This’ll be a short post—so if you like, you can imagine a Marvin Gaye song playing in the background to fancy things up.

I’ve been a quiet blogger lately, and that’ll continue through May. I’ve got some big workwork projects to complete before the end of the month, and the authoritah of the deadline must be respected.

But! I’m also working my way through the page proofs for SEASON FOR SURRENDER. This is a final check of the typesetting, formatting, and text before the finished book is created.

What’s particularly exciting about the page proofs? They’re used to create advanced reader copies, or ARCs, of a book. I think I’ll be getting some ARCs of SEASON FOR SURRENDER—and if I do, they’ll be here in about six weeks. Six weeks, folks. Maybe even less.

We’ll definitely have a giveaway. I’ll put up an excerpt then, too.

And speaking of giveaways—be sure to stop by this month’s contest! Sally MacKenzie’s upcoming novel, BEDDING LORD NED, is already getting great reviews, and you can enter here for a chance to win a signed copy. To learn more about the book, and about Sally’s new series, check out our Q&A here. (I still laugh every time I read Sally’s answer to the matchmaking question.)

You’ve heard Sally MacKenzie’s name before, maybe as:

• the USA Today bestselling author of the hot, funny Regency-set Naked Nobility series
• a hilarious interview guest last year
• one of the authors whose books I–and hopefully you–must gobble up as soon as they are released.

Yes, Sally wears all those hats, and recently she has added a new chapeau to the stack: with the release of April’s e-novella “The Duchess of Love,” she kicks off a brand-new Regency series of the same name. The first novel, Bedding Lord Ned, will release on June 5–and Sally’s offering a signed copy to the winner of the May contest. Read on for more info about the Duchess series, the role of pets in romance, and the importance of choosing the right meal plan. And then–the giveaway!

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Sally, thanks so much for being here!

You’re best known for your “Naked Nobility” series—a series that grew over time to include seven novels, two novellas, and several sets of friends and families. By contrast, your new “Duchess of Love” trilogy takes place within one family. How was it different to envision and plan these different types of series?

I think the greatest difference is that the Duchess of Love series was actually planned where the Naked books grew somewhat haphazardly.  But I’m a “pants-er,” so planned is a relative term.  I think all my books focus on families in some way, so the process of thinking about those relationships–between parents and children, mothers and fathers, siblings–is the same.

The premise of your new series is unique: Venus Collingswood, the young woman who’s the heroine of the first novella—“The Duchess of Love”—becomes the matriarch for the rest of the series. We don’t often see parents getting their own romance, even at an earlier point in life. How did you come up with Venus and Andrew’s story?

I think the idea of doing the prequel novella was actually my agent’s.  My initial synopsis had the mother a widow who would marry in the last book.  But once I went with the prequel idea, I couldn’t kill off the duke!  Even if my readers would accept it, I couldn’t do it.  It would seem too cruel.  However, this also meant the oldest son couldn’t be a duke as he was in my synopsis; he had to take a lower courtesy title as he’s still only the heir.  Gotta love historicals!

You’ve raised a houseful of sons, and so has your duchess. Did any of your own parenting experiences come in handy while you planned the stories for your new series?

It’s always somewhat dangerous to draw parallels between real life and fiction.  The short answer to this question is, of course!  But then I think everything authors write must be informed in some way by their own lives–how else could you write something if you had no experience at all with it?  Research, yes, and I guess parenthood IS a kind of research.  Sometimes I write things not based on something that happened in even the vaguest sense of the word, but because I’m exploring a question.  How would a widower feel, for example, and how do people learn to love someone new when they’ve had such a loss?  Writing can be trying on various answers to see how they work.

I like to write male point of view, but of course that is all a lie.  I may think, through observation and interaction, that I know what is going on in the male head, but I know I’m fooling myself.  I suspect the male mind is very alien territory.  Men are not simply women in pants.

And, again, I am a pants-er.  To say that I planned anything is a bit of a stretch.  I have a general idea of where I’m going, but the characters really decide for me.  If they start talking, I’m not about to interrupt!

In the Regency era, many marriages ended with the early death of a spouse, and Lord Edward Valentine is a case in point. Better known as the title character of Bedding Lord Ned, he’s your first widower hero. [Sally, correct me if I’m wrong on that!] Was it a challenge to balance his past losses and present romance?

Yes, Ned’s my first widower, and yes, the balancing act was an interesting challenge.  Ned and Ellie were childhood friends–and Ned’s wife was Ellie’s best female friends.  So there were many layers of feelings and interrelations to explore.

The covers for “The Duchess of Love” and Bedding Lord Ned both include a pet animal. What sort of role do pets play in the stories?

