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.

Long before I discovered epubs, I was reading Black Lace novels. Now celebrating their 15th anniversary, this U.K. publisher is known for its intelligent erotic stories for women such as the brilliant Black Lace classics Menage by Emma Holly (now a Virgin Cheek title), Continuum by Portia Da Costa, and one of my favorite books of all time, A Gentleman’s Wager by Madelynne Ellis.

With the recent re-release of A Gentleman’s Wager (read my review) and the upcoming U.S. release of its much anticipated sequel, Phantasmagoria on April 29 (reviewed here), I asked Madelynne to stop by and answer a few questions. And even though I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m a slightly obsessed fangirl, she actually agreed!

Welcome to the Pond, Madelynne!

	Every author gets asked this question or some variation of it. So, here at TGTBTU, we’ve made it easy for authors to answer by providing you with a multiple choice listing of the three most popular answers to “Where do your ideas come from?”… A. The Muse – you know, the creative force that inspires you to write… or Sharon Stone. B. The Voices in Your Head – or as we refer to them here at TGTBTU, ‘The Sybil.’ C. The Profession – it’s a job, sit your ass in the chair and type, and try not to make authors look flaky(ier) than we are, damn it.
	B. Yeah, definitely The Sybil.
	Do you listen to music when you write? What’s typically playing? Are there old favorites you fall back on when the writing is giving you fits?
	I don’t so much listen to music while I’m writing as take musical interludes. This is where I crank up the volume and stomp up and down, using the music to conjure specific moods. When it comes to the actual writing, I often find that the music is too distracting. For a while I combated this problem by listening to lots of Gackt. He’s Japanese so I didn’t have the problem of me singing along causing me to lose focus. Now, I sing along in bad Japanese.As for what I listen to… It varies wildly, for example the current section in my CD player: Gackt (Jpop), Cradle of Filth (goth/metal), Donovan (trippy 70′s folk), Juan Martin (Flamenco guitar), & Suede (Britpop).
	What is guaranteed to distract you from sitting down and working?
	Children.
	A Gentleman’s Wager was first published in the UK in May 2003 but you started writing it in 1994 and didn’t finish until 2001. Let’s go back in time. You have a degree in Biology and Chemistry. Subsequently, you begin research in Parasitology and Malaria, then a friend sees you reading a Black Lace book and urges you to “give it a go”. Why did your friend think that your logical, scientific mind could write an erotic fiction story (and do such a phenomenal job of it)? Has your creative side always found an outlet through writing? Was AGW the very first thing you submitted? Honestly, it just fascinates me that both types of thought processes could be so strong in one person.
	Erm, a) because said friend is a perv… and b) because he’s been on the receiving end of my role-playing scenarios.My creative side has many outlets. I enjoy costume making and theatrical make-up and painting (badly). Although I’ve always created elaborate imaginary worlds, prior to A Gentleman’s Wager, I’d never made any serious attempts to write them down. AGW was the first novel I submitted. I think I’d subbed one short story prior to that point which went missing somewhere in e-space. [Ed.(Bev): at right is the original cover for AGW]
	Now, here we are a few years later and AGW’s long awaited sequel, Phantasmagoria, is being released AND it’s been chosen to kick off the Virgin Black Lace 15th Anniversary Celebration! [Huge Congrats!] Was this a story that had been simmering on the back burner for awhile? What finally started the story flowing onto paper?
	I can categorically say there was no simmering involved. At the close of AGW, I genuinely had no intention of ever writing a sequel, despite numerous requests from people to do so, and loving those characters. As far as I was concerned the story was done.As for what changed that… a chance visit to Vaughan’s home.While researching a location for a short story that I never finished, we happened to drive through the village of Pennerley, from which Vaughan’s title is derived. We then went on to Stokesay Castle. To say I fell in love with the place would be an understatement. I was struck by the realization as we approached, that this was Vaughan’s home. In each room, I could see him laughing, prowling and brooding. It was still several weeks before a story emerged though. I actually went in search of a dictionary, and instead sat down and wrote the outline for Phantasmagoria. It literally came out of nowhere, and left me feeling both shocked and excited. Believe me, novels out of nowhere is not the norm for me. I’m used to the blood, sweat and tears approach to outlining.
	Writers often say their stories take them in surprising directions, or dialogue flows from some unknown place. Is it the same with you? Do your characters surprise you sometimes? Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? Honestly, as long as you don’t ask “What did you say?” I think you’re still on this side of sane.
	I don’t generally argue with my characters, I may growl at them occasionally when they insist on rewriting the lovely plot twist I’ve thought up. I work from fairly skeletal outlines, and focus heavily on characterization and character interactions, so I’m rarely surprised by what my characters do or say, but conversations do run away from me sometimes, and suddenly veer off at tangents.I’d say the main problem I have with my characters is that I frequently get very clear images of events unfolding, but I don’t understand how they connect, and then I spend ages trying to figure it all out. For example, in Phantasmagoria, I had a clear image of Vaughan carrying Bella through the castle asleep in his arms, but I couldn’t for the life of me work out why it was necessary for him to carry her anywhere. Why hadn’t he just left her in her bed and had his wicked way? Eventually, everything fell into place and it made perfect sense, but not before it had given me two-month headache.
	You took one helluva risk with Phantasmagoria. The characters from A Gentleman’s Wager are so beloved, yet you did NOT give them the expected happy ending in Phantasmagoria. In fact, it’s an emotionally painful look at what happens when their relationship falls apart. Did you have any idea how dark Phantasmagoria was going to be? Or maybe the question should be- WHY did you write such an emotionally dark story? While you were writing it, were you able to walk away from all those emotions, or did you feel like you couldn’t quite shake off all that darkness when you left your desk?
	I knew from the start that Phantasmagoria was going to be the dark heart of their story and that it was going to be a rough journey. It’s not the end of the story though (although I still need to convince an editor of that.) As for why I chose to write something quite so emotionally tortuous, I suppose the reasons are two-fold. Firstly, I strive for emotional complexity and I think it’s only through tragedy that you really see what makes people tick. A story about Vaughan, Bella and Lucerne all getting along wouldn’t have made for a very gripping read, regardless of how much hot sex they were enjoying. The second reason is rather more personal. Just prior to embarking upon writing Phantasmagoria I received some devastating and life-altering news. I’m not prepared to divulge any more information about it than that. However, that period was an extremely difficult time emotionally, and I’m sure that my feelings tipped over into my writing. I certainly cried buckets over certain events. You might say that I was using my characters as a sort of therapy. Though their problems have no resemblance to my own.
	Then you decided to do something even more surprising- instead of finishing the story immediately with a follow-up book, you are doing a spin-off series before returning to the original characters and finishing their story. Do you already have all these subsequent books mapped-out/outlined or are you a “seat-of-your-pants” writer and start with a basic idea but then let things happen as your muse/characters/secret-voices direct at the time?
	I’m definitely more of a “seat-of-the-pants” writer than a plotter. What I have for these subsequent books are key points and general themes I want to explore. The first spin-off book is more or less complete. As for why I decided to do the spin-off stories first… it’s to do with the timeline of events, as key characters from AGW and Phantasmagoria crop up in these stories. The other reason I didn’t immediately launch into completing Vaughan, Bella & Lucerne’s story is because I needed a break from Vaughan. He’s a bit intense, you know. And very demanding! Also, I wanted time to let the ideas percolate.
	In both A Gentleman’s Wager and Phantasmagoria, you treat us to very visual physical descriptions of the characters… except Bella, the female lead in both books. We really know very few details about her looks. Was that a conscious decision on your part? When you are writing, do you view the story through the eyes of one of the lead characters (in this case, Bella’s), and consequently lead the reader to do the same?
	I can’t honestly say that it’s a conscious decision. Actually, I’m surprised. I thought she was described. If the details of her appearance are less exact than those of the men, I suspect that can be put down to the fact that while I love my female characters, I’m not in love with them. I’m always hopelessly infatuated with my male characters. I work on the principle that if I love them, there’s a fair chance that someone else will feel the same way.
	AGW and Phantasmagoria are historical stories (Georgian), but you also write contemporaries, including yaoi inspired and paranormal. Are any of these sub-genres easier/harder than the others for you? Is it hard to transition back and forth between them, or does the contrast actually make it easier to keep them separate in your mind?
	Each book is different. I don’t think it’s the sub-genre that governs whether something is easier/harder to write. I enjoy writing historical novels because the period fascinates me. Paranormals allow me to let my imagination run wild. Contemporaries… Unless something specific inspires me, eg Egyptian archaeology (Passion of Isis) or yaoi manga/gothic fashion (Dark Designs), I tend to avoid them. I actually find the humdrum realism of them frustrating. Also, because my contemporaries focus on niche settings, they tend to involve vast amounts of research, even more than the historical set books.
	So, what releases are coming up for you? What are you working on right now?
	No scheduled releases at the moment after Phantasmagoria. Currently I’m working on the second draft of the first AGW spin-off story, and outlining a sequel to my recent paranormal novella Broken Angel [from the anthology, Possession].
	I just have to ask you about the live role playing (LRP) events that you and your partner run. Please tell us more- Are there specific historical periods that you portray? Are they mysteries, comedies, dramas? Are your children involved or are these adults-only events? Are they outdoor only events or do you hold them at different venues year round? You also put together props, come up with plots, make period costumes, do the make-up; basically keep everything running. Is this a hobby gone mad or has it now become a business in the “find what you love to do, then find a way to get paid for it” sense?
	LRP – lets see, indoors, outdoors, generally either turn of the century horror or pseudo-medieval fantasy, lots of different venues across the UK ranging from campsites to castles. I’m actually feeling quite out of touch with it, other things have cut into the time we have to spend on these events. [Ed.(Bev): that's Madelynne in one of her period costumes]

