by Crystal Caudill | May 22, 2025 | Uncategorized
I always adore having Grace or one of her characters on my blog, and as I’ve been taking a break from blog posts for a little while, it’s nice to dip back into the blogging world with another interview with her. I’ve had the blessing of knowing Grace since pretty much the beginning of my writing journey and the even greater blessing of getting to know her better over the years. She writes wonderful stories, both Gilded Age and Regency. I had the pleasure of endorsing her latest book, To Kiss a Knight, which you can enter her endorser giveaway here until Monday night (5/26/2025). If you’ve not had the pleasure of meeting Grace before, allow me to formally introduce her:
Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple his¬torical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives South Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a farmhouse that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, chasing babies, or tending to her chickens, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.
You can connect with her through: Website  | Newsletter | Facebook | Instagram | GoodReads | BookBub | Amazon
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Grace with rapid-fire.
CC: Rain or snow?
GH: 1,000,000% Rain!
CC: Makeup or no makeup?
GH: Makeup, but just the five-minute and run kind 🙂
CC: Personal maid or personal chef?
GH: Personal maid! I love to cook, but cleaning is only bearable with audiobooks and podcasts, haha.
CC: Arrive early, just on time, or late?
GH: Early!Â
CC: Food fight or water balloon fight?
GH: Water balloon!
I admire your ability to do makeup in five minutes. I don’t usually wear it, so it feels like it takes me FOREVER to put it on right.
What kind of stories are your favorite to write?
GH: Swoony romances with lots of adventure! It’s my favorite kind to read, so I always try to write a book that I want as a reader 🙂
CC: And you do them so well!!
Do you read fiction while you are writing your own stories?
GH: I do! However, I usually read a genre that I’m not writing in (Christian romcoms, clean paranormal romances, etc.). It gives me inspiration and a break from thinking about my story!
CC: I’ve been doing that more recently too. It’s been great too, because I’m less likely to compare myself to my favorite historical romance authors. Nothing like impostor syndrome to slow the writing.
What is your favorite part about writing?
GH: The first draft is my favorite!! All the creativity is flowing, and it is so, so fun to see that word count go up! My least favorite is the content edit. (It is just painful and I’ve read the story a lot by this point, so I start to think that it might be boring.)
CC: Oh, girl, do I feel you. I always try to add things in during the developmental edit because I get bored, and then I have to take it out again. LOL
Do you have a general writing process you follow or does it change all the time?
GH: I usually write the first draft for 8-10 weeks and edit (drafts 2-6) for 12 weeks! I try not to write on the weekends, but occasionally when the deadline is getting too close, I have to! I do a lot of read throughs in my writing, but I like to layer the story in slowly!Â
CC: That is sort of similar to my method, although I’m MUCH slower than you. LOL
Now I’m excited to talk about To Kiss A Knight.
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Signed Copy
And if you’re not convinced enough, here’s MY endorsement for the book:
“An authoress fleeing an unwanted marriage, a chivalrous thief who is not as he first appears, and a marriage of convenience? Yes please. Grace Hitchcock has pulled off another rollicking Regency with romance, danger, humor, and unexpected plot twists that you don’t want to miss!”
CC: What will fans of To Kiss a Knight love about your story and characters?
GH: The readers have been saying that they love the chemistry between Vivienne and Bash! The To Kiss a Knight main characters are one of my favorite couples, so it’s great to hear that readers think so too!
CC: They were definitely a blast. 🙂Â
How did this story develop and change from spark to finished book?
GH: This story was inspired by two of my favorite old movies, Christmas in Connecticut and It Started with Eve! Vivienne and Bash’s relationship really came alive while writing and their chemistry was so natural and easy to capture!Â
CC: Hmm. I’ve never watched either movie! I guess I better go check those out!
What is a fun fact about this story that readers might not know?
GH: My husband and I went to Bath after writing this story, and we got to visit all the places Vivienne went in Bath and even had high tea in the Pump Room and saw the famous fountain, which you will read about in this story! I’ve been wanting to visit Bath for ages, and it was made extra special having Vivienne’s story completed. But, the shocking aspect of Bath was the surrounding hills! In all the movies I have ever watched set in Bath, there was never a panoramic shot of Bath being set in hills!!!
CC: Wow! I’m really jealous!!! One of these days. One of these days.
