Eva Leigh is bestselling regency romance author of The London Underground, Last Chance Scoundrels and more. Excelling in swoon-worthy heroes and empowered heroines, the feel-good romance writer generously took the time to answer my questions on regency, 80s homages and upcoming releases. Enjoy.

1. To start off, please share a bit of your writing journey?

I started writing at a very early age, around elementary school. I used to write stories for my friends, and even wrote what we would now call fan fiction about the ’80s New Wave band Duran Duran (I’m very much a Gen Xer). In high school, a friend of mine loaned me her mother’s romance novels, and I absolutely fell in love with the genre, and started writing my first romance when I was around 15. (It was terrible and I never finished.)

Through undergrad, I continued to write in a variety of genres and forms, including plays, though it had been my intention to get a PhD in English Literature and perhaps become a dramaturg. While I was working on my PhD, I entered a literary magazine’s writing contest and won, at which point I started fielding calls from literary agents interested in seeing my manuscript. I didn’t have anything (other than some half-completed romance novels), but it did make me reevaluate what it was I wanted to do with myself. I left my PhD program with a Master’s, and was accepted at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. That program’s emphasis was on short stories and literary fiction, and while I was working in those forms, I was secretly also writing historical romance.

After I graduated with an MFA, I worked at a series of depressing office jobs whilst getting up early and working on my romance novels. (I’d also clandestinely write at work.)

It took a couple of years before I got an agent, but my books didn’t sell to a publisher for a while. I had two historical romance novels come out, and then everything dried up, and while I was trying to figure out what my next step was, I wrote a literary fiction novel that was published by a small press. After that, I went back to romance novels, and from 2010 onward, I was published consistently as a romance author, first as Zoë Archer, and now as Eva Leigh.

Persistence is key! I pivoted so many times and felt defeated often, but I keep going and trying to evolve as I change as a writer, and to stay nimble with the ever-changing world of publishing.  Having a good support system (in my case, my husband, Nico Rosso, who’s also a writer) is very important. Gather people around you who understand your process, your journey, and are there to keep you going when you want to give up.  

2. What are the most essential traits to you when creating a new hero?
A new heroine? What are the most important parts in creating an equal
romance?

I’ve often said that, for me, a MMC can be a misanthropist but never a misogynist. When he meets the FMC, he doesn’t think, “She’s not like other girls,” he thinks, “She’s not like other people.” He must become her most ardent supporter and advocate. 

As for my FMC, I like writing about women who are trying to make inroads in male-dominated spaces, and even when they are afraid, they never give up. That, to me, is courage.

3. Why does the Regency era appeal to you in particular?

Candidly, it sells well! But also I enjoy that there are societal and social structures that can be flouted or defied. 

4. While some may deride the historical accuracy of your bold and
unconventional heroines, why do you think it’s important to show these
self-reliant women taking control of their futures and gaining a
happily ever after out of it in spite of societal constraints?

Ha, I didn’t know my heroines were derided! In any event, there have always been women who have pushed back against rigid beliefs as to what they can and cannot do. In Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote, “I do not wish [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” That was written in 1792, so women have been advocating for equality far earlier than the 20th Century.

Of course, this push for equality did not include women of color, and that needs to be acknowledged as a seriously problematic aspect of white feminism. They wanted the privileges of white men at women of color’s expense, and used the labor and efforts of women of color to advance their own agenda, while silencing those that created the structures that enabled their advancement. We can’t ignore that.

5. Do you do any research on real-life (yet underrated) historical
women who broke boundaries to create your characters? (Mainly because
Lady Grace gave me such Maria Sibylla vibes but with amphibians
instead of bugs)

I’m definitely inspired by real-world women, and while some of my scenarios might be a little creative, the foundation for groundbreaking women has always existed.

(And I love Maria Sibylla! She’s fascinating!)

6. The London Underground tackles interclass romance as well as the
world outside of the ton’s protocols and tea parties. What drew you to
the seedier aspect of London? Did it change the tone/your approach to
the romances?

