Elizabeth Everett: On Letting Story Ideas Simmer
In this interview, author Elizabeth Everett discusses the five years between having the story in her head to publishing her new historical romance novel, The Lady Sparks a Flame.
USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Everett lives in upstate New York with her family. She likes going for long walks or (very) short runs to nearby sites that figure prominently in the history of civil rights and women's suffrage. Her writing is inspired by her admiration for rule breakers and belief in the power of love to change the world. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Elizabeth Everett
Photo by Asa Shutts
In this interview, Elizabeth discusses the five years between having the story idea in her head to publishing her new historical romance novel, The Lady Sparks a Flame, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Elizabeth Everett
Literary agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret
Book title: The Lady Sparks a Flame
Publisher: Berkley/PRH
Release date: March 25, 2025
Genre/category: Historical Romance
Previous titles: Secret Scientists of London series, Damsels of Discovery series
Elevator pitch: Villainess of majestic proportions returns to London only to find herself mixed up with the sweetest of heroes in a race to prove her innocence—this time.
What prompted you to write this book?
I knew that the main character, Phoebe, needed a resolution from the character arc she had in the first book of my first series.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
Her story has been sitting in the back of my head for five years. I always wanted readers to understand why Phoebe hurt the people closest to her, and her rage, and the consequences of this rage, have only become more pertinent in the current misogynistic climate.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Sadly, during the publishing process for this title publishers have stopped buying historical romances. It is a huge shame because historical romance is the one genre that can take on contemporary issues without the same amount of controversy as a contemporary romance might, including sexual violence, abortion care, and mental illness.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
The most disheartening surprise during the process of writing this book and every other book in a series about women scientists is how predictive the plots turned out to be. I don’t lay any claim to foresight, but in a series of unhappy circumstances, each of the conflicts the women face are obstacles appearing for women today.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope they understand Phoebe’s anger and give her the grace to grow. I hope they are as angry and disgusted by toxic masculinity and its effects on women as was Phoebe. I hope they go out and buy other historical romance author’s books and show publishers that historical romance is a vital, thriving, and important sub-genre in romance.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Uplift each other.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
