A STAR-CROSSED VISIT!

by Anna Campbell

It's my great pleasure today to introduce a fresh face to the lair, wonderful Avon historical romance author Jenny Brown!

Jenny's debut LORD LIGHTNING garnered glowing reviews and a lot of buzz in Romancelandia, including two Romantic Times Book Reviews Reviewers Choice Award nominations. Her second book in the Lords of the Seventh House series, STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION comes out 30th August. Rush to pre-order it!

Here's the blurb for STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION:

Lovers or Enemies?

Captain Miles Trevelyan, on leave from active service in India, is heading out for a night on the town when he rescues a beautiful pickpocket from arrest. She's the perfect choice for a few days of dalliance--beautiful, cunning, and completely disposable.

But Temperance has no intention of becoming the plaything of a man who wears the uniform of the solders who murdered her lover. Disarming Trev with a kiss, she escapes. But her sultry kiss opens the two Scorpio adversaries to an obsessive attraction that neither can elude--or possibly survive.

You can find out more about Jenny and her books (and see astrological charts for her characters!) on her website: www.jennybrown.net

You can find a brand-new excerpt from STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION here: www.jennybrown.net/home/SCSexcerpt.php

Welcome, Jenny. It's great to have you in the lair at last - I feel like I've been waiting forever to talk to you here about your wonderful stories. STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION is the second in your Lords of the Seventh House series which started with the fabulously well-received LORD LIGHTNING. Can you tell us about this new story and the inspiration behind it?

When I sold LORD LIGHTNING, my editor wanted it to be the first in a series where the hero’s astrological sign would play a part in the story.

Scorpio was the obvious sign to do next. No other sign screams sensual, emotionally moving romance like Scorpio.

But Scorpio has a very mixed reputation. Sexy, yes. But also manipulative, secretive, resentful and transgressive. Scorpios aren’t so much into sex as a recreational activity as they are into sex as a way to control other people. What turns them on is emotion, not sensation. If giving you multiple orgasms will bind you to them for life, they’ll do it. If withholding sex will work better—that works for them, too.

So how was I to make my hero heroic?


The answer lay in exploring the gift Scorpio may confer: intense loyalty, deep psychological insight, and the ability to heal the most painful psychological injuries.

When a Scorpio gives his heart, his loyalty to his loved one will motivate him do whatever is necessary to protect that person, even to sacrificing their lives.

This pointed me to my hero: A dedicated soldier descended from a line of soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for King and Country. And since astrologers know that Scorpios often do best when paired with others of their sign, I made my hero and heroine both sexually alluring, magnetic Scorpios, each of whose lives is dominated by loyalties that have given them secrets they have no choice but to keep hidden.

Captain Miles Trevelyan is on leave from active service in India and looking for nothing more than an evening’s pleasure when circumstances force him, much against his better judgement, to step in and rescue a beautiful pickpocket from a well-deserved arrest. Once in his custody, the streetwise Temperance, who has learned how to use her sexual allure to gain control over men, distracts him with a seductive kiss, intending to make her escape by diverting the handsome captain’s blood away from his brain to a less observant organ.

But their kiss opens them both to feelings they’ve never before experienced and Temperance finds herself unable to break free, even though the man who has aroused such passion in her wears the same uniform as the officer who killed her ex-lover, a failed revolutionary. Drawn into a battle of the sexes where each pits their seductive skills against the other, Trev learns he has finally met the one woman strong enough to meet him where others fear to tread. But he faces a devastating choice. Will he remain true to King and Country, or give up everything to save the strong and vulnerable girl who’s won his heart?

Ooh, sounds delicious! You use astrology as a major theme in your historical romances. How did you become interested in this ancient art?

I don’t actually remember when I discovered astrology, but I know it was before I was nine as I was recently going through some family papers and found a cartoon I’d drawn in a letter I sent home from camp at that age which showed a wizard pointing to an accurately drawn astrological chart. My fuzzy memory is that I first encountered astrology in a newsstand magazine, possibly DELL HOROSCOPE.

When I was in my 20s someone taught me how to cast charts (this was before software made it easy.) So I began to draw charts for everyone I met, and learned more about how to interpret them from books and classes.

What’s next for you?

My next book is the Pisces book in the series. It’s tentatively titled PERILOUS PLEASURES.

While the first two books of the series, LORD LIGHTNING and STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION are connected to each other, this third book goes off in another direction. Set in 1803, it pairs a handsome, wealthy, idealistic Scottish lord, who has taken a vow of chastity in order to be initiated into the secrets of an ancient healing tradition, with the ugly, cynical daughter of the courtesan he must kill if he is to avenge his sister’s murder.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I have such a strong streak of Sagittarius on my own chart that there’s nothing I’d rather do than give advice.

What I’d suggest—which is the best advice I received from another, brilliant writer, and of course, ignored—is that aspiring writers finish at least five books before they seek publication. There as so many benefits of doing this. The most important is that your first book is never as good as you think it is, and writing more will give you either the experience you need to make the first book better or provide you with a much better book—one that might let you break in with a big advance and strong publisher support. The other benefit of writing a lot of books before you publish is that with a stash of books to draw on, you can deliver subsequent books more quickly, which will also help you build up your audience.

