Welcome to Jen’s Jewels, where we dive into the glittering world of literature to uncover hidden gems and sparkling treasures. This week, we have the pleasure of delving into the enchanting realm of historical romance with acclaimed author Rachel Brimble, whose latest release, DRESSING THE COUNTESS, promises to whisk readers away to a captivating world of royal courts, forbidden love, and daring ambition. Join me as we embark on a journey through the opulent halls of Henlow House, where secrets abound, and hearts are destined to collide.   Jennifer Vido: Congratulations on your latest release! What inspired you to write DRESSING THE COUNTESS? Rachel Brimble: The main inspiration with all my books lies in my obsession with history, especially the Victorian and Edwardian periods, but Dressing the Countess was an extra indulgence as it’s set in a royal court… albeit a fictional one! I am mad about British royalty, both past and present, so I loved writing this book from beginning to end. The story itself was inspired by the amazing royal dresses I saw at an exhibition in Bath, England a few years ago – I was just waiting for the right heroine to come along…   Jen: The…

The market is full of romance books – mainstream romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, medical romance, cowboy romance…the list goes on. So how does a romance writer attempt to stand out from the crowd? To keep her or his precious readers interested and anticipating their next release? I am lucky enough to write three romance sub-genres for two different publishers – I write Victorian romance for eKensington/Lyrical press, mainstream romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin Superromance. The fact that I get to alternate between the three keeps me interested as a writer and, I hope, keeps my readers looking forward to seeing what type of romance releases next. As I am currently writing my sixteenth novel, the issue of what keeps my writing fresh is a big one. I hope because I live so close to where my Victorian books are set and that Bath is a different city from London, I bring a different feel and atmosphere than many other historical romances. For my contemporary work, I am the first author to have books in the Harlequin Superromance line with all British characters in a British setting. Again, I hope this makes my books different than others on offer….