trueromance

Setting: Regency England

Subgenre: Historical

Hero: William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont

Heroine: Lady Lucinda Grey

One sentence summary:

In The Devil in Disguise, a seasoned spy and a captivating Lady learn that passion is a very dangerous game.

Scene you like most and would never cut:

I actually really like the end of the first scene in chapter one, where Lucinda interacts with her maid, Mary. It was a late addition at the suggestion of my editor, and I was quite happy with how it turned out. It’s funny and, in my humble opinion, endearing, which speaks to my writing style.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:

Lady Lucinda Grey would never be caught dead dancing with the Duke of Clairemont. Ha!

What celebrity is your hero like:

Good question! I think he has some Gerard Butler in him—tall, dark, devastatingly handsome, and the strength and tenacity the Scottish actor showed in his movie, 300. But honestly, Will is his own man, so it’s hard to encapsulate him in just one actor.

What celebrity is your heroine like:

You know, I’m not a writer who has a perfect mental picture of my characters, so this is a little tricky. But I would have to say that Lucinda has a bit of Diane Kruger in her looks-wise, and even in her personality. Both share an intelligence, strength, and sense of humor that make for an irresistible combination.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be
doing:

Oddly enough, this Regency Lady does have an occupation. Lady Lucinda is part owner in a Thoroughbred horse breeding endeavor. She shares her duties with the Furies, her highly entertaining—and occasionally trying—aunts. But no one knows that the women are the force behind what will become one of the most successful breeding businesses England has ever seen. So don’t tell!

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be
doing:

When not convincing beautiful widows to do away with their clothing, Will is a spy within an elite covert organization known as the Young Corinthians. He’s served crown and country for most of his life and dedicated himself heart and soul to the task.

What you think readers will like best about this book:

I’ve heard from readers that they are enjoying the return to classic historical romance that The Devil in Disguise presents, with a deeply emotional and moving story, vibrant characters, and high adventure while infusing the tales with a modern sensibility and sophistication.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:

Well, I’ve had many people ask for Will’s brother Michael’s story, so maybe he’ll be next. After the three books I’m working on currently, of course!

What’s next:

The smoldering series of undercover seduction and adventure continues in the second book of my Regency Rogues series, The Angel in My Arms, which will be released on June 28, 2011.

In The Devil in Disguise, a hidden truth is necessary to save a life. Would you be able to forgive someone for a lie if it was told to protect you?

DARKFIRE KISS by Deborah Cooke - Dragonfire #6, May 2011

Setting: Washington DC and London England

Subgenre: Contemporary paranormal romance -featuring dragon shape shifter heroes

Hero: Rafferty Powell

Heroine: Melissa Smith

One sentence summary: The romantic of the Pyr dragon shifters, Rafferty has yearned for his destined mate for centuries - never realizing that when his firestorm lights, it will unleash the mythic darkfire, a force foretold to change everything in the world of the Pyr. Can his love be worth the price to his kind? Can he satisfy the firestorm before it’s too late? (Okay, that’s not one sentence and I know it. Sorry!)

Scene you like most and would never cut: I love love love the closing scene of the book. Absolutely non-negotiable.

And the sex scenes.

And the fight scenes.

And the scene right near the end in the church.

And…okay, I admit it. I just love this book. Maybe that’s what’s non-negotiable!

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:

“Nothing is worth fighting for.”

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? Heroine:

I’m not sure there’s anything quirky about Rafferty. He’s really a solid kind of guy. One thing that amused me though, was that he was pretty much the last to figure out that what was messing with his mind was his own firestorm. He’s usually pretty much in tune with the firestorm’s energy - in this case, he felt it, but just assumed it wasn’t his own, even though he was feeling strange. I enjoyed that Thorolf ended up explaining it to him!

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Melissa is a journalist - she used to be on television, reporting from the Middle East. When we meet her, she’s intent on getting back into that kind of reporting again.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
Rafferty is a dragon shape shifter, who also runs an antique shop in London.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
RAFFERTY! I get mail all the time for readers who want Rafferty to have his firestorm and get his H.E.A. Here it is!
I also like how the darkfire changed the world of the Pyr and shook things up a bit - it gives me lots of new elements (and a few characters) to play with in future books.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet:

Now that Rafferty’s story has been told, it’s probably even money between Sloane and Thorolf.

