Annie's Winners!

Wow, what a huge day we had in the lair yesterday. Thanks to Annie West and everyone who swung by to turn her visit into a party.

Annie very generously offered commenters two prizes and without more ado, the winners are:

ANTONIA (PRINCE OF SCANDAL)

GANNON (RAFE'S REDEMPTION)

Congratulations, girls! Please email Annie on annie @ annie-west.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading!

The Best of the West

by Anna Campbell

Annie West is one of our lair favorites and I'm delighted to have her back again to talk about not just one, but TWO new releases. Oh, lucky Romancelandia!

PRINCE OF SCANDAL is a luscious royal romance with touches of Pygmalion - you'll love these two characters right from their first meeting which is an absolute doozy.

RAFE'S REDEMPTION was originally published in the U.K. as THE BILLIONAIRE'S BOUGHT MISTRESS. It's one of Annie's sexiest and most compelling love stories, full of drama and emotion.

You can find out more about Annie and her wonderful books on her website: www.annie-west.com And don't forget if you click on the covers, it takes you right to Amazon. We make it so easy for our Bandita Buddies!

Annie has very generously offered two prizes today so two lucky commenters will win either RAFE'S REDEMPTION or PRINCE OF SCANDAL. Good luck!

So without more ado, here's ANNIE!!!!


Annie, delighted to have you as my guest again on the Romance Bandits.

You’ve been really busy lately with not one, but TWO U.S. releases in the last few weeks. Let’s start with your wonderful PRINCE OF SCANDAL featuring the gorgeous and very tortured Prince Raul (that’s RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROWL to any red-blooded woman). Can you tell us about this story?

Hi Anna, it’s fantastic to be here with the Banditas again. Thanks for slipping me into the packed schedule! Waving here to all the Banditas and guests. I feel I’ve been missing in action for a while due to a recent tough schedule and severely limited time online (advice to all other computer users – NEVER neglect a back problem – it won’t magically fix itself, as I’m learning to my cost).

Ooh Anna, I’m so pleased you like Raul (I can hear that RRRRROWL from here!). But of course, as he’s tortured he’s right up your alley. I know you have a fondness for wounded heroes. I suspected you’d like him even while he gave me a difficult time as I wrote. What is it with princes wanting things to go their own way?

Ahem, OK – that question again? Well, no prizes for guessing it’s a royal story. Plus it’s a Marriage of Convenience story (no, I wasn’t ticking off themes – it’s just the way the story worked out). Take one serious, and seriously gorgeous prince who must marry (not just anyone but the woman specified in a dynastic marriage contract) before he can inherit the throne he’s spent his whole life preparing for. Ensure his past and present circumstances make it imperative he do his duty by inheriting. Mix with an independent business woman who wants nothing to do with her mother’s long lost aristocratic family or the perks of royalty (she’d seen the negative side of that world of privilege and position as a kid). Stand back and enjoy the sparks.

I have to admit (and Anna will bear me out on this) that I snickered with anticipation over this story from the moment I imagined Raul and Luisa meeting on her farm. He’s all Armani tailoring, serious shoulders and lean, dark looks. Luisa’s in dungarees, a battered hat and head to toe mud after an altercation between a cow and a flooded creek. He’s expecting a princess. She doesn’t own a dress. He’s come looking for his bride to be, expecting excitement and gratitude. Being ordered off the property comes as something of a shock. But being a true alpha hero he recovers quickly and sets about getting what he wants.

There’s a touch of Cinderella to the story but Luisa isn’t a woman to be ‘made over’ and quietly defer to other people’s expectations of how she should look and behave. That was part of the fun of this story – watching Luisa do things her way, not taking the tried and true route expected of her. She takes the wind out of Raul’s sails more than once, which is fair since he plays havoc with her expectations of a buttoned up royal. She’s never sure what to expect next. There’s a fair bit of sizzle in this story and reader feedback so far has been very nice indeed.

I'm not surprised. It's a brilliant classic love story. American readers have a bonus Annie West available now in your wonderful RAFE’S REDEMPTION which was originally released as THE BILLIONAIRE’S BOUGHT MISTRESS. Can you tell us about this story?

Oh, I’m so very pleased Rafe and Antonia are finally crossing the Atlantic to visit North America. This book was written in response to a request from my editor for a three story anthology to showcase new authors. It was one of my favorites to write – it kept me on the edge of me seat all the way through – I think that’s a good thing. Speaking of sizzle, this one has it in spades. It’s available now from the eHarlequin site but don’t look for it in other bookstores as it’s a limited release.

Rafe Benton is planning revenge against the man he’s grown up hating – his estranged father. He will do whatever it takes to succeed, including using a stranger as a pawn in his plans. He sees Antonia as his father’s latest favorite and decides to steal her from under his nose, flaunting her as his mistress while he brings down his father’s business empire. Antonia is between a rock and a hard place, not because of what she’s done, but because of her beloved, recently dead father. Why else would she even consider accepting a position as a rich man’s mistress? It’s a story about redemption and the power of love.

