Trinity Faegan Enters the YA World with Edgy Debut

I'm thrilled to host debut Young Adult author Trinity Faegan today, not only because I had the privilege of reading her YA work while it was still in manuscript form but also because she's a dear friend.



Your first YA novel, The Mephisto Covenant, just released. Tell us a bit about the book and the main characters.

A descendant of the daughter of Eve, born before Original Sin, Sasha falls in love with Jax, a son of the dark angel, Mephistopheles, then discovers she alone can save him from Hell, but only if she gives up mortality and her birthright of certain Heaven to join him and his brothers in a brutal war to save mankind’s free will.

How did the idea for this book, and the rest of the series, come to you?

I was going through a difficult period after someone close to me was sexually assaulted. I sort of obsessed about evil – why does it exist? Is there really a devil, or Hell? One night, I dreamed of kick-ass guys who could destroy evil. It was hazy and weird, like all dreams, but when I woke up, they were fully formed in my head. As I created the story, I wanted a girl who could be with them only because she was unique in some way. I came full circle to where I’d begun, thinking about original sin. According to the Bible, original sin began when Eve ate the apple and tempted Adam to eat it, too. It’s like they doomed each of us to constant temptation, and only by rising above it can we reach Heaven. At least, that’s what so many religious doctrines teach. I imagined what a human would be like if they weren’t around when Lucifer visited Eden and offered the apple to Eve. So I invented Aurora, born before the fall, who wandered away and was lost. It kind of went from there.

Did you have any moments during the writing of the book when you went, "This is freaking awesome!"? Any when you wanted to pull your hair out?

Writing the first draft was awesome. Revising based on feedback from agents was not so awesome. Throwing the whole thing out and starting over was back to awesome. No, really. Revisions from my editor were…difficult. I’m not sure if that’s because of what he wanted, or that I was going through a major health crisis and surgery during first and second round revisions.

You previously wrote for Harlequin's Bombshell line before it closed. How is writing YA different from writing those earlier books? How is it similar?

I wrote the Bombshell books in first person, and they were funny. The heroine was a divorced down-on-her luck CPA. Her entire worldview was more mature and jaded than Sasha in Mephisto, which I wrote in third. The Pink books were light, even though they dealt with a serious subject, but Mephisto is very dark. I was more conscious of my audience with Mephisto, although I didn’t pull any punches.

Are you a big fan of reading YA? If so, what are some of the best YA books you've read this year?

Huge fan of YA. I haven’t read much since June, when I got serious with writing book 2 in this series. Before that, I read OyMG by Amy Dominy, about a Jewish girl at a Christian camp, and I loved it. As soon as life slows down, I’m excited to read Simone Elkeles’s third Fuentes brother book, Chain Reaction. I’m a total fangurl! Also really excited to read Heather Brewer’s first book in her new Slayer Chronicles series.

If The Mephisto Covenant was made into a movie, who would you love to see cast as the leads?
I never think about this. Really. Never.

Tell us about what you're working on now?

Getting some sleep after turning in book 2 of the Mephisto series, which right now is only two books. Here’s hoping there’ll be more!

If you could ask the Banditas and our Bandita Buddies one thing, what would it be?

