Interview & Giveaway with Tori Madison

 

Hi Readers, If there is one book I would ask you to read this month it would be BENEATH IT ALL by Tori Madison. I loved this book. I learned from this book. I am a better woman for reading this book. Because I was amazed by this book I reached out to Tori Madison and asked her to be a guest on my blog today. Please welcome the fabulous Tori Madison to the blog!
**Please don’t forget to enter to win an eCopy of Beneath it All below (multiple winners!).**

RRG: I loved the courage and strength Victoria has in Beneath it All. Did you find you had the same strength and courage during your experience with breast cancer?

TM: I wasn’t as strong as Victoria, or at least I didn’t feel that way. I tried to put on a brave face because I had two small children watching me go through it all. We explained that I had an “owwie” and that I would have to take “silly” medicine that would make me sick and lose my hair. They had no clue what was happening, but now they understand.
Hindsight, I could have been stronger, but I always have high expectations for myself.

RRG: Do you have an amazing group of friends like Victoria has?

TM:I have a pretty awesome group of friends and the characters in the book definitely share a mixture of their personalities and traits. They all joke with me that we need to plan a spa day (which will happen) and a cabana boy night (pretty sure our spouses would have issues this this). A few of them stood by my side during my battle with breast cancer, while others I met after the fact. Regardless of when they came into my life, they are an important part of it now.

RRG: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

TM: I wanted to be an interior designer. No joke. I actually went to school for it, but got bored and transferred out. I never had any big dreams other than to be a princess, of course.

RRG:What song can you not get out of your head?

TM: Running Around In My Dreams by Tyrone Wells. I just wrote an amazing part of book two listening to it on repeat.

RRG: What was the last movie you saw?

TM: The Green Mile and I was bawling like a baby. I always do. I’m a very emotional person and when something grips my heart it takes over.

RRG: What do you like to read?

TM: I’m open to pretty much anything, but the whole paranormal, zombie, dystopian thing is not for me. I don’t shock easily when it comes to books, but shy away from books with domestic and extreme violence toward women.

Rapid Fire Round:
Flips Flops or Shoes ~ Flip Flops
Lake or Ocean ~ Ocean
Sweet or Salty ~ Salty
Coffee or Tea ~ Coffee
Football or Baseball ~ Football

BUY: Amazon

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Connect with Tori Madison: | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter |

Thank you Tori for stopping by today. Your book is amazing and I hope more readers will take the time to read it.

-Romance Reader Girl

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Author Interview: Rose Gordon

Hi Readers, I am excited to have Rose Gordon on the blog today. I have read many of her historical romances, and they are some of my favorites.

RRG: What made you decide to write historical romance?
RG: You know the old saying, “Write what you know”? This is what I knew. It was what I’d read the most of and I have an unhealthy obsession with history. I think it’d be wonderful to live back then and wear those fancy dresses and have someone else do all the housework. However, I’d certainly miss modern plumbing…

RRG: Is there a genre you’d like to try but haven’t yet?
RG: No. When I take it in my mind to write a story in a different genre, I usually do it because even if the genre doesn’t appeal to anyone else, I’ll never be able to say I tried and failed if I don’t try in the first place.

RRG: What does your family think of your writing?
RG: They love it! I must confess that in the past I had a history of starting things and not seeing them through. So when I started writing a book, everyone, and I do mean everyone, was skeptical but when I actually finished the first book, then the second and third, faith built. Now that I’m 15 books in and showing no signs of stopping, I think they all love it. But not as much as me.

RRG: Who is your favorite duo you’ve written?
RG: AAAAAhhhhh, such a hard question. Honestly, I don’t have any favorites. Books and the  characters within them are like my children. I cannot pick a favorite. Usually, though, I always think and say my favorite is the couple that I’m currently working on. Sorry, that’s not very helpful, but that’s the truth. It’s hard to pick a favorite.

RRG: What do you like to read?
RG: Just about any type of romance except one genre that I fear I cannot name without making your entire readership groan in one accord. When not reading fiction, I LOVE to read research books. I swear that for every novel I own, I have two (or three) reference books. Sometimes I’ll just sit down and read an entire trivia book cover to cover. Yeah, I’m a nerd like that.

RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines in romance novels?
RG: I don’t think I can fairly answer this. Last year, I only read about 15 novels, most of which were a few years old so I don’t think I can give an answer that is even relevant. But, I can tell you what personalities I like. I love beta (and gamma) heroes. I want a guy who is nice and caring and genuinely loves the heroine. I want that to show. I don’t like guys who brood or are mean to the heroine. Nor do I care for the guys in historicals who have mistresses. For my heroines, they need to be sassy and have a backbone. Ladies who abandon their morals and good sense as soon as the hero saunters into the room drive me nuts.

