Thanks so much to the crew at Fresh Fiction for inviting me to stop by! Anyone who’s read my books knows I love a good villain. For me, the villain has to be as clever as the hero/heroine, otherwise they’re no fun to outsmart.  Villains are fun to write because authors can do just about anything with them. We don’t have to worry about redeeming them at a later date. But just like heroes and heroines, villains have to have their own goals, motivations and conflicts. And they have to grow and change as the book/series progresses. Sometimes what was important to them at the beginning of the book isn’t what they’re after at the end. Sometimes they’re motivated by greed, sometimes revenge, sometimes power. But they ALL have reasons for why they do the things they do. And well-developed villain can be just as compelling as a main character. In fact, in a suspense-based book, they’re really the ones who challenge the main characters and keep the book moving at a rapid pace so readers are eager to see how the main characters will eventually win. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a good villain. Hannibal Lecter…

Huge thanks to Fresh Fiction for having me here today. I’m really looking forward to chatting with folks! Writing my debut novel, A LADY’S REVENGE, proved challenging on many levels. Setting aside the fact that it’s my first manuscript and has undergone much reconstruction, I managed to stretch the bounds of the Regency romance world in several areas of the story. For instance, I opened the story with a torture scene and my heroine has suffered both physically and mentally at the hands of her enemy and now she can’t abide a man’s touch. From an early age, Cora deBeau’s heart was set on avenging the brutal murders of her parents. She trained, she planned, and she eventually sold her soul. Some would call her single-minded, stubborn, and ruthless, others will label her intelligent, courageous, and protective of furry four-legged creatures. Most will agree, however, that she’s a damaged and complicated woman. As you can tell from my description above, A LADY’S REVENGE is not a light and humorous read. The book focuses on the darker side of espionage and human nature. I enjoyed exploring this side of Cora and a few of my other characters as well. So, are…

We love a reluctant hero.  We’re quick to praise a man who won’t praise himself, who is blind to the attributes that others see in him.  I think we trust a man (or woman) like that because his command is authentic.  It’s not grabbed or sought, it’s earned or even thrust upon him.  It’s the old saying that the man who ought to be king is the one who least wants to be king. Captain John Gallows is a reluctant hero, but with an arrogant side.  He makes a big deal of himself because he knows he’s really no big deal.  It’s compensation.  He wears his medal of honor well, but doesn’t think it belongs on his chest.  He knows how to use his silver tongue to get what he wants, but what he wants most of all is to feel he’s worthy of the accolades that are laid at his feet.  I love to write complex characters like that–heroes and heroines who take the archetypes and turn them on their ear. The perfect foil for a man like that is a woman who hasn’t yet realized her worth.  Leanne Sample is far stronger than she knows.  John’s outward arrogance…

Parker Welles, the heroine of SOMEBODY TO LOVE, has to start over…though not voluntarily. She’s got a very nice life in the beginning of the book: a lovely five-year-old son, great friends, plenty of money courtesy of her trust fund and a mansion as her home. Unfortunately, dear old dad empties the coffers in an attempt to cover an insider trading deal, and Parker is informed at the end of Chapter One that she’s broke and will have to move. Surprise! But it’s not all bad. Her son will be on vacation with his father for a few weeks, so Parker heads north to Maine to flip the only asset she has left—a little house way up on the picturesque and remote coast in a little town some of you might remember from CATCH OF THE DAY. I confess that I’d love to have this happen to me. Not that I have a trust fund that could be emptied (or if I do, my mom has hidden that information very thoroughly!). And not that I’d want to have the pressure of finding a new job, new house, new life in such a short time. But I’d love the chance to…

I have a soft spot for contemporary category romance. It started me, long ago, on what has turned out to be a lifetime love of romances of all kinds, historical, paranormal, science-fiction… But I still return to category at regular intervals and often re-read old favorites. I have a degree in biology, so I know a little about evolution. And I’ve realized that one of the things I love about category romance is that it is always evolving. I started reading them when I was about twelve or thirteen. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I was always running out of books. My mother read Mills and Boons (that’s now the UK side of Harlequin) and she had hundreds and hundreds of them. Bags full of them secreted all over the house. My mother was a wonderful woman—she had a husband, a job and five children and she still found time to read. One of my first memories is coming home from school and finding her lying on the sofa a romance novel in hand (so what if dinner was late—there are far more important things in life!) She’s always been my role model. Anyway, I thought, if I…

