Bad Dad!

by Anna Campbell



Recently I read a wonderful Molly O'Keefe book called THE SCANDAL AND CARTER O'NEILL, the last in her 'Notorious O'Neill' trilogy (by the way, Molly is an amazing writer and if you haven't read her, rush and grab one of her fantastic stories).



In the author bio section, she has a really cute disclaimer:



Despite how it may appear in her books, Molly O'Keefe has a wonderful mother. She has no experience with bad mothers and cannot explain why many of the mothers in her books are so awful. Molly never intended for her own mother to get those dirty looks at the grocery store.



This made me giggle because I realized I should make a similar disclaimer in the front of my books, but not about mothers. About FATHERS!



My father was a wonderful man, brave, principled, smart. And not at all like the fathers who feature in Anna Campbell stories.



I was thinking about the dads in my books and ouch, they're a rotten lot!



Your Honor, I present exhibit 1, the late Duke of Kylemore in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN. Drug addicted, alcoholic, cruel, psychotic, and a slave to his base passions. Nup, he's not likely to win father of the year any time soon. Mind you, his wife's not too great either but I'm talking about dads here. Verity's dad isn't nearly as mean but then he dies and leaves her completely defenseless so even he demonstrates a few shortcomings!



Exhibit 2 : in UNTOUCHED, Matthew's dad does the dying thing but otherwise is pretty OK, but the uncle left in loco parentis is another psycho killer type. Sheesh! And while Grace's dad eventually sees the error of his ways, he's pretty cold and ruthless with her when she's younger.



Exhibit 3: in TEMPT THE DEVIL, the bad dad is actually the HERO! Ose Noes!



Erith returns to London at the start of the book to make up for his numerous sins against his children and of course then he puts their future in jeopardy when he falls in love with a courtesan. Ose Noes with sugar on top!



Exhibit 4 (yeah, there's going to be six, so sue me! Oh, no I've already got a court case on my hands with the dad thing. Maybe DON'T sue me!): in CAPTIVE OF SIN, there's a bad stepfather and a bad dad. Charis's mother marries after her admittedly very nice first husband kicks the bucket and husband number two is a shocker. A drunkard and a lech and a wastrel. And then poor Gideon, who already has enough to cope with after his torture in India, had a father who thought his younger, intellectual son was a complete waste of space and set out to fix that problem with violence. Bad dad indeed!



Exhibit 5: two of the dads in MY RECKLESS SURRENDER aren't actually that bad or at least they have decent reasons for their behavior. But there's Lord Burnley - he definitely qualifies to live in infamy in this villains gallery of bad dads. I think an amoeba would be a better father than this guy!



Exhibit 6: MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION has TWO bad dads, both of whom are far more interested in their own agendas than in their children's welfare. Oh, and one more equivocally bad dad in Godfrey Demarest who is indulgent to his daughter but a bit of a rotter otherwise.



So I'd like it on record here and now:



Dad, I apologize wholeheartedly for all these wicked fathers, uncles and stepfathers who abound in my books. None of them were inspired by you, although I certainly was when I set out to follow my dreams and become a writer.



Actually I think bad dads are a staple of fiction not because as writers, we have suffered through so many bad dads, but because awful parents put our heroes and heroines against it. Fairytales use the same motif for the same reason.



Someone with a rotten parent (or even two, like Kylemore) gains reader sympathy immediately. It's a bit like making our heroes and heroines orphans. I've read blog posts and other pieces asking why so many orphans abound in romance fiction. Again, it puts the reader onside from the get-go.



And just for something different, the book I'm current writing features a very heroic dad for my lead guy and an OK dad for my heroine. Sheesh! What is the world coming to?



So do you have any favorite bad dads in your romance reading?



And if you'd like to explore the Anna Campbell school of bad dads, I'm going to give away a book today to someone who comments. Your choice from the backlist (just click on the title in the blog if you want to checkwhich book you'd prefer) mailed with a fatherly smile and an avuncular bookmark.



(Just a proviso - I'm at the Romance Writers of Australia conference right now so may be a bit slow getting back to comment but I promise I will, cross my heart and hope to die!)

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Island Magic with Helen Brenna!

by Anna Campbell

Oh, be still my beating heart!

Well, not that still. Because then I'd be dead, right?

We have a saying in Oz that you wouldn't be dead for quids (quids is an old slang term for a pound note). And today, I have such a wonderful guest for you all that you wouldn't be dead for quids either!

