Bio: Grace Hitchcock is
the award–winning author of multiple historical novels and novellas. She holds
a master’s degree in creative writing and a bachelor’s degree in English with a
minor in history. Grace lives in the New Orleans area with her husband, Dakota,
and their son and daughter.
About the story: Delia Vittoria’s mother has lost her voice at
last. After five years of being her diva mother’s understudy, it is time for
Delia to assume her place as the lead soprano onstage behind the Academy of
Music’s faded velvet curtain. And she is all that stands between the Academy
and its greatest threat—the nouveaux riche’s lavish new Metropolitan Opera
House.
Kit Quincy never misses opening
night, but when his sister begs him to help get her husband out of an Italian
opera star’s arms, Kit confronts the wrong Lady Vittoria. When he happens upon
the stunning young diva again at Mrs. Astor’s dinner party the following night,
he attempts to make amends and is instead pulled into a plot to win the great
opera war.
To draw attention to Delia Vittoria as the new soprano star, Kit is convinced to act as both Delia’s patron and the enigmatic phantom who once haunted the Academy years ago. But when a second phantom appears, more than Delia’s rising career is threatened.
.jpg)
Can you tell us a little more about what or who were the inspirations
behind this book? I was
researching for the American Royalty
series when I came across an article following the great opera house wars
between Mrs. Astor, who supported The Academy of Music with its knickerbocker
opera patrons, and the nouveaux riche, who built The Metropolitan Opera House as a solution to the knickerbocker’s
exclusive ways.
What about New
York during the Gilded Age first captured your imagination? I loved that women were finally getting more freedom in the Gilded
Age, which allows me to place my heroines in occupations they wouldn’t find
themselves in even a few decades before. In the midst of great change for women
in society, there is still the element of sweet romance with suitors and ballrooms,
beautiful gowns, and handsome gentlemen paying call to woo their sweethearts.
What
did you enjoy most about delving into the world of music and theater for this
novel? I have been listening to opera and Broadway
since I was fourteen, so it felt like returning to an old friend in the
research. My first Broadway show I ever attended was The Phantom of the Opera
in the historic Saenger Theatre in New Orleans at the age of five, and I
have been enchanted ever since.
Also, I am from a large Italian family, so learning about the Italian
opera companies was especially fun to delve into.
Did
you do any research for your novel? Did you learn anything new about the Academy
of Music or the Metropolitan Opera House while writing? Every book I write, I do intense bouts of research, making certain I
have the correct names for roads in the past, where buildings used to be, the
architecture of historical houses, opera houses, hotels and rooftop gardens,
along with what operas were playing in what theater at the time. One of my
favorite resources was referencing old newspapers during the debut of the new
opera house. Very helpful and fun! I’ve a scene in the book featuring an ice
cream shop, Horton’s, which I found advertised in a newspaper from 1883.
Without giving away any spoilers, what makes the
Academy phantom such a thrilling mystery? How
did you work to build suspense within your story? Well, there is the fact that I changed the real phantom’s identity
about three times (ha-ha), so his identity was a surprise even to me in the
end! Hopefully readers will enjoy the suspense leading up to the grand finale.
Did you explore anything new as a writer while working on His
Delightful Lady Delia? What continues to motivate your writing? Storytelling has been a part of my life for
so long, I have quite the list of stories to write next, and I’m not sure if
I’ll ever reach the end of it! So I’d say my motivation is that I simply can’t
NOT write.
As for trying something new, I used a lot more Italian phrases than I
have ever used in a book before and had to do significant research to ensure I
got the tense correct, as well as the vernacular of the time.
What lessons do
you hope readers will gain from reading this novel? I’m hoping to offer the reader a clean, entertaining story with deep
characters and their journeys toward healing and love, while also delivering a
twist or two that readers do not see coming.
How can readers
connect with you? Readers can sign up for my newsletter here: http://gracehitchcockbooks.com/authornewsletter/. I can also be found on Bookbub, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Thank you, Grace, for sharing this new book with us. I’m eager to
read it.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
Leave a comment
for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where
prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the
giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer
in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
