3/30/2016

2016 RITA FINALIST THERESA ROMAIN

Theresa Romain is a finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA contest with her book SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS HEIRESS! 

I'm re-posting her interview from last fall along with a giveaway. CONGRATULATIONS THERESA!!

She is the bestselling author of historical romances, including the Matchmaker trilogy, the Holiday Pleasures series, the Royal Reward series, and the Romance of the Turf trilogy. Praised as “one of the rising stars of Regency historical romance” (Booklist), her highly acclaimed novels have been chosen for the Smart Bitches Trashy Books Sizzling Book Club, featured in the DABWAHA tournament, and deemed “Desert Isle Keepers” by All About Romance. A member of Romance Writers of America and its Regency specialty chapter The Beau Monde, Theresa is hard at work on her next novel from her home in the Midwest.

Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress is a 2016 RWA RITA finalist. Check out the story blurb or click on the link below to buy the book.

ONE GOOD PROPOSITION DESERVES ANOTHER…

Heiress Augusta Meredith can’t help herself—she stirs up gossip wherever she goes. A stranger to Bath society, she pretends to be a charming young widow, until sardonic, darkly handsome Joss Everett arrives from London and uncovers her charade.  Now they’ll weave their way through the pitfalls of the polite world only if they’re willing to be true to themselves…and to each other...


READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK


Theresa and I at the B&N Book signing on September 12th, 2015.


Jan Schliesman: How often do you Get Lost In A Story?
Theresa Romain: Every day! If I’m not writing one, I’m reading one. I work on my latest manuscript 6 or 7 days a week, and I always end the day by reading.

Jan:  How long have you been writing? What was your first Big Break?
Theresa: I’ve been writing fiction since the beginning of 2008. My break into publishing came when I entered an RWA chapter contest and won—and the editor who judged the finals wanted to buy my manuscript! Two years later, it appeared in print as my romance debut, Season for Temptation. And I’m still working with that editor, along with lots of other lovely folks.

Jan:  What is your definition of romance?
Image result for pictures of romanceTheresa: In a book? There has to be an HEA. In real life? Something that shows caring for the other person’s likes and dislikes. An everyday example: my husband could not care less about making the bed, but he knows I like it. So if he gets up after me, he makes the bed. Most romance is made up of little everyday gestures.

Jan: It was love at first sight when I met my Mr. Wonderful. How did you meet your husband?
Theresa: That sounds like a great story, Jan! I’d love to hear more about that:)
I met my husband when we were both grad students in history. We met not in class, but in the TA office. I went in there to talk to a friend, and he was in there studying and glaring at me…or so I thought. Turns out he was trying to eavesdrop so he could figure out who I was. The rest is…well, history.

Jan: What’s the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
Theresa: Getting started! That’s getting started each day, and also getting a new manuscript going. I try to be very organized, but the dark side of that is that I get distracted by all the to-dos that pop up each day. Time management is a work in progress for me.

Jan: I drink Dasani or hot tea and nibble on gummy bears when I’m writing. What about you?
Theresa: Coffee coffee coffee. And water, too. I guess I am all about the beverages. Sometimes on winter afternoons I make tea. I like Constant Comment or herbal tea with those sweet wintry spices.

London from the London EyeJan:  Have you visited any of the locations you’ve written about? Where would you love to visit?
Theresa: I’ve been to several countries in Europe, but never to most of the places in England I write about. As a historical romance author, I try to travel in time as well as space, so I research how locations would have looked, smelled, sounded 200 years ago.
As for where I’d like to visit—that’s hard to say. I’d love to go to England, but I’d like to just BE there and not have to go through the overseas travel. I’ve had horrible air travel experiences and have gotten to a point where I have a hard time putting myself through that.

Jan:  What’s on your bucket list?
Theresa: I have tunnel vision right now for my next deadline—so that’s at the top of the list! But making the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list sounds great too. Maybe someday.
                                                                                  
Jan:  Tell me about getting your first fan letter/email/FB post.
Theresa: After my first romance came out, I got a Goodreads message from a reader. She said she was writing because she saw that it was my debut, and “I wanted you to know that someone out there in the world really was touched by it.” I saved that note, of course! It meant the world to me to know that my book had connected with a reader’s heart. That’s always my hope for my stories. Four years and seven books later, hearing from readers still means just as much to me.

