Musing of the Romantics

Romance Author Lorraine Heath Guest Blog on Romance Novel TV

New York Times best selling author Lorraine Heath has been an auto-buy author for me since her Rogues in Texas Series. So I'm very excited to have her with us today on Romance Novel TV.

Today Lorraine is graciously offering a complimentary copy of one of her Avon books, winner’s choice, to one lucky poster. If the winner has all of her books, she can opt to have Lorraine send her a copy of Between the Devil and Desire as soon as it’s available in late December. She'll also include a complimentary copy of her latest teen novel, Labor of Love, which is written under her Rachel Hawthorne pen name.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

Hello! I’m thrilled to be here at romancenovel.tv this morning. You’re such a lovely group and so supportive of romance.

I’m also thrilled to have an opportunity to talk about my scoundrels. They came to me in a dream, these dirty little scamps running around the London streets. One of them said, “We’ve got nufin’.” And another replied, “We’ve got each ov’r.” And at that moment they won my heart. I woke up, went to my office, and wrote what I called “An introduction to Lucian Langdon,” “An introduction to Jack Dodger” and “Final musings from Lucian Langdon.” I saw these two characters so clearly. And I saw Frannie Darling, the one who would tie all the scoundrels of St. James together. My editor had concerns that if I opened the book in first person, readers would think it was all written in first person and put it back down so I changed the introductions to journal entries although they are a bit broader and more omniscient than a journal entry might truly be.

As I began researching what life was like for Victorian children, I realized that if I stepped out of my comfort zone of the 1880’s and went back to the early 1850’s that I would be tapping into a time that provided a broader canvas on which to paint a story. Andrea mentioned in her lovely review that this was a grittier book than I usually write, but it really appealed to me as a writer. And once I discovered Jeannie Duckworth’s nonfiction work, Fagin’s Children, I realized my characters had the potential to work on several levels and could provide some fun for those who are fans of Oliver Twist.

What amazed me as I researched was how children were treated like adults when it came to crime and punishment. Any child, crime, and punishment mentioned in In Bed With the Devil was based on documentation. An 8-year-old girl was sent to prison for stealing gumdrops. A 14-year-old boy was transported to New Zealand for picking a pocket. My characters grew up in this world and they each try in their own small way to right what they consider injustice.

And, of course, as usually happens when I write I discover characters I didn’t realize existed, and in this case, more scoundrels popped up. James Swindler whose past led him to work at Scotland Yard and William Graves who became interested in medicine after selling cadavers to hospitals. The scoundrels all had the opportunity to be shaped by such interesting circumstances.

I’m very excited that readers won’t have to wait long for the next scoundrel. Between the Devil and Desire will be released December 30. It’s Jack Dodger’s story. I have to admit to having a soft spot for Jack. Of all the scoundrels, his life was the harshest and it takes a very special lady to break down the walls and re-open his heart.

I confess to being much more adventuresome when it comes to my writing than in real life. Outside of my office, I tend to stay in my comfort zones. Makes me a tad predictable. Anytime we go to a new restaurant, my husband can look the menu over and know exactly what I’ll order. Are you an adventurer or do you prefer to stay snuggled in your comfort zones?

Thanks so much for inviting me to blog with you today.

Fondly,

Lorraine

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Where do Writer’s Get Their Ideas!!!!? by Jasmine Haynes

You might think we have three Guest Authors today – but no, in fact we only have one author visiting with us today. She writes under three different names and writes three different romantic sub-genres. So if you’re in the mood for romantic suspense or romantic comedy or erotic romance you might want to try Jennifer Skully, JB Skully or Jasmine Haynes.

Today, let's welcome Jasmine Haynes to Romance Novel TV.

Thanks so much for having me as your guest.

I’ve got Show and Tell coming out from Berkley Sensation tomorrow! I’m so excited. Show and Tell is the second in a trilogy that began with The Fortune Hunter, which won the Holt Medallion for erotic romance.