I've come fairly recently to Helen Brenna's books - via a recommendation to read her RITA-nominated NASCAR story FROM THE OUTSIDE. I'm not that into racing cars but man, I got seriously into tortured and sexy racing car driver Roberto Castillo.


Since then I've read everything from Helen that I can lay my hands on. I've fallen in love with her wonderful series about a resort island in the Great Lakes called Mirabelle. As I said to her when I closed her fabulous THE PURSUIT OF JESSE a few days ago, I finish her books wanting to go to Mirabelle and then there's that cruel moment when I realize it's not REAL!!! Boo hoo.

Helen's books are unforgettable emotional reads about forgiveness and redemption and finding one's rightful place in the world. She has won an impressive number of prestigious awards including that most prestigious award of all, the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for THE MOON THAT NIGHT.

We're very lucky this year - in July, August and September, we get THREE Mirabelle books released back to back. THE PURSUIT OF JESSE, HER SURE THING and REDEMPTION AT MIRABELLE.

Here's the back cover blurb for HER SURE THING, Helen's August release:

Grace Andersen Kahill, the pastor's trouble-making daughter, left Mirabelle Island at seventeen and never looked back. When a devastating accident ruins not only her successful modeling career but also her marriage, she comes home to Mirabelle. She never expected to rediscover herself not through the lens of a camera, but through the eyes of Sean Griffin.

Sean, Mirabelle's doctor, has orchestrated for himself the perfect life. That is, until two new arrivals on Mirabelle upset his proverbial apple cart. A son he never knew existed and ... Grace.

The son, he'll deal with. Somehow. The woman, on the other hand, might just end up breaking his heart.

And don't forget, if you click on the covers in the blog, it takes you right to that book on Amazon.

For more information on Helen and her wonderful books, check out her website:

www.helenbrenna.com

Without more ado, here's Helen! And she's got some news for us!


I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. Today is the day I’m unveiling an illustration of my very own fictitious Mirabelle Island!

But let’s back up for a sec. Actually, let’s back up five whole years to when Mirabelle was born in my mind.

It all started, as so many books start, with a “what if?” What if two people, childhood sweethearts, were torn apart by something as simple as he couldn’t stay in the small town in which they’d grown up together and she couldn’t leave?

A lot of things had to come together to make this a compelling story. I needed a place with a strong sense of community, with history, maybe even a place the heroine’s ancestors had settled, all of which bound her to home. I needed a place that a reader could love, but I also needed that reader to empathize with the hero and the intolerable sense of confinement he felt while growing up. Mind you, none of this was conscious or purposeful. My writer’s brain was just doing its thing when it dawned on me that I needed an island. Not a sand, surf and palm trees kind of place. I needed something different. I needed Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Ever heard of The Grand Hotel? Mackinac is the place where the movie SOMEWHERE IN TIME was filmed. With cobblestone streets, Victorian B & Bs and horse drawn carriages, it’s a place filled with history, a place I could easily imagine Sophie, my heroine.

The only problem is that I couldn’t imagine Noah, my alpha hero living there and I wasn’t entirely sure how their story was going to end. Were they staying or leaving? Then, too, I don’t write quaint and quiet stories set in tearooms and grand hotels. I write contemporary romances with alpha heroes and strong heroines, so I needed some reality.

What I needed was a little bit of Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands chain located on Lake Superior just off Wisconsin’s northern shore. Madeline is bigger than Mackinac, so there’s space for log cabins, horse ranches, secluded bays and lighthouses, acres of untouched forest, and even a few brew pubs.

That’s how Mirabelle Island was born. A place of stark contrasts. Cold, brutal and isolated in the winter. Sunny and idyllic in the summer. Old virgin forests on one end and homemade fudge shops on the other. The Mirabelle Island Inn with its classic French restaurant a few blocks from the Rusty Nail, a bar that has seen better days. This is, basically, a picture of what’s been on the white board in my office for the last five years. The bare bones of Mirabelle Island …

Well, that one book about Noah and Sophie led to six more stand alone Mirabelle stories, and just as my books have evolved and grown so has my vision of the island. I wanted readers to see what I see in my mind, and so I commissioned an artist to illustrate Mirabelle.

To coincide with THE PURSUIT OF JESSE, HER SURE THING and REDEMPTION AT MIRABELLE, three new Mirabelle Island books releasing July, August and September, I’m “unveiling” the illustrated map here and on my web site. Voila!

It still needs a legend and some geographic titles, but what do you think? Does Mirabelle Island look like some place you’d like to live? Read about, I hope?

