Former Texan, creator of Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent and one of those people you would swear is just too nice to be real – Lisa Kleypas – will be dropping by the pond today. She is VERY close to deadline… soon to be shaking hands with her drop dead date. The way I look at it, this should work in our favor cuz really what more does a author want at that time than distraction.
::innocent blink::
To get you started I asked her a few questions, you can ask her some more in the comments, anything that doesn’t get answered we will put together in an ‘interview’ and post after Leo is ‘Married by Morning‘ and on his way to her editor. Until then if you haven’t already read Tempt Me at Twilight you can check out excerpts: on her site here, the ‘raw’ one here (that didn’t change much) and the new one here.
Thanks again to Lisa for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions.
**the following quotes are from Tempt Me at Twilight ©2009 Lisa Kleypas
“Well, to start with—“ Poppy tried to sound pragmatic even though her eyes watered. “I’m not a virgin anymore.”
Leo gave her a mock-shamed glance. “Neither am I,” he confessed.
A reluctant giggle escaped her.
Leo rummaged in his coat for a handkerchief, without success. “Don’t cry, darling. I have no handkerchief, and in any case, virginity is nearly impossible to find once you’ve lost it.”
How do you feel Tempt Me at Twilight turned out? Are you happy with the finished novel?
I am very happy with it!—it was a great writing experience, and I think part of that was because I finally settled in comfortably with the Hathaways. Whenever there was a group scene, it was incredibly fun to write, because I knew exactly how each character would react to what was going on.
After the previous year, when I wrote a couple of darker, more angsty novels (Blue Eyed Devil and Seduce Me At Sunrise) I felt a little worn out emotionally, and ready for some fun. So the two books I wrote after that were Smooth Talking Stranger and Tempt Me At Twilight, and I think they both reflect the sheer joy I felt in writing.
Poppy wondered what was wrong with her, that she should be amused rather than frightened by his confession. “Harry. You’re not supposed to court a girl by telling her you’re the villain.”
He gave her an innocent glance that didn’t deceive her in the least. “I’m trying to be honest.”
“Perhaps. But you’re also making certain that whatever anyone says about you, you’ve already admitted it. Now you’ve made all criticism of you ineffectual.”
Harry blinked as if she’d surprised him. “You think I’m that manipulative?”
Harry has a fabulous line, well really he has many, “In the fairy tale you mentioned last night, I would probably be the villain.” I have to admit I adore that and him. As you know I have a fondness for Sebastian (Devil in Winter), Leo (Married by Morning) and we can’t forget Kev (Seduce Me at Sunrise). All of them have bastard like qualities, why do you think that works in a ‘hero’?
Thanks, Sybs, I love to hear that! I think as long as there are deeper, authentically motivated reasons for a hero behaving badly, readers are always generous enough to forgive him. I adore nice-guy heroes, but the bastards are always more exciting, aren’t they?
I think it’s the tension of wondering what they’re going to do, and wondering how the heroine will react. And the character arc is so emotionally satisfying when a hero goes through experiences that force him to change. It always gives me a pleasant shiver at the moment when the hero who has been so dangerous and destructive in the past, is now going to use all power to protect and satisfy the heroine.
“Before you leave,” he said softly, “I have some advice for you. It’s not safe for a young woman to wander alone through the hotel. Don’t take such a foolish risk again.”
Poppy stiffened. “It’s a reputable hotel,” she said. “I have nothing to fear.”
“Of course you do,” he murmured. “You’re looking right at it.”
What makes Harry different from your other heroes?
He’s unusual for me, in that he is a mechanical engineer, and he is so remarkably isolated. He knows how to manipulate people, but not how to have a close relationship with them. So he has an emotional innocence that seemed very sweet to me, despite his villainous qualities. When he meets Poppy, he falls for her immediately because she is so open to the kind of emotional connection that he secretly craves.
