Two Scandals Are Better Than One was the winner in the HISTORICAL ROMANCE category of the 2020 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Nancy Yeager.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Two Scandals Are Better Than One, published in May 2019
What’s the book’s first line?
“Edward Radcliffe, the Viscount Meriden, right and proper son of the Earl of Limely, adjusted his velvet face mask and looked out over the debauched scene in front of him.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
The right and proper Viscount Meriden is desperate for one wild night of abandon in his staid life. The virtuous Miss Luci Wagner is in search of her missing father. When these two old friends meet at a debauched house party, propriety is the last thing on their minds. To rescue her father, they go undercover in London’s seedy underworld where danger lurks around every corner and threats assail them from all sides. The only safe harbor is in each other’s arms, until the sparks between them threaten to ignite their long-denied passion.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The hero was actually the brother of a main character in the previous novel in my Victorian Romance series, One Kiss from Ruin. When I planned that book, Edward was arrogant, stodgy, and over-protective of his sister. But when I wrote the book, I realized the heavy burden of the duty to hold his fraying family together was taking on him, and I wanted him to get his own happily-ever-after story. And his leading lady was easy to spot: his sister’s beautiful and audacious best friend whom he has admired from afar for years.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The Viscount Meriden is a bit like Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. From outward appearances, he is stoic, proper, and always beholden to his duties as a peer of the British Realm. But underneath his cool exterior, he’s a kind and noble, devoted to his family, and pining for his secret crush, Luci, our heroine.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Readers who like fun historical romances with strong female characters are going to love this book. Edward, our hero, is charming, handsome, and devoted to our heroine, but she’s the one who saves the day (and Edward!).
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m a book coach, which means I help other writers with their novels. I have a one-month novel planning process I guide them through, and also offer ongoing feedback on their pages as they write their first draft.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
So much of writing isn’t actually writing! But whether I’m brainstorming, building my book plan, getting words on the page, or revising, I try to spend 25 hours a week on my creative projects, which is about half my work hours.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Being an indie means being in charge of every aspect of my career, which is exhilarating and liberating, but also at times overwhelming. Because I wear all the hats in my business, there’s always something more I could be doing, and it makes it difficult to have down time or to ever be off the clock.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Recently, I read Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea. I don’t write in that genre (magical realism), but I there was something about the story that made me wish I had been part of planning it and bringing it to life. The intricately layered structure is a thing of beauty, and I just love untangling the mystery of what makes a story like that work. Maybe it’s not even so much that I wish I’d written it, but I would have loved to be a brainstorming partner or book coach on the project!