Our July 2012 Romance of the Month is the fourth installment in Elizabeth Hoyt’s sizzling Maiden Lane series, Thief of Darkness. Writes romance columnist Christie Ridgway, “Scorching love scenes, a hero and heroine with deep wells of emotion and a delightful twist at the end make this a memorable, remarkable romance.”

Hoyt chatted with BookPage about sexy scenes and bad habits.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A man who hides his true emotions in shadows needs the love of a strong woman to bring him into the light.

Where do you write?
Everywhere. My office, coffee shops, the library, bed, planes, motel rooms . . .

If you weren’t a writer, what would you do?
Nothing. I have no other marketable skills.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
Um . . . the sex scenes? 😉

What is your favorite character you’ve ever written?
Jasper, the hero of my fifth book, To Seduce a Sinner. He was something of a clown, which is a bit hard to pull off in a romance hero.

What is one bad habit you have no intention of breaking?
Coffee.

What are you working on next?
Right now I’m writing Duke of Midnight, which will be out November 2013.

A pawned family heirloom brings Lydia Kellaway and Alexander Hall together one late night in Nina Rowan’s debut romance novel A Study in Seduction, but much threatens to tear them apart. Lydia, a stubborn mathematician, experiences an attraction to the nobleman that she can’t ignore. But when a mysterious stranger threatens to unveil her dangerous family secret, a relationship with Alexander may no longer be possible.

In a Q&A with BookPage, Rowan tells us about the real-life woman who inspired her heroine and explains how a math phobe wrote a book about a math whiz.

Lydia Kellaway is an advanced mathematician, yet you admit that you are terrified of math. How did you manage to write about advanced mathematical concepts so convincingly?
I sought help. Lots and lots of help. I did a great deal of academic research and vetted the details with mathematicians. One of the most interesting things I discovered is how drastically the study of mathematics has changed since the Victorian era. Also, my husband is a research scientist whose brain somehow comprehends things like advanced calculus and flow density, so I forced him to . . . er, I mean, he graciously volunteered to review all of Lydia’s calculations and the mathematicians’ discourse.

One of the scenes in the novel involves Lydia challenging Alexander to solve a problem in five minutes. Since I seriously doubted my own ability to do that, I gave my husband the problem and timed him with a stopwatch. He solved it in eight minutes, so I figured Alexander would have his work cut out for him.

Tell us about Sofia Kovalevskaya, your inspiration for Lydia’s character. How did you discover her in your research?
I’ve always been interested in Russian history, and I knew I wanted this book to be set during the Crimean War because of the story possibilities and the conflict between Great Britain and Russia. One day I was just surfing the internet, looking up information about both 19th century Russia and Victorian women. Aside from Her Majesty, I found the histories of women writers, poets, travelers, scientists, nurses and artists. I was fascinated by Sofia Kovalevskaya, a Russian woman who had an early talent for mathematics and eventually sought a university education at a time when many such doors were closed to women. Sofia persisted and eventually became the first woman in Europe to earn a doctorate summa cum laude and a full university professorship. She unfortunately died at the age of 41 of pneumonia, but her ground-breaking work paved the way for future discoveries in mathematics.

Sexual chemistry is a difficult thing to deny or ignore, which makes it an excellent foundation for building true, deep emotions.

Lydia and Alexander experience an intense physical attraction that later blossoms into something much deeper. How do you use sexual chemistry to develop a great love story?
Sexual chemistry is a difficult thing to deny or ignore, which makes it an excellent foundation for building true, deep emotions. It also provides a great source of conflict, both internally (as in Lydia’s tug-of-war between her intellect and her desire for Alexander) and between characters. The struggle against passion, and eventual surrender to it, is also a journey that Alexander and Lydia take together, which bonds them on a whole other level. And physical intimacy and emotional intimacy are intertwined, so when Lydia and Alexander finally accept that truth, then they’re destined for a happy ending.

You hold a PhD in Art History. How has this training informed your writing of historical romance?
It’s all about the story. For me, art history is, at heart, the study of how stories are told visually. How do different artists use materials, structure, texture, lines and subjects to tell a story? Why do they choose to depict a certain moment in time? What is important about the people and objects in the scene? What does the setting contribute? What historical elements does the artist use? How are the figures interacting with each other? What does that say? How is the viewer pulled into the painting?

I like to ask myself similar questions when researching and writing a historical romance in the hopes that every detail of what I write will contribute to the overall flow and integrity of the story.

