Welcome back to Duck Chat!

You’re going to be so glad you stopped by today. Adele Ashworth is here to talk about her books and anything else you’d like!

There’s really not much more I can tell you about Adele that isn’t discussed in the interview below. I know she’s a warm and funny person, and that’s just communicating through email with her. She’s one of those people you would definitely like to meet and becomes friends.

But there’s probably something special you’d like to know about Adele, so if you leave a question or comment, we’ll put you in the running for a copy of Adele’s next release, The Duke’s Captive. You have to be patient, however, it’s not being released until August!

Now let’s chat!

DUCK CHAT: Welcome to the Pond, Adele! We’re so glad you could be here today. You have some exciting news for romance readers. Tell everyone about My Darling Caroline, please.

ADELE ASHWORTH: Thanks so much for the invitation, Sandy! Let’s see… My Darling Caroline was my first published book, which Avon re-released yesterday. It was originally released in 1998, and won the Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best First Book of that year. It’s my only regency historical (all my later books are Victorians), and is the story of an earl returning from war to discover his horses have been sold from under him to the father of Caroline Grayson. Grayson, a baron, will return the horses, and other property, if Brent (the hero) agrees to marry his spinster daughter. The problem is that Caroline is a brilliant woman and wants to study botany at university, but her gender prevents it. She expects to travel to the United States, where she’s been accepted to study because she’s applied as a man, but this whole marriage thing runs a knife through her plans. Of course everything becomes more complicated when she refuses to sleep with her new husband, and he can’t understand why. Lots of plot twists and danger ensue, eventually leading to a surprising, fulfilling, and happy ending for both of them.  And I hope that wasn’t too confusing off the top of my head…

DC: If you could retire any interview question and never, ever have it asked again, what would it be? Feel free to answer it.

AA: Ha! Well, probably the most aggravating question is, “Where do you get your ideas?” because the honest truth is, I really don’t know. And when I answer that question with a shrug, it bothers me that I might come across callous or snide or something. I’m not trying to be rude, but story ideas, for me, usually just appear while I’m writing, which sometimes even changes the entire story in the middle of it. I rarely stick to my original synopsis because plot points come to me as I write, but it’s frustrating to try to explain that. And I do get asked that a lot.

Surprisingly, I don’t get asked about sex scenes or writing in the romance genre very much.

DC: I’ve heard writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you?

AA: Absolutely! Every single book, and with every single character, especially with dialogue.

DC: Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

AA: Oh, sure. They’re just like real people to me in my head, though I’ve never had one go off on some totally strange twist. I think as the story progresses, they just tend to develop more personality as I get to know them better. And real people are always surprising.

DC: And more exciting news is the release of your next book, The Duke’s Captive, in July. Readers will remember Ian and Viola from earlier books. Will you give us a sneak peek about them and their story?

AA: I’m probably more excited, and apprehensive, about The Duke’s Captive than any book I’ve ever written.  It was extremely difficult to write, and took me about eighteen months to finally get it finished.  It’s the story of Ian Wentworth, a minor character from A Notorious Proposition, who spent his time in that book drugged and chained to a wall in a dungeon. Five years later The Duke’s Captive begins as Ian now learns that the only remaining person who he thinks kept him captive in the dungeon, Viola Bennington Jones, now Viola Cresswald, Lady Cheshire, has just come out of mourning, and he sets out for revenge. The love scenes are graphic, and Ian is a bitter man, thus my trouble writing the story. It’s a complicated tale of redemption, I think, and it’s the first time I’ve ever come close to writing what I think is an Alpha male. I think it’s my best book to date, but of course, as all authors do, now that it’s done, I worry about the little things I might have done to make it better. Maybe it’s not that great, maybe I should have… blah, blah, blah. 

DC: Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Who usually wins?

