Nicola's Cool Winner!

Thanks to everyone who made Nicola Cornick's visit yesterday such fun. Wasn't it interesting to find out more about the North Pole, not to mention Nicola's latest release WHISPER OF SCANDAL! Sounds like it could warm up a cold night or two!

The winner of the signed copy of WHISPER OF SCANDAL plus the cuddly polar bear toy is:

CORIES!!!!

Congratulations, Cories! If you email Nicola on ncornick@madasafish.com with your snail mail details, she'll get your prize out to you. Enjoy!

Love in a Cold Climate

by Anna Campbell

I'm delighted to welcome back one of my favorite writers, one of my favorite people and a lair regular (wow, I hope you're paying me for this intro, Miss Cornick!), Nicola Cornick.

Nicola is here to tell us about her latest historical romance WHISPER OF SCANDAL, the first in her new "Scandalous Women of the Ton" series. They all sound absolutely delicious. The next books in the series are ONE WICKED SIN (November 2010) and MISTRESS BY MIDNIGHT (December 2010).

This is the blurb for WHISPER OF SCANDAL:

One whisper of scandal and a reputation dies…


Lady Joanna Ware is the darling of the Ton, a society hostess who has put behind her the misery of her unhappy marriage to a philanderer. Until her late husband bequeaths to her joint care of his illegitimate child…

Alexander, Lord Grant, is an explorer lauded as a hero and adventurer. He scorns the Ton and wants no family ties. Until his best friend bequeaths to him joint care of his illegitimate child…

Joanna and Alex disagree from the moment they first meet, so how are they ever to stay civil long enough to join forces and rescue the orphaned baby girl? Saving Nina takes them from the celebrity salons and balls of Regency London to the frozen wastes of the North Pole and tests both of them - and their emotions - to the very limit. For what will happen when their bitter hostility turns to an equally passionate desire?

Beware of scandalous women...


You can read an excerpt of WHISPER OF SCANDAL on Nicola's website: http://www.nicolacornick.co.uk/books/whisper.php

Don't forget you can order Nicola's books from Amazon merely by clicking on the covers in the blog. Or you can get them sent post-free anywhere in the world from the Book Depository.

So here's Nicola to tell you about some of the unusual inspirations behind WHISPER OF SCANDAL.

WHISPER OF SCANDAL, my “Arctic Regency,” is a book I’ve been researching for twenty years on and off, ever since I fell in love with the Far North. I come from Viking stock so maybe this attraction to all things polar is natural. I’m a bit like a goose that simply has to fly north for the summer. Usually my annual trips to Scotland are enough to satisfy me but sometimes Scotland simply doesn’t feel far enough. Then things get serious and it’s time for Iceland, Norway and if all else fails, Spitsbergen, right up above the Arctic Circle.


The first trip I made to 60 degrees north was to Iceland and it was amazing. We swam in hot springs, enjoyed the pleasures of bathing in “therapeutic” mud and walked on glaciers and volcanoes, sometimes at the same time. One of my overpowering memories of the trip, though, was the cold. We were camping. Not a good combination. Snuggled up in our tent at night under several layers of thermal sleeping bag it was still too cold to sleep. Shared bodily warmth really is essential in these conditions, for purely practical reasons.

Our second trip, to Tromso in northern Norway, was a special expedition to see the Northern Lights. This time we beat the cold problem by renting a cosy little wooden log cabin out by a lake. The locals told us that the Aurora Borealis came out every night at precisely 8pm. This seemed extraordinary but turned out to be true. Lying in the snow gazing up at the lights as they flickered across the sky was one of most exciting and magical experiences of my life.

And then to Spitsbergen, and a cruise around the island that was utterly extraordinary. So many of the scenes that feature in Whisper of Scandal were based on our experiences of that trip, from getting trapped in the ice (luckily we were in a converted ice-breaker not a 19th century sailing ship) to the party we had on deck under the midnight sun on the last night of the voyage.

The historical research was fascinating as well. The idea of a northern sea route along the coast of Russia to the Far East had been discussed as early as the sixteenth century and frequent attempts were made down the centuries to find this “North East Passage.” By the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the British and other European nations were keen to establish a trade route via the Arctic but the dangers of such a voyage were considerable. Not for nothing was the phrase “safe return doubtful” included in the advertisements asking for men to volunteer for these voyages!

