Great post, Regina! (See two blogs down!) I share your love of history. In fact, when I’m not crafting torrid love scenes for my current short story or novel, I’m digging around in the county archives, piecing together yet another glimpse into local history.

The glory of writing historical romance is that no matter what’s been lost in the passage of time, authors get to invent the missing pages. Mix one part historical fact and one part passionate characters, and alchemy takes over. Suddenly the rolling green hills of southern England become a battlefield bloodied by warriors of Briton and Rome, and a young woman finds herself tied by the wrists to the tent post of the Roman commander.

Aside from studying the politics, fashions, and lifestyles of a historical period, my greatest pleasure is burrowing into the mindset of the people who lived in those days. Are there any significant differences between a young woman in love today and a young woman of 100 AD? What are those differences, and how do they affect the story she has to tell? These kinds of details lead me to stare out my home office window and watch trees move in the wind as her life takes shape in my mind.

Success for me is to write a story that not only entertains and informs about a specific time in history, but also spotlights a key element in human relationships. One of my works in progress is a series of novels centered on a female outlaw from the 1890s who dressed in men’s clothes, stole horses, and managed to break out of jail four times before disappearing into the last dusty years of the old West. What was she about?

My published works—so far—are erotic romances set in modern times and heavy on the BDSM. My most recent release, the Jarrod Bancroft series, delves into the story of a man who explores submission but can’t quite stifle his dominant tendencies. Get started free with Book I. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/383857

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Lizzie Ashworth blogs at her website at www.lizzieashworth.com For regular updates, check her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/liz.ashworth.524