How do you guys stay so fun, fresh and on top of things? And where can I buy some? LOL!
~~~
Trinity will be giving away a copy of The Mephisto Covenant today to one lucky commenter. Tell us, are you a fan of YA fiction? If so, what are some of the best YA books you've read this year? What are your all-time favorites?

3 Easy Steps to Getting into the (Halloween) Holiday Spirit

By Kate

I want to welcome my fabulous friend Regan Hastings to the Lair today! Regan is the dark alter ego of my equally fabulous friend Maureen Child. As Regan, she writes The Awakening, a series of sexy paranormal romances, in which a coven of reincarnated witches must atone for their actions 800 years ago, when their thirst for power led them to open the gates of Hell. VISIONS OF SKYFIRE, the second book of The Awakening is available now.

And now here’s Maur – I mean, Regan Hastings…



Christmas is taking over the calendar, and I resent it. Santa Claus must have a good press agent. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. I just want it to stay in December, where it belongs. I’m okay with a slight encroachment into November. The Christmas season has my permission to begin the day after Thanksgiving.

But in my opinion, Halloween should have exclusive rights to October. Unless Santa is dressed in a zombie costume, I don’t want to see him.



Let’s band together and take the fat boy down! Let’s reclaim October. This month, the “holiday” in “holiday spirit” shall be Halloweeeeeeeeeeeen!

3 Easy Steps to Getting into the (Halloween) Holiday Spirit

1. Eat candy. Buy a huge bag of miniature candy bars in early October. Brand name candy bars, the ones that kids really like. You want those tiny goblins to tell their little friends to be sure to go to your house. Test one, just to be sure they’re okay, then put the bag in the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind. It won’t hurt if you sample one every now and then throughout the month, though, right? On Halloween, check your supply, realize that there are only two bite-sized candy bars remaining, and they’re unlikely to procreate. (Even if one does have nuts, and the other doesn’t.) Rush to the store to buy whatever meager pickings are available at the last minute, hoping desperately that they’re good enough to keep kids from toilet-papering your trees.




2. Decorate your yard. In October, you can always tell where the really cool people live by the number of tombstones in front of the house. Freak out your neighbors even more by putting their names on the tombstones. Add a zombie arm clawing its way out of the ground, and you’re Halloween gold, baby.




3. Read a book filled with witchy goodness. I was thrilled when I learned that VISIONS OF SKYFIRE would be released in October, because I knew that diving into the dark paranormal world of the Awakening would help put readers in the Halloween spirit. (Take that, Santa Claus!)

As VISIONS OF SKYFIRE begins, Teresa Santiago can feel that her powers are on the verge of Awakening. Since she was young, her abuela has told her that she’s destined to become one of the most powerful witches who has ever lived. If the Bureau of Witchcraft gets its way, she won’t live for long. In this modern day world, witches are hunted and killed. The instant her powers Awaken, the BOW will detect her magic… and they’ll come for her with every weapon in their arsenal.

Her only hope is that her Eternal warrior-protector will get to her first. Rune was forged from the sun to be her mate. With him by her side, she’ll find her piece of the artifact that will save an ungrateful humanity from the demons of Hell… or die trying.

Click here to read a free excerpt: VISIONS OF SKYFIRE



How do you get into the Halloween spirit? Do you decorate your house? Do you dress in costume? Do a lot of trick-or-treaters come to your house? What is your favorite kind of Halloween candy? If you’re from another country, how does your Halloween tradition differ from what we do in the U.S?

Kate here again! Another great thing about October? Well, I can't tell you. It's a secret. But it's good, and you'll love it, and... okay, I better stop now before I spill the beans. All will be revealed later this month!

Heroes on Horseback: My Lifelong Love Affair

I'm very happy to host the fabulous Kathleen Eagle today. She's talking about the wonderful world of horses, cowboys and the American West. Take it away, Kathleen.

Hello, Bandits!

I have a new book for you. And if you bear with me for a bit of book talk, maybe bare your soul a bit in a comment, we’ll enter you in a drawing for a chance to win one of the earlier books in my current series.

ONE BRAVE COWBOY (on sale 9/20 from Harlequin Silhouette) introduces another competitor for Mustang Sally’s Wild Horse Training Competition, a thread I’ve carried through four of the six books connected with my fictitious Double D Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota.

His name is Cougar, and he served in the Army with Mary Tutan (ONCE A FATHER). He’s a wounded warrior, but his worst scars are not visible. Newly released from a VA hospital, this Indian cowboy desperately needs to come to terms with his losses at home and on the battlefield. He came home from his first tour in the Middle East to find his girlfriend—the woman he’d planned to marry—with another man. During his second tour he was involved in an incident in which his best friend and several civilians were killed, and he blames himself. His hope for saving his sanity--the horses his brother was keeping for him--were sold during his absence. His entry into Mustang Sally’s Wild Horse Training Competition is the means he’s using to find his way among the living after pulling himself back from the brink of suicide.

Then he meets Celia Banyon and her young son, who was injured in an accident and whose worst scars are also not visible.

