With this week's guest, Sydney Jane Baily, I am back in historical country, in the elegant years following the American Civil War.
When an editor turns her hand to writing...
Welcome to my parlour, Sydney. George will pour for us. What is
your preference for tea?
Usually, I like a
strong Irish tea, like Barry’s Gold. I let it steep for about four minutes, add
a teaspoon of honey, and a goodly splash of whole milk. (Unless it’s evening,
then let’s have a Long Island Iced Tea!) (AS: I have come across this habit of putting honey in tea with a few of my American guests... I suppose it's no different from a lump of sugar!)
You write wonderful historical romances set
in nineteenth century America (is it correct to call it Victorian when talking
about stories set in the US?)? This is a
period we think we know from westerns and other Hollywood movies but what is it
about this period that sparks your passion?
It’s not normally
called Victorian, no. It seems that this genre is now generally referred to as
Americana. It’s a bit tricky to classify because my time period, 1870s and
1880s, is after the Civil War, so it’s not a Civil War romance, nor is it a Western
though there are elements of Westerns in my stories. A cowboy may happen
through or one of my heroes may enjoy riding horses. Still, if a reader wants a
true Western, he or she would be looking in the wrong book. My characters spend
as much time on trains and in hotels and, as they do on horses and in saloons.
This late
nineteenth-century period is one of tremendous ingenuity and growth in America.
Trains crisscross the country and meet in the middle, making travel easier and
faster. Telephones are finding a place in businesses and homes. Gas lamps are
giving way to electricity.
If we were
transported back in time, we’d find these people to be very modern and
extremely familiar. For me, as a storyteller, I like to set my characters in a
time period when I know they will have a great life. The country has gone
through a terrible war on home turf but it’s nearly 20 years in the past, and
WWI is in the distant future. It is a safe yet exciting time with loads of
opportunity. And I absolutely love the fashion. I spend way too much time researching
the clothing; there are so many examples that still survive. Even as the
silhouette and the bustle change over the decades, the women maintain a look
that is elegant, stylish, and simply beautiful. The men have some good choices,
too. I love a man in a duster (long coat), but I also think their dress suits,
morning suits, and vests are equally attractive.
You have come from a background in
publishing and editing. When did the bug to write your own stories hit and what
made you decided to choose the indie publishing route?
I am a late bloomer
as far as finally getting published is concerned. I wrote a novel at age 17 (about
100,000 words) and kept on writing ever since. However, I let myself get
distracted by life, including college, grad school, publishing career on the
other side of the desk, marriage, children, pets. You name it, I would put it
first. And when I was a production editor for college textbooks, I simply could
not look at a computer screen at night to write my fiction.
I didn’t seem to have
the discipline to write regularly and follow through with finding an agent or a
publisher. I wrote my first historical romance about fifteen years ago and sent
it off by snail mail. I even had some interested parties, but it was a busy
time in my life. Within a few years, I had two children under three. I kept
putting writing on the back burner. I wrote a contemporary novel a few years
back and started shopping it around. Again, I had interest. But in the back of
my mine, my historical was my best work, and I knew it needed another chance. I
decided to self-publish. I followed it with two more historicals featuring family
members from the first book, and I have just completed a prequel to this
series.
My big news, however,
is that I recently signed with a publisher, EPW, which is re-publishing my
first three books, as well as producing the recently completed prequel and
as-yet unwritten fourth book. They were impressed enough with my reviews to
offer me a contract. After the fourth book, I have an idea for an Edwardian
historical romance with a tortured hero who simply won’t leave me alone. I
can’t wait to write his story.
You are the power behind “Cat Whiskers Studio” which offers website and editing services to writers as well as being a
small press in its own right. What led
you to set this service up?
 |
| Why Cat Whisker Studio? Because cat whiskers are really lucky— even luckier if the cat is still attached. |
As a freelance editor
since 1994, I worked for many publishers, mostly handling non-fiction projects.
Eventually, I began to dabble in website design. I created Cat Whisker Studio
as an umbrella company for all my freelance work, both for websites and for
publishing services. Up until recently, I used my own imprint, Cat Whisker Press, to publish my books, but as mentioned above, I’m going to try an outside
publisher and see how it goes.