10 Quick Quacks about Madelynne Ellis

1. Milk, dark, or white chocolate?

Milk. Dark chocolate gives me a headache and white chocolate is just yuck.

2. If you could spend one month anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Somewhere where there wasn’t anyone else. Possibly Fort Clonque. It’s a tiny island off the coast of Alderney, Channel Islands, which houses a fort and nothing else. [pictured at right]

3. Burn, tan, or SPF=cardboard?

Eh? I don’t do sun.

4. Gym, sports, or “I love my ass”?

I swim when the UK weather doesn’t mean I come out with icicles in my hair.

5. What author haven’t you read that you keep meaning to?

Glancing at the TBR pile. Sherrilyn Kenyon. I appear to have a large pile of her books that I’ve not looked at, and Sebastian Faulks.

6. Heels or flats?

Flats, mostly.

7. Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, George Clooney, Gerard Butler, or Sean Connery?

Johnny Depp but only by default. Really none of the above.

8. Coffee or Tea?

Black Coffee

9. Favorite dessert?

I’m not a dessert person. [Bev: HAH! See? She's NOT perfect!]

10. Peanut butter, jelly, or Vegemite

In what context? [Bev: When you read Phantasmagoria, you'll understand why she couldn't give a decisive answer. hee]

Thank you so much for coming out to play with us, Madelynne!

Madelynne’s novels and novellas:



Madelynne’s short stories can be found in these anthologies:



Virgin Black Lace books can be ordered from Amazon, or through Borders, and Barnes & Noble. Many new Black Lace releases can also be found on the shelves of the latter two stores.

Quick bio notes and what Madelynne will be up to:  Madelynne, who lives in the U.K. with “Mr. Madelynne” and their two children, is a frequent contributor to the Virgin Black Lace group author blog, Lust Bites. Last July, Madelynne partnered up with Portia Da Costa to host a Not Going to Nationals Cyber-Workshop on writing erotic scenes over at the Romance Divas forum (their members-only thread can be found here). This year Madelynne, travelling with authors Portia Da Costa/Wendy Wooton and Saskia Walker, is going to make her FIRST visit to this side of the pond to attend RWA Nationals in San Francisco! So if you’re also going, make sure to hunt her down. And for duckies sake— will you please take them under your wing and make sure they get to see more of the U.S. than the inside of the hotel?!