What’s next:

Two more Dragonfire books are in the works. The next one is called FLASHFIRE and will be out in January 2012. #8 doesn’t have a title yet, but will be out in October 2012.

Also, I’m writing a spin-off YA series, featuring Zoë Sorensson in her quest to become the Wyvern. It launches in June (next month!) with FLYING BLIND and continues in December with WINGING IT. Book #3 will be out in June 2012. This series has its own website, at http://thedragondiaries.com

What do you think is sexy (hot!) about dragon shape shifter heroes?

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time?

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
A love story, of course. Preferably one with some mythical or mystical or fairy tale elements the mix.

3. What’s the first book you remember reading?
We had a series of 12 hardcover books that were collections of fairy tales. A CHILD’S BOOKHOUSE I think they were called. They were arranged from simplest stories to most complicated, and shaded from green through blue. I remember “reading” the nursery rhymes in first volume (the pea green book) aloud to my stuffed toys. (I think I really was making stuff up, or remembering the stories from the pictures. I couldn’t have been three.) My mom has a picture of that!

4. What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Beauty and the Beast

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character?
Scooby Doo

6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers?
That they are wonderful. I’d like to thank them, too.

7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer?
A knitting designer. A sculptress. A landscape architect. Maybe a pastry chef. (Ooo, that would be bad for the hips, wouldn’t it?)

8. What do you do to unwind and relax?
Knit, read, cook and/or garden.

9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
Tea. Make mine Earl Grey and naked (i.e. with nothing in it!)

10. What does love mean to you?
Everything. It makes the world go around, doesn’t it?

11. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
I love the look of Edwardian clothing - so feminine - although the corsets probably weren’t very comfortable. I also like the 1950s and Dior’s new look.

12. What name have you been dying to use as a lead
character, but haven’t found the right fit yet?

13. Dog person or cat person?

Setting: Ohio and Kentucky, both in suburban settings, and then a private lake.
Subgenre: Contemporary romance
Hero: Dare Macintosh
Heroine: Molly Alexander

WHEN YOU DARE
One sentence summary:
In my brand-new back-to-back trilogy, three private mercenaries who never let business get personal are about to discover that love is the riskiest game of all.

Scene you like most and would never cut:
I don’t want to do a spoiler, but when Molly first meets Dare’s good friend, Chris, I smiled the whole time while writing it.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero?
I got the idea for Dare after watching Taken with Liam Neeson. In that movie, he’s so focused on the hunt for his daughter that whenever he finds other poor women caught in trafficking, by necessity he passes them by. That left me appalled. I created Dare specifically so he *wouldn’t* leave anyone behind. J

Heroine:
A few of Molly’s situations as a writer were derived straight from my own experiences. I won’t say which ones, but I will say that I hope no readers recognize themselves in the story!

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing:
She’s a suspense writer, very successful, and has recently gotten a movie deal.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing:
He’s a private mercenary with far-reaching influence and incredible contacts.

What you think readers will like best about this book:
Well, as with all my stories, I hope it’s the romantic relationship, specifically how Dare and Molly both match up, and how they conflict. Relationships are complex. I’d never want to write one that was a straight shot to love, since all couples have issues they have to work out.
I hope readers find the story romantic, heartwarming, and a reaffirmation that love conquers all.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: (answer only if applicable)
I get a TON of letters and emails from readers asking me to write stories for Joe’s children, from Say No to Joe? (and someday, I hope to!) and an almost equal number of requests for more L.L. Foster stories – something I hope to work on soon!

What’s next:
The next book out is Trace of Fever in June and then Savor the Danger in July. I’m currently working on another book that will be related to the series, titled A Perfect Storm. I only have tentative dates on that, but so far, I think it may be my favorite of the series!

I’m hoping this series will become a new favorite for my readers, but I’m curious – out of the books I’ve already published, what’s YOUR favorite? Why?
Is there a book for a specific character that you wish I’d write, that I haven’t yet gotten to?