(To find out more about Sydney's Author services at Cat Whiskers Studio, click HERE)
I am assuming you are a cat person? Tell me
about the cats in your life?
 |
| The girls |
Oh, the cats in my
life! I have been truly blessed. I have been loved by some splendid felines,
and I have loved them wholeheartedly in return. My first cat, Sandy, we got
when I was 13 years old. I had her through high school, college, grad school,
about eight moves or more, and even getting married. She passed away 17 years
later (though we don’t know her true age as she was a shelter kitty). She was a
bold, fearless, orange tabby—a great hunter and an awesome companion. We had a
special connection, and I am so grateful to have had her in my life.
 |
| Leo taking it easy... |
My husband and I
found Leo, a buff-colored Maine coon, under our lilac tree one winter; never a
hunter, he was starving and had frostbite, and he was very happy to come in
from the cold. I didn’t want to get as attached to him as I had to Sandy, so we
got a kitten from the shelter to keep Leo company. Chloe was an all-black, part
Siamese, super smart talkative girl. She wanted to live on my shoulder or on my
lap, and I let her as much as possible. As it turned out, I got just as
attached, and Chloe decided early on that I was her special person. Calm and
dignified, Leo passed in 2012, and Chloe passed at age 19, two days before
Christmas this past year (2013). I am reeling a bit as my animal family has
been quite decimated.
 |
| Perry and old Chloe |
We still have two
cats, Sabby (16 lbs. of tuxedo cat) and Coco Puff (fluffy craziness), each
adopted from a shelter, one for each of my children. They are unique and
loveable, but I haven’t got the same connection. I suppose that lightning
cannot strike too many times in the case of cat/human love.
I also have my very
first dog ever, Perry, a rescue from Tennessee, part Beagle (in the face), part
“you name it and someone says he is it”: Australian shepherd, Border collie,
feathered-tail spaniel. Who knows? But a smart, herding, silky-furred, and
active dog. He has added a different dimension of unconditional love. I’m
thrilled to have him in my office every day and, of course, he makes me walk
(or run) the way the cats never have.
(AS: Thanks for sharing the stories of your animals! I would not be without my feline companions)
You have a series of three (the
Sanborn-Malloy series) what was the inspiration and the links in this series?
I already mentioned
the first book in the series which I wrote years ago; I rewrote An Improper Situation and published it
in October of 2012. That story of a female writer in the 1880s—isolated,
secluded, and not traditionally marriage-minded, nor maternal—came to me with
the idea of a man and two children suddenly showing up on Charlotte’s doorstep
in a small-town in Colorado. I had to figure out who they are. Turns out they
are from urban Boston, and they need her as much as she needs them. One of the
hero’s sisters inspired my second book, An Irresistible Temptation. Sophie is a classical pianist with a broken heart
who crosses the country to find her destiny and, of course, true love. Charlotte’s
brother stars in the third book, An Inescapable Attraction, when he reconnects with a love from his past on a
wild race-and-escape story with trains, riverboats, and horses, gamblers, gun
fights, and sexy romance.
Thank you so much, Alison
(and George) for allowing me to take tea with you. One last thing: I read all
genres of historicals while I’m on my exercise bike, including medieval,
highlander, and regencies. I would love to hear from readers of your blog about
their favorite time periods.
AN IMPROPER SITUATION by Sydney Jane Baily
With her chestnut hair and striking green
eyes, Charlotte should be the catch of Spring City, CO. But she wears her
independence like an impenetrable suit of armor, cloaking her identity behind
her male nom de plume. A 24-year-old
confirmed spinster, she won’t risk heartbreak; that is, until a handsome
stranger arrives.
Boston lawyer Reed Malloy has a solemn mission—deliver
two orphaned children to their Colorado cousin. He's not prepared for Charlotte
being utterly beguiling, or for her flat-out refusal to raise her kin. It will
take some firsthand persuasion to complete his legal duty and resolve more
tantalizing issues.
When Charlotte forsakes everything familiar
and is welcomed into the high society of the Boston Brahmins, concealed malice,
sinister forces and scorned women emerge. With passions
ablaze, Reed and Charlotte find themselves in a very Improper Situation.
Available at: Amazon
For all 3 Sanborn- Malloy books visit Sydney's Amazon page
About Sydney Jane Baily
Join Sydney and I for a discussion on your favourite historical period and Sydney will giveaway a copy of an Improper Situation to a randomly drawn commenter.
AS: No prizes for me... but of course my favourite historical period is the English Civil War... but I do find American history interesting partly because of the parallels with Australian history (without the wars!). Having had ancestors who fought in both the American War of Independence and the American Civil War, I think I am about as American as the next person... :-)