Jan’s GOTTA ASK:
Theresa’s GOTTA ANSWER: Coconut! Coconut is my favorite flavor of anything sweet. I can’t resist a dessert with coconut in it.

FIND THERESA
Website  Facebook  Twitter @TheresaRomain
Goodreads     Pinterest    Blog   &  Jaunty Quills


The Sport of Baronets, a digital novella that will begin an all-new romance series set in the Regency horse-racing world.



Theresa's Latest

FORTUNE FAVORS THE WICKED
INDECENTLY LUCKY
As a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, Benedict Frost had the respect of every man on board—and the adoration of the women in every port. When injury ends his naval career, the silver-tongued libertine can hardly stomach the boredom. Not after everything—and everyone—he’s experienced. Good thing a new adventure has just fallen into his lap…
When courtesan Charlotte Perry learns the Royal Mint is offering a reward for finding a cache of stolen gold coins, she seizes the chance to build a new life for herself. As the treasure hunt begins, she realizes her tenacity is matched only by Benedict’s—and that sometimes adversaries can make the best allies. But when the search for treasure becomes a discovery of pleasure, they’ll be forced to decide if they can sacrifice the lives they’ve always dreamed of for a love they’ve never known…
Read a little, BUY the book


3/29/2016

Regan Walker’s Best of the Regency with Cheryl Bolen

Today my guest is Cheryl Bolen, author of more than twenty novels, including some great Regencies! She has been in the top five on the New York Times bestselling list and is also a USA Today bestselling author. Her novel One Golden Ring won Best Historical for the Holt Medallion and her novel My Lord Wicked won Best Historical in the International Digital Awards, the same year her Christmas novella was Best Novella. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages.

She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and English from the University of Texas and a master's degree from the University of Houston. Her favorite pursuits are reading diaries of dead English women, traveling to England, and watching the Texas Longhorns play football and basketball. She and her professor husband are the parents of two sons. One is an attorney, the other a journalist.

I invited Cheryl to answer some of my questions I thought her readers might be interested in, and she graciously agreed to the interview.

Be sure and leave a comment with your email as Cheryl is giving away an autographed copy of Counterfeit Countess (Book 1 of the Brazen Brides) if the winner is in the U.S. If international, the winner gets her choice of any of Cheryl’s ebooks (except for boxed sets).

 
What made you want to write romances set in the Regency period?

You might say I came into Regency through the back door, but it turned out to be a great fit. I'm embarrassed to say none of the first six books I wrote—and never sold—was a Regency. Number 5 was a World War II love story that placed in every writing contest I entered. Editors kept telling me, "World War II doesn't sell." (They were right.) Finally, the senior editor at Harlequin Historical liked my writing in that WW II book and told the contest coordinator to tell me that if I ever wrote anything set before 1900, she would like to see it. The only historicals I enjoyed reading were Georgette Heyer books. I'd read every one, and when I ran out of hers, I started reading the Regencies being published in the 90s by Signet and Zebra. I thought, "I can write one of those." I wrote three chapters of A Duke Deceived  (one the few of my titles that my publishers kept) and entered three contests to gauge how it was working. It placed in all three contests. So I finished the book and submitted it to Harlequin Historical, and it sold. Admittedly, in those first couple of books I wrote, I was far from being an expert on the Regency, but for the past twenty years I've enjoyed immersing myself in the era, and now I've come to believe the gods were smiling upon me that day when I told myself, "I can write one of those books."

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Glad you asked. My favorite movie has many of the elements I've come to employ in my books. The movie is Charade. It has suspense, plot twists, romance, and above all, humor. (It doesn't hurt that it's also got Paris, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn—not to mention killer clothes by Givenchy.) When I first started writing historicals a couple of decade ago I was into tortured heroes, but as I've grown older I've come to understand my own tastes, and whether it be in books or movies, humor is an ingredient I must have.

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

I think everyone has a guilty pleasure read. For me it's British mysteries written by female authors, primarily between 1920 and 1950. My favorite author is Josephine Tey, who unfortunately wrote very few books. I enjoy Agatha Christie, adore Dorothy L. Sayers, and I like the mysteries written by M. M. Kaye. Another favorite is a British author whose best romantic suspense was written in the 1960s, and that is Mary Stewart. Her prose just blows me away.