Who was your favorite character to write?Â
GH: I loved capturing the grandma! Her feisty attitude was inspired by my late grandma. While writing, all I had to do was think of my grandma, and Grandmother Larkby was living and breathing in my mind and even had me tearing up while writing some of her scenes.
CC: She really was on of my favorites!
Before we sign off, I always like to end with a fun question so . . .Â
What would you be if you had to wear one Halloween costume every day for the rest of your life?
GH: I supposed I’d be Laura Ingalls Wilder because we recently moved into a farmhouse where we are raising a flock of 25 chickens, two golden retrievers, and planting fruit trees all while homeschooling!Â
CC: That is so fitting!
Readers, I hope you’ll check out To Kiss a Knight and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author. Â
Reader, what books have you read with an authoress heroine? Or what about a funny Regency?
Giveaway
Here’s your chance to enter Grace’s Endorser giveaway. Visit her KingSumo Giveaway here for all the details.
Endorser GIVEAWAY! WIN Crystal Caudill’s Written in Secret, AND Betsy St. Amant’s No Place Like Home, AND Carrie Turansky’s A Token of Love And Rebekah Millet’s Kate Landry Has a Plan AND Misty M. Beller’s Saving the Mountain Man’s Legacy!!!!
Â
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 11, 2024 | Book Reviews
To Catch a Coronet
by Grace Hitchcock
Review:
I was blessed to read Grace Hitchcock’s debut Regency romance for endorsement last Thanksgiving. Here is my official endorsement:
With ingredients of romance, history, danger, and her signature humor, Grace Hitchcock has baked up a delectable treat with her debut Regency Romance. Long-time Regency fans will devour this fresh take on ballroom romance as eagerly as Captain Erik Draycott did Muriel Beau’s creations. Picking up this read won’t add to your waistline but it will leave you pleasantly satisfied and craving the next installment of Hitchcock’s take on Regency romance. ~ Crystal Caudill, Carol Award Finalist and author of Counterfeit Love
But that is not all I want to say about her book. After all, you’re only allowed so many words in an endorsement. This probably has to be my favorite Grace Hitchcock book so far. And that is saying something because I absolutely adored The White City, now renamed Miss Wylde in the White City.
Muriel’s baking history and insecurities were ones I could identify with. I cannot tell you how horrified I felt for her in the first chapter (you’ll just have to check out the preview HERE to see what I mean). And then her first meeting with Erik? Oh my goodness!! I was rolling with laughter. Without giving too much away, I was thrilled by the adventure and danger aspect of the romance story. You know me. There is nothing I like more than a good villain or two, and this one had me guessing until the reveal–although I did have my suspicions.
Believe me, this is a story you don’t want to miss. AND Grace included a scone recipe at the end!!! You better believe that I’ve cooked up a batch or two by now. You can learn more about the story below.
Genre: Regency Romance, England, 1813
Plot:
Sometimes the only way to outsmart a scandal is to find a crown big enough to silence it.
Muriel Beau, country baker turned heiress, can’t stop instigating outrage. She discards two arranged engagements, then further antagonizes in Kent society by publicly proposing to a baron at a ball. His rejection leaves her with no choice but to flee to the city and to secure a coronet so splendid that her peers will forget her debacles. The glitter of the London courts convinces Muriel that it’s possible to find the future she dreams of, until she finds herself entangled in yet another escapade–one that may cost her more than her crumbling reputation.
After years of serving as a privateer under an assumed name, Captain Erik Draycott, heir to Draycott Castle and soon to assume his uncle’s title of Earl, returns to his London home to find it in disrepair thanks to his longtime nemesis. A staunch bachelor intent on returning to his ship, the captain now finds himself in dire need of a wife.
But while his pauper status causes the potential London brides to turn their noses up at him, the Kent brides have no such qualms and are eager to fill his coffers with their fathers’ wealth. When he encounters the unconventional Muriel Beau and she becomes embroiled in his risky undertaking, Erik is torn between staying put to protect this enchanting country lady and heeding the call of the high seas.