RRG: Can you tell us about your new series? (I just finished Secrets of a Viscount and I enjoyed it. I really connected with Giles. I am really looking forward to his book.)
RG: The series name on this one is Gentlemen of Honor, and the heroes, I believe, are just that: gentlemen of honor. Some have a past, some have issues and some just don’t have a clue; but they’re all honorable and want to do the right thing, even if they aren’t always sure what the right thing is.

As an aside, two of these books will include heroines we’ve met very briefly in my earlier books. Lucy Whitaker, the heroine in Desires of a Baron, is from Liberty from Paul as the woman Paul once proposed to but she declined in favor of his brother. Henrietta Hughes, the heroine in Passions of a Gentleman, is the sister of Juliet, the heroine from Her Secondhand Groom.

 

Favorites!
Quote: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars” –Les Brown
Season: Spring, before the weather gets unbearable.
Candy: York Peppermint Patties
Disney Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Pair of Shoes: My running shoes–not that I wear them for that, because I don’t. Well, not unless something is chasing me, but otherwise I wear them all the time for just about every occasion except going to church.

Thanks so much for having me on today! I had a wonderful time with your interview.

Thanks Rose for taking the time do the interview. Readers, you can purchase Ms. Gordon’s book on Amazon and B&N.

Reach out to Rose Gordon via her website, Facebook and Twitter.

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Catherine Gayle

Readers, Please welcome the wonderful Catherine Gayle, on the blog today.

RRG: What made you decide to sit down and start writing?
CG: I took a creative writing course in my return to college several years ago. At the time, I thought I was a poet. My professor very kindly described my style as “maximalist” and nudged me toward writing long fiction. I’ve had stories running through my head since I was very young—when I’d lay in bed at night, unable to get to sleep, I’d run through my stories like movies. LOL. Anyway, after I finished my creative writing course, I decided to try my hand at writing one of those stories and seeing where it would take me. It turned into a career.

RRG: You’ve started writing contemporary romance, what made you switch from historical romance? Will you continue to write historical romance?
CG: It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, so much. I’ve tried writing in other genres in the past and failed spectacularly, so it wasn’t really something I was interested in doing. But one day I was working (struggling might be more apt) on one of my historical novels, and I was insanely frustrated with it, and the opening scene to my novel BREAKAWAY popped into my head. It was fully formed—not just a tiny little moment. I decided to give myself an hour to write it down, and then I would send it off to some friends who write contemporary romance and see what they thought. I was sure they would tell me it was awful, that I had no business writing contemporary and should get back to work on my historical and never think about writing anything like that again. Instead, the opposite happened. Even if it hadn’t, I have a feeling I would have kept going with BREAKAWAY. It was a story that consumed me and took over my life for a while. Anyway, I am definitely going to continue with the contemporary romances, but I’m not giving up on my historical romances, either. I’m just going to have to make the time to write both.

RRG: If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
CG: Exactly what they say in my books? Write my book faster? I don’t know. LOL.

RRG: What do you like to read?
CG: I read a lot of things. Of course, I read romance novels. I do read more historical romance than any of the other subgenres, but lately I’ve been picking up a few more contemporaries and new adult romances, and I like to sometimes read erotic romance. I’m a sucker for the Harry Potter books and the Percy Jackson books, and YA dystopian novels are always finding their way onto my Kindle, like The Hunger Games and the Divergent trilogy. Lord of the Rings is one of my all-time favorite books, I’m currently reading George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and I have an awful lot of the classics on my bookshelves.

RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines?
CG: Hmmm… my favorite hero would probably have to be Lord Dain from Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. Many years later, he is still incredibly vivid in my mind. For heroines, I think I’ll go with Freyja Bedwyn from Mary Balogh’s Slightly series. She is so fiery, and yet so good-hearted, that she nearly ran away with the entire series and several other connected books, as well.

RRG: What song can you not get out of your head?
CG: There are a lot of them, and they vary. LOL. At the moment, the one that seems to be stuck in my head is Royals by Lorde.

RRG: Can you tell us about your new contemporary series?
CG: I’d love to! BREAKAWAY is the first book in the Portland Storm series. The Portland Storm is an NHL hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, and each book in the series will be a romance in which one of the various players or someone else involved with the team is the hero. Why hockey? Because I’m an addict. I’ve been a hockey fan since I was a kid growing up in Texas—back before Texas had an NHL team of their own. The series is set in the current day, and they’re all going to be written in dual first person points of view like is popular in the new adult field right now. I’m currently writing the second book in the series, ON THE FLY, which will release in late February or early March. Then I’ll be heading back into Regency England for my historical fans.

