Get Lost Again with Emma Wildes!

Get Lost in This Story…

Twice Fallen is the second book in the Ladies in Waiting series, finally featuring Lord Damien Northfield (yes, Emma listens when readers ask!) from Lessons From a Scarlet Lady. Damien meets his match in Lady Lily Bourne, a disgraced beauty with a scandalous past. Just the perfect woman for a wily spy who specializes in secrets, isn’t she? When Lily proves to be the key to catching a ruthless killer, he decides fate might just have brought them together…

Welcome to Get Lost in a Story today, where I am excited to welcome back my friend and fabulous historical romance author, Emma Wildes!

Emma Wildes is an author of numerous Regency and other historicals novels. Twice nominated for an RT bookLover’s Reviewer’s Award (An Indecent Proposition, 2009, Our Wicked Mistake, 2010), An Eppie winner for best erotic historical, Winner of the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, she writes for NAL’s Signet Eclipse line. Emma lives in the Midwest with her husband, three children, and a temperamental cat named Poot. You can visit her at www.emmawildes.com

So, let’s get to the Get Lost Interview!!!

Heather:  What’s your favorite “love” word?

Emma:  I like captivated. It implies intelligence and sexual pull.

Heather:  What turns you off like nothing else?

Emma:  A person without a sense of humor.

Heather:  Where do you read and how often?

Emma:  I read EVERYWHERE. In my office while I’m working, on vacation, on the place, in bed…

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

Emma:  Classical, preferably Baroque. Very soothing.

Heather:  Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Emma:  I think writing. I like to play with how the words sound together. But, of course, a good story is important!

Heather:  If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Emma:  If I couldn’t be a writer I would be bereft.

Heather:  What do you do to unwind and relax?

Emma:  Actually, I take a glass of wine and go sit by the lake. I tell my children I am going out to contemplate life, but I doubt it is really that cerebral <laugh>. I just go out and enjoy that there is really a lot of beauty in this world. Water, blue sky, birds, a warm breeze…

Heather:  What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

Emma:  Swedish Christmas dishes. Just a few days away!

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

Emma:  We have a second country home now and really love it. No lake like our other house, but two small ponds and fifteen acres of woods with deer and wild turkeys wandering through. It is pitch dark at night, and so quiet you can hear every creak and rustle. I keep telling my husband a rabid badger <very unlikely, that is my vivid imagination> is living under our front porch because I do hear whatever it is come home each morning at dawn. Lots of thumping. A growl or two. This creature and I have an understanding that no sighting is mutually good for both of us. I don’t want to see him, and he doesn’t want to see me. Perfect.

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

Emma:  I don’t know if it is a quirk, but I hate loud noises. Music? Please keep it very soft. I went to about two concerts as a teen and then gave it up. I don’t even like the fan on in the bathroom. No wonder I live in the country.

Heather:  Have you ever written a character who wasn’t meant to be a hero/heroine but he/she wouldn’t go away?

Emma:  Well, now that you mention it, Damien Northfield from Twice Fallen (January 3^rd, 2012, Signet Eclipse). He is a middle brother and he didn’t really have that big a role in Lessons, but readers loved him. I have seven current mass market paperbacks with NAL, plus two eSpecials out there with NAL (Spanish Lullaby just came out on the 5^th of December), 29 books with Siren Publishing, four with Samhain, and he is hands down the character that has gotten the most fan mail! I found it all so astonishing. So I wrote his story, and honestly, he and Lily were just perfect for each other.

Heather:  Dog person or cat person?

Emma:  Love dogs, and love cats. I adore Poot. So handsome. But he is an exceptional cat <laugh> At our country house the neighbors have the most fabulous dog who comes to visit…Blue is an English Spaniel and he is so sweet. He’s gentle as can be but just barges in if you open the door. One night he watched a movie with us on the couch <invited himself> and his “parents” came looking for him. I felt a little guilty when he was sacked out on my lap. They were worried.

Heather:  What is your favorite thing about you?

Emma:  I think I’m extremely calm in a crisis, emotional, physical, etc. I immediately go to the “it-happened-it-needs to-be fixed” mode. It probably says something weird about me…please don’t tell me what it is, but at least I don’t go to pieces.

Heather’s GOTTA ASK – Emma’s GOTTA ANSWER  J

Heather:  What has been the most unexpected thing about being a published author?