CONTEST:  Madelynne will be sending some Lucky Duckie a SIGNED copy of A Gentleman’s Wager AND Phantasmagoria! Winner will be chosen from comments on this post or on my review of Phantasmagoria over here. Keep in mind that these are erotic historical romances containing m/m, m/f/m, m/m/f, and m/f scenes. Each book also contains a brief f/f scene. So, if that doesn’t float your boat, or you are under 18, feel free to leave a comment or question for Madelynne, but please indicate you don’t want to be entered in the drawing.

Pamela Clare joins us today for some Q’s and A’s. Read on to learn more about this accomplished, award-winning author and journalist. Don’t forget to catch her newest romantic suspense release, Unlawful Contact (Berkley, 1 Apr 08).

TGTBTU: Pamela, tell us a little about your first book sale. How long did it take you to crack the industry?

Pamela Clare: My first sale was Sweet Release, a historical and the first book I wrote. It took me seven years to write the book because I had little kids at the time and was working my way up the newsroom ladder. But once it was written, I had an agent within a few months and, after a round of revisions, had a sale in nine. It seemed so easy. Beginner’s luck, I guess. I had written three historicals before I started my first romantic suspense. Writing RS was my agent’s idea. She and I were catching up on the latest, and I mentioned the fact that I’d gotten another threat at work. She said, “Why don’t you write romantic suspense, because you live it.” And I said, “Yeah, except for the ‘romantic’ part.”

TGTBTU: What other genres do want to write in?

PC: I’d like to try my hand a straight historical fiction one day, as well as erotic romance. I have an erotic romance under way that I’ll finish as soon as I get some time.

TGTBTU: How hard is it to write in a male voice? Do you have anything special you need to do to “get in the head” of your male characters, or any of your characters? How hard is it to “switch heads” when you are writing, anyway?

PC: I love writing in the male voice. Men are more action oriented. They want to respond by doing something. It’s not that they’re not emotional, it’s just that everything is more direct. I often find the hero’s passages easier to write than the heroine’s. Provided I’ve done the work I need to do with regard to characterization, switching heads is really easy for me. I have a kind of internal running inventory of where my characters are emotionally, so I just pick one up and put the other one down. Every once in a while, I’ll have a scene where I can’t decide whether to make it from the hero’s point of view or the heroine’s. Then I try to decide who has the most at risk in that scene and usually go with that person because the emotions tend to be higher. I’m an emotion junkie.

TGTBTU: Are you an obssessive outliner, or do you just sit down and wing it when you write? Tell us a little about your process.

PC: For me it starts and ends with characterization. I generally have some idea of what happens in the story. Publishers require a synopsis, so I always write one. But that’s the first work of fiction because I rarely even look at it. I know the general theme and action of the story, the events around which the story evolves — for example, my hero takes the heroine hostage to break out of prison because he knows someone is after his sister — and into that story I place my characters. They feel like real people to me, so I let them loose and take notes. If I really feel them, they do all the plotting work for me because, just like real people, they respond uniquely to whatever is going on around them.

TGTBTU: What is sure to distract you from sitting down and writing, no matter how determined you might be?

PC: Phone calls from well-meaning friends and family who say, “How’s the writing going?” Grocery shopping, paying bills, head-of-household obligations. Rarely does the newspaper interrupt my writing, because everyone there knows better than to call unless it’s a bona fide “holy hell!” emergency. They’re very respectful of my time.

TGTBTU: What other art forms do you enjoy, either as a hobby, collecting, or visiting (museums or performances) – painting, music, photography, etc.?

PC: I love, love, love to paint and draw. I was in Fine Arts in college for a time and got most of a master’s in Fine Arts History. I love listening to music (Celtic, rock, hip hop, blues, classical, etc.). I love concerts, museums, galleries, historical documentaries. Given that I’m also an adrenaline junkie — I blame 15 years of being an investigative reporter — I do crazy stuff sometimes for fun. Like go with one of my journalist friends to a part of Denver where we simply do not belong to hang out in bars or walk the streets. I’ve been the only woman in a bar before. It gets your adrenaline hopping. I don’t know if you can call that a hobby, but it used to be a regular pastime. Also, I quilt. Or I used to before I had deadlines. And I love my rose garden. I have a massive flower garden. My son helps with the garden so that I can write and just come out when I have time to sniff and putter. And when we have time we hike in the mountains, which are 15 minutes from my front door.

TGTBTU: What is your next project? Is it also romantic suspense and will we see the I-Team again?

PC: As soon as I finish Untamed, the sequel to Surrender, my 2006 historical that was a RITA finalist, I’m starting Naked Edge, the next I-Team book. It tells Kat’s story and that of Gabe Rossiter, a mountain park’s ranger. It’s going to focus on contemporary urban Indian issues, something I know quite a bit about from my work at the paper.

TGTBTU: Do you have any charity or pet project you want to call some attention to?

PC: In honor of Unlawful Contact, which is dedicated to a baby who was stillborn as a result of neglect her mother suffered at the hands of prison guards, I guess I’ll mention CCJRC — Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition. They work to ensure that prison inmates receive humane treatment and they accomplish a lot. Although they focus on Colorado, they’ve been a resource to lots of people outside Colorado as well. You can find them online at http://www.ccjrc.org/ .

TGTBTU: Okay, now for the lightning round…

Mustard or mayo? Totally mayo.

Heels or flats? Flats! I’m 5-10.

Pants or skirts? Skirts. Who wants to dress like a boy?

Crunchy or smooth? Depends on my mood.

Chocolate or vanilla ice cream? Only vanilla please. Chocolate is too sacred for ice cream.

Dark or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate, Marabou Mælkchokolade if I can find it.

John Mayer or Mozart? Who can resist Wolfgang? Mozart all the way.