This book was a real challenge to write and I’m so glad I did. The clash between these two is so strong, as are their feelings. Frankly I was a little scared about whether I could do Antonia justice as it would be too easy to write her into a situation where she was simply a victim. I needn’t have worried though as I discovered the more difficult her position the stronger she grew, finding new and inventive ways to assert her independence even when Rafe thought he was the one in control. It’s had a few reviews already including “Sizzling, emotional and poignant…” Pink Heart Society (5 stars) and "will keep you turning the pages late into the night with its captivating blend of drama, passion, intrigue and romance”(CataRomance 4.5 stars).

Congratulations on the wonderful reviews. It has to be asked – what is it with you and heroes whose names start with ‘R’? Was your first boyfriend a Rasputin or a Rattlepate?

If only my first boyfriend had been anything like so interesting! No, I wasn’t going through an R phase. The books were written a couple of years apart so it’s coincidence. But I do like R, I have to say. Just think about Rupert Carsington or RRRRichard Armitage.

What's next for you?

I’m putting the finishing touches (fingers crossed) to what I hope will be my first Beauty and the Beast story. In the meantime, my next release is for those who enjoy a sultry hot sheikh romance. GIRL IN THE BEDOUIN TENT begins with my heroine being given as an unwilling sex slave to a visiting prince. Again, Anna will confirm I couldn’t wait to get started on that one – it was a treat to write.

GIRL IN THE BEDOUIN TENT is up for pre-order at the Book Depository at a bargain price - check out this link: http://www.bookdepository.com/Girl-Bedouin-Tent-Annie-West/9780263886900

I don’t know when the North American release will be but I’ve seen the UK edition (it’s out in September) and the cover is my fave so far. Here’s a link if you want to check it out. My next American release is THE SAVAKIS MERGER in November – about a clash between two very passionate Greek lovers. The opening scene from this story is one my writing group will never let me forget (in a good way!).

Ooh, I remember that steamy opening scene! A little bird (well, you, actually!) tells me you’re about to embark on another wonderful European trip. Given the last one inspired your beautiful fairytale romances PROTECTED BY THE PRINCE and PRINCE OF SCANDAL, we avidly await the fruits of the inspiration you’ll find from your journeyings. Can you tell us about your travel plans?

Try to stop me, Anna! We’re away a little over a month. During that time I’ll be in London catching up with my editor and some other authors (can’t wait!). I’m hoping for time to visit the Faberge collection at Buckingham Palace as well as see some other sights. There’ll be a week in a tiny Parisian apartment with, I hope, lots of strolling and window shopping and café sitting while I people watch. Did I mention tasting the marvellous food and wine? A short stay in the Loire Valley learning about Chateaux, a longer stay in the Dordogne which I think will be a real highlight, and a quick visit to Germany where my daughter will be studying. Jealous yet? Yes, I’m already thinking of using some of this in an upcoming story or two. How could I not be inspired?

Ooh, I'm envious! Have a wonderful time. So do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies?

Thanks so much, Anna. I’m looking forward to chatting with everyone.

I’m giving away two books so maybe I should combine two questions to give people a chance to win.

Since I’ve been spending so much time lately thinking about fantastic heroes, and just a little time looking forward to my next vacation, how about telling me your perfect match – who you’d feature as the hero of your perfect romance and where they’d be.

Since the letter R was mentioned I’ll venture an example – Anna’s personal fave, RRRichard Armitage in a castle in Romania, surrounded of course by dark woods that harbour wolves and at least one daredevil heroine. Of course it would have to be a gothic romance.

How about you? What combination of hero and location match. Of course you can throw in the heroine too if you like.

A signed copy of PRINCE OF SCANDAL and a signed copy of RAFE'S REDEMPTION are up for grabs today. So let's get this party started!

Getting to the Bottom of Things!

by Anna Campbell

I went looking for a line of nice male rear ends to illustrate this post - and do you know what? I couldn't find one! Plenty of girls but no guys! Clearly we need to man (or woman!) the barricades of sexual equality, girls!

Anyway, I thought the elephants illustrated my point well enough although nowhere near as prettily!

Actually this isn't anything about nicely shaped rear ends! It's about taking your story to its most basic elements so when people ask you about it, you can answer them without stuttering or spending an hour recounting the whole plot. I've tried that - the glazed eyes have to be seen to be believed!

By the way, stop press, thanks to Avon, I've got another ARC to give away today! Yes, comment on this post and you can win an advance reader copy of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER! Get commenting, people!

Double stop press! I couldn't find a line but I did find a very nice single example of getting to the bottom of things! For your viewing pleasure, ladies!

Just recently a friend of mine emailed me in a panic because she needed an article for a newsletter and for various reasons that were nobody's fault, the person she'd lined up couldn't do it. Could I help? I was having the day from the proverbial but because she's a friend, I put something quick together about MY RECKLESS SURRENDER.