The funny thing is, I don’t have any pets myself–I had a pet turtle briefly as a child, but that’s the extent of my animal history.  So I hope I get them right since they do tend to show up in my books.  I think my original inspiration in this as in many things Regency is Georgette Heyer.  She used pets to great advantage.  I find them wonderful sources of comedy and action or simply an available ear to listen to a character ruminate.

In “The Duchess of Love,” Archie, Venus’s family dog, is responsible for her going to the pond where she meets her hero, the Duke of Greycliffe–though she initially confuses the duke with his cousin.  So Archie is her partner in crime.  In Bedding Lord Ned, Sir Reginald–or Reggie–the duchess’s cat, is the leading “criminal.”  He likes to steal things from the guests and hide them under Ned’s bed–especially the heroine’s scandalous red silk drawers.

In honor of the matchmaking Duchess of Love—have you ever served as a matchmaker, or had someone try to matchmake for you? How did it go?

Oh, dear, no!!  I have no aspirations to matchmaking.  I guess my “matchmaker” was the law school dorm’s kitchen. There’s where I met my husband.  If he’d opted for the meal plan, my life would have been very different as  we were in sections that never had classes together.

What books and events are coming up for you?

I’m furiously working to finish Jack’s story, the second book in the Duchess of Love series, and then it’s on to book three, the oldest son’s book.  And I still have to find a dress for our third son’s wedding (second son to marry) this summer.  He and his fiancée want to have the rehearsal dinner at our house, so at a minimum major cleaning must ensue.  And I’m planning to be at RWA National in Anaheim this July.

Thanks again, Sally!

Now Sally has a question for us: Everyone likes to say how they met their significant other, don’t they?  Anyone use a matchmaker?  My oldest son met his wife via one of those online dating companies.  Are those services 21st century matchmakers?  So, readers, please share how did you meet your “hero” (or heroine, if we have any male readers.)

*     *     *

Readers, thanks for joining us for the interview today, and I hope you’ll share your matchmaking stories. For the giveaway of the signed copy of Bedding Lord Ned, click on over to the Contest page and fill out the form there. (Please note: if you comment here, you won’t be entered in the giveaway. But you will get to chat with Sally!) The print version of Bedding Lord Ned is even more fun than most novels by Sally, because it includes her “Duchess of Love” novella as a bonus. Cool, eh?

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About Sally: A native of Washington, DC, Sally MacKenzie still lives in suburban Maryland with her transplanted upstate New Yorker husband. She’s written federal regulations, school newsletters, auction programs, class plays, and swim league guidance, but it wasn’t until the first of her four sons headed off to college that she tried her hand at romance. Please visit her home in cyberspace at www.sallymackenzie.net, or find her on Facebook or Twitter.

Order “The Duchess of Love” (e-novella, available now): amazon.com bn.com

Pre-order Bedding Lord Ned (print book; ebook also available; releases June 5): kensingtonbooks.com amazon.com bn.com booksamillion.com indiebound.org

Overheard recently.

Little Miss R: Daddy, there are two things you have to have for dance class. A leotard and ballet shoes. And tap shoes.

Mr. R: So there are three things.

Little Miss R: Right. Three things. A leotard and a tutu and tap shoes.

Mr. R: And ballet shoes?

Little Miss R: Right. Four things. And tights.

Mr. R: So there are five things.

Little Miss R: Right. Five things.

Three Guys from Monty Python, dressed in Nice Red Uniforms: You should come in again.

The short version: today I’m blogging with Limecello and giving away a copy of SEASON FOR TEMPTATION.

The longer version: Limecello describes herself as “reader, reviewer, lawyer, foodie, and discusser of all things random.” I really tested her on that last characteristic when I visited her in December to talk about holiday (or “holiday”) movies. And she was a total peach, if one can say that about a Lime. Not only was she ok with my randomness then, but today she has let me come back with more!

This is the nth anniversary of my first date with Mr. R, so in honor of that momentous date, I’m talking about the role of conflict in dating. Hint: it’s better in fiction than in real life. Another hint: skeletons may be relevant. Also: I made a table. (I know, I know.)

As I said in the short version, a copy of SFT is up for grabs to a random commenter. Open internationally, so get on the horn to your friends in Antarctica and tell them to stop by. And you–please stop by too! Share a favorite dating story from a book or movie.

That’s an exclamation, not an order. The cover of SEASON FOR SURRENDER is here, and it’s an absolute beauty.

I owe the Kensington art department a virtual high-five and a size XL thank-you for this cover. It’s got the beautiful colors and subtle holiday hints of the SEASON FOR TEMPTATION cover, plus…well, Louisa looks like she’s up to something, doesn’t she? Which she most definitely is.

My heartfelt thanks to bestselling author Julianne MacLean, who offered that lovely quote for the front cover. Julianne’s books are a complete joy to read, and I’m very honored by her kind words. (And her first Regency title will be released in just a few more weeks—watch for BE MY PRINCE on April 24!)

