trueromance

Setting: London
Subgenre: Regency Historical
Hero: Xander Jones, illegitimate son of a courtesan and a lord
Heroine: Cleopatra Spencer, impoverished daughter of a baron

One sentence summary: A self-sufficient loner, so cold he might be stone, marries for money and finds a woman passionate enough to tempt a saint.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Cleo overhearing Xander make a bad marriage proposal to another woman in a bank. It all starts with that.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: She might be caught dead at it, but she’d never back down.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? He hates closets.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Cleo Spencer’s occupation is making ends meet for herself and her younger brother after their father dies and their uncle gets hold of their money. She should be a bank president.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Xander Jones is an early entrepreneur in Regency London. He’s an investor with a vision of lighting the darkest streets of London.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The push and pull between two characters who are sure they can’t fall in love with each other.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Kit Jones, a character who appears at the end of To Tempt a Saint. The good news is that his story has been written as To Seduce an Angel and comes out this September.

What’s next: I’m working on the first book in a series about an exclusive club for young lords who have ruined their reputations and their fortunes and get a chance for redemption by spying.

About Me:
What’s my favorite movie of all time? I love movies, so this is a hard one. Monsoon Wedding and The Empire Strikes Back are two of my favorites. In both love is tested, and beautiful men are called by women to become heroes.

What’s my favorite kind of story to get lost in? I’m a sucker for stories about the outsider who reluctantly finds love and connection. See Monsoon Wedding.

What’s the first book I remember reading? Early books for me were Coarse Gold Gulch and A Little Maid of Boston. I was hooked on girls having adventures in far away times and places.

What’s my favorite fairy tale? “Petronella,” from “The Practical Princess and other Liberated Fairy Tales,” by Jay Williams. Petronella sets out to rescue a prince and wins a powerful enchanter instead.

What’s my favorite cartoon character? Wall-E

What’s something I’d like to tell your readers? Thank you. Romance readers are the best.

What would my occupation be if I were no longer a writer? I’ve never stopped teaching high school English, but I could be tempted to run a stationer’s store, maybe at Lake Tahoe.

What do I do to unwind and relax? I let my husband and my children make me food and make me laugh.

Tea or Coffee? And how do I take it? Coffee, a Peet’s low-fat latte in my own cup to start the day.

What does love mean to me? Love is the unfinished business of our lives—becoming who we are meant to be by giving and receiving love.

Which era would I least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? The Victorian Era would be my worst nightmare. Everyday would be a bad hair day, and I’d be lost in the layers and giant sleeves, and extra frills. The Roaring Twenties would suit me best, with bobbed hair and skirts that flirt with a girl’s knees.

What name have I been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? I think I just found it—Violet Hammersley!

Dog person or cat person? A wild bird person. Dozens of birds come to our feeder every day.

Question – What movie scene is your never-fail three-hanky scene?

Readers’ Crown Award Winner, Long Historical Romance

Stories That Keep Bringing You Back For More

Last Friday night I was channel surfing and came across a movie on the Donner Party. My husband groaned, knowing what was going to happen: I was going to insist on watching it. He knows me too well.

It’s not that he doesn’t like stories about the Donner Party, he just doesn’t like them twenty times over. But for some reason it’s one of those stories that fascinates me—like stories about the Titanic, Princess Diana, Anastasia, etc. I can watch endless programs and read numerous books on the subjects, but I’m almost always eager for more (although when Princess Diana died I wished the media would leave her in peace).

I’m sure my interest in the Donner Party stems from the fact that my family had a ski cabin a few miles away from Donner Lake, but I don’t think that’s all of it. There are just some stories that are so gripping, so horrible, so interesting or mysterious, that they continue to fascinate. I’m always looking for that little nugget, that new insight, or the next theory that might help explain a mystery or something that seems inexplicable. I guess I’m looking for an answer even though I know there isn’t one.

