Eliza Emmett - Romance With Historical and Societal Twists

Eliza Emmett - Romance With Historical and Societal Twists
Eliza

Eliza Emmett is a pseudonym for Patricia Friedrich, a professor of English with several academic books and journal articles published. She writes historical romance, inspired by the work of Jane Austen and her contemporaries, though her stories are set a little later, in the Victorian-England era. A Love Made to Measure is the best-selling first book of a series of three romances about strong women navigating a time of great social change and finding love in their own terms.  As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, A Love Made to Measure.

Please give us a short introduction to what A Love Made to Measure is about.

A Love Made to Measure is a romance about misunderstandings and differences that threaten to keep apart two people who truly love each other. I think this is such a timeless theme, one that affects the lives of people today as much as it did affect the lives of the characters in the book.

A Love Made to Measure draws on Victorian England’s societal norms and class divisions. What inspired you to center the story around a tailoress and a baron?

The more you read about society in the late 19th and early 20th century, the more you realize those were times of great societal change. I wanted to write a novel that expanded on those changes, especially the ones that we don't think about often. For example, that was the time of the large-scale utilization of canned foods for the first time—a trivial thing for us— but what did that mean in terms of access to food by people of different economic backgrounds? Probably quite a lot.

Your portrayal of Victorian England feels authentic and immersive. How did you research the period to ensure historical accuracy, especially in terms of societal norms and fashion?

Luckily for me, there is now great availability of information on the specifics of daily life in that period, both in books and on the Internet. I started with fashion, which changed year to year much like it does for us, and then everything else came from that.

Cora is a talented dressmaker and tailor, which is unique for a historical romance heroine. What drew you to this profession for her character, and what role does it play in the story?

I wanted her to be a professional woman. At that point in time, there were not many options, but a trade learned from father to daughter seemed like a possibility. I think I settled on tailoress when I realized what it could do to the title of the book!

The class divide between Cora and Grant is a major obstacle in their relationship. How did you balance the challenges they face with the hope of love overcoming societal constraints?

I think the balance has to be between the internal struggle and the outward tension. When they complement each other well, then you achieve balance. The same goes for certainty that they can work it out, which is a big reason in my view as to why people read romance novels.

Grant’s mother plays a key role as an antagonist. How did you craft her character, and what message were you aiming to convey through her actions?

We talk about generational trauma a lot in our own time. I don't think this is something our characters would be aware of, at least not by that name, in their own time, but I wanted there to be an element of her own struggle and how unfortunately she maladapted to the challenges she faced in her own youth. My hope was that Grant and Cora would break that cycle.

The story has been described as a “game of cat and mouse” between Cora, Grant, and the dowager. How did you approach pacing and tension in these dynamics?

I think there needs to be an escalation, in which once a conflict has been addressed, it somehow grows bigger. So what can start with a slight or passive-aggressive comment must lead to a more affecting action.

Cora is forward-thinking and fiercely independent. How did you shape her character to reflect the changing roles of women during the Victorian era?

I think every novel that looks backwards is a bit dystopian because we cannot write or read it forgetting what we are and what we know in the 21st century. That is what suspension of disbelief is all about. It all needs to make sense in the context of the story. I don't think she would be able to be or do the things she does in a true Victorian society, but that is the beauty of stories, isn't it? We are not restricted to what actually happened!

Grant is a romantic who values love over convenience. How does his character challenge traditional depictions of Victorian-era nobility?

He certainly is, and in that sense, again, the novel is a vehicle for us to dream up people and places any way we want.

Are there any supporting characters in the story that you found particularly enjoyable or challenging to write?

I love Grant's sister, Addy. In fact, she is the heroine of In the Letters of a Lady, a prequel that I am finishing writing and which takes place five years before A Love Made to Measure. She is a delightful person, and I look forward to sharing her story with readers.

You’re a professor of English with a background in academic writing. How did your academic experience influence your approach to writing historical romance?

For the most part, that helps me with the research, but it is also a constant reminder that writing fiction is very different from writing scholarly works.

You’ve mentioned Jane Austen as an inspiration. How did her work shape your narrative style or themes in A Love Made to Measure?

While my story takes place later in the century, I could not tune out her voice from my head. She is the greatest romance writer of all time!

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I am in several places across social media both as myself (Patricia Friedrich) and my pseudonym (Eliza Emmett). Here are a few places:

https://www.instagram.com/patricia.friedrich.author/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/ElizaEmmettAuthor

https://www.tiktok.com/@morebooksfordessert


 

A Love Made to Measure
Eliza Emmett

Sensible Cora Larsen creates dresses that are "the toast of the Season." Romantic Lord Galavyin believes in marrying for love. When he walks through Cora's door, he falls for her forward-thinking ideals. Neither knows his mother has other plans. What follows is a game of cat and mouse that will test Cora's resolve and Grant's love to their limits.

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