.png){kind=icon}
Let's welcome Emma Lombard, a Historical Women's Fiction author!
Emma Lombard was born in Pontefract in the UK. She grew up in Africa—calling Zimbabwe and South Africa home for a few years—before finally settling in Brisbane Australia, and raising four boys. Before she started writing historical fiction, she was a freelance editor in the corporate world, which was definitely not half as exciting as writing rollicking romantic adventures.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
Keep writing! Between the ages of 11 an 14, I wrote my first novel. But when a guidance counselor at school shot down my idea to be a writer in front of the whole class, I was so embarrassed that I just stopped writing. I didn't feel brave enough to try again until I was 40—though I still did enter the world of writing, but from the back end as an editor in the corporate world instead.
What are the essential characteristics of a hero/heroine you can root for?
Trust and loyalty. There are all sorts of indiscretions and mistakes that a character can make that, while potentially annoying, are redeemable. But once that fundamental trust is broken, it's a rocky road back to redemption.
Has writing and publishing a book changed the way you see yourself?
Yes! It has made me realize that I CAN DO IT! I started this journey as a little bit of a technophobe but I'm super chuffed at what I've learned and be able to achieve with my do-or-die perseverance. I was so terrified of my website in the beginning, and now I love tweaking and growing it! Publishing a book has so many cogs in the wheel, and while I could potentially learn every single one, I have accepted the areas in which I prefer having the support of trusted professionals (a qualified editor, book formatter, and book cover designer).
Where did you get the idea for your first book and/or series?
The premise for DISCERNING GRACE is very loosely based on a nugget of family history that my grandmother shared with me many years ago. She said that my 3x great-grandmother left her well-to-do family in England to elope with an English sea captain and live aboard his ship. I knew immediately this would make a great story—though my version is completely fictitious.
Anything else you'd like readers to know?
My newsletter is another aspect of authoring that I love A LOT! It's one of my favorite tasks (though it's hardly a tough gig when I enjoy producing it so much). I aim for my readers to have as much fun with my newsletter as I do creating it. Come join my crew!
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed learning about Emma Lombard!