Unfortunately, like Temperance, the impulsive heroine of STAR CROSSED SEDUCTION, who ignores the warning Eliza, the astrologer we first met in LORD LIGHTNING, gives her, most of us ignore all the advice we’re given no matter how good it might be.

Jenny, that's all fascinating! Thanks for being our guest today. Do you have a question to get the conversation going with our Banditas and Bandita Buddies?

What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you? Did you take it? What was the worst? I’ll be giving away a copy of LORD LIGHTNING to a randomly chosen commenter.

OK, people, let's all be STARS and comment to win this great prize. Good luck.

Note: Jenny will forward the prize once her book hits the stands on 30th August.Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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Super Celia Seaton!

by Anna Campbell

Miranda Neville is such a favorite in the lair, she hardly needs any introduction - but she'll punch me if I don't say something and while she punches like a girl, it's still not the best look for authors at their professional best (snork!).

Miranda is an international explorer and conservationist who has been known to give Bear Grylls tips. She can whip up a three-course cordon bleu meal from two cans of baked beans, a bottle of Coke and an onion. When she's not advising the CIA on their undercover missions or showing the Queen how to wave, she can be found rescuing puppies from fast-flowing streams and wrapping Christmas presents for local orphans.

If you want to discover more about the wonder that is Miranda, please visit her website: http://www.mirandaneville.com/


Miranda, as you know, I’ve been chomping at the bit to get my hands on THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON. THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT was one of my top handful of reads last year and I feel like it’s been a long while between drinks (impatience is my middle name). Can you tell us about this story?

May I mention how much I love you, Anna? (And thanks for inviting me to schmooze with the Banditas: it’s always a blast).

If you’ve been following the Burgundy Club series, you will have met Tarquin Compton, the snooty dandy. Among the victims of his biting tongue is Celia Seaton, whose suitor was scared off when Tarquin compared her to a cauliflower. After the unfortunate vegetable incident, Celia went through hard times, culminating in the loss of her job as a governess. Then she’s kidnapped, robbed and left in a cottage attic, stripped to her shift. Being an enterprising girl, like any good heroine, she manages to escape.

The door to the humble structure was blocked, by a body. The body of a man lying unconscious, wearing nothing but breeches and a pair of riding boots. It had been some years since Celia had seen the bare torso of a grown man, and never a white man. He was pale, as befit a man who was always dressed up to his neck, but the smattering of dark hair, covering the chest and descending in a vee over his flat stomach, didn’t disguise the fact that the skin covered well-formed muscles. This interesting masculine form distracted her only a few seconds from the astonishing fact that she knew him.


And although he was one of several men who had bedeviled her life, she did not actually wish him dead.

Kneeling on the ground she set her fingers to his temple and found a pulse. “Mr. Compton,” she said. “Mr. Compton, wake up. Are you well?”

Nothing. She rested her head on his chest. Judging by the strength of his heartbeat, Mr. Tarquin Compton would live to cause further distress to awkward arrivals on the London marriage mart. She supposed she’d better try to revive him. And much as she detested the creature, she was curious to discover why the ton’s most fashionable gentleman lay half-naked next to a deserted Yorkshire cottage.

So what is Tarquin doing half-naked in the middle of nowhere? He certainly doesn’t know, because he’s suffering from amnesia. So Celia decides to go for a little payback by claiming that he is her fiancé, glorying in the name of Terence Fish. Together they set off across the moors, pursued by desperate villains.

Terence Fish!!!! I laughed out loud when I read that. You specialize in delicious different heroes. Sebastian in THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT was, shock, horror, a male virgin. And now we have an even rarer bird in Romancelandia, a dandy in the acid-tongued Tarquin Compton. Did you have any difficulties turning a dandy into a hero? What lessons has Tarquin learned by the end of the book? Seriously, he’s so due for his comeuppance! What makes an unusual hero appeal to you?

Since a dandy is all about external appearances, I decided to strip Tarquin of his clothes and his memory so we could see the man underneath the façade. Turns out he’s brave, honorable, affectionate, sexy, and good at catching fish. And then he gets back his memory and reverts to his snooty ways. He has to reconcile his social exterior with the man he was as Terence Fish. And Celia, who hates Tarquin and adores Terence, has to fall in love with him all over again. By the end of the book he has examined what made him a dandy and is no longer wants to be the disdainful leader of the ton.

I’d really love to write an uber-alpha rakish nobleman with an angsty past – I love to read about them – but somehow my heroes don’t turn out that way. Perhaps it’s because when I write I’m always looking for the unusual twist and it takes my characters into unexpected places. I also like to write about very strong, very smart heroines, who don’t take any crap from their men.

What’s next for you? More wonderful Burgundy Club books?

Minerva Montrose, Diana’s little sister from THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT, was a reader favorite. Her book, CONFESSIONS FROM AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE, will be out in April 2012. Minerva is very smart, very ambitious, and wants to marry an up-and-coming politician whom she can push up the greasy pole to be Prime Minister. Suffice to say, the best laid plans always go wrong.