To celebrate my back to back releases, I’d like to give away three copies from my backlist today, so check out my website at helenbrenna.com to see which title you’d like. And stop by my website again in another week or so to see the finished map.

Many thanks to Anna and all the Bandits for having me here today!

You heard right, Bandita Buddies. That's THREE people to win their choice from Helen's backlist! Hmm, wonder if she'll let me enter. There's a couple of older titles I still haven't managed to find. Perhaps I can enter under an alias...

OK, OK, I won't cheat (mainly because you'd find me out, you're all so clever!).

Good luck and get commenting, people!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Summertime Booty!

THANX to everyone who turned out last Sunday to share their hectic summer with Marie Force!

Now for the booty...


SUPER CONGRATS
to




MAUREEN


You are the winner of a copy of Marie's Fatal Consequences!

Please contact Marie at marie AT marieforce DOT com.Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Miranda's Winner!

Thanks so much for turning Miranda's visit yesterday into such a party! Wow, we sure rocked the lair!

The winner of Miranda's wonderful THE AMOROUS EDUCATION OF CELIA SEATON is:

LAURIE G!

Congratulations, Laurie. The book sounds delish. Please email Miranda on miranda @ mirandaneville .com (no gaps) with your snail mail details and she'll get your book out to you pronto!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Annie's Winners!

Wow, what a huge day we had in the lair yesterday. Thanks to Annie West and everyone who swung by to turn her visit into a party.

Annie very generously offered commenters two prizes and without more ado, the winners are:

ANTONIA (PRINCE OF SCANDAL)

GANNON (RAFE'S REDEMPTION)

Congratulations, girls! Please email Annie on annie @ annie-west.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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The Wages of Sin!

by Anna Campbell

Goodness, goodness, goodness me! I hope I never get trapped in any Book Hell you gals are running. Some seriously scary suggestions yesterday on the blog. Thanks so much for making it such a fun day of horror and games!

The winner of the signed copy of her choice from the Anna Campbell books is:

LANDRA!

Landra, can you please email me on anna @ annacampbell.info (no spaces) and let me know which book you'd like? Also can you please give me your snail mail info? Congratulations!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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HEIRESS Is Lovely!

by Anna Campbell

Who are those two women putting their heads together and plotting mischief?

Why, it's moi, Anna Campbell Esq, and...

Well, the identity of the gorgeous creature on my right has recently been revealed as:

CHRISTINA BROOKE!

This international woman of mystery was revealed in all her glory (although thank goodness, she kept her clothes on despite the best efforts of the cabana boys!) late last month as the author of the brilliant HEIRESS IN LOVE, the first instalment in the "Ministry of Marriage" series.

I'm not alone in lauding this wonderful book. Publishers Weekly gave HEIRESS IN LOVE a starred review. Fresh Fiction called it "a riveting tale of life, loss, convenience, and heart-wrenching love. Superbly writtten."

So without more ado, here's our Christine...uh, Christina!

Welcome, Christina!

Thank you, dearest, Foanna, it is lovely to be here as a guest! Now I know why people send their publicists to the lair with siege equipment so they can blog with us. I had the star treatment in the green room just now.

As you know (because I've been all over the net telling people!), I adored the first instalment in your "Ministry of Marriage" series. HEIRESS IN LOVE is a fantastic read and I was madly in love with Constantine, the hero. Can you tell us about this story?

Why, yes, I'd love to! And thank you so much for your kind words about HEIRESS IN LOVE and Constantine. You were good enough (or foolhardy enough!) to read an early draft and I still mention you in my prayers for making me take out that subplot. I don't know what I'd do without you!

HEIRESS IN LOVE is the classic marriage of convenience between a bad boy and a straitlaced lady. Sparks fly, as you can imagine, particularly when the straitlaced lady realizes she must marry the said bad boy to get what she most desires! Here is the blurb:

When the Ministry of Marriage arranges a match, all that matters is power, wealth and prestige. In the business of marriage, there is no room for love. But even the most prudent plans can go awry…

A Convenient Marriage

Jane, Lady Roxdale, has endured one marriage of convenience decreed by the Ministry of Marriage. While she deeply regrets her late husband’s death, she is relieved to be free at last. But when a dissolute rake threatens everything Jane holds dear, she must contemplate marrying a second time…

An Inconvenient Passion

Disgraced libertine Constantine Black inherits his cousin Roxdale’s land and title–while Roxdale’s prim widow is left all the wealth. Constantine is not a marrying man, but wedding Jane is the only way to save the estate from ruin. Jane resists the smoldering heat between them, desperate not to fall in love with an unrepentant rake. But for the first time ever, Constantine wants more than seduction. He wants all of her–body, heart, and soul…

Constantine was such a delight to write. I'm still half in love with him myself. Jane is outspoken and awkward and she doesn't know what the heck she is doing trying to handle this wicked rake or how she's supposed to persuade him to marry her. But she does see him quite clearly in many ways and manages to take him at a disadvantage sometimes, too. It was an interesting dynamic to write.