To a certain extent, I think this same personality quirk is why I’m so fascinated by history—and Scottish history in particular, which seems to have so many fact-is-stranger-than-fiction type stories. I gravitate toward these incredible tidbits and find a way to give them a happy ending (in my mind at least). My very first book, Highlander Untamed, spun off a clan feud between the MacLeods and MacDonalds known as “The War of the One-Eyed Woman.” With a title like that, how could I not be intrigued? My third book, Highlander Unchained, included a story about a clan chief who tried to kill his wife by tying her to a rock and waiting for the tide to come in. He was rather surprised when she showed up for dinner later. You can find “Lady’s Rock” on Ordnance Survey maps today. My next book, The Viper (OCT 2011), the fourth book in my Highland Guard Series, involves a woman who was hung in a cage by Edward I of England for her part in Robert the Bruce’s coronation. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up!

Are you like me, do you have certain stories that are sure to draw you in? If not, are there any romances you always go back to? I have a couple: the Chicago Stars series by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and any of Julie Garwood’s Scottish Medievals.

Setting: 17th Century, England/Scotland
Subgenre: Historical romance
Hero: Connor Grant, Highlander turned captain in the king’s royal army
Heroine: Mairi MacGregor, daughter and passionate patriot of Scotland

One sentence summary: When she’s reunited with the man who broke her heart as a child, Mairi MacGregor must learn how to surrender her pride to do what’s best for her countrymen, but it’s her heart she’s most afraid of losing.

Scene you like most and would never cut: Connor and Mairi’s first kiss after seven years. The scene is passionate, filled with banter and sexual tension. It demonstrates Mairi’s strength and determination to resist the longtime love of her life in a fun, sexy way.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “I should be home doing as I’m told”

Tell us one quirky thing about your heroine: Mairi is a Highland rebel bent on clearing Scotland of Protestants.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Mairi is a Highland rebel bent on clearing Scotland of Protestants.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Connor is a captain in the Royal Army, duty bound to protect the throne.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will like the history between Connor and Mairi, the comfort and chemistry they have with each other despite their mutual mistrust at the other’s motives. First love is hard to forget and when it’s rekindled the sparks fly!

What’s next: I just completed book 4 in the Children of the Mist series, CONQUERED BY A HIGHLANDER, possibly my favorite of the four. (But I always say that after each book)

In TAMED, Connor does something for Mairi that melts her heart. What is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?

I’ll give away a signed copy of TAMED BY A HIGHLANDER to one commenter.

About Me:

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

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? Historical romance with honorable men

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? I’ve been reading novels since I was eleven. The most memorable though was The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

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

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? Pepe le Pew (what a romantic!)

6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers? I’d like to thank them for their support. Without them I wouldn’t get paid for doing what I love.

7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? Teacher

8. What do you do to unwind and relax? spend time with my family

9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Coffee- cream and 2 equals

10. What does love mean to you? 1 Corinthians 13:4 sums love up to me perfectly.

11. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? I don’t think I would have enjoyed the late 1600s with all the extra stiff layers in dress and seeing men in high heels and puffy ribbon bows. I would have loved the Renaissance period with the more graceful, elegant fashions.

12. What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? It was Tristan and I found the right fit in SEDUCED BY A HIGHLANDER

13. Dog person or cat person? Dog. I have 4

Setting: Regency Ireland
Subgenre: Historical paranormal
Hero: Daigh MacLir
Heroine: Lady Sabrina Douglas

One sentence summary: His only memory is of a beautiful woman he’s never met. Her only hope is a mysterious man who invades her dreams. As dark forces close in, can she save him from hell or will he send her there? (Are three sentences cheating?)

Scene you like most and would never cut: It’s always difficult to pick one scene, but I enjoyed writing about Sabrina’s healing gift as she fights to save Daigh. Of course, she doesn’t realize she’s not the real reason he survives, but I always love describing the magic in my story. It’s as if my imagination kicks into overdrive, and I can play with words in a way I can’t at other times.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Lady Sabrina would never be caught glad-handing and engaging in party chit-chat. She’s a confirmed introvert. Hmm, who did I model her after?

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? Heroine: Does being un-killable count as a quirk? If so, Daigh’s a bundle of quirkiness. As for Sabrina, other than falling through time now and again, I suppose she’s as normal as the next girl.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Sabrina possesses the power to heal and uses this power as an aspiring priestess of High Danu.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Daigh doesn’t remember what he did before being found upon an empty Irish beach. But his scars and his dreams hint at an unspeakable violent past. One best left buried.