Why were you drawn to write historical romance instead of, say, contemporary or paranormal romance? Do you think you’ll ever venture into writing other romantic subgenres?
I love the story possibilities of historical romance. The Victorian era is rich with ideas for characters, plots and settings, and it’s both a challenge and a pleasure to craft a story in a specific historical time and place. Plus, I love research and get a lot of ideas from browsing the London Times archives and Google Books.

I am in awe of authors who write good contemporaries and paranormals. Though I have no immediate plans to branch out into other subgenres, I won’t say it will never happen! If a vampire and a ghost pop into my head and tell me their passionate, riveting story takes place in an alternate world, I’m willing to follow them there.

A Study in Seduction is your debut romance novel. How did you react when you found out it would be published?
I was beyond thrilled! I knew it was a bit of a risky submission because of the unusual heroine and certain plot elements, but I’ve always believed it’s a strong, interesting story with great characters. I was especially delighted that Grand Central/Forever Romance took a chance on both me and my book, as everyone has been phenomenal to work with. I could not be happier with how my own debut story has started.

What novels and authors do you read for inspiration?
I’ve been a student for most of my life, and one of the things I’ve learned is that you need to study The Greats. So I’ll always turn to Eloisa James, Betina Krahn, Jo Goodman, Elizabeth Hoyt, Patricia Gaffney, Judith Ivory, Loretta Chase and more! And any author who has mastered the use of language and descriptions has my undying admiration.

A Study in Seductionis book #1 in the Daring Hearts series. How will the books be linked? What can you tell us about book #2?
The books all take place during the mid-1850s and focus on the sons and daughter of the Earl of Rushton and his Russian-born wife. Book #2, A Passion for Pleasure, centers on the second son Sebastian Hall, a renowned, affable musician who is suddenly confronted with the loss of both his career and his inheritance. Desperate for a new purpose in life, Sebastian agrees to help one of his brothers with a clandestine task. As part of this, he seeks out Clara Winter for assistance, a woman who works in her uncle’s Museum of Automata. But Clara has a desperate, heart-wrenching goal of her own. When she realizes Sebastian can help her attain it, she makes him an offer that will change both their lives forever . . . but at what cost?

The Ugly Duchess, the September 2012 Top Pick in Romance, is a sexy, senusal Regency fairy tale that romance columnist Christie Ridgway calls “delicious” and “sensuous.” Eloisa James, Shakespeare professor by day and romance author by candlelit night, answered a few questions on fairy tales and the romance genre.

Describe your book in one sentence.
The Ugly Duchess is a version of “The Ugly Duckling,” in which the duckling is a duchess who falls in love with a pirate . . . because every ugly duckling deserves a gorgeous man with a tattoo (and a title).

If you could live in any fairy tale, which would it be?
Cinderella. Great dresses, magic wand, fabulous castle, singing mice—it’s got it all!

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
Scenes in which the hero and heroine are flirting. Nothing is as sensuous as elegantly constructed, witty conversation.

What is it about the Regency era that makes for such unforgettable romances?
The circumscribed nature of relationships between men and women at the gentry level and above make it an interesting period for romance. Sexual mores were not as rigid as they became during the Victorian period and nor as loose as during the Georgian.

Why are romances your favorite books?
The simple answer is that I love a happy ending. But a more complicated answer is that romance has a rhythm and a promise to it that appeals to me. I know the world is a tough and cold place; I’ve lost my mother and I have a child with a chronic illness. But—and this is a big but—I also know that love and joy make all the difference. Romance reminds me that if there’s a pattern to the universe, it’s one shaped around and by love. We can all use that reminder now and then.

What fairy tale will you remake next?
My version of Rapunzel will be published in July 2013.

And one question for your double life as a Shakespeare professor: In your opinion, what is the most romantic line Shakespeare ever wrote?
A half line, spoken by Romeo when he finds Juliet in the tomb: “O my love, my wife.”

In The Ambassador’s Daughter, the daughter of a German diplomat struggles to find her own identity as the post-World War I powers seek to define the wartorn world. In our Q&A with Pam Jenoff, the author sheds some light on her influences and the historic settings in her novel.

You earned your master's in history, graduated from law school, have worked for the Army and the State Department and now teach at Rutgers. Were the people in your life surprised when you turned to writing fiction?

No, being a novelist was actually my childhood dream, and I’ve been putting my writing in front of friends and family for as long as I can remember. But for many years I could not get started—something always held me back. The epiphany for me was 9/11. When those tragic events happened, I had a heightened sense of mortality and realized I did not have forever to make my dream come true—I had to get started right away. So I took a course called “Write Your Novel This Year” and began to write.

What did each of your previous careers bring to your writing?