No doubt you all want to run out and pre-order 15 copies of SEASON FOR SURRENDER? Well, you can…sort of. There’s a little online glitch right now, and the book is listed as Season for Seduction (not Surrender) if you look it up on a book retail site. (Like this.) It should be corrected soon. In the meantime, feel free to seduce as well as surrender.

So are we featuring one author this month, or two? The answer is: yes.

Historical romance author Vanessa Kelly writes poignant, funny, passionate Regency-set romance for Kensington Zebra. To put it bluntly, it’s awesome stuff. Her most recent release, My Favorite Countess, has been nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Regency Historical Romance, and Vanessa herself has been called one of the “new stars of historical romance” by Booklist, a prestigious review journal.

Like all superheroes, Vanessa has an alter ego: V.K. Sykes, author of hot, fast-paced contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Vanessa writes the V.K. Sykes books in collaboration with her husband, and the stories all have one thing in common: alpha heroes, and heroines who are just as strong and determined.

Vanessa–or is that V.K.?–has graciously agreed to answer some questions about her two identities, the self-publishing brand V.K. is launching with other traditionally published authors, and what it would take to make her head explode. She’s giving away some books, too–read on!

*     *     *

Vanessa, thank you so much for being here!

As Vanessa Kelly, you write historical romance, and as V.K. Sykes, you co-write contemporary romance or romantic suspense with your husband. What draws you to those different genres?

Desperation.  I had to give my husband a hobby when he retired or I would have murdered him.  Ha!  I’m joking.  Mostly.  Anyway, I’ve loved historical romance since I was a teenager (thank you, Georgette Heyer!), so it was a natural drift toward that genre for me.  When Randy and I began writing together, we started with something he was interested in—sports.  That, of course, dictated contemporary romances, since a Regency sports romance probably wouldn’t work very well.  We also both like thrillers and suspense novels, so that was a natural progression, too.

Randy does help me with my historical romances, though.  He’s a spectacular researcher and he’s also one of my critique partners.  This keeps him busy and out of my hair.  Don’t tell him I said that. [TR: Your secret's safe with us! Unless he reads this post.]

Tell us about your most recent V.K. Sykes releases. How are they related to one another?

Our most recent book is Fastball, which is actually a prequel to our award-winning contemporary romance, Hardball (that book just won the Silken Sands Star Contest for Best Contemporary romance—I slip that in whenever I get the chance).  The hero and heroine of Fastballare the married best friends of Nate, the hero of Hardball.  We’d actually begun working on their book first, but switched to Hardball when we wanted to write something with a stronger suspense element.  But once Hardball was out we realized how much we liked the characters from Fastball, so we dug out the unfinished manuscript and got back to work.  For those folks who have read Hardball, Nate makes his first appearance in Fastball.

And, of course, both books are sports romances starring very hot athlete heroes.

We’ve also got another book coming out next week, called Hot Number. It’s not a sports romance, but the hero is also a very sexy guy—an ex-soldier who is now a security chief at a casino in Las Vegas.  I’d say that puts him in the alpha male category, like our other heroes.

How do you balance writing in two different genres? Do you and your husband have a process for writing the V.K. Sykes books?

We never work on the same book at the same time.  If he’s writing the first draft of a VK book, I’m working on a historical romance.  When those drafts are completed we switch out—he edits my manuscript while I revise his.  This is really important for me.  If I had to write two manuscripts at once—especially in different genres—my head would explode or I’d have a nervous breakdown.  Randy can probably compartmentalize better than I can, but he claims this strategy works for him too.  If we tried to work on the same manuscript at the same time, I fear very bad things would happen.

You’re self-publishing some of these Sykes releases. How does the writing community support indie authors?

It’s wonderful that authors now have the opportunity to control every aspect of their work and go directly to readers.  The downside is that indie books are flooding the market, and it’s getting harder and harder for readers to find quality read.  I’m part of a group of New York published print authors who have also branched out into indie publishing.  We’ve banded together as an author collective, and we’ll be officially launching Rock*It Reads next week.  Our authors are committed to producing high quality books, both in terms of story and in production values.  When readers see our logo—RIR—on our digital book covers, they can be assured they’re getting a story as good or better than anything put out by New York publishers.

Readers can find out more about us at www.rockitreads.com.

What do you love most about your hero and heroine from Hot Number? What do you think readers will love the most?

I love that Sadie is a geeky math professor and that Nick is a tough ex-soldier who works in the security business in Las Vegas.  They come together pretty explosively, and they’re forced out of their usual comfort zones by their spectacular attraction to each other.  This is also our funniest book, IMHO.  Sadie is a master of the one-liner, and she’s a very endearing and charming character.  And I think readers will love Nick.  He is one hot dude.