What do you think readers will like best about this book: Time travel, the legend of King Arthur, a sprinkling of Welsh history, and a deliciously tormented hero all wrapped up in the redemptive power of love. What’s not to like?

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Since the Heirs of Kilronan trilogy began in January, readers have enjoyed the character of Jack O’Gara and would love to see more of him. The trick will be how to bring him back from the dead.

What’s next: The thrilling conclusion of the Heirs of Kilronan trilogy comes out in January 2012. HEIR OF DANGER features Brendan Douglas. He’s been on the run for seven years, but with the looming threat of King Arthur’s return, Brendan will have to confront his past—including the woman he left at the altar. I’m also working on a new regency-paranormal project which I hope to unveil soon.

It’s summertime and wedding season is in full swing. When I married, I had the traditional church wedding. How about you? Were your vows exchanged at a big formal affair or at something smaller and more intimate? Were you married on a beach at sunset or a mountain top at dawn? In front of a justice of the peace? Or did you go for something completely original? Write and let me know!

Comment and you’ll be entered to win a copy of LORD OF SHADOWS. I’ll pick the lucky winner at the end of the day and announce it tomorrow. Thanks again for letting me come and chat with you. It’s been a pleasure!

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? Local Hero starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster. It’s a classic fish out of water plot, but the off-beat characters, the stunning Scottish scenery, and Mark Knopfler’s haunting soundtrack are pitch-perfect.

2. What’s the first book you remember reading? One my most cherished memories is reading The Secret Garden with my mother. Every evening we would curl up in a chair together, and take turns reading. A chapter a night until we were finished. That book is still one of my favorites, and my mother and I still trade books back and forth.

3. What’s your favorite fairy tale? I’ve always been a sucker for Beauty and the Beast and the idea of love taming even the worst demons inside us.

4. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I try not to think about that possibility too hard. But one thing I know for certain—even if I never sold another book, I’d keep writing. It’s just what I do.

5. What do you do to unwind and relax? Curl up on the couch for family movie night complete with lots of popcorn.

6. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Coffee. Cream and sugar. There’s no starting the day without it.

7. Dog person or cat person? Cat definitely. I like their independence. And the fact I don’t have to walk them.

8. What does love mean to you? Love means that however much he or she drives you crazy, you wouldn’t want to wake up beside anyone else.

9. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? Being a jeans and T-shirt kind of gal, I view the Victorian era’s hoop skirt as the single cruelest fashion item ever devised. That being said, for some reason I love the nineteen fifties elegance. Gloves and hats and dressing up to go shopping. Women reveled in their femininity back then, and curves were in vogue. I’m still not certain I’d want to dress like that all the time, but a few days to travel back in time and indulge my fantasy might be fun.

Setting: Victorian London
Subgenre: Historical
Hero: Simon St. Maur, Earl of Rushden
Heroine: Nell Whitby, factory girl – AKA, just possibly, Cornelia Aubyn, infamous missing heiress.

One sentence summary: A slumrat set on revenge pulls a gun on a penniless earl who recognizes her as the missing heiress to a fortune he’d like to share – as her husband, if she’ll let him have his way.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The pool scene. Let’s just say that in this scene, Nell turns the tables on Simon is a way he never expected. More to the point, after feeling out of her element for so long, she finally comes into her own, here. The chemistry in this scene took me off guard while I was writing it—things got very hot very quickly! In retrospect, though, it makes sense that the scene developed such crackle. Simon is a man whose greatest pleasure lies not in challenging the status quo but in subverting and twisting it to his own purposes. In this scene, he recognizes Nell as a rare, kindred spirit—and he’s not about to let her go.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: “Oh, it’s just money” (Nell knows the value of a penny) and “She comes from a good family” (Nell does not give a hoot who your parents were).

Thing your hero would never be caught dead doing/saying: Drinking until he vomits. In all pursuits, Simon is stylish.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero: Simon absolutely loves the trappings that come with his title. He’s not one of those bored lords who complains about the ton; he revels in managing his properties, in being a society leader and a trendsetter. It’s his more artistic, sensitive side (he’s a musician) that he wrestles with.