Morning person or night owl? Night owl.

TGTBTU: Thanks Pamela!

PC: Thank you! It’s been fun!

Hi folks – Gwen here.  Here’s how a recent IM conversation went between Sybil and myself:

• Gwen: Ooo.  Noelle Mack.  She did Sexy Beast and Perfect Kisses.  All those pretty Aphrodisia covers.
• Sybil:  Derr.  Plus.  Wolves.  Purple cover.  Hello?  How can I NOT post this!
• Gwen:  <–doesn’t care – Pretty mantitty.
• Sybil:  GWEN!  [Ed.:she's snapping her fingers at me at this point, I'm sure] WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!  Paranormal.  Erotica.  Your thing! Plus she’s letting us give away books to our readers!
• Gwen: <–fondle fondle – Pretty covers!

And that about sums up Sybil’s and my relationship.  She (pusher) keeps me supplied in pretty mantitty, which I (addict) fondle and stroke, and for which I format posts (pimpage).  Hey.  It works.

On that note, Noelle Mack, author of the recently released Wild (Pack of St.James, Book 1), is interviewed by our push…  uh… by Sybil:

First.  THE burning question that must be answered… WHERE is your website?  And why don’t you have one?

A. Three reasons: Am chicken. Was crazy-busy. Not a delegator. I was so immersed in writing a bunch of books in only two years (six single titles for Aphrodisia, five novellas for Aphrodisia and Brava, and now this new trilogy for Brava) that I never got around to it. And I have a pretty demanding job that I love and a long commute both ways. So, yes, I should have hired someone to do it for me, but I didn’t, operating under the irrational assumption that some fine day I would learn how to create a website myself and also learn to knit and rockclimb and calm down. Ha ha. Calming down would be the hardest thing on that list for me. Anyway, look for www.noellemack.info in August 2008. Or before.

How is this new trilogy for Brava different from your Aphrodisia titles?

Aphrodisias are much more focused on the sexual relationship, although there are plenty of Bravas just about that hot now. With THE PACK OF ST. JAMES, I loved the chance to develop a really interesting backstory and strong secondary characters and a much more involved plot. It was all great, but a lot more work. Writing a trilogy was something I had never done. You have to think forwards, backwards, and stay in the moment all at the same time.

Now it is only fair since this is your first interview.  I ask you a question I have never asked another author before.  I know… I promised I would go easy on you, this being your first time and all.  But, to mark the moment, and so I can be THE first of many, many, MANY interviewers to ask you, can you please share with us…  Where do you get your ideas?

I read a lot or listen to audiobooks and go through newspapers and obscure magazines on history and archeology and whatnot. And I’m a huge fan of imaginative literature in general. Elements in the PSJ novels were drawn from history and even turn-of-the-century book illustration. As far as the Roemi warrior ancestors of the Pack of St James, they were inspired by Kay Nielsen illustrations from a book of folktales that’s almost a hundred years old, EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON—I treasure my copy. One, The North Wind Went Over The Sea, was the model for the fierce, beautiful, nearly naked Roemi warrior that Vivienne sees in the magical book Kyril gives her. Later in the story, her sister looks at a romantic picture in it: that was based on Then He Took Her Home. Both the original illustrations can be seen at here.

I made up the name Roemi, though. It sounded vaguely Finnish-Russian-Laplander-y, but as far as I know it has no meaning. The name of the Pack’s nemesis, Volkodav, does mean something in Russian: literally, wolf killer. No, I don’t speak Russian and I’m not of Russian descent. I read it somewhere in an article about wolves returning to modern-day Russia.

Kay Nielsen’s incredibly beautiful work fell out of favor after the 1920s. He was Swedish, and I was fascinated to find out that he had started in theater design—his illustrations are haunting and elegant (and The North Wind Went Over The Sea is also erotic!) I have a background in theater, costume, and set design, so no wonder I was wowed by them. He did come to America and worked for Disney: he was the designer/illustrator of the “Night On Bald Mountain” sequence in FANTASIA.

Other things: the British Society of Merchant-Adventurers was real, and they began trading with the Russian empire in the 1600s, sailing through the Baltic and back, with a base in Archangel. I used really old maps to help create the scenes on London’s docks and by the banks of the Thames. Timber, etc., from Russia was unloaded on the south side. Some place names survive to the present day, some don’t. And ropemaker buildings–the book’s dramatic climax takes place in an imaginary one–were unique structures, extremely long because a ship’s massive ropes were hundreds of feet long and had to be severely twisted and tested. The setting was an ideal way to ensnare an evil villain!

Interesting. So what do you do for a living, when not ensnaring villains?

I work for a media company as a designer. Zippppppp—the sound of me not saying more. My nine-to-five and my fantasy life (meaning the books I write) are not something I mix.

Tell us something nifty?

I love what I do. My significant other - male - wishes I wouldn’t read so much, I guess. Significant kitties - both female - like to sleep on warm manuscripts hot out of the printer. I could take some lessons from them in calming down.

Thank you Noelle!  That was fun and we shall do it again soon!

NOW, dear readers!  Who wants to win something? 

Comment here by midnight US Central (according to the blog timestamp) tomorrow night, Friday 29 Feb 08, with the name of your favorite Aphrodisia or Brava title/author and you could win one of twenty-five — that’s right, 25! — copies of Wild (Pack of St. James, Book 1) by Noelle Mack.  Check with us late Saturday for the winners’ names.  

Only one prize per IP address (no socks please), and you must comment with a book and author name to qualify.

Enjoy and good luck!

Nora Roberts pulled up a comfy chair, a cuppa tea, and answered a few questions for TGTBTU’s readers…

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

Nora Roberts: “Where do you get your ideas?” I HATE this question, because how do I know? It’s not like I go out, pluck them off the Idea Bush or pick up a few at the Idea Store. Ideas are the easy part anyway. It’s turning the idea into an entertaining story that involves the sweaty work. Ideas, mostly, are a dime a dozen. At your neighborhood Idea Store.

