1–What is the title of your latest release?
THE TREASURE OF LOVE which is lucky thirteen in my Book of Love series, a charmingly humorous Regency romance series that deals with a mysterious book that seems to hold the secrets to finding true love. When I signed on to write these stories, my publisher and I were contemplating maybe six books in all, but they are so much fun and have developed a following, so I would love to keep writing them until I turn 100!
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Think of the ‘traveling pants’ stories. In my series, each heroine passes along the mysterious Book of Love to a friend or relative ready to make their debut in London Society in the hope the wisdom in this book will lead them to finding their true love. The strength of these stories is that while they are cute and fictional romances, the advice in this Book of Love is quite real and based on the neurological behaviors in our brain associated with love. Male and female brains work differently, so these stories delve into these different aspects. What first attracts a man to a woman? How do our five sense, sight, touch, taste, hearing, and scent sometimes deceive us? What holds a love together and allows it to flourish in a marriage? What are the warning signs a relationship will not work? Of course, in my Book of Love stories, they all will have a happy ending because they are romances and meant to enchant and entertain my readers. Lol, long elevator pitch! Slow elevator and we went up a lot of floors!
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
Since I write historical romance primarily set in Regency era England, I knew all these stories were going to take place in the range from 1810-1830 not only in London, but elsewhere in England. For the stories set outside of London, the heroines are usually on their way to London but get waylaid and caught up in adventures (or misadventures) with the hero.
4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely! Before I sit down to write any hero or heroine, I have to know everything about them. I also have to love them as I would my own family or best friends. They must be intelligent, kind, have a sense of humor, and the same applies to the hero. In The Treasure of Love, Luciana Lessing is shy, bookish, and completely adorable. If she were real, I would constantly be hugging her. Her hero feels the same way, completely falling in love with her, respects her intelligence, thinks she is beautiful, and knows she is perfect for him.
5–What are three words that describe your hero?
Hot. Smart. Valiant. Are you really going to limit me to three words? Donal Brayden is one of those big, hunky alpha males, a top agent of the Crown. Fearless, funny, faithful to the woman he loves – and he secretly loves Luciana, but he is assigned to protect her, so he is not willing to mix business with pleasure. If they are too involved, he might lose that cold, calculating edge needed to save her life. It is very important to me that my heroes are decisive, knowing immediately they want the heroine, and from that moment on they are faithful to her even if they have not made any promises to each other yet. They can deny that love to themselves, but their hearts won’t allow them to consort with anyone else.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I’ve written over 40 books now, so I’ve learned a huge amount over the years about all the elements of writing a solid story. Romance to me is a journey of enchantment, and my readers must feel that giddy, transporting feeling of a first meeting with that special someone, and the happiness of falling in love. I’ve learned that my characters must always lead the way. Before I sit down to write a single word, I have to know the hero and heroine as well as all the supporting characters as well as I know myself. I let them tell me how they are going to respond to any given situation, and I cannot force any of them to do or say something that is not true to themselves. In The Treasure of Love, I felt the attraction between Donal and Lucy from word one. Donal was a particularly appealing hero, he sizzled on the pages as I wrote him, and a lot of it had to do with him being this big, confident, worldly alpha male who is quietly in love with Lucy (Luciana), and Lucy having no idea he cares for her because she thinks of herself as unlovable. The heat just notches up with every scene they are in together. He is hot and sexy but has eyes only for her. She is pretty but thinks of herself as an ugly duckling. Donal sees her for the treasure she is. I love when that happens.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I draft and then again when I am totally done. It is a layering process for me. The first time I write a scene, I just want to get the words/thoughts down on the pages. When I’m done with the chapter, I then go back and fill in the ‘atmosphere’, so I’ll embellish the description of the setting, insert descriptions of the hero/heroine, what they are wearing, what they happen to be doing in that scene. If it is over a dinner table, what are they eating? Is the hero sipping his wine? Is the heroine wearing a new gown? That sort of thing.
When I finish three chapters, I then go back and fill in maybe more hints and read carefully for continuity. If there is a mystery involved, I want to layer in hints. For any story, I want to make sure I didn’t pose a question that never got answered.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
I am a Coca-Cola drinker, that’s probably by biggest indulgence. I’m sure when they cut me open, they will find soda bubbles in place of blood. But other than that, I love breads, cheeses, and fruits and vegetables. I’m not a fan of gooey, fatty foods or desserts. However, I can be bribed with chocolate ice cream, especially if you add chocolate sprinkles on it.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
Now that my children are grown and out of the house, I’ve taken over what used to be my daughter’s room and write in what was her study alcove. It’s very comfortable and removed enough that I can concentrate and not be disturbed. However, I would love to spend a summer in England/Scotland and just write in some beautifully restored castle overlooking the sea or looking out on a magnificent garden.
10–Who is an author you admire?