She is a very warm and talkative character, and she is a little bit nerdy in the same way he is. When Harry visits the Hathaways and sees how they relate to each other, he is thrown off-balance because he’s never been part of a family . . . there’s this magical something in the air, and he’s not sure what it is, until he finally realizes it’s love. So normal for them, so unfamiliar to him.
“As it happens,” Harry murmured, “I’m American by birth.”
I totally loved that Harry Rutledge is from America (as is Lily and Daisy from your Wallflower series) any chance we could see an American Historical from you in the future? ::coughwesterncough::
I would so love to set a historical in America! If I’m ever able to, I would probably set it in Victorian era New York—what an exciting place, and so much was happening! Self-made men with big fortunes galore.
You soooooo are not helping my western agenda… just saying ::pout::
You ever read a book called Give Me Tonight? It is out of print and hard to find but I hear it is good ::innocent blink::
“Afraid?” he asked softly.
Poppy forced herself to meet his gaze. “No.”
“Maybe you should be. I’m much nicer to people who are afraid of me.”
“I doubt that,” she said. “I think the opposite is true.”
Poppy is a very strong female character, even when she is making choices Rutledge has manipulated her into. I see that trait in all the Hathaway sisters and could say it is true for most of your heroines. Is this a personal choice as an author – something that speaks against the ‘sterotypical weak female’ in romance or something you honestly see reflected in the history of the time?
I appreciate that—I’ve always thought that true strength is not displaying the hoyden/vixen/bitch type of behavior, but rather the patience and persistence and resilience that Poppy displays.
She has her moments of frustration and temper, but she is also quick to forgive and apologize. I think women did have to summon a lot of patience back then, because it was so frowned upon for a woman to be outwardly demanding or aggressive—they had so many constraints placed on them. You wonder if all the “nervous ailments” that women suffered from were really just a reflection of the stress and frustration of having to let men be in charge all the time!
“Those who have special requests,” Mr. Lufton continued, “or don’t like their rooms cleaned at certain times, those who insist on bringing pets, things of that sort. We don’t discourage them from staying, but we do make a note of their peculiarities.”
Speaking of the history of the time, odd question but I have a background in hotels, and totally love the setting of the book. Any books you can recommend you used for research into hotels of the time?
I wondered if you would like that! Yes, I had some fantastic resources and it was so much fun to research. There was a great book titled Hotel: An American History by Andrew K Sandoval-Strausz that provide a ton of information about the development of American and European hotel industries, and a great biography of the great hotel developer Henry Flagler, and I researched the histories of some classic London hotels such as Brown’s and Mivart‘s (the latter turned into Claridge’s).
The Rutledge is a composite of those old hotels, with some of the innovations that were happening at the time, food lifts and en suite bathing-rooms and plumbing . . . in fact, I spent so much time contemplating and “designing” the Rutledge that it almost seems like a real place to me now!
Jake’s face fell. God. Another scene. “Sir, I’d rather go on an errand in east London and be pummeled by street thieves.”
Rutledge smiled. “That will probably happen later in the week.”
When is Jake getting a book?
I truly hadn’t thought of that. You think he’s hero material?
I did! He sort of reminds me of a derek character… not as hardcore but we didn’t really see him at ‘work’ so to speak. I figured he got his hands plenty dirty or did before for Harry. NOT that I am asking, if I were to ‘request’ a story I want a novella on ‘where are they now’ on St. Vincent and Evie *g*. I know you soooooooooo didn’t see that coming.
“And there’s one more thing to be aware of,” Cam said, with a wintry softness that disguised all hint of feeling. “If you succeed in marrying her, we’re not losing a sister. You’re gaining an entire family–who will protect her at any cost.”
If you were a book what would your ‘summary’ be? (totally stole that from Sandy M Duck Chats cuz it amuses me)
Oh, this is not easy. Hmm. How about “A cookie-loving daydreamer turns her love of words and fantasies into a writing career, and finds true love along the way. She is surrounded by a brilliant cast of characters, including witty and wacky friends, a great publisher, a sock-stealing cocker spaniel, and an adorable duck-loving reviewer who always makes her laugh.”