And I realized that sometimes it helps not to over-think stuff!

One of the wonderful things about promoting CAPTIVE OF SIN, my last book, was that just before it came out, I worked out that it was a classic marriage of convenience story in Regency noir guise. Nice little soundbite to deliver when people asked - and intriguing enough to get readers interested in the story which is just what you want.


MY RECKLESS SURRENDER is about a dangerous seduction in Regency London which is an OK description as far as it goes but I want something to draw a reader in. I stewed and stewed about what I could say about this book - we all know the popular themes in romance. Secret baby. Cinderella (actually there's elements of that in this story). Marriage of convenience. Revenge plot. Fish out of water. Friends into lovers. There's a stack of them - and I think we've covered most of them in Bandita blogs at some stage.

Anyway, writing this piece for my friend while juggling various tradesmen (none of whom looked like the guy in the photo, sadly!), I sat down to do a quick description of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER and I automatically described it as a 'ticking bomb romance'.

Diana Carrick makes a deal with the devil which will give her everything she’s ever wanted. To make her dreams come true, she agrees to commit what she believes is a victimless crime and seduce the notorious rake Tarquin Vale, the Earl of Ashcroft.

But of course, there's no such thing as a victimless crime...

Tarquin and Diana find themselves caught in a liaison that is nothing like either expected and which plumbs dangerously profound emotional depths. With every moment, Diana is trapped more inescapably between her deception and her growing love for this man who is nothing like the careless, heartless rake she expected. Her secrets threaten to destroy both of them, but she’s gone too far now to retreat.

I love ticking bomb plots! You know, the ones where the readers know more than either the hero or heroine and are just waiting on tenterhooks for that moment of revelation where everything blows sky high. Then of course, the characters need to gird their loins (nothing like that moment when the characters gird their loins!) and deal with the fall-out which takes all their courage and strength and love. Great high-stakes romance!

I’ve seen my first review for MY RECKLESS SURRENDER and it’s a beauty. Romantic Times Book Reviews chose the book as a June Top Pick and called the story ‘enthralling’, ‘complex’ and ‘passionate’ and finished the review by saying “Quite a book!”

Clearly they like ticking bomb romance plots too!

So thinking back over one of the books you've read recently, how would you describe the story at its most basic level? For example, Annie West's wonderful FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD (which recently hit the USA Today list - huzzah!) is an amnesia/secret baby story with a dash of Cinderella thrown in. CLAIMING THE COURTESAN is Beauty and the Beast. Christine's debut SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER is friends into lovers. So how would you describe your recent reading?

Don't forget there's an ARC of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER, now christened a ticking bomb romance, up for grabs! Good luck!

Annie's Booty!

Thank you, Annie West and all the Banditas and Buddies, for a fabulous day in the lair on Friday! We all had a wonderful time discussing delicious food and I have now put on five extra pounds! Whaaah! The winners of the two prizes are:

LAURIE won Annie's latest Harlequin Presents release FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD

LYNZ won her choice either of of Annie's contest-finaling books, THE SAVAKIS MISTRESS or BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INNOCENT WIFE.

Congratulations, girls! Please email Annie on annie@annie-west.com with your snail mail address and she'll get your prizes off to you.

West and (passionate) Union!

by Anna Campbell

It is my great pleasure to bring back to the lair one of our favorites, Aussie Harlequin Presents/Sexy/Modern author Annie West.

Annie's here to tell us what's been happening in her world (lots of good stuff) and give us some background info in her great new North American release FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD. FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD is a brilliant take on a couple of really popular romance themes, including amnesia and the secret baby! How can you resist?


You can find out more about Annie and her books (including great contests) on her website: www.annie-west.com

You can order Annie's books post free anywhere in the world from The Book Depository or even easier, if you click on the covers of any of her North American releases, it takes you right to that page on Amazon.

Annie, welcome back to the lair! Your latest North American release is the wonderful FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD. Can you tell us about this story?

Hi Anna! Hi Banditas!. Thank you for inviting me back. It’s lovely to be a guest here again. I always feel so at home here. Speaking of which, I’ll take mine chilled and with bubbles if there’s anything liquid on offer, she says, looking around for a handsome young waiter...


What can I tell you about FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD? Well, the back cover says: ‘He’s forgotten their past but not her body…’ I love that line! It sums up Alessandro’s predicament. Successful, gorgeous, hard-working Italian tycoon seeks information on his missing past. He finds it in the most unlikely place – a brochure for a Melbourne hotel. One of the staff pictured there evokes a series of almost-memories that Alessandro’s determined to follow up. Once he sees Carys he’s convinced she holds the key to his past. More, he knows with absolute certainty she was his. So he does what any red-blooded Italian male would do – gets her to himself.

Carys wants nothing to do with the man who gave her such happiness then destroyed it. But Alessandro isn’t the sort of man you can brush off and he’s not taking no for an answer. Both discover far more than they bargained for as they gradually get to uncover the truth. It was tremendously satisfying to write a story so packed with emotion, where the characters grow beyond their past hurts and learn to build on the positive.

