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Book CoverFormer 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

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“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.”

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Sybil duckHow do you feel Tempt Me at Twilight turned out? Are you happy with the finished novel?

lisaauthorpic.jpgI 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.

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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?”

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Sybil duckHarry 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’?

lisaauthorpic.jpgThanks, 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.
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“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.”

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Sybil duckWhat makes Harry different from your other heroes?

lisaauthorpic.jpgHe’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.

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“As it happens,” Harry murmured, “I’m American by birth.”

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Sybil duck 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::

lisaauthorpic.jpg 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.

Sybil duckYou 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::

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“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.”

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Sybil duckPoppy 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?

lisaauthorpic.jpgI 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!

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“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.”

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Sybil duckSpeaking 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?
lisaauthorpic.jpgI 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!
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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.”

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Sybil duckWhen is Jake getting a book?

lisaauthorpic.jpgI truly hadn’t thought of that. You think he’s hero material?

Sybil duckI 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.

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“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.”

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Sybil duckIf you were a book what would your ‘summary’ be?  (totally stole that from Sandy M Duck Chats cuz it amuses me)

lisaauthorpic.jpgOh, 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.”

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“No. I’ve found that life is far kinder to shallow people.” Turning her, Leo drew her up against his tall, well-muscled frame.

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Sybil duckWhat super TOP secret info can you give us on Leo’s book, Married by Morning.

lisaauthorpic.jpgLeo 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

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“She has experience with primates?” Harry asked sardonically.

Poppy considered that. “We’ve just been through the London season. Does that count?”

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Sybil duckWhat super TOP Secret info can you give us on Beatrix’s book, Love in the Afternoon?

lisaauthorpic.jpgBeauty 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.