“No. I’ve found that life is far kinder to shallow people.” Turning her, Leo drew her up against his tall, well-muscled frame.
What super TOP secret info can you give us on Leo’s book, Married by Morning.
Leo has been secretly drawing naked sketches of Catherine (imagining what she might look like), and she finds out.
**highlight over the blankspace if you want to see the spoiler
“She has experience with primates?” Harry asked sardonically.
Poppy considered that. “We’ve just been through the London season. Does that count?”
What super TOP Secret info can you give us on Beatrix’s book, Love in the Afternoon?
Beauty and the Beast theme.
That’s all I can say for now!
**highlight over the blankspace if you want to see the spoiler
That is really not that much to go on but since you haven’t even started the book I will give you a pass on it.
When will we get to see the cover for Married by Morning? LOL I know, I always want something…
If you have questions or comment for Lisa Kleypas, please put it in the comments of this post. If you have read Tempt Me at Twilight, do tell us what you thought of it.
OH MY GOD, THE LEO SPOILER. Was that what was in the missing scene? Or is it something that comes later? I am excited to read this, to say the least.
Onto more cerebral gushing: Lisa, I want to second how much I love the aspects of social history that get worked into your novels — and how much historical research goes into that! I really love the idea of you doing a future series in Gilded Age New York. If you ever do get around to that, I should hope we get cameos from certain heroes and heroines in ‘Again The Magic’… [wink]
Hello Lisa, just popping in to say that I adored TMAT- Harry and Poppy were well worth the wait- I know Leo & Beatrix’s stories will be too 🙂 As much as I’m looking forward to your Friday Harbour series, what do you have planned on the historical front after the wonderful Hathways? Much love!
Lisa, I devoured Tempt Me at Twilight and I think I blurted out on the last line of the epilogue, “Oh, NO! You did not just do that!!” Talk about sequel-teasers!
I’ve been waiting for Leo’s book for a while now and I just love Kev and Cam. You do such great heroes. 🙂 Can’t wait to read the next one!
I just realised my original comment didn’t contain my feelings on TMAT — I adored it. And one of the things I appreciated most was the aspect of Poppy you mentioned — that her strength lay in the fact that she was strong and rational and resilient. Too often I find it hard to relate to heroines in novels I otherwise enjoy because being ‘strong’ seems to have become synonymous with being combative instead of forthright. That your heroines often choose the latter path is what sets them apart for me — what transforms them from placeholders into truly admirable characters a reader can empathise and even identify with.
Ahhhh loved this interview – hi Lisa- thanks for visiting with us today! 😀 You’re one of my favorite authors and Tempt Me at Twilight is the next book I’m buying 🙂 Normally I avoid all sorts of spoilers but I couldn’t resist- loved all the quotes and one liners, and I’m *especially* excited that this book is more light hearted. :X I have nothing of substance to say, just that I adore your books – congratulations on the new release, and good luck with your deadline! Heh. *squee!*
Good morning dears! Thank you so much for starting my day off with a smile . . . actually, that Leo spoiler has nothing to do with the missing scene. But Leo’s book, Married By Morning, will start out with exactly what occurred (at the end of Chapter Twenty-Three in “Tempt Me”)
Tina, I SO appreciate that–thank you! I make a real effort to color the historicals with research, and I love it that you noticed the details!
Christabel, I have no idea yet about future historicals. I might want to make a return to the Regency time period, since I haven’t done that for years . . . the thought is certainly tempting.
Michelle, thank you! I’m not one of those writers who claims that the characters speak to me, or I see them on a blank wall or something (I should be so lucky *g*) . . . but that last scene with Leo and Catherine absolutely jumped out of my mind. And if Sybil wants to put it up, I’ll give her part of an unedited scene from MBM to post in another week or two!
k sorry, I will try and stop messing with the post because EVERYTIME I edit it I mess up the format. Like I said lisa it busy typing away and will be in and out. I will play the part as best I can *EG* without giving out misinformation or stuff I am not allowed to say.
