BLOG TOUR: Counting on a Countess by Eva Leigh

Yay! Welcome to Day 4 of the Counting on a Countess Blog Tour!

I'm delighted to have you here for this, my first ever Blog Tour. I'm a Blog Tour virgin!

Counting on a Countess is the second book in Eva Leigh's Scandalous Ladies of London series, the first being From Duke Till Dawn.

For this occasion, I had the opportunity to ask the wonderful Eva Leigh about the series, her writing and which book she wishes she'd written!

Welcome to the blog! What can you tell me about the Scandalous Ladies of London series?

Regency London was a much more dynamic place than we realize! There was Almack’s and White’s, but there was a whole underworld full of fascinating people. I wanted to write a series that explored different aspects of that underworld, and I wanted to make my heroines the shady characters.

What made you write about the more unusual, underground aspects of Regency life - especially the scandalous ladies themselves?

I love that the high and low mixed together, and that the borders between the two were constantly shifting. Those liminal places are where stories happen. When it came to writing a romance that turned its gaze toward the in-between people and places, I wanted to focus on what it was like to be both a woman and someone who didn’t adhere to societal expectations and regulations. Resistance and nonconformity have always existed, so I wanted to turn the camera towards them.

Where did you get your inspiration for this series?

I love stories set in places that we don’t often see in historical romance, and I also wanted to see if I could write heroines who have moral complexity.

What kind of heroes are in these books - that can handle and love these unusual ladies?

Oh, yes! For me, the heroes have to appreciate all the aspects of what makes the heroines exceptional. They have to admire and support them. So while my heroes wear tall boots and cut dashing figures in Society, they’re also men who recognize the importance of a strong and unique partner. No matter what, my heroes are never misogynists. That’s not sexy to me, or a man who needs to be redeemed by love. And yes, there were men even then who believed in the equality between the sexes. That is definitely sexy.

What’s next for the series? Are we going to see Langdon’s story?

Most assuredly. Keep an eye on Langdon and Amina. They’ll get their HEA in Dare To Love a Duke. Be forewarned, their book is extremely sexy.

If you could become any of your heroines from any of your books, and live their story, which would you choose and why?

Honestly, I’m pretty accustomed to being me, though I love aspects of all of my heroines. Cassandra (from From Duke Till Dawn) is a survivor, and Tamsyn (from Counting On a Countess) is extraordinarily brave, so those are qualities I’d love to embrace in myself.

Did you always want to become a writer?

Yes! Almost immediately after learning how to read, I started writing. One of my earliest book-length projects, written when I was eleven, included a fantasy epic based on the musical Cats, followed by what we would call “fan fiction” centred around the group Duran Duran. I’m from the Eighties—could you tell? ;)

I went through a few different permutations, thinking I might become a book illustrator, a costume designer, a dramaturge, or an academic, but I always came back to writing, because I never stopped.

Which romance book do you wish you’d written?

I love the wit of Tessa Dare, and the beauty and insight of Julie Anne Long. And I wouldn’t be upset if I, and not Jane Austen, had written Persuasion.

If you got transported to the Regency - which three modern inventions or things would you miss the most?

My contact lenses, my medications, and chocolate bars.

Looking back to when you were a new author - what piece of advice would you give yourself from everything you’ve learned to date?

Keep going. You’ll face many setbacks and pivots and reinventions, but don’t stop, because the struggle is worth it.

Thank you for joining us, Eva, and for answering the questions. I for one cannot wait to read Dare to Love a Duke!

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To read my reviews of From Duke Till Dawn and Counting on a Countess,

click on the book covers below.