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Ramona Elmes Samples A Woman's Prerogative
Katherine Grant: Welcome to the historical romance sampler podcast. I'm your host, Katherine Grant, and each week I introduce you to another amazing historical romance author. My guest reads a little sample of their work, and then we move into a free ranging interview. If you like these episodes, don't forget to subscribe to the historical romance sampler, wherever you listen to podcasts and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Now let's get into this week's episode.
I am very excited to welcome back to the podcast today, Ramona Elmes. Ramona first joined us in season one, and now she's back to share about her novella that's part of the Suffragette Uprising series. But if you haven't met Ramona yet, let me do a little introduction. Ramona has always loved historical romance novels.
In 2019, inspired by all the writers she's read, she started writing her own tales of love that take place in the early Victorian era. Besides writing, she loves to travel. She has traveled all over the us, Europe, and Central America, and she's eyeing Petra in Jordan, Al in Guatemala, and anywhere in Scotland next.
Mm-hmm. And yeah, today she's sharing from her latest novella a women's prerogative, which is part of our collaborative Suffragette Uprising series, and it's gonna take us into a new era. So Ramona, thank you so much for coming on.
Ramona Elmes: Thank you for having me. Oh
Katherine Grant: yeah. I am excited to hear a sample of Women's prerogative and also get into the nitty gritty of how it was writing it for you.
So what should we know about A Woman's Prerogative?
Ramona Elmes: Yeah, so this story is set in Tennessee. It takes place in 1920 during a really pivotal moment in US history. So in the US history to get the 19th Amendment into the Constitution, they needed one more state to ratify it, to approve it, all of that.
So Tennessee was that state that the suffragists were there, they were trying to make that happen. So the story actually takes place there, but it's between a speakeasy owner, Cecilia Green and a kind of wounded war hero. He's come back from the great war a couple years ago. His name is Donovan Lee.
He's a little withdrawn. He's had a lot of stuff happen to him, so they kind of meet and sparks fly. Afterwards they find out they kind of have different, thoughts on what they should do with their lives. So they're trying to work that out while she's part of this movement, those types of things. So I'm really excited 'cause this is the first time I've written in this time period, so it's been a lot of fun.
But this actual piece I'll read is the second chapter and it's where they actually first see each other the first time they meet.
Katherine Grant: Love it. All right, well take it away whenever you're ready.
Ramona Elmes: Cecilia Green looked at all the people having a good time at her club. She was proud of what she'd done with the Red Fox. Before Prohibition, she'd been making ends meet with the general store her husband left her, but now she was one of the wealthiest club owners in the city. She'd only been at it for about eight months, but had no plans to slow down.
The general store still operated, but with the correct password, customers were transported to a world of decadence in the basement. She converted the area into an elegant speakeasy and even hired someone to create better air circulation. It was truly a marvel. She was just starting to rival some of the larger clubs.
A peppy jazz song started and several men and women headed to the dance floor. She looked over at her bartender, Ben, and grinned. "How can anyone say this is wrong?"
He laughed over the music. "It isn't the party that the teetotalers have issues with, but the booze."
She knew that and understood it was a real issue, but wasn't sure prohibition solved any of those problems.
In some situations, it made alcohol more appealing. "We received a case of champagne, the good stuff," Ben said, shifting the conversation to their inventory of illegal beverages. Cecilia nodded, happy about that. Sometimes the drinks were wrought and sometimes they were perfect. It depended on what was available.
Jean, one of her waitresses, grinned at her, pointing out a glass bowl she was carrying. "We have lots of takers from the men in the room who want to share a drink with you." Every night, cecilia hosted a raffle to raise money for the Suffragist movement and specifically the marches they had planned. Some nights it was a few drinks.
Other nights, it was a date at one of the tables with a customer's favorite waitress, and tonight someone would have a drink with her at the bar. They hadn't done that one yet, but she figured it was only fair. She grabbed the bowl filled with money and slips of paper containing the names of customers who had signed up.