Can you tell us about the Ministry of Marriage? Sounds intriguing!

The Ministry of Marriage is a group of nobles who have banded together to approve and negotiate aristocratic alliances. It operates as a cross between a corporate board and the NFL draft! The body is not actually a government ministry, of course--that's just the nickname the group has given themselves.

I had a lot of fun with the M.O.M. because I get to play with the slightly older generation who are arranging these matches. The Duke of Montford, the head of Jane's family, appears very cold and ruthless but as the series goes on we see more of the real man. And there is ongoing speculation about his relationship with another member of the Ministry, Lady Arden.

However, the main job of the Ministry is to interfere in the central romance, which is very trying for my poor hero and heroine!

I've also been lucky enough (yeah, I know, I'm gloating!) to read the second book in the series, MAD ABOUT THE EARL (cute title!). Equally wonderful story but you know I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast tales. Can you tell us about book two in the Ministry of Marriage series?

Gloat away, Anna! I love gloating about the sneak peeks I get at your books! But seriously, thank you. I know you have a soft spot for this story.

MAD ABOUT THE EARL (aka MATE) is Rosamund's story and it will be released on January 3, 2012. I'm touting it as a great New Year's hangover cure! Rosamund is cousin to Jane, also brought up under the guardianship of the Duke of Montford. The beauty of the family, Rosamund has been betrothed to the beastly Griffin deVere for years but he won't claim her as his wife. When circumstances force Griffin to go through with the marriage he has avoided so long, Rosamund refuses to marry him unless he does the London Season and courts her properly. Rosamund tames her beast (a little) but she must also face her own demons before she can have her happy ending.

Can you give us any hints about the third book in the series?

I won't go into too much detail as the book isn't written yet, but A DUCHESS TO REMEMBER will be Cecily's story, out in July 2012. She's a bit of a handful and it's going to take a very strong man to match her. Luckily, I've found one in Cecily's duke!

I've been dying for Cecily's story. Sounds delicious! You have a very beautiful collage (all right, it's just the pics of Rufus Sewell, call me shallow!) for HEIRESS IN LOVE on your website. Can you take us through the way these pictures inspired you when you were writing the story?

LOL, you and I must both be shallow, then, because they're my faves, too! I made a collage physically on a carboard chart but I couldn't seem to get a good photo of it so I reproduced it as well as I could on photoshop.

What seems to happen when I collage is that I track through the moods of the story from top (beginning) to bottom (end). Usually the characters are separate at the top and surrounded by their allies and enemies, then, they seem to clash, then come together more on the way down to the foot of the page. I like to get pieces of setting here and there. I really love that black and white photo of Rufus Sewell (my inspiration for Constantine) looking as if he's been destroyed. There's a scene toward the end of HEIRESS IN LOVE where Constantine is all but broken and that helped me get the feeling into the book.

Here is a very cool fan video of Rufus Sewell. You can see two sides to him--he can be a charmer but there's that amazing intensity to him as well. *Fans self!*



And now I'd like to ask all of you lovely people--what real life person would you choose as the inspiration for the hero of a romance and why? Links to pictures encouraged and appreciated, particularly in Regency dress!:) A signed copy of HEIRESS IN LOVE will go to one lucky commenter!

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Let the Punishment Fit the Crime!

by Anna Campbell

I think it's time we played a game!

Stay tuned, there's your choice from my books to be won today!

Wahooooo as they say in the best of circles.

I'm kinda talking circles today - circles of HELL!

It's strange where blog ideas come from - apart from the big shop of blog topics which is a branch of the big shop of stories where we authors purchase the prefab kits for our masterpieces.

This idea came from a stray Facebook post this week where someone said she was sitting in the coffee shop in a brick and mortar bookstore which didn't have the book she wanted, so she ordered the book from Kindle. Shock, horror! The upshot was she asked her Facebook community if they thought she'd go to Book Hell as a result.

