Tiffany Clare's Prizes!

by Anna Campbell

Thanks to everyone for a fabulous day of blogging in the lair when Tiffany Clare visited us last week. We all had a wonderful time and thanks to Tiffany for being such a great guest.

As you know, Tiff very generously offered the Bandita Buddies prizes of three copies of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS, her latest historical romance. I'm delighted to announce the winners:

Laney 4

Deb

Maria

Congratulations, girls. Please contact Tiff on tiffany @ tiffanyclare.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading!

The Secret Desires of a Tiffany Clare Fan!

by Anna Campbell

Hey, Tiffany's back again and she's going to tell us about another one of her brilliant historical romances. This time, it's her third book, THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS which has not only got a fabulous title but one of the prettiest covers I've ever seen.

Here's the blurb for THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS:

YEARNING FOR HIS TOUCH...

From the moment Abby meets her new employer—the mysterious, brooding Earl of Brendall—she is appalled by his brutish manner…and even moreso by her own attraction to him. Has she lost her senses? As a governess, Abby has no choice but to play by the rules. But as a woman, she cannot deny the fiery sensations he ignites—or the fantasies he inspires…

BURNING FOR HER KISS...

From the moment Elliott lays eyes on his new young governess, he knows he’s in trouble. Abby is intelligent, defiant, and utterly captivating, though Elliott must do his very best to resist her. But as the two grow closer, the passion burns hotter. Soon, the only thing that can destroy their love is the darkest secret of his past—and the secret desires of a governess…

You can find out more about Tiffany and her books on her website: www.tiffanyclare.com


Tiff, congratulations on the release of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS.

Thanks for having me! I love coming to the lair, you Bandits sure throw an awesome party!

Can you tell us about this new story?

My heroine, Abby Hallaway, wants to build an independent life from her sisters, so she leaves the comfort of their home in pursuit of a job. She believes that she will have no problem in teaching young ladies the same education her father gave her—she was an apt student. Only when she arrives at her posting it’s to find a number of things wrong: her charge is not a little girl, the staff on hand (which are few in the huge castle) seem to dislike her on sight, the master of the house is domineering, uncouth, and constantly in her way making her feel all sorts of feelings she doesn’t want to feel for any man. And as the weeks wear on, she’s sure someone is trying very hard to acquaint Abby with the afterlife.

Elliott Wright, the Earl of Brendall, wants only the best for his son, but he fears his son will end up just like him. Elliott has his chatelaine hire another governess after the last one ran off. The first thing Elliott notices when the new hire arrives is that she’s younger than all the previous—much prettier, too. He thinks it only a matter of time before she runs off like all the past governesses. He doesn’t expect to seek her company out on a regular basis. But growing close can only mean her demise. After all, his wife and mother had ended their lives to escape Wright men, and once Abby knows all the secrets of his past and present she may want nothing more than to escape him too, even if that means through death. And the last thing he wants to do is destroy the woman he’s slowly falling in love with.

The Delphin painting is how I pictured Abby (I used it as a screensaver while I worked on this book). Clive Owen is exactly how I picture Elliott. Elliott is a bit more brawny, but he’s got that look about him.

Also, readers can read the first chapter on my website (there is a link there if you want to read the first THREE chapters: http://www.tiffanyclare.com/bookshelf/the-secret-desires-of-a-governess/).

I grew up reading governess/master of the house romances and they always gave my adolescent heart a thrill. Why do you think this theme is so popular in the romance genre? Do you have any favorite governess romances that inspired you to write THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

JANE EYRE was my inspiration all the way! I adore that book to pieces, as well as every movie/mini series adaptation ever made. One thing I love doing when writing my stories is secluding my hero and heroine. Doing so totally rackets up the tension (especially of the sexual kind). And best of all, it means they can’t really escape each other!

The other inspiration is Beauty and The Beast. You’ve got the old castle that the locals are afraid of, the dark, brooding beast of a hero, the pretty young woman that comes into his life and changes his way of thinking by thrashing through the barriers of his heart . . .

This book is totally what you get when Jane Eyre has babies with Beauty and The Beast.