Favorites!
Quote: Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest, lend less than thou owest—from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Wise words. J
Sport/Team: Hockey, Detroit Red Wings
Shoes: These days, Orthaheel brand shoes, since I’ve got plantar fasciitis.
Animal: Cats!
Disney Movie: Sleeping Beauty

Thank you Catherine for being on the blog today. Readers, you can connect with Ms. Gayle via her website, Facebook and Twitter. You can purchase her books on AMAZON and B&N.

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Maureen Driscroll

Happy Monday, Readers. Please welcome the fabulous Maureen Driscoll. Ms. Driscoll writes a wonderful historical romance series around one family, The Kellington’s. I adore this series. It’s one of my favorite family series.

RRG: What inspired you to write a story about the Kellington’s? By the way, I have loved them from the very beginning!
MD: Thank you so much! I’ve had a lot of fun with the series. I started reading romance fairly late in life – I was already in my ‘40s. I fell instantly in love with it, especially Regency romance. I wanted to lose myself in that world. Then I started fantasizing about the type of men I would like to fall in love with. And that’s how Liam and his brothers came to life.

RRG: Why write historical romance?
MD: There’s something more romantic about the days when sex wasn’t a given. My books have a lot of sex in them, but I like the lead up to the main event, instead of the “sex on a first date” thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not as much fun to read about for me. I should point out there are some modern writers I like very much, like Lisa Kleypas and Karen Hawkins. Of course, they also do Regency, so I may like their approach more just because of that.

RRG: If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
MD: Liam Kellington is the head of the Kellington family. He would say nothing is more important than his beloved Rosalind and his family. He’d trade his title and all his wealth to ensure they were happy. Fortunately, he won’t have to.

RRG: What do you like to read?
MD: Regency is my favorite by far. I have this odd quirk where I can’t imagine life without at least semi-modern sanitation. The Regency era still left a lot to be desired in that area, but it was still much better than what came before. I read about knights, I just think about dirt and disease. I can read everything going forward from Regency, though I’m not a big fan of paranormal.

RRG: What song can’t you get out of your head?
MD: It’s not that I can’t get it out of my head, but when “Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” comes on the radio, I must sing along. Don’t even try changing the channel. It’s the cheesiest song in the world and I love it.

RRG: Can you tell us what you are working on next?
MD: The first book in my next series. It’s about the Emerson family. In some ways they’re opposite to the Kellingtons. They have huge money problems – it looks like the head of the family Colin, Lord Ridgeway, may have to marry for money. Plus, while the brothers and sisters all love each other, they’ve not spent much time together in the past few years because their father was a tyrant and their mother extremely neglectful. But, in the end, they love each other just as much as the Kellingtons. And they’re all going to be thrown together.
My readers are incredibly kind. One of the comments I heard the most about the Kellingtons was how much they liked the family when they were all together. That’s what I’m hoping for with the Emersons, as well.

Favorites
Quote: I am the worst person in the world about quotes. I never remember anything. But I’m a huge fan of the movie THE HOLIDAY. There’s a scene where Kate Winslet is at dinner with Eli Wallach. She’s been talking about her relationship problems and he tells her she’s acting like the best friend when in fact she’s a leading lady, and that her boyfriend was a schmuck for letting her go. I rewind that scene over and over every time I watch it. Again, I’m terrible with quotes, but if you haven’t seen it, watch the movie just for that scene.

Season: I live in Los Angeles, so we have “lovely” and “too hot.” But I grew up in Montana, so I miss the beauty of fall and winter….to a degree. But I don’t miss driving on ice and the feeling you get when you step into a puddle of slush.

Beverage: I drink a lot of water. Soft drinks, I love Pepsi. Alcohol: Champagne and dark beer.

Candy: Chocolate and lots of it. And black licorice.

Holiday: Christmas. Even though it’s still weird to see Christmas lights on palm trees.

Animal: I don’t have any pets, but I’m super allergic to cats. They know it and love to rub against me. The most stand-offish cats in the world will cross the street just to touch me.

Thank you for being on the blog today, Maureen. Readers, you can reach out to Maureen via Facebook and Twitter.

You can purchase the Kellington Series on Amazon. The second book Never Miss a Chance is FREE on Amazon today. You can read each book as a standalone but I recommend reading them in order. The family chemistry is super and it makes the series even better.

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-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Christy English

Hi Readers,  Today I have the sweet Christy English on my blog chatting about what inspires her to write, who are some of her favorite romantic duo’s and some of her favorite things. Please welcome, Christy English!