Ooh, yum! Can't wait. Minerva was one of my favorite characters in THE DANGEROUS VISCOUNT. I always ask you about interesting tidbits of research that turned up when you’re working on your books. Did anything unusual take your fancy when you were researching THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON? Did I see a mention of an erotic manuscript on your website?

Celia’s “amorous education” comes from a bawdy novel (and from Tarquin, of course). I used a real 1796 book that I read in the British Library. Here’s a snippet from where Minerva (remember Minerva? She reappears in THE AMOROUS EDUCATION) has discovered Celia reading the book.

Minerva slid down from the bed, carried The Genuine Amours off in triumph to the far side of the room and settled on the stool next to her dressing table. Celia waited in dread as the girl opened the book to the bookmark and began to read aloud.

"A man who seeks pleasure in casual f… Oh my goodness. I can’t say that word!”

“Then don’t. Stop now.”

“Never! This is fascinating. He can never find it but in the senses, while he who has love on his side, is stretched on the rack of delight, by those able ministers of pleasure, passion and imagination.” She looked up. “That seems a proper sentiment. The author advocates the act of you-know-what only when love is present.”

“Believe me,” Celia said. “He does not practice what he preaches.”

Miranda, a little birdy tells me you’ve set up in competition to the Bandits by joining a group blog! The cheek, I say! Would you like to tell us about this new endeavor? Wanna rooster?

We couldn’t ever hope to emulate the Bandits. A group of Regency authors (Tessa Dare, Katharine Ashe, Gaelen Foley, Sarah MacLean, Sabrina Darby and moi) have started The Ballroom Blog. (www.TheBallroomBlog.com). We don’t need a rooster (and c’mon, you guys would miss him!) because we have a very rude parrot called Albert who belongs to our hostess, Lady Beaufetheringstone (pronounced Batman). We’re posting Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays and hope everyone will stop by to join the dance.

I’ll be giving away a copy of THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON to a commenter on the blog. You can say something about my post, ask me a question (I promise to answer anything that won’t totally compromise me) or give me a recipe for a really great summer salad dish. It’s hot times in northern New England and I need cool inspiration!

Sounds great, Miranda! Get commenting, people. Good luck!Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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HEIRESS Is Lovely!

by Anna Campbell

Who are those two women putting their heads together and plotting mischief?

Why, it's moi, Anna Campbell Esq, and...

Well, the identity of the gorgeous creature on my right has recently been revealed as:

CHRISTINA BROOKE!

This international woman of mystery was revealed in all her glory (although thank goodness, she kept her clothes on despite the best efforts of the cabana boys!) late last month as the author of the brilliant HEIRESS IN LOVE, the first instalment in the "Ministry of Marriage" series.

I'm not alone in lauding this wonderful book. Publishers Weekly gave HEIRESS IN LOVE a starred review. Fresh Fiction called it "a riveting tale of life, loss, convenience, and heart-wrenching love. Superbly writtten."

So without more ado, here's our Christine...uh, Christina!

Welcome, Christina!

Thank you, dearest, Foanna, it is lovely to be here as a guest! Now I know why people send their publicists to the lair with siege equipment so they can blog with us. I had the star treatment in the green room just now.

As you know (because I've been all over the net telling people!), I adored the first instalment in your "Ministry of Marriage" series. HEIRESS IN LOVE is a fantastic read and I was madly in love with Constantine, the hero. Can you tell us about this story?

Why, yes, I'd love to! And thank you so much for your kind words about HEIRESS IN LOVE and Constantine. You were good enough (or foolhardy enough!) to read an early draft and I still mention you in my prayers for making me take out that subplot. I don't know what I'd do without you!

HEIRESS IN LOVE is the classic marriage of convenience between a bad boy and a straitlaced lady. Sparks fly, as you can imagine, particularly when the straitlaced lady realizes she must marry the said bad boy to get what she most desires! Here is the blurb:

When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry…

A Convenient Marriage

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…

An Inconvenient Passion

Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title–while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her–body, heart, and soul…

Constantine was such a delight to write. I'm still half in love with him myself. Jane is outspoken and awkward and she doesn't know what the heck she is doing trying to handle this wicked rake or how she's supposed to persuade him to marry her. But she does see him quite clearly in many ways and manages to take him at a disadvantage sometimes, too. It was an interesting dynamic to write.

Can you tell us about the Ministry of Marriage? Sounds intriguing!

The Ministry of Marriage is a group of nobles who have banded together to approve and negotiate aristocratic alliances. It operates as a cross between a corporate board and the NFL draft! The body is not actually a government ministry, of course--that's just the nickname the group has given themselves.

I had a lot of fun with the M.O.M. because I get to play with the slightly older generation who are arranging these matches. The Duke of Montford, the head of Jane's family, appears very cold and ruthless but as the series goes on we see more of the real man. And there is ongoing speculation about his relationship with another member of the Ministry, Lady Arden.

However, the main job of the Ministry is to interfere in the central romance, which is very trying for my poor hero and heroine!

