Samantha Grace

GET LOST IN THIS STORY…

HE’LL NEVER SETTLE FOR ONE WOMAN…

Debonair bachelor Lord Andrew Forest lives for pleasure and offers no apologies. But he receives a dose of his own medicine when his family’s entrancing houseguest beds him, then disappears without so much as a by-your-leave. He’d like to teach the little vixen a thing or two about how to love a man…if he can find her…

AND SHE WON’T SETTLE FOR HEARTBREAK…

After the dashing man of her dreams is revealed as a lying scoundrel, heiress Lana Hillary is ready to seek a match with a respectable gentleman—if only they weren’t so dreadfully boring. Unable to rein in her bold nature for long, Lana flirts with trouble and finds herself entangled with exactly the type of man she’s vowed to avoid.

Samantha Grace makes her debut as a regency romance author February 7, 2012 with the release of Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel, the first volume in her witty new series about four debonair bachelors who have it all: immense wealth, influence, and women swooning at their feet – in the ballroom and out. Samantha is married to her best friend, strives to stay one step ahead of their two precocious offspring, and lives in Wisconsin. She distracts herself during the bone-chilling months of winter with pilates classes and learning to belly dance.

 

HEATHER: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

SAMANTHA:  It’s hard to choose a favorite movie of all time. There are too many wonderful films, but a few of my favorites are “Gone With the Wind”, “Where the Heart Is”, “Life is Beautiful”, “Groundhog Day”, and “Napoleon Dynamite”. The movie I last saw was the remake of “Footloose”. (Of course, no one is better than Kevin Bacon in the role, but the actor who played Ren McCormick did a very nice job.) The movie was shown during a flight from Miami and Chicago, and I have to say I loved it as much as the original. My kids never saw the first movie, but they thought it was great, too. We all had big smiles at the end.

HEATHER: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

SAMANTHA:  I’ve always been a fan of Beauty and the Beast. I love the theme of seeing beyond a person’s outer appearance and discovering the beauty that resides inside the person. I’m not convinced the Beast ever truly becomes the handsome prince to anyone except the Beauty. She sees his inner self, which he is only able to reveal when he learns how to love himself and in turn, love another.

HEATHER: What turns you off like nothing else?

SAMANTHA:  Probably anything that falls under the category of rudeness, but at the top of the list is correcting others in public. It’s one thing if correcting someone is going to save them from making a mistake with consequences, such as jumping on the wrong train. It’s another story when someone points out a mispronunciation or minor detail that doesn’t matter. The only purpose in such action is to make the person you’re with feel bad and make yourself appear superior. I avoid these people like the swine flu.

HEATHER: What sound or noise do you love?

SAMANTHA:  I love the sound of seagulls. Yes, I know they are dirty birds who fly around trash dumps. We have them all over our town. I’m guessing because we live close to the Mississippi river. But when I hear their call, I’m transported back to the white beaches of Florida, where I have a lot of happy memories. Ooh, and I love the sound of helicopters. I have no idea why.

HEATHER: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

SAMANTHA:  I can only listen to music with no English lyrics when I’m writing. If I’m alone, I don’t listen to anything, but when the family is home, I have to pop in the earbuds and crank the music. My favorite Pandora station is Karsh Kale. I love, love, love the exotic sounds.

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

SAMANTHA:  Both! And I take them the same: cream and Splenda.

HEATHER: What’s your favorite kid joke?

SAMANTHA:  Where does the general keep his armies?  Answer: In his sleevies.

HEATHER: Which is your favorite language other than your native language?

SAMANTHA:  Pig Latin. It’s the only other language I can speak. J Actually, I like sign language. It’s the only language where you have to look at the other person. It just feels more personal and intimate to me.

HEATHER: What would you do if you had a time machine?

SAMANTHA:  I’m not sure I’d want a time machine, but I would love to have one of those Star Trek transporters. If I had one, I’d transport myself to see my mom on a Sunday and catch a movie with her. Or I’d meet friends for lunch that I never get to see. And I’d definitely spend more time with my much younger sister, who I’ve adored since the day she was born.

HEATHER: What is your favorite thing about you?

SAMANTHA:  I think my favorite thing about myself is I like to create fun wherever I am. I like to joke, tease, and laugh, and I don’t mind looking like a fool for the sake of having a good time. I’m the mom that will volunteer to slide down the fire pole on the field trip, or hold her hands up when the airplane takes off and squeal (not too loudly) like it’s a rollercoaster just to make her daughter laugh. I’m sure I inherited this trait from my dad. His mantra is “You can’t stop aging, but you never have to grow up.”

         

HEATHER’S GOTTA ASK – SAMANTHA’S GOTTA ANSWER  J

HEATHER: So, I see that you have a degree in psychology, with a background in behavioral health.  I’d love to hear more about how your background has helped you to write three dimensional characters!

SAMANTHA:  Probably the most helpful knowledge from my background is having an understanding of the process of change. I’m not crazy about perfect characters, and I’m even less enthusiastic about the bad boy who is suddenly reformed when he falls in love with a good lady. If change was as easy as turning on a light switch, we would all achieve our new year’s resolutions by January 2^nd. J

What makes a story realistic is having a character realize old ways of doing things just aren’t working anymore then having him go through the process of readjusting how he thinks about himself, his relationships, and figuring out who he wants to be now.

What I love most about Lord Andrew is he’s good at the core. He cares about his family, and he doesn’t set out to hurt anyone purposefully. Unfortunately, he leaves a trail of broken hearts because he isn’t looking back. He’s too focused on what pleasure comes next. It isn’t until he begins to care for Lana that he starts to realize falling back on old habits and risking her heart is unacceptable. Yet, it’s when he’s faced with the evidence of how he has wounded a former sweetheart and feels remorse for what he’s done that his transition hits full stride. I don’t think that would have been possible without Lana, but Drew is the one doing all the work.

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

SAMANTHA:  What are your thoughts on reformed bad boys? Can the wicked ever be tamed?

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?

SAMANTHA:  Yes! I’d be happy to give away one copy of Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel to a random commenter today J

WHERE CAN READERS FIND YOU ON THE NET?

To learn more about Samantha’s regency bachelors, visit www.samanthagraceauthor.com. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/samanthagraceromanceauthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SamGraceAuthor

Blog: http://ladyscribes.blogspot.com/