RRG: I love the calibration of Shakespeare in your stories, what inspired you to do that?
CE: I wrote HOW TO TAME A WILLFULL WIFE, and even revised it three times before I realized that I was telling the story of The Taming of the Shrew. Or re-telling it, I should say, because I was never satisfied with the Shakespearean version, where Kate is conquered in the end, winking at the audience in her obedience perhaps, but obedient all the same. I have always loved, strong, self-motivated women and the men who are strong enough to love them back. Once I realized that Caroline and Anthony were re-living Shrew to suit my own pleasure, Midsummer and Much Ado followed easily.

Shakespeare stole so many of his own plots, I hope he wouldn’t mind me pilfering from him.

RRG: What made you decide to sit down and start writing?
CE: I don’t think I ever decided to write. Characters have been showing up in my head all of my life, and when I turned 27 and was no longer doing quite as much acting as I had in my youth, the characters and their stories kept coming to me anyway. So I wrote them down in an effort to find out who they were, what they meant to me, basically as a way to clear my head. But write just one, and more will come. Thank God. I’m really grateful that they still keep showing up.

RRG: Who is in control- You or your characters?
CE: I am lucky in that we both are. Ultimately, the decisions are mine. I am the one who has to do the coolie labor of sitting in the chair, writing and revising, getting everything right. But the plots and the dialogue come from them: they know what’s going on in their lives, though they don’t always realize what the reader wants to know about their stories. That’s for me to ferret out, and the questions my editor asks always help illuminate it as well. Between the three of us, me, my characters, and my editor, we come up with some fun books. That’s the goal, at least. For my characters to find true love, and for the reader to have a good time watching them do it.

RRG: Where is one place in the world that you would love to visit?
CE: I would love to visit the rolling hills of Shropshire, just along the border of North Wales. I would love to walk along the river Severn, and see that beauty for myself. Anthony lives there, and so does Angelique. They make their home in that beautiful place, and I would love someday to see it for myself.

RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines in romance novels?
CE: There are so many that it’s hard to name just a few…lately I have become enamored with the lords in Grace Burrowes’ fabulous Regency Lonely Lords novels, and Shana Galen’s Regency spy series always keeps me on the edge of my seat.

RRG: Can you tell us a little about your next release, MUCH ADO ABOUT JACK out in February? Which I must say has a very HOT cover.
CE: Whew! That cover is hot, right? Amazing! I am always so impressed by all that the art department does at Sourcebooks, but this one takes the cake. I am thrilled with this cover. And who wouldn’t be?

In MUCH ADO ABOUT JACK, Anthony’s abandoned mistress Angelique Beachamp, finds true love of her own, against her will and better judgment. Her lover, “Jack” James Montgomery is a Scot, and determined, a man who simply won’t take no for an answer. She falls in love with him in spite of herself, and learns to trust her instincts about men again, and learns to trust that he means what he says: when James says he loves her, he means forever.

Favorites!
Quote: “Write what you love.” I don’t know who said it, but it is a deep and abiding truth. If I don’t love what I’m writing, no one will love reading it.

Season: Autumn. For some reason, fall feels not like an ending to me, but a beginning. I love watching the leaves change, the brilliant colors of gold and red that fire the mountains where I live. So much beauty is always inspiring.

Dessert: Chocolate Mousse. Enough said.

Vacation Destination: I would say the mountains, but I live here now, so I have to say the seashore. My hometown of Wilmington, NC to be exact. I love to visit my family and friends, and then turn around and come home again.

Animal: Little white cats, who sleep on a pillow while you work and who wake up in time to beg for tuna.

Thank you so much for hosting me, Lindsey. I love talking to you about my work. You make thinking about my books so much fun!

Thank you Christy for taking time out your day to answer these questions. Readers, please check out her books you can find them on Amazon and B&N. Also, connect with Christy via her website, Facebook or Twitter. 

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Grace Burrowes

Oh my goodness Readers, today I have the fabulous Grace Burrowes on the blog. I know you cannot see me but I super giddy and doing my happy dance. I have been fascinated with her stories when I picked up The Heir, book one in the Windham series. Ms. Burrowes’ writing is amazing and it is addicting. Once you start reading a series you devour it. It’s like cake but with no calories (even better!). 🙂

RRG: What made you decide to write and publish your amazing stories?
GB: I’ve been a voracious reader of romance for decades. When my daughter left home, the story ideas started appearing in my head, and at a point when my keeper authors hit a simultaneous lull, I decided I’d try writing one of those stories. I’ve never had a TV in my house, so I had plenty of time to write. Writing is the best fun I’ve come across, so I hope many more books are in my future.