I've also been lucky enough (yeah, I know, I'm gloating!) to read the second book in the series, MAD ABOUT THE EARL (cute title!). Equally wonderful story but you know I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast tales. Can you tell us about book two in the Ministry of Marriage series?

Gloat away, Anna! I love gloating about the sneak peeks I get at your books! But seriously, thank you. I know you have a soft spot for this story.

MAD ABOUT THE EARL (aka MATE) is Rosamund's story and it will be released on January 3, 2012. I'm touting it as a great New Year's hangover cure! Rosamund is cousin to Jane, also brought up under the guardianship of the Duke of Montford. The beauty of the family, Rosamund has been betrothed to the beastly Griffin deVere for years but he won't claim her as his wife. When circumstances force Griffin to go through with the marriage he has avoided so long, Rosamund refuses to marry him unless he does the London Season and courts her properly. Rosamund tames her beast (a little) but she must also face her own demons before she can have her happy ending.

Can you give us any hints about the third book in the series?

I won't go into too much detail as the book isn't written yet, but A DUCHESS TO REMEMBER will be Cecily's story, out in July 2012. She's a bit of a handful and it's going to take a very strong man to match her. Luckily, I've found one in Cecily's duke!

I've been dying for Cecily's story. Sounds delicious! You have a very beautiful collage (all right, it's just the pics of Rufus Sewell, call me shallow!) for HEIRESS IN LOVE on your website. Can you take us through the way these pictures inspired you when you were writing the story?

LOL, you and I must both be shallow, then, because they're my faves, too! I made a collage physically on a carboard chart but I couldn't seem to get a good photo of it so I reproduced it as well as I could on photoshop.

What seems to happen when I collage is that I track through the moods of the story from top (beginning) to bottom (end). Usually the characters are separate at the top and surrounded by their allies and enemies, then, they seem to clash, then come together more on the way down to the foot of the page. I like to get pieces of setting here and there. I really love that black and white photo of Rufus Sewell (my inspiration for Constantine) looking as if he's been destroyed. There's a scene toward the end of HEIRESS IN LOVE where Constantine is all but broken and that helped me get the feeling into the book.

Here is a very cool fan video of Rufus Sewell. You can see two sides to him--he can be a charmer but there's that amazing intensity to him as well. *Fans self!*



And now I'd like to ask all of you lovely people--what real life person would you choose as the inspiration for the hero of a romance and why? Links to pictures encouraged and appreciated, particularly in Regency dress!:) A signed copy of HEIRESS IN LOVE will go to one lucky commenter!

Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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Love and Parrots

Today we welcome best-selling author Patricia Rice to the Lair as we celebrate the release of The Devilish Montague, the second in her Rebellious Sons series. The first book, The Wicked Wyckerly, was a 2011 RITA nominee.

Welcome, Patricia! What is the Rebellious Sons series?

I thought it would be fun to write about the younger sons of society, the “spare” heirs expected to marry well if they want to continue a life of ease. What would a hero do if he had no money and society frowned upon his earning a living?

Please tell us a little about Blake and Jocelyn. I understand a parrot has something to do with their meeting?

Blake has an encyclopedic mind and a restless soul. He’s an absolute whiz at solving puzzles and is convinced he can break the new French encryption machine code if only he had more than one example to work on. To obtain more battle field codes, he needs to go to war. Unfortunately, as a younger son, he has little money of his own to buy his officer’s colors. And somehow, cynical Blake has ticked off a few too many people in power to garner much sympathy for his plight. So marriage it is, if he can find a woman who wants a husband on another continent.

Although Blake calls her a “flibbertiwidget,” Jocelyn knows she’s the perfect match for him. First off, Blake will receive her family’s old estate should he marry. Secondly, since she plans on moving in with her highly eccentric family and their pets, a husband a thousand miles away is the only kind who will tolerate her!

Besides, he's compromised her by confronting her in a barn at dawn, after she’s stolen a parrot and ruined his duel. Obviously, they’re made for each other.

Your website refers to an "inconvenient marriage." What's that about?

Blake is not precisely a patient or domesticated man, as he frequently mentions. He wants to go to war, not marry. He risks his life in duels, lives in a bachelor’s quarters with books stacked to the ceiling, and spends his evenings at his club. He doesn’t have time for families, even his own. In his experience, families are far too intrusive, and he resents being molly-coddled just because his mother is superstitious enough to believe he’ll die because of a white streak in his hair! He’s far more likely to shoot Jocelyn’s birds than feed them. Marriage is not a state to which he aspires—except Jocelyn has just inherited a lot of money that can buy his colors.

Jocelyn has had the painful experience of being thrown out of every home she’s ever lived in. She’s not real high on tying herself to another man now that she has the wherewithal to be independent. But her socially incompetent younger brother, her eccentric mother, and their collection of pets have spelled disaster anywhere else she’s lived. Now that Blake's family owns their old family estate, she can’t possibly afford to house pets and family in London, even with her new inheritance. And she adores the ton that Blake scorns. It would break her heart to live in rural environs.

