Interview with author Ashley March

This week's GAZETTE column features romance author Ashley March's SEDUCING THE DUCHESS. As promised to GAZETTE readers, below is the rest of my interview with March.

QUESTION: First of all, SEDUCING THE DUCHESS is your debut, right?
ANSWER: Yes, although it's actually the third book I've written. The first one I will hide forever, the second one won some awards in contests but wasn't quite "there" yet, and I finally seemed to find my voice with this one, the third.


QUESTION: What got you hooked on writing historical romance?
ANSWER: I've always loved reading historical romance. I think Gone with the Wind really did it for me, although it's not technically a romance. I love the sense of escapism with the different time period, and the opportunities to read/write about different scenarios than we would expect today. Also, I like being able to write about heroes that are more in touch with their masculine side than their feminine side, but who lay it all on the line for the women they love.

QUESTION: Some of my readers may not have read a romance for awhile, or maybe ever. Do you have any words that may convince them to give your romance a shot?
ANSWER: A lot of people who aren't familliar with romance think it's all about sex (probably because of some of the covers!). However, the romance genre varies from author to author; on one end of the spectrum there are "sweetheart" romances, with no sex at all, and on the other end are "erotica" romances, where the romance takes a backseat and sex is the most prominent. In my writing, the story is all about the characters. If there is sexual tension, it develops because of the characters and how the relationship/romance between them develops. Even the sex scenes are not inserted simply because most romances have them; they are intimate scenes between the hero and heroine which show something about their relationship. Because SEDUCING THE DUCHESS is a reconciliation story between a husband and wife, there is a delicate balance between the attraction they still feel for one another and the emotional tension. In the end, with every book I write, my goal is to make the reader feel as if he/she is falling in love right along with the hero and heroine--because to me, that's what writing romance is about.