This is Ink & Intrigue—the blog where romance ignites, secrets simmer, and every love story hides a twist. I’m your blog host, Sheila Kell, romance author and lover of plot twists, slow burns, and morally questionable book boyfriends.
Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to an author whose light-hearted, sweet love stories with a historical bent enthrall readers—Beth Ford! If you love time travel stories that bring together the present day and the past, you’re in for a treat.
Beth Ford is known for character-driven romance exploring self-discovery and second chances. Her latest release, Love Between Times, is a story where a medieval knight lands in the modern day and must be saved by our contemporary heroine.
In this spotlight, Beth Ford shares her writing journey and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Love Between Times.
Whether you write love stories, devour them, or dream of doing both, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it and give a warm welcome to Beth Ford! 💖
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What’s your typical writing routine like—do you write with emotion or outline first?
I start with an outline, but usually this is just the skeleton of the story that ends up getting filled out as I write. Usually, my first draft ends up being much shorter than the final version, as I’ve hit the high points in my first pass and need to build it out in my subsequent drafts. I wish I had the problem some authors have of writing way too much and having to cut back!
What part of writing romance do you enjoy most—the meet-cute, the conflict, or the happily ever after?
Definitely the happily-ever-after. The hero and heroine have come through all their trials and it feels so satisfying.
Can you tell us about your latest romance and what inspired the story?
I had seen other media where a medieval knight shows up and there is no language barrier and he immediately understands modern conveniences. That’s now how it would be! I wanted to shout.
So I wrote my own story. When Thomas shows up in the modern day, he can barely make himself understood. Rather than understanding automobiles as mechanical inventions, he sees them through the medieval worldview of god vs. the devil. Through the story of him and the heroine, Ashley, connecting, I hope to show the ways that people are both the same and different across vast expanses of time. Both Thomas and Ashley struggle with balancing what they see as their duty and their dreams. Ultimately, that is what brings them together.
Are your characters based on real people, or entirely fictional?
Ashley is fictional, but Thomas is based on a real figure from the 14th century—though I did shift some things in his biography to better fit my story. But the scene within my novel that relates a historical document telling of Thomas being ordered by the King to attend Parliament on pain of death after he had refused to tend to his parish—that really happened! And reading about that wanted me to know more about this person and what his character might have been like.
What was your journey to publication like?
I originally hoped to get an agent and a contract with a big publishing house, but those are obviously hard to come by. I ended up self-publishing my first book, but was able to get a publishing contract with The Wild Rose Press to publish Love Between Times.
How did you find your agent or publisher (if applicable)?
The Wild Rose Press accepts unagented submissions, and I was thrilled when they accepted my story. And my editor was fantastic to work with. They made the process easy.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up. And don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. There are many valid paths to publication.
What do you like to read in your free time?
I read a lot of narrative nonfiction. I think those type of books illuminate unique stories within history an engaging way even though they’re nonfiction—something I hope to emulate in my historical fiction. Of course, I also read a lot of historical fiction, and there’s nothing better to read on a long plane ride than a light, fun romance.
What are you working on next?
I am working on the sequel to Love Between Times! Currently, I am addressing my beta readers’ feedback, so I hope to have it wrapped up relatively soon. I can’t wait to share the next part of Thomas and Ashley’s story with everyone.
What’s a memorable quote from Love Between Times?
When Ashley and Thomas meet:
Ashley stared at the young man’s strange clothes. He wore a long, blue shirt over—were those tights?—and oddly shapeless leather boots. Everything he wore appeared homemade. The leather crossbody bag he wore was the only thing he had of decent quality.
She lifted her gaze to his face. His eyes immediately captivated her. They were the most gorgeous shade of blue she had ever seen.
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Beth Ford is a historical fiction author living in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Her novels include In the Time of Spirits, Love Between Times, and After the Spirits Come: A Continuation of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. She is also the author of the Cassie Woods, Reporter novella series.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Beth Ford and hearing about her journey, inspirations, and latest release, Love Between Times. If you haven’t added this to your TBR yet, now’s the time—trust me, you won’t want to miss it. 💖
You can connect with Beth Ford here:
📚 Website/Socials: https://linktr.ee/bethfordauthor
🛒 Grab her books: https://books2read.com/lovebetweentimes
Thank you for joining me in spotlighting a fellow romance lover who’s giving us all the feels. Stay tuned for more author features, book talk, and behind-the-scenes romance goodness.
Until next time—keep reading, keep swooning! ✨📚