What were the inspirations behind this book?

The book came about because I’d wanted for a while to write a secret baby book – one where the father discovers out of the blue that he has a child. But the sticking point was always why the heroine hadn’t told him, closely followed by why he hadn’t got involved in their lives earlier. I loved the emotional potential of such stories but had to find a plot, and characters who convinced me they were real. Once I sorted that, the story catapulted on at an amazing pace as Carys and Alessandro took over my life.

One of the joys of writing this story was researching the Lake Como district, where much of the story is set. I’d been there but needed to refresh my memory. Discussions with Italian friends, reading travel guides and indulging in Italian food helped me dive into that world. The location itself proved a great inspiration.


What’s coming up next?

Ah, Anna, I’m thrilled about the next book. Last year my editor asked if I’d write a story in a short continuity – the DARK-HEARTED MEN OF THE DESERT series. I jumped at the chance and I’m so glad I did. Writing Tahir’s story was such a treat. He fascinated me. He’s a loner, a man rejected in his youth who turned to rebellion before devoting himself to life in the fast lane. Hugely wealthy by his own efforts and good fortune, he’s busy sampling life’s pleasures. The trouble is they’ve started to bore him. Then he meets Annalisa: gentle, caring , capable and unlike anyone he’s met. When his chopper goes down in the desert she saves him and their lives are never the same again.

I particularly loved writing the scene where Annalisa, alone at an oasis, looks up to see a tall man in a tuxedo slipping down the sand dune towards her. His bow tie is undone, his face is covered in sand and a pair of piercing blue eyes fix on her. He’s unsteady on his feet, like an elegant party goer who’s had too much champagne. It’s only when he collapses in front of her she realizes he’s injured. And yes, I freely admit I was thinking of Daniel Craig as 007 as I wrote that.

Oops! I’ve rambled. Sorry! As you can see, I’m so excited about SCANDAL: HIS MAJESTY’S LOVE-CHILD coming out soon. There’s an excerpt on my website if you want to check it out. By the way, despite the similarity in titles, these two aren’t linked books. They were named after I started writing.

There’s always so much going on in the Annie West universe. I notice your wonderful THE SAVAKIS MISTRESS is a Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence finalist. And both THE SAVAKIS MISTRESS and BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE are finalists in the Australian Romance Readers Association Awards. Congratulations! You have a story out in a March anthology in the United Kingdom (remember, you can order all Annie’s books post-free from the Book Depository). THE SHEIKH’S RANSOMED BRIDE is one of my favorite books of yours and I’m delighted a whole new audience will discover this great story now it’s out in LORDS OF THE DESERT: THE SHEIKH’S CINDERELLA. Can you tell us about THE SHEIKH’S RANSOMED BRIDE?

Fantastic! A chance to talk about another of my fave books! Hey, I like visiting here, Anna lets me have such fun. Thanks for the congratulations on making the finals of the Australian Romance Reader Awards. That’s an enormous thrill!

Belle and Rafiq’s was my first sheikh story. It would never have got written except a certain crit partner (AC) kept saying ‘You should write a sheikh story.’ To which I’d reply ‘No, I couldn’t do the justice to the sheikh fantasy’. To which the response was, like clockwork ‘Yes you could. It’d be great!’. This went on for ages, as we giggled over potential titles (my favorite was ‘Pashing the Pasha’. If you ever see that title you’ll know Anna and I have finally collaborated on a story – what a hoot that would be). Finally she wore me down and I started plotting.

This book almost wrote itself. In fact (dare I say it? My editor didn’t even ask for revisions!). It’s a marriage of convenience story with an element of suspense as well as lots and lots of sensual tension. It’s full of exotic things that were enormous fun to include like pirates, priceless heirloom jewelry, an exotic oasis camp, marine archaeology (hey, they’re on an island!) and a kingdom that’s a fascinating mix of ancient and modern. The romance is between a handsome monarch who takes what he wants (he has the practiced skills of a seducer as well as a steely core of honor) and a woman who sees herself as ordinary yet is anything but. I’m so lucky I was allowed to let my imagination run riot with this book. How often do you get to start a story with a kidnapped heroine stuck on a desert island wearing only a swimsuit and manacles on her hands and feet!

I’m always interested in a writer’s core story. For example, mine is definitely Beauty and the Beast. Do you think you have a core story and why do you think this particular core story appeals to you?