In the mid-1990s, I was sent to Poland as a diplomat for the State Department. It was an exciting time as Poland emerged from Communism and there were many issues related to the Second World War and Holocaust, such as preservation of the concentration camps and property restitution, which were unresolved. Politically, it became important to resolve these issues so Poland could join NATO and the European Union. I was very close to the surviving Jewish community in Krakow and the consulate gave me responsibility for many of these issues. I was quite moved by my personal and professional experiences in Poland and these have largely influenced my writing.

My years as a lawyer and now law school professor have also helped by strengthening my writing. I believe that there are many synergies between legal and fiction writing. For example, creative writing can help a lawyer craft narratives, while legal writing has developed my ability to revise my novels

Your book follows Margot, the daughter of a diplomat who stays in Paris during the peace conference that follows the Great War. Do you ever have doubts about setting your novels against important historical moments like this? How do you manage to make the world feel authentic to readers?

When setting my stories amidst real historical events, I’m always struck by a great sense of responsibility to do justice to the time period and the people who lived in it. Sometimes, such as when writing my earlier books set during the Holocaust, it can be quite daunting.

As to authenticity, I think it is a delicate balance of including fresh original details while still remaining true to the realities of the era. The challenge is to capture the larger mood while manifesting it in detail. I certainly struggle with it!

Post-war Paris is brilliantly evoked in this novel. Can you still find traces of it in the city today? What might readers be surprised to know about the city during this time?

Paris at the time was such a contradiction in terms, one of the world’s grand cities in rubble. People were attempting to live again and capture the splendor of the city among suffering and starvation. But Paris is timeless and you can feel the era today in every narrow, winding street of the Left Bank. And while we are talking about cities, please don’t forget Berlin, where the last third of the book is set. Postwar Berlin is a fascinating example of a city trying to live again among the devastation and recriminations of a defeated nation, and particularly interesting for the Jewish people, who were trying to find their place in the new order.

The world seems particularly fascinated with the world of the 1910s and ‘20s right now. Any thoughts about why that might be, and what parallels can be drawn between then and now?

I think that for so long the focus of 20th-century historical fiction has been the Second World War. The interest is understandable—those very difficult times provide fertile ground for putting the reader in the protagonist’s shoes and forcing her to question what she might have done under such circumstances. But it is so exciting to explore the years surrounding World War I, a period of great change and momentous questions that would set the scene for the tragic events to come. I’d wanted to write about this time period since writing about it for my master’s thesis at Cambridge on the Paris Peace Conference and the League of Nations covenant. The post-World War I era is such an exciting period—the whole world was being reborn, new nations and identities, new roles and possibilities for women. The fledgling interest in the period following the First World War can be seen in everything from the popularity of recent novels such as The Paris Wife to the phenomenal success of “Downton Abbey.” I hope readers will enjoy taking this detour into the “deeper past” with me!

The Ambassador's Daughter features a love triangle. Do you have a(nother!) favorite literary love triangle? What makes for a compelling one?

I haven’t thought about other literary love triangles, though in some sense for me it dates back to Camelot and the Arthurian Legend (love triangle between Guinevere, Lancelot and Arthur.) If I look, most of my books include some form of love triangle, because it just makes for such a great story. The absolute best are the ones where both romances are compelling and there does not seem to be an easy answer or way out, because you must keep reading to see what happens

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I like the beginning, which for me involves throwing down on paper (keyboard, actually) 150 pages or so of whatever comes out. And I like the end, when I have a manuscript taking shape. I often go away for a weekend with that manuscript and attempt to beat it into submission. But my least favorite part is the middle, or what I call “the dark place” when you are mired in a ton of material and can’t see the shape of it yet, or the light at the end of the tunnel. I get through that period with coffee and faith. And there’s nothing better than receiving a friendly reader email when you are in the pit of creative despair, to remind you while you struggle through writing in the first place.

Do you have a remedy for beating writer's block when you're working on a novel?

I’m not sure I believe in writer's block. There are times where my energy or inspiration is low, but to me this is a job so I still put my butt in the chair and write something. It’s all about finding what inspires you—fear or desire or whatever—and harnessing that.

What other books/authors do you read for inspiration?

I like to read other 20^th century historical fiction that is well done, though that can sometimes be intimidating because they are so good. For example, I loved The Postmistress by Sarah Blake and All That I Am by Anna Funder. But the timeless inspiration for me is Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones. Her Zen Buddhist approach to writing is what broke me wide open and set my feet on the path to realizing my dream of becoming a novelist.

What are you working on next?

