Celeste Bradley is the well-known author of various historical romances who have many fans. Luckily she agreed to answer a few questions about her work for Lazy Literature. (Photo: Copyright Celeste Bradley)
Thank you for taking the time for this interview.
What about a series appeals to you since most of your novels revolve around friends or members of a family?
I can’t help it. I think in series. If I watch a movie, the first thing I do at the end is make up stories about what happens to all the other characters. Writing about a family or a pseudo-family, like comrades-in-arms, gives me the chance to develop characters using the dynamic between characters. People who love and hate and laugh and fight with others feel so much more real than people who lack relationships.
How do you keep track of your many plots and characters e.g. in the crossover from the Liar’s Club to the Royal Four?
I write it all down. I do not trust my own memory at all. I keep notes upon notes. I make flow charts and spreadsheets. I’m not kidding.
Are you very organized to be able to write so many novels and motivate yourself?
I am not organized at all. Except that I am. How do I explain the chaos in my head compared to the meticulous note-taking? The record-keeping frees my mind, I guess. The chaos is my natural state. I live like an animal. I eat when I’m hungry, I sleep when I’m tired. I never know the date, or if I’m supposed to be somewhere at some certain time. The organization is a learned behavior that allows me to survive in an organized world. My iPad is in charge.
What would be the perfect couple you haven’t yet written about?
A starship pilot and her alien enemy. Or a pirate and a lady. Or a studious scholarly fellow who travels into the Wild West and encounters a scrappy female gunfighter. Maybe she mistakes him for her target–or maybe he hires her as a bodyguard…
Do you get many fan letters or e-mails from all over the world?
I do! For the most part, people contact me on Facebook or by email. I love to hear from people from all over! I always answer–eventually! Unless they say something mean. Those get deleted unanswered. No apologies. I don’t believe in encouraging unkindness.
The cover design in Germany and the States has changed very much in the last few years. What are your views about the switch from the so-called „bodice rippers“ to more elegant and intriguing cover pictures?
Since I have no control over international covers, I am thrilled to see more tasteful treatment of my books. There is so much more between the covers of a romance than simply sex! There is drama and laughter and pain and joy–and yes, really hot sex!–and most of all, there is LOVE. In my opinion, this world needs all the love it can get!
In Germany part three of your „The Runaway Brides“-series,„Ein verruchter Lord“ (Scoundrel in my Dreams), has been published in May. What are you currently working on that your fans can look forward to?
In the U.S. I have recently released When She Said I Do, the first of my new series. The series is about the madcap Worthington family, who are a cross between the Bennets of Pride & Prejudice and the Weasleys of Harry Potter! The second book of the series, And Then Comes Marriage, will be released in the U.S. this summer. There are nine books planned, so I will be having fun with the Worthingtons for a good long time!
Are you an expert for the Regency era now that you’ve written so many novels set in that period or do you still research much?
I do some research for every book. I also like to refresh my memory by reading over my old notes from previous books about costume and conventions. Here’s a funny thing–I have given up on being accurate about Regency underthings because it was a time of „do your own thing.“ Some women wore corsets, some didn’t. Some men wore them! Some people wore no underwear at all, believing it to be unhealthy. Life was much less uniform than current American society. (I suspect we have all been homogenized by television.)
What escapist literature or comicbooks are you reading or what audiobooks are you listening to?
Favorite escapist literature? I love science fiction. I am currently rereading the works of H.G. Wells. My favorite comics are The Walking Dead, Catwoman and Planetary. I haven’t yet dipped into audiobooks except for the outstanding audio-edition of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series read by the amazing Alan Cumming.
Do you want to tell your readers something else?
I wonder if they want to hear about a romance author who fell in love? Yes, I am living the story right now! We’re so cute together that it makes my grown children roll their eyes.
Thank you for taking the time for this interview.
Thank you for being so patient with my deadlines. Remember, I am not organized! 🙂 I hope that everyone enjoys the final book of the Runaway Brides. It’s my favorite of that series!