I read up on the account of Horatio Nelson’s Arctic expedition of 1773 aboard the rather alarmingly named HMS Carcass and also Constatine Phipps’ account of the same voyage. Officers for these expeditions were carefully chosen; the Admiralty wanted only the most daring and courageous men who also had stamina and a cool head in an emergency. They offered crews double pay for Arctic Service and a reward of £25 000 to the captain who discovered a route through the ice, but conditions were so extreme that any sane man would have to think twice about taking the challenge. The 1773 expedition ended in failure when the ships became trapped in the ice and were almost crushed. Only a sudden change in the weather and the onset of milder conditions saved the crews. It is from this expedition that the story of Horatio Nelson wrestling a polar bear comes. Nelson had been out on the ice, trying to discover a way through to clear water, when the bear attacked. Nelson beat it off and the bear ran away. No doubt apocryphal, the story of the bear and of Nelson’s heroism in extreme danger only served to burnish his legend.

I also read the memoirs of other nineteenth century travellers who had visited the far north of Russia and ridden across the Steppes. Lady travellers to Scandinavia were few and far between but they were not unknown. Their tales recorded how they learned to row, how they rode astride because it was faster and safer and how one woman gave birth in the Russian steppes and took her newborn baby to Spitsbergen. The Russian tradition that I refer to in the book of wrapping one’s firstborn child in a “lucky” shirt to bring it great happiness and riches is taken from one of these memoirs.

WHISPER OF SCANDAL is a book particularly close to my heart, a story about my love affair with the North as well as the love affair of my hero and heroine, Alex and Joanna. It’s the first in a series of books with unusual historical backgrounds, albeit all very different from each other. And now that I have written my Arctic Regency there’s only one direction to head in, I think, and that is South for a sequel…

So Nicola wants to know - what creative ways can you think of to stay warm in a cold climate? Her favorite answer wins a signed copy of WHISPER OF SCANDAL and a cuddly polar bear toy to keep you snuggly at night! Good luck!

Cover Story

by Anna Campbell

One of the best bits of having a new book out is seeing the cover! Well, it is if you've been blessed the way I and other Banditas have been blessed by the cover gods (very capricious deities who must be placated with much worship and regular offerings of Tim Tams).

A couple of weeks ago, I got the final version of the cover for my 27th October release, CAPTIVE OF SIN. And I can't wait to show it to you.

I just LURRRRVVVVVE it. So much going for it. I think he's really handsome. I think she's really pretty. It's not cheesy at all. The stepback picture says something about the relationship. Why? Well, you'll just have to read the book to see but the two of them looking at each other longingly certainly fits.

It's one of those half covers - there's a fashion for them at the moment. So the picture of the hero peeks out in a come-hither way from the stepback (I'd come hither! Hither me now, mister!). The white is textured with twining roses and it's a lovely pearly color and the red is foil and really stands out against it.

I'm absolutely delighted, as you can imagine!

Covers are such an important part of a romance novel - obviously not as important as the deathless prose inside but still highly significant. I actually like a clinch cover if it's well done - not so keen on girlies on their knees looking up worshipfully just before they you know. Especially when those covers always seem to be set in unlikely places - the deck of a tossing ship or on a rock near the sea where the protagonists are about to be swept away and I don't mean by passion.

One of the reasons I like a clinch cover and why I think they've never gone out of style, in spite of how people whinge that they're clicheed and embarrassing, is that they scream romance. You know just what you're getting when that hunk and that willowy chick are clutching each other on the front of a book. My mother always made me laugh. She used to call it the girl in the nightie and the man with the flowing hair and the bare chest. The flowing hair isn't so big anymore but, yep, I'd say the nightie and the lack of shirt are still there. Six packs rule!


All of my covers have been clinches. Great clinches! Even TEMPT THE DEVIL which featured the gorgeous and omnipresent Nathan Kamp's face on the cover had a clinch on the stepback. A clinch by the seaside, but at least they're both upright and well above the waves. I'm not really expecting them to be washed away unless there's a tsunami some time soon.