People often ask me how I get my ideas. I think most writers hear that question. And the answer is, they come from absolutely everywhere. I’m never bored standing in line at the grocery store or waiting in the dentist’s office because I watch and listen. I once got a full-blown character just by sitting in the waiting room at the optometrist and watching a mother and teenage daughter try on glasses. I might not use what I observed right then, but I’ll always go home and write it into my “ideas” file. There it percolates. Then one day, boom, I know how I’m going to use it. This is exactly what happened with Show and Tell, Trinity Green’s story. We meet her in The Fortune Hunter, then we learn all about her trials and tribulations in Show and Tell.

When I finished The Fortune Hunter, I really had no clue what was going to happen to Trinity after about page 5 of Show and Tell. That’s when my little percolation file of ideas worked for me once again. A friend told me about a small incident that occurred while he was on a business trip. At the end of a long day, he arrived at his hotel, checked in, and was on the way to his room. As he was passing a closed door, he heard noises. A woman. She was obviously feeling pretty darn good at that particular moment, and very expressive about it, too. When he told me about this, he said it was kinda funny, because he couldn’t hear the man at all. My answer, maybe she was by herself. He laughed--that hadn’t even occurred to him--and told me I should use it in a book sometime. And it was perfect for Show and Tell. That’s how Trinity met her hero, Scott Sinclair. Naughty, naughty Trinity. You can read an excerpt this month on Romance Novel TV.

Fair Play, the third book in the trilogy arrives sometime in April 2009. I also have anthology coming out in December 2008, Unlaced, with stories by three other great writers, Jaci Burton, Joey Hill, and Denise Rossetti.  In addition to Jasmine Haynes, many of you know me as Jennifer Skully, writing over-the-top (hopefully hilarious) romantic mysteries, and as JB Skully, I’ve created the Max Starr psychic mystery series. Readers can learn more about all my pseudonyms at http://www.skullybuzz.com. They can also watch two movie trailers on MySpace .

And don't miss my contest with lots of free books and lots of winners, going on now at skullybuzz.com

And just remember, when you’re at the grocery store or the doctor’s office, there might be a writer there observing you!

“What interesting little tidbit have you observed or overheard recently? I’d love to hear. I might even ask to use it in a book!”

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Romance Novel TV Book Review: Duchess by Night by Eloisa James

Reviewed by Maria Lokken
5 out of 5 stars

Harriet the Duchess of Berrow is in need of a change, an escape from the ton, from the sympathetic faces of those that look upon her as the poor widow. She wants desperately to get away from what her life has become since the death of her husband. She decides to go for an extended holiday with her friends Isidore and the Duke of Villiers to the estate of Lord Strange.

The infamous Lord Strange doesn’t socialize with the ton, in fact, his home is known for it’s wild parties filled with actors, actresses and politicians – about as far away from an evening with the ton as one can get. While Harriet yearns for a new experience, she isn’t willing to throw away her good name, which is why she arrives at the Strange estate in breeches pretending to be the young Harry - an over protected mama’s boy, who is woefully ignorant of the ways of wine, women and fun.

While Lord Strange, also a widow, has witnessed all sorts of people and risqué behavior at his home, he finds the emotions he’s developing toward the young Harry a bit odd. All the while, Harriet/Harry is finding herself more liberated being a man, unencumbered from the restrictions imposed on the women of her time.

I’m not usually one for charades. In fact, I don’t really like the whole character mix up thing. However, this is the exception to the rule. Ms. James has created a clever, clever well written romance. What could have been a farce, instead, delves deep into emotions, viewpoints, desires, and breaks the barriers on the ‘should’ and ‘should nots’ in ‘proper society’.