Author Website: https://gracehitchcockbooks.com/
Purchase Link: Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble
What do you like most about a good Regency novel?
by Crystal Caudill | May 21, 2024 | Author Interviews
I have had the blessing of knowing Grace Hitchcock almost from the very beginning of my writing journey. I have loved her stories, from her novella collections to her American Heiress and Aprons and Veils series, and now I’m in LOVE with her new Regency series, Best Laid Plans. To Catch a Coronet, book one in the series, is available wherever books are sold beginning TODAY. How incredibly exciting, and now I get to introduce you to the author herself.
Oh, and before the introductions, I wanted to let you know that Grace has graciously offered 2 autographed paperbacks of The Finding of Miss Fairfield. You can enter the giveaway for those at the bottom of this post.Â
Now let me introduce you to this wonderful author and friend.
Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, True Colors, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives on the Northshore of New Orleans, with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a cottage that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, or chasing babies, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.
You can connect with her through: Website (Download a free novella while there) | Amazon | BookBub |  GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook
Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Grace with rapid-fire.
CC: Pineapple pizza or candy corn?
GH: Candy corn, 1000%
CC: Test the waters or dive in the deep end?
GH: Test for sure. You never know what is in the water (pool or rivers) in South Louisiana!
CC: Guacamole or salsa?
GH: Guacamole!
CC: Silly hats or silly socks?
GH: Silly socks. I love collecting bookish socks!
CC: Passwords or secret handshakes?
GH: Secret handshakes.
Yeah, I wouldn’t dive into Louisana waters either. LOL I’m no alligator wrestler. However, I’m not going to let you test the waters now. Let’s dive right in.
What book has most impacted you?
GH: I feel like every season, there is a novel that touches me. The one that stuck the longest has to be Tracie Peterson’s Westward Chronicles (a Harvey Girl series). They are moving, unique tales that inspired me to write my own Harvey Girls stories! I re-read them every few years.
CC: How fun to have them inspire your own series. I am totally with you on each season having its one novel that touches me.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
GH: When I turned twelve, I began to read pretty exclusively Christian Historical Fiction and read pretty much every book our local library had to offer! I loved the romantic element that long gowns, courting, and etiquette lent stories. When I encountered stories that ended with the heroine marrying the wrong guy (in my opinion haha), I would re-write the endings in my head and eventually, decided to try my hand at writing a novel and I was hooked by the genre!
CC: I love it! If you can’t find what you want, write it!Â
What is your writing Kryptonite?
GH: Exclamation points!!!! Apparently, I’m a very excited writer in the first draft. Every time I finish writing the first draft, I text my mom and have her guess how many I used in a 330 page novel. She is generous and usually guesses lower than the count on the last book I wrote . . . but the count is always high no matter how mindful I think I am being while writing. I usually have about 200+ exclamation points for the 330 pages. I weed them down to 40 at most!
CC: Ha! Ha! I can totally see that fitting your personality. Now I will look at every story and wonder which ones were exclamation points before you changed them.
Speaking of stories, let’s talk about your debut Regency novel, To Catch a Coronet.
Sometimes the only way to outsmart a scandal is to find a crown big enough to silence it…
Muriel Beau, country baker turned heiress, can’t stop instigating outrage. She discards two arranged engagements, then further antagonizes Kent society by publicly proposing to a baron at a ball. His rejection leaves her with no choice but to flee to the city and to secure a coronet so splendid that her peers will forget her debacles. The glitter of the London courts convinces Muriel that it’s possible to find the future she dreams of, until she finds herself entangled in yet another escapade–one that may cost her more than her crumbling reputation.
After years of serving as a privateer under an assumed name, Captain Erik Draycott, heir to Draycott Castle and soon to assume his uncle’s title of Earl, returns to his London home to find it in disrepair thanks to his longtime nemesis. A staunch bachelor intent on returning to his ship, the captain is shocked when his mentor encourages him to take a wife. But while his alleged pauper status causes the potential London brides to turn their noses up at him, the ladies of Kent have no such qualms and are eager to fill his coffers with their fathers’ wealth.
Caught in a whirlwind of high society and high seas, Muriel and Erik navigate a risky undertaking that threatens their futures and creating stakes that soar above the masts of Erik’s ship. Will Muriel’s bold charm and Erik’s daring bravery be enough to outsmart the scandal and secure a future as glittering as the crown Muriel seeks?
Purchase your copy at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Autographed Copy
CC: What about this story drew you to it? Does this story have any special meaning to you?