There’s so much more to Regency England than ballrooms and the ton, and I wanted to show the breadth of experience for people who existed outside of the immediate circle of privilege. Also, that privilege came at the cost of many others, and I didn’t want to exclude that.

But I also wanted to show that joy and HEAs are possible for people who aren’t part of the upper echelons. So I did include some grittier elements, but I also needed to keep in mind that this is a romance and exists in a fantasy space of “history,” so I didn’t get fully dark.

7. The Wicked Quills of London follow the long-line of literary women
who have shaped the population’s reading interests. Was focusing on
female writers, including a romance author, a meta experience? Did you
include your own processes and thoughts of being an author?

It was definitely a meta experience. The FMCs of the Wicked Quills all write in popular forms (gossip rags, burlettas [halfway between plays and operas], and erotic fiction), and frequently, they are called upon to defend the fact that they write to entertain and give joy, rather than the grim, moralistic works that were considered more salubrious for women and the lower classes.

Current romance writers are often beset by dismissive and critical opinions about their work. Just see the number of horrendous “journalism” pieces about romance novels that come out every Valentine’s Day. 

8. The Union of the Rakes was unique in that it was an homage to your
favorite 80s films. How did you blend the contemporary with the
regency? How did you choose which film to focus on?

I started reading romance in the ’80s, and also watched a lot of cable television, where I ingested movies, television shows, and music videos. They all fed into my nascent creative process, and so it made sense to me to take very trope-based ’80s movies and transpose those tropes onto the already fantastical world of Regency romance.

Do I strain credulity? Absolutely.

Is it fun and makes readers smile? I hope so!

I also tried to address some of the problematic elements from these films, such as misogyny, racism, and homophobia—all of which are abundant in those movies. So it was more about taking inspiration from the ’80s films rather than complete retellings of them.

9. The core friend group, The Union of the Rakes, provides a rare
depiction of strong male friendships without toxic masculinity. Why you think it’s important to show this type of romance hero?

Dismantling toxic social messaging for all genders is important work in romance, and I hope that by showing men who can love each other platonically (and romantically, in the case of two of the friends), everyone can move forward to create equity.  

10. With the inclusion of more diversity in all genres of literature,
how do you feel about contributing to its representation and what are
your hopes for the industries’ future?

As a cisgendered, heterosexual white woman, I need to be aware of my privilege and try to create the equity I mentioned above. I don’t want to take anyone’s place at the table, or write from a lived experience that isn’t my own. Romance author LaQuette offers a fabulous class called “Critical Lens” and it was crucial in helping me understand my role as a writer, including facing my own biases and working toward addressing and undoing them. I’m a work in progress—I know I mess up, and the best I can do is accept when I’m wrong (not double down), and listen. 

I especially want to see traditional publishers put out and promote books by LGBTQIA+ authors, authors of color, neurodiverse authors, and disabled authors. It serves only to shore up white supremacy when every aspect of publishing focuses only on a select few authors and stories and perspectives.  

11. On a more light note, do you have any favorite romance authors
that you are inspired by?

I’m loving books by EE Ottoman, Cat Sebastian, Alexis Hall, Adriana Herrera, Liana De La Rosa, Vaness Riley, J.J. McAvoy, Rose Lerner, Felicia Grossman, Beverly Jenkins (the queen of historical romance), and Amalie Howard. This is a non-exhaustive list! 

 12. Favorite tropes to write or you want to write?

The cinnamon roll MMC is one of my absolute favorites, and if he also happens to be a dirty talker, so much the better!

13. Any news you’d like to share about upcoming books or socials?

On April 25, the final book in my Last Chance Scoundrels series, A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction, comes out. It’s a second chance romance, and we’ve been following the MMC and FMC from that book from the very beginning. It’s one of my spiciest books to date (which is saying something). You’ll be able to find me IRL at the Steamy Lit Con, August 18-19 in Anaheim, California!