Men with Clever Hands

hosted by Beth

Today we have another real treat in the lair! The fabulous Sarah Mayberry is here to talk with us about her latest release for Superromance, ONE GOOD REASON *g* Here's the back cover blurb for ONE GOOD REASON:

It's time to move on

Any day now Jon Adamson will pack his bags and hit the road. After all, his intention was never to hang around Melbourne once he'd settled his late father's affairs. Yet he hasn't moved on. And it might have something to do with Gabby Wade. The not-so-big office manager with the really big attitude is making Jon's days…interesting…engaging…fun. It's impossible for him to resist her.

But he knows himself—long-term commitments and cozy family dinners aren't his style. If that's what the future holds, why is he still here? And why is he spending all his days—and nights—with Gabby? Because maybe she's the one reason strong enough to make him stay.

And here's Sarah:

First off, a big thanks to the lovely Romance Bandits for inviting me to play with them - it's lovely to be here. And now, onto the important topic of men who work with their hands for a living...

Years ago, when I still worked in-house on a soap opera, we used to joke about putting all the good looking men on the show in a pair of jeans and a tool-belt. Don’t know what it was, but a man with a tool-belt seemed to be universally accepted shorthand for phwoooar (as we say down here in Australia!).

As a writer, I have a fondness for heroes who work with their hands. If that means they have to wear a tool-belt on a regular basis, then so be it - I am prepared to make that sacrifice on behalf of my readers. When I filled out the art briefing sheet for my current release, One Good Reason, I couldn’t resist briefing a scene where my hero was wearing my favorite piece of male apparel. And guess what? I got that scene as my cover.

The hero of One Good Reason, Jon Adamson, is a builder by trade, but he’s working in his younger brother Tyler’s fine furniture business during the period covered by the book. He makes dining tables and desks and sideboards and works on new prototypes based on his brother’s designs - and he’s very good at all of the above. He’s also the strong, silent type who is battling some very private demons, and he clashes repeatedly with my heroine, Gabby, who is a small woman with a very large attitude. Once they work out that all their animosity is actually suppressed attraction, the battleground shifts - but I don’t want to give away too much.

I had a lot of fun writing their story, possibly because they were two characters who I felt I knew really well before I’d even started writing. Both Gabby and Jon appear in The Last Goodbye. When I started writing that book, I didn’t have any plans at all to write a sequel. By the time I’d finished, however, I liked Gabby so much and felt so badly for Jon that I knew I had to write these two their own happy ever after.

So, how about you - do you have a weakness for a man who is clever with his hands? Or do you prefer a sharp mouth and mind in an even sharper business suit? Or are you an equal opportunity admirer of heroes from all walks of life? I’d love to give away 2 sets of The Last Goodbye and One Good Reason to posters today, so post away!

A Bliss-ful Day in the Lair

hosted by Beth

Please help me welcome the fabulous Karina Bliss to the lair! Karina's latest release for Harlequin Superromance is STAND-IN WIFE. Here's the back cover:

Playing with dynamite, a girl could get burned…

What the hell does he know about love and marriage? And exactly how did he, Ross Coltrane - a special forces elite soldier and demolitions expert, for God's sake - end up playing middle man to his kid brother and the estranged wife who'd cheated on the guy? And most important, why is he suddenly noticing how beautiful his sister-in-law is? He's never thought about his brother's wife… that way …before.

And then he figures it out and everything makes sense: this tantalizing woman is the other twin! The two identical sisters have pulled a twin swap and duped everyone around them. Furious much? Oh, yeah. Poised to bring down their plan, Ross hesitates. Something about Viv's courage, compassion and optimism get to him. Except he's not a man who has feelings. Everyone calls him the Iceman. He doesn't know how to be anything else….

And check out this excerpt on Karina's website: http://www.karinabliss.com/standinwife.html and another one on eHarlequin: http://www.eharlequin.com/store.html?itemid=24193&cid=416 You won't be disappointed!

Here's Karina:

Every book idea I’ve had has started as the hero’s story.

I thought every writer worked that way until I participated in a miniseries with Tara Taylor Quinn, Kathleen O’Brien and Janice Kay Johnson. Each of us was given free rein with our focal character. Tara and Kathleen chose heroine-centric books; Janice and I opted for hero-centric books. No one talked about it, we simply ‘knew’ whose story it was going to be.

That made me think about who carries the book for me as a reader – you guessed it. It’s the hero. I’ve talked to other readers who’ve said to give any book an A grade, the writer has to get the heroine right first.

