One of the most overlooked parts in romance novels is the M word: Marriage. We write and write about the parts that lead up to that commitment

, but how often do books look at what happens after the “I do” except in romances that are slated as “Marriages of Convenience.”

I never set out to write Six Impossible Things as a Marriage of Convenience story–it isn’t by my way of thinking, more of a “Marriage-That-Had-to-Be”. In fact, in my original synopsis Roselie and Brody marry where weddings usually occur in historical romances, about two pages from the ending. … Read more »

Counting Down to 20

So when I got to this point in my writing, I decided I wanted to write about a collection of spinsters from a small village who had no hope of ever getting married. They weren’t great beauties, they weren’t fabulously rich, or well-connected. Just ordinary girls from a village.

I could see this trio of friends so clearly: Tabitha-smart, kind and hard-working, Daphne–all full of opinions and grand aspirations, and finally, Harriet–loyal to a fault, utterly sensible and a secret romantic. Okay, maybe not so secret–but don’t tell her brothers, they would tease her to the … Read more »

Countdown to 20

Sometimes books just belong together, and these three, HOW I MET MY COUNTESS #13, MAD ABOUT THE DUKE #14, LORD LANGLEY IS BACK IN TOWN #15

, isn’t so much three separate stories but one large bit of inspiration, connected by a web of links to so many of my other books that at times it made my head swim, and at their heart, these three books are about finding friendship in the most unlikely of places.

Inspiration

As I was writing Love Letters from a Duke, I had come up with a detailed family … Read more »

Countdown to 20

So after dishing yesterday about the covers I, u-hum, don’t like, I get to rave and rave about this one. I nearly swooned when I saw the artwork for TEMPTED BY THE NIGHT. In fact, the next thing I did was contact the artist, Jon Paul, and beg him to let me buy it for my office.

It hangs there to this day. What I love about the full artwork that you don’t really see on the cover of the book are all the wonderful details of this night scene. The carriage, the shadowy street. … Read more »

Countdown to 20

Where do I start with SOMETHING ABOUT EMMALINE

, my sixth Avon Romance? One of my favorite of favorites–if authors are allowed such things. I absolutely ADORE this story. But as much as I fell in love with Alex and Emmaline, it is the inspiration that is wild.

The spark for SOMETHING ABOUT EMMALINE came from, of all places, an exit sign on State Route 16 in Washington for the following: Sedgwick Rd, Tremont St, and Clifton Rd. Sedgwick, Clifton and Tremont. Those names just haunted me with heroic possibilities. I had to write their stories, … Read more »

Countdown to 20

Inspiration comes from every facet of my life. The story behind IT TAKES A HERO (my 5th Avon Romance) came during a family dinner, while listening to my husband’s siblings teasing his unmarried sister about their upcoming visit to Lisdoonvarna in Ireland–an infamous village known for matchmaking.

Being a romance writer, what is not to love about a village with a long standing tradition of making happy endings? I was enchanted and story ideas started to bubble around. I just needed a hero and had the perfect one waiting in the wings. The one remaining unmarried Danvers … Read more »

Today Heather McCollum, author of sweeping, magical Scottish historical romances, is visiting the blog. The answers to her “Five Questions” are fantastic! Welcome, Heather…

Thank you so much for having me here today! What a fun way to learn about those of us behind the melt-your-heart pages of romance books.

1) Since romance authors always write about falling in love, when and how did you discover you were in love? I was a Virginian girl and he (Braden) was an Army kid, his father stationed in Hawaii. We met at college in Maine. I had already kissed too many frogs … Read more »

USA Today Bestselling Regency Romance author Julie Johnstone is here today

, with a “Five Questions” post! Her next book, My Seductive Innocent, goes on pre-order this Thursday. Welcome to the blog, Julie…

1) Did you have a nickname growing up? Gosh yes! They called me string bean, and I hated it! I was 5’9” by the time I was in fifth grade and so self-conscious! I was an expert at slouching to appear shorter! I’ll tell you a little secret. In my novel, My Fair Duchess, many of my heroine’s insecurities came from my childhood!

2) Where is … Read more »

Today Nicola Davidson, author of both Regency and Tudor era romances, is visiting us all the way from New Zealand! Welcome to the blog, Nicola, and thanks for sharing some fun facts with us…

1) Did you have a nickname growing up? My father always called me Shorty, because I was a pip squeak growing up – front row of every school photo. He still does, although I’m now 5ft 9″ tall and nearly look him in the eye…

Today bestselling Regency romance author Olivia Kelly has come to visit us, and let us in on five things we probably don’t know about her. Welcome, Olivia!

1) What is the very first romance novel that you read? Nora Robert’s Montana Sky. Well, that was the first “genre” romance I read. I’d read plenty of romance in the science fiction and fantasy novels I devoured as a teen. It just wasn’t very interesting to me if it didn’t at least have one romance subplot! But my first historical romance was Sabrina Jeffries. I think it was her Royal Brotherhood … Read more »