Anna, I have to say the story that keeps appearing in my work is Cinderella. Lots of my stories have transformations and an apparent mismatch between a wealthy, powerful hero and a heroine who’s doing it tough. However my Cinderellas don’t sit around waiting for their princes to appear with glass slippers. They’re trying to improve their lives or help those they care for and they’re not always sure Prince Charming is who he says he is! It makes them intriguing to write. I also seem to throw in a few other story themes like Beauty and the Beast or Rapunzel or even The Frog Prince. Oh, I forgot – why does Cinderella appeal? Probably I’ve always loved the idea that the most ordinary person could be special. That princesses weren’t just the loveliest, smartest, most favored people, but sometimes the ones who did it tough, who blended into the ordinary world yet who had something – character or generosity or heart that was special.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

One thing that I discovered: it’s helpful to know what’s happening in the market, it’s fantastic to get useful feedback from contests, it’s fascinating playing ‘pick the trend’ and seeing what’s selling and what’s not, but none of it helps unless you write a book you’re committed to – not just because the goss is that this way is the next big trend but because you love the story, you believe in the characters AND it’s the sort of story that plays to your strengths. I don’t mean you should ignore the wider world, but at the same time you need to remember writing a book is intensely personal. You’ll never appeal to everyone and you have to love it yourself. Particularly for someone trying to get their first project published, it’s important to focus on the sort of story that lends itself to your voice, that sparks your imagination and that inspires you. And to anyone out there, aiming for publication – good luck!

Annie, is there anything you'd like to ask our Banditas and Buddies to get conversation started?

Talking about these stories made me remember visiting marvelous places. For me one of the treats of traveling is trying local specialties. When I wrote Carys and Alessandro’s story I remembered the fresh-made lemon gelato I had at Lake Como and crisp white wine (not at the same time). With Tahir and Annalisa’s story it was memories of waking to a breakfast that included home-made rose petal jam and evening meals with skewered meats and middle eastern treats

Do you have favorite food memories from your travels or your reading, or even your home town? Is there a special dish (or drink for that matter) that instantly transports you back to somewhere special?

Annie has very generously offered us TWO giveaways today in the lair to people who leave a comment. The first is a signed copy of FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD, the second is your choice from her contest finaling books, THE SAVAKIS MISTRESS or BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE. All fantastic reads! Good luck and get commenting!

Annie West's Booty!

Thanks, everyone, for a great day in the lair on Monday when Annie West visited to talk about her fabulous new releases BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE and FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD.

Annie very kindly donated two prizes. The winner of BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE is:

PINK PEONY!

And the winner of your choice of Annie's backlist is:

DEB!

Deb, check out Annie's website www.annie-west.com if you're not sure which of her fantastic books you'd like. You can't go wrong with any of them.

Congratulations, girls. Please email Annie on annie@annie-west.com with your snail mail details and she'll get your books out to you pronto.

Go West, Young Man!

by Anna Campbell

I'm delighted to welcome back to the lair my good friend and critique partner Annie West, who has become a regular on the Waldenbooks bestseller lists!

A lot has been happening in her world lately, including the inclusion of the wonderful THE DESERT KING'S PREGNANT BRIDE in Michelle Buonfiglio's list of Barnes and Noble's Best Books of 2009. You can see the complete list here - some more for the TBR pile!

For more information about Annie and her books, please visit her website.

You can order her U.K. releases from the Book Depository. This wonderful bookstore ships books all around the world and they charge NO POSTAGE AT ALL! Great deal!

Annie, December’s a really exciting month for you with not one, but TWO releases! Firstly, can you tell us about your latest American release BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE. I’d love to know something about the inspiration behind this story too!

Hi Anna. Thanks so much for inviting me over and helloooo to all the Banditas and their buddies. Hope you’re all thriving! I’m thrilled with the feedback I’ve been getting on BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE. I didn’t deliberately set out to write this book. It hi-jacked me along the way. I was writing an article and looking for examples to illustrate my point about how a character’s perception of scents can tell us a lot not only about a setting but also their emotions. I picked on a wedding (hey, I write romance) and gave an example of a bride walking up to the aisle. Instead of floating on air as the scent of orange blossom filled the church, she was sick to the stomach. The scent of flowers cloyed and she wanted to be anywhere else but there. Instantly my writer’s brain kicked up a notch. WHY didn’t she want to be there?


I let myself get distracted pondering her story and found Alissa had to marry, despite her ingrained fear of marriage. Bad situation. Then, of course, I made it worse. She felt safe with the man she’d arranged to marry. So when she gets there, he’s nowhere to be found. Even worse situation – she must marry within a short time frame. Could things get worse? When she arrives she finds the one man in the world she absolutely, categorically doesn’t want to see. Alissa’s having a monumentally bad day by this stage, so of course I just had to increase the stakes yet again.

If you want to find out what happens you can read an excerpt here (yes, aren’t I blatant?). Dario and Alissa both decide the person they’re marrying is the one person in the world who epitomises everything they dislike. It takes them a long time to realise they’ve actually married the one person in the world just perfect for them.


This book is just delicious! And you made me cry, you rotten so and so! Also in December, you have a new release in the U.K., FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE CHILD. Can you tell us about that story?

“He’s forgotten their past, but not her body…” Like the tag line? I do! Take one very controlled, successful, sexy Italian who’s lost a snippet of his life and won’t be satisfied till he fills in the blank spaces. Add a woman who’s loved and lost and had her dreams shattered in the process. She’s determined to move forward and forget the past. When Alessandro discovers Carys, he realises she’s the key to those missing months. He’s determined to regain his memory of that time. In the process he discovers there’s unfinished business between them. But given their past, Carys isn’t prepared to bow to Alessandro’s wishes. Trouble is the more she resists the more ruthless he becomes.