I admire so many authors, it is hard to choose just one. JRR Tolkein for his Lord of the Rings, what an incredible imagination he had. Joseph Conrad for Nostromo. In my historical romance genre, there are so many brilliant authors. I would choose Kathryn Le Veque if I were limited to one, not only because I love her medieval warriors but for the author herself. You will not find a more generous author in our genre, so in addition to being incredibly talented – her battle scenes and the emotion poured into every story is just amazing – she is also incredibly kind.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
There are books that have gotten me through hard moments in life, but I’m not sure one has actually changed my life. Influenced me, captivated me – yes. I would say Robin Hood and the Arthurian legends mesmerized me when I was younger. They drew me into their historical period and perhaps this is why I love historical romance so much.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)
It really is a frustrating process. I came close so many times with the big traditional publishers. But finally, I got a multi-book deal with a respected smaller press and all those years of banging my head against a wall just melted away. It felt very sweet and one of the important things I realized is that because I never gave up and just kept writing, I got better over time and was prepared to make that leap from hopeful to published. My first published book, My Fair Lily hit #1 in its Regency category in almost every Amazon country in the world. There are flaws in that book, but on the whole, it is a good, funny story. Some people naturally have the gift of telling a story, but I was not one of those people. It took me years to understand the process and how much went into writing a gripping tale (whether serious or humorous, fantasy or just ordinary life). I was meant to succeed when I did. Had I been published years earlier I may not have been prepared for a writing career as I am now.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love historical romance, cozy mysteries, and fantasy. I will read contemporary on occasion, but reading is an escape for me, and I love being pulled into other worlds and time periods.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
I like romantic comedies mostly. Leap Year, Crossing Delancey, Emma, Pride & Prejudice (any of the 900 versions including the Bollywood version), Persuasion, Sleepless in Seattle, While You Were Sleeping. I also loved Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, because I am also a fan of fantasy.
15–What is your favorite season?
Summer! I do not like the cold! I want to hibernate until the temperature rises to about 70 degrees.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I’m sure I am not the first writer with this answer – leave me alone, let me sit in my pjs all day long and allow me write. However, if I were offered a trip to England, I would readily accept that as a birthday celebration.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
My husband and I are watching Reacher just now and really loving it. We also love All Creatures Great and Small. I binged on the British Baking Show and of course, Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton first season which was brilliant and so much fun, just what a historical romance ought to be.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love seafood. I love just about all ethnic foods, Italian, Indian, French, Thai, Chinese, Mexican and even English (who are definitely not known for their fine cooking). I love fish and chips, meat pies. But I am big on fruits and vegetables. My kids are the same. I took them out for Halloween one year and when we got to a neighbor’s house, he jokingly asked them what they wanted, chocolate bars or broccoli, and they both said broccoli.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I have very little free time. I work a full-time day job and write full time. When I have time, I hang out with my children, my sisters, and other family members. I used to be an avid gardener but that fell by the wayside as my writing career began to flourish. I’ll take that up again as I ease out of my day job, and hopefully will add time for travel once the world fully opens up.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
I have a full plate of books coming out in 2022. Lyon in the Rough released in January 2022. THE TREASURE OF LOVE will release in March 2022. At least one more book in the Book of Love series after THE TREASURE OF LOVE, and that one is The Dance of Love. Then a new series for my publisher, Dragonblade, called Moonstone Landing that will release in the Fall/Winter of 2022. Right now, we plan on three books in the series, but we’ll see if it takes off like the Book of Love series did, and we can expand it. I have two novellas released this year connected to Moonstone Landing, the latest being a novella as part of Dragonblade’s fun anthology called Get Your Duke On. My story in that one is Moonstone Angel and it will be a fun romp in the seacoast town of Moonstone Landing during the summer. A hunky duke, an independent young woman who is companion to his grandmother, sun, sand, that skinny-dipping duke, lots of laughs and romance.
Thank you for chatting with me!
THE TREASURE OF LOVE by Meara Platt
Her life was a lie, but his love was real.
Another blazing hot Brayden hero is about to meet his match as he goes on the run with a beautiful bluestocking and The Book of Love.
Donal Brayden is the Crown’s top agent and he will need all his wiles to protect the bookish Luciana Lessing from the villains who are after her. He has no idea who they are or why they want her, only that they will go to extraordinary means to kill her. As he takes the beautiful bluestocking into hiding, he realizes two things. First, that Lucy is not the Lessing’s daughter but her necklace may be a clue to her true identity. Second, that he is falling in love with the brainy beauty. But how does he protect her from an unknown enemy determined to take her life? And how does he protect his heart?
Luciana Lessing grew up feeling like an outcast in her own family. Her parents doted on her sister, but mostly ignored her, never once showing her affection. Nor does she have any suitors now that she is of marriageable age. What is it about her that makes her so unlovable? When she comes across The Book of Love, she is determined to read it and find out. More important, when a vicious attempt is made on her life, she needs to discover who wants to kill her and who she is really? Donal Brayden, the agent of the Crown assigned to protect her, seems to believe she is someone special. As they try to unravel the mystery of her true identity and those of the villains who are after her, she finds herself falling in love with Donal. But can she, a girl unloved by anyone, possibly win his heart?
Romance Historical [Dragonblade Publishing, Inc, On Sale: March 3, 2022, e-Book, / ]
Buy THE TREASURE OF LOVE: Kindle | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Meara Platt
USA Today Bestselling author Meara Platt is happily married to her Russell Crowe look-alike husband, and they have two terrific children. She lives in one of the many great towns on Long Island, New York and loves it, except for the traffic. She has traveled the world, works as managing partner in a boutique law firm in NYC, occasionally lectures and finds time to write. Her favorite place in all the world is England’s Lake District, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set in that idyllic landscape.
A close second is the rest of England and the British Isles, the original (and still beautiful) land of enchantment. For Meara, writing is all about enchantment, whether in the setting, the characters (such as Dragon Lords and Fae Kings), or in the author’s voice. A great writer entertains, inspires, makes us laugh or cry, and sometimes makes us think. She is honored to know and learn from some of the best romance writers of our day.
Meara is a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award winner, and was thrilled to be recognized by this amazing organization. As with everything along life’s journey, it is always sweeter when shared with friends, so Meara’s special thanks goes out to fellow writers Pamela Burford and Patricia Ryan who have been with her from her very first baby steps as a writer.
No Comments
Comments are closed.