Book Details:
Book Title: Her Own Legacy, Book 1 of the Chateau de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 870 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Le Vin Press
Release date: Sep 2022
Tour dates: Mar 13 to Apr 3, 2026
Content Rating: PG-13 + M: No explicit sex scenes or bad language, but one of the main characters is illegitimate. Violence of the French Revolution included, but no gore.
A captivating tale of courage, betrayal, and resilience set against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution
To save her world, she must risk losing it.
Chateau Verzat’s vineyards have sustained generations, but ancient laws forbid unmarried women from inheriting land. Countess Joliette de Verzat secretly manages her estate, haunted by the fear of losing everything for herself and her people.
Revolution erupts, chaos descends. She risks her life to save her forbidden lover amidst the turmoil and flees to Paris where she uncovers a shocking truth: her illegitimate half-brother, Henri, is the rightful heir.
Now hunted by her father’s killer, Joliette must trust those she has saved to protect her and help her reclaim her legacy. But as she faces impossible choices and dangerous enemies, she must also confront her own desires and the true meaning of family.
For fans of strong women and forbidden romance, Her Own Legacy is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for self-determination. Experience the passion and turmoil of a woman defying tradition to claim her rightful place.
Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently.
A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. Her work has been honored with a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick, numerous awards--including: Winner Best Book Series, Page Turner Awards and the Independent Author Award, Runner Up, and many five-star reviews.
Interview
1. What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
London,
learning all about the city through Charles Dickens’s books. I’m currently working
on a Christmas romance that is set in London.
2. What is the first book that made you cry?
This
is not politically correct, but I first cried when Big Sam rescued Scarlett and
when Melanie died in “Gone with the Wind.”
3. Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing
thrills and energizes me. I’ve never been more creative in my life than right
now, where I have the luxury of writing whatever I please.
4. What is your writing Kryptonite?
I
was trained as an actress, and I use my experience in inhabiting my characters
to understand the depth of their myriad feelings.
5. Did you ever consider writing under a
pseudonym?
No.
I am proud of my work and want full credit.
6. What other authors are you friends with, and
how do they help you become a better writer?
I
am a member of the Historical Fiction Affinity Group of the Women’s Fiction Writers
Association and meet with my fellow members via Zoom once a week. These women,
some published, some not, are the most supportive and generous women I’ve ever
had the great good fortune to work with. We have worked together to write and
publish two anthologies, “Feisty Deeds” and “Feisty Deeds II, Batches and
Brews.” We share our experiences, support our triumphs and disappointments, and
enjoy each other’s company. It’s not a complete week for me without interacting
with this fabulous group of women, who are located all over the world.
7. Do you want each book to stand on its own, or
are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
When
I was working on “Her Own Legacy,” I thought I was working on a stand-alone
book. But a character insisted upon being in a scene no matter how I tried to
write him out of it. Finally, I asked him why he felt he had to be in that
scene, and he replied, “You need me in this scene for your next book.” You
should always listen to your characters. So, because I was so in love with my
characters and their struggles, I continued to write two more, “Her Own
Revolution,” and “Her Own War.” Each book stands on its own, but I believe
readers will get more out of each book if they read them in order.
My
characters also insisted I write a cookbook to include their recipes, which
appear at the end of all my books, and they threatened to stop speaking to me
if I didn’t. So, I wrote, “Soups of Château de Verzat: A Literary Cookbook
& Culinary Tribute to the French Revolution.” Hint, you can get a free
e-copy by signing up for my newsletter at: https://debraborchert.com/bonus/
I’m
currently working on “Christmas Romance at Château de Verzat,” which will serve
as a bridge to the next trilogy, which is news to me, as I thought I was
finished…
8. What authors did you dislike at first but grew
into?
Markus
Zusak, author of “The Book Thief.” When I first picked it up, I thought, “I
don’t want to read a book from the point of view of Death.” Then a few years
later, I was overwhelmed by the power of that book. It was my stepdaughter who
alerted me to the fact that a few years earlier, I hated it and didn’t finish
it. Lesson learned. Now, I give books more of a chance.
9. What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
“Oil
and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo,” by Stephanie Storey. How she
depicts Michelangelo finding the masterpiece within a flawed hunk of stone is
absolutely brilliant. I believe it is being developed into a film, and perhaps
the movie will bring more recognition to this fabulous book.
10. As a writer, what would you choose as your
mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
My
spirit animal is Clyde the whale.
11. How many unpublished and half-finished books
do you have?
I’ve
given up on only one book. I call it my practice book.
12. What did you edit out of this book?
When
I started writing, my protagonists were young children, but, as such, they
didn’t have agency. So, all the adorable kid stuff was edited out.
13. If you didn’t write, what would you do for
work?
I
love to cook, and I still design clothing and home furnishings, so I’d probably
have my own businesses doing those things for other people. I don’t think I
could ever return to corporate life.
14. Do you hide any secrets in your books that
only a few people will find?
For
people who know their French history, there will be things that resound with
them more deeply.
I
must add that when I saw “Hamilton,” I had the biggest laugh when King George
sings “I’m so blue,” because the word “blue” refers also to his illness, porphyria,
which causes blue urine and madness.
15. What is your favorite childhood book?
“Green Eggs and Ham,” by Dr. Seuss.
Connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads
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