'Be Inspired' Blog Hop

Readers!

Volunteered for this blog hop by the (I would usually say lovely here but he might not like that) strange, possibly psychotic but brilliant Matt Sloan (@Matt_Sloan) who has an amazing raven-filled blog you should take a gander at.
There are more things to his credit than just that, of course, but ravens are cute so  . . .

First, the rules:

1. Answer the ten questions

2. Tag five other writers, link to them in your post so we can hop over and see their answers too.

The Questions:

1. What is the name of your book:

Maid For A Gentleman

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

The idea to actually write a book came, oddly enough, mid-way through one I was reading. I paused, looked up at the ceiling and thought that surely it couldn't be THAT hard to write my own. 

Oh, but ignorance is bliss!

The actual concept of my story came to me as a series of dreams. I saw a maid, an aristocratic gentleman and a friendship between the two of them that felt so intimate yet out of place that I didn't want to let go off it.
That coupled with the desire to create brought upon my story.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?

Historical Romance. (No surprises there!)

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?  

All I'd like is an actor and an actress with kind features - that's how I imagine my leading protagonists. Preferably, they wouldn't be well-known though; I'd like to have fresh faces to grow into my characters and bring them to life.

5. Give us a one sentence synopsis of your book:

After being abandoned by his fiance, Nicholas Reyne decides a change of scene could be just what he needs, and even more, he realises, a change of company . . . even if the intriguing maid he tries to befriend is nothing short of terrified by him when he's sure he's being perfectly nice. 

(I'm really horrible at summarising!)

6. Is your book already published/represented?

No. Not as yet (have to keep the optimism alive) but I'm at 90,000 words and so I'm hoping to close in on the edits as soon as I can.

7. How long did it take to write your book?

It would be six and a half months now. So, not too shabby.

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours? 

I can't say my style is much like any author's but I hope that readers of Anne Gracie, Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn would enjoy it.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?

As mentioned above; Anne Gracie, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Karen Hawkins, Jo Beverley . . .  it really is a long list of talented women.

And, to break the pattern, James Rollins. How the man can take a subject I've never liked and mend it into a captivating story, I'll never know! I even briefly looked into different types of guns because they were included in his novels (not something I would ordinarily do).
That, is surely one of many marks of a good author. 
One day I'd like to make people look up random things featured in my books.

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.

The story is primarily told from the maid's point of view; Caroline. 
Embedded within the story (in places that make sense, I promise you) are memories that span from the age of 4 to her current of 24. 

Some of them are funny little ones about her helping to tie pudding bags in the kitchen, others are about a filial loneliness she prefers to ignore, but all of them do serve a purpose together. 

If I've been successful at all, collectively, they should show just how much a person changes throughout their life.
And, that love is the best reason to do so.

And now – to tag five other amazing bloggers (apologies if you've already been tagged):

1. Meg McNulty

2. Jerry L. Gentry

3. Jo-Anne Teal

4. Susi Holliday

5. Rebekah Postupak

Enjoy! This isn't an easy lot of questions!