The author artfully describes Harriet in such a manner that you’re not altogether sure she is a ‘young’ widow. She had become dowdy and ready for eternal widowhood. As the book progresses we get a sense of who our heroine is as she too discovers what she’s capable of. It would have been easy for the author to have the heroine be the sole benefactor of ‘growth’. Instead Ms. James takes it one step further, allowing several characters to benefit from Harriet’s transformation, giving the book rich, emotional layers.

Duchess by Night is Ms. James at her best, with terrific story telling, and dialogue that is droll, witty and altogether a pleasure to read. I heartily recommend this book!

 

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All New Guest Authors on Romance Novel TV: Haynes, Heath and Showalter

Join us this week for all new Guest Authors

June 30th     Jasmine Haynes talks about her new book Show and Tell and where she gets all her ideas from.

July 1st         Lorraine Heath is joining us as a guest blogger on Tuesday - her blog is a surprise but you can bet In Bed with the Devil will be mentioned.

July 2nd        Gena Showalter will be a guest blogger on Wednesday  and we'll definitely be talking about The Darkest Pleasure.          

Go to Romance Novel TV to join all the fun.

Book Review: In Bed With the Devil by Lorraine Heath

Reviewed by Andrea Williamson

4.75 stars

When I pick up a Lorraine Heath book, I know I'm in for a well written, emotionally satisfying story.  In Bed With the Devil is exactly this . . . in spades!  This is book one in Ms. Heath's new Scoundrels of St. James series.

He is called the Devil Earl.  Lucian Langdon, Earl of Claybourne, grew up differently than other members of the aristocracy--he was raised on the rough London streets.  At the age of six, he was taken in by and became one of 'Feagan's lads', a group of misfits trying to survive the best way they could.  At fourteen, Luke was captured and accused of murder, but was spared the hangman's noose by a gentleman who claimed that Luke was his long lost grandson and heir.  Luke didn't believe that he's the rightful heir, but didn't deny it and went along with the old gent.  He isn't comfortable with nor accepted into society and for those reasons he doesn't attend social functions.  That is until the night he attended a ball and saw Lady Catherine Mabry.  While there, he couldn't take his eyes off of her and was impressed that she boldly returned his gaze.  Catherine was shocked, but intrigued . . . and is still intrigued five years later.  It is Luke's dangerous reputation combined with her need for help that prompts her to seek him out.  She would do anything to protect those she loves--even make a deal with the devil.

I absolutely loved Luke.  He is a tortured hero that I completely sympathized with.  He has flaws, but it is those flaws and how he handles/reacts to them that makes him incredibly endearing.  He struggles with inner demons because he believes he's not the real earl, but says he is because he didn't want to let down the man who saved his life--a man who truly believed Luke was the rightful earl and who took care of the rest of Feagan's lads.  Luke is fiercely loyal to his friends and vice versa.  They depended upon each other for everything when they were children and are still there for each other as adults.

Catherine is a strong, willful heroine whom I admired very much.  She is the sole caretaker of her ailing father, the Duke of Greystone, while her brother is off gallivanting around the continent. She is completely devoted to her friend, Winnie, Duchess of Avendale, who is abused by her husband.  Her desire to help her friend and stop the abuse is what prompts her to visit Luke and beg for his help.  She is fascinated by the wickedness associated with the Devil Earl, but after spending time with him soon discovers that he's not what others perceive him to be.  I like that Catherine challenges Luke at every turn and speaks her mind without being over the top.

In Bed With the Devil is a beautiful redemption story. It is darker and grittier than any of Ms. Heath's previous books, but it needs to be to fit the feel of the story.  I must say that I was captivated by the secondary characters--Winnie and the rest of Feagan's lads--and wonder which of them will be featured in the next book in this series.  This book is another keeper from Lorraine Heath that I highly recommend!

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Book Review: The Trouble with Moonlight by Donna MacMeans

Reviewed by PJ Ausdenmore

4 Stars

His name is Locke - James Locke - and he’s an agent in Her Majesty’s service.

He has no family and his work is his life, leaving neither the time nor interest for relationships of any type.