And then Blake ruins everything by confronting her in a barn at dawn. Once she shoots his toe and brings the entire house party running, what else is a girl to do except marry the man for his home?

What are their biggest emotional obstacles?

Blake really has to realize that no man stands alone, no matter how smart and independent. He might not want to be coddled by his wife, but despite Jocelyn’s flighty manner, she’s extremely perceptive and capable of getting him what he wants. Jocelyn, on the other hand, believes she must take care of everyone in her path and has some difficulty believing Blake doesn’t need her help, too. Or that he can actually relieve her burdens. Besides that, she doesn’t want to do anything to create babies so she has even more family to fret over, especially if he's planning on going to war to get killed! Which creates a bit of a sticky wicket since Blake figures there’s only one point in marriage.

How they resolve their differences, learn to respect and enjoy working together while catching spies with parrots requires reading the book because it takes much too long to explain!

Can we see an excerpt?

Sure. Here we go:



“Methinks he thinks too much,” Jocelyn crooned to the parrot, stroking it. The parrot batted its head against her soothing finger, then settled into sleep.

Shivering in her wet cloak, Jo tried not to think too hard about Blake Montague. Tonight, aiming a pistol in her direction, he had looked the part of dangerous rogue.

Montague was a lethal weapon. His cynical wit had a cutting edge she couldn’t hope to match. And for all his education, he didn’t seem to like anyone very much. She’d seen scorn in his eyes each time he looked at her. Men disliked rejection.

She’d learned the value of stealth and a good diversion very early in life, while avoiding Harold’s rages. Spreading her thick cloak, Jocelyn settled in a rear stall where a barn cat fed her newborns.

“I know you’re in here,” a husky baritone called from the entrance. “You have disappointed me. I had hoped to have to hunt you down.”

Jocelyn wanted to ask what he intended to do about it, shoot her? But she saw no reason to disturb the kittens.

She suffered a nervous chill at the thought of being alone with an enraged man, but for all his brooding gloom, Mr. Montague was widely reported to be an honorable gentleman. He might scald her with the acid of his scorn, but a gentleman would never lay a hand on a woman. Behind him, dawn was lightening the sky, silhouetting his square shoulders. She wished she didn’t admire his strength so much.

She’d stationed herself so she could see the length of the barn and knew when he approached.

Good soldier that he was, he spotted her instantly. She could almost swear he growled as he limped forward. She held a finger to her lips to indicate quiet. He quirked a menacing dark eyebrow at her.

“Quit posturing and admit the bird is better off free,” she whispered.

“Free?”

If he’d worn a hat, she thought he might have stomped on it. He really was a quite dashingly dangerous figure of a man—not at all suitable for her purposes, unfortunately. But then, no man she’d met these last six months had a care for her purposes—only her money. Picking up a kitten, she returned his glare. “What else could be done with such a rude creature?”

“You did not let a tropical bird loose in chilly England. You may be nicked in the nob, but no one ever said you were stupid.”

She slanted her eyes thoughtfully. “Actually, Harold said it quite often. And my brothers-in-law had occasion to mention it once or twice. Lord Bernard certainly said it over these past days. I think I prefer nicked in the nob. What, precisely, does that mean?”

He ignored her diversion. “The bird belongs to the duke. You cannot keep it. It’s theft. Just tell me where you’ve hidden it, and I’ll see it’s returned without question.” He crossed his arms over his soaked waistcoat and glowered.

Jocelyn beamed at him in return. “Nature cannot be owned, sir.”

What's next for you?

A contemporary paranormal romance! Not the dark kind, but a perfectly normal couple—well, sort of normal. The heroine was a teenage singing sensation who disappeared off the map and doesn’t want to be found because…well, her voice kills. But she’s the only key our intrepid hero has to finding his kidnapped son, so he’s not about to allow her to hide much longer. THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC will be out in January 2012.

Thank you for letting me visit with the bandits. I'll leave Nancy in charge of choosing a winner to a commenter, but I have a shiny new copy of THE DEVILISH MONTAGUE ready to go!

For more about Patricia and her work, visit her website. You can also find her on Facebook.

So tell us, everyone, what's your favorite book about a second son or a non-titled hero? Or tell us about a heroine you loved to see give the hero trouble.

The winner will be posted just before midnight tonight, along with the winner of a copy of Evil Genius from Patricia's last visit.Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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The Secret Desires of a Tiffany Clare Fan!

by Anna Campbell

Hey, Tiffany's back again and she's going to tell us about another one of her brilliant historical romances. This time, it's her third book, THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS which has not only got a fabulous title but one of the prettiest covers I've ever seen.

Here's the blurb for THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS:

YEARNING FOR HIS TOUCH...

From the moment Abby meets her new employer—the mysterious, brooding Earl of Brendall—she is appalled by his brutish manner…and even moreso by her own attraction to him. Has she lost her senses? As a governess, Abby has no choice but to play by the rules. But as a woman, she cannot deny the fiery sensations he ignites—or the fantasies he inspires…

BURNING FOR HER KISS...