.
haaaaaaaaaa
.
Speaking of what did you think of that cliffhanger? Beyond evil? Bad? or just right? LOL what I should be doing is typing up my review of this so we can go talk about her while she is here and she can do that ‘should I look, should I not look…’ author thing.
.
For me I am not sure, two things in books I HATE are romance triangles and cliffhangers this year I have read two books I would rec (A Hint of Wicked and Temp Me at Twilight) but I think the cliff does give it an air of PART ONE of PART TWO. Before anyone gasps in horror this is nothing I haven’t told Lisa already.
.
Tinaviel: regarding the ‘missing scene’ turns out I need to go back and read it because I so remember it differently sez lisa but no the Leo spoiler was new to me as well.
.
Christabel: LOLOLOL I am of course not Lisa and you did notice my gap – I forgot to mention the new contemp series… I think I should do a post on it vs editing this again cuz ACK the spacing is driving me mad. BUT good Lisa Kleypas fan you are for knowing the 411 on Friday. And geeze I thought I was greedy… already wanting more on the next historical. ::I bow to you::
.
Michelle Willingham: HEY you 😉
.
Tinaviel: I thought the book was good as well. Maybe we need a discussion thread or should we do it here? LOL I notice while putting this together some people thought Poppy wasn’t drawn out enough, where I would agree she isn’t ‘in your face kickass’ I thought she was a smart heroine. And used her brain to get her way.
.
She went into her marriage knowing Harry was a manipulative bastard, who at one point she did ‘want’ but most of all WANTED her. And she might have been ashamed to admit it, Poppy was attracted to that. MB didn’t fight for her, if he had stood up in that chruch and said NO she is mine – I think maybe… Poppy might have gone with him at that point.. maybe… because at the point yes she wanted a simple life in the long run. But she wanted what any woman wanted.
.
Poppy wanted a man who wanted her and wasn’t afraid to fight for her – dirty if he had too.
.
Of course I have had a hella long time to think about this and could be completely off my nut
.
Lisa! I knew you couldn’t resist coming out to play a bit here and there but really I have already type this up so…. LOL
And I still need to read Seduce Me before I can read Tempt Me. But the little excerpts sprinkled thoughout are wonderful, and the Rutledge sounds like an actual hotel name.
Sybil- LOL- lurve Lisa’s contemps but I’m forever loyal to my first love- which are Lisa’s historicals! And Lisa, not to sound demanding- but I’ll settle for a promise never to stop writing historicals *g* I was sooo desperate for TMAT, I DHL’ed it from Amazon… The winning feature after Harry’s villainous (mechanical genius) ways was the hotel setting- it was original and incredibly interesting! Will definitely check out your research reading to further fuel my Harry & Poppy daydreams 🙂
I really enjoyed TMaT. The family dynamics of the Hathaway family never get old. You’ve done such a great job portraying the character growth of Leo. He’s gone from such a dark character in the first book to a witty rogue in the current one. His verbal wordplay with Merripen and Miss Marks is always amusing. I especially liked that Rutledge blended right in with the Hathaways. With his dysfunctional background, he could have avoided getting to know Poppy’s family, but instead, he thrived in that loving environment. I have one quick question: Will we see more of what happened in Rutledge’s childhood when you write about Ms. Mark’s background? You carefully avoided any description about when Rutledge met Catherine for the first time. Will this be in the next book? (For some reason I’m unable to separate this post into paragraphs – sorry).