Her name is Lusinda Havershaw and she’s Nevidimi, with the inherited ability to become invisible in moonlight. She’s devoted to her family and her exceptional, though unfortunately uncontrollable, skill is put to use reclaiming stolen objects for their owners to provide financial support for her aunt and two younger sisters. 

In 1877 London, James is about to break into a safe in a suspected traitor’s home, to retrieve a list of British agents before the information can be handed over to the Russians, when his unbelieving eyes see a ruby necklace floating out of the safe and across the room. He follows and discovers Miss Lusinda Havershaw and her secret gift of becoming invisible in moonlight. By threatening to expose her and her family, he convinces a reluctant Lusinda to work with him to retrieve the stolen list of agents and uncover the Russian spy who has stolen them. As James and Lusinda are drawn deeper into intrigue they are also drawn to one another but both resist the attraction. James is fascinated by Lusinda but he guards his heart well and has vowed to never marry, knowing that anyone he cares for will be in danger of being captured and harmed by enemies of England. Lusinda has learned the hard way that secrets must never be shared with anyone outside the family and has been careful to not become close to anyone but fears her feelings for James may be turning to love. Eventually, at the end of a journey that is suspenseful, humorous and poignant, James and Lusinda both discover that trust is essential to true love and true love is worth any risk.

Donna MacMeans is quickly becoming one of my auto-buy authors. I thoroughly enjoy her voice and found the touch of paranormal she wove into this historical absolutely delightful!

 

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Book Review: Dark Deceiver by Pamela Palmer Reviewed by Author Anna Campbell

Pamela Palmer was a Golden Heart finalist with me in 2006 and she’s great fun and a thoroughly good egg. So I really looked forward to reading the sexy paranormals she sold to Silhouette Nocturne.

Her first book in the Esri series, THE DARK GATE, was fantastic. Romantic, suspenseful and featuring one of the creepiest villains I’ve encountered in ages. I’ve just finished her second Esri book, DARK DECEIVER, and you know what? It’s even BETTER than THE DARK GATE. And that’s saying something!

I’m a sucker for stories where the hero is torn between the demands of honor and his love for the heroine. That duty/love conflict is such a powerful hook and it makes DARK DECEIVER a corker of a read.

In Esria, a parallel universe peopled by powerful faerie creatures, Kaderil the Dark is known as The Punisher. Because he has human blood, most of his compatriots despise him. He uses his great strength to instil the respect he yearns for, but he’s smart enough to recognize it’s a respect based purely on fear. He also hides a secret, that he has very little magic of his own. Oh, and need I mention he’s as sexy as all get-out?

The ambitious Esrian king sends a party of Esri, including Kaderil, into our world to find the Stones of Power which will give the Esri unlimited access to earth where, let’s say, their intentions are not benevolent! Kaderil soon encounters our heroine Autumn McGinn, who is already part of a group fighting against the Esri. With that meeting, everything he believes and every principle he’s always followed start to unravel. Love it!

Autumn is another of my favorite types of heroines (can you tell I enjoyed this book?). I love the Ugly Duckling plot. I love books where the hero sees beauty in a woman who’s never been considered beautiful by less perceptive people around her.

Autumn is over six feet tall and red-haired and freckled and a real klutz. But Kaderil, who’s seven feet tall himself, thinks she’s a goddess from the moment he meets her. Ah, love at first sight, don’t you just dig it? She’s clever and a bit of a geek – she works for the Smithsonian and she’s a research whiz. And she’s brave so she is spiritually a perfect match for Kaderil. He recognizes and admires that in her from the beginning.

Poor Kaderil’s sufferings will wrench your heart as he tries to come to terms with the fact that it’s his duty to kill Autumn and her friends and yet she’s the only being who has ever shown him any genuine warmth. From the start, he reluctantly deceives her about his true identity – the scene where she discovers who she really is will rock your socks, trust me!

