SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Robecca Austin!

Joining me today in The Loft is author Robecca Austin. Robecca writes historical romance and billionaire romance stories. She enjoys crafting tales of sassy heroines and alpha heroes with soft centers and in her books, there is always a happily-ever-after. Robecca enjoys being outside enjoying nature and lots of sunshine--when there are no bugs. A Cystic Fibrosis warrior, Robecca lives and works in Canada.

S: Good morning, Robecca. Thanks for joining me in The Loft!

If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose to write books?

R: Yes! I adore creating stories and bringing characters to life. Perhaps, I would have started earlier in the self-publishing arena and would have been more strategic in relation to the business side of writing.

S: I think the business side stumps us all in the beginning. I was shocked to learn that I had to market my books.

Do you write in other genres?

R: My published books are all romance, either billionaire contemporary or regency historical.

S: As a writer, did the pandemic and the subsequent isolation work to your benefit or detriment?

R: Honestly, I think a bit of both. I met fantastic readers and authors through online conferences and reader events. And because I was home, I really got to take my time getting to know everyone. As a writer, I can take or leave mingling, but until 2020, the choice was mine to make. In other aspects, I think my mental health did suffer. I currently experience monthly--sometimes more often--migraines which impact my writing schedule. That said, I am fortunate, many were affected in ways they have still not and may never recover from.

S: What do people get wrong about romance?

R: Especially in books, many think romance is just about sex. Romance is about trust, honesty, and that undeniable spark between the characters or people. The spark that makes your skin tingle or has you checking your phone every five minutes hoping the other person will say I miss you. Great sex is just a bonus.

S: I agree. There is so much more to romance and it puzzles me that some don't understand that. Hopefully, romance books point the way.

Have you ever tried online dating?

R: Heaven’s no. Could you imagine me in two-inch pumps --because that’s the highest I’ll wear outside the bedroom--sitting at the bar or a restaurant and the man that shows up doesn’t match the profile picture? Once you set an expectation you better meet it or beat it. And after a disappointing night, I would have to go home and take it out on my hero. And no one wants that.

S: What inspired "The Captain's Lady?"

R: I fell in love with regency stories very early on and couldn’t wait to tell one of my own. Nicholas’s character fulfilled a long-held dream to write a story featuring a Scottish seaman.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "The Captain’s Lady?"

R: My favorite character in this story is Cassie. She is the adoptive daughter of our hero of the high seas, Nicholas. She reminded me of my daughter’s incorrigible side. Cassie is smart--both her mouth and her intellect--and everyone seems to fall in love with her.

Here's the blurb--

Lady Isabella Pennington’s life is mired in scandal, but not of her own making.

As London’s gentry bask in her heartache, she devises a plan to avoid another disastrous engagement. But those plans go awry as she struggles to forget the rogue Captain Nicholas years after the passionate afternoon they spent together.

Her intention to adhere to societal demands is admirable but short-lived when Nicholas shocks everyone by asking for her hand in marriage. What unfolds leaves Lady Isabella torn between societal expectations and her long-held desire.

Captain Nicholas is far from an aristocrat yet is held in high regard in some circles. With his attention focused on Lady Isabella, it’s all she can do to resist the handsome devil. Will a marriage of convenience be a means to a much-coveted end, or will it lead to another humiliating failure for Lady Isabella?