So I started thinking about recent covers I really liked. That's always fun - much more fun than polishing a manuscript! What's unexpected is none of the covers that really took my eye lately are clinches. By the way, Bandita covers are exempt from this survey - gorgeous as they are!

My first selection is almost as omnipresent as Nathan Kamp. I think the cover for TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer is an absolutely brilliant piece of marketing. The rich colors, the pale arms, the red, red apple like something out of a fairytale. Yum! It's simple but it's so effective and evocative. Another apple cover I think is really clever is Jennifer Crusie's WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. Back in the year 2000 when that book was published, that cover was revolutionary with its simple apple with a bite out of it on a plain red background.


Another set of covers I think are really great are Nicola Cornick's BRIDES OF FORTUNE trilogy, out June, July and August this year. Nicola's a lair favorite and I love her books. But even without knowing that, I'd pick up these three beautiful books with their rich colors and elegant images. Speaking of fashions in covers, people chopped off at the chin or the nose seem to be the thing at the moment. But I think these are particularly nice examples. I've only got room for THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS with its intensely red dress on that lovely patterned wallpaper background. But check out the other two, THE SCANDALS OF AN INNOCENT and THE UNDOING OF A LADY.

My favorite recent cover, though, is for a book by another lair favorite, Eloisa James. I think this cover for THIS DUCHESS OF MINE is breathtakingly romantic. Eloisa always gets lovely covers but on this occasion, the Avon art department excelled themselves. That soft pink really takes my eye - especially in a sea of more overtly sexy images.


So what conclusion have I reached after this lightning survey of recent covers? There are obviously certain things I like. To my surprise, it's not half-naked hunks although I must say they're pretty appealing too. But when I'm picking favorites, I seem to go for apples (who knew?) and headless women in pretty dresses. Not the answer I thought I'd end up with at all!

Oh, and I absolutely love my covers especially the CAPTIVE OF SIN one. Which features neither a decapitated chick (hide your eyes, rooster, I know you hate to see 'chick' and 'decapitated' in the same sentence) nor a piece of fruit. Perhaps that can count as my shirtless hottie selection.

By the way, you can find the blurb and an excerpt from CAPTIVE OF SIN (including another chance to drool at the pic) on my website.

So what do you like in a cover? Love or hate clinches? Love or hate the headless brigade? Do you have a favorite cover? Let's talk romance novel covers!

I'm flying to Washington D.C for RWA today so probably won't be in much but I'll get back to answer comments as soon as I can.

The Fortunate Winner of the Brides of Fortune Books!

Thanks so much for a great day in the lair yesterday, everyone. You gave Nicola Cornick a wonderful welcome! Wasn't she a great guest?

Anyway, she's asked her very lovely black labrador Monty to choose a winner.
So without further ado, the lucky recipient of a download of THE SECRETS OF A COURTESAN and a signed copy of THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS is:

SHERRINDA!

Congratulations, Sherrinda! Please contact Nicola on ncornick@madasafish.com with your snail mail details and she'll organize your prizes for you. Lucky duck!

Confessions of Nicola Cornick!

by Anna Campbell

It's my great pleasure to welcome back a Bandita favorite, historical romance writer Nicola Cornick, who has more releases coming up than I can poke a stick at. I'm a great fan of Nicola's writing so I'm happy that she's working her fingers to the bone!

By the way, for a treat, check out the wonderful trailers Nicola has created for her new series! http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=57035166

As always, you can find out more about Nicola and her books at her website: http://www.nicolacornick.co.uk/


Nicola, my head started to spin when I looked at your website, you’ve got so many new releases coming up. Which is nirvana for head-spinning fans of your work like myself. But first things first – you’re officially here to talk about a new Regency historical series called THE BRIDES OF FORTUNE. The first book in the trilogy, THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS, is out in June. Can you tell us about this story?

THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS is Laura Cole’s story. I first introduced Laura in my 2008 book UNMASKED when she was one of the leaders of the Glory Girls highwaywomen. In that book Laura developed a bit of a passion for Dexter Anstruther, one of the men who was sent to hunt down the Glory Girls. In THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS it’s four years later and Dexter is back in Laura’s life and the two of them are still passionately attracted to one another but Laura is penniless and Dexter has to marry a rich heiress for the sake of his family. There’s also the small matter that Laura is keeping some enormous secrets from him, not least that she was a highwaywoman…


Fantastic! UNMASKED was one of my favorite books from 2008. Can't wait to catch up with those characters again.

This month, you’ve got a prequel to the trilogy, THE SECRETS OF A COURTESAN, out as a Harlequin ebook. Can you tell us about that?

THE SECRETS OF A COURTESAN is a short story that sets the scene for the trilogy and also introduces some of the characters but it’s also a very romantic, sensual and emotional love story in its own right.

The next two books in THE BRIDES OF FORTUNE series are THE SCANDALS OF AN INNOCENT and THE UNDOING OF A LADY. Each, I’m delighted to say, available as back to back releases in July and August, 2009. By the way, those are some seriously gorgeous covers! I love the colors. Can you give us any hints about these forthcoming instalments?


I think THE SCANDALS OF AN INNOCENT is a fun story because it has as its heroine Alice Lister who is a housemaid-turned-heiress. I like writing heroines who are unusual and Alice has a very different background from some of the other spoiled and privileged heiresses in Fortune’s Folly. It’s Alice’s apparent naivety that makes Miles Vickery, an unscrupulous and rakish fortune-hunter think that she will be easy prey to blackmail into marriage. The fierce attraction and the power struggle between them shocks Miles because he quickly realises that he has completely underestimated. And speaking of unusual heroines, Lizzie Scarlet in THE UNDOING OF A LADY is something different again. I’m not sure everyone will like Lizzie - but I adore her! She’s a force of nature, so wild and so close to the edge. Every time she behaves badly it seems impossible that she can do anything more outrageous and then she excels herself! For anyone who has read my book WAYWARD WIDOW, Lizzie is like a junior version of Juliana. And it takes a very strong man to match that sort of passion and determination!

WAYWARD WIDOW was the first book of yours I read and I've been hooked ever since. I love the sound of the whole series!

I notice that Mills & Boon in the U.K. are releasing your complete backlist, a book a month, starting with TRUE COLOURS in November 2009. Congratulations! Looking back on your body of work, do you have any particular favorites that you’re glad are seeing the light of day again? Will these books be available in the United States and Australia?

Thank you! Yes, I’m thrilled that Mills & Boon are going to be reprinting my backlist. Just as exciting for me is the news that Harlequin are also re-releasing all my Harlequin Historicals in e-book format so readers in the U.S. and elsewhere can download any of the ones they might have missed. It’s hard to choose favourites, isn’t it! I have a really soft spot for TRUE COLORS because it was my first book and although it’s a bit overwritten I still think it’s a good story and a meaty book too at over a hundred thousand words! I love MISS VEREY’S PROPOSAL too. Like THE PENNILESS BRIDE, it’s a bit of a fairy story and I love fairy stories. One of my favourite heroes is Cory Newlyn in THE NOTORIOUS LORD. He’s an Indiana Jones type explorer and archaeologist and I totally fell in love with him.


I had a huge crush on Cory too. He's SOOO charming and I loved the swimming scene (yum, yum!). One of my favorite books of yours is your March U.S. release, KIDNAPPED: HIS INNOCENT MISTRESS. It’s narrated by one of the most appealing heroines I’ve read in ages, Miss Catriona Balfour, who never lets drama and adventure affect her appetite (a woman after my own heart). Can you tell us more about this story and also about the challenges and rewards of writing in the first person? I must say, you sounded as if you were having enormous fun with this ironic, courageous, passionate heroine!

I’m so pleased you liked KIDNAPPED! I’ve always wanted to write a book set in Scotland and I don’t know what took me so long. It was fabulous writing about all the places I love to visit. I modelled the book on one of my all time favourite adventure yarns, KIDNAPPED by Robert Louis Stevenson. If I have tiny criticism of the original, it is that there isn’t enough romance in it to please me so I thought I would re-write the story from a female perspective and include a love story at the heart of it.