The strange thing about my bias toward the hero is that you’d expect the opposite from my background. I’m the eldest of five girls and I went to a single-sex girls’ school. How come I find it so much easier to slip into a guy’s point of view? I think it’s because I don’t judge the hero’s actions/reactions as much as I judge my heroine’s which makes him easier for me to write. Or maybe it’s because I’m ‘being’ another character instead of shoe-horning myself into my heroine. Probably it’s because coming from an all-female background invested men with a mysterious, magical quality that translates well into writing dream heroes!

Having said all that, something weird happened with my ninth book for SuperRomance. A free-spirited heroine popped into my head and said, “Look I don’t care what you think your creative process is, missy, this is my story. So give me your strongest alpha hero and watch me bring that man to his knees.”

So I did, and she did.

In Stand-In Wife, Vivienne Jansen says things like this to the hero, Ross Coltrane: "I'm a very truthful person, but if the greater good is best served by a lie then I'll tell it."
Which is how this single New York-based costume designer ends up in a twin swap with her sister - a nurse and single mother of two. You can read an excerpt on my website: www.karinabliss.com

So who’s the most important character for you in a romance? The hero or the heroine?

Karina's giving away a signed copy of STAND-IN WIFE today so let's hear from you!

Molly O'Keefe Is In The Lair!

hosted by Beth

Today it is my extreme pleasure to have RITA winner and Superromance author Molly O'Keefe in the lair! The first book of Molly's new Supers trilogy, The Notorious O'Neills, was out last month with THE TEMPTATION OF SAVANNAH O'NEILL. Out this month is the second story, TYLER O'NEILL'S REDEMPTION and next month the final book, THE SCANDAL AND CARTER O'NEILL will be released.

Now, here's Molly :-)

Bruce Springsteen as a romance novelist.

I love Bruce Springsteen. I don't just like him, I don't just have a couple of albums. No. I had Springsteen sung at my wedding (not, Born to Run, though that would be very funny. Should I Fall Behind, for any other Boss fans out there). I go to a Springsteen show and I cry. I try to fight it, but ultimately, I cry like some weird fan/stalker type. It's embarrassing, especially for my husband.

My brother started it - he used to blast The River late at night, keeping me, a young romance novelist, up all night thinking about what those two kids were doing down by the reservoir.

And while those might be the roots - the truth is, to me, Springsteen is the best romance novelist out there. First of all, for those of us who consider category romance a word count challenge, songwriters have to tell a whole story with GMC, with character and setting, with tension in less than...what? Five hundred words? Talk about succinct. Talk about fat free. My head hurts just thinking about it. I need five hundred words to get my characters across a room.

My favourite song is Thunder Road. One boy’s effort to get the girl he wants into his car so they can get the hell out of town. And as far as character and romance – I can’t think of anything better.

Screen door slams

Mary’s dress waves

Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays

Oh, the mood. The atmosphere. And we already know what our hero (dark, broody, leather jacket) thinks of Mary – she’s a vision. One word and we know she’s a little untouchable in his eyes – a dream. She’s wearing a dress which makes me picture a class vice president. A cheerleader perhaps. A good girl. And later when he cuts through the small talk and tells her:

Don’t run back inside, darling

You know just what I’m here for

Oh. Oh man. That’s good stuff, right? Am I the only one whose heart is pounding a little bit? It took some balls to do that. So, when our make- it-or-break- it hero says :

Show a little faith there’s magic in the night

You ain’t a beauty, but hey you’re all right.

He’s got a mad twinkle in his eye, because we know he thinks she’s lovely. And now, with talk of magic and the night, we know he’s a dangerous dreamer. What else can Mary do but get in the car? If she won’t, I will. I totally will.

I’m probably over simplifying it. Others would see different characters, and that’s the beauty of music – we see who we want. We hear, in part, what we want.

Listening to his music gives me the same feeling reading a great love story provides. It’s part hold my breath heartbreak and throw my hands in the air excitement. It’s hope and despair brought to life by great characters.

I’m sure there are some Springsteen fans out there and if so, let’s share the love. But if Springsteen isn’t your cup of tea, what music speaks to you? Who do you listen to and feel they are talking right to you?

Molly is offering two copies of THE TEMPTATION OF SAVANNAH O'NEILL to two lucky commenters!!

Thanks so much, Molly! For more information about Molly and her books, check out her website, http://www.molly-okeefe.com/index.html