1/30/2012

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 2nd. 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

49 comments:

  1. oh, definitely think bad boys can reform, just not 100%, but then who would want them to be completely tamed ;)

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    1. I agree! If the bad boy was completely tamed, he wouldn't be the guy who attracted you in the first place. :)

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  2. What a fun interview! I love all your answers, Samantha, particularly about correcting people in public. I still do it to my mom because it's just fun, but I was reprimanded by another grown up when I was little for always correcting people and that was a very defining moment for me.

    As for reformed bad boys...of course they can be! There would be a lot fewer romance novels out there if they couldn't. lol.

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    1. Jerrica,

      You correct your mom in public? What??? But you're one of the nicest people I know. Oh, man. I think I'm going to have to lie down. My reality has been shattered. ;)

      Speaking of taming the wicked... You have twin bad boys in the Wetherby Brides series, don't you?

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  3. Hi Samantha,

    I love Regency Romances. I do think a bad boy can be reformed with the right motivation.

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  4. I love reformed bad boys and I think they can be tamed by the right woman. I can't wait to read your story. I love the title and the cover.

    seriousreader at live dot com

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    1. Thank you, Linda.

      Drew is looking a bit pudgy on my screen. LOL. But kidding aside, I think the art department at Sourcebooks did an amazing job with the cover. :)

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  5. So far, it's unanimous! Give us those bad boys. :)

    Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm working today, so I'll be stopping back periodically. I'm looking forward to seeing what others think about taming the wicked.

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  6. Your book sounds great and I love how eclectic your taste in movies is :-)

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    1. Thanks, Sandra!

      Now that I look at my list of movies, I see I'm all over the place. lol

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  7. I've always had a thing for bad boys...but I like them best when they've already learned their lessons and done some changing. :)

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    1. Catherine,

      You have a pretty great bad boy with Quin from Twice a Rake. But then I love your good boys, too. :)

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  8. Welcome to GLIAS Samantha !

    Love Bad Boys. They can always change and be redeemed.

    ~Angi

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    1. Angi,

      Thanks to you and all the ladies at GLIAS. I love this blog, so I was thrilled to be invited to be a guest. :)

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  9. Don't we all want to "fix" the bad boys? I love to write about them, but like to keep a few of those rough edges when taming them. Otherwise why not start with a good boy?

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  10. Ahh, reformed bad boys are my favorite heroes. IN books - I should specify. In real life, I prefer just the other sort. But in fiction and the escapism that goes along with it, the bad boy before-during-after his reformation are my absolute favorite to read.

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    1. Ava,

      I'm with you. I like my truly bad boys on the pages only. I once heard a female comedian say no matter how hot a guy is, there's a woman some place that's sick of his stuff. (paraphrased and edited) I bet she was talking about real life bad boys. :D

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  11. I love the bad boys, probably because that's all I seem to have in my family. Because truly, they're not all bad. Just misguided and they need a good girl to show them the beauty of life. I think it's the growth of the character that draws me. And Drew happens to be one of my favorite bad boys actually.

    And I love your dad's mantra, Samantha! It fits you to a tee! I have three boys myself and I can totally relate to being silly in order to stay young. It's such a good trait to have.

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    1. Thanks, Suzie! :)

      I think you hit the nail on the head for me. It's the character's growth that pulls me into a story.

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  12. I'm willing to accept the premise that bad boys become the most devoted husbands. I don't know if it's actually true or not, but I love the idea of a reformed rake.

    I have Miss Hillary on my Wish List but would be thrilled to win a copy from the author. Please enter my name in the giveaway.

    Thanks, Laura
    heartoftexasbooks[at]yahoo[dot]com

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    1. Laura,
      I'm not sure if that's true or not either, but the premise makes for a good story for sure.

      Good luck in the drawing! And thanks for stopping by today. :)

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  13. Hi Heather! Hi Samantha! Great interview, ladies. I, along with everyone else it seems, love a bad boy. I love the idea that they can be tamed, but not at the expense of what makes them so fun and sexy. I like it when the author shows that the hero is still "bad", but now he's bad for only one woman. :)

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    1. Olivia,

      I completely agree. My bad boy Drew will learn just that thing. He has no idea how great life can be when all that attention is focused on one lady. :)

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  14. cool !! Free book !!! I love Free books !!! :) Hi !!! Samantha !!!

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  15. Samantha, I'm really looking forward to reading this book! I was just working on a blog post about bad boys, and checked Twitter (a writer's best diversion, er, friend), and here you are talking about bad boys. :) Perfect timing! Congrats again on your book release--it sounds like a winner.

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  16. Bad Boys, Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do . . . okay, wait . . . maybe that's a different type of Bad Boy. But, as Sandy sang to Danny "better shape up cause I need a man, and my heart is set on you ..." it's ultimately the reformed bad boy that gets the good girl. So, I believe it's the idea of taming a bad boy that's most alluring to us good girls. :)

    Terrific interview! Counting down until I can read about Miss Hillary taming her bad boy!

    Nancy
    meadornancy@hotmail.com

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    1. Oh, my gosh!!! What a great example! I love Danny Zuko and Sandy!

      So happy you stopped by, Nance!

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  17. I LOVE LOVE LOVE bad boys.....because of COURSE they can be reformed....with a good woman's help, that is! I do not like the bad boys who think it gives them liscence to be cruel, however. And i cannot wait for your book! It sounds fantastic.

    ~Christina
    christinadegennaro@yahoo.com

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  18. I don't think every rake can be reformed but they make amazing heroes when they are bad on the outside but deep down there is some good.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

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    1. Maureen,

      There definitely has to be some good from the start. As the old saying goes, "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." (I can just imagine some man trying to give his wife a sow's ear for her birthday. "No, really. It's a silk purse.") :D

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  19. Hello BAD BOYS.....

    Probably the most lusted after group of Boys. I know they are my favs.

    Can't wait to read this one.

    Ashley

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  20. Bad boys can definitely be reformed! The key is to reform them JUST enough!

    SO looking forward to reading this book, Samantha!!

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  21. Bad boys in fiction are a lot of fun to watch, mostly for how much pain they go through on the way to becoming a good man (or better man for the heroine). Great interview. I learned a few new things about you today Samatha. We both love Beauty and the Beast and the sound of seagulls(occasionally hear them at my house). Too funny.

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    1. Don't you love when you learn something new about someone you've known a long time? Every time I discover something I didn't know about my hubby I feel like I've struck gold. :)

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  22. Very nice interview. I love bad boys. My husband was one.

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  23. Absolutely, bad boys can be reformed. You just have to leave a little of the bad to make them too good to resist!

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  24. Hi, Samantha, welcome to Get Lost in a Story. Loved Napoleon Dynamite. Seagulls, not so much. When I go visit my daughter in Seattle, they wake us up at 4 am. :) Bad boys, okay, what someone else said. As long as their smart. There's nothing more unattractive the a dumb bad boy... and I don't know if they can be reformed, so let's concentrate on the smart ones and romantic fiction ;) Best wishes on your debut.

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  25. I am positively *dying* to get my hands on this book. I got the opportunity to read a little bit in the critting process, and the hero and heroine absolutely leaped of the page. As for the bad boys, I tend to think they are just waiting for the right woman to tease out the good in 'em ;)
    Congrats on your debut, Samantha - you're gonna knock their socks off!

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  26. I do believe that the bad boys can be reformed if THEY want to be. You don't want to completely reform them though, what would be the fun of that?
    June
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  27. Loved the interview. Your book sounds wonderful and I can't wait to read it!

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