Sweet Enemy debuts!

It's Sweet Enemy week here on Get Lost in a Story!

I am so excited that this book is out. It sounds just sooo good, and it's been getting fantastic reviews.

Geoffrey Wentworth, a war hero and rising political star, never wanted to be the Earl, but when his brother dies, he knows his duty—take up the responsibility for his family’s estates. His mother’s definition of duty differs from his, however, and can be summed up in one word—heirs. When Geoffrey rushes home to answer her urgent summons, he finds himself host to a house full of women, all vying to become the next Countess of Stratford. But his love is Parliament, where he wields his influence and reputation to better the lives of ex-soldiers, until a tempting houseguest and a secret from his past threaten his freedom…and his heart.

Liliana Claremont, a brilliant chemist, doesn’t want to be any man’s wife, much less a countess. If she had tuppence for every time she’d been told her place was filling the nursery, not experimenting in the laboratory, she could buy the Tower Bridge. However, when she receives a coveted invitation to the Earl’s house party, she trades in her beakers for ball gowns and gladly takes on the guise of husband hunter—for the chance to uncover what the Earl had to do with the murder of her father. Liliana believes the best way to get the answers she needs is to keep her enemy close, though romance is not part of her formula. But it only takes one kiss to start a reaction she can't control... If you’d like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of Sweet Enemy, you can find it here.

Without further ado, a peek behind the curtain at the talented Heather Snow:

Simone: What was the first book you read that made you want to be a writer?

Heather: I can’t remember a specific book that made me want to be a writer. In fact, I can’t really remember a definitive moment that I thought “I WANT to be a writer” at all. I was always a voracious reader, at first the typical things girls read (Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, Wizard of Oz, Nancy Drew, etc.). Then, I discovered historical romance when I found a stash of “those” books hidden behind my Nana’s recliner on the very bottom shelf. In my late teens and twenties, I gravitated to horror and mystery, but in my later twenties, found my way back to romance. First, I re-read my favorite Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey, Jude Deveraux and Janelle Taylor books. Then I discovered Lisa Kleypas, which opened the door to a whole new world of historical romance authors to me. After reading again for a few years, I decided I wanted to write my own stories.

Simone: How long were you writing before you sold SWEET ENEMY?

Heather: About 3 years. SWEET ENEMY was my first manuscript (and until just recently, ONLY, before I turned in the second book of the series), but I’d taken a break from it when our eldest son was born—too caught up in new motherhood, baby cuteness, and sleep deprivation to even think about writing there for a long period of time! I’d say, cumulatively, SWEET ENEMY took me about a year and a half to write.

Simone: Who are some of your favorite writers whose books you ALWAYS read?

Heather: I’m going to limit this to my romance reading life. Did I say Julie Garwood and Lisa Kleypas? :) Let’s add Sabrina Jeffries to that, as well as Julia Quinn and Elizabeth Hoyt. I’ve really enjoyed Sarah MacLean and Katy Madison, and have recently discovered Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Lila DiPasqua, Delilah Marvelle, and Katharine Ashe. I just picked up some debuts I’m pretty excited about, too, from Anna Randol, Manda Collins, our own Jillian Stone, Kristen Callihan and Samantha Grace.

Simone: Do you research before you begin writing, or do you research as you go along?

Heather: Both. I do a huge chunk of research ahead of time. Since my books have a mystery element, I have to sketch that out and do some research to make sure what I’m thinking will work. Also, my heroines are all science-savvy (Liliana from SWEET ENEMY is a chemist, for example), so I research what their worlds would have been like to inform me as to their character. But there is usually a ton of research to do as I’m writing, too. I must admit, sometimes I use it as an excuse to procrastinate!

Simone: What does your writing space look like?

Heather: I LOVE my office. When SWEET ENEMY sold, my husband gifted me with a budget and a directive to create a historical writing space that would fuel my creativity and make me comfortable. I’m happy to say that I found perfect, perfect antique pieces, some reproductions and an 80% off clearance sale for a lot of the knick-knacks and came in at about half of what I had allotted, to create this:


(**Simone dies of jealousy**)

Heather: First the first few weeks, I didn’t get much writing done…I spent too much time staring at everything I loved in the room. But then deadline approached, and I had to get back to work!

Simone: What is your favorite time of day to write?

Heather: I really can’t answer that, right now. I don’t even know what my best time of day is. Since I have two boys at home, a 3 ½ year old and a 6 month old, my favorite time to write is whenever I can find some! It’s not ideal, but it is my life right now…and I wouldn’t trade it.

Simone: What's the first thing you did to celebrate when you heard your book was going to be published?

Heather: Well, I was actually in the process of getting a pedicure when my agent called…a rarity when you’ve got a toddler at home! I’d gotten a babysitter that day so that I could go…I was anxious then, being out on submission. So, the very first thing I did was dance around the salon in bare feet with wet toes. Then, I had the technician paint a lovely little flower on my toe to celebrate! In fact, this flower right here…



Then, after calling my husband and mom, I called my critique group, who were able to meet me out for lunch on short notice to celebrate! I’ll be taking them to dinner release night to celebrate this new milestone, complete with cake decorated to look like the cover of SWEET ENEMY. Hey! I only get to be a debut author once…


Sweet Enemy...
A Veiled Seduction Novel ~ Book One
"Historical intrigue and heart-pounding passion make Sweet Enemy a great read. Romance fans will love it." ~#1NYT Bestselling Author JULIE GARWOOD



Heather Snow is a historical romance author with a degree in Chemistry who discovered she much preferred creating chemistry on the page, rather than in the lab. She is forever trying to wrangle her left and right brain to work together (some days with more success than others!), but if her two sides had to duke it out, left would win every time—which can be a creative challenge. Luckily, she loves challenges…she just goes about solving them analytically.
Heather lives in the Midwest with her husband, two rambunctious boys and one very put upon cat. She sincerely hopes you find her stories have just the right chemistry…

Please visit her at www.HeatherSnowBooks.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/authorheathersnow or on Twitter www.twitter.com/HeatherSnowRW

Thanks, Heather! Today's question for our readers: If you could concoct one magical, chemical potion, what would it be?