When it comes to writing, there seems to be three rules of thought (although I am all for hearing more). Well, really I just see these over and over when people answer the ever-popular “where do you get your ideas” question. Which is your poison?

1. The Muse – you know the creative force that inspires you to write or Sharon Stone.

2. The Voices in the Head – I like to think of this as the ‘The Sybil.’

3. The Profession – it is a job, sit your ass in the chair and type, and try not to make authors look flaky(er) than we are, damn it.

NR: Door Number Three. Nothing against The Muse (or Sharon Stone) but I don’t have the time or the patience to sit around waiting for her to show up. Talk about a flake. Give me Sister Mary Responsibility. She’d kick Muse butt. Writing’s my job, so I write. Writing’s also, to me, the best job in the world, so how lucky am I? I sit my ass in the chair and do my job–and love doing it. I do, however, appreciate the Voices In My Head. They make the job interesting. But they aren’t real people. Real to me during the process of telling their story–otherwise, what’s the point? Real, I hope, to the reader during the read of the story. Not actual, if you get me, but real enough to matter–real enough to make me care, and in turn–hopefully–to make the reader care.

Can a person ‘learn’ to write? Is it a talent you have to be born with?

NR: I think anyone can learn the nuts and bolts–the structure, the grammar. And perhaps with that knowledge could produce a good, readable book. But the talent adds the magic. To tell entertaining stories consistently takes that knowledge, that talent, discipline, drive and desire. But I also believe talent can be built, developed, honed with those three D’s and with experience. I think the best learning tool is reading, reading, reading.

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? Do your characters surprise you sometimes?

NR: If the characters don’t surprise me, I’m not doing my job. They haven’t become real to me, real enough for me to trust them drive the story. Since my stories are character-driven, I have to know the characters, trust them and care passionately about them. I’m telling the story–I’m in charge. But the story is theirs. There has to be a great deal of affection and respect on my end, and part of that is being open to new directions or surprises.

Do you ever argue with your characters while you’re writing? (Figuratively speaking, of course – and we won’t call the men in white jackets if you tell us it feels real.)

NR: I don’t think so. Hmmm. No, I can’t remember ever arguing with my characters. Feeling for them, being frustrated by them, or baffled by them. But we work that out during the writing process. I don’t have actual conversations with them. They talk to each other.

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

NR: The damn, stupid phone. Or nuclear war.


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?

NR: I hope as I’ve grown or evolved as a writer, the characters–a key part of my work–have grown or evolved. In addition, I started out in the early 80′s in category Romance, so that was a different time, different framework and in some ways a different reader expectation than the work I do now. I like to think I’ll continue to grow and evolve as a writer, and my characters will do the same.

Is there a genre you haven’t tackled but would like to try? Or better yet, will you write another historical western? If anyone could bring it into vogue…

NR: If there was a genre I wanted to explore, I would. Why not? The fact is, Romance allows me to include elements from every other area of fiction. I love that. I can do mystery, thrillers, s/f, horror, paranormal and so on–as long as I wrap it around that core love story, and bring it home happily. If I had a great idea for another historical western, I’d write it. And name the heroine Sybil.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

NR: Appreciate the moments. Because–poof–they’re over. I wouldn’t advise myself to do anything differently, to change anything. Too Irish for that. If you change one thing, you change everything. I like the way things have turned out. So far.

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

NR: Selling small appliances at Target. If I were lucky. I would rather be a lounge singer, but I don’t think I have the chops. I can’t handle office work or politics, so no chance in business. Basically, I have no other talent.

And now the important ones (a.k.a. Gwen’s Lightning Round):

- dark or milk chocolate?

Milk. (Sorry, bland girl here)

- smooth or chunky peanut butter?

I hate peanut butter, so I don’t care!

- heels or flats?

Heels.

- coffee or tea?

Tea. But I’d rather have a Diet Pepsi.

- summer or winter?

Summer. Winter’s damn cold.

- mountains or beach?

Live in the mountains (and I do), vacation at the beach.

- mustard or mayonnaise?

Bleech. (Told you, bland girl)

- flowers or candy?

Flowers.

- pockets or purse?

I need both. I have much to carry.

Thanks, Nora! Now, readers, what questions do you have for La Nora? (Gwen’s a little giddy that Nora’s here with us today, so try to squeeze one in edgewise when she’s around.)

It is to be noted Nora will be out today on very important business ::coughshoppingcough::. But she will check in when she returns to start answering questions. I prolly should have checked what time zone she is in…

We will be drawing three random winners from the comments to win a signed copy of Blood Brothers.contest closed

Our guest author, Madeline Hunter, answers her top five most asked questions… 

Will you ever write more medieval romances?
It is hard for me to answer this question when I am involved in writing a book. I am totally involved in that world then and even thinking about another world is impossible. However, I will most likely return to the middle ages at some point in the future. It may not be a conventional romance, but possibly something more mainstream.

Does your personal life influence your characters and stories?

Yes and no. No in that none of my characters are based on people I know, or me. Yes because I am in every character to some extent, even the villains. And yes because while I do not base events on my private life, my experiences influence how I view certain things and even some choices. Often this is subconscious and I only realize it after the book is finished. For example, in By Design, I had a teenaged boy as a character. I think some medical issues with my own son at the time influenced me there.

What is the inspiration for your stories?

There isn’t really a set pattern. I have had books that began with one image. I have had others that began with the first scene. In these latter cases, a first scene or chapter comes to me, fully developed and formed,. It almost pops onto the computer screen. Then I have to come up with a story to fit that scene. Finally, many of my books begin with a character. The character is very vivid to me as a presence, and the story evolves from that personality.

How long did it take you to get an agent? To sell you first book?

The agent was found pretty quickly, so I just assumed the rest would follow quickly. It didn’t. I had six manuscripts written before I had my first sale.

Is all the research that you do really time-consuming? How do you research?