I always ask you about interesting tidbits of research that turned up when you’re working on your books. Did anything unusual take your fancy when you were researching THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

I don’t think any unusual historical facts came up while writing this book. I did do a lot of research on the thing that gives my hero a true disadvantage in life. You’re all wondering what that is now, aren’t you? I can’t share what that is, it’s a bit of a spoiler! But readers will know what I’m talking about when they get a copy of the book.

You’ve spoken before about how art inspires your writing. Did you have any particular pictures in mind when you wrote THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

A bell. Only it was a photograph this time. And I’ve looked and looked for this bell since, and I cannot find it anywhere (my computer hard drive crashed during this project and I lost all my research). There was something about that bell that put this scene in my head, which leads to uber hotness with the hero.

Here’s a tiny excerpt:


She hiked up her skirts to aid her in walking through the tall grasses. She hadn’t thought to explore the old church grounds before now. It had seemed like a sacred untouched place and she hadn’t wanted to disturb it, afraid to ruin the wildness it had sprouted into over the years.

“Father will have my head if we go in there. You can’t go, Miss Hallaway. Please . . .”

He tried to grasp onto her hand, but she was already steadily moving forward. Jacob remained in the clearing, just on the other side of the tall grasses.

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” The only way to prove that for fact was to show him, she figured. “I promise.”

She stepped toward the lime-crusted bell, her fingers outstretched. The old bronze was cold and rough beneath her hand, and she stroked over the long-faded inscription, barely making out the words coram Deo and nothing more. How many battles had this very bell gonged through, warning the inhabitants of an imminent battle, warning townsfolk of an incoming enemy from the seaside?

“Have you ever touched this church bell?” Abby walked around the bell, skimming her bare fingers over the alloy as she went. “It’s almost as if I can hear it ringing as it once used to.”

She closed her eyes and trailed her fingers over the cool rough surface as she inhaled the sea air deep into her lungs. She loved the sound of church bells.

I used a lot of photographs to aid me with this book because I chose a real location (again). Bamburgh Castle was my setting, with a few minor changes, of course.


What’s next for Tiffany Clare?

I’m working on another trilogy for St. Martin’s Press, something in the vein of DANGEROUS LIAISONS.

Here’s my blurb:

Four friends in the pursuit of pleasure enter a dangerous game of wagers, seduction and temptation, but when one of their own is bent on a self-destructive path of ruin, they must put aside their schemes or lose everything they’ve come to hold dear.

Sounds fabulous! Can't wait to read them. Can you take us through a typical day in the glamorous life of romance novelist extraordinaire Tiffany Clare?

Not so glamorous, especially now at the height of the allergy season—I look like a train wreck! I wake up uber early to write (4:00 a.m.). Then I write some more on the streetcar ride into work for my 9-5. I pick up the kids from their afterschool program on my way home, have a beautifully made dinner waiting for me–my hubby is a marvellous cook. I’m usually zonked at this point of the day and gear down to go to bed early so I can start the process all over again.

Here’s my question to the blog readers: If you could choose two of your favourite stories to be amalgamated (like I did with JANE EYRE and Beauty and The Beast) which two would you choose?

Great question, Tiff. Everyone, get commenting. Tiffany has very generously offered our commenters THREE copies of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS today! Good luck!

Tiffany Clare Is Here to Seduce Us!

by Anna Campbell

Hey, guys, I have a HUGE treat for you in the lair today. Tiff is well known to most of you as she's a diehard member of that exclusive club THE BANDIT BUDDIES!!!

It's always wonderful to celebrate the successes of one of our own. Tiff's debut THE SURRENDER OF A LADY is a luscious book about passion in the harem and we had huge fun last September when she came to visit us for her launch. Now I'm delighted to bring her back to took about her second book, THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE.

THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE is garnering rave reviews everywhere. Fellow Bandit Buddies, the Romance Dishes gave this book a rare five star review and said:

Tiffany Clare has penned another superb and masterfully crafted romance. THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE has all that I love in a book: humor, suspense, sigh-inducing romance, and fan-your-face, sizzling sex scenes. Ms. Clare's first book, THE SURRENDER OF A LADY was a bold and daring story, and her latest book is equally as entertaining. If you've never read a Tiffany Clare book, run to your nearest bookstore. You don't know what you're missing!