Tell us one quirky thing about your heroine: She knows how to roll a mean cigar.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Until she stumbles into Simon’s net, Nell makes her living as a factory girl.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: At the beginning of the book, Simon is penniless and trying his best to keep his estates afloat. But his true calling is tastemaker. Behind the scenes, he shapes high society fashions in music and the arts.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think it’s always delicious to watch a handsome, supremely confident man get knocked to his knees by a woman whom he originally intended only to tutor and mold into his own vision of ladylike propriety. It’s also fun to watch a thorny, independent woman slowly learn to trust someone else—and to learn to believe that she herself is more than worthy of love.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: Lord Lockwood from The Duke of Shadows. I receive countless emails about him. I’ve always intended to tell his story but I have to say the prospect grows more intimidating with each email I receive! (That said, keep ‘em coming – I love to hear from readers!)

What’s next: After A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal, I’m going back in time to the 18th century; my next book is set at the eve of the second Jacobite war (1715). I’m having glorious fun with this new time period – I spent six months immersed in research and I’m almost done with the first draft. I think I’ll have to scale back on the duels; I admit, I got a little carried away. But hey, who doesn’t love a man with a sword and the skill to use it?

In closing: For A Lady’s Lesson, I spent a good deal of timing reading about female factory workers in late Victorian London. It was a bit of a shock to move from that time period, which witnessed debates about women’s and workers’ rights that sound very familiar to 21st century ears, to the early 18th century (a world in which a heroine has far fewer choices than an 1880s factory girl, even if she has a good deal more money at her disposal). It got me thinking about how familiar 1880s London would feel to me in comparison to London in 1715.

If you could time-travel back to observe everyday life in any time period, which would you choose? Alternatively, where do you think you’d feel most comfortable?

(This is a question I routinely put to my friends over dinner, and I admit I was perturbed when I realized that if I were to land up in the world of my current work-in-progress, I’d be curling into a ball in a cave somewhere for fear of catching smallpox!)

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? All About Eve is my new favorite.

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? A fat, dramatic historical novel.

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? Flutterby, by Stephen Cosgrove, is the first book I can remember reading by myself. I don’t think I was in pre-school yet, and some of those words gave me fits, they were so long!

4. What’s your favorite cartoon character? She-ra, most definitely.

5. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Coffee, with heavy cream and fake sugar! The nonsensical combination that puzzles all onlookers.

6. Dog person or cat person? Cats fascinate me. They own my brain. Dogs own my heart.

Setting: Isle of Skye, Viking-ruled Scotland, 1098 AD
Subgenre: pararnormal, historical
Hero: Duncan of Skye
Heroine: Isabel of Duntulm

One sentence summary: A man gifted and cursed by the Fae to heal with his touch seeks answers to the mystery of his powers and meets a woman who could be that answer, if not for her own secrets.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The scene near the end when the answers to all their questions are found and their path is clear.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing: Falling in love.

Tell us one quirky thing about your heroine: She has an special relationship to the sea and water.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: My heroine, Isabel, is – for many reasons – a whore.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: My hero, Duncan, is a healer.

What you think readers will like best about this book: I think readers will like the strong sensuality, the emotional story and the touch of paranormal elements.

What’s next: I’m working on my next historical series for Harlequin and working on a new paranormal project, too!

Why do you think that romances with paranormal elements/characters/plots are so popular? Why do you like or dislike them?

About Me:

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

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? Deeply emotional, historical romances

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? The Three Investigators and The Secret of Terror Castle. Loved Jupiter Jones and the guys!

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

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? Spongebob Squarepants!

6. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I’m also a dental hygienist and enjoy it, so I’d keep on being it!

7. What do you do to unwind and relax? Read and watch movies/tv

8. What does love mean to you? Love means. . . (had to stop myself from saying ‘never having to say you’re sorry’!). . . that another person is the part of you that you didn’t know you were missing. Love means having someone at your back, in your heart, in your face when needed, but always there for you.

9. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? I would not liked to have lived in medieval times….waaay too dangerous and uncomfortable! LOL! No undies? Yuck!