It is very time-consuming when I move to a new time period, then a bit less so for each book in that time period, then a bit less so for each book in a series. Research is cumulative, so early research is still available for later books. I have given workshops on research and it is hard to answer the “how?” in a brief posting. However, my quick advice is never to rely too completely on the web, to find a good library with interlibrary loan, and to read the footnotes in historical books because the exceptions and really interesting tidbits can often be found in them.

Now it is your turn! Have any questions for Madeline Hunter?

Yeah… she sort of answered the medieval one… sort of

Have any others? Go for it, she will be around today to try and answer them.

If His Kiss Is Wicked by Jo Goodman
We shall talk more about If His Kiss Is Wicked cuz I lurved it. And I can see many a person holding it to their heart too, as well as many not liking it.

In fact I am thinking of doing some ‘discussion’ type posts for a few books but I digress …

This post is to say Mz Goodman, of the really slow internets, is being kind enough to subject her person to another interview with us. As with all Q&A’s it will be open for comments and questions but Jo Goodman is one of the last few people (along with my parents) who still have dial up at home.

So I thought why not ask you first what you would like to know? And include it in the batch of questions I send over to her. Heck I have a few interviews coming up I may ask you to jump in with some Q’s.

You are welcome to post your questions here or email me at redwyne @ redwyne . com (no spaces). Do keep in mind I may not use all questions and can’t say if I do they will be answered.

previous guest day can be found here…

Tell me what to expect from Shomi in three words…

Ground-breaking. Riveting. Romance.

I see SHOMI books as romance at the cutting edge, romance with unique and previously unexplored elements. I know, I know, that’s more than three words, but how to contain my excitement about this line within the boundaries of limited space, LOL!?

What attracted you to the line… 

I wrote DRIVEN before I ever heard about SHOMI. This was the story that allowed me to explore character development and growth in a frozen wasteland, an environment so barren and sterile that it was an enormous contrast to human emotion. I knew when I wrote it that the book might have trouble finding a home because it was so different than my other work, but I was driven to write it nonetheless. (By the way, that’s how I came up with the title. Not only did it suit the story, but it suited the process that was involved in the writing of it.)

When I gave this manuscript to my amazing agent, she was determined to find the right placement for it. She was the one who found the editor this story needed to have, the editor whose enthusiasm for this book matched my own. And it was my brilliant editor who recognized that DRIVEN was meant to be a SHOMI book. When she told me about the line, the vision for it, the idea of edgy romance where anything is possible, my heart started to pound. This was it. This was DRIVEN‘s home.

Is your story a Romance? Where are you on the ever popular HEA debate?

Yes, my story is a romance, and a kick-butt, action-adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, futuristic, alternate-reality tale. But it is a romance. I started reading romance novels when I was a teen, and those books, complete with the HEA, have helped me through the black moments of my life. I love reading romance. I love writing romance. And I love the HEA. Right now, I have no desire to write endings any other way.

What is a Kick Ass Heroine?

A kick-butt heroine is one who can handle absolutely anything. Not that it’s easy for her… but she’ll find a way to handle it. Her physical strength and ability to take care of herself is only part of the package, though. She has incredible mental acuity and strength of character; these traits allow her to face the most insurmountable obstacles. And she has failings, human weaknesses and hidden frailties that make her all the more appealing. Raina Bowen, the heroine of DRIVEN, has her share of failings, and that’s why I like her so much, respect her, enjoyed every moment of getting to know her.
What’s up next for you? And why will I want it NOW!

In addition to Eve Kenin’s DRIVEN, due on shelves September 2007, I have two other books coming out in the summer/fall, written as my alter ego, Eve Silver.

First up is DARK PRINCE, a brooding, historical gothic tale set on Cornwall’s coast, coming August 2007. Then in October 2007, my first dark, sexy paranormal, DEMON’S KISS will hit shelves. Check out excerpts of all my books at http://www.evekenin.com or http://www.evesilver.net

I’m hard at work on my next Eve Kenin book for Shomi, as well as another Eve Silver gothic, and book two of my demon series.

In case you haven’t noticed… JR Ward has started to answer some of the questions in her Q&A post… 

Wonders of wonders, she is really answering some of them! So go look, unless you hate spoilerish stuff. Then don’t go.

ETS: JR Ward is also on Romantic Times in their Ask the Author feature. Go check it out if you haven’t.

Really.

No going and then whining about the spoilers cuz I would have to beat you.

I am going to add links to reviews as I see them… I will mark with spoilers IF I KNOW they are there. I willl not be able to read them all first. I will be updating this all day. Fill free to post a note if you have one up!

soooo enter at your own risk:

Bam takes on Lover Revealed

Janine takes on Lover Revealed

Cindy takes on Lover Revealed

Tara Marie takes on Lover Revealed

Angie takes on Lover Revealed

Rosario takes on Lover Revealed

Paperback Reader takes on Lover Revealed

Arielle guest reviews on rosario’s blog and takes on Lover Revealed

Devon takes on Lover Revealed

Nath and Ames take on Lover Revealed

[click the question to see answer]

First up the easy question, what is your current release?

My current release is ASK FOR IT, a Brava historical. There are a lot of reasons why it means a lot to me, not the least of which is that it’s the first book I ever wrote.  It was written long before BAD BOYS AHOY!, which some readers find interesting. They assume books are released in the order they’re written, but that’s rarely the case. It was my first contest winner and won multiple times. It was the first book to garner requests for more from agents and it was the book that landed me my first agent. It’s been the #4 Highest Rated book overall on Fictionwise for a few weeks now, and has been awarded a few Reviewers’ Choice awards.

Summary, excerpt, reviews and book trailer

In November, I have two trade paperback releases of my EC e-books (This will take all of my EC titles into print, which is nice for my readers who only like that format) — WHITE HOT HOLIDAYS (VOL. II) which features my holiday story “Wish List”, and DECLASSIFIED: DARK KISSES which is a single-author anthology featuring MISLED and KISS OF THE NIGHT.

What do you think Avon Red has to offer readers that is different from the other erotic romance prints?