"After this song, I will make a personal plea."
"They'll be jumping out of their seats," jean stated. Cecilia rolled her eyes, yet Jean was telling the truth. Men seemed fascinated by a woman who ran her own club. Unfortunately for them, any relationships or liaison she partook in were usually started outside of the club.
Not always, but most of the time. She swayed to the music and studied the crowd. A larger group was escorted to the tables in the back. One of the older men grabbed her attention. He had broad shoulders and brown hair with graying at the temples. He moved as if he were in charge of everything around him.
She'd seen him somewhere before. "Ben, who is that?"
Her bartender looked over. He knew everyone. His eyes widened. "That is Donovan Lee and Arnold Dubrow. They owned the most successful lumber company in Tennessee. You've made it, boss, if they're visiting your club."
Pride surged in her. Yet it wasn't his wealth that fascinated her.
It was his bearing. He carried himself as if he was unimpressed or even uninterested with the world around him. But Cecilia suspected it was all for show and more smoldered beneath the surface. He glanced her way, and ice blue eyes connected with her brown ones. His gaze dipped down briefly and perused her.
She smirked, curious about what he was thinking. He finally looked away. A younger woman, younger than her but probably in her early twenties, beamed at him and requested that he sit next to her. " Who is she?" She asked Ben. Ben studied her.
"I'm not positive, but Lee has a daughter and a son.
She could be his daughter."
The music stopped, and Cecilia grabbed the bowl making her way to the, where the band played. She grinned at the crowd. Her gaze started to Lee again. He leaned back in his chair. His hands folded across his flat stomach. Their eyes connected once more. Something flared in his, and he ran his tongue along his bottom lip.
The movement caused heat to flare between her thighs, startling her. Cecilia didn't usually have such strong instant reactions to people. She winked at him saucily and then turned away, addressing the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, do you want to share a drink with me at the bar?" Several people hooted and hollered.
She grinned. Cecilia wasn't a classic beauty, but she knew men found her appealing. Tonight, she wore a shimmery red dress that fell above her calves, and her black hair was styled in a flirty wavy bob. "Drop your name and money in this glass bowl as I walk around. The winner will be announced in an hour.
I can't wait to spend time with you." Cecilia weaved her way through the room, waiting to approach Lee's table. Something about him unsettled her. Unsettled probably wasn't the right word. He made her want things. As she approached his table, the other older man and two younger men sat up. The younger woman smiled at her excitedly.
Lee's expression and relaxed pose remained the same as if he was unaffected by her. Still, his eyes gave him away. The ice blue color in them darkened as he watched her. She swallowed, finding herself flustered and equally annoyed by her reaction. She held out the bowl and watched as each person except him dropped money in papers into the glass container.
Cecilia didn't push him yet. She turned and beamed at the other man. In a breathless voice said, "I hope it is you, Mister." And the man blushed and provided his name, "Arnold Dubrow." She winked at him and her gaze darted to Lee. He clenched his. He clenched his jaw. Did her flirting annoy him? More shockingly,
why did Cecilia want it to? Not wanting to ponder him or reveal how much he affected her, cecilia spun around and moved on to the next table. She couldn't deny he fascinated her. She glanced in the bowl and saw someone had written his name on one of the papers. Cecilia smirked. Someone else wanted them to meet.
Donovan sipped his drink while he watched those around him dancing and celebrating. He had no idea what they were also happy about, but there was definitely a heightened level of giddiness in the dimly lit speakeasy. His gaze darted to the younger woman sitting at the bar. She crossed her legs, laughing with her staff.
Meredith had informed him that she was the sole owner of the establishment. His daughter said it with awe in her voice. He wasn't surprised. She had read every suffrage pamphlet, and made an effort to attend most rallies. The independence of women was her mantra. It was a much discussed cause because Tennessee was one of the few states
that still had time to cast a yay or nay vote in favor of the 19th Amendment. Still, the vote in his home state wasn't guaranteed for the suffragists. He suspected the majority of men and women in Tennessee were not in favor of supporting it. Donovan honestly saw the suffragist points, but he also didn't understand the passion that swirled around the move the movement.
