Victoria Chatham discusses blending historical settings with romance and mystery, her transition to contemporary westerns, and offers advice for aspiring authors, emphasizing research and community involvement.
Victoria Chatham writes books about lords, ladies, manners and wit, with a dash of adventure thrown in and is published in e-book and print by Drayton Valley publisher BWL Publishing Inc.
Before writing Regency romances, Victoria wrote articles and short stories for magazines and online forums. Writing mostly romantic historical novels, and because an editor once told her she was too English to write a western, she also writes contemporary western romance.
Active in her local writing community for several years, she has taught introductory creative writing courses and presented workshops for writing groups and at conferences. Her tagline, History, Mystery, and Love, says it all.
Your novels often blend historical settings with romance and mystery elements. What draws you to this particular combination of genres, and how do you approach weaving these elements together in your storytelling?
I like to give my characters a little more to deal with than simply boy meets girl. With my Regency novels, I first decide in which year I’m going to set my story, then look for historical events that happened during that year and decide how my characters can be involved in them or how those happenings can affect my characters.
Brides of Banff Springs is part of a series celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday, featuring stories set in different provinces and territories. Can you tell us more about how you incorporated historical events and locations into the narrative while also crafting a compelling romance?
The premise for this collection was for the stories to be historically accurate and the romance suitable for readers thirteen years old and upwards. As an occasional visitor to Banff, I didn’t know much about the town’s history, but once I started my research, I collected a wealth of material. This book is set in 1935, so I had to ensure all the information I included was accurate to that date or before. Once I had a feasible timeline, I created the characters and worked them into the story.
Your Those Regency Belles series follows the romantic adventures of different heroines in the Regency era. What inspires you about this time period, and how do you create unique and engaging characters within the constraints of historical accuracy?
Living in Clifton, Bristol, when I was a child, the Regency architecture there appealed to me. I loved the graceful outlines of the crescents and the grand houses. As a teenager, I started reading Georgette Heyer’s Regency romance novels and wanted to tell similar stories. Keeping my characters within the restraints of historical accuracy is a challenge. I believe that there have been extraordinary people in every era, many of whom have rebelled against or ignored the social mores of the day. I like my characters to be on the feisty side and hope they give my readers a reason to turn the page.
In Loving That Cowboy and Legacy of Love, you transitioned from historical romance to contemporary western romance. What motivated this shift, and how do you approach writing modern love stories compared to historical ones?
Although I focused on historical romance, I have always been fascinated with the West and cowboy culture. I’ve lived in Canada for over thirty years now, and my Western romances are an homage to that culture. The switch came when I pitched a premise to an editor at a writers’ conference in Calgary, Alberta, who told me I was too English to write a contemporary Western romance. I had read many novels in that genre and thought I could. I wanted to prove her wrong, and both “Loving That Cowboy” and “Legacy of Love” were well enough received that I wrote a third, “Loving Georgia Caldwell,” released in February of this year. I quickly discovered that I needed to do as much research for my contemporary Western romances as for the historical novels. I’ve interviewed ranchers, working cowboys and girls, stock contractors and rodeo performers. Some of my questions raised eyebrows, if not outright laughter, but were respectfully answered, and all gave authenticity to my imaginary ranch settings.
As a member of Romance Writers of America and the Calgary Association of Romance Writers of America, how has being part of these communities influenced your writing journey, and what advice would you give to aspiring romance authors?
For me, achieving publication would have taken much longer had it not been for my involvement with both organizations. As a new writer, they gave me the support I needed. Regarding advice for aspiring romance authors, I would encourage anyone to join a good writing group. You will find like-minded people with whom you can discuss ideas and brainstorm plots and characters. There is a big gap between being a reader and understanding all the elements of the craft of writing as an author. Attending workshops and conferences is also a great way to meet other authors, agents, and editors. There is so much on the internet these days on how to write novels in various genres, but there is still nothing quite like that personal contact, especially if you are fortunate enough to meet your favourite author.
Beyond writing, you also enjoy reading and watching movies for inspiration and escapism. Can you share any books or films that have had a significant impact on your writing, and how do you incorporate elements of these stories into your own work?
Watching movies is a great way to learn the ‘how to’ of pacing, tension, and especially subtext. I’ve always liked Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, and now the TV series, for how he sets up his fight scenes. The Mission Impossible and Die Hard movies are great examples of pacing and tension. LA Confidential, set in 1950s Los Angeles, has great lines of subtext between two of the characters, Lynn Bracken and Officer ‘Bud’ White. Mary Balogh is another writer of Regency romances that I admire, as is Jo Goodman, who writes both Regency and Western romances.
