Get Lost with Zoë Archer and Lady X's Cowboy!

LADY X’S COWBOY

Constrained by her life as a Society widow, Lady Olivia Xavier finds escape in two unusual ways: as the owner of a successful brewery, and as a secret reader of penny dreadful Western novels. But Olivia’s beloved brewery is being threatened, and she has no ally in her fight. Until a mysterious cowboy steps out from the London fog, saving her from a terrifying brawl. Suddenly, Olivia isn’t just reading about the Wild West, she’s living it.

Colorado cowboy Will Coffin has made the long journey from his Rocky Mountain home to discover his birthright. While searching for his family, he encounters the beguiling Olivia. Will’s never met a real English lady before—certainly not one as lovely and courageous as Olivia—and he can’t resist coming to her rescue.

Olivia is powerfully drawn to the rough but honorable cowboy. She proposes a most scandalous arrangement: in exchange for helping protect her brewery, she’ll help Will find his family. Even more scandalous is that he’ll be sleeping under her roof. The entire arrangement sets Society’s tongues wagging. Meanwhile, the danger to the brewery, and Olivia herself, keeps escalating. But nothing’s as dangerous, or seductive, as the growing desire between the lady and the cowboy…

Lady X's Cowboy was originally published by Dorchester in 2006 and is newly revised by the author.

Please help me in welcoming the lovely and multi-talented Zoë Archer to the blog today! Zoë has visited us at GLIAS before, but this is her first time answering the always fun author interview questions! So sit back and let’s get to know her better…

Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. She and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, created the steampunk world of THE ETHER CHRONICLES together.  Her steampunk romance, SKIES OF STEEL, is now available from Avon Impulse, and Nico’s steampunk Western, NIGHT OF FIRE, is also available now. Zoë and Nico live in Los Angeles.

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

ZOË: Grasshopper On the Road, by Arthur Lobell. I remember reading it aloud to my mom and then we called my grandma to give her the good news.

HEATHER: What’s your favorite fairy tale? 

ZOË: Any fairy tale where the heroine saves herself.  No Sleeping Beauty or Snow White for me, thanks.

HEATHER: What’s your favorite cartoon character? 

ZOË: There’s an old Tex Avery cartoon where a bear hires a dog to stand outside his cave and keep things quiet while the bear is hibernating. The bear keeps shouting, “Shut up! Quiet! I can’t stand noise!” I identify with that bear.

HEATHER: What turns you off like nothing else? 

ZOË: Ignorance.

HEATHER: Where do you read and how often? 

ZOË: Either on the sofa or on a bean bag chair, though whenever I’m on the bean bag, I invariably fall asleep.  I don’t get to read as much as I’d like because my writing keeps me so busy, and also, at the end of the writing day, I kind of need to clear stories out of my head, so I’ll wind up watching the Food Network or something similar. 

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

ZOË: Almost always.  It depends on what I’m writing, but mostly indie music—stuff that’s evocative but not overwhelming. Also, I listen to ‘80s New Wave a lot.  Makes me nostalgic for the romanticism of my youth.

HEATHER: What was the first story you remember writing? 

ZOË: I started writing almost immediately after I learned how to read.  I can’t remember the first story, but I do remember early writing a fantasy epic based on the musical Cats.  Also, I wrote Duran Duran fan fiction before I even knew fan fiction was a thing.

HEATHER: What do you do to unwind and relax? 

ZOË: Baking, definitely.  Work out, when I get off my lazy butt.  Read, of course. 

HEATHER: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing? 

ZOË: I shouldn’t, but I do.  And sometimes they do shape how I think about the next book.

HEATHER: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing? 

ZOË: Being published and a full time writer were always my dreams, and both have come true.

HEATHER: What color would you make the sky if it wasn’t going to be blue anymore and why?

ZOË: Violet.  Purple is one of my favorite colors. 

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

ZOË: I love to read cookbooks for fun—not to actually cook or bake out of, but just to read and contemplate the possibilities.

HEATHER: Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most? 

ZOË: The corsetry and restrictive clothing of the 19^th century doesn’t look like fun.  Conversely, I adore the fashions of the 18^th century, which are no less uncomfortable, but I think they’re gorgeous.  Especially the robe à la française, with its pleats that fall from the back.  They form a beautiful line.

HEATHER: Dog person or cat person? 

ZOË: Cat person.  I have two cats, both rescues.  I tweet about them a little too much.  I love the energy and enthusiasm of dogs, but they’re too much responsibility.

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

ZOË: French is beautiful.  I also wish I could speak Italian, Japanese, and, just because it sounds cool, Russian.

HEATHER: How much money does it take to be happy? 

ZOË: I’ll let you know when I get there!

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

HEATHER: I love the concept of your story—so original! What was your motivation in writing LADY X’S COWBOY?

ZOË: I’d read books where Englishmen (and Englishwomen) head West, but I hadn’t read one where someone from the American West came to England.  I wanted to play with a lot of the tropes about Westerns as well as the more “traditional” English-set historicals.  I also thought it would be fun to have a heroine with a secret reading habit—much like some romance readers keep their own reading habits quiet.  Plus, there’s a very important twist near the end of the book—which I can’t reveal, of course—that has more than plot significance for me. It has a lot to do with my own personal ethic.

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

ZOË: What’s your favorite dessert?

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?

ZOË: Yes.  I’ll be giving away a digital copy of Lady X’S COWBOY to one commenter.

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ZOË’S GIVEWAY, REMEMBER TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT!

FIND ZOË: ON THE WEB:

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