Interview with Elizabeth Boyle, Author of The Knave of Hearts

I think readers will really relate to the heroine, Lavinia Tempest—she’s spent her entire life desperately trying to fit in—which I think we all do to some extent—but her attempts usually land her in worse straits. So when The Knave of Hearts opens, Lavinia has taken a tumble on the dance floor and taken down with her most of London’s biggest gossips and social mavens. It’s a huge disaster and now she has to find a way to rehabilitate her ruined reputation. Enter Tuck Rowland, the worst sort of knave and rake, (who after making an outlandish wager as to Miss Tempest’s nature) now finds himself in the very uncomfortable position of having to turn this ungainly miss into a lady.

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

My home. I am a bit of homebody. I love having my family around me, my gardens, and being able to look out at Puget Sound and see the sky and water as it changes with the moody and temperamental light that is Seattle. Any day I can see Mount Rainier is a perfect day!

Who is your favorite couple from literature?

Anne Elliott and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion by Jane Austen. I love that they had to wait, to be in the right place for it all to work. And that they loved each other so deeply. They knew they were right and finally ignored what the rest of the world thought and followed their hearts.

What’s your favorite thing about Seattle?

Everything. My family were early pioneers, so I have very deep roots here. But I just love being surrounded by mountains and the Sound, and big lakes, and all the green. But I have to admit to being overly fond of the Space Needle— it is so wonderfully Seattle.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer. There was never a question or a doubt as to what I was going to do with my life.

What will your next adventure be?

I have it in the planning stages right now—it is going to be a dream come true, but like all dreams it has to stay under wraps for just a bit longer. I know, I am a terrible tease. But I encourage everyone to find a way to follow their heart—even if it takes time and extra effort and a bit of sacrifice.

What’s your favorite quote or scene from The Knave of Hearts?

I love the moment in the book where the heroine, Lavinia Tempest decides to abandon all the rules and restrictions she’s put upon her life, her very identity and take a big risk. She thinks to herself:

That book, that wretched list, had bound up her life in ways that would never have led to any true happiness.

And I think we all have things that bind us up, restrictions we place upon ourselves that have no true meaning, other than what we give them. The book is truly about being yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. Owning your faults and your strengths.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Be kind. Be true. Be brave.

It is the motto of a local Catholic high school and I think it is the perfect sort of guide for life. I reach for it often.

Elizabeth Boyle is the author of the new book The Knave of Hearts.

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