I think their decision to stay with one release a month is an excellent one. The market is flooded with erotic works. The tide will turn faster because of this, and then readers will be clamoring for ‘sweeter’ works. As I tell my husband, “Too much of anything is too much.” The smaller number of releases allows them to be more selective.I agree with Toni in that the levels of sexual explicitness are all across the board. For those of you who are familiar with my work, you may be surprised to hear that one of the PotN edits was a request to kick the sex up a notch. This surprised me, but I kept it in the same style and quantity I’ve always written.

Speaking of erotic romance, how do you define the difference between ‘erotic romance’ and ‘erotica’.

Erotica: stories written about the sexual journey of the characters and how this impacts them as individuals. Emotion and character growth are important facets of a true erotic story. However, erotica is NOT designed to show the development of a romantic relationship, although it’s not prohibited if the author chooses to explore romance. Happily Ever Afters are NOT an intrinsic part of erotica, though they can be included.Erotic Romance: stories written about the development of a romantic relationship through sexual interaction. The sex is an inherent part of the story, character growth, and relationship development, and couldn’t be removed without damaging the storyline. Happily Ever After is a REQUIREMENT to be an erotic romance.

Sexy Romance: stories written about the development of a romantic relationship that just happen to have more explicit sex. The sex is not an inherent part of the story, character growth, or relationship development, and it could easily be toned down without damaging the storyline. Happily Ever After is a given as this is basically a standard romance with hotter sex.

Do people know you write erotic romance? If your friends and family do know, how has their reaction been?

Yes, everyone knows what I write. I’m very clear on that point so I don’t shock anyone. My mom loves my books (of course!). My SIL, on the other hand, was shocked, but still liked them. Both women have done a great job of promoting my books to their friends and family, which I appreciate immensely. Word of mouth is so important, and they’ve done a great job of building that amongst their circle of associates.

As a writer do you have any ‘do not cross’ lines or do you go wherever the story takes you? Have you looked back on something you wrote and been surprised you came up with it. Wanna share what it was *g*.

I’m a vanilla sex writer. I use graphic verbiage, but the sex itself is your ‘standard’ sex. I’ve only used a sex toy once (“A Familiar Kind of Magic” in ALLURING TALES: AWAKEN THE FANTASY) and I’ve had one anal sex scene (MISLED).I’m happy with the “type” and “heat level” of the sex I write. I write at the limits of my comfort level. But yes, if a story started going into unchartered territory I would follow it, but I’ve no plans to deliberately set out to write anything beyond vanilla sex.

Not that I have anything against those storylines that do. As a reader, I enjoy them. As a writer, I prefer to write m/f sweaty, gritty, no-toys-involved sex done in ‘standard’ sexual positions.

The anal scene in MISLED still makes me blush.

What is up next? We are book whores, give us names dates and summaries!

I have LOTS coming up, thanks to my wonderful editors who schedule me in their line-ups fairly often (and buy lots of books!) The following are the trade paperback books that I’m presently contracted for:2006
DECLASSIFIED: DARK KISSES – Ellora’s Cave – 11/06
“Wish List” in WHITE HOT HOLIDAYS antho- Ellora’s Cave 11/06

2007
THE STRANGER I MARRIED – Kensington Brava – 01/07 (Dec. 25 release)
“A Familiar Kind of Magic” in ALLURING TALES: AWAKEN THE FANTASY – Avon Red – 3/07
PLEASURES OF THE NIGHT – Avon Red – 5/07
PASSION FOR THE GAME – Brava – 6/07
PERFECT KISSES (anthology with NY Times bestseller Susan Johnson and Aphrodisia author Noelle Mack) – Brava – 7/07
TBD – Brava – 11/07
Book II of the Dream Guardians series – Avon Red – 12/07

2008
One more single title with Brava
three single titles with Zebra – a new futuristic mass market series

I’ve also got another story contracted with Avon, but I’m not sure when it will be released.

[note: beta blogger is being goofy if you have issues posting use the option 'other' and type in your name... if you use anon, make sure you type your name in the post]

An interview with Black Dagger Brotherhood author, J.R. Ward… 

We will start easy, tells us about Lover Awakened. (for the five people who don’t know, this comes out today)

First, thanks for having me! LOVER AWAKENED is Zsadist’s book. Out of all the Brotherhood, Z is my favorite… (I’m also a huge V and Rehvenge and Qhuinn fan but who’s counting).Z is probably the most dangerous of the Brothers. He’s the one who, in the words of his twin, is ruined, not broken.

Held as a blood slave for a century, he was horribly abused and emerged violent, unpredictable and essentially soulless. The book is about him and his mate, Bella, a beautiful aristocrat, and the love they find together.

Out of the four books you have completed, what has surprised you the most?

When I started to write the series, I kind of expected each book to feel the same. I mean… in terms of tone. But they’re not.

To me, DARK LOVER reads differently than LOVER ETERNAL and LOVER AWAKENED and LOVER REVEALED. I suppose it does make sense as whichever Brother is on deck sets the beat of the book and as they are different, and their conflicts are different, the stories vary accordingly. But that was a surprise. I will say that LA is the darkest of the series so far- and originally, I didn’t think anything else would come close. Instead, Vishous’s book, LOVER UNBOUND, is also a dark one. Rehv’s and Qhuinn’s will be likewise

Do you think we can ever have too many vampire or paranormal books? What do you think of the explosion of the genre?

I think that straight contemporary romance is very hard to write in a fresh manner (there are undoubtedly some who do it but I think it’s hard!) At this time, in modern society, there are very few external restrictions to romance. I mean, consider the strictures of historicals for example where social rules and values prevented free sexual expression. A lot of these barriers to love no longer exist: pre-marital sex is not the no-go it once was, for example, so if you have it, you’re reputation isn’t completely ruined and you don’t end up banished to the wrong side of the tracks.