Is writing or storytelling easier for you?

Writing. I love playing with words and have always written with facility. I have a degree in journalism and for two decades worked as a reporter. So the writing was incredibly easy. It took me much longer to learn the techniques of good storytelling. In fact, the first book I ever sold (A Duke Deceived) was the seventh book I wrote.

If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?

Surprisingly, since I've written a couple a dozen Regency-set historicals, the time period I'd love to drop into is not Regency England but 1930s Hollywood. Watching those wonderful old comedies and musicals of the era is another guilty pleasure. I've read tons of books on old Hollywood and the stars of the Golden Age of cinema and spent my post-World War II childhood in L. A. before it had a gazillion freeways. I would love to see what Sunset Boulevard looked like in the 30s, would love to drive along the coast highway before it became bumper to bumper with luxury cars.

Cheryl’s latest novel is Oh What a (Wedding) Night (Book 3 of the Brazen Brides). It releases April 19. 

The short description:

As Lady Sophia Beresford (recently Lady Finkel) passes through the gates of her new bridegroom’s country estate and he begins to whisper in her ear of the delights that await her in his bed, Lady Sophia realizes she has made a most dreadful mistake.  There’s only one thing to do. She must bolt.

The bride-on-the-run is rescued by the exceedingly handsome William Birmingham who thinks she’s a woman named Isadore, and though he’s the richest man in England, she mistakes him for a common (but well-to-do) criminal. Since she’d rather be dead than wed to Finkel, Sophia pretends to be Isadore and take her chances with the provocative Mr. Birmingham. But how could she have known that her ruse would bring the gallant Mr. Birmingham into such peril from the wicked man she married? And how could she have known her enigmatic rescuer would ignite passions she’d never known she possessed?