I made a joke about Book Hell being the place where every book you read has the last five pages cut out. Not an original line, sadly - there's a wonderful scene in the original Peter Cook and Dudley Moore BEDAZZLED where one of the Devil's little tricks is to cut the last page out of Agatha Christies before they're sold.

Oh, the iniquity! Oh, the spite!

So I started to think, for a reader, what would Book Hell be like?

SCARY, OBVIOUSLY!!!!

So I'm making you guys honorary naughty little imps for the day.

I know you're all such angels that that's going to be a huge stretch, but try, OK?

Well, for the Rooster it won't be a stretch and Ermingarde is used to dark caverns lit by fire. But I'm talking about the rest of the Bandits and Bandita Buddies!

Oh, and if any of you need help deciding on which book of mine you'd like, here's a link to the Books page on my website. Excerpts and blurbs enough there to keep you amused to the Crack of Doom.

Set fire to your imaginations and tell me what, to you, would constitute Book Hell! Would it be reading ALL the Black Dagger Brotherhood books and then having the last one withheld from you FOREVER? Would it be every romance you pick up featuring a hero called Murgatroyed? Let your wicked imaginations fly!

One lucky imp will win a very heavenly signed copy of one of my books - your choice.

And wishing you devilish good luck!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Tiffany Clare's Prizes!

by Anna Campbell

Thanks to everyone for a fabulous day of blogging in the lair when Tiffany Clare visited us last week. We all had a wonderful time and thanks to Tiffany for being such a great guest.

As you know, Tiff very generously offered the Bandita Buddies prizes of three copies of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS, her latest historical romance. I'm delighted to announce the winners:

Laney 4

Deb

Maria

Congratulations, girls. Please contact Tiff on tiffany @ tiffanyclare.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading! Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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The Secret Desires of a Tiffany Clare Fan!

by Anna Campbell

Hey, Tiffany's back again and she's going to tell us about another one of her brilliant historical romances. This time, it's her third book, THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS which has not only got a fabulous title but one of the prettiest covers I've ever seen.

Here's the blurb for THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS:

YEARNING FOR HIS TOUCH...

From the moment Abby meets her new employer—the mysterious, brooding Earl of Brendall—she is appalled by his brutish manner…and even moreso by her own attraction to him. Has she lost her senses? As a governess, Abby has no choice but to play by the rules. But as a woman, she cannot deny the fiery sensations he ignites—or the fantasies he inspires…

BURNING FOR HER KISS...

From the moment Elliott lays eyes on his new young governess, he knows he’s in trouble. Abby is intelligent, defiant, and utterly captivating, though Elliott must do his very best to resist her. But as the two grow closer, the passion burns hotter. Soon, the only thing that can destroy their love is the darkest secret of his past—and the secret desires of a governess…

You can find out more about Tiffany and her books on her website: www.tiffanyclare.com


Tiff, congratulations on the release of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS.

Thanks for having me! I love coming to the lair, you Bandits sure throw an awesome party!

Can you tell us about this new story?

My heroine, Abby Hallaway, wants to build an independent life from her sisters, so she leaves the comfort of their home in pursuit of a job. She believes that she will have no problem in teaching young ladies the same education her father gave her—she was an apt student. Only when she arrives at her posting it’s to find a number of things wrong: her charge is not a little girl, the staff on hand (which are few in the huge castle) seem to dislike her on sight, the master of the house is domineering, uncouth, and constantly in her way making her feel all sorts of feelings she doesn’t want to feel for any man. And as the weeks wear on, she’s sure someone is trying very hard to acquaint Abby with the afterlife.

Elliott Wright, the Earl of Brendall, wants only the best for his son, but he fears his son will end up just like him. Elliott has his chatelaine hire another governess after the last one ran off. The first thing Elliott notices when the new hire arrives is that she’s younger than all the previous—much prettier, too. He thinks it only a matter of time before she runs off like all the past governesses. He doesn’t expect to seek her company out on a regular basis. But growing close can only mean her demise. After all, his wife and mother had ended their lives to escape Wright men, and once Abby knows all the secrets of his past and present she may want nothing more than to escape him too, even if that means through death. And the last thing he wants to do is destroy the woman he’s slowly falling in love with.

The Delphin painting is how I pictured Abby (I used it as a screensaver while I worked on this book). Clive Owen is exactly how I picture Elliott. Elliott is a bit more brawny, but he’s got that look about him.

