Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I’m Maggie Chase and I’m the author of the Jeweled Ladies series, which is currently five books (with another two in the works!). The Jeweled Ladies include His Topaz, Their Emerald, Her Ebony, His Sapphire and His Crown Jewel and all take place in Texas in the years following the Civil War. They’re all connected but they can be read alone. The Jeweled Ladies series is sex-worker positive, inclusive and diverse, with a high heat level. There’s something for everyone!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
His Crown Jewel is the fifth book in the series and I’d been building toward this reunion romance for the entire series. Mistress is the madam who runs the Jeweled Ladies brothel and we knew very little about her–how she came to be in this place, with this much power (she practically runs the town of Brimstone) and most interestingly, what she’s got against Free Cyrus Franklin, a local black man. There was a tension between Mistress and Cyrus that practically vibrated off the page. I wanted to be very clear from the very beginning that even though these books were set in the 1860s after the Civil War that Mistress was an abolitionist and, underneath her businesswoman persona, a crusader who believed in equal rights for men, women, blacks, Natives–everyone was equal in her eyes. I also knew that she rescued people, using her great power and wealth. How did she come to be like that? I decided that she and Cyrus had known each other long ago, when they were still children and far from appearances, they did not hate each other. But a black man and a white woman couldn’t exactly set up house back in those days. So the struggle of them getting over their pasts and finding a workable future was quite the story!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do most of my writing by dictation. I light a candle for ambiance (and also to mask the smell of the rescue dogs sleeping under my desk) and I just talk. Sadly, when I dictate with Dragon, there’s a lot of typos–the homophone typos continue to bedevil me! So there’s still a lot of cleanup that involves typing but I dictate the rough draft.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
This whole series was inspired by Victoria Dahl. She took a short break from her steamy contemporaries to write a historical western called Harlot and I loved it–but the heroine in that book wasn’t actually a harlot and I got to thinking about what a book about actual harlots would be like. That lead me to a brothel run by the most powerful woman west of the Mississippi, Mistress, and her Jewels, the highly paid soiled doves. They all have a variety of really interesting stories to tell, both in and out of the brothel! I also really enjoy Vanessa Vale’s westerns. They’re so good! And on the other end of the spectrum, I inhale everything by Beverly Jenkins. I also read about a lot of dukes and a lot of contemporary books as well. Basically, I read almost everything (except psychological thrillers. That’s a line I don’t cross much.)
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the next two books in the Jeweled Ladies series, which are going to focus on Black Cam and Hatfield the Kid robbing the local bank and taking refuge in the Jeweled Ladies, both before (Cam) and after (Hatfield). There’s more than a few surprises in store for everyone involved!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had good luck on Awesomegang (of course) but I also find Freebooksy to be really successful. I’m still trying to find my footing, marketing wise. Writing books is the easy part for me! Marketing is much, much harder.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book! The best book marketing in the world can’t sell something that doesn’t exist. Book first!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Give yourself permission to write. It took me a long time to be comfortable with the fact that I sat down and did something for myself instead of taking care of my family or someone else. Those kids can learn to make their own lunches, you know? ?
What are you reading now?
I just finished the entire Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt and am anxiously awaiting the last one in the series this fall. I’m also really looking forward to Vanessa Vale’s new Outlaw Brides series!
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books! There are more Jeweled Ladies stories waiting to be written, just as soon as I iron out a few plot points for the series arc. But always, more books!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I always loved Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O’Dell, which also doubles as a handy survival manual for being stranded on a deserted island! And then I’d have to ask if anthologies counted as one book or two…because there are some really good anthologies out there!
Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Chase Website
Maggie Chase Amazon Profile
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