Yum! Readers have a treat in store there. What’s coming up next for you?

I’m trying desperately to finish a story inspired by all those fairy tales I read as a child, and a more recent visit to Europe in winter. Think handsome princes in cavalry uniforms, castles and balls and sleigh rides. But that’s still a way off. Before that FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE CHILD will make it to North America in April and in July my debonair hero Tahir wanders out of the desert in his tuxedo (I was channelling 007 as I wrote him) and onto the pages of SCANDAL: HIS MAJESTY’S LOVE CHILD.

I love how you use classic romance themes and give them an individual twist. In the case of BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE, it’s a marriage of convenience. In the case of FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE CHILD, it’s amnesia AND a secret baby (double whammy, that one, no wonder it’s such a doozy of a tale!). Do you start out with the theme in mind or does the theme develop with the story? Do you have favorite examples of either of these themes that perhaps inspired you when you were writing both books?

Oh dear, it sounds like I tried to make Carys and Alessandro’s story as difficult as possible! For years I’d read secret baby stories. When they work I adore them. When the reason for the hero not knowing about the baby is too flimsy, I sit there wishing the heroine would assert herself and make him believe, or have the gumption to break the news to him though she doesn’t want to. I wanted to write one but when I tried to think of a reason he didn’t know about the bub I came up with an idea so thin you could see right through it, or one straight out of someone else’s story, which I couldn’t steal. Finally (to much rejoicing) an idea hit me of why he wouldn’t know, and better yet, why she wouldn’t be hammering on his door daily, making him take responsibility for his child. The fact that the two reasons were linked, and played on Carys and Alessandro’s deepest insecurities, made it more fun.

No, I didn’t look to other stories for inspiration. I steered clear of anything that might influence me. They say copying is the sincerest form of flattery but I wanted this to be my take on these ideas. As for the amnesia plot, I’ve written one before (an unpublished ms) and it was great to give it a whole new twist. This book is one of the few cases where I set out with a theme in mind. Often I just come up with a pair of characters in a difficult situation and enjoy applying heat to see what happens (Like Dario and Alissa above)!


You haven’t been in the lair as an official guest since April, although you often pop in to say hello as a Bandita Buddy. Well, either that or check out the gladiators, I haven’t quite worked out which is more important! What exciting things have been happening in your world since then?

Me, check out gladiators? Surely you jest. What would the men in my life say? My husband and whichever male is demanding all my time at the computer would have their noses put out if I came across here just to drool. But then, what they don’t know…

As for exciting things – Having my 10th and 11th books accepted by Harlequin. (yay! I still find it hard to believe I’m into double digits). Writing my first continuity story too. What a fascinating process that was – four of us writing independent but linked stories. I loved it but then I was lucky to work with marvellous writers (Carol Marinelli, Trish Morey and Jennie Lucas). I can’t wait to see our four sheikh stories out next year. In August I made my way not only to the RWAustralia Conference in Brisbane but for the first time to the RWNew Zealand Conference in Auckland. I had an absolute ball! I wanted to stay and keep enjoying the wonderful discussions. Getting together with other writers is the best. More recently, I just heard that the Barnes and Noble blog, Heart to Heart, picked THE DESERT KING’S PREGNANT BRIDE as one of their two best category romances of 2009. Squee!

Congratulations on the Barnes and Noble list! Wow, that's huge! And well deserved. Now, onto some seasonal stuff - how do you and your loved ones celebrate Christmas?

Oh, the usual – too much food and talking but lots of smiles and hugs and laughter. This year we’ll have a special dinner on Christmas Eve with my family, then lunch on Christmas Day with my husband’s and just to top it off, dinner at a friends. I’m looking forward to getting out the wonderful Christmas decorations I got in Germany and Austria last year. We were in Europe for Christmas which was just marvellous. We visited Christmas markets which were fun and picturesque and attended concerts in baroque buildings and even in a private castle. We tasted all sorts of wonderful treats and of course came home with some lovely festive decorations.

Sounds lovely! What were your best reads of 2009?

Now that’s a really difficult question, Anna. There have been a lot. Here are a few romance reads that spring to mind, in no particular order:

LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD (a fun feel good debut) by Kandy Shepherd

CAPTIVE OF SIN by Anna Campbell (maybe I’m biased, Anna, but this is one of your best to date) (Anna responds: Perfectly fine with me, hon!)

WICKED LITTLE GAME by Christine Wells (the title says it all)

THE ARISTOCRAT AND THE SINGLE MUM by Michelle Douglas (a sweetly compelling read)

HELL WEEK by Rosemary Clement-Moore (a YA story I couldn’t put down).