Also, readers can read the first chapter on my website (there is a link there if you want to read the first THREE chapters: http://www.tiffanyclare.com/bookshelf/the-secret-desires-of-a-governess/).

I grew up reading governess/master of the house romances and they always gave my adolescent heart a thrill. Why do you think this theme is so popular in the romance genre? Do you have any favorite governess romances that inspired you to write THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

JANE EYRE was my inspiration all the way! I adore that book to pieces, as well as every movie/mini series adaptation ever made. One thing I love doing when writing my stories is secluding my hero and heroine. Doing so totally rackets up the tension (especially of the sexual kind). And best of all, it means they can’t really escape each other!

The other inspiration is Beauty and The Beast. You’ve got the old castle that the locals are afraid of, the dark, brooding beast of a hero, the pretty young woman that comes into his life and changes his way of thinking by thrashing through the barriers of his heart . . .

This book is totally what you get when Jane Eyre has babies with Beauty and The Beast.

I always ask you about interesting tidbits of research that turned up when you’re working on your books. Did anything unusual take your fancy when you were researching THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

I don’t think any unusual historical facts came up while writing this book. I did do a lot of research on the thing that gives my hero a true disadvantage in life. You’re all wondering what that is now, aren’t you? I can’t share what that is, it’s a bit of a spoiler! But readers will know what I’m talking about when they get a copy of the book.

You’ve spoken before about how art inspires your writing. Did you have any particular pictures in mind when you wrote THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS?

A bell. Only it was a photograph this time. And I’ve looked and looked for this bell since, and I cannot find it anywhere (my computer hard drive crashed during this project and I lost all my research). There was something about that bell that put this scene in my head, which leads to uber hotness with the hero.

Here’s a tiny excerpt:


She hiked up her skirts to aid her in walking through the tall grasses. She hadn’t thought to explore the old church grounds before now. It had seemed like a sacred untouched place and she hadn’t wanted to disturb it, afraid to ruin the wildness it had sprouted into over the years.

“Father will have my head if we go in there. You can’t go, Miss Hallaway. Please . . .”

He tried to grasp onto her hand, but she was already steadily moving forward. Jacob remained in the clearing, just on the other side of the tall grasses.

“Nothing bad is going to happen.” The only way to prove that for fact was to show him, she figured. “I promise.”

She stepped toward the lime-crusted bell, her fingers outstretched. The old bronze was cold and rough beneath her hand, and she stroked over the long-faded inscription, barely making out the words coram Deo and nothing more. How many battles had this very bell gonged through, warning the inhabitants of an imminent battle, warning townsfolk of an incoming enemy from the seaside?

“Have you ever touched this church bell?” Abby walked around the bell, skimming her bare fingers over the alloy as she went. “It’s almost as if I can hear it ringing as it once used to.”

She closed her eyes and trailed her fingers over the cool rough surface as she inhaled the sea air deep into her lungs. She loved the sound of church bells.

I used a lot of photographs to aid me with this book because I chose a real location (again). Bamburgh Castle was my setting, with a few minor changes, of course.


What’s next for Tiffany Clare?

I’m working on another trilogy for St. Martin’s Press, something in the vein of DANGEROUS LIAISONS.

Here’s my blurb:

Four friends in the pursuit of pleasure enter a dangerous game of wagers, seduction and temptation, but when one of their own is bent on a self-destructive path of ruin, they must put aside their schemes or lose everything they’ve come to hold dear.

Sounds fabulous! Can't wait to read them. Can you take us through a typical day in the glamorous life of romance novelist extraordinaire Tiffany Clare?

Not so glamorous, especially now at the height of the allergy season—I look like a train wreck! I wake up uber early to write (4:00 a.m.). Then I write some more on the streetcar ride into work for my 9-5. I pick up the kids from their afterschool program on my way home, have a beautifully made dinner waiting for me–my hubby is a marvellous cook. I’m usually zonked at this point of the day and gear down to go to bed early so I can start the process all over again.

Here’s my question to the blog readers: If you could choose two of your favourite stories to be amalgamated (like I did with JANE EYRE and Beauty and The Beast) which two would you choose?

Great question, Tiff. Everyone, get commenting. Tiffany has very generously offered our commenters THREE copies of THE SECRET DESIRES OF A GOVERNESS today! Good luck!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Prize Hunting in Dixie!

by Anna Campbell

Thanks, everyone, for a fabulous day in the lair yesterday. You certainly gave Lexi and her debut book a great Southern welcome.