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot of DARK DECEIVER, which is fast-paced and edgy. The story can stand on its own although characters from THE DARK GATE  make an appearance. But I dare you to put down Kaderil and Autumn’s love story once you start reading it. It’s passionate, sexy and beautifully written. I can’t wait for the next Esri book to fly into my hot little hands! Come on, Pamela, get writing!

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Book Review: Let the Night Begin by Kathryn Smith

Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill

4 Stars

Betrayal, trust, lust, love, and communication are the key ingredients that create Kathryn Smith’s latest release Let the Night Begin. This is the fourth installment in the Brotherhood of the Blood series - the story of Reign and his estranged wife of thirty years, Olivia. Reign, a six hundred year old vampire, met the love of his very long life, when he met Olivia. However, Olivia was mortal – that is until their wedding night.

What Ms. Smith explores in this book is at the very heart of love – can you still love someone after you think they have betrayed you and broken your trust? Can fear of losing someone you love drive you to do things that will cause such a break down in communication that all is lost? And is it possible to still love some one even when you don’t trust them? These are some of the questions both Reign and Olivia have to face as they meet each other again after thirty years of separation.

I love reunion stories, and this one starts off with a bang. Olivia has been living a quiet and rather lonely existence until she finds out that her nephew James – the boy she raised from childhood, has been kidnapped. The ransom required to free James is her husband Reign. So after years of anger and resentment for her estranged husband, Olivia must now seek him out and ask for his help.

For most of the book Olivia’s anger fuels all her decisions and actions towards Reign, while Reign’s love, lust and wisdom fuel his. At the heart of all their interactions is mistrust. Together they try to find a common ground in order to move on with the task at hand – freeing James. They must work in tandem if they are to find out who kidnapped James and what exactly the kidnappers want. With Olivia holding back information the task is difficult at best; having to work together while continually questioning each other’s motives creates a delicious tension as well as a back drop for them to rediscover one another.

I found Olivia to be an extremely interesting heroine. She has so much anger toward her husband and yet there is also a great deal of lust and longing for him. She is a woman who knows her own mind, has strong convictions, intelligence and is not afraid to say what she means. Her ability to not only survive, but create a place in the world where she can thrive, is a testament to her strength.

Reign is a true alpha hero – but more than that, he is wise, patient and self- confident in a way that does not diminish others. In fact, both Olivia and Reign are strong, intense and formidable characters – and yet neither one of them detracts from the other. In fact, their individual characters compliment one another making them a ‘unit’, able to work together despite their prior separation. Together they rediscover the passion that first brought them together and try to heal the wounds that separated them. The chemistry between them is on fire.

As I said before, Let the Night Begin is the fouth installment in the Blood of the Brothers Series – but it is definitely a stand alone book. So if you haven’t read the first three books, Be Mine Tonight, Taken by the Night and Night of the Huntress – you’ll be able to jump right in and enjoy this book on its own merits.  If you’ve read the series we learn more about the evil doings of the Order of the Silver Palm, see a bit of Saint and Ivy and a hint of what is to come in Temple’s book – ah yes…Temple. But let me not get ahead of myself and continue to savor Olivia and Reign.

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Top 5 things to do before 12/21/2012 by Jessica Andersen Author of Night Keepers

Hi! Jessica Andersen here, author of Nightkeepers, book one of the Novels of the Final Prophecy. I want to know what you want to do between now and the end of 2012. But first, a little background on why that date is important:

 The ancient Mayan Long Count calendar will complete its five-thousand-year cycle on December 21, 2012. This is the date of a very rare stellar conjunction will occur that some modern researchers think could trigger cataclysmic upheavals (sun spots, magnetic reversals, etc.), potentially leading to an apocalypse like the one the ancient Mayans predicted for this day.

The Novels of the Final Prophecy tell of the ancient Mayan myths that come to life in the last four years before 12/21/2012, and their opposition by the Nightkeepers, descendants of an ancient magic-wielding race sworn to protect mankind from the apocalypse.