Truthfully, that was his reaction to any cause. Since returning from the great War, he was numb, only letting his emotions out when he went to the park and fed the damn ducks. Then it was all anger.
Her glittery dress slid further up her leg revealing a flash of her thigh. A bolt of lust coursed
through him. He picked up his drink and took a large sip before he muttered, "Christ." A large smile stretched across her face as she talked to her bartender, her hands moved in an animated fashion. Watching her, he was exhausted and enticed. She'd winked at him earlier, startling him. Donovan was not the type of man women winked at. You had been once, his mind reminded him.
Annoyance flared in him, but he kept his face in passive. She glanced over at him. Their eyes collided and sparks flared and snapped in the space between them. He'd bedded two women in the last six months. Both times his body hadn't felt anything close to what he was feeling now. Donovan wasn't looking for anything passionate or complicated. Good , uncomplicated sex was enough. He was always considerate, but never affectionate.
She would be different, he suspected. Something about her set off alarm bells in him. He turned away and saw Meredith watching him. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"
Donovan nodded at his daughter. "Yes. Also young."
"One of the papers did a story on her, not the club obviously, but the success of her store. It mentioned she was 28. That isn't so young."
He tugged at the collar of his shirt. She was 14 years younger than he was.
Meredith whispered, "I put your name in her glass bowl."
Donovan frowned at her. "Why?"
She shrugged. "You seemed to like her."
"You are turning into your grandmother."
"Mama wanted you to you to not be sad," his daughter said quietly.
Julia was a saint, but he wished she wouldn't have worried about his happiness during her last days. In fact, it made him angry. But like everything else, he kept it very deep down.
His wife had been gone for almost two years. And everyone wanted him to move on. Donovan would when he was damn well ready. Still, he forced a smile. "We'll see who wins."
She giggled. Albert flopped down in a chair at their table. His 21-year-old son barely glanced at him. It had been that way since they both returned from Europe.
He'd buried one son and caused another one to hate him. Donovan hadn't been shocked that he'd agreed to come out. Meredith, always the peacemaker, said, "Albert, did you enter the raffle?" He shook his head, no. Another upbeat song kicked off and Arnold's sons grabbed ladies to take on the dance floor.
Albert sat with his arms folded. Several ladies glanced his way hoping to dance, but he stayed seated. Meredith was having none of it. She jumped up and held out her arms to her brother. "Albert, I will be mortified if you refuse to dance with me. Your sister. Don't be rude."
A small smile lit his son's face.
Donovan swallowed hard, feeling emotions he didn't want to show trying to escape. Meredith was so much like Julia. Kind and good. They joined Arnold's sons. Albert finally smiled ,and Donovan found the corners of his mouth tilting up as he watched him, as he watched them. "This is a good idea," Arnold said.
He nodded. Clara had been right. Getting out was good for all of them. Arnold clapped Arnold on the back. "Thanks for asking. We deserve to be happy. You, Donovan, deserve that."
There was that word again. He hated it, but he didn't share that. Arnold was only trying to help. The man was his best friend and business partner.
He'd been a widower even before the great War. "You do too, arnold."
He blushed. "I think I met a lady."
His brows shot up in surprise. Arnold had female friends, but never anyone serious. His friend added, "someone I want to marry."
"Do your sons know?"
He smiled. " They support it."
Donovan was happy for him.
"That's good."
"I put your name in the glass bowl." That was the second person.
He sighed. "I'm fine."
His friend grinned at him. "She winked at you and you, my normally expressionless friend, seemed to like her."
"I don't know her."
Arnold shrugged. "Well, you might get your chance tonight."