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time?
Hmmmm… I LOVED A Perfect Get Away. Timothy Olyphant is just too delicious. But I also really loved A History of Violence, the Kill Bill movies, and the Bourne trilogy.

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
Romance if it’s reading. And really, I don’t read anything else! My current favorite TYPE of romance is anything in the Kresley Cole Immortals After Dark series. Yummy mega alphas! It’s action or horror if I’m at the movies. J I’m not much for drama or chick flicks.

3. What’s the first book you remember reading?
I don’t remember the title, but it was a historical, and it got me hooked. It was incredibly intimate – that’s what struck me the most. Being character driven, and all about the relationship… it was incredible! The earliest author I remember reading is Catherine Coulter, and her early historical trilogies blew me away! The Sherbrook series is still one of my all-time faves.

4. What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Beauty and the Beast. I love it when a woman is smart enough to see the heart of a man over his appearance. We all age, we all change. But if you fall in love with the character, not the character’s appearance, then the love never ends.

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character?
Oh, this will tell oodles about me, I’m sure, but I’m totally enthralled with Archer! For those who don’t know, he’s a very sexist, self-centered, highly-qualified and lethal super-spy with a lot of mommy issues (which account for him being so sexist). Archer gets it done, and he cracks me up to boot!

6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers?
I have NO control over reissues or when/if a book is released in audio or as an ebook, or other formats. I do have a list on my site that tells you all the books related in a series, and I show you the covers so you can tell which is a reissue. You’d find that on my site – www.LoriFoster.com – under the left hand menu, Booklists, and then Related Books and Series.

7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer?
I have the greatest respect for teachers. I’m not sure I’d be any good at it – because I believe teaching is a talent - but I adore young people, and I love sharing thoughts and ideas, so maybe I could make it as a teacher. I’d give it a try!

8. What do you do to unwind and relax?
Movies, movies, movies! I probably see 2 movies a week. It’s the only time I’m not plotting or going over dialogue, or finessing a scene. Even when I try to sleep, I often end up going over the book in my dreams. It’s insane.
I also love to take walks, to get outside with nature. Hocking Hills in Logan, Ohio is a favorite getaway! Hubby and I have an RV that we park near a lake in the summer. Taking walks in the evening, or following the trail through the woods, is a good way to unwind.

9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
Coffee!!! I set the timer so that coffee is done by 5am, and then I hope I sleep that late. I drink decaf, so I’m not a caffeine junkie. I love the smell, the taste, the warmth… it wakes me better than caffeine ever could! I drink mine with a little sugar and creamer, but *really* strong.

10. What does love mean to you?
Trying your best, but understanding that neither of you are perfect. Accepting his faults and knowing he’ll accept yours. Being supportive when you can, explaining why not when you can’t. Sharing… everything. Your thoughts, your fears, your worries and responsibilities. There’s a wonderful sense of security in sharing love.

11. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
Oh geez. Well, most eras had their wealthy dressing up far more than I like, but luckily for me (ha!) I come from such humble beginnings, I’d have been a field hand, indentured servant, or a maid or something like that, so I guess it wouldn’t have mattered. LOL. Seeing anything in the Renaissance (so fussy!) gives me the willies. I live in my jeans.

12. What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet?
After 80+ stories, I think I’ve used them all. Names have never mattered all that much to me. I think of characters in a scene, I start writing, and whatever names lands on them just sticks. That’s not the best strategy though, because I’ve slipped up a few times and used the same name in different books. Readers will write and ask me if the characters are related. But they’re not, and it’s so embarrassing!

13. Dog person or cat person?
Both! I adore all animals. They keep us humble and grounded, and give so much love. I currently have one little doggie and three big kitties who are sooo entertaining. Hubby and I also care for a dozen or so feral cats. We started with one feral cat who showed up years ago in the winter. She wouldn’t let us anywhere near her, but we could see she was hungry. We fed her and put out warm bedding… and a few months later she brought us a litter. We do our best to catch the kittens, so we can get them up to date on shots and get them fixed, but one always escapes us, and that one will inevitably bring us more. :::sigh::: But we’re doing our best! Every so often, a cat we’ve never seen before will join the group. I think word has gotten out that we’re “the place to be” for lots of fresh food and water, and warm shelter.