AA: You know, I know some writers say this happens to them, but I never, ever argue with my characters. They’re like my puppets, or something. They do what I say!  Maybe I have that relationship with them because I live with teenagers who rarely do what I say. (Snort) But honestly, if a character goes off in some new direction in the story, it’s because I allowed it. I am Mom, Alpha Dog, and God of All Puppetry Masters all wrapped up in one, and my characters are my little play things.

DC: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and working/writing?

AA: Everything. I’m the most easily distracted person on the planet. I think this is why it takes me so long to get into a book, and then I’m under pressure to finish it for a deadline. I work well under pressure, but it’s a bad way to write a book.  The problem, I think, is that when I sit down and enter my characters’ world, I don’t want to be disturbed by anything or anyone. I get truly frustrated to have one of my kids call for me, or the phone rings. It’s like, why bother writing when I have to walk the dogs, then make something to eat, then check email, then take my daughter to the dentist. By early afternoon, I want to catch up on the news, and if I can’t get in solid writing time, and I’m already getting tired, well, I just put it off till tomorrow.  I love to write, have a story to tell, but have a horrible time forcing myself to engage. I am NOT a role model.

DC: What has been your favorite book cover from all of your releases and why?

AA: Honestly, I’ve really been happy with all of them, some more than others. I really think one of my best-selling books to date, The Duke’s Indiscretion, sold so well because of the hot red cover. I loved it, frankly. (I have to say, though, that author Michele Albert, a good friend of mine, brought to my attention that the hero on the cover has “man hands.” He does, too.  I wouldn’t have noticed but for her — ahem – acuteness to detail, but my feeling about it was well, at least my HEROINE doesn’t have man hands!) I also really loved the cover for Duke of Sin – I think because it’s purple, and I love the color purple. I know… pretty stupid reason, but there you go.

DC: How about your least favorite cover?  Why?

AA: Oh, God, I know you mean American titles, but hands down my least favorite cover is the Russian cover of Duke of Scandal. It’s hardcover, with the h/h dancing in Regency attire at a ball. It looks like a cover of one of the original Barbara Cartland novels my grandmother collected. And I write Victorians. But then, maybe Russians really like, and buy, romances with sweet, innocent covers no matter the content? But as for my American covers, I don’t know. It’s hard to separate feelings for, or compare, a cover that sells well, that I might not like visually, to one that I think is gorgeous but probably won’t get noticed on a shelf unless the reader is looking for my book specifically. In this regard, I never argue with Avon about covers. The art department seems to have them figured out and I trust them.

DC: How do you feel your male or female characters have evolved over your career? Do you think you write them differently now than you did when you started?

AA: Wow, what an interesting question!  Truthfully, I’m not sure how to answer it, either. I think it’s harder for me to keep the characters from becoming replications of themselves, since I tend to write independent heroines who have some form of job or work, and Beta-ish heroes who don’t mind their independence.  I do try as hard as I can to make them all unique, though. For instance, Samson Carlisle, from Duke of Scandal, was a truly brooding man, dark and thoughtful, quite cynical, and his closest friend, Colin Ramsey, from The Duke’s Indiscretion, was nearly his opposite. I only wish I could be funnier in my books. Julia Quinn, a good friend, has told me repeatedly that I’m one of those people whose real life personality is totally different from my characters and my stories, which tend to be rather serious in focus. I can be pretty funny in an overly dramatic kind of way sometimes (especially at a bar with Julie Q., Laura Lee Guhrke, Rachel Gibson, Kathryn Smith, Elizabeth Boyle and the flowing martinis… but I probably shouldn’t go there in this interview *wink*) But I do wish I could translate more comedy into a book, and someday I might attempt it. I just always seem to return to the DRAMA – story of my life. The Duke’s Captive is probably my most serious book to date, so if someone laughs while reading it, it was purely unintentional on my part. 

DC: Avon is going to be releasing your backlist in e-format. Any information you can impart about the process at this point?

