps!), but make sure you check my website regularly for updates.
What was your favorite scene to write?
The culmination. I loved writing Maxim’s confusion and Alexandra’s matter-of-factness and, of course, their declarations.
What was the most difficult scene to write?
The first chapter. A lot of elements go into setting up a story well and that scene had to be written and rewritten and editing numerous times to get it just right.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Even since I first learnt what writing was. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t creating stories.
What does your daily writing routine look like?
I usually have noise on in the background – music or a tv show or something that becomes white noise once I start writing. Then, I’ll start to write. Sometimes I’ll stare at the screen, trying to work through a scene in my head. That’s about the extent of my routine!
What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?
Finding the time. I have a full time day job and it’s a little tricky fitting everything in. Prioritizing and organizing is key and luckily I’m quite good at both!
Who are your writing inspirations?
I love, love, love Loretta Chase. She is an amazing and concise writer, able to use language precisely to convey emotions and situations in ways I wish I could. I admire what she edits, to ensure only the necessary language is employed.
Charlotte Stein is a lyrical writer with an extremely distinct style. Her books have an amazingly deep point of view, and I’m in awe of her talent.
Kelley Armstrong is a master at pacing and keeping a reader turning the page.
What was the first historical novel you read?
Oh wow, I’m actually not sure. That knowledge has definitely been lost in the mists of time. I can tell you my favourite historical romance, though. To the surprise of no one, it’s Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase. This is an almost, if not, perfect romance and definitely inspires me to try to reach its lofty heights.
What is the last historical novel you read?
The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas, part of her fabulous Lady Sherlock series. I can’t wait for the next in the series, The Art of Theft, to be released later this year.
What are three things people may not know about you?
I’m based in Adelaide, Australia. We’re in the middle down the bottom, about an hour and half flight from Sydney.
I’m a pretty keen Australian Rules Football supporter and barrack for Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). The season is almost upon us, so I’m getting ready for the first game. As an aside, I’d love to write a sports romance featuring AFL players.
I have a ton of useless knowledge, applicable only at Quiz Nights and for weird conversation tangents.
What appeals to you most about your chosen genre?
I love the rules. There’s world building and structure in Historical Romance, as much as there is in a fantasy or paranormal. Regency romance readers agree that certain things occur in the genre, and I love working within those rules to effect something surprising. There’s a melding of what readers believe the time period to be and what it actually was. Sometimes, when you mesh the two, the most amazing things happen.
What historical time period do you gravitate towards the most with your personal reading?
I tend to read a lot of contemporary romances and am really enjoying Rock Stars and Sports genres. I think the contemporaries appeal to me as they are different from what I write so it gives my brain a rest.
What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
I really enjoy cooking and am currently attempting to perfect my Hot Cross Bun recipe in time for Easter. I think I may have finally cracked it…
Lastly, what are you working on next?
I’m working on the next in the Lost Lords series, Rescuing Lord Roxwaithe, as well as the serial for my newsletter subscribers, the third in my Western series, EMERALD SEA. There are a few other things in the pipeline, but those two are the main ones.
Exciting times! You are one busy writer :) Thank you for spending time with us today!
Finding Lord Farlisle by Cassandra Dean
Publication Date: November 27, 2018
eBook; 86 Pages
ASIN: B07JLWSFJG
Genre: Historical Romance/Regency
The girl he finally remembers
Eleven years ago, a shipwreck robbed Lord Maxim Farlisle of his memory. Recovering himself, he journeys to his childhood home to find Waithe Hall shut and deserted. Unwilling to face what remains of his family, Maxim makes his home in the abandoned hall…only to have a determined ghost hunter invade his uneasy peace.
The boy she never forgot
Fascinated by spirits, Lady Alexandra Torrence cannot disregard the opportunity to investigate the estate she knew so well. She arrives at the shuttered hall to discover a ghost of a different kind—the boy she thought to never see again. Maxim had been the boy next door, her best friend, her soul mate…and then he’d vanished.
As the two rediscover their connection, the promise of young love burns into an overwhelming passion. But the time apart has scarred them both—will they discover a love that will draw them together or will the past tear them apart forever?
"Finding Lord Farlisle is a lovely story: sweet, witty, flirtatious, emotional, touching. A truly delightful way to spend a couple of hours." Anna Campbell, author of the bestselling Dashing Widows series
"Sweet, fun, and delightful! If you love friends to lovers, you'll adore Finding Lord Farlisle." -Tamara Gill, author of the Lords of London series
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Barnes and Noble | iTunes
About the Author
Cassandra Dean is an award-winning, best-selling author of historical and fantasy romance. She is a 2018 recipient of the coveted Romance Writers of Australia Ruby Award.Her next novel will be FINDING LORD FARLISLE, kicking off a new series, LOST LORDS.
Cassandra is proud to call South Australia her home, where she regularly cheers on her AFL football team and creates her next tale.
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Blog Tour Schedule
Thursday, February 28Excerpt at To Read, Or Not to Read
Friday, March 1
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
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Feature at Maiden of the Pages
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Review at A Chick Who Reads
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Feature at The Book Junkie Reads
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit
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Review at Pursuing Stacie
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Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
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Review & Interview at Passages to the Past
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Excerpt at Bookish Rantings
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Finding Lord Farlisle
Thanks for having me, Amy.
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure is all mine! I loved your book and can't wait for the others in the series!
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