Romantic Times chose THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE as one of their February Top Picks (congratulations, Tiff!) and said:

The second chapter of Clare’s trilogy is as bold and alluring as this exciting newcomer’s first book. Clare takes a “second chance at love” romance, twisting the theme into a highly sensual tale of passion and suspense. But there’s also humor, created by secondary characters, and love to round out a tantalizing read.

You can find out more about Tiff's books at her website: www.tiffanyclare.com

And Tiffany has been VERY generous with prizes on the blog today, as you will shortly see! And by the way, aren't these some of the most gorgeous covers EVAH? That purple one for THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS is exquisite.


Tiffany, welcome back to the lair! Huge congratulations on all the buzz for THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE.

Anna, Thank you SOOOO Much for having me here. I love the Bandits' blog. Everyone here is so friendly and made of awesome that I’m offering up three copies of THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE.

See, guys, I told you she was generous! Tiff, I adored your debut THE SURRENDER OF A LADY. Now I’m dying to read THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE. Can you tell us about this story?

THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE is my twist on the MOC (Marriage of Convenience) trope.

I absolutely love stories where the couples marry for political alliances or simply because their parents have made arrangements (since their infants were in the cradle) to marry someone else's kid (also in the cradle, or maybe not even born yet!). There is something about two people who don’t necessarily want to be married finding common ground. And hopefully, finding love.

Also, did I mention that I based my hero on Alan Rickman, looks, attitude, all around hotness? Yeah, totally thought I SHOULD share that tidbit of information.

(ANNA: Snork! Yeah, I think you definitely should share that! What a gorgeous photo!)

Here’s the back cover blurb:

AN INCONVENIENT SCANDAL...

Emma Hallaway has not seen her husband in twelve years—and that’s fine with her. As a young girl, she’d agreed to a simple marriage of convenience, allowing her to pursue her private passion for painting. And though unknown to the rest of polite society, Emma is now one of the most daring and sought-after artists in London. However, when her secret is threatened to be exposed, Emma is forced to open her heart—and her home—to a total stranger: her husband…

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE...

Richard Mansfield, Earl of Asbury, is all too familiar with danger. As a matter of fact, it is hard on his heels when he returns to England. Still, even he is shocked to learn of his wife’s scandalous double life as an artist. But once he sees the vibrant grown woman she has become—so passionate, so strong, and so alluring—his undeniable attraction to Emma stuns him. Suddenly Richard is determined to turn their sham of a marriage into a true and lasting love. But how exactly does a gentleman seduce his own wife?

You can read the first chapter here: http://www.tiffanyclare.com/bookshelf/the-seduction-of-his-wife/#excerpt

I was fascinated to hear about the research you did for THE SURRENDER OF A LADY. Did you come across any unusual or surprising facts when you were researching THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE?

For Seduction I relied upon previous research I did on the opium trade for Richard’s background. A lot of English gentlemen participated in the Opium trade through Asia (and more specifically, China) during the mid Victorian period (prior to the second Opium Wars). Don’t worry, Richard comes to his senses and is trying to get out of the opium business and find something much more morally appealing.

I sort of just do research as I go along in a book (so long as I know the time period, culture and place—unlike my harem romance where I did a lot of ‘pre-research’). For THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE, I needed a manor for my earl. I actually chose Haddon Hall (and made a few changes to the interior and the general layout of the land) but doing that research helped me ground my setting and build the characters and story from it.

I also looked at a lot of art. More specifically of the female form. I based a lot of the images Emma painted on Delphin Enjolras’s paintings.

This painting is the image she gave to the Duke of Vane. Yes, my heroine gave a nude of herself to her dearest friend. Did I mention that Emma stayed faithful to her husband in his twelve-year absence because she’s totally, completely in love with him? Aren’t you even more interested in reading her story now?

Something I had to think a lot of about before and while writing this book is making my heroine independent and not dependent on her husband’s fortune. I wanted her to be Richard’s equal in all things and I wanted Richard to see and adore this trait in his wife (once he finds out her secret). I had a lot of fun exploring Emma’s artistic side and learning about her desire to excel and succeed in something of her own making.

