Mimi Matthews: On Writing a Series for Horse Girls and Rule Breakers

November 18, 2024

Mimi Matthews is the USA Today-bestselling author of several historical nonfiction works and award-winning Victorian romance novels. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at MimiMatthews.com, and follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

In this interview, Mimi discusses completing a series with her new historical romance, The Muse of Maiden Lane, her hope for readers, and more.

Name: Mimi Matthews
Literary agent: Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Book title: The Muse of Maiden Lane (Belles of London, Book 4)
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: November 19, 2024
Genre/category: Historical Romance
Previous titles: The Siren of Sussex, The Belle of Belgrave Square, The Lily of Ludgate Hill
Elevator pitch: A silver-haired equestrienne and a charismatic pre-Impressionist artist turn a scandalous bargain into a vibrant portrait of love.

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What prompted you to write this book?

This is the fourth and final book in my Belles of London series. The series is very much a love letter to horse girls, and to rule breakers, outsiders, and eccentrics. The Muse of Maiden Lane in particular, as it’s the story of Stella Hobhouse, a prematurely gray Victorian equestrienne who is struggling to find her place in the world, and hero Teddy Hayes, a brilliant (and often acerbic) pre-Impressionist artist who lost the use of his legs after developing a secondary infection from Scarlet Fever.

I’m a horse girl myself. I’m also someone with a disability (a neck injury after a broken cervical spine fusion). There are a lot of my own experiences in the experiences of both Stella and Teddy. I loved writing how they navigated their challenges and ended up with their own unique version of a happily ever after!

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I had been setting up Stella’s story in The Muse of Maiden Lane since the first book in the series (The Siren of Sussex) debuted in January 2022. I wrote the first chapter of Muse in early 2023, and then finished the novel in September 2023. So, a bit longer than it usually takes me to write a book, but this one had some challenges owing to my health, and to the timeline in the previous books in the series.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

One of the most surprising/frustrating components of The Muse of Maiden Lane was just how much I was handcuffed by the overlapping timeline of events in the first three books in the series. It made it really difficult for me to have the hero and heroine in Muse be together on the timeline I wanted. In fact, it necessitated a long period of absence between them, which I (hopefully!) resolved with a chapter where they exchange letters.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I usually write propped up in bed (owing to my neck injury), but I wrote most of Muse sitting on the sofa in my family room, surrounded by my dogs and cats. A few times, this allowed me to write more than I usually do. Other times, it had the opposite effect—I would write too much and then my neck would flare up and I’d have to take a few days off. In the end, it taught me that I can be more flexible in where I write, so long as I write in moderation.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope readers will feel seen in this story. That they’ll relate to both the characters’ journeys, and that they’ll find Stella’s and Teddy’s romance to be swoony, relevant, and real. Most of all, during these fraught times, I hope that Muse will provide a brief respite for them from everything else going on in the world.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Write what you love. You’ll never stick with it otherwise.

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