Emma:  I don’t think I expected ever to be this busy. It is such a lovely gift. I write books and people actually want to read them <seriously?>. Heaven on earth.

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

Emma:  I am so curious to know if readers like it when authors switch paths and cross into other genres. For instance, I have a new series coming with Tor/Forge to be released next year that is thriller/suspense as Kate Watterson. The books are contemporary and the first one involves a serial killer…quite a switch for me. Thoughts? I will still write historicals, of course, since I love them, but I am quite a mystery buff also, so this was just a delightful challenge. I’d really like to hear what you all think!

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?**

Emma:  A signed copy of Twice Fallen since I JUST got my copies yesterday.

Thanks so much for being with us today, Emma!

Emma:  Thank you for having me here at Get Lost in the Story. I have really enjoyed it!

Best to all, Emma

If you missed Emma’s previous visit to GLIAS, learn more about her here!

** Please follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join us tomorrow as Maureen hosts Marley Gibson.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize.

Addison Fox

Warm up with Addison Fox's Baby, It's Cold Outside

Addison Fox can’t remember a time when words weren’t part of her life. An avid reader, she can be found with a book in her hand nearly every time she has a free moment.


Her paranormal romance series, The Sons of the Zodiac, launched in 2010 and recounts the adventures (and path to true love!) for an immortal band of warriors, granted the powers of their astrological signs.


Her contemporary series launches in November 2011 with BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, the first in the Alaskan Nights series. Set in the fictional town of Indigo, Alaska, a couple of city girls are about to learn that the wide open spaces of Alaska just may hold everything they’re looking for. 
Addison lives in New York City.

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE excerpt:

Sloan had never felt blindsided by a kiss before. Excited, yes, even thrilled.

But gobsmacked?

Absolutely not.

The reaction of shock, adrenaline and pure, unadulterated feminine pleasure rocketed through her system as the firm press of his lips quickly gave way to the heated assault of his tongue.

The cold that had seeped into her bones from the moment she‘d fled outside was rapidly replaced with a liquid heat that spread through her like a wild blaze and she knew—with absolute certainty—how the denizens of Alaska stayed warm.

                           

My thanks to the GLIAS team for having me back to the blog - I’m so excited to spend the day with everyone!

I thought about writing a blog post but the gals’ questions were so much more fun!  Without any further ado….

CAT:  What is your favorite summer memory as a kid?

ADDISON:  We had this wonderful dairy near where I grew up and we’d go there at least one night a week for ice cream after dinner. I can still smell the ice cream parlor – this wonderful sugary-milk smell that was just so subtle and lovely and we’d all get our cones and sit out on their picnic benches.

They made the most wonderful peanut-butter vanilla ice cream and it’s the only flavor I ever ordered. 

A few years ago I was back in my hometown and went for the vanilla peanut-butter….it was like going back in time!

CAT:  Do you have a large or small family?

ADDISON:  I come from a very large family.  On my mother’s side we’re about 100 at our annual family reunion. My maternal grandfather was one of 9 children and my maternal grandmother was one of five so I’ve got a lot of cousins. My dad’s family isn’t quite as large as my mom’s, but what we lack in size we make for in sheer fun and rowdiness when we’re together!

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

ADDISON:  I love this question because I *wished* I loved listening to music when I write and the reality is that I prefer silence. It was one of the strangest revelations. Whenever I envisioned myself writing, I always thought I’d have all this lovely music playing in the background….and the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. I hate having the noise!!

CAT:  Which of your characters would you most/least like to invite to dinner?

ADDISON:  I have a soft spot for all my characters (even the meanies!), but I would love to have dinner with Sloan, Grier and Avery, the gals from my newest book. I had so much fun writing their friendship scenes that I’d just love to sit down and have some wine with them and talk about hot Alaska bachelors!

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

ADDISON:  I don’t know that this is necessarily all that interesting but it has come as a rather large surprise to me. I’m incredibly absent-minded. The crazy part of it is that I never even realized this about myself until relatively recently.

I was having a conversation with my mother and I mentioned how absent-minded I’d been about something and she leaned over and grabbed my hand…..”Sweetie….you’ve always been absent-minded. At six, you couldn’t remember to bring your milk thermos home from school and at thirty-six you can’t remember something if it’s not on a list.”

She was so incredibly sweet about it that I wasn’t upset in the least….but I do wish she would have told me sooner!! J

CAT:  Tea of coffee and how do you take it?

ADDISON:  I picked this one because it’s such a complicated answer…..