One thing your historicals and romantic suspense have in common? Heroes with unusual professions. Your latest Vanessa Kelly novel, My Favorite Countess, gained praise for its hero—a Regency doctor!—and your Sykes books have featured a video game mogul and sports stars. How do you settle on your heroes’ jobs?

When I wrote My Favorite Countess, I was experiencing some very persistent and discouraging health issues.  No one could figure out what was troubling me until I found my way to two very kind and brilliant doctors.  In part, I think the book is a tribute to them and to the help they gave me.

Plus, it was fun to write about something other than your usual aristocratic rake!

The heroine of My Favorite Countess was just as unusual as the hero: Bathsheba was actually the villainess in your previous release (Sex and the Single Earl). What was it like to write a heroine with so much baggage?

Tricky but fun.  Bathsheba just got into my head and wouldn’t let go.  But I had to give her a compelling backstory—something that explained her bad behavior and at least made it understandable.  Then I had to punish her quite a bit and make her genuinely remorseful.  And, of course, she ends up saving the day, rescuing several characters from really nasty fates.

In honor of your Sykes sports plots—what are your favorite leisure pastimes (besides reading and writing)?

Well, I’m not much of a sports fan, although Randy is.  But we enjoy riding bikes, going for walks, hanging out in coffee shops, and just generally lazing about.  Reading, though, tops the list for both of us.

What’s next for Vanessa and V.K.?

My next book comes out in October.  It’s a Christmas-themed historical romance called His Mistletoe Bride. It releases the same day another Christmas historical romance comes out—that particular book is by the very talented Theresa Romain. [TR: Oh, you. *blushes*]

Our next V.K. Sykes book is Hot Number, and it comes out next week.

Vanessa, thanks for being here–and please pass on my thanks to the other half of V.K. Sykes, too!

*     *     *

And now, the promised giveaway. Vanessa is offering a print copy of her latest Vanessa Kelly novel, My Favorite Countess, and an e-copy of V.K. Sykes’s Fastball, to one randomly chosen entrant. To enter the giveaway, please stop by the Contest page and fill in the blanks.

But we’d love to have a chat here, too! You’ve read about the jobs Vanessa’s historical and contemporary characters have. Do tell–is there a book character that you thought had an unusual or interesting job?

*     *     *

Bio:  Vanessa Kelly writes Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra.  Her latest book, My Favorite Countess, was nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and she was named by Booklist as one of the “new stars of historical romance.”  When not penning stories about aristocratic rakes and feisty misses, she’s writing contemporary romances with her husband, under the pen name of VK Sykes.  You can find her on the web at www.vanessakellyauthor.com or at www.vksykes.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanessakellyauthor • https://www.facebook.com/VKSykesBooks

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VanessaKellyAut • http://twitter.com/VKSykes

Buy on amazon: My Favorite Countess • Hardball • Fastball

In some ways, I am extremely sophisticated. For example, I never drink wine straight from the bottle. I always pour it into a plastic cup first.

But in other ways, my cultural understanding has been neglected. If you ask Mr. R what ways those might be, I guarantee you the first thing he’d say would be: Star Trek.[1]

Mr. R grew up with Star Trek: The Original Series (which we shall now call TOS). I didn’t watch the show until I was older, and even then it was The Next Generation (which we shall call TNG). We each think our version is better.[2]

This has been a point of contention in our relationship—a minor point, but a persistent one—ever since we were dating and we watched “The Trouble with Tribbles” together and I kept asking why the Klingons just looked like regular guys with smooth foreheads.[3]

Recently, for the sake of peace in the house as well as for improved cultural understanding, I agreed to re-watch TOS episodes with Mr. R. I admit, in the past I didn’t watch them in the proper spirit. I watched them reluctantly, only to earn Good Spouse Points that could be spent on, say, Jelly Bellys. I was too put off by the minidresses and giant hairdos to become immersed in the stories.

But as I’ve become more sophisticated (wine in a cup!) I have also realized that I wouldn’t expect a 40-year-old novel to read like one published this month. So why should I expect a 40-year-old TV show to appeal in the same way as a new one?

So I decided to let go of that particular expectation, though I held onto another: that I would be told a good story. If the story is good—that is, if the stakes are high and the plot is compelling and the characters seem real—then the outdated trappings won’t matter so much. If the story’s no good, those trappings will be unbearable.

Mr. R picked episodes that he thought had a fair chance of convincing me with their stories. The first one we watched was “Space Seed.” Khan—as in “Wrath of”—makes his first appearance in this episode. There is also a female character that Mr. R confidently informed me I would hate. The ship’s historian, she immediately developed Hot Pants for Khan. She even mutinies (let’s call it like it is) to help Khan take over the Enterprise.