GH: I first had this idea when I was watching a Hallmark about a girl who proposes to a guy and it goes totally wrong. And the “what if” train of thought led to Muriel, a baker turned heiress during Regency England. The baking element is pretty special to me. After a devastating miscarriage, I needed a distraction, so I decided to bake my way through a Christmas baking magazine. I had my family mark which recipes they wanted to try, and I just baked and baked for two months. It was great therapy as God healed our hearts and I knew that my character, Muriel the baker, would use baking as her therapy too.
CC: So many hugs, my friend. Baking truly is one of the best therapies in the world. . . even if it isn’t great for a waistline.
What was some of your favorite research you discovered while preparing for this story?
GH: Oooh this was a goldmine to research! I bought so many great resources that Erica Vetsch so kindly recommended. My favorite discovery while researching was Vauxhall Gardens, a pleasure gardens in London that I had no idea existed. I, of course, had to add it to the book, To Catch a Coronet! And I have pics on my pinterest page if you want to see the gardens for yourself: https://www.pinterest.com/grace_hitchcock/to-catch-a-coronet-by-grace-hitchcock/.
CC: Erica is the best for sharing what she knows. And I loved getting to visit Vauxhall Gardens in your story.
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?
GH: I want them leaving feeling like they have met new friends that they want to visit again, had an adventure, visited castles, laughed until they were breathless, and looking forward to the next story!
CC: I can confirm that you achieved that! I loved To Catch a Coronet and even was ready to read it again only a couple months later! Now it’s time to wrap up our interview with a fun question.
You are in the back of a police car on your way to jail. What did you do? and is anyone with you?
GH: I was found after hours inside the Biltmore because I accidentally got lost in time and thought, exploring the titles in the library. My husband would be with me because he is all for a great adventure!
CC: That library is amazing, and how awesome that your husband would join you!
Readers, I hope you’ll check out To Catch a Coronet and then leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. You wouldn’t believe how important that is to an author. Â
Giveaway Info
Grace Hitchcock is graciously providing two U.S. residents, 18 years and older, with a signed copy of To Catch a Coronet. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Entries open until 11:59 p.m. EST on May 28.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Reader, have you read Regency stories before? Which ones are your favorite?
by Crystal Caudill | Dec 5, 2023 | Book Reviews
A Duchess for the Duke
by Sally Britton
Review:
This fun novella was a great kick-off to a series I look forward to reading. This marriage of convenience story-line is flirty, fun, and light-hearted. I love how the heroine, Cecilia is intelligent and not afraid to be straightforward. Though thrown into the role of being a duchess quite unexpectedly, she rises to the occasion and works hard to prove herself. She’s admirable, and I enjoyed watching her and Gregory learn to love and support each other.
I recommend this story for fans of Regency Romance, marriages of convenience, sweet romances, and those who like seeing some of the day-to-day life as a Duke or Dutchess.
Genre: Regency
Plot:
A young duke finds a practical duchess, neither of them suspecting that their match will lead to a legacy of love.
Gregory Dinard, a young and inexperienced duke, finds himself in need of a companion to help him navigate the intricacies of his new role. Uncertain of his abilities and unwilling to take a chance at love, he looks for a marriage of mutual benefit rather than a match of mutual affection.
A woman of grace and intelligence, Lady Cecilia never expects to catch a duke’s eye. Despite her surprise, she agrees to the arrangement when the duke proposes an alliance with her, knowing it would allow her the freedom and opportunity to explore her love of architecture.
As they embark on their new life together, Gregory discovers both an affection for and an undeniable attraction to his wife that he cannot ignore. But can a practical marriage become something more, or will he face a future of unrequited love for his duchess?
This is the prequel novella to the Clairvoir Castle Romances series, and can be enjoyed as a standalone, but will be most satisfying to those who have met the duke and duchess before.