I originally started writing it in the third person but it didn’t work. Then I tried first person and it was spooky how quickly I got into the head of an eighteen-year-old Scots girl in the early nineteenth century! I loved Catriona Balfour and I’m so pleased that so many readers loved her too! The bit about never losing her appetite was modelled on me but her rather impetuous nature was imaginary. So it wasn’t in any way a self-portrait despite the fact that I felt very, very close to her. I enjoyed writing in the first person; at first I wasn’t sure how it would feel to write quite sensual love scenes like that but actually that didn’t prove to be a problem! More of a challenge was trying to convey as much depth to the hero’s character as you would do with a third person narrative.

A little bird told me (all right, YOU did!) that you’ve just recently been on an amazing cruise in the Pacific where you saw whales and assorted other wildlife. Can you share some of your favorite memories from the trip?

Oh, it was a fabulous trip! I love to travel despite being a nervous flyer (as you know!) and I love the sort of holidays where you can see amazing wildlife so a whale-watching cruise out of San Diego and around the Baja Peninsula was my idea of heaven. We had amazing views of Humpback Whales, we touched baby Grey Whales, which was an awesome experience and we also visited some beautiful offshore islands that were like paradise. The other benefit of being on a cruise was people watching! I got quite a few good character ideas and the captain of the ship features in my current manuscript heavily disguised as… um… a gorgeous American sea captain!

Oh, how cunning! Snort. What’s next for Nicola Cornick?

I have a short story reprinted in a HQN Christmas anthology, THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS, with the ever-fabulous Mary Balogh and incredibly talented new author Courtney Milan. I’m really looking forward to that. That’s coming out in October. Then next year I have a Regency Historical set in London and the Arctic, so that’s a bit different!

The Arctic story sounds brill. Nicola, is there anything you'd like to ask the Banditas and Buddies to get the conversation going?

Laura, Alice and Lizzie, the Brides of Fortune, are all unconventional heroines. Who is your favourite unconventional heroine, fictional or real? Is it Scarlett O’Hara or Anne Boleyn? When is a heroine different and unusual and when is she just plain annoying?

Nicola has very generously offered one lucky commenter a double dose of her latest series. Someone will win a free copy of her ebook prequel to THE BRIDES OF FORTUNE, THE SECRETS OF A COURTESAN, and a signed copy of her latest print release THE CONFESSIONS OF A DUCHESS.

Hey, Good Bookin'! What Ya Got Cookin'?

by Anna Campbell

Among my favorite bits of bulletin boards are the "What are you reading now?" threads.

People list the last book they read, the book they're reading and the next one off the TBR pile.

It's fun from a whole heap of viewpoints. It shows what people are actually reading rather than talking about. It introduces me to writers I've never heard of but often end up enjoying. It reveals individual reader tastes in a way I find fascinating. Even HarperCollins have put their money where their mouth is in agreeing that people find what other people read endlessly interesting. On their newly revamped website, there's a place for authors to list books on their bedside table. You can find mine here. Just keep clicking refresh and you'll see a list of my current reading.

Anyway, I thought we'd play that today! I also thought I'd talk about a couple of books I've read recently that I really liked. In case any of you are coming to the bottom of the TBR pile and need some additions. (Laughs hollowly!)

The first is THE LAST RAKE IN LONDON by Nicola Cornick, who is extremely talented and, curses, up against me in the Regency RITA category with her wonderful LORD OF SCANDAL. LAST RAKE was written as part of Mills & Boon's 100th anniversary celebrations this year. For anyone who doesn't know, M&B in London started the category romance juggernaut and are part of the Harlequin empire.

LAST RAKE is set in the Edwardian era which is great fun. You get cars and Suffragettes and telephones. The heroine is an independent, emotionally scarred woman called Sally Bowes who runs the Blue Parrot nightclub (perhaps it's because I'm an Aussie, but I kept reading that as P*ssed Parrot nightclub - clearly I have no class!). Enter our hero, the dashing, extremely sexy Jack Kestrel, heir to a dukedom, rake and alpha male, who sees Sally and immediately decides he must have her. Do I need to say more to get you interested?