I did hate her for that. But guess what? Khan doesn’t respect her either. At that point in the episode, she’s just a pawn to him. Only after she defeats a few of Khan’s cronies, then helps the Enterprise crew regain control of the ship, does Khan truly seem impressed with her. He even calls her a “superior female.” (I know. There’s no higher praise.)

There’s a pretty good message within this episode. As a Starfleet officer, the historian’s highest duty should be to her job, her ship, her crew. When she gets her head on straight and does what she thinks is right—which is protecting the crew—that’s when she convinces Khan of her worth. Minidresses and giant hairdos aside, that’s an idea I can get on board with: ladies, be true to yourselves, and respect will follow.

Since then, Mr. R and I have watched six other episodes. They haven’t all been works of genius, but I can honestly say that the reasons I like or dislike them don’t have anything to do with their look. Either the story works for me, or it doesn’t. I’m trying my best to give them a fair shake—and if that means Mr. R gives me Good Spouse Points and brings home a bag of Jelly Bellys, well, that’s just a bonus.[4]

How about you all? Ever been put off by a book’s cover or a show’s minidresses? Did the stories convince you in the end, or is there something you can’t overlook?

---

[1] Seriously. That’s what he would say.
[2] Though only I am correct.
[3] Dear Star Trek: has the difference in Klingon appearance over time ever been explained? Beyond Worf saying “we don’t talk about it” during one DS9 episode? Because I think it could be a really interesting story.
[4] By which I mean that it is awesome.

Once there was a little princess who lived with her father, the king, and her mother, the queen. On the night our story begins, the princess had been a little bit sick, and she was tired. Her parents were ready for her to go to sleep so the queen’s brother, the Royal Uncle, could come for a visit.

But it took two hours for the princess to doze off. Sometimes she coughed, and sometimes she was hot, and sometimes she was cold, and sometimes it felt like there was a pea under her mattress. When she did fall asleep, she soon woke up, and then she called for her mother with this song:

Mother, mother, come to me,
I’m sick and pitiful and three
Forever I will stay awake
Until your sanity doth break.

The queen loved her daughter very much, and she came at once to take care of her precious child. She gave medicine to the princess and rubbed the princess’s back until she fell asleep. And as the queen stayed with the princess, she thought to herself, “What a silly chant the princess has made up. I love to take care of her. I will never go insane.”

But the queen didn’t know that the princess was tricking her. The princess only pretended to fall asleep, because—like so many princesses—she was curious. And since she was just a little bit uncomfortable anyway, she decided she would rather stay awake and see her mother again.

She waited until the clock chimed 12, and then she sang her song again:

Mother, mother, come to me,
I’m sick and pitiful and three
Forever I will stay awake
Until your sanity doth break.

By this time, the Royal Uncle had come and gone, and the king was in his Royal Man Cave. The queen saw no need to bother him, since she was still awake. “I will help my daughter quickly,” thought the queen, “and then I will go to sleep.”

But the princess had other plans.

She sang her song again when the clock chimed one, and then again at four—which should have been three, but this was a very special night in which all the clocks skipped a nightly chiming. At five the princess sang again, and at six, and six-thirty.

Every time she sang, the queen woke up, and the queen went to her and tried to help her. And every time she sang, the song became a little more true. The princess felt more sick, and the queen began to feel more than slightly insane. And that night, which had been cut an hour short, seemed like the longest night that had ever existed.

When the clock chimed seven—which, let us not forget, was really like six chimes on an ordinary day—the princess arose from her bed for the last time. The sun was shining, and a gentle rain was falling, and the princess was, as always, curious.

So she went to the queen, and one final time, she sang her song:

Mother, mother, let us play.
I feel much better now it’s day.
Never again will I need sleep,
No matter how much you doth weep.

The queen looked into the smiling face of her daughter, and she realized that the song was true. The princess was still sick, but cheerful, and completely unaffected by her sleepless night.

Inside, the queen cried a bit.

With her final bit of energy, the queen escorted the princess into the castle’s great hall and arranged for Lord Pixar to perform a show for the little girl.

And then the queen went to the king and said, “she’s all yours,” and fell asleep at last.

The first thing you should know about Elise Rome is that you probably already know her. As Ashley March, she has published two historical romances: books with such lush, delicious prose that they ought to be eaten up with a spoon.

The second thing you should know about Elise–and you already know this too, if you’ve ever crossed paths with her online–is that she’s a complete joy to talk to. Seriously. She’s full of ideas, and she never loses her good humor. Not even at 2:21 a.m. (see below).

She’s working magic over on her own blog this month, running a March Madness romance series with daily author and reader interviews and giveaways. Amidst that delightful flurry, I pleaded for her to join me for a Q&A about her own work, and she kindly agreed.