Lexi very generously offered our commenters TWO copies of DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE. The winners are:

MODOKKER

DONNAS

Congratulations, girls. Please email Lexi on lexigeorge56 @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your prize off to you. Happy reading!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Vanessa Kelly's Favorite Winners!

by Anna Campbell

Thanks, everyone, for the fabulous day in the lair when Vanessa Kelly visited. Vanessa very kindly offered us TWO copies of her latest release MY FAVORITE COUNTESS to go to people who commented. I'm delighted to announce the winners are:

LOLARIFIC

CAROL L.

Congratulations, girls. Please email Vanessa on vanessakelly @ rogers.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your books off to you. Happy reading!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Love by Numbers Trilogy Winner!

by Anna Campbell

Wow, guys, you had a wonderful day with Sarah MacLean last week! And she had a wonderful day with you. She's chosen her winner and the lucky girl who gets all THREE books in the Love by Numbers Trilogy - NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE, TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD and ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE'S HEART - is...

KIRSTEN!!!

Congratulations, Kirsten. Please email Sarah on sarah.t.maclean @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your snail mail details and she'll get your book off to you. Happy reading!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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Eleven Steps to Reading Heaven!

by Anna Campbell

It is my huge pleasure to invite back one of our most popular guests and a brilliant writer too, Sarah MacLean. Make sure you comment today because Sarah has very generously offered one of our buddies the chance to win signed copies of the ENTIRE LOVE BY NUMBERS TRILOGY!

Wow, wonder if hostesses are eligible! If not, can I adopt a false name? A moustache? Get botox?

What? You still recognize me? Sheesh! Being a master criminal isn't as easy as it used to be!

Sarah's latest historical romance from Avon ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE'S HEART is out on the 26th April (clearly an auspicious day for book releases, snicker!) and is dominating the bestseller lists as we speak. It's also garnering rave reviews, including a Top Pick review from RT Book Reviews, where Kathe Robin said:

The third book in the Love by Numbers series is a fast-paced, funny and tender read. You’ll love watching MacLean’s well-developed characters fall in love and define their relationship and enjoy the cameo appearances of her first two couples in this unforgettable story.

Here's the very cute trailer for ELEVEN SCANDALS:



You can find out more about Sarah and her fabulous romance novels on her website.

So without further ado, here's Sarah!

Thanks so much for having me, Anna! You know how much I like the pina coladas over here at the Bandits. *hic!* No more until the interview is over, though.

Sarah, put down that cabana boy! You can't have your dessert until you eat your vegetables! As you know I loved NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE. But I think I loved TEN WAYS TO BE ADORED WHEN LANDING A LORD even more. I was entranced by the characters in that story. Now ELEVEN SCANDALS TO START TO WIN A DUKE’S HEART has hit the stands (and my bedside table). Can you tell us about this story?

You have no idea how much it means to have *you* say such lovely things about my books...I am such a HUGE Anna Campbell fan...HUGE.

(Anna Campbell preens like a swan! Well, maybe like a goose, but she's a goose who likes to think she's a swan!)

As for Eleven’s story...this is the one that everyone has been waiting for. The heroine, Juliana Fiori, is the scandalous Italian half-sister of the heroes of the first two books, and she’s been slowly coming out of her shell while her brothers have been busy finding love. Readers have also met the hero, Simon, Duke of Leighton, who is the worst kind of cold, immovable, autocratic duke. Just ripe for a dressing down. And I mean that in all possible ways.

When scandal meets propriety, sparks fly...and that’s where Eleven lives.

Ooh, love it. I actually love immovable object, irresistible force romances and this sounds like a fantastic example! What’s next for Sarah MacLean?

My next series, THE FALLEN ANGEL quartet, follows four aristocrats, cast from society by scandal, now partners in London’s most notorious gaming hell--The Fallen Angel. The first book, A ROGUE BY ANY OTHER NAME, tells the story of Michael Lawler, Marquess of Bourne, who will do anything to rebuild his lands and fortune--including marrying a woman who is entirely too innocent for his wicked ways.

Sounds delicious! What made you choose the Regency as your setting? You obviously have a passion for early 19th century Great Britain!

I blame Johanna Lindsey and Judith McNaught. When you’re a kid growing up in Rhode Island, and someone puts WHITNEY, MY LOVE or GENTLE ROGUE in your hands...you never go back. It was only a matter of time before I was reading any Regency-set (the traditional Regencies were too tame for my teenaged self) historical I could get my hands on. By the time Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn and Eloisa James and Lisa Kleypas came along, I was already an addict...and they just made it worse.