The next on my whirlwind list of recommendations is what I can only describe as a Regency noir! It's WHAT ANGELS FEAR by C.S. Harris. This is the first book in a mystery series, featuring the seriously tortured but extremely sexy Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin. I honestly couldn't put this down - it's dark, it's desperate, it's terrifically romantic. C.S. Harris used to write fantastic historical romances as Candice Proctor and you can see that background here in the emotional depths and the strong characterization. I've got the next two books on the TBR pile and I'm having trouble keeping my hands off them. I've got a manuscript to finish before I allow myself a reading binge. I already know Sebastian St. Cyr isn't the man who will let me put him aside after a couple of pages so I can get a good night's sleep and front up to work all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day.

The last book I'm recommending is a Blaze by Kathleen O'Reilly and again, it's the first in a series. SHAKEN AND STIRRED is about one of the sexy (OK, I'm overusing this adjective, but sometimes the right word is the right word and nothing else will do!) O'Sullivan Brothers and the stories center around a bar in New York. What I loved about this story aside from the emotion, the fantastic characters and the beautiful writing (hmm, perhaps that's ENOUGH to love!), is how real it all felt. The world was so rich, compelling and tangible. When you read this story, you know these people, you know their environment, and you live through every moment. Great stuff!

So here's my list for the game:

The last book I read: DARK AND DANGEROUS by Jeanne Adams. Fantastic!

The book I'm currently reading: SEX STRAIGHT UP by Kathleen O'Reilly. Need I say more?

The next book off the TBR pile: NOT WITHOUT HER FAMILY by Beth Andrews.

So over to you. What are you reading? Do you have any recommendations for must-reads? Inquiring minds want to know!

I got such a lovely response to my last blog where I offered a copy of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN to someone who hadn't read it, this month, I'm offering a signed copy of UNTOUCHED. Same deal. Please just mention in your comment if you want to be in the draw for the book. Good luck! And may the Games begin! I look forward to building a TBR pile that blocks out the sun.

And Nicola's Prize goes to...

Thanks so much to everyone who made Nicola Cornick's guest day such a hoot and thanks to Nicola for being such a great guest.

The lucky winner of the signed copy of her latest release LORD OF SCANDAL and the goodies from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath is DOGLADY! Pam, it will make you laugh when I tell you that Nicola's gorgeous black labrador picks the winners of her contests in a very arcane ceremony involving treats! I'm not sure she needs to be so arcane any more - clearly Monty the dog can read when he picks someone called Doglady!

Just email Nicola at ncornick@madasafish.com with your snail mail details and she'll get your prize off to you. Congratulations!

Don't forget to check back with the Banditas in September for other great guests including Berkley editor Leis Pederson, agent Jessica Faust, Terri Garey, Kathryn Dennis, Debrah Williamson, C.L. Wilson and Sandy Blair.

Meet Historical Star Nicola Cornick

I'm delighted to introduce to the Banditas hugely talented historical romance writer and altogether good egg (keeping the British flavor) Nicola Cornick. Nicola writes for Mills & Boon Historicals, Harlequin Historicals and HQN and her main area of interest is the Regency period.

Nicola, welcome to the Romance Bandits. Can you tell us a little bit about your early life as a writer and your journey to publication?

I think my earliest foray into writing was when I was about ten and created an imaginary kingdom called Ibazania of which I was, naturally, the queen! I had all kinds of magical adventures there and recorded them in an exercise book that my mother still keeps. I suppose I should be grateful that she doesn’t bring the book out to show visitors – as far as I know…

But despite starting to write quite early on, it took me years and years and years to get published. That probably sounds familiar to a lot of people. I wrote my first Regency romance, True Colours, when I was eighteen and spent three years revising it over late night cups of coffee with friends at college. Even now some of them remember James Mullineaux, the hero. I hope it’s because he was incredibly attractive but maybe it was just because they had to put up with him “living” with us for three years. I submitted the book to Mills and Boon and it was rejected. It took me another ten years, lots of revisions and two more submissions before they accepted it.

Strangely enough, I was dreaming about Ibazania only a week ago – perhaps I should set a Regency series of there!