In the first book, Nightkeepers, the last king of the magi is forced to team up with a Miami-Dade narcotics detective in order to reunite his scattered warriors and fight the gods of the Mayan underworld. Wielding ancestral magic based on bloodletting and sex, the king will have to choose between his duty and his love for the human woman who is the gods' destined sacrifice.

Meanwhile, the reunited warriors, modern-day men and women like you and me, must deal with learning that they are the last descendants of a powerful race of magi, and that it’s up to them to save the world over the next four years, as the clock ticks down to 12/21/2012. Moreover, they must come to terms with their powers, and the fact that their magic is mega-boosted when they hook up with their god-destined mates, whether or not those mated pairs get along with each other.

This, as you might imagine, causes some serious friction, especially when their leader, Strike, chooses a woman who not only isn’t his destined mate. . . she’s not even a Nightkeeper. Thus, as the Nightkeepers try to find their identity as individuals and as a group, each of them must figure out their priorities in the final four years before the 2012 end date.

Which begs the question: If you knew the world was going to end on 12/21/2012, what would you do between now and then? This grew out of a discussion on my message board (on my site under ‘Community’), and I have to give Lami a nod for the title of this entry, which she offered under a thread about ‘Things not to name the next book.’ (Snicker.) But while the title and many of the things we said we would do (like organizing the junk drawer in the kitchen and ripping the DO NOT REMOVE tag off the mattress- LOL!) are in good fun, the conversation made me think: What would I do? So I came up with the following five semi-serious goals. And the interesting thing is that as I looked at my list, I realized that each of these things is pertinent to Nightkeepers. So here goes:

Number 5.  Do something that scares me. For me, that would probably involve a small, dark cave full of big spiders… or skydiving. For Strike, the hero of Nightkeepers, that means trusting the dreams that draw him to an unsuitable mate, even though he knows his father’s visions led to the deaths of all but a handful of the magi.

Number 4. Do something I’ve always wanted to do. I’d like to get a tattoo… or have my picture taken in a Viper (huge Battlestar Galactica geek here). Preferably both <G>. For the young half-blood Nightkeeper, Rabbit, this means gaining access to the magic he’s dreamed of all his life. Unfortunately, he soon learns that power can create more problems than it solves.

Number 3. Look up an old friend. I’m late returning a call from a high school friend who tracked me down and wanted to get together… five years ago. Mybad! The Nightkeepers, on the other hand, have been scattered for more than two decades. In order to save the world, they’ll have to learn how to function as a team.

Number 2. Re-connect with family. Many of us have family ties we’ve let lapse, either accidentally or on purpose, and the end of the world is as good a reason as any to mend fences, build bridges, or whatever metaphor you choose, right? In the Nightkeepers’ case, they must come to terms with the expectations of parents they never knew, and bloodline duties they thought were bedtime stories.

Number 1. Be with someone I love. Which is self-explanatory, really. When it all ends, I’m going to go out fighting, just like the Nightkeepers. . . and my man’s going to be fighting at my side. Whether you’re god-destined mates or you meet over a wardrobe malfunction at the local riding stable (which is a long, embarrassing story), love matters most in the end.

So those are my five, a little heavier than I’d intended, but that was what came out, so I’m running with it. If we expand it to a top 10 list, I’d probably add in ‘watch the equinox sunrise from the pyramid of Kulkulkan at Chichen Itza,’ ‘swim with wild dolphins,’ and ‘figure out where all the left-handed gloves go.’ But it’s your turn now. Tell me… What do you want to accomplish between now and 12/21/2012?

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An Interview with Rachel Gibson

New York Times bestselling author and RITA winner Rachel Gibson is visiting with us today. Her novels are contemporary romances with original and unforgettable characters. Her latest release – Not Another Bad Date has just hit #7 on the New York Times List.