AA: Well, the only books not in e-book form as of yet are Someone Irresistible and When It’s Perfect, my two first books for Avon. Those are out of print in book form, but Avon is releasing them as e-books on March 2. So, after March, all my Avon books will be available in one form or another. In the next two years, Avon will also be re-releasing Stolen Charms, my second Berkley book, and then Winter Garden, though I don’t know the dates yet. And I’m sure they’ll all be in e-book form as well.

DC: Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try?

AA: I’m seriously considering romantic suspense, and have already started a story. I’d like, if the procrastination devils stay away, to write one RS and one historical a year. But we’ll see. I do think I’m ready for variety, though, and even have an idea for a young adult serious. The trouble with writers, however, is that we have so many books to write, but practically speaking, because of time and life issues, we’re unable to get those stories down on paper. The only author I know who consistently writes what she decides she’d like to try is Kathryn Smith. Her ambition and creativity amaze me, and I am in awe of her muse. I actually dedicated The Duke’s Captive to her for letting me borrow it (or is a muse a ‘her’?).

DC: What advice would you give to your younger self?

AA: Oh, man, we do NOT have enough space. LOL! Honestly, though, as far as writing goes, it would be to organize better. I really think I could have five or six more books finished at this point if I only knew how to dedicate my time to writing and focus better when I was younger. Sigh…

DC: I read on your website about your love of music. You at one point wanted to be a Broadway star and you sang for the talent portion of a beauty pageant you were in years ago. Would you do anything differently concerning music if you had those years to live over again?

AA: The thing about my singing was that I certainly had the gift, but not the drive. I’ve done a lot of theater shows, lots and lots of singing on stage, and I truly love it. I love being on stage period, whether it’s to sing, speak, be the general center of attention… But the truth is, even my mother said she never pushed me as a child or teenager to go beyond what I did because I never exhibited the intense drive that it takes to truly make it in such a difficult business. The only time I’ve felt driven career-wise has been to write romance novels. But I do miss it, and long to do another show, sing again for something other than weddings and funerals. Right now, I just don’t have the time.

DC: Who’s your favorite musician/singer?

AA: There are so many I can’t begin to answer that. But I love all music, from pop to opera. Yanni, Enya, Adiemus, Beethoven, Bach and Brahms are my choices if I listen to music when I write. They’re all just so creative with harmony!  (Mozart is too complicated melodically. His music is so grand I end up just listening to Mozart and the writing never gets done.) And here’s a weird secret: I loved ABBA, still do, and sing with them on my I-pod as I walk the dogs. ABBA and Pat Benatar and Andrea Bocelli and Maroon 5 and Beyonce, and of course all the music from Glee are among my many I-pod favorites. I’m sure I look like the crazy lady who sings when she walks her dogs, but really, every neighborhood should have one. I’m proud to me mine. 

DC: If you were a book, what would your blurb be?

AA: Rich, glamorous, and still as size four…

DC: What would be your “voice’s” tagline?

AA: Drama Queenery Realized

— or maybe better to say:

Drama Queenery Understated

DC: You’re a fan of Victoria Holt. I devoured her books when I first started reading romance eons ago. What’s your favorite Holt book?

AA: Oh, it had to be On the Night of the Seventh Moon. I read that when I was twelve, staying for the summer at my grandmother’s tiny house on the Navajo Reservation in Teec Nos Pos, Az (she was a teacher at the boarding school). I still remember sitting my grandfather’s rocking chair and devouring that book, mesmerized because it was my first romance novel. It surprised me at every turn, and when the heroine’s husband turned up alive at the end… sniff. It was WAY better than Nancy Drew, since Nancy and Ned never kissed (so disappointing!), and there was no turning back for me after that momentous reading discovery. [Ed. On the Night of the Seventh Moon was my favorite Holt too. I finally got my hands on a paperback copy since I haven’t read it for eons, and I wanted to find out if it still held appeal for me. You’re welcome to borrow it, Adele!]