You're clearly a great Regency enthusiast. What do you think lies behind the perennial appeal of this period in English history? Why does it particularly appeal to you?

Hmm, I’ve often tried to work out the appeal of the Regency period and it’s one of the things I love discussing with people. Clearly, whilst the sight of Colin Firth in a wet shirt and breeches is a splendid thing, it can’t be held completely responsible for the popularity of the Regency in books, films and TV.

Jane Austen’s books are timeless classics, of course, and some of the film and TV adaptations have been superb. I think there’s also an appeal in the rigid social structure and the rules governing courtship and marriage – and how far those rules might be bent or broken.

For me the appeal comes from the huge contrast that there was in society between the glitter and glamour of the Ton and the poverty and hardship that there was in other ranks of society. Writing about the house parties and the balls and the fabulous frocks is great but it’s also good to have the gritty side of life to research and that also provides wonderful story ideas.

You've got a great backlist, Nicola. Do you have any particular favorites among your books? Why?

Well, first of all I’m glad you like the backlist! Thank you. It’s difficult choosing favourites, isn’t it, a bit like having to choose between my pets! I can honestly say that I was madly in love with the heroes of all my books. I’m very free with my favours in that respect. In terms of favourite books, though, I have a particular soft spot for The Penniless Bride because it is a “happy book,” a rags to riches fairy story, which I think still manages to be emotionally intense as well as fun and entertaining. I also loved researching the history of chimney sweeps for that book. It was fascinating.

I loved The Penniless Bride. A real fairytale but with your exemplary grip on historical reality. Another book of yours that I particularly enjoyed was Lord Greville's Captive which was set during the English Civil War in the 17th century. Clearly, other people agreed with me as LGC was nominated for several awards. Were there any particular challenges or rewards in writing about a period other than the Regency? Do you have any plans to write more non-Regency books?

Lord Greville's Captive is another book that is close to my heart because I had wanted to write it for so long. I love the period of the English Civil War because it was a time of such intense experiences and emotions. There was huge physical danger, the potential for betrayal and redemption, heightened passions and intrigue, all of which appeal to me as a writer of romance. It was also fun to read up on and research a different time period, and because I work in a seventeenth century historic house I had lots of visual history – buildings, paintings etc to draw on. The drawback was that I had to plan in more research time than with my Regency books since I didn’t have as much detailed knowledge of the period, but that wasn’t exactly a hardship.

I don’t currently have any plans to write other books outside the Regency period except for one very special project. I’ve written a book set in the Edwardian era as part of the Harlequin Mills and Boon Centenary celebrations for 2008. It’s called The Last Rake In London and comes out in March 2008. The hero is a descendent of the Kestrel family who featured in my Bluestocking Brides Regency series. My grandmother is 99 years old and a true Edwardian lady, so the book is dedicated to her.

Your current HQN release is Lord of Scandal.I thoroughly enjoyed this story about celebrity and scandal in the Regency. Can you tell us a little about this book?

I first became interested in celebrity in the Regency period when I studied the appeal of heroes for my MA dissertation. It was a tough assignment but someone had to do it! Amongst others, I studied Horatio Nelson and was fascinated to realise that he was a celebrity as well as a war hero. In Lord of Scandal Ben Hawksmoor, the hero, is a man who has built a celebrity persona for himself. He’s one of the Prince Regent’s set of dazzling, dissolute characters, a gambler and a rake. But the real Ben is very different – a dark, complex character who is attracted to the heroine, Catherine, because she is open and loving and the opposite of him in so many ways.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently writing the second book in a Regency series called The Brides of Fortune for HQN Books. The series kicks off with Unmasked in July 2008. I’m pretty excited about Unmasked because in Nick Falconer it has one of those historical heroes I love – principled and honourable but sexy as hell into the bargain! Marina, the heroine, is more than a match for him. She has some deep, dark secrets to hide and is determined that Nick is not going to seduce them out of her no matter how hard he tries!

QUESTION AND PRIZES: Lord of Scandal is all about glamour and glitz and Regency celebrity. Which actor do you think looks the best in historical costume - or a wet shirt and soaking breeches! The prize is a signed copy of Lord of Scandal plus some luxurious pampering treats from the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.