I love both and drink coffee in the morning and switch to tea in the afternoon.

If it’s a foo-foo coffee (aka Starbucks) I get a latte but if it’s just standard coffee maker coffee, I drink it black.  I drink my tea with one sugar, no milk if it’s black tea and no sugar if it’s fruity.  I always feel like Sally from When Harry Met Sally when it comes to my hot beverage preferences!!!

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

ADDISON:  While the gowns were beautiful, I wouldn’t have made a very good Regency heroine. All those skirts and corsets and layers….I get hot just thinking about it! 

As for the era I’d most have liked to live in...I would have loved to be a flapper.

CAT’S GOTTA ASK:

If you were a t-shirt, what color would you be and why?

ADDISON’S GOTTA ANSWER:  I’d love to be a lovely pale green.  Green’s my favorite color and I always think that color looks so nice on!

ADDISON’S GOTTA ASK FOR FANS:

One of the things I had a lot of fun with while writing BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE is playing with expectations.  My heroine is a New Yorker and she ends up in the middle of Alaska for some unexpected reasons.

One of the things I think is fun about life is when something works out completely opposite – and better! – than you expect.

Have you ever had an experience where you went in with one set of expectations and ended up having a very different experience?

My thanks again to the GLIAS gals for having me!!!!

Happy Writing & Reading!

Addison

www.addisonfox.com

www.facebook.com/addisonfoxauthor

www.twitter.com/addisonfox

Addison is giving away a copy of BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE to a lucky commenter.

J.D. Tyler

PRIMAL LAW
Alpha Pack #1, Jaxon Law’s story
Signet Eclipse
ISBN: 0451234340

After a massacre decimates half his team and leaves him crippled, Jaxon Law must relearn how to fight—and must defeat the anger and guilt threatening to overwhelm him. But when he rescues a beautiful woman who reawakens his primal instincts, Jax is unprepared for the dangers that lie ahead.

On the run from her employer, brilliant lab assistant Kira Locke escapes with disturbing evidence that leads the Alpha Pack team on a hunt for someone targeting human civilians with Psy abilities. And as Jax and Kira circle both the killer and each other, Jax will have to decide if the deep connection he feels with Kira is worth breaking the ultimate shifter rule—because bonding with Kira means putting his abilities at risk, and they might be the only tool he has to keep his mate alive…

PRIMAL EXCERPT

THE PRIMAL JD
J.D. Tyler is an award-winning, multi-published author who writes for New American Library under three pseudonyms. Whether this is due to an overdose of ambition or a multiple personality affliction, she’ll never tell.

J.D. writes dark, sexy paranormal romance and has a huge thing for shifters, vampires, the Fae, and just about everything else that goes bump and grind in the night. She can’t get enough of those dangerous supernatural heroes, and the fun of creating her own was just too much temptation to resist… so she didn’t. J.D. doesn’t do self- denial.

When she isn’t writing, J.D.’s idea of a good time certainly isn’t cleaning house (sniff), bungee jumping (not in this lifetime, or the next), or camping (her idea of “roughing it” is a slow bellboy). She enjoys reading, being pampered like the diva she is, and spending time with her awesome family. J.D. lives in Texas with her husband and two teenagers.

PRIMAL Q&A
ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?
JD: I try to read every day because getting lost in a great story is how I relax and unwind. A good book is a wonderful escape.

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
JD: I can remember sitting on the couch with my mom when I was little, reading MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. I’ve always loved to read, and my mom made sure to take me to the library every week. I enjoy being surrounded by books, always have.

ANGI: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met?
JD: The most awesome real-life heroes I’ve met are the firefighters who helped me with my research on my Firefighters of Station Five series, written under my Jo Davis pen name. I’m in awe of those guys.

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
JD: Does Shrek count? I’m a sucker for the ending, when Fiona laments that she was supposed to have been beautiful and Shrek says that she IS beautiful to him. Makes me sigh with happiness every time.

ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
JD: Mighty Mouse. God, did I just date myself?

ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
JD: I’m really turned off by snark, and by people who enjoy bringing other people down. I believe in putting positive energy into the universe because what you put out will come back to you one thousand fold, in the end. Those who put negativity and meanness into the universe will get nothing but the same in return, and will eventually be harmed by their own design.