10. What name have you been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? I’ve used all my favorites so far!

11. Dog person or cat person? I am completely missing the pet gene, so neither.

Setting: London, 1818
Subgenre: Historical Romance
Hero: Marc Darcett, Earl of Hawkfield - Hawk
Heroine: Lady Julianne Gatewick

One sentence summary: Lady Julianne is certain this will be the year Hawk proposes, but when he makes his disinterest clear, she decides to get even by writing a lady’s guide to snaring reluctant bachelors in the parson’s mousetrap.

Scene you like most and would never cut: The Proposal Scene at Gatewick Park.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: She would never be caught dead admitting she was the anonymous author of The Secrets of Seduction.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? Heroine: Hawk is perpetually disheveled – crooked cravat and messy hair. Julianne fears proposals after twelve men suddenly dropped to their knees in unlikely places.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Julianne secretly turns into an author.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Hawk is an earl and responsible for more than one estate.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The banter between Hawk and Julianne. Also, I think readers will like the historical take on The Rules in Regency England.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: The mischievous Lady Georgette Danforth.

What’s next: HOW TO RAVISH A RAKE (2012) is the story of shy, good girl Amy Hardwick and the devilish rake William Darcett, Hawk’s younger brother.

Julianne pens advice for single belles to attract potential husbands. Did anyone ever give you advice about men? Or did you ever give advice to a friend or sister? Share!

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? Pretty Woman. Love that movie!

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? Historical Romance

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? The Cat in the Hat

4. What’s your favorite fairy tale? Cinderella

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? The Tasmanian Devil.

6. What’s something you’d like to tell your readers? Thank you for the wonderful emails and messages about my debut historical HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. xoxoxo

7. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I will always be a writer.

8. What do you do to unwind and relax? Meet friends for lunch or watch movies and read of course!

9. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Actually I love Coke Zero.

Today we welcome the finalists from the 2011 Readers’ Crown® Contest! These talented authors were selected by RomCon® readers who judged their books using a 20 point questionnaire.

They will be chatting with us about the stories behind their books, what’s next in their series, and other fun things, such as what they do when they aren’t writing. We’re giving away a general admission ticket to RomCon® 2011 to 3 lucky commenters today!

Best First Book
Ashley March Seducing the Duchess
Courtney Milan Proof by Seduction
Jessica Chambers Voices on the Waves
Liz Talley Vegas Two Step
Olivia Cunning Backstage Pass

Long Contemporary Romance
Carly Phillips Love Me If You Dare
Carly Phillips Kiss Me If You Can
Christina James A Place To Call Home
Julie James Something About You
Linda Warren Skylar’s Outlaw

Long Erotic Romance
Annabel Joseph Firebird
Elizabeth Amber Dane, The Lords of Satyr
Jaci Burton Riding The Night
Nadia Aidan Twelve Wicked Nights
Olivia Cunning Backstage Pass

Long Historical Romance
Courtney Milan Trial by Desire
Deeanne Gist Maid to Match
Monica McCarty The Chief
Robyn DeHart Desire Me
Tracy Anne Warren Wicked Delights Of A Bridal Bed

Long Paranormal Romance
Gabi Stevens The Wish List
Keena Kincaid Enthralled
Melissa Mayhue A Highlander’s Destiny
Patti O’Shea In the Darkest Night
Shannon K. Butcher Living Nightmare

Long Romantic Suspense
Brenda Novak White Heat
Brenda Novak Body Heat
Cindy Gerard Risk No Secrets
Joyce Lamb True Vision
Pamela Clare Naked Edge

Mainstream Women’s Fiction
Carol Snow Just Like Me, Only Better
Jessica Chambers Voices on the Waves
Susan Crandall Sleep No More

Romantic Novella
Abby Gaines No Ordinary Man (in One in a Million)
Abby Gaines Chasing the Dream (in The Memory of a Kiss)
Amanda McCabe Snowbound and Seduced (in Regency Christmas Proposals)
Cindy Gerard Leave No Trace (in Deadly Promises)
Veronica Wolff The Drowning Sea (in Ladies Prefer Rogues)

Sci-fi/Futuristic/Time-Travel Romance
Anne Marsh Bond with Me
C.J. Barry Body Master
Erin Quinn Haunting Warrior
Melissa Mayhue A Highlander’s Homecoming

