I envy Miranda Neville. She grew up in England and lives in Vermont. I always think of both places as deeply romantic and very cool to be from. And it turns out, she’s a nice person as well and great writer. May I introduce you to, Miranda Neville:

1. Did you have a nickname growing up? Yes, but there’s no way I’m going to tell anyone what it is.

2. If you could choose any 3 people in history to meet, who would they be?

• Shakespeare, because I think he must have been a very entertaining and amusing man as well as the greatest writer that ever lived. I’m particularly fond of his comedies and I’d love to ask him how he wrote such appealing female characters. (Especially since they were played by boys on the stage!)
• Mozart, because I can’t imagine anything more glorious than having him play his compositions to me after dinner.
• Oscar Wilde, because he was the wittiest man ever. Also, from what I’ve read he was an amazingly kind and sweet man beneath his posturing.

3. Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you’ve ever been? I’ll have to go with Venice. I’ll never forget arriving on the water bus at St. Mark’s Square. It’s the only place I’ve ever been that made me cry when I saw it, just from the its sheer breathtaking beauty.

EB: Personally I think your cover is one of the most romantic I’ve ever seen!

4. Where do you go for inspiration when the creativity well is running a little dry? That’s a very interesting question. In the short term, when I’m stuck on a scene, I take a long walk in the country and always feel refreshed. In general, I find reading non-fiction helps, both historical works and contemporary memoirs and biography. Learning about the way real people have tackled problems gives me perspective on my fictional historical characters.

5. What is the very first romance book that you read? Pride and Prejudice, probably. And I know the first Georgette Heyer I read, in my early teens, was Powder and Patch. The first “modern” romance I read was a Catherine Coulter but I’m afraid I can’t remember which one.

Miranda’s brand new release, Confessions from an Arranged Marriage is her long awaited story of Minerva Montrose and the Marquis of Blakeney. Find out more about Miranda and her books at MirandaNeville.com.

Have any questions for Miranda? Or even perhaps share what was the first romance you read?