He only shook his head and went back to watching his children
happily dancing. Donovan was content watching them live life to the fullest. Still, he found himself glancing over at the club owner. She was reviewing paperwork, and her flirtatious expression was now serious. Curiosity flowed through him. Donovan clenched his jaw. He didn't like his fascination with her.
Not one damn bit. And that's the end of chapter two.
Katherine Grant: That is such a a, an evocative scene where we get so much heart of the characters laid out.
Ramona Elmes: Yeah. Yeah. I wanted them to kind of like, so they. Cecilia's a really independent lady. I think Donovan has a lot of grief in his life and that will play a much larger PO part in the book.
But I wanted to kind of show that these are two people not really looking for each other, but probably really need each other though.
Katherine Grant: Yeah. Oh, I love that. Well, I've got lots of questions for you, but first we're gonna take a quick break for the sponsors.
Katherine Grant: I am back with Ramona Elmes, who just read an excerpt from A Woman's Prerogative.
And you kind of mentioned in the beginning that, you know, you normally write in the 1850s, and so this story is a departure in that it's us, 1920s. That's partly because you're, you're writing into this collaborative series that we're in, which is called Suffragette Uprising. What drew you to writing into this series and how did you decide to write the 1920s US Suffragist story?
Ramona Elmes: I think the Suffragette Uprising is just like such a great concept talking about like women fighting for just causes and I loved that idea. You know, growing up I had a mom who was in the military. I was in the military myself. I've been around so many great women and I think as you get older you see so many different changes for the good a lot of times.
So I think, you know, I was just very excited to be part of this series.
Katherine Grant: Yeah. And, one of the details from this scene that I really liked was this idea of the raffle. That she is the speakeasy owner and raffling off these things that like, like, yeah, could just be a fun, really easy, you know, whatever.
She's making money, but actually she's using it to fundraise for this cause, which I think is part of like a community element of activism that often isn't depicted. So I was curious, I know you, you're a researcher, so did that come from your imagination? Did you find historical record for that sort of thing?
How'd you come up with that?
Ramona Elmes: Well, that actually came from my research and how women like raised money during this time period for the marches and even the banners they had to buy and things like that. Like women had raffles, they also cooked meals for people. They did all of these. Different kinds of things.
So I think, you know, I think the raffle I saw, obviously wasn't in a speakeasy, but I just saw it and I loved it. 'cause I was like, well, I can totally have a raffle in a speakeasy, why not? So, but that's really where it came from. It is something that happened during that time period, and not just in Tennessee, but you know, I think across the country.
When you talk about, I think, grassroots efforts, a lot of the money that's made is like you said, from people in the community, like going out and either knocking on doors or having raffles or cooking meals for people. So that's really where that idea came from.
Katherine Grant: Yeah, that's really cool. I love also this scene sets up, you know, from Cecilia's point of view, we have this sense of you know, early feminism.
She wants her vote. She's also a business owner. She's been married. She's really enjoying her independence. There's also this idea of the teetotaler culture that is, you know, really impacting the economy in ways that we all know from having consumed media about Prohibition era. And then from Donovan's perspective, there's so much about the Great War or World War I and
I really love that these things are swirling together rather than being like separate stories. How did you think about bringing all of this into one story as you one novella?
Ramona Elmes: So I knew that I wanted it to be around like women's right to vote. And I knew that was after World War I, but you know, there's such a heaviness in that time period, whether that's because of, you know, all the back and forth over
prohibition, but also, you know, the flu back then what they called the Spanish flu at the time, you know, killed so many people. As people were coming home from World War I, those types of things. So as I was kind of pulling these pieces in, I knew Donovan was gonna be a widower and I did not actually plan it to align at the time with the flu.
It just happened to work out that way. So I think sometimes when you write historical romance, that just happens. You've got this great idea for a scene and then history kind of gives you something that just works great. And that's really, especially in regards to the flu which was an awful thing, but it worked in my storyline.
