Exclusive Interview with Bestselling Author Erica Vetsch!

So excited to have Regency author Erica Vetsch with us today for an exciting new interview! And before we jump into the questions, guess what? Her newest Regency novel, The Indebted Earl, is available for purchase! Hop on over to Amazon to get a copy now.

• 

• 

And without further ado, let the questions begin! First off, thank you so much, Erica, for joining us today! Your books are lovely and we’re so excited to learn more about you and your writing.

Hannah: When did you first realize you were meant to be a writer?

Erica: I think the first time I realized that people could be writers was about third grade when I first encountered the Little House on the Prairie books, but I don’t know that I connected that thought with myself until I was a freshman in high school. I decided to write a story for myself, and it was a doozie! I still have it, in a spiral notebook, written in loopy girlie pencil script. It’s called Circus Summer, about a girl who is reunited with her father for the summer at the circus where he works as a clown. There are horses and dogs and a teenage boy. What else do you need?

Hannah: That’s awesome! So why do you now write in the Regency Era?

Erica: I actually blame my friend Mary Connealy. After having written more than thirty books set in the US, pioneer, frontier, cowboy, Westward Expansion books, I was looking for a new challenge, and Mary recommended some Regency books. I had read Regency before, of course, but these books were very enjoyable, and I decided to try my hand at writing one.

Hannah: Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

Erica: Mostly from history books and research. I love to delve into research books and find interesting-to-me tidbits that I think would add to a story. For The Indebted Earl, I was reading about the epidemic of coastal smuggling during the Regency, and how so many sea captains were left without jobs when peace was declared. Then I start asking what-if questions. What if a sea captain offered to marry a young woman to whom he felt beholden, disguising his proposal as a matter of convenience for her, for his new estate, and for the three children for which he is now responsible?

Hannah: Tell us about your writing place! Your bedroom, a porch, a desk?

Erica: In the past, I usually wrote in a coffee shop, but the pandemic put the kibosh on that. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we are in the process of turning my son’s old bedroom into my library/office. I can’t wait until it’s finished!

Hannah: Oh my—that sounds exciting! What do you feel is the hardest aspect of being an author? 

Erica: I think there are hard bits to every part of being an author. Writer’s doubt, bad reviews, deadline pressure, hard edits. But each of those things is more than balanced by the great things about being an author. Creativity, encouraging words, having contracts, editors who want to help you polish your work until it shines. 

Hannah: Do you enjoy writing male characters or female characters the best? 

Erica: I like both. I like that neither side will really understand fully the other, and that bafflement and surprise and those differences make for exciting relationships and romances.

Hannah: Are you a plotter or pantser? 

Erica: I have a detailed outline/synopsis before I sit down to write, otherwise I sit and stare at the cursor blinking at me in judgment.

Hannah: Do you ever cry while writing a sad or emotional scene? 

Erica: I rarely cry, but I will admit when writing one of the scenes toward the end of The Indebted Earl, I cried! And to my utter surprise, I cried again when I read it on edits! However, each time I write a romance, my husband can tell which part of the story I am currently writing. If my hero and heroine are fighting or sad or upset with one other, and all seems lost for their relationship, I am sad. And when I write the happily-ever-after, I perk right up! Perils of being married to an author.

Hannah: If you could ask Jane Austen one question, what would it be?

Erica: I don’t know that I would have a particular questions, but I would love to sit and visit with her and find out if she is as delightfully satirical in person as she is in her writing.

Hannah: And lastly, would you rather live in modern times, or would you be happier in the era you write in? Why? 

Erica: Oh, I would make a terrible Regency heroine. I am too soft. I like air conditioning and electric tea kettles and microwaves and drive-thrus. 

What fun, enjoyable answers! Thanks so much again, Erica, for joining us today and letting us pick your brain a little! For anyone who hasn’t read Erica’s books or would like to connect, follow the links below! Also, if you’re a fan of Inspirational Regency Romance, there is a Facebook Group just for you! Join here for games, discussions, reviews, book sales and all things Inspirational Regency Romance!