Maureen Child is ... BEDEVILED!!

By Kate

With over 100 books and counting, Maureen Child is as prolific as she is versatile and talented, and she’s got SIX prestigious RITA nominations to prove it. She’s back in the Lair today to talk about her newest book, BEDEVILED, the first in her Queen of the Otherworld series. Booklist gave it a *starred review* and said “Clap if you believe in Faeries, and even if you don’t you can applaud Child’s heartwarming, hilarious adventure, a ticket to the fantastic Otherworld and back.”

And I’ll just add that BEDEVILED has the world’s hottest cover! Please join me in welcoming back the completely fabulous Maureen Child!!!

Maureen: Wow. I love being completely fabulous! Thanks for the welcome Kate, and hey, Banditas! Nice to be back!!

Kate: I can’t believe I’m finally getting my hands on this incredible book! Can you give us a hint about the story?

Maureen: Hmm. Hint. Okay, Maggie Donovan is your everyday, ordinary woman who paints windows for a living (That’s ordinary. I used to do that!). And everything in her life is pretty great until she goes to return her ex boyfriend’s ABBA cds and finds him being eaten and not in a sexual way. When it looks like Maggie’s about to be dessert, she fights back and ends up killing the creature, but sucking in a lot of what looks like gold dust. Turns out, it’s Faerie dust and its already changing Maggie. Oh, and then she meets Culhane and—

Kate: Okay hold it right there! We’ll get back to Maureen in just a moment but first I’d like you all to feast your eyes on Culhane, the fierce warrior hero of BEDEVILED...

His long, black hair fell to his shoulders and he swung it back and out of his way as he moved silently through the house, cataloging every room in his mind. He was tall, even for a Fenian, standing almost six feet five inches. His legs were long, his arms muscular and the harsh planes of his face rarely twisted into a smile. He’d lived too long, fought too hard to find much worth smiling about.

Maureen: Wow, he does sound yummy, doesn’t he? And hello? Did somebody mention that sigh worthy cover?? And Maggie Donovan thinks he’s pretty yummy, too—of course she can’t let HIM know that. Culhane’s already way too sure of himself.

Kate: Oh, yummy indeed!! I do love a world-weary alpha warrior – and I’m not the only one, right Banditas? So, Maureen, a few years ago you insisted that you didn’t really like alpha heroes. But uh, now you’re like the freaking queen of the alpha hero! What changed for you? And what’s your secret for making your hot alpha heroes so likable and—dare I say it?—funny?

Maureen: Poor Kate! You had to listen to me whine about writing Alpha heroes!! I never did like a pushy, arrogant guy. They just irritated me beyond measure and while reading a book with that type of guy in it, I was continually yelling at the heroine, “Are you NUTS?? Why do you love this jerk??”

Then ... I finally discovered the secret to Alpha guys. At least for me. My heroes aren’t pushy, they’re bossy. They’re not arrogant, they just know they’re right. (Okay, fine, not a great distinction, but it works for me!) And my Alphas always have a sense of humor. My Alpha hero does what he thinks is best for the heroine and when the heroine shoots him down, he’s completely perplexed. Why can’t she see that he’s right? It’s for her own good! Also, my Alphas always get a heroine who won’t let them get away with much—all the women I know are strong enough to stand up to an Alpha! And there’s always a few laughs along the way, mostly because I just can’t help myself.

Kate: Just bossy, huh? I like it! And by the way, don’t miss Maureen’s AN OFFICER AND A MILLIONAIRE , out this month from Silhouette Desire. If anyone picked up any Harlequin/Silhouette book in December, you no doubt read the fabulous excerpt for this book–which was featured at the end of every single Harlequin/Silhouette book published in December! It’s that good! Do not miss it!

Maureen: Thanks for the plug, Kate! (Oh, and please don’t hold that cover against me!!)

Kate: Hey, come on, that guy is cute! Oh, and next month, another of Maureen’s awesome alpha heroes will show up in her latest Silhouette Nocturne, VANISHED. This one features her sexy Immortal Guardians and got a Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine!

Maureen: Oooh. Rogan Butler’s story. VANISHED is set in Ireland in the village of Tourmakeady, where my dh and I stayed the last time we were there. I LOVE Ireland, have I mentioned that before??

Kate: Uh, once or twice, yeah. And wow, another HOT cover! So what’s coming up next for you?

Maureen: Right now, I’m working on more of my King books for Silhouette Desire. And I just finished the sequel to BEDEVILED, it’s called BEGUILED and it’s due out next November and … hopefully there are dozens more books lined up right behind them! Nothing I like better than LOTS of deadlines!

Thanks for having me back at the Banditas Lair! Always a good time. And in 2009, I wish you all good health, great joy and fabulous books!

Okay, let’s talk alpha heroes. Yay or nay? Everyone knows what Kate thinks (yum!), but what do you love most about the alpha guy? Or do you prefer the boy next door? Hmm, Kate likes him, too!

And of course, two lucky commenters will win a signed copy of Maureen’s BEDEVILED!