Preorder on Amazon

 
An Excerpt

“I’d rather be dead than wed.” Lady Sophia glanced down at the solid earth some forty feet below and was sickeningly aware of how close she was to fulfilling her statement. She prayed the ledge upon which she stood would not give way.
“But ye are wed, milady!”
Depend on her pragmatic maid to take things so utterly literally. “Wed, but not bed—and I believe that is a vastly important distinction.”
Her maid snorted.
Flattening herself against the wall, Lady Sophia inched toward the corner of the building.
“I’m shaking so hard I fear I’ll tumble to me death,” Dottie said. “Ye know how fearful I am of heights.”
“No one held a pistol to your head and forced you to come out that window with me.” Why must she always speak so flippantly in grave situations? Seriously, Sophia wouldn’t at all like to see her trusted servant splattered on the gravel simply because she herself had made the dreadful mistake of marrying Lord Finkel that very afternoon.
“I’ve been with ye since the day ye was born, and I’ll not leave ye now. Besides, I didn’t want to be around when yer bridegroom discovers ye’ve fled. The servants say Lord Finkel has a fierce temper.”
Finkie? A fierce temper? Sophia could hardly credit it. An affable baboon was closer to the mark. Why oh why had she ever consented to wed the bore? Perhaps because he was titled, terribly handsome, paid uncommon homage to her beauty—and had protected her sister’s reputation. In what was undoubtedly the most moronic moment of her life she had decided that being Finkie’s marchioness was preferable to being a spinster of the advanced age of seven and twenty.
That was before he kissed her. The only physical reaction his most unsatisfactory kiss elicited in her was nausea. Because of the kippers. Lord Finkel’s breath smelled—and tasted—distinctly of kippers.
And that bit of knowledge added to the tusk business sent her packing her bags before he had the opportunity to offend any more of her senses.
In all fairness to Lord Finkel, it wasn’t his fault about the tusk business. It only happened that once—the day his valet was abed with fever and had been unable to shave the tufts of nasal hair that protruded from each of Finkie’s nostrils like a pair of elephant tusks. But still, whenever she thought of Lord Finkel after that she had been unable to dispel the vision of those dark brown tusks jutting from his nose.
All of this made her seem excessively shallow and unduly affected by sensory assaults. Which she really couldn’t deny. But there was something else about Finkie that put her off, though she could not express it any more than she understood it. She supposed it all boiled down to the fact that—try as she might—she could not admire the man. He was even more shallow than she!
If she and Dottie could just make it to the corner of the building, they could lower themselves onto the steep roof of the orangery and from there could shimmy down to the shrubs. “Should you like me to hold your hand?” Sophia offered.
Dottie sucked in her breath. “No, please. I beg you, don’t touch me!” Her maid’s voice quivered with terror.
Curling her toes and gripping the stone wall, Sophia ever so slightly swiveled her head to face Dottie, but the night was so inky black she could not see her. “Then allow me to take your valise—or should I say, Lord Finkel’s valise. Then I’ll be balanced with a valise in each hand.”
“I ’av a better idea.”
Her maid’s utterance was followed by the distant thump of the valise hitting the ground.
“A very good idea.” Lady Sophia let go of her own valise. “Oh, dear,” she whispered, “I do hope no one heard the noise.”
“If they did look out the window,” Dottie said in a low voice, “they’d likely not see anything to rouse suspicion.”
Of course. Dottie was always right. (A pity Sophia had not listened to her when she disparaged Lord Finkel.) Anyone who may have heard the noise would be looking for people, which they wouldn’t see because these people were still flapping against a wall three floors up.
“You don’t suppose his lordship will ’av me arrested for stealing his valise?” Dottie asked.
“I daresay he won’t even miss it. Had he need of it, it wouldn’t have been just sitting there quite empty in his library. You must own, it looks a bit tawdry for a man of Lord Finkel’s extravagant taste.”
“Aye, that it does.”
Soon Sophia reached the corner of the edifice and negotiated a turn, relieved to see the silvery looking top of the orangery. She drew a deep breath and lowered herself until she was sitting upon its roof. A moment later, a trembling Dottie joined her. “What now, milady?”
“We’re going to scoot to the lowest part, then climb down those yews.”
“Ye’ll get yer cape filthy -- if ye don’t break yer lovely neck.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic. The hardest part’s behind us,” Sophia called over her shoulder as she pushed off. Somewhere between the apex of the glass building and the yew trees which skimmed its side, she wondered how long a bridegroom would wait for his bride to prepare for bed. Would Finkie be pounding upon her door yet? Or worse still, would he be using his considerable strength to tear it down? She needed no greater impetus than the vision of her exceedingly strong bridegroom—enraged—to send her sprawling into the yew branches. Rip. She winced at the damage to her silk dress but scurried down the tree, grateful her gloves protected her hands.
While Dottie gathered up her courage to follow her mistress, Sophia collected the two valises, but when she returned, Dottie just sat atop the glass building whimpering. “I can’t.”
Sophia drew an impatient breath. “If I can do it, you can. I assure you, this is a most sturdy tree.”
“But it don’t have limbs like a proper tree. I fear I’ll topple on me head.”
“You put your feet first,” Sophia said through clenched teeth. “And I beg that you hurry. We really must be away from Upton Manor when Lord Finkel discovers me gone.”
The maid eased each dangling leg over the roofline. “I can’t.”
“Just leap onto the tree and slide down. That tree’s not going anywhere. Besides, I’ll be right here to catch you if you fail.” Sophia came to stand directly beneath her maid.
That seemed to ease Dottie’s fears.
A moment later, amid a great deal of whining and gasping, the maid’s feet touched solid ground, and the two women began to tread across the frosty grass of Upton Manor.
Sophia sighed, her breath forming a cloud in the frigid air. “A pity I didn’t get married in the summer.”
“Why do you say that, milady?” Dottie asked, breathlessly.
“Because tonight must be the coldest night of the year.”
“Aye, it’s blustery, all right, but at least it’s not snowing.”
“A good thing, too. Our tracks would be devilishly hard to erase in the snow, and I shouldn’t like for Lord Finkel to find me and bring me back.”
“He’s sure to go to the posting inn in Knotworth.”
“That is why we shall go to the posting inn north of Knotworth. He will, quite naturally, be expecting me to return to London.”
“We aren’t going to Lunnon?”
“Of course we’re going to London.”
“Yer too clever for me. Clever ye were, too, to ’av us dress in black so we’ll blend in with the night, but why did you insist on me wearing one of yer lovely gowns?”
“Because Lord Finkel is sure to send servants searching for me, and they will quite naturally be seeking a well-born lady traveling with her maid. I have therefore decided that we will travel as sisters, and I shan’t wish for anyone to suspect that I’m anything other than a genteel lady of middle class.”
“I won’t tell anyone yer a fine lady.”
“Of course you won’t. You’re to be a mute.”

