Introducing the debut book for Author Katie Stewart Stone
Coming Home to Bellingham
Book Description
What begins as a pleasant holiday with a new friend in Brighton quickly turns to devastation for Anabelle Milton when she receives the tragic news: her parents are dead. Turned out of the only home she’s ever known, Anabelle is sent to live with an aunt and uncle who are strangers to her. Heartbroken, she arrives at Bellingham Cottage, a cozy home on the sprawling grounds of the Bellingham estate, to find an unexpectedly warm welcome—not only from her own family but also from the family of their aristocratic neighbors, Lord and Lady Bellingham.
Anabelle soon attracts the attention of the heirs of Bellingham—brothers who, though connected by blood, could not be more different. As she slowly begins to distance herself from the polite and obedient young woman her mother trained her to be, Anabelle is free for the first time to choose her own path. She knows she must be true to herself, even if it means risking unrequited love—but can she trust that the gentleman who has stolen her heart will not break it?
Interview with Katie Stewart Stone
Reading With Emily: How did this journey to your first published work begin?
Katie Stewart Stone: My journey began about 5 years ago when I first had the idea for Anabelle herself. Then, when I quit my day-job I finally had time to finish it. Once I finished my first draft, I rewrote it about three times. Then, I sent it to my family for feedback and rewrote it about two more times. Once I felt confident enough, I submitted it to three publishers. I didn't really expect to hear a positive response for my first submission, but about 5 months later I did! It was truly a miracle, one I am grateful for every day.
RWE: Obvious question, but did you always want to be a writer?
KSS: I have always wanted to be a writer, since the first grade after I won an Awesome Author competition for my brilliant first work (she said sarcastically): The Man Who Stole My Wolf. It was laminated and everything. From then on, I continued to write terrible story after terrible story. It wasn't until 5 years ago that I found my genre in Regency Romance.
RWE: What does your writing schedule look like?What does your writing schedule look like?
KSS: As a first-time writer, I am still figuring out a more professional schedule. I try to write at least two hours everyday, but when I write varies and I have to admit I don't always meet my goal of two hours per day. I'm working on it. I want to be a career author, but it will take time to become more consistent.
RWE: What is your favorite part of writing?
KSS: My favorite part of writing is when I can perfectly recreate the image in my head; when the words all work together to paint the scene exactly how I imagined. It's magical.
RWE: What have you learned through the publishing process?
KSS: First, I have learned that your first draft will always be awful, and that's okay. Second, I have found that everything goes more smoothly if you are comfortable taking feedback. I was always very sensitive about my writing and once I decided to submit my work to my family and then to publishers, I decided to never be offended by any critiques. It's not personal, it is how an author becomes better.
RWE: If you didn’t write Regency romances, what would you write?
KSS: If I did not write Regency, I would write fantasy. I love the supernatural. I have an idea for an Urban Fantasy, but I will be focusing most of my time on my next Regency Romance.
RWE: What was your favorite book as a kid?
KSS: My favorite book as a kid was probably Hank the Cowdog...until Harry Potter came out when I was ten or so.
RWE: What authors have influenced you in your writing?
KSS: The author I most look up to is, of course, Jane Austen. But I also love more modern authors like Georgette Heyer, Julie Klassen, Julianne Donaldson, and Elizabeth Aston.
RWE: Who are your unsung cheerleaders in all of this?
KSS: I think I mentioned most of my cheerleaders in my acknowledgements, but there were many others who encouraged me by believing in me even if they didn't play a specific part in the writing and publishing process. My best friends Jenna and Carolyn who never had a doubt that I could do it, my author friend Daniel Quilter, who I bothered a lot with questions about publishing, and my brother, Jacob, who helped with a few legal questions I had...just to name a few.
RWE: Do you have anything planned for another book? Is there anything you can share?
KSS: Currently, I am working on a romance about learning who to trust. The hero is a Scottish son of a Duke and the heroine is a young woman who is disowned by her extremely wealthy father.
RWE: You can read more about what Katie has to say about Jane Austen and more on her blog, Absolutely Austen.
My review
Wow. I stayed up much much too late reading this one. It was definitely a one sitting. I knew I should go to bed but could not seem to put it down.
Annabelle is narrating her own story. The first person point of view left me guessing since, like many historical romances that I read, the point of view shifts between the him and the her. There are several hims in the story and I knew who I was cheering for, but the way it was written didn't give away the answer completely as if it had shifted points of view.
What this story is really about is finding home when you think home is lost. I was definitely captivated by this book and like I said, I couldn't put it down. You would hardly know this was a first offering from the Author.
If you are looking for a new author, give this one a try. I received an early copy of this book from the publisher.