I’ve written lots of stories featuring Indian cowboys. To begin with, I’m married to one. We met during the summer I took off from working in the college library and headed west in search of adventure. I was a summer volunteer on a Dakota (North and South) reservation. I’d always been interested in American Indian culture, always loved Western movies, and always always loved horses. I’m not a natural athlete by any means, but I used part of my summer earnings to pay for riding lessons when I was in college. Horses are majestic and magical, sensitive and strong. From the moment I met the man who was to become my husband—a man whose world was quite different from mine—we had two key things in common. We loved books and horses. And I just love the smell of horse on a man.

My husband has a way with horses, and he’s tamed his share of them over the years. He speaks their language. Because horses are prey animals, they are extremely sensitive. They seem to connect with people who are wounded or hurting. I’ve known many people—particularly women—who find solace in the act of grooming a horse. Horse therapy has come into its own in recent years. Prisoners, troubled teens, abused women, special needs children—so many people turn to horses for renewal and healing. This is a theme that arises time after time in my Double D Wild Horse Sanctuary series. It’s a theme that complements the love story beautifully.

Let’s talk books, writing, or whatever else comes to mind. Have you ever had a moment when you connected in some mystical way with an animal, some kind of communication that surpasses human expectations?

One commenter will win her/his choice of one of these four books from Kathleen's backlist.

MJ Fredrick Talks About Her Summer Book Releases

By Trish Milburn

Today, we welcome author MJ Fredrick back to the Lair to talk about her million...oh, sorry, I got a little carried away...her two new book releases.

You have two new titles out this summer. First, let's talk about Midnight Sun. Tell us about this story.

Oh, Midnight Sun. The book that took me YEARS to figure out. Midnight Sun is the story of a cruise chef who’s running away from her problems who encounters a man who’s been exiled because of his. They have a one-night stand, and she discovers his family owns the cruise line where she works! She tries to stay professional, and almost manages, before the ship is overrun by pirates in the isolated waters of the Southern Ocean. Then she has to depend on this man with his bad-boy reputation to keep her and the other passengers safe.

I loved writing Marcus, my bad boy former Olympic snowboarder with no ambition. He had to grow up fast on this cruise, when he realizes he’s the guy in charge. Brylie was fun, too, because she was kinda uptight. I love when an uptight character falls for one who’s so laid back.

The book is set in Antarctica, which I find fascinating. What drew you to this setting?

I was watching the Travel Channel late one night and saw a show about cruises to Antarctica. I was absolutely fascinated, but I’m also a big chicken and knew I’d never go. I started doing research, thinking about how I could work a romance into this setting. I started it several times, even finished another version of it, but nothing worked for me. One of my critique partners said she envisioned it as “Die Hard on a ship.” And that fired me up.

You write wonderful action adventure romances. Are you a fan of them as a reader as well? If so, who are some of your favorite action adventure romance authors?

Aww, thanks! Yes, they’re my favorite genre to read. I loved Fight or Flight by Natalie Damschroder, and Evelyn Vaughn’s Bombshells, and Cherry Adair, and Cindy Gerard, and I’d say Nora’s last couple were as much action-adventure as suspense.

What action adventure romance movies have you enjoyed?

Romancing the Stone, of course, and Zorro. Old ones like The African Queen really show the characters overcoming their travails together. I was one of the few who liked Knight and Day, which was kind of like Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which I also loved. I loved the romantic element in Speed and Last of the Mohicans. I would have loved to see Fool’s Gold be—better, and Sahara, too. I would have loved more romance in Die Hard and the Tomb Raider movies. I mean, yeah, Gerard Butler, but that ending, come on!

Your other new title this summer is Something to Talk About, a different type of story. Tell us about it.

When I was writing this book, I called it The Book That I Love. It was my first straight romance in ages. I was high on my Jeffrey Dean Morgan crush, and I’d been reading the Virgin River series and watching a lot of Gilmore Girls, so I wanted a small town love story. The story of Ellie, the small-town waitress who falls in love with her best friend’s somber widower, just flowed. I had a few misfires and had to backtrack, then I wrote it too long and had to cut it down, then added more depth, but I loved every minute of writing it. It’s different, though. One of my critique partners wrote that she was waiting for the gun ships to come over the cliff.

You write different kinds of stories. We writers sometimes hear that we should pick a type of story and stick with it, but I personally find that difficult because I have story ideas for lots of different types of stories. Are you the same? Do you think this actually benefits you as a writer?

I don’t know about benefits. For example, if you enjoyed my historical, Sunrise Over Texas, and you go looking for more of my historicals, well, I haven’t written any yet. (I have ideas, though, boy howdy.) I wrote one little paranormal novella, but my mind just doesn’t bend that way. I love writing for different genres, though. It makes the writing feel fun and fresh.

You're one of the busiest and most prolific writers I know. What releases do you have coming up next?

Wellllll…

August 8, A Ghostly Charm, my one and only paranormal novella, will come out from The Wild Rose Press.

October 24, 3 Days, 2 Nights, a contemporary novella about an estranged couple stranded on a deserted island, will be out from Carina Press.

December 6 (I think), my next novel, Guarded Hearts, about a Texas Congresswoman whose life is threatened so her father hires her a hot bodyguard, will be out from Lyrical Press. 2011 has been a good year for me!

What are you working on now?

