Welcome to this Special Holiday Edition of Sunday Speed Dates! This week I have Alina K. Field joining me and sharing some holiday fun.
Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German 
literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
She is the author of the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring, a 2015 RONE Award finalist, Bella’s Band, and a 2016 National Reader’s Choice Award finalist, Liliana’s Letter, as well as her latest release, The Marquess and the Midwife. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
First, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I love a good road trip, the longer the better, probably because I come from a military family and spent my early years bouncing from one duty location to another. By the time I entered first grade, I’d lived in six different states. I have many memories of being packed into the back seat with my siblings, the bird cage with our parakeet on the floor, while we headed off to our new home.
Tell us a little about your holiday story.
The Marquess and the Midwife blends the secret baby and Cinderella tropes. And, the heroine has not one, but two secret babies, twins! My first go-through with this story was awful, but once I found my footing, it was a lot of fun to write.
Where are you currently living? What do you like/dislike about it?
I live in Orange County, California. I love the weather in Orange County. I’m not crazy about the traffic, although it’s so much easier to navigate with all the smart phone apps.
I think we all have a love-hate relationship with SoCal traffic!
Tell us one funny holiday story from when you were a kid.
Ooh, that’s a head-scratcher. Looking back, I remember most fondly how my brother used to sneak out of bed early and go through all the packages, and then come and wake me up.
What is your favorite holiday story or legend?
Santa Claus and his reindeer, of course.
Can’t go wrong with the classics. :)
How do you plan your writing time during the busy holiday season?
My kids are adults now, and I’ve scaled back a lot on holiday shopping, baking, and decorating. If I had some little ones in my life, I’d shove everything aside to make the best holiday possible for them. Christmas is much more fun with kids around.
Oh my, yes! I forgot how fun this time of year can be when seen through the eyes of the little ones.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Hmm. This is a tough question, Christina, because overall, I’m pretty boring! I’d say one of my quirks is that I don’t like to have input on my work until I’ve gone through enough drafts that I feel like I’ve found the story and have it right. Too much information coming at me early is confusing and demoralizing, because, like most authors, I don’t need any help with doubting myself!
So true.
What drew you to writing a holiday story?
A hopeful, uplifting holiday-themed romance is perfect for this busy season of the year when many of us (myself included) are subject to the holiday blues.
You are so correct in that. Holidays can be such a tough time for many people.
Where did you get the idea for this book?
Honestly, I don’t know. I do love secret baby stories (I have a contemporary story tucked away that I’ll bring out in a year or so), but this one just evolved, and as it did, I brought in characters from my novel, Bella’s Band, which added to the fun, and also led to some minor changes of the story line in my next book.
I love returning characters! It’s like getting an update as to what they’re up to. :)
What were some of the challenges in writing this book?
Researching midwifery in the era was a challenge and also a lot of fun. I blogged about it here: http://alinakfield.com/historical-research-files/
The rabbit hole of research! It’s can be such a curse sometimes.
Is there a secondary character in this book that you’d like to revisit and give their own story to?
Yes. Bink Gibson, a secondary character from my novel Bella’s Band makes a very minor appearance in The Marquess and the Midwife, and my next book will tell his story.
Oh yay! I can’t wait to see what happens with him.
Do you own a Christmas sweater? Pictures please!
No. I gave away the last of my Christmas sweaters a few years ago, darn it. I’m in the market for a new one. If anyone has shopping suggestions, please let me know!
Hah! Isn’t it amazing how ugly sweaters are all the rage? I’ve seen some terrible awesome ones in recent years.
What is your favorite holiday ornament or decoration?
My favorite decoration is a holiday wreath my sister made for me. Actually it’s more like a bowed spray, and it’s gorgeous. I hang it over the mantel every year.
Those are the best kind. So many memories and love in them.
What is your favorite holiday…Book? Movie? Song?
This is not a holiday story, but every year at Christmas I re-read Mr. Impossible, by Loretta Chase, because it’s funny, and brilliant, and takes me out of the doldrums.
It’s a Wonderful Life, with Jimmy Stewart. Or maybe, The Shop Around the Corner, with Jimmy Stewart. I love Jimmy Stewart.
Honestly—I have no favorites here.
I totally get it. It’s hard to pick a favorite, they’re all such feel-good stories.
When do you exchange/open presents?
When the kids were little, Santa would deliver the presents in the dark of night and we’d open them in the morning. Now that they’re grown, we open presents on Christmas Eve.
What’s next?
I’m finalizing a Regency series about the sons and one daughter of an earl who was a spy leader during the Napoleonic Wars.
Ooh…Regency spies! They are so exciting. :)
Can you tell us a little about your next project?
My next project is, as I mentioned, Bink Gibson’s story. As it turns out, Bink is the bastard son of that spying earl. It’s called The Bastard’s Iberian Bride.
What do you think of that title? Someone told me it’s risky because the word “bastard” might be too shocking. I happen to like being a little shocking!
I like it. It may be a bit risky, but isn’t that how barriers get torn down? A little risk is a good thing.
Where can we find out more about you and what you write? Feel free to include any social media links you are active on.
Come and visit my website, I blog at least once a week about upcoming events, book releases for me and my author friends, my research, my travels, and things that interest me. You can sign up there for my quarterly newsletter, where I share news and hold giveaways just for subscribers.
Be sure to find me on Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads and Instagram. And come look at the Pinterest Boards I’ve put together for my stories!
Thanks so much for stopping by, I’ve enjoyed our chat. Have a wonderful holiday season!
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