Sybil – I think that Poppy was well-drawn… her nuances were just a bit more shown, and not told, than your average heroine. With her you kind of have to read between the lines a bit — but it’s obvious that her driving characteristic is that she’s a very loving girl, with a deep capacity for feeling, very classy and refined yet geeky (in a good way) with a sense of humour, and though she’s predominantly sensible, I think she has more of a romantic side than her longing for serenity would let her admit. There was that one scene near the end, also, where Amelia got her to admit that her need for normalcy was driven by a need to feel secure, and a need to be able to predict things around her in an effort to safeguard herself against the same tragedies and uncertainties that had already befallen the family. /long-winded psychoanalysis
I also agree with you in that the cliffhanger makes TMAT and MBM seem kind of like a pair — just like the first two in the series. This also makes me really excited to find out more about Bea’s book, though I suppose I must bide my time for that one. (For now, I’d settle for knowing whether Beatrix is supposed to be ‘the beast’ — because of her wildness and kinship with animals — or whether we’ll be treated to a more ‘beastly’ hero. Gotta love those beastly heroes :D)
limecello, thank you dear, and I hope you’ll enjoy the book!
Kim, thank you! I think it is one of the best aspects of doing a series, that you can show a long and very developed character arc from book to book . . . I’ve never had a character who changed so visibly and so much as Leo. I think Sybil was the only person in the world who liked Leo and rooted for him after Mine till Midnight. I myself felt sorry for him but thought he was exasperating and fairly disgusting. Usually when you read that a hero was a rake or badly behaved in the past, you never actually see it! But as Leo got better in “Seduce Me,” I think you could see more of his real personality coming through.
And yes, there is much more about Rutledge and Catherine in MBM, so a lot of questions are cleared up.
Sybil, I love your comments about Poppy, because that is exactly what I was trying to convey . . . obviously Harry was a bastard for what he did, but on a certain level, Poppy was inwardly pleased that he wanted her enough to fight for her! I think Harry says something about how Michael only wanted her if it was easy, but Harry wanted her any way he could get her. About the “parts one and two” aspects of the books . . . it is so tricky to write books that are connected but hopefully stand on their own . . . there is certainly more of an ensemble feeling in the Hathaway books than other series I’ve done. And as you know, it’s been nearly impossible to keep Leo from overshadowing all the other characters in this series!
Tina, right now I’m envisioning Beatrix with a “beastly” hero . . . very big and broody and sexy!
Lisa Kleypas sez:
“I think Sybil was the only person in the world who liked Leo and rooted for him after Mine till Midnight”
.
That is her nice way of saying she thinks I am nuts or slightly off… but hey I called it!
Lisa, everything I’ve heard so far about Bea’s book seems tailor-made to exactly what I would have wanted for it to be the most. I LOVE the idea of a rough-around-the-edges, brooding giant of a hero. Fits in well with what she goes around telling owls she wants in a man, anyway [grin]
One last obnoxious question, at least for a while: I love what you’ve done with Leo, and I admit to being one of those people who wondered how you’d ever redeem him (and oh, I should have had more faith, because his story can’t come fast enough now). I especially love that what made him that way in the first place was a real tragedy that gives him believable motivation for having lost any semblance of the sweetness and gallantry he had when Laura was alive. So I’ve really been wondering whether we’re finally going to ‘hear her voice’ in any flashbacks in MBM. I mean, I know a lot of people are leery of focusing in too much on a first love, but since she is such an integral part of why Leo now is the way he is, I was just wondering 🙂
You’re one of the writers who does consistently readable, interesting work. I want to hate you, because you’re talented, beautiful and successful, but I just can’t, and long may you continue. Thanks for the great reads.
Anyway. Do you enjoy switching genres? Do you find it refreshing?
I have loved all of your historicals, and devoured TMAT. And I can hardly wait for Leo’s book. Having said that, I also have loved all of your contemporaries, and right now I am devouring Smooth Talking Stranger for the nth time, this time in audiobook format on my iPod. So I have to ask, will there be another Travis book featuring Joe, the youngest brother?
I just picked up Poppy’s story in Audio (love that the Hathaway series has been available in Audio which is how I read much of my books lately) and I just can’t wait to dive in. Just last wek I finished Sunrise which put me in place to just run with the next installment! It’s always a pleasure to read your work.
