We’re heading into my favourite time of year, Autumn, and we’re kicking it off with an interview from the lovely Ruby Moone, who’s here to chat historical romance, second chance love and her latest release!
Over to you, Ruby…
First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hello! I’m Ruby Moone and I’m so excited to be here. I write historical and contemporary stories, and I’m an avid reader too. I live in Lancashire in the UK. I don’t have any pets because I’m pretty allergic, but next door’s cat pops in from time to time for a cuddle! He’s snoozing on the settee as I write this lol!
Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
Good question – what’s my writing style. Well, I love writing historical romance. A lot of my stories are set in the Regency era, with a mix of stories about Earls and Marqueses (I haven’t written about a Duke yet..) and stories involving ordinary people. I Love exploring the language of bygone eras, the customs, and the traditions. I also write contemporary, set in Manchester, so I think my writing style varies with the story I’m telling.
Describe your books in only three words.
Hot, exciting, romantic.
Can you tell us a little about your latest release?
I’d love to! My last release was People Like Us, book two in my Winsford Green series – a Regency historical romance. It’s the story of a gentleman’s valet on the run from an abusive master who meets a lonely, bur very gorgeous, blacksmith. It’s probably the most tropey story I’ve written – Opposites attract, forced proximity, age gap, only one bed… I absolutely loved writing it. It’s a little snarky, and has a little kink too. This is the blurb:
Arthur Fitch clawed his way out of the violence and poverty of the slums of London to become a valet to the aristocracy. His ambition to secure a higher position led him to a disastrous appointment with a cold, brutal man, and when things come to a head, Arthur is forced to flee into a snowstorm to find safety.
Joseph Wilkinson is the Winsford Green blacksmith. He has a good life, good friends, owns a thriving business, but at the end of the day when he goes home, loneliness consumes him. When he stumbles upon a small man determinedly trudging through the snowstorm, he invites him into his home to shelter.
Arthur Fitch is older, smart-mouthed, and as prickly as hell. But, as Joe peels back the layers, he discovers a warm, funny, vulnerable man whose tastes in the bedchamber leave Joe gasping and desperate for more. Trouble is, having found the real Arthur Fitch, how can he convince him that life in a small town can be infinitely better than working for an Earl? That love really is possible for people like them? Particularly when Arthur’s past catches up with him in horrifying fashion.
Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
Oh wow, that’s a bit like picking a favourite child! I love all my books, but I’m particularly pleased with my Winsford Green stories – Dances Long Forgotten and People Like Us. I’m working on a third book for Christmas release. I’m also pretty proud of my MC Securities Series – I wrote those last year and it was my first foray into Contemporary. Those guys really stole my heart.
What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
Hmmm. Hard to say, there has been an awful lot. I think my love of historical stories stems from studying Jane Austen in school. Also, growing up I loved Georgette Heyer, Anya Seton and a whole host of writers of historical stories.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always told myself stories. From being very young, I spent hours daydreaming re-writing stories I’d read, films I’d seen, to suit how I thought they should have gone, usually with me in a starring role, and I started writing them down. I did a lot of writing when my daughter was young, but never really did anything with it. It was only about five years ago I started writing seriously for publication. I’m a bit of a late bloomer!
What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I’m a complete panster. I sit down, start writing, and see what happens. I usually have an idea of my main characters, a strong opening scene, and that’s it. I see where they take me as I get to know them. This is the exciting part. Once the first draft is done, I go over it six or seven times to get the plot right, the character and narrative arcs, the beats… so my writing day depends what stage I’m at. If it’s the writing stage, I can lose myself for hours. If it’s the editing stage, I give myself frequent breaks to make sure it stays fresh. I like to write in the morning or late at night.
What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Definitely the characters. I know when I need to start writing when they won’t shut up lol!
What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
There are so many books I wish I’d written. The book that I re-read the most, and really wish I’d written, is, A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles.
If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Oh wow. I love so many tropes, but the one that really gets me in the heart is second chance love. There is something so soul wrenching about a love that went wrong and along comes the chance to put it right. My MC Securities book, Loving Daniel, is probably the angstiest book I’ve written and it’s about lovers wrenched apart by a terrible secret. I made myself cry a lot writing it.
What would be your three desert island books?
It’s taken me ages to decide this, and I’ll probably change my mind tomorrow, but I’d go for: A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles, Frederica by Georgette Heyer, and In the Absence of Light by Adrienne Wilder
If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
I’d like to see my MC Securities books made into a TV series. For Loving Daniel I’d have Alexander Skarsgard as Christian and Tom Hardy as Daniel… sigh!!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
I still work as well as write so much of my spare time is usually taken up with writing and reading. However, I do love to go for long walks because it’s a good way of working out knotty plot problems.
Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Totally influenced by Jurassic Park… Velociraptor!
Ruby Moone lives in the wilds of Lancashire with her husband and writes historical and contemporary romance. At school, her teachers said that she lived with her head in the clouds and if she didn’t stop daydreaming she would never get anywhere. She never did stop daydreaming, and after years of happily living in the clouds, decided to write the stories down.
You can find Ruby on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and her website. You can also join Ruby’s Facebook Group, Ruby’s Room.
