Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Harper! Congrats on the release of THE LADY TEMPTS AN HEIR. What do you love about writing novels set during the Gilded Age?
Thank you so much for inviting me to Fresh Fiction. I’m thrilled to be here to discuss The Lady Tempts an Heir. By far, the best thing about writing books set during the Gilded Age is the research. I love the history of the time and how accessible it is to us. There are so many primary sources such as newspaper articles, journals, and even photographs from the period that help me set the mood for my stories. A close second is the fashion. The gowns were so gorgeous and extravagant. I can easily lose a day of writing by researching what my characters would be wearing in a particular scene.
Maxwell Crenshaw has been content living in New York but must go back to England after vowing he’d never return when his father takes ill. How do you think returning to his family estate changes Maxwell’s outlook on life so far, especially after he sees Helena again?
By this point in his life, and after dealing with his parents social-climbing maneuverings in the previous two books, he has a pretty good idea of the lengths his parents will go to get what they want. Yet, he’s still surprised when his father issues his horrible ultimatum. It’s then that he finally realizes that the future of his family’s business and even the legacy of the Crenshaw name rests in his hands. It’s time for him to step up and assume the role of family patriarch. Seeing Helena again goes a long way to helping him realize that he’s ready for this step, especially if she can be beside him as he assumes his place. She gives him the strength to finally attempt to wrestle the reins of Crenshaw Iron from the grip of his father.
Lady Helena March is a young widow and has no intention of marrying again. Was it fun writing about a widow during this time in history? What were some of the things Helena could do that your previous heroines could not?
Writing a widow in this time period is very freeing. My previous heroines were always, always chaperoned, so it made it very difficult to figure out how to get them from one private conversation or interlude to another. I always had to write a third character into the scene and then figure out a way to get rid of them. Helena was able to be her own woman and to come and go as she pleased. In many ways, she retained her own personhood, that my earlier heroines didn’t have. She was able to control her own money; she could sign contracts; she decided where she lived. It was very eye-opening all the things she was able to do.
THE LADY TEMPTS AN HEIR is a fake engagement storyline (one of my favs)! Do you have any favorite fake engagement novels that you highly recommend?
- THE EX-TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon is one that I read recently and really enjoyed. It’s a little different in that the hero and heroine pretend that they are exes in order to do a radio talk show. It’s a fun spin on the trope.
- THE DUKE AND I by Julia Quinn is a must-read for anyone who loves historical romance.
- A WEEK TO BE WICKED by Tessa Dare, another must-read for anyone who loves historical romance and is a fan of wit and steam in their romances
You’ve written in a variety of genres and historical time periods. Is there a genre you haven’t written in yet that you want to tackle one day? What is your favorite period to set your novels in?
I love the 1920s, so I’m sure that one day I’ll get the itch to write something set then. In some ways it mirrored the Gilded Age. It was a post war era with a booming economy and lots of opulence. The fashions were richly detailed and vivid. The music was changing and absolutely amazing. There were also social changes, just like we saw in the Gilded Age. Women’s suffrage, prohibition, and even contraceptives were all big issues at the time. You also had a lot more women entering the work force. It’s just such a vivid backdrop for a story.
So far, my favorite period for my novels is the Gilded Age. That just goes back to all the things that were happening at the time, particularly social and economic changes. Women were gaining more autonomy and entire families were making their fortunes in a single generation. The stories practically write themselves because there is such a rich history then.
Can you let us know what you have coming out next?
I’m currently working on book four in The Gilded Age Heiresses series. It’s titled THE DUCHESS TAKES A HUSBAND and features Camille, Duchess of Hereford who appeared in the first three books in the series. I’m so happy to finally be giving her a well-deserved happily-ever-after.
Rapid Fire Random Questions
Dragons or unicorns: Dragons, my daughter was born in the year of the dragon, so we call her our baby dragon
Five people you’d invite to your book club (dead, alive, fictional, etc.!): Oscar Wilde, Lisa Kleypas, Mary Shelley, Violet Crenshaw (she’s a writer from my book The Devil and the Heiress), my grandfather
Some of your auto-buy authors: Lisa Kleypas, Evie Dunmore, Helen Hoang, Mimi Matthews, Lauren Willig
Favorite flower: All of them. I love flowers because they’re a bright and cheerful part of nature that you can bring inside. If I had to pick one, maybe tulips, but I love them all.
Earliest celebrity crush: Patrick Swayze and solely due to Dirty Dancing which I watched way too many times growing up. lol
Random interesting fact you like to tell people: Tiffany is an actual historical name and not anachronistic. It was used as a girl name in medieval times. It’s an interesting fact that’s a great example of the things we think we know about history not always being accurate.
Hobbies you have (aside from reading and writing): This question makes me realize I need more hobbies. Lol! I love coloring and have started to dabble in painting, but I am terrible, like legitimately terrible and not humble brag terrible.
Dream vacation: An extended European tour with my family where I drag them to tour every castle and estate.
Sweet or salty snacks: Salty, especially potato chips of any flavor
You have a totally free afternoon - no deadlines, no obligations, no Twitter notifications! What do you do? Read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Exciting times! lol
The Gilded Age Heiresses #3
Tall, dark, and brooding—to say that American Maxwell Crenshaw stood out in the glittering ballrooms of London is an understatement. He vowed never to set foot in England again, but when a summons from his father along with an ultimatum to secure his legacy has him crossing the Atlantic for the last time, reuniting him with the delectable Lady Helena March, he can’t deny the temptation she presents. Or the ideas she inspires…
Lady Helena March is flirting with scandal. Instead of spending her time at teas and balls in search of another husband, as is expected of a young widow, Helena pours her energy into The London Home for Young Women. But Society gives no quarter to unmarried radicals who associate with illegitimate children and fallen women, and Helena’s funding is almost run out. So when the sinfully seductive Crenshaw heir suggests a fake engagement to save them both—him from an unwanted marriage and her from scorn and financial ruin—Helena finds herself too fascinated to refuse the sexy American.
As their arrangement of convenience melts oh so deliciously into nights of passion, their deception starts to become real. But if Max knew the true reason Helena can never remarry, he wouldn’t look at her with such heat in his eyes. Or might the Crenshaw heir be willing to do whatever it takes to win the one woman he’s never been able to forget…
Romance Historical [Berkley, On Sale: February 22, 2022, Mass Market Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593197240 / eISBN: 9780593197257]
Harper St. George was raised in rural Alabama and along the tranquil coast of northwest Florida. It was a setting filled with stories of the old days that instilled in her a love of history, romance, and adventure. By high school, she had discovered the romance novel which combined all of those elements into one perfect package. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two young children.
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