From the moment Elliott lays eyes on his new young governess, he knows he’s in trouble. Abby is intelligent, defiant, and utterly captivating, though Elliott must do his very best to resist her. But as the two grow closer, the passion burns hotter. Soon, the only thing that can destroy their love is the darkest secret of his past—and the secret desires of a governess…

You can find out more about Tiffany and her books on her website: www.tiffanyclare.com


Tiff, congratulations on the release of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS.

Thanks for having me! I love coming to the lair, you Bandits sure throw an awesome party!

Can you tell us about this new story?

My heroine, Abby Hallaway, wants to build an independent life from her sisters, so she leaves the comfort of their home in pursuit of a job. She believes that she will have no problem in teaching young ladies the same education her father gave her—she was an apt student. Only when she arrives at her posting it’s to find a number of things wrong: her charge is not a little girl, the staff on hand (which are few in the huge castle) seem to dislike her on sight, the master of the house is domineering, uncouth, and constantly in her way making her feel all sorts of feelings she doesn’t want to feel for any man. And as the weeks wear on, she’s sure someone is trying very hard to acquaint Abby with the afterlife.

Elliott Wright, the Earl of Brendall, wants only the best for his son, but he fears his son will end up just like him. Elliott has his chatelaine hire another governess after the last one ran off. The first thing Elliott notices when the new hire arrives is that she’s younger than all the previous—much prettier, too. He thinks it only a matter of time before she runs off like all the past governesses. He doesn’t expect to seek her company out on a regular basis. But growing close can only mean her demise. After all, his wife and mother had ended their lives to escape Wright men, and once Abby knows all the secrets of his past and present she may want nothing more than to escape him too, even if that means through death. And the last thing he wants to do is destroy the woman he’s slowly falling in love with.

The Delphin painting is how I pictured Abby (I used it as a screensaver while I worked on this book). Clive Owen is exactly how I picture Elliott. Elliott is a bit more brawny, but he’s got that look about him.

Also, readers can read the first chapter on my website (there is a link there if you want to read the first THREE chapters: http://www.tiffanyclare.com/bookshelf/the-secret-desires-of-a-governess/).

I grew up reading governess/master of the house romances and they always gave my adolescent heart a thrill. Why do you think this theme is so popular in the romance genre? Do you have any favorite governess romances that inspired you to write THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

JANE EYRE was my inspiration all the way! I adore that book to pieces, as well as every movie/mini series adaptation ever made. One thing I love doing when writing my stories is secluding my hero and heroine. Doing so totally rackets up the tension (especially of the sexual kind). And best of all, it means they can’t really escape each other!

The other inspiration is Beauty and The Beast. You’ve got the old castle that the locals are afraid of, the dark, brooding beast of a hero, the pretty young woman that comes into his life and changes his way of thinking by thrashing through the barriers of his heart . . .

This book is totally what you get when Jane Eyre has babies with Beauty and The Beast.

I always ask you about interesting tidbits of research that turned up when you’re working on your books. Did anything unusual take your fancy when you were researching THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

I don’t think any unusual historical facts came up while writing this book. I did do a lot of research on the thing that gives my hero a true disadvantage in life. You’re all wondering what that is now, aren’t you? I can’t share what that is, it’s a bit of a spoiler! But readers will know what I’m talking about when they get a copy of the book.

You’ve spoken before about how art inspires your writing. Did you have any particular pictures in mind when you wrote THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

A bell. Only it was a photograph this time. And I’ve looked and looked for this bell since, and I cannot find it anywhere (my computer hard drive crashed during this project and I lost all my research). There was something about that bell that put this scene in my head, which leads to uber hotness with the hero.

Here’s a tiny excerpt:


She hiked up her skirts to aid her in walking through the tall grasses. She hadn’t thought to explore the old church grounds before now. It had seemed like a sacred untouched place and she hadn’t wanted to disturb it, afraid to ruin the wildness it had sprouted into over the years.

“Father will have my head if we go in there. You can’t go, Miss Hallaway. Please . . .”

He tried to grasp onto her hand, but she was already steadily moving forward. Jacob remained in the clearing, just on the other side of the tall grasses.

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” The only way to prove that for fact was to show him, she figured. “I promise.”

She stepped toward the lime-crusted bell, her fingers outstretched. The old bronze was cold and rough beneath her hand, and she stroked over the long-faded inscription, barely making out the words coram Deo and nothing more. How many battles had this very bell gonged through, warning the inhabitants of an imminent battle, warning townsfolk of an incoming enemy from the seaside?

“Have you ever touched this church bell?” Abby walked around the bell, skimming her bare fingers over the alloy as she went. “It’s almost as if I can hear it ringing as it once used to.”

She closed her eyes and trailed her fingers over the cool rough surface as she inhaled the sea air deep into her lungs. She loved the sound of church bells.

I used a lot of photographs to aid me with this book because I chose a real location (again). Bamburgh Castle was my setting, with a few minor changes, of course.


What’s next for Tiffany Clare?

I’m working on another trilogy for St. Martin’s Press, something in the vein of DANGEROUS LIAISONS.