The publishing part was an afterthought, when enough friends and family had nudged me about it, and I had a couple dozen completed manuscripts. “Oh, why not give it a try?” says me. That was three yeas ago…

RRG: I’ve read you come from a big family; did this influence the Windham Family series?
GB: I’m sure it did, if for no other reason than I needed a series long enough to dedicate a book to each of my siblings and to my daughter. I’ve written smaller-family series, but with a big family, you have time to get to know each sibling, and to find the cross-currents and subtle connections. You can see each family member, especially the parents, from many different perspectives, and that creates all kind of possibilities for plot twists, secondary characters, and resonance between books. Starting off with a long series also let me focus on characterization rather than re-discovering the Windham’s world from book to book, because the family brought some of the same world from book to book.

RRG: Speaking of the Windham’s, Valentine is one of my all-time favorite heroes, what inspired his character?
GB: Individuation is one trait that characterizes a big family, at least in my experience. No two siblings in my family have the same profession or live in the same part of the country. Valentine Windham used the piano to carve out an identity different from his siblings, particularly different from his swashbuckling oldest brothers (Bart and St. Just), his bookish and lawyerly next brother (Westhaven), and his charming next brother (Victor). His musical proficiency became his identity, the only thing people noticed about him, and the only thing he thought he had to give other people—his sword and his shield, so to speak.

I hid on a piano bench between the ages of ten and twenty, to the point that I could support myself through college accompanying ballet classes, teaching piano, and playing at wedding receptions and class reunions. I spent hours and hours and hours on the piano bench, associated only with musicians, and saw myself ending up with a PhD in music history.

Ha. My back began to hurt, musicians can be an odd lot, and the academic hurdles between me and a PhD were large (student loan-large). I turned my back on music, and headed for political science, which was the straightest path to college graduation…. This decision was equal parts grief and relief, but also bewildering from an identity standpoint. When it came time to torture Valentine as a hero, I knew exactly what to do. Eventually, he knew what to do too!

RRG: What does your family think of your writing?
GB: Their attitude has been, “Well, of course you’re published. You always could write well.” In other words, supportive but mostly clueless. This is probably common for writers. My mother (age 90) has read some of my romances, and tells me in all sincerity, “You know, you could write real books if you really wanted too.” Yes, mama.

RRG: What do you like to read?
GB: I have my keeper authors, still: Joanna Bourne, Jennifer Ashley, Judith Ivory, Julie Anne Long, Tessa Dare, Carolyn Jewel, Meredith Duran, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, JR Ward, and others, but I also love to read biography and period sources. The early modern British writer strikes me as having a verve and command of written self-expression that I haven’t found elsewhere.

RRG: Is there a genre you’d like to try but haven’t yet?
GB: Mystery. I’m an avid fan of Charles Finch’s Charles Lennox mysteries, which are set in the High Victorian, and are a pure delight to read or listen to (we have the same audio narrator, James Langton, who is a genius). Those have led me to other mysteries, and particularly if there’s a romantic element to the tale, I gobble them up.

RRG: Can you tell us about your latest series set in Scotland?
GB: The MacGregor Family series focuses on the tribulations and true loves of the Earl of Balfour, his siblings and extended family, and has been a pure delight to write. It’s set in Scotland in the early 1850s, when Victoria and Albert were enjoying Balmoral Castle with their brood. The change of scene has been great fun, spending time in Scotland even greater fun. The third book in the series comes out in February, “The MacGregor’s Lady,” and the fourth will be my 2014 Christmas tale, “What a Lady Wants for Christmas.”

Favorites:
Quote: “Be kind, tell the truth.” Ram Dass
Season: Autumn
Place you’ve been: Dunkeld, Perthshire, Scotland (beautiful river, lots of big trees, laddies in kilts, whiskey, and tablet, (a kind of whiskey flavored fudge))
Time of day: dawn
Animal: Impossible to choose between a horse and a cat, though dogs are lovely too, bunnies have a lot to recommend them, cows are delightful, goats entertaining, sheep sweet, and pigs thoughtful. Then there are the raccoons, possums, and skunks who visit my porch regularly, and well, I love animals. No need to choose.

I would like to thank Grace for taking time out of her schedule to top stop today. Readers, if you haven’t read any of her books just pick one up and start reading it. You will love it and want to read all her books. -RRG

Connect with Grace on her website and Facebook.

You can find the The Windham Family Series, The MacGregor’s and The Lonely Lord Series on AMAZON and B&N.

 

 

 

Author Interview & Giveaway: Anna Campbell

Happy December Readers, I am so THRILLED to have the fabulous Anna Campbell on the blog today. I discovered her books through the wonderful Nancy Goodman (check out here awesome blog here) and my summer was full of great reads. Ms. Campbell is stopping by today to answer some questions about her writing, life and reading. Don’t forget to comment- One of you will win a copy of one of her books. Please welcome the fantastic Anna Campbell!!

