We’re delighted to let our readers know about a new Mills & Boon author, Sophia Williams! Sophia’s first novel, How the Duke Met His Match is a historical romance with the marriage-of-convenience trope and a feisty, independent heroine.

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Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I live in London with my husband and five children. My life is total chaos but when I can escape my laundry mountain I love reading, tennis and wine.

Why did you want to become a romance writer?

I’ve always read a lot, across all genres, but I’ve always wanted romance in my books. Give me the best thriller or historical biography ever written and if it doesn’t have romance in it I’m disappointed. And I think romance does feature in almost all stories – everyone loves to love… And I’ve always loved writing. So from there I wanted to become a romance writer…

What were the major steps in your journey to becoming a published author? Was this story the first manuscript you submitted?

I also write contemporary romcoms under a different name and had already had four books published with another publisher, but I’ve always loved reading Regency romances and always wanted to write them, so am thrilled to have the opportunity to write historicals for Mills & Boon.

The first major steps for me in becoming a published author were entering competitions (the Good Housekeeping/Orion First Novel competition and the Comedy Women in Print award) – the feedback I received from those was invaluable.

What advice would you offer aspiring writers?

Read, read, read and write, write, write, as everyone says. But also: get as much feedback as possible. It might be that you’re writing psychological thrillers with limited success but everyone agrees that your voice and plots would be perfect for cosy romance. Or it might be that you’re very much on the right track already but just need to make a few tweaks to your stories and you’re there.

What did you do when you got the call?

I was away in Devon with two of my sons when Vic, the lovely editor who signed me, asked for a call. There was terrible phone reception where we were staying, so I took the boys to the grounds of a stately home with good reception, and they had ice creams while I sat on a bench and took the call. I remember beaming a lot at bemused passers-by as I sat there in the drizzle, and then I went and told the boys. The older one was delighted for me and the younger one dripped ice cream all over himself and said, ‘That sounds weird.’

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How the Duke Met His Match by Sophia Williams 

By Lauren Gardiner