Haddon Hall is actually one of my favorite old houses. Great choice! Your third historical romance THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS comes out in late May 2011. It sounds deliciously gothic! Can you tell us about this story?


Best sum up I’ve had for this book (from my amazing critique partner, Elyssa Papa) is: Beauty and The Beast having babies with JANE EYRE.

Elliott has been my favorite hero to write to date. He’s dark, brooding and tortured. Made into a beast by his unfortunate past. He’s really hard not to love because you want to give him a big hug and tell him it’s going to be all right. I’ll tell readers (you can find out for yourself when you read the book) that he has a disability not obvious to the naked eye; one that he is deeply ashamed of. Abby (Emma’s baby sister) runs off to Northumbria to carve her own path in life as a governess. When she firsts meets her new employer, she wonders at her sanity in leaving her sister’s home. Worse, she never expected a man to consume her thoughts so thoroughly as Lord Brendall has.

Elliott, The Earl of Brendall, isn’t expecting the young tenacious spitfire that comes into his and his son’s life, to tempt him into things he knows he cannot have. But when his governess does the impossible and teaches his son, as no other governesses in the past have been able to achieve, he can’t help but fall for her, even realizing that all the women in his past have taken their own lives because they wanted to escape him.

Ooh, can't wait. And I love Ely's description. Sounds delicious! What’s next for Tiffany Clare?

This and That! :) I’m going back to my musical roots and classical music training for the characters in my newest story! There might just be a composer and a musical prodigy working together. :) But nothing is firm yet!

I’m sure this last year has been a whirlwind with two books out and a third in the wings! Can you share some highlights? Have there been any surprises along the way?

There is so much going on that I don’t know how I’m still sane—though that is arguable! Did I mention, in the midst of my crazy schedule I got a puppy in October? (Isn’t she gorgeous—her name is Scarlett—as in O’Hara—my husband said ‘only you could find a dog that was exactly like you in animal form’—I’m an Aries what can I say and Scarlett knows what she wants and how to get it.) Puppies are like babies, you have to get up in the middle of the night to take them out, you get little sleep, you are exhausted and your brain always hurts and then edits come in when you so aren’t ready but you have to do them, and the kids want attention (always when I’m on the phone with a friend or busy working) and my husband is like, when is it going to be ‘me’ time! I’m also the President of my local RWA chapter this year. I’m coasting day-to-day. But it’s good coasting. I’d be bored if I wasn’t this insanely busy.

Oh, she's a darling! On a more writerly note, do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

It’s a tough market right now. Just believe in yourself and push till you get what you want! And then keep pushing to keep what you want most!

Tiff, do you have a question for our Banditas and Bandita Buddies?

Working women seems to be a common theme in all my books. I had my harem girl (a true courtesan), an artist, a governess, I’m working on a musician, and how cool that in writing this blog, I finally figured out what my ‘thing’ was! I totally write about women who are independent. Okay, back to my questions, readers: What do you think of working women in historical settings? Do you have any favorite jobs a woman might take on? Favorite historical romances with working women?

P.S. I’m giving away three copies of THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE. Please comment for your chance to win.

Wow, Tiff, THREE BOOKS???? That's wonderfully generous. Thank you! OK, everyone, get commenting! And good luck!

We have an AHA Go Red pin for one commenter today.

The healthy heart tip for February 7th is: Make a date to volunteer at a local charity. Giving back is a healthy habit that will boost your mood and beat stress.

Romance Writers of America and the American Heart Association have partnered to raise awareness of heart disease in women and encourage you to join us in wearing red on February 4, National Wear Red Day. Visit Go Red for Women to learn how to fight heart disease.

And just in case you missed it...

Sign up for the Go Red Better U Program and receive two free romance e-books.

From Feb 1 through May 31, 2011, receive one free romance e-book when you sign up for the American Heart Association's Better U Program and one after you complete week six of the program. And look for the Eat Smart for Your Heart limited edition magazine (that features this offer) on newstands and in a grocery store near you.

Go Red for Women is trademarked by the American Heart Association, Inc. Romance novel downloads provided by Belle Books.