I’m working on book 2 of my first trilogy, about a dying resort town trying to find its way out of the recession, and the romances that spring up as they figure things out. I just got back from Minnesota, where I was inspired to write this last summer. This time I did more research. I’m loving this series, but book 2 has been quite the challenge. I hope it pays off.

Thanks for being with us here in the Lair today, MJ. Okay, everyone, MJ writes lots of different types of books -- action adventure romance, straight contemporary romance, paranormal. She's even done an award-winning historical set in frontier Texas. What is your favorite type of romance? And are you a fan of action adventure romances? If so, what are some of your favorites.

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!

Making Out Like A Bandit (In More Ways Than One!)

An guest blog by Virna DePaul with Tawny Weber

Thank you so much to my friend Tawny Weber and all the Romance Bandits for having me here today. With my first debut novel, Chosen By Blood (A Para-Ops Novel) having just released, you can bet I’ve been doing a lot of promotion, and that includes a lot of blog writing. That’s why I hope you’ll indulge me as I do a post that’s a little different, just for fun.

10 Things I Love About The Hero Of My Debut Novel:

1. His name. Knox Devereaux. As sexy, sophisticated, and complex as he is…

2. His body. Actually, both of his bodies. His “normal” one, and the one it transforms into when he’s impassioned (by blood lust or just plain lust).

“Beneath his loose clothing, his muscles hardened and swelled. Knox grew taller, broader, not enough to rip his clothes but enough to make them strain their seams. He felt his fangs lengthen and knew from the sound of Lucy’s gasp that his eyes had shifted from silver to a demonic, glowing scarlet. Control slithered away and a primal growl vibrated in his throat.”

3. His loyalty to his clan.

4. His love for his family.

5. He’s a vampire.

6. His passion for the heroine.

“’There is no us,’ Felicia said sadly.

‘I refuse to accept that.

‘You desire me now, but you’re right—I have limited years on Earth. I need to live those years honoring what I believe. I don’t believe in—in what you’re asking me for. Besides,’ she reasoned desperately, ‘I’m just a passing fancy. When I’m gone, you’ll be glad—’

‘No.’ He growled and pulled her into his arms. She saw the terror that flashed in his eyes. ‘No.’ Before she could stop him, his mouth took hers. And it was exactly as she’d feared it would be.

Devastating.

His mouth took but it also gave. It plundered even as it cherished. His tongue rubbed hers, then retreated, mimicking a different dance and causing the music to swell even louder, until it obliterated everything but the moment.

It was heaven. The kind of heaven one only dreams about, especially when her life has been filled with fear and uncertainty and pain. The kind of heaven that a mortal can’t have.

She wrenched away and backed up, wiping her hand against her lips.

He was breathing roughly, his expression almost desperate. ‘You can’t run from this forever, Felicia.’”

7. His sense of humor.

8. He’s a bad ass.

“Knox returned his attention to Hunt, who not only met his stare head-on, but jerked his chin in challenge. ‘Might as well get it over with now,’ Hunt drawled.

Laughter, a sinister, chilling sound, tickled Knox’s throat.

Oh yeah, he thought.

Things were going to get a whole lot more fun before the day was through.

Knox took three lightning-quick steps toward Hunt, then froze. His nostrils flared as he caught her scent. A second later, he saw the woman standing just behind Hunt.

Felicia. What was she doing—

Before he could complete the thought, a heavy weight slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of him and propelling him off his feet. He didn’t stop until his body slammed into a wall on the other side of the room. Knox hit the ground. Stunned, but immediately moving into a crouch, he blinked as dust and plaster rained down on him, momentarily obstructing his vision. When it cleared, he saw Felicia wrestling with the

werebeast. And then he saw the werebeast shove her down.

With an enraged shout, Knox teleported so fast he caught her before impact. He lowered her, gently but swiftly, then almost instantly wrapped his fingers around Dex Hunt’s throat. Imagining that Hunt’s throat was an aluminum can, Knox squeezed.

Only one thought remained.

Kill the bastard who’d touched Felicia.”

9. His love for his father, the same father that was branded a traitor for telling humans how to kill vampires:

10. Uh, he’s a (Hot) VAMPIRE:

“Felicia grabbed his hand. It was dark out, almost too dark for him to see her, but she wasted no time in cupping her hand around his neck and pulling his head toward her. Not to her lips but to her neck.

‘Drink from me… I feel fine, Knox. I promise.’

He swallowed hard. Felt his mouth watering. “I’ll drink just a little. Just enough to . . .” Without another word, he gave in…Her taste filled his mouth, then his throat, then spread to every part of him…He felt the urge to suck her dry, to drink and drink and drink until every last drop of her was inside him...

Still, he forced himself to slow down, to suck softer, to pull back slightly. He felt his renewed strength, even with the small amount of blood she’d given him. He didn’t want to take too much—

She pushed his head down deeper, whispering for him to take as much as he wanted, and her full acquiescence was too much to fight. He might not need more of her blood, but he wanted it.

He gave himself over to his hunger. Planting his hands on her hips, he rubbed his body against her as he drew on her vein in long, languorous pulls. He lifted his hands to her breasts, cupping them. He felt the strong urge to leave her vein so that he could suck at her nipples.

That’s when he knew he would always be drawn to Felicia for who she was and not what she could give him.

He would always want her more than he wanted her blood.”