Thanks so much to Fresh Fiction for having me here today! I admit it, I love connected books. There’s just something about revisiting side characters and towns that I’ve known and loved before. Early on in my writing career, I didn’t think I’d be one of those writers who liked to write connected stories. Nope, I would be the one-and-done kind of writer, I was sure of it! Until I actually, you know, started writing and realized how much fun it is to spend more time in a world you’ve built, especially when that means you get to “check in” on characters you love! Which is something I’m enjoying right now, as a matter of fact! The last few months have been crazy—and wonderful! My Entangled Publishing novella, NO DRESS REQUIRED, reached the top of the Barnes and Noble Romance list in February and in March, reached #131 on the USA Today bestseller list. It’s been a huge thrill that people have enjoyed Noelle and Jake’s story and I so appreciate everyone who has read or reviewed it. I’m excited to say that I’m currently working on the next book in the Love Required series, NO FLOWERS REQUIRED, about Jake’s…

Riddle me this…What does a human woman do when she finds out that she’s not merely a human woman? Freak out? Sure. Cry? Probably. Take an extra dose of Prozac? Most likely. Finding out that you’re half Amoveo (a dream-walking, telepathic, shapeshifter with super-hot pre-destined soul mate) is a rather large pill to swallow but it’s not all bad. In fact, being a human-Amoveo hybrid would have it’s advantages. So here are the Top 10 things that I would consider perks of being half Amoveo. 1. You hardly age once you find your mate. Sweet. No Botox or boob lifts required. 2. Telepathy. You can whisper sweet nothings to your lover in a crowded room or tell him when he’s acting like a dick without calling him out in public. Either way—it’s a bonus. 3. Visualization abilities rock! Once you’re at full strength you can visualize almost anything you can imagine. The latest Vera Wang dress? Christian Louboutain shoes? Check, check and double check! No more shopping in crowded malls or ordering the wrong size online. 4. You’re a dream walker so bad dreams are a thing of the past. You can dream your way to places that only exist…

Is this your first time going to the Malice Domestic conference? If so, don’t be scared. Plan to have a bunch of fun. Most of the people going don’t bite. If you’re a fan, feel free to approach your favorite author. They are there to meet you. If you’re an author and attending for the first time, breathe. This is a vital clue to living a longer life. The hotel is intimate. I believe there is only the one conference going on at this time, so pretty much everyone will be an attendee. That means you can smile at everyone. If you feel like your mouth might freeze, you can always escape to your room to refresh or find a group of frowners and join them. The hotel layout isn’t complex but it can be tricky. The elevators are few. Plan ahead and plan to recognize people on every ride. It’s sort of like a theme park, in that regard. You keep seeing the same people. Over and over. Read the name tag. Say the name out loud. By the end of your stay, you’ll find you know at least twenty new names—and maybe the people, too. Note: There are…

Hi! I’m so excited to be here at Fresh Fiction today! I love this site! Despite being an avid reader of many genres all of my life I discovered the treasure trove of romance books relatively late. As in, 6 years ago.  I attended a romance writing conference with a friend who knew I loved writing, and she suggested that any conference where writing was the main focus would be useful to me. To my surprise we were given free books! Free romance books! On my way home from that extremely enjoyable and inspiring conference I flicked through some of the freebies, the first one shall remain forever etched on my brain: EARTHQUAKE BABY by Amy Andrews. A Mills and Boon Medical Romance. As a nurse married to a doctor I was intrigued – books about people like me? What had I been missing all my life? Turns out – I’d been missing a heck of a lot! I love watching ER, Grey’s Anatomy, House – where the loves and lives of dedicated, compassionate medical professionals intertwined. Where fast paced action in the operating theatre spills over to sizzling action in the bedroom. And there were books about this? I…

I have been here before, but when or how I cannot tell; I know the grass beyond the door, The sweet keen smell, The sighing sound, The lights around the shore. You have been mine before,- How long ago I may not know: But just when at that swallow’s soar Your neck turned so, Some veil did fall, – I knew it all of yore. ~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti Dear Readers, Have you ever experienced what the French call, déjà vu, that eerie sense that you’ve seen, heard or experienced something before although you haven’t? Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt you’ve known that person forever? What about love at first sight? You know, the moment your eyes meet and there’s an instant connection…Or, according to some, it’s an instant recognition, perhaps of a long lost love. I’ve always been fond of the lines above from Rossetti’s poem, Sudden Light. It brings to mind those fleeting glimpses of memories long forgotten. You know the kind-just enough to provide the spark of a recollection. There for a moment and then gone just as quickly! From just how far back in time do some of these memories…