SINGLE FATHER: WIFE AND MOTHER WANTED by Sharon Archer (a fantastic debut medical romance)

THE FRENCH TYCOON'S PREGNANT MISTRESS by Abby Green (yum!)

MY LORD AND SPYMASTER by Joanna Bourne (a cracking good read)

SPANISH ARISTOCRAT, FORCED BRIDE by India Grey (another cracking good read)

Fiona Brand’s suspense trilogy: DOUBLE VISION, KILLER FOCUS and BLIND INSTINCT

Ooh, great list, Annie! Thanks for a fantastic interview and best of luck with your new releases. They sound like more bestsellers in the making!

Anna, it’s been a real pleasure being interviewed for the Banditas. You make Q and A painless! Or was it the promise of tasty drinks served by skimpily-dressed male waiters? No, I’m not so shallow, surely. It’s great fun dropping by the Lair so I’m absolutely thrilled to share news of my new releases. So, of course, being thrilled and being among friends I’d like to give away a prize or two. How about a copy of BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INEXPERIENCED WIFE to one contributor and a copy of a backlist book to another? I’d love to offer FORGOTTEN MISTRESS, SECRET LOVE-CHILD but I’m waiting for more books to arrive.

Here’s a question to get you thinking. Did any of you see LOST IN AUSTEN where the modern day heroine Amanda Price walks through a door in her bathroom and discovers herself in the world of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE? She lives with the Bennets and falls for Mr. Darcy. Imagine you’ve accidentally stepped out of your real world into a new fictional one where you are the heroine of a love story. What sort of story would it be and why? Would you be a heroine in an existing novel like JANE EYRE or would you prefer a story you don’t know? Would you be in a romantic suspense, chased by villains and protected by a hard-eyed agent from a shadowy organisation? Would you be swept off your feet in an arranged marriage by a hot blooded Mediterranean lover, or pitted toe to toe against a sexy foe in an office romance? Or would you prefer something with corsets, buckskin breeches and boots? Which would suit your temperament, skills and fantasies? Remember, you’d be living it, not just reading about it!

Sheikhish Delight!

Thanks, everyone, for an amazing day in the lair yesterday when Annie West visited to talk about her latest release THE DESERT KING'S PREGNANT BRIDE. Annie's chosen her winners, who will receive a signed copy of TDKPB and Turkish delight to give them a sugar fix while they read this great story.

And they are...

KIRRALEE AND LUV2READDEB!

Congratulations, Kirralee and Deb! Please email Annie on annie@annie-west.com with your snail mail details and she'll get your prizes out to you!

Annie West and the Chic Sheikh!

by Anna Campbell

It's my enormous pleasure to welcome back a favorite in the lair, my dear friend and critique partner, not to mention fantabulous Harlequin Presents writer, Annie West.

Annie's been a busy bee since she last popped in to see us! And don't forget, it you want to know more about Annie and her wonderful books, check out her website.

Annie, welcome back. We love to have you visit although the cabana boys always need a break after you’ve chased them all day. Your latest U.S. release is THE DESERT KING’S PREGNANT BRIDE which is out in April 2009. Can you tell us about this story?

Anna, thanks so much for inviting me back to the lair. You girls have gone from strength to strength. Whenever I pop in there are great blogs to read and you’re all having a rip roaring time! Congratulations too on the terrific successes the Banditas have been having. This really is the place for good news and camaraderie.

As for Khalid and Maggie’s book, it’s a Cinderella story with a marriage of convenience just to spice things up. To me it seems very spicy (G). Maggie is a hard-working country girl who doesn’t believe she’s got a seductive bone in her body. (She’s wrong!). Khalid is a powerful, duty-driven man from the other side of the world who’s haunted by the past and definitely isn’t looking for love. Each lets their guard down one memorable night and the consequences change their lives forever.


Soon Maggie finds herself in the Kingdom of Shajehar, plucked from the racing stables and straight into a royal marriage. She expects a marriage in name only but finds Khalid has other things on his mind:

‘Come.’ Beside her Khalid rose, tall and imposing in his fine embroidered robes.

As she looked up at him a hush fell over the crowd. He held out his hand and she had no option but to place hers in his. It closed warm and vital around hers, drawing her inexorably from her seat till she stood before him. She trembled as his heat curled around her, inviting her to lean close to his strong, perfect body. Instead she stood ramrod straight, her gaze fixed on his broad chest, rather than meet those dark eyes that she suspected saw too much.

He turned and led her from the raised dais. As he did so, pandemonium broke out. Cheers and laughter and music.

Maggie faltered and looked questioningly at him.

‘What’s going on?’

She couldn’t read his expression. It was set in severe lines yet even with his back to the lights she sensed his intense regard. His eyes glittered like black diamonds.

‘They’re encouraging me.’ His lips quirked up then in what should have been a smile. ‘They approve of the fact that I’m finally going to bed my new bride.’

I did enjoy finding out what came next, right till the end of the book! It was one of those stories where the characters were so vivid in my mind they set off at a cracking pace and I struggled to keep up (oh, boy, did I struggle!).