Virna DePaul is a former criminal prosecutor whose debut mass market paranormal romantic suspense novel, Chosen By Blood (Book 1 in the Para-Ops series), comes out May 3, 2011 by Berkley Books. In addition, Virna writes contemporary romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense (Dangerous To Her, September 2011) and HQN (new series launching April 2012). Virna has also self-published several novels, including "A Vampire's Salvation," "This Magic Moment," and the "Red-Hot Cops" series under the name Ava Meyers. Visit her at www.virnadepaul.com.

Virna is giving away a Para-Ops tote filled chocolate, a Para-Ops mug, sunglasses, and my e-books, A Vampire’s Salvation, a paranormal vampire novella, This Magic Moment, a contemporary romance, and my craft book with Tawny Weber, Love Writing: A Guide To Writing and Getting Your Romance Novel Published (Without Losing Your Perspective, Passion Or Sanity).

Blurb of Chosen By Blood:

United by fate. Bound by desire.

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn— humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA—still struggle for peace. To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a Para-Ops team with a unique set of skills.

Leader of an Otherborn clan, half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux would do anything to find a cure for the anti-vamp vaccine slowly starving his people into extinction. When the FBI contacts him about leading a team of hand-selected Others on a mission to reclaim the stolen antidote, Knox accepts. His new assignment places him in direct contact with Special Agent Felicia Locke, the beautiful human he’s craved since their very first meeting.

In bookstores now and available on www.amazon.com!

Kathleen Eagle visits the Lair, and brings some cowboys!

Hosted by Trish Milburn

I read a lot, but honestly I don't keep a ton of books once I've read them. I'd need a house just for my books! There are a few authors whose work does make it to my keeper shelf, however, because their stories and characters are so wonderful. Kathleen Eagle is one of those authors. So I jumped at the chance to host Kathleen in the Lair today.

Your new release, Cowboy, Take Me Away (and now I have the Dixie Chicks song in my head), out April 19 from Harlequin Special Edition, is part of your Wild Horse Sanctuary series. Can you tell us more about this series -- how many books so far, what it's about, and what we can expect in the future?

Cowboy, Take Me Away is the 5th book in the Wild Horse Sanctuary series, starting with One Cowboy, One Christmas and hero Zach Beaudry, who was mentioned in In Care of Sam Beaudry. I didn’t start out to write a series, but Sally Drexler from One Cowboy needed a book, and the series grew from there. One Brave Cowboy is scheduled for October. After that there’s at least one more.

Whose story is Cowboy, Take Me Away?

I think it’s Skyler Quinn’s story. She’s ripe for getting swept off her feet. She’s a widow—married an older man who started out as a father figure and ended up leaving her with a pile of debt and a stepson who refuses to grow up. When she runs into Trace Wolf Track—a younger man this time—she thinks she’s in for her very first weekend fling. You can read the first chapter at www.kathleeneagle.com.

I have long been a fan of yours and of stories with cowboys and Native Americans, tales of the west, both past and present. What draws you to write books about these types of characters and settings?

I’m an Eastern dude gone West, but I’ve always loved Westerns, and I’ve always been interested in American Indians. I graduated from college with a generation that truly wanted to save the world, and went straight to an Indian reservation to teach high school English. I had a lot to learn, but I’ve always been an eager student.

Are you also a fan of movie westerns? If so, which ones are your favorites?

I loved the new True Grit with Jeff Bridges. We still watch Lonesome Dove with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones periodically. Both movies are true to the books, and both books are terrific. Another favorite is The Outlaw Josey Wales with Clint Eastwood. Oh, and Two Mules For Sister Sarah. Oh, and....
I see on your website that you teach at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis . Can you tell us more about these classes and how you came to teach there?

The Loft has a wonderful reputation nationally, and for a long time the emphasis was on lit’rary. My friend Mary Bracho (aka Ana Seymour) and I were the first to be invited to teach a course in writing the Romance. We’ve been teaching there for more than 10 years, and we love it. Our “Book In a Month” class fills every time.

With a name like Romance Bandits, you know we love tales of romance here. Tell us how you met your husband, Clyde.

Ah, my favorite romance. I spent the summer between my junior and senior years in college in a volunteer program on a South Dakota Indian reservation. (Remember, I was out to save the world.) I was introduced to Clyde the day after I arrived. He was wearing a red Western shirt, cowboy hat, boots, and man, did he look good in those jeans. He was breaking a horse. I’m here to tell you, there’s no cowboy like an Indian cowboy.

You’ll find a picture of me and my cowboy the summer we met when you visit me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kathleen.eagle1

We all have those keeper books that we've loved so much that we will never part with them. Your Sunrise Song is such a book for me. What are some of the books on your keeper shelf?

Well, first of all, thank you, Trish. I’m especially proud of Sunrise Song. I have tons of keepers. A few off the top of my head: Tales of Burning Love and almost everything else Louise Erdrich had written; Flowers From the Storm (Laura Kinsale); Silent In the Grave (Deanna Raybourn); Lightning That Lingers (Tom and Sharon Curtis)...oh, so many more!

Thanks for being here today, Kathleen. Kathleen will be giving away a copy of one of the earlier Wild Horse Sanctuary books (winner's choice!) to one lucky commenter today. So fire away with your questions for Kathleen.

Colleen Gleason Launches New Vampire Series

I'm happy to be hosting Colleen Gleason today to celebrate the release of The Vampire Voss, the first in her new vampire series. Not only have Colleen and I been friends since we both finaled in the Golden Heart in 2003, but I'm a big fan of her work as well.