Question: What is your favorite setting for historical romances?

Keep up with Cheryl on her Website, Blog and Facebook.

3/28/2016

Get aboard for an exclusive from bestselling author E.E. BURKE


I have a surprise today for Get Lost In A Story readers. Here's a COVER REVEAL and a SNEAK PEEK at the second book in my new historical romance series, THE BRIDE TRAIN.

And don't forget to enter the giveaway below!



Patrick’s Charm
Book 2 in the series, The Bride Train

She believes in nothing. He has nothing left to believe in...except his good luck charm.

Lady Luck hasn’t been kind to Patrick O’Shea. The Irish immigrant has suffered loss, betrayal and bitter disappointment. But when a talented performer shows up at his saloon, it appears his luck is about to take a turn for the better.

Runaway actress Charm LaBelle doesn’t believe in luck, and she’s learned the hard way not to place her faith in a charming man’s promise. Nevertheless, she needs sanctuary, and a job in Patrick’s saloon seems a better option than marriage...until her employer asks for her hand in marriage.

Patrick needs Charm to save his dream. Charm must protect her secret. And it's only a matter of time before luck runs out...

Sneak Peek Excerpt

A shadow in the doorway caught Patrick's attention, a small feminine figure outlined in the bright light from outside. Short, slight, possibly a girl. 
She sallied inside, and her shapely form declared her a woman. Golden curls framed a face with youthful contours, yet she possessed the poise of a mature women. He tried to guess her age, and couldn’t. Her yellow silk skirt bunched up in the back in what he assumed was a new style. Gold braid trimmed a black velvet jacket. No farmers’ wives he knew wore that get-up.
Patrick didn’t wait for her find whoever she sought, but went straight over to warn her she had best wait outside. As he approached, she regarded him quizzically. 
“I am here to speak with the owner." She spoke distinctly, without any discernible accent. Thick lashes a few shades darker than her hair framed luminous brown eyes. He hadn’t seen many brown-eyed blondes, and it added to the mystery. 
Her delicacy and a timeless innocence shining in her eyes drew out a strong protective urge coupled with the unexpected stirrings of desire. Patrick didn't analyze the disturbing reaction. She had to leave. Now. 
"Miss, you can't be in here."
The young lady gave him a patient smile. “Mr. O’Shea…do you know where I might find him?”
The way she responded, like he hadn't understood or was slow, annoyed him. 
“I’m Patrick O’Shea.”
The mystery woman blinked like the news surprised her, and then recovered her poise. “I saw your advertisement on the side of the building.”
“My advertisement?”
Her lips twisted in a wry expression. “I supposed it was yours. Someone wrote, “Female entertainers wanted.”
“Oh...yeah…that’s mine. I wrote that…” He caught himself before he kept blabbing on like a fool. He didn't often step on his tongue. Maybe he had taken too much medicine and combined with the whiskey it fogged his brain.
She brightened up after he claimed responsibility. “Good. Then I’m talking to the right person.”
“The right person?” He still couldn’t figure out why she was here, though now he recognized her as one of the women who had arrived on the bride train earlier in the month. That didn’t explain why she came to the saloon to talk to him about a sign he’d put up…unless she had an objection. 
That had to be it. She was one of those busybodies who liked to tell folks what they could and couldn’t do.
He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned down at her. “Are you here to tell me I shouldn’t be hiring women?”
       Confusion flashed across her face, replaced by a look of amusement. “No, Mr. O'Shea…I'm here to apply for the job.”
~~~

Get aboard The Bride Train
Taming the West, one bride at a time...

Download it FREE
The mail-order bride phenomenon in 19th century America spawned personal advertisements, matrimonial newspapers and matchmaking services...even railroads wanted a piece of the action. The Bride Train was inspired by a series of true events that took place in southeastern Kansas five years after the Civil War.

Start with the FREE prologueA Bride's Journeyand meet one of the women who answers a railroad advertisement seeking single young ladies as brides for settlers on the Western frontier. 

The Bride Train takes them to a land plagued by violence and unrest, a place where passion rules…and only a woman’s touch can tame it into love.

Book 1, Valentine's Rose, kicks off the series with a heartwarming story of an English nobleman and a poor Irish Rose who are thrown together in a strange twist of fate...