Yummy excerpt, Annie. What else have you been up to since you last visited us?

My big news is that I’ve just sold my 10th book to Harlequin. YAY! I’m into double digits. Does that make me a troublesome teenager? (Editor's note, YES!!!) I took a moment to enjoy the feeling and then dived into the next story. And, on another exciting note, I attended the first ever Australian Romance Readers’ Convention in Melbourne which was a huge success and lots of fun. On a non-writing note I just have to share, we finally have our new oven after the old one died. I hadn’t realised how much we’d miss it. Now we’re making up for time cooking luscious goodies. Which means, I suppose, more visits to the gym!


Annie, huge congratulations on your latest sale! What’s next for Annie West?

Sleep! A week dozing and getting up only to read fiction would be wonderful. I wish! But there are some really exciting things on the horizon. BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INNOCENT WIFE is a U.K. release in May. I adored working on that book, ever since the opening came to me, where poor Alissa turns up ready to marry, despite her misgivings, only to find the wedding’s been sabotaged and a big, sexy Sicilian demands she marry him instead!

In June THE GREEK'S CONVENIENT MISTRESS is finally on sale in North America. I say finally because this was my second book for Harlequin but it got bumped off the publication list by my first two sheikhs (I love those guys, but really!). So to see Sophie and Costas hitting the shelves in the U.S. and Canada is a real thrill. I received my U.S. copies the other day. It was lovely to open the book and find I was just as enthusiastic about it as I was when I wrote it (whew!). Take one determined (but definitely hunky) Greek who’ll stop at nothing to save his family, and put him toe to toe with a Greek/Australian girl with a severe distrust of powerful men, and Greek ones in particular, and watch the sparks fly… Plus I’ve just made preparations to attend the RWAus conference in August and the RWNZ conference (a first for me) in Auckland. Can’t wait. I love writers’ conferences.

For anyone who wants to read BLACKMAILED BRIDE, INNOCENT WIFE, you can get it sent post free to anywhere in the world from the Book Depository in the U.K.

Annie, I know you’re not long back from an amazing trip to the U.K. and Europe. Will your recent travels inspire future stories?

Anna, you read my mind. How do you do that (G)? Could it be your own delight in travel for research purposes? (Snork) Definitely you’ll read about places I saw or ones very like them in future books.

I’m busy constructing a fictitious alpine kingdom that owes a lot to the towns and villages of Austria and southern Germany. We had a magnificent horse-drawn sleigh ride in the Alps which was pure magic. If I shut my eyes I can hear the bells and the soft shushing of the sleigh in deep powder snow, smell the pine trees and feel the icy wind on my cheeks. The experience was THAT good. I feel sure one of my heroines deserves to enjoy it too. It was like something out of a fairytale.

Plus we visited castles that will definitely feed into these books. There was a tiny baroque chapel in a privately owned castle where we attended a very special Christmas concert. We visited another private palace (yes, really, it was a palace and enormous!) for a Christmas market, and even stayed in a medieval castle overlooking the Rhine. That was sooo fantastic.

I posted some pictures of it on my website and still sigh when I think about it. I just hope I can inject the magic of those places into my books. I’ll have fun trying, especially since I’ve got ideas on how to give my characters a hard time despite their lovely surroundings. What me, cruel? And for something completely different a stopover on the Arabian Peninsula was great research for another sheikh story. Watch this space…

If you could do your dream trip, where would you go?

No fair. I can’t choose just one. That’s one of the great things about writing. Whenever I start a new book I visit somewhere new and exciting and live there, off and on for the months it takes me to finish the story. I can tell you there’s talk in this house about a couple more dream trips to Europe starting in a few years time, including taking a canal boat on some French waterways, another to Sicily, the Amalfi Coast and Venice. Another taking a slow walk for a week beside a river stopping in lovely wine-growing villages. Then there are vague plans for Morocco, Mexico, St. Petersburg, and would you believe, Samarkand?

Wow, that's some travel plan! Do you have anything you want to ask our Bandita Buddies to get the conversation rolling?

April is change of season weather here in eastern Australia where we start to feel the autumn nip in the air and start thinking about cosy slippers in the early morning. Changes of season are also when I find myself tackling life with renewed vigour, whether it's a spring clean, an autumn tidy up ready for the cool winter months, or planning to tackle projects that I've put off for a while. At the moment I'm working with my new oven to plan some great meals, while I tackle a brand new book, reduce my tbr pile and organise the jungle that is my garden. My dh is planning our next trip. Fantastic!

What are your favorite change of season activities? Do you have plans for the approaching seasons? Are you having your cabana boy tidy up the cocktail cabinet? Planning trips? Writing a book you'd always wanted to write? Tidying? Creating or just dreaming?

Annie has very generously offered two signed copies of her latest American release, THE DESERT KING'S PREGNANT BRIDE with bonus TURKISH DELIGHT, as prizes today. Good luck, everyone! You'll love this story - believe me!