I’m delighted to feature Mimi Matthews in our bookchat today, as she celebrates the release of The Winter Companion. If you have read my review of The Matrimonial Advertisement, you will know that my dear friends Katie Donovan and Rachel McMillan first recommended Mimi’s historical romance novels to me and while I acted immediately on their nudge to read Mimi’s books and purchased three novels – these girls know what I love – I will admit they sat on my Kindle for some time. When Katie ‘pestered’ me to read them, I started with The Matrimonial Advertisement and haven’t looked back! I now own all her published novels.

I hope you enjoy this bookchat with Mimi and it entices you to discover her Parish Orphans of Devon series along with her other standalone novels, if you haven’t already! Most are available in audio which I highly recommend. Mimi is generously offering a giveaway of a SIGNED copy of The Winter Companion (US only) so be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Enjoy meeting Mimi, Neville, and Clara!

She Needed to be Seen…

As a lady’s companion, Clara Hartwright never receives much attention from anyone. And that’s precisely how she likes it. With a stormy past, and an unconventional plan for her future, it’s far safer to remain invisible. But when her new employer is invited to a month-long holiday at a remote coastal abbey, Clara discovers that she may not be as invisible as she’d hoped. At least, not as far as one gentleman is concerned.

He Wanted to be Heard…

Neville Cross has always been more comfortable with animals than people. An accident in his youth has left him with a brain injury that affects his speech. Forming the words to speak to his childhood friends is difficult enough. Finding the right things to say to a lovely young lady’s companion seems downright impossible. But Miss Hartwright is no ordinary companion. In fact, there may not be anything ordinary about her at all.

During a bleak Devon winter, two sensitive souls forge an unexpected friendship. But when Clara needs him most, will Neville find the courage to face his fears? Or is saying goodbye to her the most heroic thing he can do?

 

Bookchat with Mimi

Please share a little about your characters, Neville and Clara

Neville Cross is one of the four Victorian orphans of my Parish Orphans of Devon series. He suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child. As an adult, his injury impacts his speech, his ability to recall words, and also causes him to occasionally lose time. He’s gentle, kind, and has a rich interior life, but prefers the company of animals to people, and is reluctant to step outside of his comfort zone.

Clara Harker is a lady’s companion and aspiring academic. Her dreams of higher education sustain her as she works in a position that requires her to be, essentially, invisible. Like Neville, she loves animals, and has recently rescued a very elderly pug dog named Bertie.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives

Hopeful. Poignant. Romantic. Inspiring. Animal-tastic. (Okay, the last word is made up, but there are a lots of sweet rescue animals in this story!)

What Victorian era custom surprised or intrigued you that you used in this novel?

The idea of young ladies, still at home, trying to keep up with the subjects their brothers were studying at university was intriguing to me. I felt such sympathy for them. Imagine, if you’d been taught at home for many years alongside your brother, how it must have felt when he went off to university and began to surpass you. It was a time when women weren’t allowed to attend university themselves. I would have wanted to try and keep up at home, too!

Animals are a feature of this novel – and in your standalone, The Work of Art – and so important to both Neville and Clara. Can you share about your love of animals, both fictional and real?

Animals are a huge part of my life, and have been ever since I was born. I can’t imagine a life without them. They bring so much joy to my world. I currently have two cats, a dog, and a horse. As some readers know, my two most elderly pets passed away last year—my Siamese cat, Sapphire, and my Sheltie, Ash. I’m still coping with their loss.

Featuring animals in some of my novels seemed a good way to incorporate something I love into my stories. In addition, the more I write, the more I realize that a hero who doesn’t feel/show affection for the heroine’s (or his own) pets is no hero at all.

The Winter Companion is the fourth book in your Parish Orphans of Devon series. Were each of your heroes’ characteristics/features in place from The Matrimonial Advertisement, or did they grow/change as you wrote each story?

When I wrote The Matrimonial Advertisement, I had no idea that it was going to be a series until the end of the novel. I sort of wish I’d known earlier, then I might have been a little more strategic in setting up the characters of the three other orphans. As it was, I wrote myself into a corner in some cases, especially with Neville. By the time I got to The Winter Companion, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to do his story justice. I hadn’t realized how much long conversations played a part in developing the romances of my previous couples. And since Neville’s speech was impacted by his injury, I initially struggled a bit with how he and Clara would fall in love. It really tested me as a writer.

How does Neville differ from his orphan ‘brothers’? (This is me wanting you to talk about Justin, Tom, and Alex – haha!!)

Neville is the sweetest of all the orphans. He’s also the most handsome, as well as the most physically intimidating, but the least likely to trade on either of those qualities.