ANGI: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release?
JD: Anything by Alice in Chains, because they’re awesome. Especially the song “All Secrets Known” from their newest CD Black Gives Way To Blue. Great stuff, and it really sets the mood for the Alpha Pack series to me, as a writer. Pull up the song on YouTube and listen, and you’ll see what I mean. If the Alpha Pack were ever to become a TV series, that’s the song I’d BEG the producers to buy the rights to use as the theme!

ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
JD: I like to read on my favorite spot on my couch, or in bed. If I can, I read every day. Right now I’m hooked on Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series, and trying to get caught up to the present release. Though I don’t want to catch up too fast or I’ll have to wait a year between releases!

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?
JD: The pop of a wine cork? Oh, okay—the meow of a tiny kitten when it’s wanting to be held is just about the cutest thing ever! (Everybody say, “AWWWW!”) My daughter’s best friend just got two new kittens and they’re darling. I wanted to take one home, but my 14 year-old cat wouldn’t put up with furry little newbies in the house.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
JD: I love them both! It depends on which mood I’m in—soft and romantic or bold and fearless. Either way, we get hot men in tights or cammos, so it’s a win-win situation.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
JD: In the third grade, I wrote a story about a horse and illustrated it. I sold it for .25 cents, and decided I liked having Coke money for the vending machine after school. So I made more and sold those, too! Hmm, do we see a pattern early on in my life?

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
JD: As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson. This movie has the greatest quotes ever, and the best character arcs. “You make me want to be a better man.” Happy sigh!

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?
JD: Hands down, Hannibal Lecter from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. His character is absolutely riveting and horrifying. Brilliant villain in the book, and a brilliant performance from Anthony Hopkins in the movie as well.

ANGI: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
JD: No, I honestly don’t. I see my stories as a “movie” in my head, and write what I see as the observer. I’m a hero-driven author so I tend to “see” things from his side of the story more often and with greater clarity.

ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
JD: If you mean verbal story-telling, I’m not very good at that and I envy people who are. I have a couple of friends who are wonderful at this and keep me either laughing or spellbound when they tell a story. I wish I could to that. I’m much better at writing!

ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
JD: I hope you love Jax and the Alpha Pack as much as I love writing their stories! Next up is BLACK MAGIC: An Alpha Pack Novella in March 2012, and then SAVAGE AWAKENING in April 2012. Drop me a note and let me know if the stories excite you, leave you breathless, make you happy. Sometimes a kind email is what gets me through the day, and inspires me to get that next chapter on paper!

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: You have three series for three different NAL lines. How do you keep them straight? Okay that’s not the real question…which hero is your favorite? And can you tell us some more about the ALPHA PACK?
JD’S GOTTA ANSWER: How do I keep them straight? I don't know! I guess because they're all written different pen names, and are different sub-genres. But my heroes are always to-die-for, not only physically sexy but honorable. And it's funny, to me the more honor a man has, the sexier he is to me. My favorite hero I've written so far is Lieutenant Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton in TRIAL BY FIRE (as Jo Davis).

You want to know more about the Pack? Oooh, my favorite subject right now! The Alpha Pack was founded by a team of former NAVY SEALs with Psy abilities who were turned into wolf shifters after being attacked in the mountains of Afghanistan. The government sanctioned the formation of the Alpha Pack, and built their compound in the Shoshone National Forest and also included the Institute of Parapsychology in the compound to study the team and other paranormal beings. The Pack is sent out to battle the world's most dangerous human and supernatural predators, using their Psy and shifting abilities. It's my hope that each guy on the team will get his own story!

JD WILL DRAW from those leaving a comment for a signed copy of PRIMAL LAW.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless otherwise indicated by guest author. If an electronic Copy is available, the author may utilize that option. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. It is the responsibility of the winning commenter to contact GLIAS with their email address or those participating may leave their email addresses in their public post.

TODAY’S FAN QUESTION
JD said, “Sometimes a kind email is what gets me through the day, and inspires me to get that next chapter on paper!” WHAT GETS YOU through a rough day?

DROP A NOTE TO JD at jd@jdtyler.com; FIND information at her website LIKE her on Facebook and FOLLOW her on Twitter .

DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter (#GetLostStories) or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join us this week for Jeanne Adams, Shae Berkley, Brenda Novak, and Claire Delacroix. Remember to check back daily to GET LOST in your favorite stories! ~Angi

Allison Chase

GET LOST IN THIS STORY...

OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS
Signet Eclipse, December 7, 2010

The Sutherland sisters lead ordinary lives-- until their childhood friend, now Queen of England, seeks their assistance in matters requiring the utmost discretion. Then they must become…

Her Majesty’s Secret Servants

A rare stone gifted to Queen Victoria by her secret suitor, Albert of Saxe-Coburg, has been stolen, and possibly delivered into the hands of the Marquess of Harrow – a man whispered to be slightly mad. Her Majesty asks scholarly Ivy Sutherland to assume the role of science student “Ned Ivers,” win the marquess’s trust, and recover the stone before news of the theft ruins the royal courtship…

Since the death of his young wife, Simon de Burgh, Marquess of Harrow has dedicated himself to science. Finding an assistant whose intellect and passion match his own proves an unexpected boon, until he discovers that “Ned” is actually a woman. Simon is incensed…then intrigued. Unable to resist his growing desire for Ivy, which she undeniably returns, Simon knows he must end her charade before it leads to scandal… Instead, Ivy convinces Simon to work together to recover the stone...and unwittingly plunges them both into a more dangerous game. Now they’re risking their lives...and their hearts... in a race to stop a sinister murderer before he kills again.

Link to excerpt: http://www.allisonchase.com/Bookshelf/OutrageouslyYours.html

Today we welcome historical romance author, Allison Chase! Allison has been penning romantic tales since her first grade teacher put a pencil in her hand and taught her how to write a sentence. Since then, she has gone on to write the Novels of Blackheath Moor, paranormal historical tales set in the wilds of nineteenth century Cornwall, and her newest series, Her Majesty's Secret Servants, featuring the Sutherland sisters who risk their lives, hearts, and occasionally their virtue in the service of their young queen and secret childhood friend. Book 1, MOST EAGERLY YOURS, was a March 2010 release, and has been nominated for a KISS (Knight in Shining Silver) Hero Award by RT Book Reviews.

Book 2, OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS, hits the bookstore shelves today!

Welcome to the blog today, Allison! I cannot wait to get my hands on OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS. I know I am going to love it, not only because you are a terrific writer, but because it features a hero and heroine who are both Victorian scientists, a topic dear to my heart...

Another topic dear to my heart? Finding out more about the author behind some of my favorite books. So let's get right to it! Meet Allison:

Heather: Where do you read and how often?
Allison: Mostly in bed, and everyday. I start and end each day by reading. At night it helps calm me down from the hectic pace of my day and takes me out of the real world. the last thing I want to hear before I go to sleep are all the terrible things going on in the world, so I don't watch the news. I'd rather time-travel back a few hundred years to when life was quieter, if not exactly safer. J In the morning, a good read will get my mind moving and often inspire me or jog some thought for my work in progress.

Heather: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?
Allison: Not usually, but sometimes outside noises send me running for the haven of my headphones. Then it's often classical, usually Mozart or Vivaldi, or Renaissance or Celtic music.

Heather: Be honest, when reading 1^st person...do you miss the hero’s POV?
Allison: Actually, I don't think I'd read a romance in 1^st person. We definitely want and need the hero's POV in a romantic story, or we're only getting half the satisfaction. But in other genres, like mystery, I happen to love 1^st person. It's fast-paced and often lets a character's quirky personality shine through in ways 3^rd person doesn't. Both styles have their merits, and both are suitable to particular genres.

Heather: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?
Allison: Easy! I'd be an archeologist and uncover the secrets of the past. I'd actually toyed with that idea when I was in college, although more practical concerns won out (like majoring in English was practical, lol!) One of my favorite books/movies is Timeline, where archeologists are excavating a medieval castle in France and end up time-traveling back to the site in the 14^th century. I could happily spend my life digging through ancient sites and filling in the many blanks that still plague our history books. Some of my love of "history's mysteries" spilled over into MOST EAGERLY YOURS, which is set in Bath, a city whose ancient Roman and Medieval history lays buried beneath the more "modern" 18^th and 19^th century city streets.

Heather: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
Allison: Celebrate! I usually take myself out for a high-caloric latte, or do a little shopping (ooh, shoes!) or just take some time off to catch up on my reading. I'll meet with friends (ooh, let's do lunch!), and just enjoy feeling like a "regular" person for a little while. Then the writing bug takes hold again.

Heather: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
Allison: Ugh! I do! And yes, I think they have influenced my writing, at least to a point. There's a difference between a snarky review and constructive criticism, and when criticism is presented thoughtfully and intelligently, I do try to learn from it. On the other hand, it's good to hear about what I'm doing right, so I'll keep doing it. The trick is not to take either good or bad reviews too much to heart. They're all subjective and you can't please everybody. In the end you have to trust your heart and believe in your work.