One choice can change lives for better, or for worse. 

Constantine Valentine, the second son of an English baron is in America for one reason—to make a fortune so he can return home and repair a tarnished reputation. Wedding a destitute Irish laundress isn’t his first choice, but a strange twist of fate makes a hasty marriage the key to gaining riches.

Rose Muldoon grew up in a New York slum and has battled hardship, hunger and heartbreaking loss. Against impossible odds, she still trusts love—something her privileged husband has never experienced, and can't accept.

She longs for home and family. Val has no intention of staying in a marriage of convenience, not even for the beautiful woman who fires his blood and makes him yearn for what he doesn't have…or deserve. 

But when the unforeseen happens, threatening everything Val holds dear, he must make a choice.

The series is getting great reviews and I'd love for you to give it a try. So I'll give away a copy of the first two books, Valentine's Rose and an advance reader copy of Patrick's Charm.

Leave a comment and enter the drawing below.

Do you love mail-order bride stories? What makes them so appealing?


a Rafflecopter giveaway

3/25/2016

Intriguing Author, Tyler Anne Snell

Tyler Anne Snell writes and reads a little bit of everything but has a soft spot for thrillers, mysteries, and sexual tension. When she isn't writing or reading, she's re-watching her favorite TV series or playing video games. The first book she finished in one sitting was a Harlequin Intrigue. It taught her to appreciate the power of a good book.
Tyler lives in Alabama with her same-named beau and their mini lions.

FULL FORCE FATHERHOOD

Fatherhood was never in the cards…until an innocent family wrapped themselves around his heart… 
Mark Tranton thought his bodyguard career ended the day he watched a client die. Now Kelli Crane—the widow—needs Mark to keep her and her little girl safe. Mark swears he's not the man for the job, but when the vulnerable beauty is attacked, there's no way he can deny the woman he failed two years before. 
Being around Kelli again stirs something in Mark he could never admit. And spending time with her daughter makes him long to be more than just their personal protectors. But digging into the past riles someone who won't rest until Kelli pays the ultimate price. Mark refuses to allow that to happen. Even if he has to sacrifice their newly discovered happiness to keep her out of the line of fire.


READ A LITTLE...
“You can go into my bedroom if you’d like.”
Instantly he realized he’d made the offer sound  suggestive. A Freudian slip if he’d ever had one. Kelli did a half-snort laugh and retreated into the room. It could have been his imagination, but it looked like her cheeks had reddened. Then again, he could have been mistaken.
Mark stretched out his legs and realized just how tired he felt. Resting his head back on the cushions, he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. When Kelli was finished, he’d offer her some coffee and make a very strong mug for himself.
His thoughts went from coffee to the woman who had suddenly become a part of his life. Would she still be there after they’d somehow found the justice they both wanted and so desperately needed?
And, more important, how would he feel about it?

Jan Schliesman: You were on the blog a year ago with your first release. How has your “writing life” changed?
Tyler Anne Snell: Well it’s changed a lot, actually! I’d always wanted to write books for a living (really, though, since I was in third grade it’s been one of my only dreams!) and after MANHUNT came out I immediately turned in a proposal for the Orion Security miniseries. Since this is for the second book in that series, you can guess I have definitely been busy in the last year writing those. Now I’m working on an indie and hope to write another series for Harlequin Intrigue soon!

It’s not that I hadn’t been writing before MANHUNT but now it’s turned into my career. I work every day and am one hundred percent dedicated to writing the best books I can! While I still have a blast, I also make sure to stay focused. Not only writing a dream, it’s a big part of my life!

Jan: There’s a child on the cover of your latest release. How do you feel about kids? See any in your future?
Tyler Anne: 