For those of us who are fans of your Gardella Vampire Chronicles, tell us how your new vampire series, the Regency Draculia, differs.

Both series are set during Regency-era England, with the Gardellas around 1819-1820 and the new series during the Napoleonic War—specifically in 1804.

The biggest differences are in the vampire mythology and also in the structure of the series. The Gardellas are really more of a historical urban fantasy series, following the life—and loves—of one heroine, Victoria Gardella. The books are really all about her as a sort of superhero (a vampire hunter) in a historical time period. There are no “good” vampires in the Gardellas, they aren’t ever the protagonists or heroes/heroines. The vampires are all evil, and meant to be slain.

I took a different tack with the Regency Draculia. These books are definite vampire romances, with a spotlighted hero and heroine in each book and a happy ending for them at the end of each story. There are over-arching subplots and romances—a la Suzanne Brockmann and Eloisa James—but each book does end happily for the main couple.

The mythology of my Draculia vampires is much different from that of the Gardellas as well, for in these books, there are vampires that run the gamut from being totally evil to being vampires with a conscience. The vampires in these books have basically sold their souls to Lucifer, and they are living their immortal lives with this knowledge—and with all of its benefits and repercussions.

One of the things that make my vampires different is that each of them has an Asthenia--a specific weakness.

Like the vampires of legend who recoil at the sight of silver, and who are weakened by its presence, each of my vampires have a similar “Achilles Heel”—in this case, I call it their Asthenia. And for each Dracule, it’s something different. For one, it could be sapphires. For another, it could be an oak tree. For another, it could be grass or horses or rosemary.

After writing the Gardella series, you began writing post-apocalyptic stories as Joss Ware. What brought you back to vampires?

I love to write historical novels (in fact, the Joss Ware series almost feels historical in some ways, due to the lack of infrastructure and limited technology in that world), and when it was suggested that I try my hand at a true vampire romance novel, set in the Regency, I jumped on it. I love that time period, and I’ve come to love my vampires too. ;-) After writing five books with all-evil vampires, it was a fun and interesting challenge to twist my brain a different way and to write about sexy, dark, compelling vampires.

Why do you think vampire stories continue to ride a wave of popularity?

I think there are several reasons, one of which is the aspect of escape. We—or many of us—read for escape, and what better place to escape than to a place where we know it’s not real...and where things are often much darker than they are in our own world.

Another thing, however, that I think makes vampires popular is the environment in which they live: darkness, sensuality, forbiddenness (is that a word?)...all of that makes these characters intriguing and compelling. And there’s the sexual aspect—the penetration, the need, the angst and the reality of what is it like to live forever? Those are all fascinating, titillating aspects of vampire lore, and each author approaches them in a different way.

As a reader, which authors of vampire stories do you enjoy most?

Some of my favorites are Lara Adrian and Jeaniene Frost, but I confess that I don’t read very much in the way of paranormal romances...simply because I write them.

I am a huge Buffy fan, however. ;-)

Tell us a bit about the characters in The Vampire Voss, the first in your new series.

Voss, the Viscount Dewhurst, has been a vampire for a hundred and fifty years. He agreed to sell his soul to Lucifer, and now he has everything he’s ever wanted: immortality, scads of money, imperturbable power, and all the women he can handle. If a man were to live forever with all the power and pleasure and money he ever wanted, I believe he would be just like Voss: Selfish, hedonistic, and, at some point, bored with it all.

Everything is going along just fine—if not becoming a little routine after more than a century of pure hedonism with no negative consequences—until he meets Angelica Woodmore…who is the first woman he finds himself unable to enthrall and seduce.

Angelica is one of three sisters (the eldest of whom is featured in the second book in the series, The Vampire Dimitri) who has a bit of the “Sight”, courtesy of their half-Gypsy grandmother. She becomes a pawn in a struggle between two factions of vampires (if I may....the “good” vampires versus the “bad” vampires).

Because of who he is, Voss is studiously neutral in this struggle—playing both sides—because he wants to use Angelica’s powers for his own protection. And Angelica is terrified of vampires.

So...you can see where this is going. ;-)

And then add in all of the aspects we love about Regency romance: the balls, the dance cards, the manners and repartee, the powerful, rakish viscounts and the bored, brooding earls...and you’ve got a good feel for the series.

Also, there are two more books in the series, coming in early May and early June: In The Vampire Dimitri, we meet a tortured, brooding vampire who has come to strongly regret his bargain with Lucifer and who is trying, in vain, to break that bond. Too bad the woman he falls for is fascinated by his Draculean bent. And in The Vampire Narcise, we meet a damaged female vampire who believes that love isn’t for immortals—because nothing can last forever, especially for someone whose soul is not their own.

Thanks so much for having me here! I’m going to give away a copy of the second book in the series, The Vampire Dimitri, to a commenter today.

To enter to win, either ask me a relevant question about the series or writing, etc., and/or tell me...if you were a Dracule, what would your Asthenia be?
~~~
Thanks, Colleen. Can't wait to start this new series. You know how anxious I was to get my hands on each new Gardella book.