Generally this is how I view all of the orphans: Justin Thornhill (The Matrimonial Advertisement) is a gruff, physical hero with a tendency to brood, Alex Archer (A Convenient Fiction) is a daring rogue with a history of selfishness, and Tom Finchley (A Modest Independence) is intelligent, calculating, and at times, morally ambiguous. Neville, by contrast, is a genuinely good soul who has never wanted to be a burden to anyone. His challenge lies in taking power over his own life, and finding the courage to reach for love and happiness, even if that means venturing out into the unknown.

What appeals to you most about writing Victorian era romance?

I love working within the boundaries of Victorian constraints. Not just the strict rules of etiquette, but the limitations imposed by the clothing, and by the narrow societal views on everything from science to women’s rights. It was a world where things were changing at a rapid rate, both in terms of innovation, and in terms of the social order. I see so many parallels to our modern world, and love to explore themes that are still so relatable today.

Which character did you enjoy writing most in this series?

I really loved writing Alex Archer. I was looking forward to his character for quite a while. Almost too much. I thought he’d probably disappoint me. But he was as fun to write as I’d hoped he would be.

Which character gave you the most grief in this series?

All of them at different times. There is always a moment (or more) in each story when I’ve absolutely had it with a character. It’s an unfortunate part of my process.

What appeals to you about living in Victorian times? What would you wish to avoid?

I love the idea of the Victorian era. The fashions, the railway travel, the restrained manners. However, in reality, I couldn’t tolerate living in that era. I require modern medicine, wi-fi, yoga pants, and equality for women.

What parts of the writing process become easier with each new story? What becomes more challenging?

This is a boring answer, but it’s becoming easier to manage my time. In the beginning, I wrote in fits and spurts—some days thousands of words, others nothing at all. Now, I have a (very modest) word target that I try to meet each day. It’s really helped me in terms of combating feelings of being overwhelmed. Having said that, I still sometimes find it challenging to write on a consistent basis. I’m so used to only writing when I’m inspired. It’s difficult to view it as a job.

As a 20^th/21^st century woman, how challenging is it to write with 19^th century female and male sensibilities?

It isn’t as difficult as you might think. Though the trappings of Victorian England are certainly present in my novels, I believe that many of the themes—such as love, forgiveness, and the search for identity and independence—are universal. Exploring them within the constraints of Victorian society is one of my favorite aspects of writing. And I feel it really works in a “proper” romance, where the touch of an ungloved hand can be as meaningfully intimate as something far more graphic.

I should also add that there were some men and women in the 19^th century who had surprisingly modern sensibilities. I know that readers generally tend to think a “too modern” hero or heroine in a historical romance is anachronistic, but Victorians were concerned with many of the same things we are today—reform, politics, education, and equality. The time period is actually quite relatable.

The Pug Who Bit Napoleon and A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty are your non-fiction publications. Tell us a little about them, please.

The Pug Who Bit Napoleon is a collection of animal stories from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It includes tales of dogs, cats, horses, goats, alligators, and even a Victorian flea circus. Nothing too heavy, but it’s historically accurate—and, I hope, entertaining!

A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty is a decade-by-decade overview of the changing silhouettes of women’s fashions from the 1840s through the end of the century. It also includes information on Victorian hairstyles, hair and skin care, cosmetics, and what to wear and when.

How would you ‘convince’ a fiction lover to read them? What would they love about them?

I think anyone who loves animals and history would probably enjoy The Pug Who Bit Napoleon. As for historical fiction lovers, A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Fashion and Beauty might help them better understand what the characters in the books they’re reading are wearing!

Do you see yourself ever writing in a different era? Or a different genre?

Two of my novels are set in the Regency era, but my heart truly belongs to the Victorian era. As for different genres, see below!

What is in your writing pipeline now, and what are you projected publication dates?

My next book is a swashbuckling second-chance Regency romance called Gentleman Jim. It will be out in November 2020. I’m currently serializing the first chapters through my author newsletter. The cover reveal is coming soon!

In the meanwhile, I’m working on a secret project. I can’t say much about it, except that it’s a supercharged Victorian Gothic. The romance is only a secondary thread in this one, so I think it would probably be classified as historical fiction rather than historical romance. No publication date yet, but I’ll update as soon as I have one!

Thank you for spending time at Relz Reviewz, Mimi – such a treat! Loved your insights into your characters and writing. Looking forward to more stories from you.

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper historical romances set in Victorian England. Her articles on nineteenth century history have been published on various academic and history sites, including the Victorian Web and the Journal of Victorian Culture, and are also syndicated at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes an Andalusian dressage horse, two Shelties, and two Siamese cats.

Relz Reviewz Extras
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Buy at Amazon: The Winter Companion

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