Herewith: Elise discusses the benefits of cutting class, a job that might be as difficult as running a gaming hell, and all the new worlds she’s building on the page. And she’s offering a book giveaway!

*     *     *

Welcome, Elise! Do tell: how did you start writing historical romance?

It all began when I skipped my second-to-last semester in college. =) I had always been an overachiever with great grades, and at that time I had been driving an hour+ back and forth to college (I was already married), packing on a 18-credit courseload, and working a part-time job, and the truth was that I was simply burned out. So instead of going to classes each day, I went to my local bookstore to read and write. It was a much more enjoyable experience, and I had a lot of fun. =) Unfortunately, my first manuscript is not fit to ever see the light of day, no matter how many revisions I might make. As for historicals specifically, it seemed a natural fit, as I first fell in love with the romance genre through Jude Deveraux and then later again through Julia Quinn.

Your first two books, written as Ashley March (SEDUCING THE DUCHESS and ROMANCING THE COUNTESS) deal with the fallout from troubled marriages. What drew you to this type of story and characters?

When it comes down to it, I think I liked the fact that I was more emotionally invested in the characters and the outcome of the story. I knew their troubled histories, and I wanted so much for them to have the HEA that each couple deserved. Writing about characters with this baggage in their background automatically sets stories up for quite a bit of drama and angst and also sets the stakes high. In contrast, writing about a hero and heroine who may have just met brings an entirely different dynamic to a love story.

As Elise Rome, you’ll be self-publishing a new Victorian-set series—UNMASKED—this year. How did you come up with the idea for a gaming hell run by women?

Honestly, it was just one of those ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. I was actually trying to brainstorm an idea for a connected series of novellas when the idea of a gaming hell (awesome—thank you, Lisa Kleypas, for first forging down that path!) run by women (perhaps one of the best ideas I’ve ever had) came to me. However, when I first had the idea, it didn’t seem historically possible. That’s when I realized that each woman had to have a specific reason for why they would be involved in the gaming hell (they couldn’t just be aristocratic ladies doing it for fun), and there had to be a distinct explanation for how they came to own the building in the first place. I enjoy writing about characters and stories that seem realistic, so this was important to keep in mind as the idea gradually evolved in my mind.

Each of the women in the UNMASKED series had an occupation that led her to the gaming hell. What do you like about historical romance heroines who work, and how did you choose your characters’ backgrounds?

I like that they seem more realistic. It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading or writing about rich aristocrats, but characters that aren’t able to take money for granted have a more elemental appeal to me. If you gave me a choice between a heroine who has to figure out where she’s going to get her next meal and a heroine who has to figure out how to avoid a scandal to save her reputation, right now I’d choose the first heroine. I think the choices she might make in getting that next meal would be more interesting in terms of morality and how far she is willing to stray from her core beliefs and values.

For the specific women who own the gaming hell in the UNMASKED series, two of the characters have been nagging at me for their own stories for quite a while; it was just a matter of finding a setting and a series to place them. One of these characters is Lady Emma Whitlock (from my Ashley March novel SEDUCING THE DUCHESS). Lady Emma is, of course, from the upper class, but she is eccentric (she’s a writer!), so I felt I had a lot of leeway in placing her in this series (and I really can’t wait to reveal who her hero will be!). She enjoys being part of the aristocracy for the gossip she’s privy to, but she’d rather spend her time with the middle and lower class people that she features in her stories. The other character I previously had an idea for is Millie, a flower girl who developed a crush on an aristocrat who routinely bought flowers from her.

The other two characters were women I developed for this series. Rachel is perhaps the most pivotal character in the series, although most people wouldn’t consider her a “working” heroine; as the mistress to the previous owner, it is because of her that the four now own the hell. The owner willed the building to her upon his death, and she invited the other three women to join her in managing the establishment. As for the fourth character, Geneva…well, she’s a bit of a mystery. You’ll just have to read the series to find out more about her.

Your website tells us you have a 1920s series in the works too! What inspired you to choose that time period?

I’m calling it a series for now, but really it’s more of a “world”; there will be different trilogies set in New York, London, Paris, and Chicago. While I love writing in the Victorian period, I really wanted to try something new, too—something that you don’t see too much of in the historical romance genre, yet something that also allows for a rich variety of plots and characters. By developing The Golden Twenties world (spun from “the roaring twenties” because it focuses on the affluent and privileged of the time period), I’m able to do all of this. The historical events of the time period are incredible, but I was also drawn to all the moral, social, and political changes we see during the ‘20s. It also seems fitting in a way to write both the Victorian and 20s periods at the same time, as the 20s marked a movement away from many of the ideals and values celebrated in the Victorian period.

