A Bookchat about To Catch a Coronet with Grace Hitchcock

Grace Hitchcock joins us for a chat about her favorite time periods in history, favorite foods, writing heroes and heroines, and her latest release book. Don’t forget to enter to win a copy of this great book!

About the author

Grace Hitchcock is the author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives near New Orleans with her husband, Dakota, sons and daughter. Connect with her online at GraceHitchcock.com.

Let’s start with something fun.

What less-than-healthy food from your childhood do you still love to indulge in today?
Your blog makes it no secret you’re a fan of Jane Austen and the Regency era. What ignited your interest in the time period?
As a writer of romances, do you find it easier to write your male leads or your female leads?
Is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us or perhaps there is something God has laid on your heart that you would like to share with your readers?

About the book To Catch a Coronet

Sometimes the only way to outsmart a scandal is to find a crown big enough to silence it.

Muriel Beau, country baker turned heiress, can’t stop instigating outrage. She discards two arranged engagements, then further antagonizes Kent society by publicly proposing to a baron at a ball. His rejection leaves her with no choice but to flee to the city and to secure a coronet so splendid that her peers will forget her debacles. The glitter of the London courts convinces Muriel that it’s possible to find the future she dreams of, until she finds herself entangled in yet another escapade–one that may cost her more than her crumbling reputation.

After years of serving as a privateer under an assumed name, Captain Erik Draycott, heir to Draycott Castle and soon to assume his uncle’s title of Earl, returns to his London home to find it in disrepair thanks to his longtime nemesis. A staunch bachelor intent on returning to his ship, the captain is shocked when his mentor encourages him to take a wife. But while his alleged pauper status causes the potential London brides to turn their noses up at him, the ladies of Kent have no such qualms and are eager to fill his coffers with their fathers’ wealth.

Caught in a whirlwind of high society and high seas, Muriel and Erik navigate a risky undertaking that threatens their futures and creating stakes that soar above the masts of Erik’s ship. Will Muriel’s bold charm and Erik’s daring bravery be enough to outsmart the scandal and secure a future as glittering as the crown Muriel seeks?

Lead in: This has me picturing a Georgette Hyer-style regency escapade – spunky heroine getting herself in trouble, resistant-to-love hero, societal fumbles, and a splash of adventure. What more could you ask for?

So much of Regency drama revolves around the intricate societal rankings of the day. (Frankly, I’m still lost sometimes, and I consider myself a fan of the time.) Did you run across any surprising societal strictures while researching for this story?
Muriel seems like more than a match for the society snobs in spite of her humble origins, as they might say. Where did she get her determination?
In Jane Austen’s novels, for instance, there are vague references to men making their fortunes at sea and so forth. What was life really like for the men who lived at sea in service of His Majesty?
What’s next for your writing?

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