Hi Lindsey! Thank you so much for having me as your guest today!

Questions:

RRG: What inspired you to write the Sons of Sin series?
AC: If you’ve followed my career, you know that all my earlier books are stand alones (although a couple of them have VERY loose connections in terms of place or characters). When Grand Central Publishing expressed strong interest in SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED, they wanted a series. Eeek! I’d written 7 Nights as a stand-alone. Not only that, the hero was an out-and-out loner and had to be for the story to work. So I went back to the drawing board and thought about themes in 7 Nights. A really strong one concerned a man outcast because of his illegitimate birth. The Regency is a period where bloodlines were terrifically important in high society (suspect they still are!), so having a black cloud hanging over your legitimacy was an awful fate. I thought about how that would affect three very different men, I made the three team up against bullying as schoolboys at Eton, and voila! I had my series. Currently, there’s SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED, A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS and WHAT A DUKE DARES, with a novella about Cam’s sister DAYS OF RAKES AND ROSES, and a fourth book in the works featuring the Marquess of Leath. I’m not sure what will happen with the series after that, but I’d love the chance to do at least one more novella.

RRG: If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?
AC: I think they’d all say, “What have we done to you that you put us through such a terrible mill before we get our happy ending?” LOL!

RRG: Speaking of characters, who is in control you or the character?
AC: Ha ha, I wish I was! Actually, all jokes aside, once the characters start acting outside my jurisdiction, it means the book is coming alive. After writing nine books now, I’ve learned that I need to trust my subconscious. It knows far much more than my conscious mind does.

RRG: Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines in romance novels?
AC: How long have you got? I’ve been a mad keen reader all my life which means a lot of favorites. I think my all-time favorite hero would have to be Francis Crawford who features in a fabulous series of books called The Lymond Chronicles by late, great Dorothy Dunnett. My favorite heroine would probably be Jane Eyre because she’s so strong in herself. In romance, some of my faves would include Rupert from MR. IMPOSSIBLE by Loretta Chase, Anna from A COUNTESS BELOW STAIRS by Eva Ibbotson, Jervaulx from FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by Laura Kinsale and Milla from CRY NO MORE by Linda Howard. I’m also madly in love with Julia Spencer-Fleming’s mystery series which features two wonderful main characters in Claire Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne.

RRG: As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
AC: I pretty much knew I wanted to be a writer from the moment I got hooked on Enid Blyton at the age of about six or seven. I flirted with things like ballet dancer and concert pianist, but always came back to writing. Given my complete lack of coordination, I think I probably made the right decision!

RRG: Where in the world would you like to visit?
AC: I love to travel! I’m hoping to do a research trip to the United Kingdom next year. Definitely overdue to go back there. As far as places where I haven’t been before, I’d love to see the historical sites in Turkey and I’d love to see the art and the ballet in Russia.

RRG: Do you drink tea? If so, how do you take it?
AC: Do I drink tea? Like it’s going out of fashion! I always have a cup of tea at my elbow when I’m working. It seems to get my brain working. And I’m not fit to talk to in the morning until I’ve had at least one cup. I’m fairly old school. I don’t particularly like herbal teas or flavored teas. Just a nice English breakfast, fairly strong, with plenty of milk and no sugar.

RRG: Can you tell us what you are currently working on?
AC: I’ve just handed in the manuscript of the third Sons of Sin book, WHAT A DUKE DARES, Cam’s story. That will be out late August 2014. I’m about to start on the fourth book, title to be confirmed, which is about the Marquess of Leath who plays a major role in Cam’s book. That should be out sometime in 2015.

Favorites:
Quote: “The heart has its reasons that reason cannot know,” Blaise Pascal
Season: Spring, especially in the Northern Hemisphere
Beverage: Champagne!
Candy: Lindt Peanut Butter Balls
Holiday: Christmas
Animal: Arab horse

*GIVEAWAY* From Anna Campbell: I’d love to know your favorite quote. I’ve been using the Pascal one for a while now so it probably needs to be retired! I’ve got a signed copy of my latest historical romance, A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS (international) to give away to someone who leaves a comment.

You can find books by Anna Campbell on Amazon.

Thank you for being on my blog today, Anna!

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Sandra Owens

Today, I am really excited to have Sandra Owens on my blog. She is opening up about why she writes, where she would like to travel and some of her favorite things. Thrilled is just one word that describes how happy I am that Sandy has stopped by to answer some questions. For some of you that may not know she has written two fabulous historical romances, The Letter (see my review here) and The Training of a Marquess  both can be purchased on Amazon. And when I say fabulous, I mean go to Amazon buy and read them this weekend. 🙂

RRG: What attracted you to write historical romances, especially during the Regency period?

