ℚ Silk and Scars: Silk [3] - Cassandra Dean

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Cassandra Dean to talk about Silk & Scars (2 June 2015, Decadent Publishing, 102 pages) a sweet early Victorian romance, and the third instalment of the Silk series.

"A gem!  SILK AND SCARS is a very enjoyable historical romance, complete with the heightened angst and delicious tension that I love.  I see shades of Beauty and the Beast in this story, but definitely better than the fairy tale." - Ashia
for TheRomanceReviews.com

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

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A big welcome to Cassandra Dean, thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

What was the inspiration for Silk and Scars?

"SILK & SCARS is part of my Silk Series, books set in the Early Victorian era which feature a hero/heroine who loves the law and the person who will be their happily ever after.

With this book, I wanted to make the heroine the law-loving person and thus Gwendolyn Parkes, law scribe, was born. Gwen is facing many challenges, not the least of which is she is unable to study the law, let alone practice it, due to the strictures placed upon her gender at that time.  She is lucky enough to gain employment as a scribe, but is very aware it could all be taken away from her with little notice.

For her hero, I wanted the story to be a little Beauty and the Beast and so I conceived of a blustery, arrogant beast of a man, horribly scarred and horribly arrogant.  Hmm.  Yeah.  This didn’t last long!  Edward, Duke of Sowrith, became a sensitive, quiet man whose terrible shyness makes him appear cold and arrogant.

All the books in the Silk Series begin and end with letters, so I had Gwen accidently send Edward a letter and from there a friendship was born.  A friendship that could quite possibly become love, should they meet, and one day Edward decides they should meet…"

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"In my opinion, it can’t help but be a reflection of me!  Everything is through the filter of my brain, so little bits and pieces of me crop up (ew…that sounds kind gross).  Edward’s sensitivity and introvert tendencies are totally me, while Gwen’s humour and passion also make up my personality.  My thoughts and beliefs are all over this book, which I hope will resonate with readers!"

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover.  Can you tell us about your cover for Silk & Scars - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I’ve been very lucky with all my covers at Decadent Publishing.  As SILK & SCARS is the third in the series, we’ve kept all the covers similar to signify this.  I had little to do with the concept apart from loving it once the artist, Tibbs Designs, had created it!"

Why should we read Silk & Scars and what sets it apart from the rest?  What makes your book unique?

"My books are, to state the obvious, written by me and no one else can claim that!  Heh. Seriously, though, my books contain my spin on romance, my sense of humour, my beliefs.  I will always write about female empowerment and male respect for such, I will always make my characters compliment each other, and I will always show them falling in love.  In my opinion, there’s nothing worse than the Insta-Love that occupies some stories.  I WANT to see the heroine and hero interact, I WANT to see what they find special about each other, I WANT to see exactly why they think the other is awesome. I strive to make this obvious in all my books."

Can you tell us something quirky about Silk & Scars, its story and characters?

"Well, as I said before, Edward was supposed to be a gruff, growly character but soon morphed into a shy, sensitive guy.

As SILK & SCARS is set in Dartmoor, I put in a tiny reference to The Hound of the Baskervilles"

Who would you recommend Silk & Scars to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend my books to anyone who wants the experience of falling in love, with a little bit of history thrown in.

As for what readers should be aware of, the Silk Series is a series of sweet romances (kisses only, peeps!)"

If you could / wished to turn Silk & Scars and the Silk series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Well, I just love Joss Whedon and would be ecstatic to one day work with him, but I’m not sure if he’d be right for my books…ah stuff it, why not?? So Joss Whedon to co-write and direct, Chris Evans and Michael Fassbender to act (because they are delicious), Hayley Atwell and Charlize Theron to act (just because I’d LOVE to meet them), the wilds of Dartmoor, the depths of London, the green of Cambridge…oh wow, that would be pretty awesome!"

Joss Whedon is eclectic - it would make it work and it would be fab!
**uhm.. Captain America...**...  right...!

What do you like to write and read about?  Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I really love historical romances. Something about the romanticisation of the period really appeals to me. Consequently, I write historicals, but I jump around in the periods. I have Ancient Rome, Victorian England, the Old American West…I’ve also written a fantasy romance, set in a made up country! I would love to write a steampunk/paranormal series and have an idea. One day I’ll write it…

I love to read just about anything. If it’s got a good story, I’ll give it a crack! "

What is your writing process?

"I find I’m a weird combination of plotter and pantser. I like to have a general outline of each chapter, but that usually goes by the wayside once I actually start writing! "

What is in store next?

"Next up is SILK & SCHOLAR, book four in the Silk Series and featuring Gwen’s friend Etta and her nemesis, Professor Christopher Hiddleston. Christopher writes Gothic novels and is looking to branch into detective novels, which annoys Etta to no end as he’s discarded his law degree, the one thing she wants above everything else…"

I had a look at your various social networking sites and I found a picture of you which I simply LOVE, and it seems to fit beautifully the personality that has been shining through in everything I have seen from you (including this Q&A)... so I hope you do not mind me sharing it here... I think it is great!

Maleficent

Thank you so much for talking to us, Cassandra.  Have a great blog tour!

"Thanks for having me!"

Silk & Scars - available NOW!

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