Funny stories – in our efforts to catch the cats, we’ve trapped a few really po’d raccoons, and even a few skunks. Yes, we got sprayed. Twice. And yes, raccoons can be scary! We take care to relocate the critters in a safe way. It’s sort of hilarious to get up in the morning and see a snarling raccoon in a cage with eight or nine cats lazing around the cage, watching with varying expressions of “told you so.” The possum are the messiest, but luckily they don’t stick around long.

SEALed Forever by Mary Margret Daughtridge

Setting: SEALed Forever opens in Afghanistan and moves to the eastern North Carolina sticks, a.k.a. Sessoms’ Corner. Land of dense pine forests, ancient cypress swamps, broad blackwater rivers, and endless flat fields of cotton and soybeans.

And not much else.

The perfect place to tuck a black ops landing strip out of sight.

Subgenre: SEALed Forever is a single title contemporary romance

Hero: Lt. Garth Vale, is a career Navy SEAL—at least he thinks he is. In the world of black ops, where nothing is what it seems, it can be hard to tell.

Heroine: Bronwyn Whitescarver, MD. Tired of assembly-line medicine, she wants closer contact with patients. She’s about to get it.

One sentence summary: Garth finds a stowaway, a baby girl in a cardboard box, stashed aboard a spy plane, falls in love with the doctor he takes her to, has to convince the doctor to fall in love with him, and in the process, learns what it will take to be the man he wants to be.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Garth goes to a fellow SEAL for some courtship advice. Even thinking about it makes me smile.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Two things. A woman of science, Bronwyn will never admit a house could be haunted. And she knows too much about loving a man with a clandestine occupation. She’ll never do that again.

What celebrity is your hero like: The handsome, mysterious Chairman on Iron Chef America whose reason for being on the show is far from self-explanatory. When he smiles, I always wonder what he’s smiling about—you know, really. Even his flamboyant athleticism is hard to figure. It seems at odds with his formal manners.

To me there’s the same sort of what’s this man doing here feeling about Garth, and he looks a little like The Chairman. The blood of Chinese coolies, Apache warriors, Scottish highlanders, and Spanish Conquistadors flows in Garth’s veins. He has black hair, darkly tanned skin, and ice berg blue, almond shaped eyes.

A Song for My Mother

Setting: Small town of Dreyerville, Michigan

Subgenre: Contemporary

Hero: Sheriff Reed Bennett

Heroine: Marly Hanson

One sentence summary: A mother/daughter story. Marly and her mother face the dark secrets of their past to try and rebuild the love they once shared.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Where Reed’s friend Emily is desperate to find her lost little boy.

Thing your heroine refuses to face. The awful memories of her childhood.

Tell us one thing about your hero? Your heroine. Reed has faced grief and loss of his own, as Marly has done, which is why he understands her. Marly needs the kind of man who will stand by her, which Reed Bennett is.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Marly is a school teacher. She is determined not to get involved with Reed and return to Detroit where she has a job waiting.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Reed is the Sheriff of Dreyerville County.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The touching relationship that begins to grow between mother, daughter, and granddaughter, Katie

What’s next: Up next for me is the reprint coming in July of MAGNIFICENT PASSAGE, my very first novel, a Western Romance, with a fabulous new cover.

Do you think all mothers should do what they can to protect their children from adversity, or is it better to confront hardships as they come our way?

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? One of them is Quigley Down Under. Tom Selleck in a pair of chaps? Amazing!

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? Romantic action adventure.

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? One was Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor.

4. What’s your favorite fairy tale? Cinderella

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? Bugs Bunny

6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers? Reading is my salvation, my escape from the problems of the world.

7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I’d probably be a real estate agent again–but I’d rather be an astrophysicist!

8. What do you do to unwind and relax? Have a glass of wine and sit on my deck looking out at the mountains and reading a book.

9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Coffee, for sure, with lots of cream.

10. What does love mean to you? Love means having someone there for you when you really need them. And being there for them when they need you.

11. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? The 1700’s would be torture. Those cages the women wore and only taking a bath once a month! The twenties, fashion wise would have been delicious.