Tina, no question is obnoxious, and that’s a really good one–I had to devote a lot of thought as to how much to reveal of Laura. I didn’t want to detract from the very real feelings she and Leo shared, but at the same time, I didn’t want that to overshadow or lessen what he has with Catherine. So Leo definitely talks about Laura to Catherine, which is normal and natural, but I chose not to do any flashbacks in which she has actual dialogue. And in terms of comparisons, I try to make it clear that Leo would fall in love with a very different woman when he is a man of thirty, than he would as a boy of eighteen, and he knows that.
Lynne, thank you, I’m especially flattered with such words coming from you! I know you write in different genres, so I wonder if you have the same feeling, that switching really improves your work in ways you don’t necessarily expect. It has made me a lot more conscious of my writing voice, and the challenge has been really invigorating. One surprise has been that I have to research contemporaries as much as historicals, because the world is constantly changing, and there is so much I don’t know about. I will admit, I have a really tough time “flip-flopping,” alternating between historical and contemp, so now I’m trying to write them in groups of two or three.
Rowan, thanks, I’m so glad to hear that. And I have to tell you, I’ve been sincerely surprised to have so many people ask about Joe! I never had plans to write about him, but after all the interest, I will definitely be leaving the possibility open. In the meantime, I’ve already contracted to write a contemporary series set in Friday Harbor, part of San Juan Island which is right off the Washington state coast.
Thanks Sandy dear!–I haven’t listened to the whole thing, but I’ve listened to parts, and the narrator Rosalyn has a lovely voice. I think she did a great job with different voices . . . there are some group scenes, and you can tell exactly who’s saying what. You’ll have to let me know if you like it, or how it is to hear the love scenes with a real British accent!
Love your books, Lisa. You’re the only writer I stalk the book store for. Thank you for such brilliant, loving, funny, and lovely stories.
So… any chance of an excerpt? hehe.
Lisa–you said,
“I’m not one of those writers who claims that the characters speak to me, or I see them on a blank wall or something (I should be so lucky *g*)”
I was wondering about that. For me, in my own writing, it gets harder with each book. I think we keep raising the bar, and sometimes I stare at that mocking blank page and think to myself–shouldn’t I be getting better at this? Why do I feel like I’m getting dumber? 😉 Shouldn’t I be able to create dazzling characters that leap off the page? And then I smack myself, get a grip, and keep going.
What are your personal writing hurdles, now that you’ve done so many books? (For me, aside from always over-complicating the plot, it’s self-plagiarism –I have my own pet phrases and words that I have to keep editing out.
**One compliment–you have some amazing similes in your work, and I admire the detail and texturing you put into your story.
::waving at Sybil and Wendy:: 🙂
Sort of spoiler*****
Who else could imagine Harry stomping his foot and pouting like a 5 year old when he says, “I will not be left.”
Leo was wonderful comic relief.
Michelle’s comment reminded me of something else I would like to ask! Lisa, one thing that impresses me mightily about your novels is that you’ve done so many heroes that are the stuff of legend to so many readers — Derek Craven, Marcus and St. Vincent, Merripen, Zachary Bronson (probably my personal favourite), Logan Scott, the Bow Street Runners — that they might as well be grouped together and called a pantheon. And a lot of them have the quality of being self-made in common — that they pull themselves up from nothing to become successful without the benefit of blue bloodlines, something which is a LOT less frequently done than it ought to be. That being said, do you ever feel pressure in coming up with new heroes since you’ve done so many awesome (and intense!) ones? Do you ever find yourself trying consciously not to repeat any of your old heroes (IMO you do a great job of making them all quite unique)? Finally, have you ever thought about doing a historical hero that was neither aristocratic nor self-made — someone further down on the social or financial spectrum?
**I guess Merripen could be seen as an example of that last bit (though he did come into an inheritance at the end — so I guess my question still stands :P)
Marie: I will post a Married by Morning ‘Raw and Unedited’ excerpt in a week or two. We are giving Poppy a little while longer to shine before I start to pimp out Leo ::coughmorecough::
WHAT? A bit of random trivia I think Devil in Winter just might be my most posted about book on TGTBTU. LOL that is sort of OCD of me *G*.