What I love about paranormals, and why I think they are so popular, is that you can bring contemporary speech and settings into an environment where external conflict can still be imposed. For example, in the Brotherhood world, males need to drink from females of their own species. So if a male, such as Rhage, falls in love with a human, his physical need for the blood of another is a conflict that is going to have be resolved somehow. And strong conflict breeds strong emotion which can translate into a great read.

I think the popularity resides as well in the limitless world-building you can do. I mean, as long as the rules of the world are internally consistent and you write convincingly, there is almost nothing you can’t do or explore. So that’s why you see some really fresh, interesting takes on old myths as well as some wild, fantastic imaginary places.

I also think paranormals have gained momentum as all current fades do, creating their own kind of centrifugal force in the market place. The issue is always going to be quality, however. No matter how great a trend is, readers are not going to fooled by lackluster plotting or characters. So to answer your question: I think we can never have enough really good vampire or paranormal books. After all, it’s what we’re all looking for: a great read!

Do you ever wake up and go, I so don’t want to write about the brothers today. And want to write something else? These guys are set to be at least the next six years of your writing life? Will there be time for anything else? And if so… what?

LOL! I haven’t yet! It doesn’t mean that some days I don’t want to bury my head in the backyard (while it’s still attached.) But I really am captivated by these books. There are other things I want to write, however. I have another series that I’ve planned out, but I’m sitting on it right now- with the Brotherhood books coming out every six months, I need to be really focused on them. I don’t want to crack open another series unless I feel sure I can do both well.

Who is next? In fact can you give us a run down of the order of the series?

Okay, so after LOVER AWAKENED, it’s Butch’s turn. The cop’s book, LOVER REVEALED, comes out in March ’07 and it’s all finished. Vishous is up thereafter. I’ve just started V’s book, LOVER UNBOUND – I’m about 90 pages in so far. Then it’s Phury’s book.At first I thought the series was going to run a total of ten books. But as I’ve written it, more and more people have come forward. Now? It’s open ended. I mean… I HAVE to write Qhuinn’s book. Just have to.

If you’ve got any questions you want to ask, I’d be happy to try and answer them!

Five Most Often Asked Questions 

[click the question to see answer]

1) How do your parents feel about your writing steamy romances?

I get asked this when people find out that my parents areSouthern Baptist missionaries. And the answer is, they’re fine with it.

Really.

They just don’t read them. Too much sex and cussing, you know. *G*

But otherwise, they’re proud as punch. Sort of.

2) Are you planning to stick with historicals?

As far as I know. I suppose I might wake up tomorrow with a burning urge to write a Sex Goddess Werewolf book, but until it happens, I’ll keep writing historicals.I grew up devouring Barbara Cartlands (my mom disapproved, but she let me read them, thank God) and my favorite authors are mostly Regency historical writers, so I really do love the period. I know some readers are sick of it, but I never get tired of it.

Then again, I eat the same cereal every day for breakfast, too.

3) Is the historical dead?

Not for me.

And obviously not for readers of Lisa Kleypas or Julia Quinn or Madeline Hunter or Mary Balogh or Jo Beverley . . . I’m just saying, there’s a lot of authors still selling out there.

But then I’m not very good with predicting trends–I wrote paranormal contemporary romantic
suspense when you couldn’t sell one to save your life (as Deborah Nicholas), so I sure hope somebody taps me on the shoulder and lets me know before all the readers leave the room and turn out the lights.

I’m really not keen on standing alone in the dark, dreaming up stories nobody cares about.

4) Will the Scottish Scourge (from Never Seduce a Scoundrel) get a book?

Yes. I’m writing it now. It’s set in Scotland, and that’s all I can say or I’ll have to kill you. But not before you give me a spiffy title for the book. Sadly, it still has none.

5) Will Charlotte and Cousin Michael get a book?

Yes, assuming they don’t kill each other first. The letters between them that serve as epigrams for all the chapters of every book in this series (except the anthology) are getting downright testy. I’m going to have to slap them around a bit.

Your first book was published in 1984 and the zebra site says you have 18 historical romances, 3 short stories, and 1 novella. I so thought I counted more on your site.

In your over 20 years in publishing you have stayed with Zebra. That seems amazing, especially when you add in the fact you are still writing historicals. (THANK you)

What are your views on where romance is today? How is it different than when you started? Do you think the historical is dead?

Or did you get the memo *g* although I think they are now saying the historical is making a come back. At least that is some of the buzz from RWA. Can I get an oath in blood you won’t stop writing historicals or do a paranormal?

please *g*

{Jo Goodman} I don’t have any plans to stop writing historicals. I still write for myself. I’m pretty sure I would write even if I didn’t have a contract – although I hope you understand I don’t want to put that to the test.

I haven’t given much thought to where romance is today. I assume you’re talking about romance publishing. It’s not much of a consideration for me. Wait, it’s not a consideration at all. I’m guessing that’s a good and bad thing.

I’m not particularly aware of trends which I suppose works for and against me. Probably the only area outside of traditional historicals that interests me is time travel, but if I did something like that it would be as much about the “science” as it would be about the romance. I’d probably veer more toward sci-fi. I wrote a contemporary a few years back that’s fairly different from my historicals. We’ll see.

I don’t know enough to say whether the historical is dead. It seems to have a loyal base.

What do you think of the ‘hot’ trends right now with paranormals and erotic romance?

{Jo Goodman} Trends? What trends? Oh, wait, I see vampires everywhere. I don’t get it, but I’m obviously in the minority.

I generally skip the ‘usual’ question that have been answered in 20 different interviews but since I can’t find any interviews with you….

What do you enjoy reading?

What is the last book you finished? Or do you even have time to crack open a book?

What one book of yours would you want everyone to read?

{Jo Goodman} I just want everyone to read one of my books. That’d be nice.

I’m going to fudge this answer and say the Compass Club series. That’s because it was such hard work because of the intertwining story lines. Sometimes I imagine pulling the 4 stories together into one massive book.

Do you have a book you wish you hadn’t written or would change if you had the chance?

What advice would you give to a newbie writer?

What’s next?