DC: Who’s your favorite author?

AA: Like music, that’s a complicated question for me to answer. I read a lot of non-fiction – religious history, political books, etc., and I haven’t had that much time for fiction lately, aside from a few favorite romance authors. I love, love, love Dean Koontz, but I don’t have a taste for paranormal romance. I love Rachel Gibson, Laura Lee Guhrke, Lorraine Heath, and about 100 others I’m forgetting. John Krakauer is a non-fiction favorite. Into Thin Air is one of the best, most gripping and deeply emotional non-fiction books I’ve ever read.

DC: What romance book would you recommend our readers pick up during their next bookstore run? (Yes, in addition to any Adele Ashworth novel!)

AA: I recently read three novels by Laura Griffin — Whisper of Warning, Thread of Fear, and Untraceable — that I really, really enjoyed! She writes straight RS, and has a similar voice to Michele Albert/Jerott, who also – yay! – has another book out next month called Her Last Chance. I will be reading that one!

DC: If you had never become an author, what do you think you would be doing right now?

AA: I have absolutely no idea. Really. Every job I had until writing professionally was just a job for me, even when I flew for America West. I kept thinking then that I needed to find my calling… or something… and when I stumbled upon a book about how to write a romance and get it pubbed, everything just clicked. From that point on I was determined to be an author and haven’t given much else a thought aside from motherhood.

DC: How’s Justin and Isabella’s story coming along, your next book, which is to be released in 2011?

AA: Who? What? Huh? Just kidding. I haven’t been working on it much in the last month, but beginning next week it’ll be crunch time again. It’s always down to the wire with me.

DC: What else is on the horizon for Adele Ashworth?

AA: Well after Justin and Isabella’s book, I’ll be writing the third in this trilogy, but I haven’t a clue what it’ll be about. I just know the hero is Lucas Wolffe, Duke of Fairbourne (who makes a couple of appearances in The Duke’s Captive), and he has lots of secrets. That’s how books start with me. I have this hero with secrets, but I don’t know what they are…  After that, I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead!

Lightning Round:

– dark or milk chocolate?   – White chocolate.

– smooth or chunky peanut butter?   – Chunky, but I’m not much of a peanut butter girl.

– heels or flats?   – Both

– coffee or tea?    – Coffee

– summer or winter?     – Oh, definitely summer. Winter cold gives me hives.

– mountains or beach?    – Beach

– mustard or mayonnaise?     – Mustard, all flavors and specialties. We seriously go through a major consumption of mustard in my house (even both of my kids can’t get enough), but I can’t remember the last time I bought mayo. It’s been years.

– flowers or candy?     – Can I say sushi and a bottle of wine?

– pockets or purse?    – Purses, big ones.

– Pepsi or Coke?     – Diet Pepsi, or regular Coke (regular Pepsi is too sweet, and Diet Coke tastes like cough syrup to me)

– ebook or print?     – E-book for fiction; Print for everything else.

And because we still enjoy the answers we get:

1. What is your favorite word?      – Probably “love” since I use it all the time. I love this, I love that… It probably gets annoying to those who love me.

2. What is your least favorite word?    – I actually can’t think of one. All words are wonderful. Oh, I do hate “snuck” when used for “sneaked.” It’s a journalism thing…

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?     – Music, aromas, beauty in all forms.

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?     – Anything ugly or abusive.

5. What sound or noise do you love?      – My children sleeping.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?     – My children arguing with each other.

7. What is your favorite curse word?    – Fuck or shit. I use them interchangeably, and probably more than I should.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?     – I’d love to be a forensic pathologist or a Broadway superstar. Could any two careers be more diverse?

9. What profession would you not like to do?     – Anything to do with numbers — banking, accounting, real estate. Ugh.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?    – “Welcome, darling child. Now let me show you the library up here…”

DC: Adele, what a pleasure it’s been to have you here today. Thank you!