Tinaviel
St. Vincent is Lord St. Vincent… as he says to Evie “besmirched though it is, the title is now yours to share” and he is in line to be a Duke
I don’t think I have ever read Where Dreams Begin, although I do have it. I do adore Because You’re Mine. A book I don’t think gets near enough love.
There was another ‘self made man’ in the wallflowers… first book Simon Hunt was I think.
Marie . . . LOL, thank you, and I promised Sybs an excerpt, so she’ll put one up here fairly soon!
Michelle . . . yes, you put it perfectly . . . it does get harder, and then sometimes you lock into something wonderful, and it seems so easy, and you think “Well, now I know what I’m doing.” And then the next book you have to pry out of your brain word by word. But you’re doing what all the really great writers do, which is to question and challenge yourself! And you’ll just keep getting better and better. And I’m laughing about the self-plagiarizing, because I think we all do it. I’ve said before, my characters all have hyperactive eyebrows that resemble caterpillars with ADD. Thank you so much re my similes . . . it’s hard to be fresh with those, isn’t it?
Aw Tina, now I’m glowing, you are so nice! My heroes and I appreciate it *g*. I actually never worry about how to come up with new heroes, as much as I worry about putting a minor character into a lead role. Because readers have expectations, they often feel they know a particular character, and then when you expand the character and make him (or her) more dimensional, they don’t always like the directions you choose. And I sincerely deeply hate disappointing my readers–I never want anyone to regret buying one of my books.
But back to creating heroes and characters . . . it is so helpful when you give them a vivid background. Harry locked in the hotel room as a child, for example . . . that is one of those experiences that shape a person forever . . . so Harry turns the isolation into a defense, and clings to it as an adult. And Zachary Bronson–I never forgot the image of him as a professional fighter on the street corner, fists up, ready to take on anyone who challenged him. About more “ordinary” heroes . . . it’s one of the things I’m going to try with the “Friday Harbor” series next year! I keep thinking “sexy guys with boats” . . .
“Sexy guys with boats” LOL!
Syb, I hope you’ll like Leo’s book! I don’t know what you’ll think about it. Now that I’m combing through it and getting to the end, I think Leo’s turned out to be an interesting character, not as much like Sebastian as I thought he might be. He’s a little younger, more “tarnished” and more sarcastic, and having a close family makes him different too.
Sybil – what??? No mention of Derek??? Anyway – I just love the whole Hathaway family. I just started this one today – read it through breaks, read it through lunch and as soon as I got home. I’m not far into it yet, but I can already tell I’m going to love it.
And Lisa, like Sybil, I would SO LOVE to see you write a book set in the US – if not in the West, I’d still be very happy with one set in New York – after all, you already have McKenna and Aline there *g*.
And I also loved the spoilers for Leo and Beatrix ’cause of course I had to read them.
Because You’re Mine was great… and Where Dreams Begin…Lady Sophia’s Lover…Stranger in my Arms… *cue happy sigh* …
And I’m gone.
Every single Kleypas book, I truly love them all.
This is a great interview, and just leaves me impatiently waiting for Leo’s story. I remember how devastated I was when I read about Leo’s loss–it was so real for me. So I can’t wait. And I absolutely loved TMAT. Everything about it was perfect. I especially was enamored of Dodger. I could just see him hopping and skipping and escaping from Poppy and crawling up into Catherine’s lap and nestling his head in her shoe.
