A
book set in France, a dash of Alpine danger, and snow on the cover? I am so there! Welcome Laura Boon – whose
debut novel The Millionaire Mountain Climber, out now, is clearly tailor-made
for me.
About Laura...
Laura
Boon stole her first romance from her father’s bookshelves as a teenager, The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen
Woodiwiss, and was immediately captivated. After holding a variety of positions
in publishing, from bookseller to sales rep and publicist, she eventually found
the courage to write her own stories. She was born in Zambia, grew up in South
Africa, and went to university in America. She now lives in Australia with her
husband and their adorable Pekingese Beau. When she is not reading or writing,
she enjoys sleuthing for artisan chocolate and beautiful stationery, watching
tennis, and walking alongside Sydney’s beautiful harbor.
When danger threatens a bona fide city girl, an adventurer
is her only hope of rescue
Mountain climber Matt Hanley is a former investment manager
whose lean body and rugged good looks epitomize an outdoor adrenaline junky.
When his business partner in their country hotel is injured, he needs an
efficient replacement in a hurry.
Hailey Gordon lives a chic city life free of adventures and
daredevils. She craves stability and security but loses her job and boyfriend
on the same day. A holiday job in France is the perfect escape from her
troubles.
Sparks ignite when Matt and Hailey meet, but she resolves to
ignore the flame flickering between them. Aside from the fact Matt is her boss,
she's convinced he is not her type. Matt is determined to teach Hailey to look
beyond appearances. He needs to show her how good they are together, even if he
must risk life and limb to do so.
Read a little...
Hailey
drank in the landscape, noticing the clarity of the late afternoon sky and the
way the snow-capped peaks glistened despite the fading light.
“Beautiful,
isn’t it?” said Matt. “Trending down the
valley, you have the villages of Argentiere and Les Praz and the town of
Chamonix. Behind Chamonix you can see the Grand Mama of all the peaks, Mont
Blanc.”
“Yes,
the pens––and the chocolates.” She shook her head. What hubris to name a pen
after the magnificent towering peak, but what marketing genius.
Matt
grinned. “Ah, you know the chocolates, do you? We’ll have to buy you some.”
“From
the lips to the hips,” she murmured, “and I am sure they don’t do the mountain
justice.”
“Come
on, let’s get you inside before your face turns blue, and I earn a reprimand
from Genie for chatting up scantily-clad women in sub-zero temperatures.”
“Really?
You were chatting me up? I’m flattered.”
The
smile turned wicked. “You’re welcome.” As he bent to pick up her suitcase, he
dropped his head next to hers and murmured into her ear in a low, deep voice,
sending shivers down her spine. “For the record, Hailey, your curves are
perfect. A little chocolate won’t do them any harm.”
She
blushed, and the fire of his words flickered all the way through her belly.
When was the last time her ex had paid her a compliment? An appalling thought
crossed her mind; she, the High Priestess of Order and Long-Term Planning, was
ripe for the picking and contemplating a holiday romance.
Let's Talk!
Avril: Tell
us about your change from the business side of publishing to the author side.
Laura: I
loved working in publishing for two reasons. I got to meet many authors, most
of whom are wonderful, inspiring, generous individuals. And I got to promote
books, which I believe are a cornerstone of civilization. Since my early
twenties I’ve wanted to write a book of my own, but always feared it would
never be good enough. Then I had to learn how to do it. Working with my
publisher was a wonderful experience. As an author, I couldn’t have asked for
more. I do have this problem creature who followed me home from my day job, my
publicity alter ego. She sits on my shoulders and nags me every day about what
I haven’t done yet from a marketing, publicity and social media perspective –
and no matter how much she whines, I just can’t get to everything! As an author,
I’ve realized I have to set goals and then just try to get as close as
possible. Being an author is still a surreal experience for me. I’m inspired
and touched by the kindness of other authors and readers.
Avril: I
love the idea of reading a romance set in the French Alps – what made you
choose that setting?
Laura: I
love to travel. These days I do it mostly from my armchair. I wanted that
escape and thought other readers might enjoy it too. I chose the French Alps
because I have been lucky enough to visit them, so I could picture the village
where I set The Millionaire Mountain
Climber. They’re beautiful, challenging, romantic. It’s also my experience
that when you are off home ground, you are more open to new ideas and
experiences, so it was a way to both test my characters and give them
opportunity.
Avril: I
understand your heroine is on the feisty side – are we going to see a few more
feisty heroines from you in the future?
Laura: Oh
yes! Feistiness is an essential survival skill for a woman. My first romantic
heroine was Jane Eyre and she was constantly called stubborn and sullen. I read
into that ‘not a doormat’, opinionated, feisty and resilient.
Avril: What’s
your favorite kind of hero?
Laura: I
like an Alpha who is a Beta – or a Beta who is an Alpha – by which I mean a man
who is confident, knows his own mind, and is good at what he does. He can
sometimes be bossy, even arrogant, but he is never domineering and aggressive
to those over whom he has power. And he has to have a sense of humor. If you
can’t laugh at the world, days are dark indeed.
Avril: I
know you’re a fellow Georgette Heyer fan – what made you choose contemporary
over historical for your foray into fiction writing?
Laura: Ha!
I was stupid enough to think a contemporary romance would be easier to write
because I wouldn’t have to do research. Yes, I can hear all the contemporary
romance writers in the universe doubling up in laughter. It didn’t take me long
to work out how wrong I was, but by then I was committed, and my characters
determined I would finish their journey. I’m still planning to write historical
romance, but first I have a contemporary quartet to finish.
Avril: What’s your pet hate in romance novels?
Laura: First
person heroes who describe their achievements in glowing terms. “I’m a
ruthless, self-made multi-billionaire, the best in the business with the
biggest dick that all the chicks love.” *Gags* I read one that was literally
that bad, which is to say I started it, but when he answered the door to
interview the heroine for a housekeeping job in nothing but a towel which he
then dropped in the kitchen to display his ‘assets’, I fled through the front
door alongside her, never to return. I think first person is hard to write for
that exact reason; you’re permanently inside the characters’ heads but they
absolutely can’t talk about themselves.
Laura
is giving away an eBook of The
Millionaire Mountain Climber (open internationally). Comment on the blog to
enter, and please include your email address either with your comment, or private message it to Avril Tremayne via Facebook.
