Are you stuck in one genre?
Christian Romance, Romantic Suspense, et. al.? I want to encourage you to get to know this month’s guest, award-winning and bestselling author, Angela Bell. Angela writes whimsical, touching, and comedic Victorian-era stories. Her debut novel, A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventures was a pure delight–and a wild ride.
Who is this fresh new voice in historical fiction? Angela Bell is a 21st-century lady with 19th-century sensibilities. She resides in Texas with her charming pup, Mr. Bingley Crosby. Her book A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure was named a Booklist Top 10 Romance Debut. One might categorize her books as historical romance, but Angela likes to describe them as “a cuppa Victorian whimsy.” Whenever you need a respite from the 21st-century hustle, you’re welcome to visit her imaginary parlor where she can be found waiting with a pot of tea and a great book.
Newest Release:
She will release her second novel on July 7th (preorder, friend!), the first book in A Daughters of Genius
Society Novel series, A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile. It has been lovingly categorized as Little Women meets Inspector Gadget. A witty romp of brilliant women, whimsical gadgetry, and
sweet romance set in the Victorian era.
But, this book is even more. While I laughed out loud–and I mean that literally–I also shed a few tears. And isn’t that the type of book we cherish?
Let’s meet these fascinating characters:
Ambulatory wheelchair user Margaret Kingsley secretly crafts gadgets for the Daughters of Genius Society, a covert team of lady inspectors disguised as harmless bluestocking spinsters. While her fellow inspectors gallivant about London solving crimes, Margaret has been perfectly content assisting from the sidelines–until her expertise is needed to infiltrate the domain of London’s most prolific inventor, Alvan T. Harrison.
Charles Noble sacrificed his career as a musician to support his family after his father’s stroke. Now he balances ledgers as a secretary by day and tends his disabled father by night, until taking a temporary job as event coordinator for a famous inventor commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of his mechanical empire. As strange occurrences surface, Charles’s event planning collides with Margaret’s case, and the pair must unravel a plot of sabotage against the inventor’s legacy while also investigating the sparks of attraction between them.
Let’s get to know Angela!
What did you read as a child?
I was raised on a steady diet of whimsical children’s literature—green eggs and ham in a box with a fox, pots of hunny with a silly old bear, and forbidden radishes with a naughty rabbit. As I got a little older, I drank raspberry cordial with bosom friends and sipped tea with a fawn I met by a lamppost. Now, as a woman fully grown, I’m still drawn to whimsy of all sorts because I find it broadens one’s imaginative scope and joy.
Joy. Yes, that’s what I feel with your stories.
Who are your favorite authors to read & why?
There’s nothing I enjoy so much as recommending great authors, and there’s nothing I find so difficult as narrowing said authors down to a list of favorites. Lists are tiny, cramped, little things, and I find there’s never enough room on them to showcase the myriad authors that have whisked away my imagination, encouraged my spirit, or touched my heart with the artistry of words.
When surveying shelves that contain the wry wit of Jane Austen’s Emma, the sisterly bonds of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and the poetical scope of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, how—I ask you—can a reader be expected to choose just one favorite author? Austen, Alcott, Montgomery. They’re all my favorites. For I love each wholeheartedly, as I love a bouquet of wildflowers comprised of disparate but distinctly beautiful blooms.
Delicious answer to an ordinary question, Angela.
Which of your characters has really stretched you as a writer?
Thus far, I do believe the antagonists in my novels have stretched me the most as a writer. The first-draft iterations of said antagonists received warranted critiques for being too “cartoonish,” “painfully obvious,” or “muah ha ha murdery,” so I’ve had to work on layering in nuance to transform my “villains” into multifaceted characters with relatable wounds that fester into understandable motivations for the villainous actions they attempt to justify.
Totally get that. I always want my antagonists to be redeemable.
Do you see why I am so enamored with this young author? Keep an eye for her.
July’s A2A Giveaway!
Yes! Thanks to Bethany House Publishing, the winner will receive a copy of Angela’s latest release, Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile!
Leave a comment below and share this blog and if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of this blog and receive another free gift from me — and an extra entry.
NOTE: WANT TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING THIS INCREDIBLE GIVEAWAY?*
Check out my YouTubeA2A interview with Angela. Because, in the video interview Angela answers different fun questions–and we have some inspiring discussions!
By Liking and Commenting on the video episode, you will have one more entry.* Sharing the video, another entry.* Subscribe, and you have TWO entries for a chance to win.*
The Deadline is July 9th
Watch our interview–
That means, my friends, if you comment and subscribe -– or are already a subscriber -– to my blog, then watch the video and LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT on the VIDEO, then Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, your name will be entered SIX TIMES!*
Next month’s A2A Guest: Natalie Walters! It’s been a while since I last chatted with this award-winning and bestselling author. Her Instagram reels are legendary. Ever hear of Body Bag Bob? You will!
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Angela–I certainly did! Until May, God bless and KEEP READING!
*So sorry, entries from the contiguous US only.