I’m presently working on another novel set during the Second World War. It involves twin sisters in rural Poland who are struggling to care for their three younger siblings, and one of them finds a downed American paratrooper in the woods. How far will she go to help him and at what cost?

Historical romance The Last Debutante is BookPage’s March 2013 Top Pick in Romance. It finds a young woman captured by a sexy, naked Scot—whose heart is in turn captured by her. Writes Romance columnist Christie Ridgway, “This is a tender story peopled with memorable secondary characters and two culture-crossed lovers worth rooting for.”

We chatted with author Julia London about writing romance novels, torturing characters and much more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A Highland laird’s fiercest battle is waged against the ransom he holds in an English debutante, who refuses to allow her situation to deflate her.

What is it about those Scottish men, anyway?
They are the ultimate historical romance fantasy: Sexy and strong, they take what they want and discard what they don’t. They are dismissive of rules and propriety when it comes to true love, and if one claims you and makes you his own, he is yours for life.

What is your favorite part of writing romance novels?
I never get tired of the mating dance between the sexes. It’s fun to step into different worlds and watch a man and woman try and resist their heart’s true north. I confess to liking to torture them a bit, too. In the end, a hero or heroine of mine only knows how good they’ve got it if they’ve been drug through a wringer or two.

“Push the boundaries, turn every scene upside down and see what shakes out.”

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Push the boundaries, turn every scene upside down and see what shakes out.

What’s your favorite movie based on a book?
Pride and Prejudice, of course! I think I’ve seen every version of it.

What advice would you give to a woman being held for ransom in 19th-century Scotland? You know, just in case.
Girl, work that captivity like you’d work a shark-infested ballroom!

What’s next?
A new historical series about four sisters who realize that when their stepfather dies, they may be nudged out of their cushy situation, and proactively work to make sure that doesn’t happen . . . in very unconventional and risk-taking ways.

The newest in Elizabeth Boyle’s popular Rhymes With Love series, And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake, will charm fans of historical romance with the tale of Miss Daphne Dale who responds to a newspaper advertisement looking for a “sensible lady.” She, writing as “Miss Spooner,” strikes up a correspondence with “Mr. Dishforth.” Writes Romance columnist Christie Ridgway, “What transpires is an engaging comedy in which words and deeds sometimes confuse minds and hearts, and the happily-ever-after seems just out of reach.”

We chatted with Elizabeth Boyle about writing historical romance, watching movies and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
And the Miss Ran Away With the Rake is the book everyone should be curled up and reading this weekend—but only if you want to laugh and enjoy a fun read with a happily-ever-after ending.

If you could begin a correspondence with any man in history—fictional or real—who would it be, and in the spirit of “Miss Spooner,” what would you sign your letters as?
Thomas Boyle, an American privateer during the War of 1812. He was audacious and daring—I read all about him as I was researching one of my heroes and favorite characters, Captain Dashwell, or as he is known to his legions of fans, Dash. I loved Dash/Thomas so much, I put him in four books: This Rake of Mine, Love Letters from a Duke, Confessions of a Little Black Gown and Memoirs of a Scandalous Red Dress.

Oh, and I would sign my letter to Thomas as I always do when writing my loved ones, simply with my first initial, E. He would know exactly who I am.

What is your favorite part of writing historical romance?
Spending my days with dukes, rakes and pirates. Truly, who wouldn’t want to spend their days wrangling dukes? But I love the writing process—the nuts and bolts of a discovering a story idea/characters, pondering the what-ifs and weighing the story potential, and then exploring those characters by telling their story. Adding the historical elements is like the frosting on cupcakes—so many choices and always the chance to toss in some sprinkles.

“Truly, who wouldn’t want to spend their days wrangling dukes?”

When you’re not writing, what are you usually up to?
Wrangling kids, which is not unlike wrangling dukes—stubborn, willful creatures both. But my afternoons and evenings are usually stuffed with carpooling, scouts, sports, ortho appointments, the usual mom stuff. When I get a free moment—which any mom who works knows is a rare and precious commodity—I love gardening, knitting, cooking and, of course, reading. I’m also horribly addicted to Pinterest and Ravelry, which is sort of a combo of Pinterest and Facebook for knitters.

What is your favorite movie based on a book?
Other than one of mine? (Yoo-hoo, Hollywood, I’m standing by the phone. Yes, I’ll hold—while you take yet another look at one of my novels.) As for other books, any of the Harry Potter movies. I love the books. I love the movies. I just love the world J.K. Rowling created, and it was brought to film so beautifully. My oldest kid and I will settle in on a rainy Saturday and watch as many of them as we can stand. We call it a “butt-o-rama” and just watch the movies and eat popcorn. And I love the Star Trek reboot—I know the books came after the TV series, but that counts, doesn’t it?