Here’s my blurb:

Four friends in the pursuit of pleasure enter a dangerous game of wagers, seduction and temptation, but when one of their own is bent on a self-destructive path of ruin, they must put aside their schemes or lose everything they’ve come to hold dear.

Sounds fabulous! Can't wait to read them. Can you take us through a typical day in the glamorous life of romance novelist extraordinaire Tiffany Clare?

Not so glamorous, especially now at the height of the allergy season—I look like a train wreck! I wake up uber early to write (4:00 a.m.). Then I write some more on the streetcar ride into work for my 9-5. I pick up the kids from their afterschool program on my way home, have a beautifully made dinner waiting for me–my hubby is a marvellous cook. I’m usually zonked at this point of the day and gear down to go to bed early so I can start the process all over again.

Here’s my question to the blog readers: If you could choose two of your favourite stories to be amalgamated (like I did with JANE EYRE and Beauty and The Beast) which two would you choose?

Great question, Tiff. Everyone, get commenting. Tiffany has very generously offered our commenters THREE copies of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS today! Good luck!Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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Odds and Sods

by Anna Campbell

As most of you know (because so many of you very generously popped over to support me on my blog tour and various other promo efforts - thank you!), I've recently had a book out. MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION hit the stands on 26th April and I've been talking to readers all over via interviews, blogs and in person.

One question that often comes up is where do I get my ideas. And I always answer (because it's true) that I get ideas everywhere.

To give you an example, a couple of days ago I was reading the English National Trust magazine - I have a friend who very kindly sends them to me and they're a goldmine of quirky social history - and I came across the sort of thing that might well spark a story idea.

The National Trust has recently bought a wonderful early 18th century (well, I say wonderful but it sounds a bit creepy, frankly!) house in Northumberland in the north of England called Seaton Delaval Hall. It was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh who designed the cold but very impressive Blenheim Palace which formed the inspiration for much of Cranston Abbey in MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. By the way, Vanbrugh combined successful careers as architect and playwright - not a double that immediately comes to mind! He was also a spy and spent time in the Bastille.

Hmm, I can see a blog coming up on him too! See what I mean about ideas being everywhere? Anyway, back to my piece on Seaton Delaval Hall!

When I read about it, Seaton Delaval Hall struck me as an unlucky house. They had a huge fire in 1822 because jackdaws nested in the chimney shafts (bit more dramatic than "I went to bed with the bar heater on," huh?). The family line died out as a series of heirs fell off the perch (for example, the original builder, Admiral Delaval had no living son and his nephew inherited) much like jackdaws in a lit chimney. After the fire, the house wasn't inhabited until the 1980s. There's even a ghost - a white lady who apparently pines for a Delaval heir who couldn't marry her.

Here's a link to the National Trust site for the house: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-seaton-delaval-hall

When I was reading this NT magazine, I came across a fascinating bit of history that really set my synapses firing. In the grounds there's an impressive mausoleum (pictured below) containing the remains of John Seaton who died at the age of twenty. Here's the quote:

"John, the heir of the Seatons, perished in 1775, having been kicked in a vital organ by a laundry maid to whom he was paying addresses. Thus died the last of the Delavals by the foot of a buxom slut. Over the broken remains of so much hope...his father raised a temple."

Oh, dear! Ouch!

Not the way you want your aristocratic line to come to an end (I'd say 'sticky end' but that might be gilding the lily!).

Now these few lines are interesting for a whole stack of reasons.

Did she kick him where we think she did? I suspect she might have!

What happened to the maid? I haven't been able to find out - I hope she wasn't charged although given the power structure of 18th century England, she probably was.

Then there's the very revealing language. Surely calling a lower-class girl defending herself against a predatory sprig of the aristocracy a 'slut' is a bit of a misnomer! Again, a sad indication of the position of women although I love the descriptive detail of 'buxom' - it gives you a vivid picture of her! More power to her left foot!

Was this action the tragic end of a long and loving relationship? Cue chance to put in a very nice picture of Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees in the POLDARK series.

Or was our heroic laundry maid like Verity/Soraya in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN before the start of her career as a courtesan? Preyed upon rather than preying upon?

More importantly, could our feisty washerwoman be the heroine of a romance novel?

You know, I think she's got potential!

Or could our wincing would-be rake be the hero? He'd need to be a bit more robust but I could definitely imagine a bit of sparky dialogue over the washing line if we wrote him as a sexy beast.

Could our laundry maid be a runaway aristocrat? Charis without having enlisted Gideon's help? Grace trying to make a living after they repossessed the farm? The laundry maid isn't that far away from previous heroines I've written and she shares the strength of character which I like to give my girls.

At this stage, I have no intention of writing MY RECKLESS WASHING MACHINE or CLAIMING THE CLOTHES PEGS but you can see how a quirky incident like this sparks ideas that go on to spark other ideas and so on until you've got the basis for a book.

So while I'm digging around looking for inspiration, I'm turning to you! Do you have any quirky bits of family history - hopefully not a randy great-uncle who was done in by one of his squeezes! - that strike you as funny or strange or romantic or scandalous? Any ghosts in the family? Any skeletons? Any feisty laundry maids? Come clean, as they say in the best laundry romances!Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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The Highlanders and Julianne MacLean!

by Anna Campbell

It is my very great pleasure to introduce Julianne MacLean, one of the STARS of historical romance, to the lair! Julianne is a three-time RITA award finalist and her books have hit the USA Today list.