12. What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? Sage for a woman (but I’m starting a book with her in it next week!).

13. Dog person or cat person? Cat person. I love them!

Show Me the Money! by Janet Webb

If there’s one trope I always fall for, it is impoverished boy meets wealthy girl. For every penniless aristocrat who cherishes his land, there is a daughter of a wealthy cit waiting in the wings to rescue the duke and all his denizens — the ultimate marriage of convenience. He conveniently needs money and she conveniently wants to become, by marriage, a member of the aristocracy. How can this crass bargain be the stuff of romance? Why would a wealthy young woman want to marry the historical equivalent of euro-trash? Why would a well-bred, temporarily down to his last stately home aristocrat want to marry a grasping, ill-bred commoner? Like so many clichés, we need to peek behind the obvious to understand the continuing appeal of this theme. I would like to share some beloved titles and, lastly, ask you why this plot might have hold on you too.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice begins, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” A statement that mothers of hopeful young daughters certainly wanted to believe. A single man with a good fortune would have been expected to marry someone with a dowry of her own and that woman would most likely have been chosen from his own social circle. What would lead a man to make an alliance with a bride that was not part of the ton, that relatively insular group of aristocrats and leaders of society? It is too simplistic to say money – what was the money needed for? Usually to preserve a way of life: to fund the estates and to ensure that everyone dependent on the land would also be able to continue living the life of countless generations before them.

Let’s find out, shall we? Starting with Georgette Heyer and ending with Rose Lerner, I hope to illustrate that this marriage of convenience plot is still as popular as ever.

A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer. This is easily her most controversial book and many many readers never warm up to it and some only when they’re on the other side of 30-something. Adam, Viscount Deveril, loves Julia, the lovely daughter of Lord Oversley. When he returns from fighting in the Peninsular War, he wants nothing more than to marry her. But unfortunately his estates, which he inherited from his late father, are deeply encumbered with debt. Julia’s father, with brutal honesty, suggests he make an offer for Jenny Chawleigh, the very wealthy daughter of a Cit. She is unattractive and her father is simply impossible but for the sake of his family’s name and the people dependent on him, Adam offers for Jenny and is accepted. Unlike most marriages of convenience, A Civil Contract doesn’t have the expected HEA. Yes, Jenny makes Adam happy and he comes to appreciate and even love her but although she’s certainly the wife he needs, there’s always something missing. It’s a very adult and realistic book and the older I get, the more I like it.

Now for four thumbnail sketches of books in this trope.

The Fortune Hunter by Diane Farr. An absolute gem. Lady Olivia Fairfax is rich and reclusive, the perfect target for suave and needy Lord Rival. But why she’s never seen in society and why he needs the money … and the marvelous unfolding of their friendship … well that makes the book. A classic in this genre.

The Lady and the Cit by Blair Bancroft. One of the last never-to-be-forgotten Signet Regencies. Lady Aurelia Trevor needs a beard: a husband who can speak for her and who will allow her to retain her “beloved Pevensey Park”. Unusually, she is not an impoverished aristocrat but she is bereft of power. What does Thomas Lanning, the cit in question, get by this marriage of convenience? The ability to stand for Parliament (at the time, a parliamentary seat was tied to landholdings). The plot unfolds in a charming, relaxed way.

Miss Winthorpe’s Elopement by Christine Merrill. Could I ever identify with this heroine’s motivation for marriage. Her brother keeps her on a tight budget, annoying but endurable, but when he says he’s going to cut off her ability to buy books, Miss Winthorpe is outta there. Her path crosses with a dissolute duke and before you can say Gretna Green, they’re into a marriage of convenience. All was not as it seemed so it was fresh and fun and a worthy addition to this canon.

In for a Penny by Rose Lerner. Nev and Penelope are a couple that are out of the ordinary. Nev needs Penelope’s money because his father’s unexpected death has left the estate encumbered with debt. Unusually, he embraces changes he thinks he needs to make to his personal life to “deserve” it (like leaving his convivial companions behind, even though they’re his closest friends). That is out of the ordinary. This book seems grittier than most, which I liked. Having to marry for money – being married for your money – these are not frivolous choices and Ms. Lerner treats them with the seriousness they deserve.