Short Contemporary Romance
Abby Gaines Her Surprise Hero
Holly Jacobs A One-of-a-Kind Family
Liz Talley Vegas Two Step
Mary Sullivan A Cowboy’s Plan
Sandra Hyatt His Bride For The Taking

Short Erotic Romance
Anne Rainey What She Craves
Aubrey Ross Codename Courtesan: Winter
Aubrey Ross Codename Courtesan: Autumn

Short Historical Romance
Blythe Gifford His Border Bride
Bronwyn Scott A Thoroughly Compromised Lady
Kate Moore To Tempt a Saint
Kathryn Caskie The Duke’s Night of Sin

Short Romantic Suspense
Catherine Mann Renegade
Helen Brenna Along Came a Husband
Helen Brenna The Moon That Night
K.M. Daughters Capturing Karma
K.M. Daughters All’s Fair In Love And Law
Linda Conrad Her Sheik Protector

And don’t forget–we’ve gathered together some wonderfully generous folks who are providing a limited number of RomCon® 2011 scholarships for active duty service men and women and their families, as well as veterans and their families–they are our American Heroes! If you know any American Heroes who deserve a scholarship, please have them write to us for more information or simply register right here– http://romcon2011americanheroes.eventbrite.com

Congratulations to all the wonderful finalists of the 2011 Readers’ Crown® contest! And we’d like to thank our hundreds of reader judges who took the time to read the competing books and give them a thorough assessment. Winners will be announced on June 30, 2011–so stay tuned!

Elaine Levine & Michele Callahan
RomCon® Directors
www.RomCon2011.com (tickets are still available!)
www.romconinc.com

Setting: Georgian England
Subgenre: Historical Romance
Hero: The Honorable Sebastian Sullivan
Heroine: Lady Serena Carmichael

One sentence summary: Second Chance At Love

Scene you like most and would never cut: There’s no perfect scene in a book. If it doesn’t work, whether you love it or not, cut it.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Whatever you say, sir.

Tell us one quirky thing about your heroine: Serena’s very handy with a pistol, and not afraid to use it.

What is your heroines occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: She’s a faro dealer in a gambling den, and she’s very good at it, even though it’s not exactly a suitable occupation for a gently bred lady.

What is your heroes occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: I think he would probably make a very good army officer in the midst of battle. He has a strategic mind, he never panics, and he’s a very good swordsman.

What you think readers will like best about this book: The rekindling of love between Serena and Sebastian.

What’s next: Peregrine’s story - the third novel in the Blackwater Brides.

I’d be interested to know what readers think about the general lack of significant occupation among historical romance characters. It’s hard to think of a suitable business, apart from the army or navy, that they could be involved without it seeming anachronistic, and yet you want them to have something to do.

About Me:

1. What’s your favorite movie of all time? Anything with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

2. What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in? A good, old-fashioned, meaty, multi-generational saga.

3. What’s the first book you remember reading? Enid Blyton’s The River of Adventure.

4. What’s your favorite fairy tale? The Princess and the Frog

5. What’s your favorite cartoon character? Snoopy

6. What would your occupation be if you were no longer a writer? I’d be lying in a hammock with a good book and a pitcher of martinis.

7. What do you do to unwind and relax? See above.

8. Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it? Strong Yorkshire tea first thing in the morning, then strong cappuccino.

9. What does love mean to you? Putting oneself second.

10. Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? I can’t imagine anything worse than the Victorian era, all those dreadful whale bone corsets and bustles, and acres of stiff and generally plain materials. I think the unstructured, and very flattering Regency styles would have been fun to wear, as long as one was as thin as a rake.

11. Dog person or cat person? Well, until a few weeks ago I had six cats, now I have four, two who are seriously geriatric. And I grin and bear it when one of them pees on a freshly minted copy-edited manuscript. You be the judge.

Setting: Regency England (1817)
Subgenre: Regency!
Hero: Colonel Devlin St. Just, recently created First Earl of Rosecroft
Heroine: Emmaline Farnum

One sentence summary: Devlin St. Just comes to his newly acquired estate seeking peace and quiet, but finding a ramshackle property, a child in need of his protection, and the child’s pretty cousin—who seems a perfect antidote for what ails Devlin’s body and spirit, if she’ll only trust him with her secrets.