As the mother of two young superhero daughters, how do you balance writing with other demands on your time?

I used to say that I just don’t sleep very much, and while that’s still true (right now it’s 2:21 a.m. and my oldest daughter is awake beside me on the couch *sigh*), I feel that the balancing act has become much more of a struggle lately. I’m constantly working on new schedules to try to fit everything in at once. It does help, however, that I immensely enjoy everything about my life right now. =)

The heroine of your upcoming Victorian novella, “The Sinning Hour,” holds down a position as maid and also cares for an ill relative. In honor of that heroine, Miranda—what’s the most difficult job you’ve ever had?

Is “mother” as an answer allowed? [TR: Definitely. "Mother" is a job, and with very demanding bosses!]

I’ve actually been fortunate in that most of my previous jobs, while perhaps tedious and menial, were not very difficult. In terms of stress and exhaustion, I think the most difficult job was when I worked as the Director of Enrollment Services at a local international university. (I must be a masochist, because it was also the job I enjoyed the most.)

What’s the most intriguing tidbit of information you’ve ever turned up during your research?

Right now I’m doing a lot of heavy research on Long Island for my New York trilogy in the Golden Twenties world. This might just show you how ignorant I am about many things in the 1920s, but I found the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan during this decade to be very interesting. I usually associate the KKK with the southern US during the Reconstruction Era and hadn’t thought about the direct effects the influx of immigrants and popularity of jazz during the 20s (among other things) would have on the racist organization, especially as far north as Long Island, New York. (While interesting, I’m not certain the KKK will be an important factor in any of the books in this trilogy.)

What are a few of your favorite books—romance novels or otherwise?

I’m just going to ramble off the top of my head, in no particular order. =)

GONE WITH THE WIND, LITTLE WOMEN, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, WUTHERING HEIGHTS… As for recent romance novels, FIRELIGHT by Kristen Callihan, THE ROGUE PIRATE’S BRIDE by Shana Galen, SHE TEMPTS THE DUKE by Lorraine Heath, THE BLACK HAWK by Joanna Bourne, UNTIL THERE WAS YOU by Kristan Higgins…oh, I could go on and on. =)

What’s next for you?

Aside from working on the UNMASKED series and THE GOLDEN TWENTIES world, I always have several ideas running around in my head. Those two series are my main priorities right now, but I’m also hoping to delve into other historical time periods/places as well as a contemporary series in the future.

Thank you so much, Theresa, for inviting me to be your guest!

Elise, thank you so much for being here. I’m looking forward to reading all these books you’ve got planned!

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Remember how, way up at the top of the page, I mentioned that there was a giveaway connected with this interview? Elise’s books are featured this month on the Contest page of the website! She is very kindly offering copies of her sophomore Ashley March novel, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, and her soon-to-be-released Elise Rome novella, “The Sinning Hour” (which the winner will receive once it’s published this spring).

For a chance to win, click over to the Contest page and fill in the entry form. Simple as that! (Note: If you leave a comment on this post, you won’t be entered in the contest–but you will get to say hi to Elise, which is equally excellent.)

Elise Rome has never forgiven Margaret Mitchell for making her fall in love with Scarlett and Rhett in Gone with the Wind and then not giving them a happy ending. She likes to think that she makes up for this injustice with each romance novel she writes. When she isn’t telling stories about sexy, headstrong heroes and intelligent, independent heroines, Elise stays busy chasing after her two young daughters, semi-attempting to do housework, and hiking in the beautiful foothills of Colorado. Find Elise online at www.eliserome.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, or at the Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills.

My dear friend Spiceaholic—who regularly publishes the most drool-inducing food pics on the Web—wrote up a blog post chock-full of randomness and fired it in my direction with instructions to follow up.

Since randomness is one of my favorite topics EVER, I’ll do my best to comply with her instructions. Kind of. She wants me to begin by writing 11 fascinating facts about myself, but it was hard enough going public with goals on my Bucket List.

Here are two things about me that I can think of right off:

1. I’m left-handed, and I always notice when characters in movies or TV shows are left-handed (which most likely means the actor is). Mr. R absolutely hates when I do this. Probably because he is jealous.

Recently, we were watching an episode of original Trek–more on that in a future post–and I noticed Chekhov fiddling with a stylus in his left hand. “Hey!” I said. “Chekhov is left-hand…uh.” Because it is our considered opinion that Chekhov is probably the least bada$$ character ever featured on Star Trek, and that includes the Tribbles. (Sorry, Walter Koenig. It’s not you. It’s Chekhov.)

So Mr. R laughed in a cruel fashion and said that the next time I pointed out someone was left-handed, he would remind me that Chekhov is left-handed, and therefore it’s nothing to boast about.

Just another typical evening of romantic patter in our house.