So, when I finally set pen to paper to write my first book, Regency-set is what came out. And I knew better than to fight it.

You’ve been published now for a little over a year with FOUR books out in that time (“Where’s my hartshorn?” she shrieks in best Regency fashion). It must have been a total whirl. What do you wish you’d known before you published that you know now? Were there any surprises along the way?

LOL! I’m not sure I know anything more now than I did then! But here are three things that I have written on notecards in my office that I find help (or, at least, make me feel better!):

1) Every book is different. (This one helps when I think, “But the beginning of *that* book was so *easy*! I thought I *mastered* beginnings! Why does *this* beginning suck?!?”)

2) The darkest hour is before the dawn. (This one is necessary for the moment you get 300 pages into a manuscript and think, Oh, my God. What was I *thinking*? Usually it takes me a week of noodling and fixing and going back to the beginning before I break through and sprint to the finish.)

3) Someone will love this book. Someone will also hate it. (This one is for those stupid moments when you are a dumb author and look at reviews.)

Can you take us through a typical Sarah MacLean day?

I’m not sure you can handle the excitement of my days, honestly. Brace yourselves.


8:30 - Alarm goes off. Snooze hit.
8:42 - Alarm goes off again. Snooze hit again.
8:44 - Dog stands over head, whining.
8:44:25 - I say, “No. Go away,” in firmest, most masterful voice possible (there has to be some cosmic problem with the fact that my first words most mornings are “No. Go away,” but let’s leave that for another time).
8:44:27 - Dog starts whining again.
8:45 - Husband’s alarm goes off. I give up on sleep.
10:00 - Teeth brushed, dog fed, tea poured, email checked, Facebook checked, Twitter checked. Husband gone, dog walked. Time to write.
11:00 - Spent additional hour on Facebook, reading Anna Campbell’s midnight posts and pretending to do important “authory” stuff. Really, though. Time to write. Receive new email. Sale at The Gap!
12:00 - Have bought new clothes, despite the fact that I spend all day in yoga pants and a tank top. *Now* must write. Turn off Internet (I have no willpower, whatsoever) for three hours. Write.
12:30 - Make more tea. Write.
1:00 - Time for lunch break. Telephone call with a) my best friend, b) my sister, c) my mother or d) all of the above.
1:30 - Write. Possibly, something worth reading.
2:30 - Dog begins whining. Time for a break, anyway. What can you really do in 30 minutes?
3:00 - Have done God knows what, but lost 30 minutes doing it. Back to computer. Time to write. Oh! Look! Internet is back. I’ll just check email for two quick minutes. Ooh! Sale at Nine West!
4:30 - Have checked every website known to man, bought shoes and twitpic’d dog doing something adorable, like sleeping on a stuffed hedgehog. Oy. Back to work. Internet off for another three hours. Write.
5:30 - Have I showered today? Shower.
6:30 - Consider the possibility that husband might want dinner. Sort takeaway menus. Return to desk. Write.
7:45 - Husband comes home. I realize that I was actually working and did not notice a) the Internet returning, b) the sun setting, or c) the fact that the house is now in a state of complete blackness. This means I actually got work done! Huzzah!
8:00 - Husband asks how day was. I tell the truth. I worked very very hard. And was extremely productive.
8:30 - Takeaway arrives. We watch an episode of The West Wing, which by now we could do without a television since we know all the words anyway.
9:30 - I return to office to write. Ooh! Anna Campbell is awake in Australia!
10:00 - Anna is a wicked, evil distraction, sent to ruin my writing career. Internet off. Write.
12:00 - To Bedfordshire.
Rinse. Repeat.

Bwahahahaha! My evil plan is working... Hold on, if you don't write, I don't get any new books from you. Goose Campbell returns to barn to ponder a NEW plan! Perhaps I should email Sarah and ask her how she thinks I should proceed - oh, that's right, she's buying shoes at Nine West and isn't on the Internet (snork! Or perhaps as I'm now a goose, honk?).

Sarah, do you have anything you want to ask the Bandits? And no, requesting a recipe for roast goose is not appropriate!

I just confessed that Johanna Lindsey and Judith McNaught were my gateway drugs to romance. Those Malorys! Those Westmorelands! I mean, seriously? How’s a girl to resist? So...time for you to fess up! Who were the authors (or what were the books) that got you hooked on romance? One commenter will win signed copies of the entire LOVE BY NUMBERS trilogy!Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Bandita%20Booty
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