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Diana Forbes is a 9th generation American, with ancestors on both sides of the Civil War. Diana Forbes lives and writes in Manhattan. When she is not cribbing chapters, Diana Forbes loves to explore the buildings where her 19th Century American ancestors lived, loved, survived and thrived. Prior to publication, Diana Forbes’s debut won 1st place in the Missouri Romance Writers of America (RWA) Gateway to the Best Contest for Women’s Fiction. A selection from the novel was a finalist in the Wisconsin RWA “Fab Five” Contest for Women’s Fiction. Mistress Suffragette won 1st place in the Chanticleer Chatelaine Award’s Romance and Sensual category, and was shortlisted for the Somerset Award in Literary Fiction. Mistress Suffragette won Silver in the North American Book Awards and was a Winner of the Book Excellence Awards for Romance. Mistress Suffragette was also a Kirkus Best Indies Book of 2017. The author is passionate about vintage clothing, antique furniture, ancestry, and vows to master the quadrille in her lifetime. Diana Forbes is the author of New York Gilded Age historical fiction.

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Title: MISTRESS SUFFRAGETTE
Author: Diana Forbes
Publisher: Penmore Press
Pages: 392
Genre: Romance/Historical Fiction/Victorian/Political/NY Gilded Age Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

A young woman without prospects at a ball in Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island is a target for a certain kind of “suitor.” At the Memorial Day Ball during the Panic of 1893, impoverished but feisty Penelope Stanton quickly draws the unwanted advances of a villainous millionaire banker who preys on distressed women—the incorrigible Mr. Daggers. Better known as the philandering husband of the stunning socialite, Evelyn Daggers, Edgar stalks Penelope.

Skilled in the art of flirtation, Edgar is not without his charms, and Penelope is attracted to him against her better judgment. Meanwhile a special talent of Penelope’s makes her the ideal candidate for a paying job in the Suffrage Movement.

In a Movement whose leaders are supposed to lead spotless lives, Penelope’s torrid affair with Mr. Daggers is a distraction and early suffragist Amy Adams Buchanan Van Buren, herself the victim of a faithless spouse, urges Penelope to put an end to it. But can she?

Searching for sanctuary in three cities, Penelope will need to discover her hidden reserves of courage and tenacity. During a glittering age where a woman’s reputation is her most valuable possession, Penelope must decide whether to compromise her principles for love.

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At what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I was always writing from the age of 5. When I was 6 I started keeping a diary, like Harriet the Spy. After that, I wrote poems, followed by articles for my school paper. By the time I was in college I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Do you take notes when reading or watching a movie?

Yes! I mark up every book I ever read with Post-It notes and underscores. When friends want to lend me a book, I tell them “Don’t lend it to me. Give it to me. Because If I have to give it back to you it will be unrecognizable.”

Has writing always been a passion for you or did you discover it years later?

I always knew I wanted to be a writer. The issue was: what form would the writing take, and was I brave enough to tackle fiction?

Can you name three writing tips to pass on to aspiring authors?

I am a big believer in Stephen King’s idea of “putting your butt I in the chair and just writing.” I write for 5 hours a day, and try for 7 or 8. It is true that you have to build up your writing muscle. Some writers I know do it by pages, but for me the number of hours per day is a better predictor of success. But when I am done, I am done! I have a separate office that I commute to, and once I am finished for the day I try to leave the writing behind. One thing that has also helped me is taking writing classes. I take two in-person writing classes a week, every week.

Do you let unimportant things get in the way of your writing?

Sometimes I try to take the emotion of it and put that in my writing. Unimportant things can inform your writing without hurting your writing or your writing schedule.

What hours do you write best?

I am a morning writer. By 6 p.m. it’s time to hit the gym!

How often do you write?

Every day, including Saturday and Sunday.