Victoria and Violet by Rachel Brimble

 It should be a dream come true to serve the Queen of England…

When Violet Parker is told she will be Queen Victoria’s personal housemaid, she cannot believe her good fortune. She finally has the chance to escape her overbearing mother, a servant to the Duchess of Kent. Violet hopes to explore who she is and what the world has to offer without her mother’s schemes overshadowing her every thought and action.

Then she meets James Greene, assistant to the queen’s chief political adviser, Lord Melbourne. From entirely different backgrounds and social class, Violet and James should have neither need nor desire to speak to one another, yet through their service, their paths cross and their lives merge—as do their feelings.

Only Victoria’s court is not always the place for romance, but rather secrets, scandals, and conspiracies…

Wild Women Authors welcomes author Rachel Brimble as she celebrates the current release of Victoria and Violet, a current release out of the Wild Rose Press. First up is Violet Parker, a domestic servant to Queen Victoria.

Good morning, Violet. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. Let’s start with where you are from. My family are from Kent, England, but at the moment I live wherever the queen is in residence. So far, I have split my service between Buckingham Palace & Windsor Castle.

Tell us a bit about Victoria & Violet. The book is set in the court of Queen Victoria – she is twenty-one, the same age as me. When I became her personal housemaid, I had no idea how our relationship would develop. I was sent to her household by my mother and Victoria’s mother, the Duchess of Kent. Neither of them could have predicted how their plan would backfire or how much Victoria and I would become to mean to one another. Then, of course, there is my relationship with courtier James Greene…

What did you think the first time you saw James Greene? I took very little notice of him, kept my eyes lowered, considering how far above me he is in station. A lot of the men at court tend to flirt and tease the female staff so I assumed James to be no different.

What was your second thought? That he was very handsome…and had an extremely dangerous smile.

Do you feel it was love at first sight? Absolutely not – I was unnerved by his attention and was so afraid of my mother’s punishment if she caught me talking to him. I couldn’t trust his interest in me.

What do you like most about him? His loyalty to the private secretary, Lord Melbourne, how hard he works and how much he cares about his family’s legacy. Oh, and he is one of the kindest men I have ever met.

How would you describe James? Kind, intelligent, hardworking, loyal

How would he describe you? Strong, hardworking, optimistic, romantic

What made you choose domestic service for a career? I did not choose domestic service any more than I did anything else in my life until recently – my mother dictated my life and that of my siblings, but one by one we are breaking free…

What is your biggest fear? That I will forever remain under my mother’s control

How do you relax? I never relaxed until I met James and he showed me how.

Who is your favorite fictional character? Unfortunately, I do not have time to read – if I have any time at all, I love to paint. That is what I want to do more than anything. When I am painting, I am truly happy.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? It was from Queen Victoria herself, “Only when a woman feels so strongly for a man that her life would be entirely empty without him should she relinquish any measure of independence.”

Thank you for spending time with us, Violet. Now we’d like to speak with Rachel.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Rather than books, I have several authors who have impacted by career – to name a few, I’d say Nora Roberts, Julia London, Philippa Gregory and Jean Fullerton.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Hmm, tough question with this novel – I can’t think of anything other than how much I enjoy British royal history. I am especially fascinated with female monarchs and consorts and spend hours reading non-fiction as much as fiction books about several of them, in particular.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I am thrilled to be back with The Wild Rose Press! They published my first ever book back in 2007 and, since then, I have published five novels and a novella with them. I am happy to maintain a good relationship with such a fabulous publisher wherever else I might be published in between! I heard about them a long time ago when I was taking part in an online writing course and they were recommended to me.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Next up will be self-development book You Just Need To Believe It by Andrea McLean and The King’s Witch by Tracy Borman.

Lastly, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I am busy polishing the next book in the Royal Maids series which will be set in the court of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra – I can’t give you a release date as yet but watch this space!

 The best places to keep up with me and my books are:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelbrimbleauthor/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/home?lang=en-gb

Website: https://rachelbrimble.com/

 

Buy link for Victoria & Violet: https://geni.us/u0GmS5