Thanks Lisa and Sybil! All the spoilers, quotes and questions above was fabulous. I’m still waiting for “Tempt Me” to arrive in the mail and I admit, it’s purely to get a catch up on Leo and Miss Marks. 🙂 I have HUGE expectation for MBM, cannot wait, so any additional tidbits would be much appreciated! BTW. Seduce me at Sunrise is one of my fav historicals and ALL my fav heroes are from your stories (Derek, Sebastian, Kev). You’re my favorite historical author and I do hope you plan to do an Victorian Era New York series. What I love most about you is that you never disappoint your fans, or seem to dragged out the release of a much awaited couple like some authors do (because it’s not the ‘right’ time or they need to sell a dozen books pulling characters out of the air before they get to it!). Sorry, if I sound a bit cynical. As a reader, its nice to be able to rely on you to deliver on what you promise. Though the only time I’ve ever had a bit of a check was when the implied Cam/Daisy story didn’t happen…but I looooved Mathew Swift so I got over it quickly. Though I’m curious as to why even have that kissy scene, did you change your mind? Finally, I’ve since gotten into Paranormal romances…do you have plans for this genre?
Kristie!!! (Lisa, blowing kisses) Yes, Derek was the first self-made hero I ever wrote, and he paved the way for all the others (and looks like Richard A), so he deserves to be mentioned. And if I could write American-set historicals, that’s EXACTLY how I would do it–I would use Aline and McKenna and Gideon Shaw as a launching point. Maybe even have the Bowmans in there. I swear, if I can ever get to a point at which readers could go there with me and feel comfortable (and buy the books), I’ll do it.
LOL Kristie *g* go back and read under Lisa’s response in the interview to my question”When is Jake getting a book?”
I mention him there 😉
And Lisa I promise to only tell you what I think if you ask. 🙂
I did mean to put a last name in the interview when I posted it. “When is Jake getting a book?” should have been Jake Valentine… just in case anyone was wondering
Marie, you’re so sweet–thank you!!!
Nikki–a kiss for you from Dodger! *g* I’ll confess, he still can’t leave Miss Marks alone in “Married By Morning.” Which makes him the only recurring animal character in any of my books. Hee!
Linny, you’ve made my night, thank you so much!!! About the Cam and Daisy story . . . well, I have a couple of different versions of it, and I guess basically it got very complicated because I was leaving Avon at the same time that I was plotting the book, and it was a very difficult situation for both sides. It was the breakup of a sixteen year partnership, so you can imagine how tough it was for everyone. And this was probably my weakness as a writer, but I wrote two versions of a Cam/Daisy outline that my editor and I couldn’t agree on. (And she was and is a talented editor, btw.) So I started from scratch, came up with Matthew Swift, and we both thought it would work. And I truly came to adore Matthew, and thought (hoped) the book ended up being right for Daisy. So I ended up with St. Martins, and Cam ended up with Amelia! I’ve always been sorry I couldn’t make it work for Cam and Daisy . . . but Amelia and the Hathaways definitely needed him, and I can’t imagine the series without him now!
Thanks, Lisa. I have always been intrigued by Joe in the series, always the one in the background, under cover of radar, so to speak. After his brush with death in STS, his story seems a natural to me. I hope you can take him up at some point.
I am excited to hear about the Friday Harbor series. I have such fond memories of visiting there in the late 70’s when my boy friend (now my husband of many years) would go up for visits to the lab. He was on the faculty at UW, I was in grad school there. We attended a beautiful wedding there. Quel romantique!
Linny, forgot to say . . . I love love love paranormals, but I’ve never come up with any ideas that I think would contribute to the genre. In other words, I would just be paying homage to all the truly amazing paranormal authors and being ridiculously derivative *g*
Oh good god. Please don’t do that. NO PARANORMALS.
Did I ever have you sign in blood you would never leave historicals? ACK.
I wanna hear the audio TMAT if it is any good.
ROTFL – But Sybil – you didn’t even capitalize his name!! And I quote – “of a derek character”. But I see you CAPITLIZE Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. See – I see the slight to Derek and The Cravenators.
BTW, Lisa, you are talented enough that you could succeed in writing romances in whatever setting you chose. And I predict that most, if not all, of your loyal readers would follow you there. I know I would.
kristie, kristie, kristie… LOL so picky