So in regards to prohibition, I wanted Cecilia to be an independent woman. But a lot of the women during that time who were independent had lost their husbands because of the great war. They had inherited property from their husbands. But there's even, you'll see in this, well, people will see in the story that there are women who are fighting for the right to vote because they still, some of these women still wanted to work, but they were being told to go back home.
They were being only offered one third the pay, half the pay. You know, it's a very like, complicated time. I think I could have gone through a million rabbit holes in this time period. But you know, I just try to, I had a plot that I was going with and I tried to use things that fit in. I think, you know, I could write more books in this time period.
Honestly, it's just a very fascinating time period.
Katherine Grant: As a veteran yourself did researching the great war and writing the experience, I mean, on, in the scene alone, we saw two different veteran experiences, but writing from Donovan's experience,
what was that like for you to write that?
Ramona Elmes: I have a lot of people in my life who are also veterans who've served for long times in various different you know, time periods and so on. So I think, you know, Donovan's part, even in the rest of the book, I wanted to be very careful about how I wrote his story.
He loses his son during the war while he's away, he loses his wife. Those are, I think, real experiences, whether you served in the last 10 years or whether you served a hundred years ago. So I think I try to not be overly dramatic about it, but kind of be respectful of what that looks like. You know, there's this concept even, especially back in World War I, world War I and World War ii especially, my grandparents used to say, you just went on with life.
You moved on, you endured. So I think a lot of donovan's perspective during this is that concept is, I have to take care of my family, but he is not really living life. He's kind of just surviving at, at the beginning of the book. So
Katherine Grant: yeah, keep calm and carry on.
Ramona Elmes: Yes, exactly.
Katherine Grant: And when researching this era, I wondered , by the 1920s there's photography, there's some like film, there's audio recordings. Was your research experience different because there was so much more material?
Ramona Elmes: Oh, it's so different 'cause. In 1850, a lot of my books have either like lords or wealthy people in them and they're in carriages and things like that.
And these people have vehicles and I, but not vehicles, like our vehicles. So even some of the things I was researching was like, you know. Does a person generally have a driver if they're wealthy in 1920? Or do they drive their own vehicle? Like how do those vehicles look different from each other? You know?
And what we consider a limousine today is not what was considered that back then. So some of that I think, and also there's a part in the story where, like telephone lines existed at this time, but you called through to an operator who connected you, all of that stuff.
So even that stuff had to be researched, but I also found like people were still like also sending notes and missives and stuff like that across town as well. So it's just a different world and that stuff was, I think hard. I think I spent probably way too much time researching that. When you don't understand something, I think you just go overboard.
But I really enjoyed it. Like this time period is just, I mean, absolutely fascinating. My daughter's 12 and I would talk to her about it all the time. Not the steamy parts obviously, but the history. And she was like, I know mom, you love the 1920s, but it was really interesting.
Katherine Grant: Yeah. Well it is interesting that the, the fact that it's a little bit closer to us,
it resembles our world a little bit more, made the research almost more taxing, or you had to be more precise.
Ramona Elmes: Yes. It was also you know, during a time when there were laws changing about like the quality of buildings and things like that, and, you know, there's a whole bunch of information out there about like how musty and gross.
Speakeasies really were because they were legal places, right? So that's why even in mine, like I was like, I want her to have like good air circulation. I don't know if that actually existed, but it was just something I wanted, you know. But anyways, it was very interesting to do.
Katherine Grant: Yeah. Oh, that's really cool.
And you know, for the Suffragette Uprising series, a lot of us have pulled our titles from lyrics, from the musical stuffs. And so your title, A Woman's Prerogative is from one of the songs of Suffs. Did you listen to that song at all? Was there anything that particularly resonated or inspired you about that?
Ramona Elmes: This is the craziest part. I didn't even look at the songs before I picked my title. Like I was like, this is what I want it to be called. So it was just luck.
Katherine Grant: Wow, that's amazing.
