Get lost with debut author Anna Randol

Anna lives with her family in Southern California. She writes sultry, adventurous Regency romances for Avon. Her debut novel, A Secret In Her Kiss, is set in Constantinople and earned a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, who called it a “...masterful debut…[that] spins a tale replete with mystery, espionage, and memorable romance.” When she’s not plotting fun, sexy storylines, Anna’s usually eating dark chocolate, having wild dance parties with her kids in the living room, or remodeling her house one ill-planned project at a time. She loves hearing from readers at her website or on twitter!

A SECRET IN HER KISS:

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately her employers think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the Game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes—and survives—one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that, to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

CAT:  What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

ANNA:  One with a happy ending. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I don’t care how classic the tale or how beautiful the writing, if it doesn’t end happily, then the book is not for me. Does this mean I am missing out on great literature? Probably. But when I read, I want feel happy and giddy. This doesn’t mean the characters can’t suffer (I love a tortured hero. *sigh*), but it does mean that when I turn to the last page I’d better have a smile on my face.

CAT:  What’s the first book you remember reading? 

ANNA:  Old Hat, New Hat by Stan Berenstain. It was only about twenty words long, and every other word was Hat. But I remember being so stinkin’ proud that I'd read a whole book by myself.

CAT:  What’s your favorite fairy tale?

ANNA:  Beauty and the Beast! The more scarred and bitter the beast the better. I like the idea of love having the power to inspire change in the hero, and the heroine having the power to save the hero through love. Also, I adore that their love is never instant and easy. It’s something that they both fight against and eventually, fight for.

CAT:  What’s your favorite cartoon character?

ANNA:  Mulan. She takes control of her life in order to save her family. She fights better than most men and is clever, too. Yet the last thing she focuses on before passing out from blood loss is Shang’s lips. My kind of woman.

CAT:  What turns you off like nothing else?

ANNA:  Facial hair on romance heroes. I cannot take a hero with a mustache seriously. Even if it’s historically accurate, in my mind it is a big, furry caterpillar crawling across his upper lip. Now to clarify, a little bit of five o’clock shadow? Totally different.

CAT:  What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

ANNA:  That I am a huge nerd. Yep, I had posters of the crew of Star Trek: Voyager up on my walls as a teen and I’m still in love with Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly. There. It’s out in the open. Phew. Now I don’t have to try to hide it if we meet for dinner.

CAT:  Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

ANNA:  Hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on top. The more chocolaty the better. In fact, I usually add two or three times more chocolate than the directions call for.

CAT:  What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

ANNA:  I always eat Pringles salt side down. (Yes, one side is salted and the other is not. The convex side, if you were wondering…)

CAT:  What’s your favorite kid joke?

ANNA:  Q: Why is an elephant big, grey, and wrinkly?

           A: Because if it was small, white, and round it would be an aspirin!

        

CAT’S GOTTA ASK

If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?

ANNA’S GOTTA ANSWER Black. It’s classic, versatile, and slimming. How could I go wrong? Oooh, and then I could be worn with all the fun, funky jewelry I love!

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

Do you have some quirk you try to hide at dinner parties?

Anna is giving away two books! The winners can choose to have it mailed or Anna can send them an e version if they prefer.