Chatting with Heidi Murphy

Francesca Kennington merely wants to be left to her studies, despite her mother's best efforts to saddle her with a rich husband. Then she meets a mysterious gentleman, who leads her on a romp through the ballrooms and countryside of Georgian England. Their romance blossoms but secrets cause Francesca's house of cards to tumble. She must find a way to put her life back together, while still following her heart.

We're talking about Small Deceptions today. This was my first published work. I have always been interested in Jane Austen and Georgian romances. I didn't necessarily want the bodice-ripper element that seems to be prevalent today, so I sat down to write my own.

I will say that this book was written before I knew anything about ANWA or critique groups. Compared to my more recent works it's a little full of exclamation points. Please keep that in mind when you are reading my fun story.

It took me about nine months including extensive research into all things Georgian. I read everything I could get my hands on about the life and times of the period, much about the politics and social history of the time. It surprised me to find out that cheese was a poor man's food, that a pelisse is a long coat, and that the title of Baron is not hereditary.

This is not just a romance between a man and a woman, but a story of redemption between a girl and her mother, set in the Regency period.

I'd like readers to have a delightful escape into Georgian England. Also, deception is rarely helpful. We think we can get away with all kinds of little fallacies, but they often catch up to us.

There are several ways in which Francesca and I are alike. We both love books and wear spectacles. And I have, at times, been guilty of deceiving my mother, with catastrophic results (Okay, a huge spanking is pretty catastrophic to a six-year-old.) Also, I love to dance all the old dances.

I did my own cover art in conjunction with my daughter, Natassia Scoresby, a gifted graphic designer. I wanted a letter written in script of the time. I have the actual letter somewhere.

I read like a maniac, enjoy swordplay (in armor), play the tinwhistle and Irish drum (bodhran), sing, am a freelance artist, and work for the Boy Scouts as a Unit Commissioner.

I consider myself an uninspired cook and indifferent housewife (What else are children for?) but it bothers me when my house is a mess. If only our cook and cleaning staff hadn't died in the war in Heaven!

I get inspiration from all kinds of places. I've written 14 books thus far and have another three in the outline stage, but have yet to have any of the others published, mainly because that part of the process gives me the hives--a problem I am slowly overcoming. I write both as H. Linn Murphy (LDS, Regency romances and paranormal romance) and as Indigo Chase for Sci Fi.

My next book on deck for publication is Pivot Point, an LDS novel about a rodeo queen who finds love and redemption in a tiny Utah town.

I love all my main characters. Francesca is fun, but I suppose Larkin is one of my most favorite because she has come so far with so little and accomplished so much for so many. She is featured in a five book Sci Fi series called Watchers. I plan to publish the first book of the series soon.

Right now I'm working on a Sci Fi book called A Terrible Majesty.

I work from a light outline, plugging scenes in as they come to me. At times my story jumps the track a bit and gets hijacked onto other paths, some of which have to get hacked away, but often the serendipity makes for a delicious story.

I have, in the past, based a character lightly on someone, but never so they'd recognize themselves. I find it luscious therapy to give a "villain" or two characteristics of my ex. And, no, I don't tell.

Please pick up my book, Small Deceptions. It's at Xlibris.com for the print book, and Amazon.com as an Ebook http://www.amazon.com/Small-Deceptions-ebook/dp/B0075FVYUS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349067707&sr=8-2&keywords=Small+Deceptions