Scene you like most and would never cut: What a tough choice! The opening scene, where the big, bad cavalry officer finds all the habits of command of no use whatsoever when confronted with a small, tired, hungry—and stubborn!—child, is very dear to me.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: Emmie will never let anybody go hungry when it’s in her power to feed them.

Tell us one quirky thing about your hero? When the books opens, his favorite sweet is candied violets. By the end of the book, he’s leaning toward Emmie’s raisin scones.

Heroine: She considers her mule, Herodotus, to be her business partner.

What is your heroine’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should she be doing: Emmie has had a lady’s education, so her first occupation was as a governess in Scotland, but upon returning to Rosecroft a few years ago, she became the town baker.

What is your hero’s occupation, or if unemployed, what should he be doing: Devlin rose to the rank of Colonel in Wellington’s cavalry, but has had a ramshackle earldom foisted off on his broad shoulders by a well meaning Regent and Devlin’s meddling family. He’s doing a reluctant and unenthusiastic job of being an earl, and keeping his sanity by training horses.

What do you think readers will like best about this book: Devlin cannot leave a child to suffer for the decisions of the adults responsible for her, but even he doesn’t realize his determination to look after Winnie is borne of his own experiences. The path he travels to gain this insight is one only a hero could travel.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: It’s a toss up: Devlin’s youngest brother is Lord Valentine, but I have written about him—his book comes out in November 2011 as “The Virtuoso.” There’s also a lot of interest in Douglas, Lord Amery, whose story forms the prequel to The Duke’s Obsession Trilogy. Douglas isn’t queued up for publication yet, but I have a good draft in the works.

What’s next: Along with Valentine’s story, we can look forward to the first of Windham sisters’ books with “Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish,” which will be on the shelves in October 2011. We continue with the sisters’ stories in 2012, and also launch a trilogy of Scottish Victorian romances in summer of 2012.

Question – What is the hardest challenge an author can put before her romance heroes?

About Me:

What’s my favorite movie of all time? Pretty Woman, followed closely by The Jungle Book

What’s my favorite kind of story to get lost in? ANY genre of well written romance!

What’s the first book I remember reading? Billy Whiskers Stowaway

What’s my favorite fairy tale? Beauty and the Beast

What’s my favorite cartoon character? Snidely Whiplash. You have to love that name, and the signature pencil thin mustache.

What’s something I’d like to tell your readers? I honestly LOVE to hear from them: graceburrowes@yahoo.com

What would my occupation be if I were no longer a writer? Corpse—I honestly can’t see giving up writing until I give up breathing.

What do I do to unwind and relax? Besides reading romance, I go for walks along the country roads where I live, I look after my horses, I get together with my good friends over good food, I jump in the truck and take off to see my family—the closest sibling being a good 600 miles away. When I’m really stuck for a plot, I’ll drive from DC to San Diego to see the Aged Ps.

Tea or Coffee? And how do I take it? I never learned to drink coffee. I drink a lot of decaf tea with stevia and light cream, and when I really need a treat, I’ll go for jasmine green tea.

What does love mean to me? Love is an act of will that puts the good of the beloved on equal footing with the good of the lover. That’s a paraphrase of Plato, who says the lover puts the beloved’s welfare above his or her own. Maybe for a parent, Plato has it right, but every healthy relationship needs clear boundaries, too.

Which era would I least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
Least, mid-1850s, because holy Ned, those hoops and corsets were ridiculously cumbersome.
Most, I might have liked to have lived back when the fellows were sporting around in loincloths, but then my own wardrobe options would not have been very appealing, and there are always those men for whom the loincloth is not a flattering choice. Now kilts are another matter altogether…

What name have I been dying to use as a lead character, but haven’t found the right fit yet? Tiberius Lamartine Flynn, the Earl of Spathfoy

Dog person or cat person? Both, though the bull mastiff is roundly outnumbered by felines at present. Also a horse person and I inherited a couple of very cute, friendly lady rats from my daughter when she headed off to college.