Sandy: I would have to attribute my first book to my love of reading the genre. I’ve always loved to write, but only turned serious about it four years ago, and have since written three Regencies, two of them published. I pretty much considered my first book, Katie, Love, the Duke of Aubrey’s story, a practice book. Since publication of The Training of a Marquess and The Letter, I’ve received so many emails from readers wanting Christian and Katie’s story. I’m under contract for two contemporary romantic suspense books, but I’m working on Katie, Love as time permits.

RRG: Where do you get your ideas? One of my favorite scenes in The Letter is when Michael is writing to Diana about the cat and rabbit. Oh, I just giggled and giggled. 

Sandy: That’s one of my favorite scenes too, Lindsey. I’m a panster, so I’m never sure what direction my stories are going to take or what my hero/heroine will say or do. As I wrote The Letter, Michael’s sense of humor emerged (I was grateful for that because it helped balance the dark side of the story). After Diana left him and he sat down to write his first note to her, I really had no idea what he was about to say. I honestly believe the rabbit and cats came straight from him because I don’t think I could have ever conceived of such.

RRG: Who’s in control you or the characters?

Sandy: I’m laughing here. You have no idea how much I wish I could say I have some control over them.

RRG: If you gave one of your characters the opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

Sandy: “Any of you ladies in need of a cat or two? Things are getting a bit out of hand here and the furry devils are all over the place.” Michael, the Earl of Daventry, from The Letter.

RRG: As a child, what do you want to do when you grew up?

Sandy: When I was seven, my parents put me on a direct flight from Miami to my grandparents in West Palm Beach. The flight lasted twenty minutes maybe, but I was in awe of the stewardesses (remember they used to be called that?). I decided then and there I wanted to be a stewardess when I grew up. I never let go of that dream and I did achieve it after I graduated from high school.

RRG: Where is one place in the world that you would really love to visit someday?

Sandy: There’s so many places I’d like to visit, but number one on my list is Scotland.

RRG: Who is one of your favorite historical romance couples? (I know it’s hard to pick just one!)

Sandy: Oh my, I’m torn between Gabriel and Sarah in Judith James’ Broken Wing, and Christian and Maddy in Laura Kinsale’s Flowers From the Storm. Mmm. Wow, this is hard, but I guess Gabriel and Sarah by a hair.

RRG: What type of books do you like to read?

Sandy: Regencies, of course. Those are my favorites. Also, I love contemporary romances and romantic suspense. In non-romance, I’ll read anything Pat Conroy writes, and I love most of Anne Rice and Stephen King’s stories.

Sandra Owens Favorites:

Quote: Where there is love there is life.” Mahatma Gandhi

Snack: Habanero BBQ almonds

Beverage: Hot green tea and red wine

Movie: Camelot with Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave. I have the DVD and watch it every Christmas morning. I’d guess I’ve done that for the past twenty years and still cry at the end.

Time of year: Spring when everything’s fresh and new and all the flowers are blooming.

Holiday: Christmas.

Cake or pie? I’m not a big fan of either, but a chocolate cream pie would be my favorite.

 Thank you so much, Lindsey, for inviting me here today. I love your blog and these interview questions were fun to answer. 

Thank you Sandy, for taking the time to stop by to answer some questions. I am honored you read my blog. I cannot wait to read more of what you write. Happy Writing!

Readers- Below is additional information about the books Sandra Owens has written. Happy Reading!

 THE LETTER is a story of a betrayal that wasn’t. Even so, it still tore two lovers apart for eleven years. Michael Jeffres, Earl of Daventry, found his betrothed, the woman who meant as much to him as the air he breathed, in bed with his cousin on the eve of their wedding.

Diana, the daughter of a marquess, remembers nothing of that night. All she knows is she was forced to marry Michael’s cousin, Leo, and then spent the next eleven years in hell.

When the two lovers are brought back together by a letter from Leo a year after his death, they must struggle through all the lies and secrets before they can find a love that far surpasses that of their youth

Claire Tremaine, the widowed Marchioness of Derebourne, wears leather breeches, trains horses and helps the damaged ones find their lost spirit.

Chastain Warren, the Earl of Kensington, Chase to his friends, isn’t pleased when he learns he’s inherited the title of Marquess of Derebourne. Having recently lost his beloved wife and unborn child, the last thing he wants is to be attracted to Derebourne’s widow, but he is. This woman who wears breeches isn’t anything like the ladies he’s waltzed with in the ballrooms of London.