Author Website: https://www.authorsallybritton.com/
Purchase Link: Amazon | Â Barnes & Noble
What is the most recent book you’ve read? What did you like about it? Who would you recommend it to?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 19, 2021 | Book Reviews
The Captain’s Confidant
by Ashtyn Newbold
While I typically only read Christian Fiction, at the recommendation of some readers here and elsewhere, I have begun looking into some clean historical romance when the ebooks are free to download. The Captain’s Confidant is one of those I downloaded for free and picked up off my Kindle when stuck at an extra-long doctor’s appointment. For complete transparency, this book is completely clean but lacks a spiritual growth element, so if that is a non-negotiable for you, there are tons of other Regency-era Christian Fiction you can read.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Captain’s Confidant. There were a significant number of flashbacks, something I don’t usually care for, but they were managed well and felt crucial to the story. It especially helped me to understand why the heroine, Bridget Northcott, refused to fall in love with anyone else other than the hero, even though he’d only been the childhood companion of her brothers and had gone off to sea years ago. Initially, her reason for turning down suitors felt childish to me, but I quickly came to see how the idolization of the man led her to make those decisions. And while there wasn’t a specific spiritual thread, I did appreciate Newbold’s showing Bridget’s growth of overcoming her idolization and growing to appreciate the hero (Colin Foster) for the man he was and not the man she made him out to be in her head. Actually, both characters’ growth arcs were realistic and VERY well done.
As far as the romance goes, the forbidden love line was well managed and had unexpected twists that I really enjoyed. I loved the interaction between Colin and Bridget, the secret exchange of letters, the protective brother stepping in when necessary, and just how it all played out. The Captain’s Confidant was a sweet romance that has stuck with me, even weeks after having read it in a one-night binge. Sweet romances aren’t typically my preference. I tend to lean toward danger and suspense mixed in with my romance, but this book was exactly what I needed and could appreciate during a particularly stressful time. I will definitely be reading more stories from this author and series.
I recommend this book for fans of Regency romance, secret romances, forbidden love, clean reads, characters with strong growth arcs and believable challenges, and those who especially like love letters.
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Era, England
Plot Overview:
An accidental letter, a long-lost love, and a slew of secrets.
For as long as Bridget Northcott can remember, she has loved her brother’s closest friend, Colin Foster. She loved him long before he grew up, became Captain Foster, and long before he left her behind for a life at sea. Although she knows her feelings will never be returned, Bridget cannot help but turn away every suitor in the hopes that one day Colin will come back to Larkhall and see her for what she has grown up to be—refined, elegant, and the precise opposite of the silly girl he once knew.
When family circumstances bring Colin’s unexpected return, he too has changed. Once carefree, he is now cold, hard, and distant. Determined to unravel the mysteries of Captain Foster, Bridget writes her thoughts in a note, one she never meant to send. As a hesitant friendship grows between them through their letters, Bridget determines to keep her heart uninvolved. But when her facade begins to break, she realizes the childhood silliness she abandoned might just be precisely what is needed to pull him back to shore.
Faced with a choice between loyalty and selfishness, love and letting go, Bridget must find the strength to confide her own feelings in Captain Foster before the man she loved is lost forever. But there is only so much she can do when she discovers a match between them is what she has always feared—forbidden.
The Captain’s Confidant is a sweet and clean standalone regency romance novel, book two in the Larkhall Letters series.
What I loved:Â The characters struggles and their growth through trials. The romance they developed and the struggle to remain only as friends out of respect to family and other commitments really made it an interesting read.
Favorite Character and Why: While I loved both Bridget and Colin, I actually grew to love Tabitha–the villain of the story. I can’t explain why without exposing the story, but just know it has to do with how we come to know and understand her throughout the story.Â
Who would like this? I recommend this book for fans of Regency romance, secret romances, forbidden love, clean reads, characters with strong growth arcs and believable challenges, and those who especially like love letters.
Rating and Why: Five stars. I was truly impressed with the handling of the characters and their struggles. The struggles felt realistic even if at times I was skeptical–like how a childhood crush could cause a woman to decline suitors out of love to a man she hadn’t seen since her youth. Newbold did a fantastic job and I will be reading her other stories as well.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Book Depository   Bookshop.org
What about you? Do you read clean romance? What other titles would you recommend that are clean, but possibly not categorized as Christian Fiction specifically?
Grace Hitchcock is the award-winning author of multiple his¬torical novels and novellas, including the American Royalty, Best Laid Plans, and Aprons & Veils series. She holds a Master’s in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives South Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, sons, and daughter in a farmhouse that is always filled with the sounds of sweet little footsteps running at full speed. When not writing, chasing babies, or tending to her chickens, she’s baking something delightful and can usually be found with a book clutched in her fist.
Now I’m excited to talk about To Kiss A Knight.