Ramona Elmes: I know. Yeah. Like it was not intentional at all, but after when we had all sent out that list, I was like, oh, I didn't even realize that.
So, but yeah.
Katherine Grant: That's really cool. Well, I do know in Suffs there is a scene about the ratification in Tennessee. It's a very pivotal scene, obviously, 'cause the musical is about passing this constitutional amendment, so it really lines up very well.
Ramona Elmes: I think also I would add, even for this time period, the way that it was passed in Tennessee is really fascinating. Like up until the very end, they did not think that it would be passed. And a conservative younger assemblyman is the one that cast the vote, the yay vote, to actually get it passed.
And his mother that morning had written him a note that said, be a good boy and support the sus, or something like that. And he said, Aye, and it kicked off like, I mean, people were angry for weeks afterwards. But his name was Harry Burn
Katherine Grant: Harry Burn.
Ramona Elmes: Yep.
Katherine Grant: Well, that's a name.
All right, well, I think it's a good time to move to our game. Love it or leave it.
[Musical Interlude]
Katherine Grant: Do you love it or leave it? Protagonists meet in the first 10% of the story.
Ramona Elmes: Gosh, this is a hard one for me. I think up until the book I just published this month, I would've said, love it. But this book I just released, they don't meet in the first 10%, and I know you're not supposed to have favorite books, but it's one of my favorite books I've written, so like, I think I'm in the middle on that one.
Katherine Grant: Alright, fair enough. Love it or leave it? Dual point of view narration.
Ramona Elmes: Love it.
Katherine Grant: Love it. Or leave it. Third person, past tense.
Ramona Elmes: Love it.
Katherine Grant: Love it or leave it? The third act, dark moment.
Ramona Elmes: Love it.
Katherine Grant: Love it or leave it? Always end with an epilogue.
Ramona Elmes: Love it.
Katherine Grant: And love it or leave it? Always share your research in the author's note.
Ramona Elmes: Love it. I always add certain things that I think people wonder if they're real or not. So that's what I try to put in my author's note in the back. Like there's something that people are like, this didn't happen. I'll try to pop it in there. So,
Katherine Grant: yeah.
All right. And are there any other romance rules that I didn't ask about that you like to break?
Ramona Elmes: I don't think so. I mean, I don't think so. I guess I love everything. I would like to start writing more romances outside of timelines that are more common, like, especially with this 1920s one, I just loved it so much.
I'd like to write ones in the 1890s, maybe even all the way up to like the 1940s. So maybe that's like my, I don't know, breaking the rules or fifties. Oh no. Ooh.
But yeah.
Katherine Grant: That's awesome. We'd love to see more diverse eras represented.
Ramona Elmes: Yeah, I think it would be great. Oh,
Katherine Grant: yeah. Well, Ramona, thank you so much for coming on. Where can readers find you and your books in general?
Ramona Elmes: So you can find me on Amazon. I'm also on Facebook and Instagram, and then I have a website, ramona Elmes.com, that always has my books that are released and available, that type of stuff.
Katherine Grant: Awesome. And A Woman's Prerogative, which is part of Suffragette Uprising, is out November 7th.
Ramona Elmes: Yes.
Katherine Grant: Yes. And it will be on Kindle Unlimited. Yes. Cool. So like we mentioned, it's part of this collaborative series. I have done interviews with all the other authors as well, so if you're a listener and you haven't listened to those and you want to, we've got Andrea Janelle wrote
a spine of steel. Mm-hmm. I wrote in the wide open light, Misty Urban wrote Miss Gregoire's Beginning. Now we have Ramona's installment and there are two more books coming out next year, 2026. So stay tuned.
Ramona Elmes: I agree.
Katherine Grant: Thank you so much, Ramona. This has been really wonderful.
Ramona Elmes: Thank you. I've had such a great time.
That's it for this week! Don't forget to subscribe to the Historical Romance Sampler wherever you listen, and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Until next week, happy reading!