It doesn’t take Claire long to realize she wants this man, and when he resists, she comes up with a plan she calls The Training of a Marquess and works her horse whispering magic on Chase

Sandra lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She is a 2013 Golden Heart Finalist for her contemporary romance, Crazy for Her. A few highlights of Sandra’s life she fondly recalls are jumping out of a plane, flying upside down in a stunt plane, and riding her Harley in the mountains of Southern California and along the coast of Maine. Although those events in her life were great fun, nothing compares to the joy and satisfaction she gets from writing her stories.You can connect with Sandra on Twitter @SandyOwens1 and Facebook at SandraOwens.94043. Her website is: www.sandra-owens.com

-Romance Reader Girl

Author Interview: Maire Claremont

Readers, thank you for joining me today for my first author interview (totally doing the happy dance!).  Please welcome the fabulous Maire Claremont on the blog today as we talk about why she writes, a little about her latest release Lady in Red and some of her favorite things. A lucky one of you will receive a $10 Amazon gift card so make sure to post (contest is international).

RRG: Can you tell us what inspired your Mad Passion series?
MC: Lady Eva Carin from The Dark Lady. She popped into my head and adamantly insisted that I write her story. Seriously, I was in bed trying to sleep and she wouldn’t stop showing me this heart rending scene. So, I got up and wrote it. That was the beginning and then I was swept away into that world.

RRG: When did you realize you wanted to write and why historicals?
MC: True Confessions Time. I was eighteen. I’d devoured just about every Johanna Lindsay book and Julia Quinn novel. I was convinced romance writers ate bon bons and lived fabulous lives. It seemed a good career choice. ;D

RRG:  Who are some of your favorite heroes and heroines in romance novels?
MC: That’s a brutal question. My ultimate historical Heros are:
The Duke of Jervaux from Laura Kinsale’s Flowers From the Storm. He’s just out of this world in his dark fabulousness.
The Duke of Auburn from Meredith’s Duran’s Duke of Shadows.
Dageus MacKeltar from Karen Marie Moning’s The Dark Highlander. I love them tortured and he’s so deliciously bad and good.

RRG: When not writing what do you like to do?
MC: My VERY favorite thing is to travel. I could probably live out of a suit case and be happy. I adore reading in the bath tub. Seriously, I could spend hours. I’m also a big movie fan. I adore period films.

RRG: Please tell us about your highly anticipated book Lady in Red.
MC: Lady Mary, daughter of the Duke of Duncliffe, has been locked in the asylum by her father. So, instead of being the toast of London she’s battling to stay alive, fight off her laudanum addiction and escape the asylum. Once she does escape, she meets another duke, Edward Barrons, a hero who will do anything to save her. Together they discover that while the path of vengeance seems to be the only way to find a peace, love ultimately is the answer.

FUN FACTS: 

Favorite Snack?

Hint of Lime chips and Queso

Favorite Season?

Christmas. I am a Christmas FIEND. . . And yes, I realize it isn’t exactly a season.

Favorite Animal?

Horse. I wish I could own one, but there’s just something so beautiful and elemental about horses.

What song can’t you get out of your head? 

Right now, since I’m writing, its one of my major go to songs, Go Ask Alice by Jefferson Airplane.

One place you would like to travel to and why? 

London. Pretty much always London. It a huge city filled with good food, history and theater. Also, Scotland and Ireland and Paris are just a skip and a jump away. ;D

 

 

 

About Lady In Red:
The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor…Lady Mary Darrel should be the envy of London. Instead, all society believes her dead. For Mary holds a secret so dangerous, her father chose to keep her locked away…and have a grave made for her near her mother’s. Driven to the edge of desperation, Mary manages to escape the asylum, only to find that her fate yet again rests in the hands of a man…Edward Barrons, Duke of Fairleigh, longs for some way to escape the torment of his father’s crimes. In Mary’s warrior spirit and haunted gaze—which so mirrors his own—he finally sees his path to redemption. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe, even as she seeks revenge. But will the passion they discover in each other be enough to save them from their demons?

 

 

Bio:
2011 Golden Heart winner Máire Claremont first fell in love with Mr. Rochester, not Mr. Darcy. Drawn to his dark snark, she longed to find a tortured hero of her own… until she realized the ramifications of Mr. Rochester locking his first wife up in his attic. Discovering the errors of her ways, Máire now looks for a real-life Darcy and creates deliciously dark heroes on the page. Oh, and she wants everyone to know her name is pronounced Moira. Her parents just had to give her an Irish Gaelic name.

Links:
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Buy Links:
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A big thank you to Maire Claremont for being on my blog today!

Happy Reading,
Romance Reader Girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

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