So, get to commenting, folks. :) There's a great new book up for grabs.

Guest Author: Susan Mallery, ALREADY HOME

Hosted by Kate

Hey, banditas, I'm thrilled to welcome my good friend, Susan Mallery, to the Lair! Susan's next book, ALREADY HOME, is coming out in a few days and I can't wait for you all to read it! It's a step away from the romance she usually writes. ALREADY HOME is a fabulous, emotional story about a woman with two mothers. Take it away, Susan!

Does anyone else get ticked at advice columnists when they advise people to see a therapist? I mean, okay. I understand that therapy is healthy and is sometimes necessary, but I feel like that answer is a cover-your-butt protective move.

When people write to an advice columnist, they want honest-to-goodness advice. They do not want to be told to ask someone else for advice.

Plus, it deflates my voyeuristic balloon. (Yes, it’s all about me.) I want to read about the crazy things people do and think and say, and then I want the advice columnist to present a solution that I can either cheer or mock.



Here are letters from three characters from ALREADY HOME. I want you to give them advice. I promise not to mock you… unless you tell them to see a therapist.

Dear Banditas,

I made a big mistake. I opened a kitchen store. What was I thinking?! I don’t know anything about running a store. I’m a chef. Or at least, I was. I seem to have lost my mojo in the kitchen, which is why I thought opening a store might be a good idea. But it was an impulse, and now I’m drowning. I have three years of lease payments to make and no clue what I’m doing. The last thing I need is another complication…

So of course that’s exactly when my birth parents show up unannounced in my store. And Banditas… they’re weird. They said the Universe told them to come. They’re from California, they would have named me Butterfly, and they don’t eat dairy. Seriously, what kind of person chooses to live without cheese?!

But they said I have two brothers and a niece on the way. And my birth mother looks a lot like me. I am a little curious about the life I didn’t have. But what if I hurt my real mom by spending time with the woman who gave me birth? What should I do?

- Torn in Texas

***

Dear Banditas,

My daughter! My little Butterfly! For 31 years, we celebrated her birthday. Missed her. Waited for her to find us… until the Universe told me not to wait any longer. Finally, our family is reunited. Why is she fighting it? I want to share the world with her, and we’ve lost too much time already. If she doesn’t open her heart to me, how will she open herself to the man I’ve found for her? I don’t want to wait any longer. How can I convince her to stop turning me away?

-Earth Mother



***

Dear Banditas,

My daughter’s birth mother is getting to be a pain. I don’t hate the woman; how could I? I was born to be a mother, but I couldn’t have children. Serenity made my life complete when she gave Jenna to me. I want to be open-minded about this whole thing, but Serenity is being way too pushy, and my instinct is to protect my daughter. Why is Serenity so insistent that Jenna jump whole-heartedly into a relationship with the birth family she just met? Why does everything have to happen now, now, now?

How can I help my daughter? Should I step in and tell Serenity to back off? Or should I encourage Jenna to get to know the people whose DNA she shares?

-A Real Mom

Okay, Romance Banditas, put on your Advice Columnist hats. Pick a question, or respond to all three. What advice would you give the women of ALREADY HOME?

And while you're thinking of Susan, you absolutely must rush right over and join her Members Only area at http://www.susanmallery.com/. There, you'll find extended excerpts, contests, freebies, exclusive short stories, games and videos, and more.

The Highlanders and Julianne MacLean!

by Anna Campbell

It is my very great pleasure to introduce Julianne MacLean, one of the STARS of historical romance, to the lair! Julianne is a three-time RITA award finalist and her books have hit the USA Today list.