When I first started reading Julianne's books, she was writing about American heiresses marrying into the British nobility but she seems to have come over all Scottish lately with her Highlander trilogy, the first of which, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER, comes out this month from St. Martin's.

Romantic Times chose CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER as one of their Top Picks for March and said:

MacLean ensnares readers with her powerful writing and emotional love stories, once again crafting a book to cherish. Her richly portrayed characters and intriguing, fast-paced plot combine in a read that will leave you speechless with delight. This new novel reinforces her reputation as a premier writer of Scots-set romance.

You can find out all about Julianne and her delicious Highlanders on her website: http://juliannemaclean.com/index.php

Julianne, welcome to the Bandit lair! I can’t believe it’s taken us so long to lure you here. Clearly you need TLC. Sven, a message! Paolo, a margarita! Gladiators, a sword! Um, perhaps I should rephrase that! Congratulations on the release of your latest historical romance, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER (capture and Highlander, you’ve got me at hello!). Can you tell us about this story?

CAPTURED is the first book in my new Highlander trilogy, and it’s a classic tale about a savage beast of a Highlander (he always carries a big axe, and they call him The Butcher of the Highlands) who kidnaps his enemy’s fiancée for revenge, but OF COURSE he falls crazy in love with her in the process! There are bunch of twists and turns after that, but I have to keep most of them secret, otherwise I would be guilty of the “spoiler” offense, and we can’t have that!

I notice the fabulous CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER is being followed a mere month later by CLAIMED BY THE HIGHLANDER. Can you tell us about that story too?

CLAIMED picks up not long after CAPTURED leaves off. A lot happens in the first book, and I don’t want to spoil too much by giving stuff away, but the hero’s best friend does something bad which betrays the hero, and is banished from his clan. Two years later, he returns to find that his father’s castle has been overtaken by another clan, and he brings an army to win it back. After breaking down the gates and winning the battle, he claims the daughter of the fallen enemy chief as his wife, but she’s a real spitfire, and he finds he has a few more challenges ahead of him when she defies him and tries to deny him his “husbandly rights.” You know the ones I’m talking about, right? Wink wink, nudge nudge.


What? She won't share her haggis? For shame! Snicker. So, Ms. MacLean, what IS it with you and Highlanders?

I’ve been writing about dukes and earls for too long. I needed to get out of the polite London ballrooms and get down and dirty with some seriously old school, savage heroes who aren’t afraid to sleep in a cave and swing a really big sword.
Oh, no, not with more sword jokes! Where is the decorum? What’s coming up next for Julianne MacLean?

The third and final book in the Highlander series – SEDUCED BY THE HIGHLANDER - is coming out in October, and that one was my editor’s favorite. I think I had a soft spot for that hero, because he was as tortured as they come, and I, for one, love a tortured alpha male! I’m also working on a new series set in Regency England, called The Royal Weddings Trilogy. Though I loved being in the wilds of Scotland – and will probably go back there again - I felt ready to return to the charming gentlemen of London, and the clothes. I love the clothes.

You also write contemporary romance as E.V. Mitchell. Can you tell us about your alter ego and the stories she tells?


THE COLOR OF HEAVEN is a book I started working on six years ago, and finally put the finishing touches on last summer.It’s a contemporary women’s fiction novel with romantic elements about first love, but it’s not a romance novel, which is why I felt it was necessary to adopt a pseudonym, so that my readers would know it’s something very different.It was born out of a few personal events in my own life that have changed me as a person. I had a serious car accident when I was twenty-five, and there is a scene in the book that is very similar to what I experienced, but I explore what could have happened if I wasn’t so lucky that day.I’ve always had a fascination with near-death experiences, where a person can float outside of their body and experience something strange and unusual – so I was inspired to write a story about a character who experiences such a thing. But that’s only one part of it. Mostly, it’s a story about a woman’s journey through some hard times, and how she learns to overcome those challenges, having learned something about life and love.

Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

Step one: Write. Step two: Write some more. Step three: Polish and revise and get feedback from others who know the genre. Step four: Revise some more. Step five: Decide you’re in it for the long haul, and that giving up is not an option. Step six: When you get rejected, go back to step one, and always remember step five. Because we all get rejected. Even multi-published authors still get rejected.

That's great advice, Julianne. Thanks for hanging out with us today. The cabana boys were all agog when I told them were coming - and an agog cabana boy is a sight to see, don't you agree? Do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies?


So here’s my question: All three heroes in my Highlander trilogy are dangerous, tortured alpha males. Tell me – who is your all-time favorite tortured alpha male hero? And name the book. Let’s spread the joy!

Just to whet your appetite for Highlanders (yeah, like that's a big job!), Julianne has very generously offered a signed copy of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE to one lucky commenter today. Good luck! Source URL: http://plasticsurgerycelebrities.blogspot.com/search/label/historical%20romance
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