SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Author Ruth A. Casie!

Joining me today in The Loft is USA Today Best Selling Author Ruth A. Casie. Ruth writes historical adventures from the shores of medieval Scotland to the cobblestone streets of Regency London. Within her pages, you’ll discover ‘edge-of-your-seat’ suspense, mind- boggling drama, and heart-melting emotions featuring strong women and the men who deserve them. Ruth is one of five Timeless Scribes. They write short stories and publish them in holiday and summer anthologies.

Author Ruth A. Casie

S: Good morning, Ruth. It's a pleasure to host you in my loft today.

Is true romance--the wooing, courtship, passion, seduction, the little gestures of affection, etc.--dead?

R: I hope not! My world, my real one, is my family. Each of my children--all grown--are either married or in relationships. They and their significant others treat one another respectfully and tenderly. They treat each other to surprises, treats, and acts of kindness. The outside world around me may be different, but I believe that it’s family values and action that teach children what is expected and how to behave. For example, after a day of work and commuting into Manhattan, I cooked dinner. My husband, who commuted with me, did the dishes. Even now that we are both retired, I still cook and he does the dishes.

S: I like to say that in a true romance, both parties make an effort to let their partners know they are cherished. That's so important.

What do people get wrong about writing romance?

R: Men and women both get it wrong. For example, I’m a member of a women’s organization that prides itself with its progressive mindset. They have several book clubs for members. One woman suggested they read my book and was told no one reads those types of books. In a repressed environment, prior to the 18th Century where women had no rights, women wrote stories from their heart, with dreams of independence and freedom. To quote Maya Rodale, “We are writing stories about women who triumph in a world that doesn’t want women to triumph.” It breaks away from the accepted norm of the era which is threatening to those in control and can be linked to the rise in the call for women’s rights. Romance stories take you on a journey as a woman of that any era, in any story where she finds fulfilment and a deserving happily ever after.

S: Writing romance, writing any book really, is hard work and it's pretty offensive when someone diminishes it as "soft porn" or a "bodice-ripper."

If you were suddenly transported back to Victorian England as a member of the aristocracy, would you thrilled or appalled? Would you be willing to stay there permanently?

R: I hope a bit of both. Thrilled for the experience and appalled by the narrow-mindedness. Would I stay permanently? Only if I found people who would support a forward-thinking woman. I think I would wind up in a lot of trouble.

S: I imagine promoting 21st Century ideas and experiences would result in some sort of punishment from a spouse or father. That was definitely a time when women were to be seen, not heard.

What attracted you to your current partner?

R: I joined a singles group. As the season changed, a small group in my age range broke off. They asked if I would host parties at their houses. At the time, our local paper had a singles page. I advertised the parties and if you wanted to come, you had to call for reservations. A gentleman called to make a reservation for the Super Bowl Party. He came to the party and called me the following day. He thanked me for the dinner and asked that I put him on the list for the next party. Then he invited me to the Philharmonic. During a light supper, I took out index cards of women his age and went through them to see who he was interested in. He humored me. We spoke during the week and went out the following Saturday. I took out another bunch of index cards. He showed no interest in any of them. I was quickly running out of people to introduce him to. At our third meeting, he took my hand across the table and said, “I’ve been waiting three weeks for you to realize it is you I want to be with.” It is 37 years later. He is called Daddy by my girls and our son, and Pop Pop by our grandchildren. He is my hero in so many ways.

S: Dating was so different back then. I think it was a much healthier experience. Searching for love online seems like such a cold and somewhat dangerous alternative.

What do people get wrong about publishing a book?

R: People think you write a book and someone--and that someone could be you--publishes it. Each stage of the process has its own difficulties, from story concept through story development, editing, to publishing. And it doesn’t stop there. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, there is the marketing. Even if you’re traditionally published a great deal of the marketing is left to the author. Self-published authors have to do it all.

S: Authorship is a business and has to be treated like one. I think many are surprised by how much time has to be devoted to promotion.

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

R: Yes, but I wouldn’t have waited so long. I loved my job at the bank and spent over 25 years there. However, the creativity and camaraderie I have found in the writing community has been wonderful, and I find out more about myself with each book I write.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Duke's Lost Love?"

R: A Duke in Winter anthology contains Shakespeare’s works turned into happily-ever- afters. My story, "The Duke’s Lost Love," is based on "Love’s Labour’s Lost." After vowing to avoid women, the King and three of his friends have to host a princess and her three ladies. The four men fall in love and decide to court the women. In the end, the women must return to their kingdom for a year after which they will marry the king and his friends, providing they remain true to them. With a novella, there wasn’t enough time to develop the love story for all four couples. This story is about the Duke and the Comtesse--King and Princess--who do have their happily ever after. "The Duke’s Lost Love" takes place in Sommer by the Sea, the fantasy village that hosts my series, The Ladies of Sommer by the Sea.

Here's the blurb--

Will they fight the obvious, that their ideal person is in front of them, or will they walk away from their heart’s desire?

Lady Nanette de Chappell, the Comtesse de Moyne and Lord Morgan Fitzhugh, the reluctant 5th Duke of Preswick grew up near each other in Sommer by the Sea, Nanette at her grandparent’s now closed down Dunamara Castle and Fitzhugh at Preswick Hall.

Fitzhugh is with his three closest friends. Each of them suffers a form of feminine defeat. After a night of drinking, they decide to swear off the company of women for three years and instead study chivalrous love.

The following morning, Nanette and her three ladies arrive at Fitzhugh’s doorstep in a broken carriage. She is on her way to Dunamara for two reasons, retrieve an item for her ill grandmother and to avoid a dinner party to meet yet another suitor she will find lacking. She seeks the solitude of Dunamara to determine if her ideal is realistic or a dream no man can fulfill. Fitzhugh takes her to Dunamara. A freak snowstorm strands them at the castle. Fighting through an avalanche and tunnel cave in, they must depend on each other to escape. In the process, they both have the potential of finding something they’ve been searching for. If only they will open their eyes.

S: Where can readers buy the anthology?

R: It's now available for pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Winter-Historical-Romance-Collection-ebook/dp/B09X8JFNBS. The book will be released on December 29.

S: Ruth, thanks so much for joining me today. If you'd like to learn more about Ruth and her books, please visit--

Website: https://ruthacasie.com/