2. My favorite color is dark gray. My second favorite color is black. Whenever I wear a brighter color, I feel like I might as well have plopped a basket of fruit on my head, Carmen Miranda-style. I have a red coat that I never wear because GEEZ WHAT AM I SOME KIND OF CIRCUS PERFORMER WHY DON’T I JUST PUT FRUIT ON MY HEAD TOO SO EVERYONE WILL LOOK AT ME.

In case you were wondering, yes, I am an introvert. I guess that’s a third fact. So there you go. If you add that to the 8 revelations of the Bucket List, I am in full compliance with Spiceaholic’s plan.

Let’s move along to the questions. Since Spiceaholic is a foodie, there are several delicious questions amidst the acquaintance-making items.

1.  How did you meet your significant other?  Juicy details, please!

He was a graduate teaching assistant, and I was to be one as soon as the new semester started. I went to talk to a TA friend in the shared TA office, and Mr. R was there. All through my conversation with my friend, Mr. R glared at me—which, as it turns out, is Mr. R code for “shiny.”

Being a rather introverted fellow (sound familiar?), he asked my friend if I was single. Being a rather extroverted friend, she gleefully relayed the query. It was all very cloak and dagger.

2.  Where’s the last place you went for vacation?

To visit relatives in Louisiana. We drove. (See #3 and 7 below.)

3.   You have a round-the-world plane ticket and you can pick 5 places to go.  Where are you going?

I am not going anywhere, because air travel gives me the horrors. Instead, I will sell that ticket on the Internet and use the money (part of it, anyway) to go to 5 diverse and delicious restaurants.

4.   What’s your favorite spice?

Ginger. She’s also my favorite Spice Girl.

5.  You have a surprise day off. How are you spending it?

I was better at this before I became a work-from-home type of person. Now I’m always at work when I’m home, so there’s no real boundary between “work time” and “time off.” But if I could magically divest myself of all sense of obligation, I’d love to read read read and go to lunch with friends.

6.  What is one thing you refuse to eat, no matter how much someone offered to pay you?

Recently on the Food Network show Chopped, the contestants had to cook with caul fat, which is the webby cartilage around animal intestines. I could hardly watch them work with it. Just typing this is enough to make me feel a little sick.

Even so. How much money are we talking about? I’d eat it for the right price.

7.  Have you always lived where you are currently living?

No. I lived in Louisiana as a kid. Now I live in the flat middle of the US, which means I’ve been retrained to say “you guys” instead of “y’all.”

8.   What was your biggest cooking/baking flop?

If I semi-follow a recipe, I don’t usually have too big a disaster. But one time, I was making pralines according to instructions from my father, who’s an intuitive cook of the “add more until it looks right” type. He never used a candy thermometer, just stirred until the candy took on a grainy look. WELL. Don’t get cocky if you’re making pralines, is all I can say. I didn’t stir it enough, and I let it overcook. The whole batch tasted delightfully of scorch.

There is a happy resolution, though. I’ve made pralines enough times to catch the candy at exactly the right point. But if you asked me what temperature that is…uh, I don’t know, because I never have used a candy thermometer. (What? It wasn’t part of the instructions.)

9.  Name a dish you’ve had at a restaurant that you’ve been able to successfully recreate at home.

I kind of recreated fried ice cream after falling in food-lust with it a few years ago. You can get a similar effect by rolling a scoop of ice cream in crushed cereal and drizzling it with honey. I used Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, Honey Bunches of Oats, and whatever bee-gorge my grocery store sold. This mockup doesn’t include the fried shell, but as it turns out, the honey and crunch was what I really loved.

10.  Cilantro — love it or hate it?

I’m neutral. It’s ok. This is a genetic thing, right—to tolerate cilantro or not? I know a lot of people (including Spiceaholic) have a strong distaste for it. Viz the website I Hate Cilantro. The taste comparisons are hilarious: “like licking a handful of dirty change” or “a bag of hair with an onion inside, on fire.” I almost wish I knew what all the fuss was about.

11.  What’s the gutsiest thing you’ve ever done?

Gutsy—now I’m thinking of caul fat again. *turns green*

Um. Ok. Well, probably becoming self-employed was the…you know…thing I’ve ever done. I couldn’t have done it without the full support of Mr. R, plus some lovely people who have kept working with me through and since the switch. Thanks, lovely people. Really and truly.

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Now, to fully obey Spiceaholic’s instructions, I’d tag 11 more people and pass on 11 questions of my own. But I’ve just been coming up with questions for my next guest blogger—I know! Tease!—so I’m kind of inquisitioned out.

Instead, here’s just one for you. What’s your favorite dinner recipe for those days you’re short on time or cooking-patience? I have a lot of those days, so I’m always eager to learn new meal tricks.