( For those readers who have yet to read NABD – check out MaryKate’s review or visit Rachel’s website to find out more; then go buy the book ).

RNTV: Hi Rachel, it’s such a joy for me to welcome you back to Romance Novel TV. First let me congratulate you on the RITA nomination for Tangled Up In You. And second, congratulations on Not Another Bad Date hitting #7 on the New York Times List! Both so well deserved!

Not Another Bad Date is the 4^th book in your “Writers Series”. Each book in the series is about an author – each author writes in a different genre; true-crime, mystery, romance and paranormal. I read an interview where you said that you often get together with a group of writers talk about books you’re reading and the one’s you’re writing; and these get togethers inspired the series. If I were a fly on the wall at one of these soirees what might I hear?

Rachel: It would probably depend on when you landed on the wall. In the beginning of our get togethers we are all fairly well behaved. We usually talk about book sales and the market and who hit where on the lists and doesn’t it suck that we all don’t hit number one. After a few martinis, we talk about the latest gossip. Then we get around to talking about the books we’ve just read and the really outrageously contorted sexual positions in some books. A few years ago, we were all in a Mexican restaurant discussing the kinkiest love scene we’d written when I noticed the gentlemen at the next table had stopped eating and were watching us. I replayed the last snippet of conversation in my head, which was “Of course I’ve used handcuffs. Who hasn’t? I don’t like whips, though.” That night inspired the Writers Series.

RNTV: In Not Another Bad Date we meet Adele Harris who writes paranormal fiction. Adele’s been on so many bad dates – well, she thinks she’s cursed. Ok, Rachel, confession time; how many bad dates did you go on before you met Mr. Gibson?

Rachel: I’ve had my share of bad dates. In fact, Mr. Gibson was a bad date but he was so persistent I took pity on him and went out on a second date with him. On that first day, he took me on a picnic and he’d made all the food himself. The chicken was burnt on one side and raw on the other. The potatoes in his potato salad were crunchy. Sadly, his cooking has never improved.Worst date was prom my junior year in high school. My date spit when he talked. I faked food poisoning and had him take me home early.

RNTV: Zach – the hero of Not Another Bad Date – is absolutely alpha male material. And we love Adele’s strength, intelligence and great good humor. Both Zach and Adele work out their issues, and their HEA is definitely ‘sigh’ worthy. So where do you see Adele and Zach five years from now?

Rachel: I see Zach still coaching high school ball because he loved it. He’s also teaching his twin boys to throw footballs. Adele is still writing and is extremely glad she isn’t cursed with bad dates anymore.

RNTV: Which of your books’ characters have surprised you the most during their evolution? ( I’m also asking– have they every started out one way and ended another?)

Rachel: My characters always start out one way and end up another. I don’t outline nor do write a character sketch. I just write and my characters usually don’t start taking on their personalities until after page 100. I have to go back over the first hundred pages and rewrite a lot. As a result, my characters always surprise me.

RNTV: I have to ask – ‘cause you know, I’m unabashedly a greedy reader - I know Not Another Bad Date is barely on the shelves – but I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to know what work in progress is on your computer screen even as we speak.

Rachel: My next book, True Love and Other Disasters, is on my screen right now and will be out May of 2009. It begins ten years after the end of my first published novel, Simply Irresistible. The heroine’s husband has just died and she inherits his hockey team. The hero is the captain of the team.

RNTV: Rachel, we can’t let you go until you tell us just a few, tiny personal details. We ask all our authors to reveal:

What are your favorite things to do on a day off?

Rachel: Shop for shoes.

RNTV: What’s your idea of a romantic night out?

Rachel: Boating at night, with just the running lights and stars overhead, is awesome

RNTV: If someone were to write a romance novel of your life – what sub-genre of romance would it be?

Rachel: Perhaps suspense. My office always looks like a crime scene.

Thank you so much for being here today, we always love when you stop by! And now the ‘floor’ is open for questions/comments from our viewers.

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