Five examples out of oh so many marvelous marriage of convenience stories. Please share your favorites.

Setting: A summer camp for supernatural teens in Fallen, Texas
Subgenre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance
Hero: Derek Lakes and Lucas Parker
Heroine: Kylie Galen

One sentence summary: For 16 years, Kylie Galen tried to figure out who she is, only to discover once she got to Shadow Falls Camp that she doesn’t even know what she is.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Oh, this is hard because there are several scenes I really love in Born at Midnight—such as Kylie’s heart-rending breakthrough with her mom, or her discovering the identity of her ghost stalker and especially the romantic scenes with Derek and then with Lucas. But I’d probably go with the scene where Kylie offers her vampire roommate Della her blood.

“Will it hurt much?” Kylie asked as she held out her arm and ran a finger down the blue vein showing through her pale skin.

The scene shows the strength of friendship and Kylie’s willingness to accept others for who and what they are, even though the thought of a vampire drinking blood—especially her blood—makes Kylie squeamish. It’s a turning point in their relationship and a pivotal moment for Kylie, who has finally accepted the other campers as friends. Because as she starts to accept them, she really starts to accept the supernatural part of herself. I cried when I wrote that scene.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Kylie may only be sixteen and is having a major identity crisis but she is no push-over. She’d never back down from a bully or give in to peer pressure. Although she’s a little foggy about a lot of the things happening in her life, she’s crystal clear on these points.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? Heroine: Well, Kylie sees dead people. Does that count as quirky? She thinks it pretty quirky. LOL.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Kylie is sixteen years old, and for the summer, at least, her only job is attending the Shadow Falls Camp and trying to identify her inner supernatural. She’s also going through a huge identity crisis. While Kylie’s situation is different, I think in many ways we are all searching for who we are.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Derek, who’s half-fae, and Lucas, who’s a werewolf, are also teenagers. Their jobs are attending the Shadow Falls Camp and learning how to deal with their supernatural gifts.

What do you think readers will like best about this book: Good question. I think my novels are mostly known for two things: My humor and my character depth. For readers who have read any of my humorous romantic suspense novels, they’ll still see my “quirky” sense of humor. It’s blended into a plot with lots of paranormal atmosphere and teen angst, but I can’t stop being funny. I also think the readers will find my ensemble cast of characters to all be likeable and so relatable. Every character in Born at Midnight has a story to tell. Each person’s personality is different and unique. From the shapeshifter, who can be snarky and moody because he’s spent his entire life changing forms and doesn’t have a good sense of self, to the vampire who has to hide her identity from her own family because she knows they would never understand and therefore she feels a bit like a monster herself. Then there is the witch who is dyslexic and lacks self-esteem because she can’t seem to get her spells right.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: (answer only if applicable) I probably get the most reader mail about Jose from Shut Up and Kiss Me, one of the humorous romantic suspense novels I wrote for Dorchester as Christie Craig. I loved writing that book and had planned to write several more books set in Precious, Texas. But then I signed a new contract with a new publisher for a new series. So, while I’d still like to do Jose’s story, it may take me a while.

What’s next: This year, I’ve been writing two new series for two new-to-me publishing houses. It’s been a busy year and that will continue for a while. In August, I have the release of Don’t Mess With Texas, Book One in Hotter in Texas, my humorous romantic suspense series from Grand Central Forever under my real name, Christie Craig. In October, Awake at Dawn, Book Two of the Shadow Falls series I’m writing as C.C. Hunter for St. Martin’s Griffin, will release. I’m currently working on Book 3, Taken at Dusk, for Shadow Falls and, once that’s done, I’ll start on Book Two of my Hotter in Texas series. Like I said, busy year, but I love every minute of it!

Thanks again Borders for having me here today to talk about Born at Midnight. I’ve had a blast. Now, I have a question for everyone to ponder. Because my book’s premise and theme is about identity crisis, and discovering who and what you are, I want to know . . . are you who and what you thought you’d be when you were sixteen, eighteen, or twenty? And if you are that young, do you know what you want to do or what really makes you happy?

