trueromance

OUR LITTLE SECRET by Starr Ambrose

Setting: Washington, D.C.

Subgenre: romantic suspense

Hero: Drew Creighton, son of powerful Senator Harlan Creighton

Heroine: Lauren Sutherland, sister of Sen. Creighton’s secretary

One sentence summary: When Lauren’s sister and Drew’s father disappear, their search for the couple uncovers risque photos, a blackmail scheme, and an attraction for each other that grows hotter as the trail grows colder…

Scene you like most and would never cut: Definitely the tense action scene at the climax of the story! Lauren is in serious danger from…well, I can’t tell you, but while she has to rely on her wits to get away, Drew is racing through the streets of D.C. in a panic to get to her, while proper, efficient Gerald is stranded out in the woods, the only one who realizes some agents are about to walk into a deadly ambush. Fraught with tension! Also a few laughs, because I can’t seem to write without some character slipping into smartass mode.

Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying: This is an interesting question because Lauren changes during the story from rigidly proper to happily uninhibited. She has always tried to set a good example for her wild sister. Then she meets Drew Creighton and realizes that her dependable fiance is really dull as dirt and a prude to boot, and her fun-loving sister had the right idea all along. But even when they seemed like polar opposites, Lauren would never, ever turn her back on her sister, which is the reason she ends up in Washington, D.C. dodging kidnapping attempts and faking her way into an embassy ball.

Scene in the book that moved you the most as you wrote it, or made you the most happy? My favorite scene is the final one, because I felt so much sympathy for my hero. Poor Drew has spent the entire book convincing Lauren that she needs to loosen up, ditch her stick-in-the-mud fiance, and explore her wild side by having a fling with him. He succeeds admirably, and falls helplessly in love with the new, un-inhibited Lauren. But now that he’s convinced her not to tie herself down with a permanent relationship, that’s exactly what he needs to persuade her to do, with him. It was fun to make him squirm a bit before getting that happy ending!

Have you learned or found any bizarre facts while doing research? One big, scary one: I learned that it would be far too easy to blackmail senators and representatives into compromising their votes, thereby allowing one corrupt person to control what becomes law in our country. You really don’t want to think about this one too much, because it’s nearly impossible to prevent. (Hope this answer hasn’t put me on several watch lists.)

Ancillary character you had the most fun with: Oh, this is easy - I adore Gerald, the senator’s personal assistant! He’s easily the most efficient person in Washington, D.C., and loves nothing better than to put AGA’s in their place. That’s Arrogant Government Assholes. He practices this philosophy repeatedly on a certain Secret Service Agent with a sour opinion of civilian interference. Their clashes were enormous fun to write!

What is one thing in your history that has influenced your writing, whether it’s a character, your work habits, or your favorite plot conflict? Gotta be reading. I read everything. Therefore, I want to write about everything. Sooner or later, I will.

Your hero’s favorite hobby: Hiking and skiing in the Colorado Rockies. It’s both his passion and his profession. He’s out of his element in Washington, D.C.

What you think readers will like best about this book: It’s fast and fun, and relies on my favorite situation - corrupt people in positions of power.

The person that readers want you to write about but you haven’t yet: But I did! Two secondary characters from my first book, LIE TO ME, caught many readers’ interest. They wanted to hear their story, and so did my editor. That will be my next book, THIEVES LIKE US, due out next fall. And they were right, it turned out to be a fantastic story!

What’s next: We all love romance and adventure, but come on, admit it - we also read romance for the love scenes. Longing and lust are fun; fulfillment is even more fun. So be honest - how many of you have ever read an inventive love scene and were inspired to replicate it with your partner? And if you’re brave enough to share, what was it?

Giveaway: A signed copy of both LIE TO ME and OUR LITTLE SECRET, to two people chosen from comments below!