CLOSER TO SIN by Elizabeth Squire Giveaway & Interview

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CLOSER TO SIN

Elizabeth Squire

Released April 15th, 2016

Escape Publishing

Elizabeth Squire brings a fresh voice to historical romance in this tale of intrigue and passion.

CLOSER TO SIN

Liliane Desailly travels to Napoleonic France after receiving a plea for help from her French cousin. She learns she is the key to fulfilling her grandfather’s legacy, but to do so she must masquerade as a spy and courier secrets on behalf of the British Admiralty.

Sinclair Charlcroft is the British Admiralty’s last hope. Napoleon’s Grande Armée is poised to invade Britain, an English spy is missing and a traitor has infiltrated the Admiralty’s intelligence network.

Pursued by Napoleon’s agents, Liliane and Sinclair cannot reveal their true identities until they unlock the secrets of the legacy—and only then can they unlock the secrets in their hearts.

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Elizabeth Squire’s love of writing romance couldn’t be further from the life she had carved out for herself. Raised in outback and rural Australia, Elizabeth was determined to live a life vibrant with passion, travel, adventure and discovery—other than the one she had already lived through the pages of the innumerable she read and loved. And so, turning her back on a life in the bush, she invested a lot of years chasing her dreams—she enjoyed a career as a commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy, and counts white-water rafting the Zambezi River, travelling by safari truck through Africa, and back-packing through Eastern Europe with her young family as just a few of her many adventures.

But amongst the adventure, the urge to write intensified as story lines and dialogue continued to materialize from the recesses of her mind. She finally accepted that the voices in her head were really characters enmeshed in the tumultuous Georgian and Regency periods, vying for life on paper.

After a nomadic lifestyle, Elizabeth has now settled into her own home and loves nothing better than bringing her passionate heroines and daring rakes to life. She lives with her own hero and one true love, two beautiful daughters and two delinquent miniature long-haired dachshunds. Closer to Sin is Elizabeth’s debut novel.

Q&A with Deal Sharing Aunt

Thank you for inviting me to share the release of ‘Closer To Sin’ with you, it is such a delight to be here.

Where are you from?

I’m Australian, but beyond that, the question ‘Where are you from?’ is one that I’ve never quite known how to answer. My father was a mining engineer, so I grew up in mining communities from outback Western Australia, to rural New South Wales. And then I embarked on my own career, as a naval officer—moving from one Australian city to another every couple of years. During that time I also followed my husband on a posting to Richmond, Virginia USA where I enjoyed the opportunity to immerse myself the American way of life. For now, I have put down roots in Canberra, Australia’s capital city—the concept of staying anywhere for any length of time is foreign to me, but I think I’m beginning to like it!

Tell us your latest news?

Well I’m super exited to be promoting my debut novel ‘Closer To Sin’! These past few weeks have been a whirlwind, with more than a few ‘pinch myself’ moments.

When and why did you begin writing?

I have always dabbled with words, and I’ve always harbored a dream of becoming an author, but it was about ten years ago that I decided to apply myself more seriously to that pursuit. At that point in time I was on a ‘career break’ as I traded managing sailors for managing two small toddlers—it was the obvious time to plot a new course.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think it was during that moment when I was signing my contract with Escape Publishing that I finally began to believe that I truly could call myself a writer. I didn’t want to be seen as presumptuous, after all!

What inspired you to write your first book?

I love high concept historical romances, especially spy tropes, and I adore stories that feature strong women and a deeply passionate love between two people. Stories that carry you on an emotional journey—and having lived a less than conventional life myself, Liliane’s story called to me. And then, of course, there was Sin…

Do you have a specific writing style?

I love to incorporate sharp, witty dialogue into my writing, I think with a few words a character can tell us so much more about themselves than an author’s narrative. For example, in ‘Closer To Sin’, Sinclair tells Liliane his name: ‘Just Sin, sweetheart, pure and simple.’ In just those few words it tells us so much about who Sinclair is.

How did you come up with the title?

The title was quite simple actually, ‘Closer To Sin’ is a play on Sinclair’s name.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I think the message in the novel is one of taking responsibility for your actions. Liliane is quite impetuous and headstrong, and perhaps even a little selfish in her failure to see that despite the purity of her motivations, her actions have consequences that impact on those around her. But, her redemption is that once she sees the error of her ways, she does all she can to set everything right—even if means sacrificing her own happiness. Taking responsibility for your actions is a message that I am quite passionate about – my two daughters will tell you that I am always talking about the need to stop and consider the impact of their actions on other people, and the need to be accountable. But that’s the voice of my alter ego and her day-job coming through!

How much of the book is realistic?

The challenge with writing a historical novel is balancing historical fact with entertainment, and writing something that whilst not real, is definitely plausible. In ‘Closer To Sin’, my research indicated that is plausible that HMS Dreadnought was patrolling the English Channel during those months leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805, and certainly most of the locations are real. It’s surprising where you can travel with Google Earth! As for Liliane masquerading as a French agent? Well, you just never know…

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Unfortunately no. Well, apart from being very well acquainted with mal de mer! Although if I ever have the opportunity to time travel then the Regency is definitely an era I would love to live in for a period of time.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Oh gosh, this is going to sound very nerdy, but I will have to say: Roget’s Thesaurus! What that book can do with just 26 little letters opens up a world of possibilities for a writer!

What would you like my readers to know?

Thank you stopping by to read my interview, and please drop by my website or Facebook Author page and say hello.

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