Heather:What do you do to unwind and relax?
Allison: Yoga! Wine! A good book! Or a bike ride, and then all of the above.

Heather:If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?
Allison: Queen Elizabeth. Do you think she'd agree to it? My reason is that in researching Queen Victoria, I saw so many parallels between them, from juggling family and official responsibilities, to dealing with their husbands' "subordinate" roles while still respecting their position as head of the family, to establishing themselves in what was for both of them still very much a man's world. They both came to the throne at very young ages, felt a strong sense of duty, and essentially grew up wearing the crown. So in being able to interview the present queen, I think I'd gain invaluable insight into her great, great grandmother as more than just a monarch, but as a woman, wife, mother, and individual. That would be amazing.

Heather: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and specifically why?
Allison: I'd love to schedule several stops, starting in the Middle Ages, stopping again during the Renaissance, hopping across the pond to witness the birth of the United States, and then skipping back to Victorian England. But there's one burning mystery I'd love to solve: what happened to the princes in the Tower? Did their Uncle Richard really have them killed (in essence, was he the monster Shakespeare describes?), or was someone else responsible, say someone from Henry VII's camp?

Heather:Which era would you least like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why? Most?
Allison: Least favorite: As much as I love the Tudor era, I wouldn't have wanted to live during Elizabeth's reign. It's the ruff! I don't like them, and they look so darned uncomfortable! I mean, starched linen! My neck itches just thinking about it. After that I think the later Victorian era also would have been uncomfortable because of how tight corsets became, along with the high necklines and bustles. How did women move? Or sit?? As for the fashions I'd like to have worn…oh, my! This is harder to answer because I love so many periods. Medieval, Renaissance, Regency… I love flowing gowns with long trains, wide sleeves, multiple layers of silk, velvet, linen… I think early the Medieval and Regency eras were probably the most comfortable periods, since dresses were less constructed and more loosely fitted. I'm all about comfort!

Heather: What does it mean to love someone?
Allison: One of my very favorite quotes about the nature of love comes from the character of Ronnie (played by Nicholas Cage) in the movie, Moonstruck: “…Love don’t make things nice – it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren’t here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.” I just love that. Basically it means that when love it new, it's mindless and passionate and illogical. It doesn't have to make sense, it just is. For me, though, as love grows into a lasting relationship, true friendship grows along with it to balance out the passion – so that you can make plans and have goals and work together to build a future. Otherwise things just stay a mess, lol.

Heather: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
Allison: I'd like to thank them! Every time a reader picks up one of my books and adds it to their purchases, I'm amazed and humbled and grateful! Romance readers are among the most diverse, intelligent, and savvy audiences out there, and I feel honored whenever any of them makes time in their life my words. So thank you, readers!

HEATHER'S GOTTA ASK -- ALLISON'S GOTTA ANSWER J

Heather: What is the most fascinating thing you learned while researching or writing this particular book?
Allison: Victorian science plays a big role in this book – huge - and in doing the research I realized that hey, science is pretty cool! I mean, guys like Galileo and Newton and Michael Faraday were actually heroes in their own right, going up against pre-established notions and church law, and pursuing the truth about the physical world with the kind of single-minded determination we expect of our most romantic heroes. Even sometimes at the risk of blowing themselves to kingdom come! And when I learned about the inventions brought about by early physics, like electricity and the peddled bicycle (which operates according to the principles of mechanical physics), I thought wow, science has made my life what it is, and without it we'd still be crouching in the dark ages. No thanks! So scientists of yore, you are my heroes – and my heroines!

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

Simon de Burgh, the hero of OUTRAGEOUSLY YOURS, is a physicist – which effectively makes him kind of a nerd – but he's sexy as hell both in and out of the laboratory. Just ask Ivy Sutherland. Which do you find sexier: pure brawn, or intelligence (accompanied by some well-placed brawn, lol)?

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?

I'll be giving away a signed copy of Outrageously Yours to a random commenter, so share your thoughts!

THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US TODAY, ALLISON. Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment today to be eligible for the drawing for Outrageously Yours! We’ll draw and post the winner here and on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Lost-In-A-Story/

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AND DON’T FORGET to join us tomorrow for New York Times Bestseller Rebecca York!