When I first started reading Julianne's books, she was writing about American heiresses marrying into the British nobility but she seems to have come over all Scottish lately with her Highlander trilogy, the first of which, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER, comes out this month from St. Martin's.

Romantic Times chose CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER as one of their Top Picks for March and said:

MacLean ensnares readers with her powerful writing and emotional love stories, once again crafting a book to cherish. Her richly portrayed characters and intriguing, fast-paced plot combine in a read that will leave you speechless with delight. This new novel reinforces her reputation as a premier writer of Scots-set romance.

You can find out all about Julianne and her delicious Highlanders on her website: http://juliannemaclean.com/index.php

Julianne, welcome to the Bandit lair! I can’t believe it’s taken us so long to lure you here. Clearly you need TLC. Sven, a message! Paolo, a margarita! Gladiators, a sword! Um, perhaps I should rephrase that! Congratulations on the release of your latest historical romance, CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER (capture and Highlander, you’ve got me at hello!). Can you tell us about this story?

CAPTURED is the first book in my new Highlander trilogy, and it’s a classic tale about a savage beast of a Highlander (he always carries a big axe, and they call him The Butcher of the Highlands) who kidnaps his enemy’s fiancée for revenge, but OF COURSE he falls crazy in love with her in the process! There are bunch of twists and turns after that, but I have to keep most of them secret, otherwise I would be guilty of the “spoiler” offense, and we can’t have that!

I notice the fabulous CAPTURED BY THE HIGHLANDER is being followed a mere month later by CLAIMED BY THE HIGHLANDER. Can you tell us about that story too?

CLAIMED picks up not long after CAPTURED leaves off. A lot happens in the first book, and I don’t want to spoil too much by giving stuff away, but the hero’s best friend does something bad which betrays the hero, and is banished from his clan. Two years later, he returns to find that his father’s castle has been overtaken by another clan, and he brings an army to win it back. After breaking down the gates and winning the battle, he claims the daughter of the fallen enemy chief as his wife, but she’s a real spitfire, and he finds he has a few more challenges ahead of him when she defies him and tries to deny him his “husbandly rights.” You know the ones I’m talking about, right? Wink wink, nudge nudge.


What? She won't share her haggis? For shame! Snicker. So, Ms. MacLean, what IS it with you and Highlanders?

I’ve been writing about dukes and earls for too long. I needed to get out of the polite London ballrooms and get down and dirty with some seriously old school, savage heroes who aren’t afraid to sleep in a cave and swing a really big sword.
Oh, no, not with more sword jokes! Where is the decorum? What’s coming up next for Julianne MacLean?

The third and final book in the Highlander series – SEDUCED BY THE HIGHLANDER - is coming out in October, and that one was my editor’s favorite. I think I had a soft spot for that hero, because he was as tortured as they come, and I, for one, love a tortured alpha male! I’m also working on a new series set in Regency England, called The Royal Weddings Trilogy. Though I loved being in the wilds of Scotland – and will probably go back there again - I felt ready to return to the charming gentlemen of London, and the clothes. I love the clothes.

You also write contemporary romance as E.V. Mitchell. Can you tell us about your alter ego and the stories she tells?


THE COLOR OF HEAVEN is a book I started working on six years ago, and finally put the finishing touches on last summer.It’s a contemporary women’s fiction novel with romantic elements about first love, but it’s not a romance novel, which is why I felt it was necessary to adopt a pseudonym, so that my readers would know it’s something very different.It was born out of a few personal events in my own life that have changed me as a person. I had a serious car accident when I was twenty-five, and there is a scene in the book that is very similar to what I experienced, but I explore what could have happened if I wasn’t so lucky that day.I’ve always had a fascination with near-death experiences, where a person can float outside of their body and experience something strange and unusual – so I was inspired to write a story about a character who experiences such a thing. But that’s only one part of it. Mostly, it’s a story about a woman’s journey through some hard times, and how she learns to overcome those challenges, having learned something about life and love.

Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

Step one: Write. Step two: Write some more. Step three: Polish and revise and get feedback from others who know the genre. Step four: Revise some more. Step five: Decide you’re in it for the long haul, and that giving up is not an option. Step six: When you get rejected, go back to step one, and always remember step five. Because we all get rejected. Even multi-published authors still get rejected.

That's great advice, Julianne. Thanks for hanging out with us today. The cabana boys were all agog when I told them were coming - and an agog cabana boy is a sight to see, don't you agree? Do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies?


So here’s my question: All three heroes in my Highlander trilogy are dangerous, tortured alpha males. Tell me – who is your all-time favorite tortured alpha male hero? And name the book. Let’s spread the joy!

Just to whet your appetite for Highlanders (yeah, like that's a big job!), Julianne has very generously offered a signed copy of THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF SCOTTISH ROMANCE to one lucky commenter 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.