A lot of people who have known me for a while make fun of me for my dream of having (at least) five kids. I know, I know. I hear your laughter out there and have seen the head shakes before. Not to mention the “wait until she has ONE and ask her if she wants more!” But I come from a very small family and I’ve always wanted to make a big one. (I partially blame Madeline L’Engle’s Time Quartet series. You talk about a family to aspire to.) But I’ve wanted a bunch of kids since I wanted to be a writer. They are just two things that, just the thought of, make me happy. Now, if it makes anyone feel better, I also want to adopt some of my future gaggle of kiddos. That too has been a part of my family dreams. All of which I will eventually get started on. But near future? I plan to write a lot more books before I have any kids of my own!

Now let me quickly talk about the cover of FULL FORCE FATHERHOOD and give readers a quick FUN FACT! The little girl’s character, named Grace and she’s just spunky and precious, is wholly based off of my real life goddaughter when she was that age! My goddaughter is now seven and when I first handed her a copy of the book she was very proud in pointing out that the girl was based off of her! Talk about giving a seven-year-old a unique show and tell for school!

Jan: Plan to travel anywhere this year?
Tyler Anne: Does driving back and forth from Florida to Alabama to move count? Because if so then we’ve already been traveling like crazy! As far as anywhere else, who knows! The husband and I still haven’t had an official honeymoon…I’m silently trying to push going to Maine (I’m obsessed with it, which is why PRIVATE BODYGUARD is based there!) but we might have to wait until we get our new house settled first!

Jan: How was your first year of married life?
Tyler Anne: 
Is it bad to say nothing really felt different? Aside from almost losing our wedding rings a few bajillion times (our cats like to swat them around when we take them off for showers, chores, etc.) we’ve been the same two kids having fun with the occasional fight about why my husband didn’t put his clothes IN the basket but instead on the floor next to it… Oh, and of course, we have had the non-stop confusion of having the same first AND last name now! Which, I suppose isn’t all that normal!

Jan:  What is your least favorite housekeeping duty?
Tyler Anne: All of them. I’m as far as domestic as you could throw a person! If my husband didn’t cook I’d starve!

Jan: Does your heroine have any of your character traits?
Tyler Anne: Here’s another FUN FACT for you. One of the best things about writing Kelli Crane was her relationship with her best friend Lynn. In fact, it’s one of my favorite parts of the book (and others have told me the same)! While Kelli has a touch of being stubborn, especially when it comes to the safety of her loved ones (something I believe I share), I actually find more of myself in the friendship between both women. While Kelli’s daughter’s character is based off my goddaughter, it’s HER mother that in real life is my best friend, Katie (we’ve been friends since around fourth grade!). I didn’t make Kelli or Lynn one of us specifically but their friendship was built to resemble the one Katie and I share! I hope this makes it feel more authentic to readers and they enjoy them as much as I did!

Jan: What’s the best part of living in Florida?
Tyler Anne: Well, not many know this, but we’ve actually just moved from Florida back to our hometown! Something I swore I’d never do when I was younger but now my husband and I think it’s the best choice we could have made! BUT best part of living in Alabama compared to Florida? Bye bye, Spring Breakers. May I never have to be stuck in traffic behind you while you try to figure out where the best beach access is!

Jan: Most writers have to find their zone before the words start flowing. Describe your ideal writing day.
Tyler Anne: Since it’s become my career I can’t afford to wait for the stars to align to get into the mood! So I’ve since made a routine. Just like my husband gets up and goes to work, I get up and go to my office to do the same. What makes an ideal day, though? If I have a lot of great coffee at my side AND my cats aren’t being crazy!


Jan: What’s your favorite sweet treat?
Tyler Anne: If you know how much Parks and Recreation’s Leslie Knope loves waffles, know that that’s how much I love chocolate.




FIND TYLER ANNE SNELL:


UP NEXT: The next book in the Orion Security series is BE ON THE LOOKOUT: BODYGUARD, a fast-paced story set in New York City! It releases August 1! There’s no cover for it yet but one can hope it stars the dreamy Jonathan Carmichael, one of my favorite bodyguards! 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME INTERVIEW, TYLER! CHECK OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW FOR A **GIVEAWAY** FOR OUR NORTH AMERICAN READERS!!
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