I never ask a question, I’m not willing to answer, so here’s my answer: I didn’t have a clue of what I wanted to be—what made me happy—until I was in my twenties. I didn’t try my hand at writing until I was twenty-three. And while writing is something I always see myself doing—it’s a true passion for me—I personally think that life is a journey of self discovery. Who knows what other paths I’ll find myself on? I mean, I’m never thought I’d venture into writing young adult and this is one path I’m so glad I found. So what about you?

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? Oh, that’s too hard. I love romantic comedies and movies with suspense and a touch of humor, such as Lethal Weapon and Bird on a Wire. Okay, I just realized both of those are from the Eighties and starred Mel Gibson. LOL. There aren’t too many movies with suspense, humor and romance being done but my favorite TV show of the moment is Castle—love it! Recent romantic comedy movies I’ve seen and really enjoyed include The Bounty Hunter and Letters to Juliet.
2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? Definitely something with a romance storyline. Genre doesn’t matter—it can be YA, contemporary romance, whatever. As long as there is a good romance storyline in there, I’m hooked!
3. What’s the first book you remember reading? Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I truly loved that book! This may surprise a lot of people, but I always thought of Charlotte’s Web as being a romance between Charlotte, the barn spider, and Wilbur, the pig. Sort of a cross-species relationship thing. I guess I really like that cross-species relationship thing because my new book, Born at Midnight, has a lot of them. LOL.
4. What’s your favorite fairy tale? Hmm. That’s a tough one. I’d probably go with Cinderella. It had a courageous heroine, a smokin’ hot hero, a fairy godmother and some bad guys in the form of a wicked stepmother and two obnoxious step-sisters. Plus, a happy ending. Who could ask for more?
5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? Pepe le Pew. And the female cat he has a crush on. I have a thing about skunks. (See, I told you I had this cross-species relationship thing. LOL.) Just wait until Awake at Dawn. I have a special scene with a skunk who actually sticks around for awhile.
6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers? First, I’d like to thank them for all the support they gave me when I was writing my humorous romantic suspense novels for Dorchester Publishing as Christie Craig. So many of you have written me to ask when those books will be back in print. All I can say is soon. My next Christie Craig novel, Don’t Mess with Texas, will be out in August. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my Shadow Falls series as C.C. Hunter just as much.
7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? Hmm. Well, I’ve worked as a photojournalist for several years and my photographs have appeared nationally. But if I weren’t a writer, I think I might be a stand-up comic. I love to make people laugh with my books. I also love to make people laugh and get them to think, when I’m doing a workshop or giving a talk. So, being a stand-up comic sounds perfect.
8. What do you do to unwind and relax? Read a good book. Drink a good glass of red wine. And above all,—laugh about something. In my family, we have a saying: If you can laugh at it, you can live with it. I really think that’s true, too. So the best way I know of relaxing is to enjoy a good laugh about whatever stressful thing I have weighing on me at the moment with family and friends. I love to get together with my girlfriends where we will inevitably end up giggling over silly things, just like we did when we were teenagers. I also think laughter keeps us young, too.
9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Coffee, definitely. I prefer it with cream. And so does my cat, Skitter—he generally tries to share my first cup with me in the morning.
10. What does love mean to you? Love means acceptance to me. None of us are perfect but sometimes we are perfect for each other.
11. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? I think the one I’d have liked least would be the Victorian era because of the corsets. Have you seen those things? LOL. As for my favorite, I’d go with the present. Give me a soft, well-worn pair of jeans and I’m happy.
12. What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? How about Sue Grimshaw? LOL. Hmm. I usually come up with the characters’ names after I create the characters, so I can’t answer this one. But now you’ve got me thinking. LOL.
13. Dog person or cat person? Both. We have four rescue kitties and a dog in my house right now. Plus, there’s a stray rabbit we took in. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a stray rabbit, until one basically followed my son home.

Free! Free! Who says nothing is free? On March 15, Turned At Dark, a short story introducing the Shadow Falls series, will be available at http://us.macmillan.com/bornatmidnight. On March 29, the same release day as Born at Midnight, my short story Turned At Dark will be released as an ebook on Borders.com, how cool is that?