Interview With Author Mimi Matthews

The Lost Letter

1. What really inspired you to write your book, to force you from taking an idea or experience and conveying it into a book? My stories generally originate from one disconnected scene. When writing The Lost Letter, I had an idea for a reunion scene between a soldier who had been scarred in battle and the woman he had once loved and lost. I wrote the scene and then, little by little, built the rest of the story around it. I didn’t intend it to be any longer than a short story or novella, but by the time I finished writing, it was a novel

2. What is it about and whom do you believe is your targeted reader? The Lost Letter is a Beauty and the Beast-inspired Victorian love story. It features an impoverished governess who is unexpectedly reunited with the now disfigured soldier who broke her heart three years before. At its core, it’s a story of hardship, resiliency, and enduring love. It’s a sweet (i.e. “clean”) Victorian romance, which makes it suitable for readers of all ages. It’s also historically authentic, which will appeal to fans of historical fiction.

3. What do you hope will be the everlasting thoughts for readers who finish your book? What should remain with them long after putting it down? I hope that those who read The Lost Letter will be emotionally satisfied by the core love story. I also hope that they will end the book feeling hopeful and believing—just a little—that no matter what hardships occur in life, love truly can conquer all.

4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers? Oh gosh, I hesitate to give advice. Writing is such a personal thing and we each have our own unique voice. However, as a general principle, I would say that a writer benefits from having a firm grasp of language and grammar. One doesn’t have to be an English professor to write a good book, but language is a critical tool and one must know how to wield it effectively.

5. What trends in the book world do you see and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I see lots of historical romances written as part of a series. Every character eventually gets a book of their own. I think many readers enjoy this because it allows them to revisit favorite characters over the course of a series. As far as the book publishing industry, one thing I’ve noticed is that people who enjoy reading romances often don’t want to wait a year for a new book by their favorite authors. Authors who supplement their traditionally published books with independently published novellas are really tapping into this need that readers have for regular consumption. I wouldn’t be surprised if more authors began to go this route.

6. What great challenges did you have in writing your book? There was a lot of pressure to add sex scenes to this story. Most romances are more explicit and there is no doubt that sex sells. I struggled a lot with whether I would make this book conform to that standard. However, in the end, I determined that The Lost Letter was meant to be more in the vein of Jane Eyre than styled after one of today’s hotter romances. To alter it wouldn’t have been true to my characters or my story.

7. If people can only buy one book this month, why should it be yours? People are busy and, very often, only have a moment or two in which to read a book. The Lost Letter is the ideal length for devouring in an afternoon or evening. It’s a fast-paced page-turner with a rich plot, engaging characters, and an emotionally satisfying conclusion. A perfect read for both lovers of historical romance and fans of historical fiction.

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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book