What has been the greatest moment of your writing career?
Well, there was the time I fell over into Puget Sound while doing a photoshoot for the local newspaper. Oh, you said “greatest,” not most memorable. Greatest moment would probably be selling my first book. The whole entire thing was unbelievable—and truly unlike the usual I-submitted-my-book-and-was-offered-a-million-dollars-the-very-next-day sort of story. You can read all about my first sale here.

What’s next?
The details for the Run Away With Romance Tour are being finalized: Me, Cathy Maxwell and Lorraine Heath are going out on tour. Look out, Houston, Richmond and Crestview Hills, KY—three wild and crazy romance writers are about to invade. Details are on my website. But before I hit the road, I have to put the finishing touches on my next book, If Wishes Were Earls, then it will be on to the next three Rhymes With Love books. And since summer is approaching, I have high hopes for sunny days, some camping under the stars and my garden bursting with flowers. But I live in Seattle, so I am hopeful the rain will warm up by July. Mid-July, if we’re lucky.

When Sarah MacLean writes a historical romance, you can bet she does her research. This best-selling author holds a history degree from Harvard, and she just so happens to love stories that involve a good amount of smooching, and she’s not about to apologize for it.

MacLean continues her Rules of Scoundrels series with No Good Duke Goes Unpunished. It's dark, gritty and full of conflicts that are heightened by the pre-Victorian setting, but the emotional depth will have you struggling to put it down.

It has been 12 years since Temple, the “Killer Duke,” received his infamous title after a night with Mara Lowe—his father’s young bride-to-be—went horribly awry. After waking to a blood-soaked bed with Mara nowhere to be found, he was cast out from his home and polite society. Since then, he’s made his way in London as a boxer at the Fallen Angel, a seedy club where the London elite can exercise their debauchery out of the public eye. Yet, just as Temple has resigned himself to his misfortune, Mara resurfaces and offers the one thing he wants most—redemption and absolution.

In an impressive feat, MacLean builds a captivating romantic tension between these two characters despite the anger, conflict and mistrust between them. Both Temple and Mara are quite complex, and their relationship is not a typical or easy one, but the emotional revelations and forgiveness they find through their love makes this a stand-out read.

Maclean answered some of our questions about bad boys, Romance snobs, old-school gambling and her ideal date night.

All three of your Rules of Scoundrels books are set in Pre-Victorian London. What is it about this particular era that inspires you?
I’ve been a romance reader forever . . . and historicals were my first love as a reader, so it seemed natural that when I wrote my first book, it would be historical. I love the breathlessness of them—the way that every glance, every touch, every movement can mean something. In this particular series, I’m also exploring the darker side of London in the early 1800s, which makes everything slightly edgier and even more fun.

"Romance is, at its core, a heroine’s journey. She’s the hero of the story, and, at the end, she wins."

Like your other female characters, Mara Lowe is empowered and strong, even during her most intimate scenes. Why is this important to you?
Romance is, at its core, a heroine’s journey. She’s the hero of the story, and, at the end, she wins. Her journey is one of becoming empowered, of gaining strength through love and partnership. Not all of my heroines start the book this way—in fact, none of them do. Mara puts on a good face, but it takes her much of the book to believe in her own power and strength. I think that’s true of so many of us. Writing heroines who have to travel this path feels authentic to me . . . which is why I’m so drawn to it as a story.

Temple, the Killer Duke, is a famous fighter at the Fallen Angel, a gambling club that features prominently in this series. What drew you to focus on gaming hells, a little-known aspect of Regency life?
I knew I wanted to move away from ballrooms and into something a little more masculine and dark with this series. I was drawn to casinos because they give off this vibe that if you just barely scratch the surface, you’ll find something desperate and nefarious down there. The juxtaposition of winning more than you could ever dream vs. losing everything was a big plus for me. I like the way it works for love, too.

During my research on early casinos, I discovered a man named William Crockford—the grandfather of the modern casino. By all accounts, there was nothing sexy about William Crockford—he was ham-fisted, pasty-faced, foul-mouthed and fouler-smelling, with a penchant for prostitutes, but he was cunning and wealthy and more than enough for me to be down the imaginary rabbit hole. Crockford’s Casino became the Fallen Angel, and Crockford himself morphed into four fallen aristocrats—Bourne, Cross, Temple and Chase—each exiled from society either by chance or by choice. Scoundrels, yes, but clean, handsome, charming (when they want to be), and in need of love.

What do you love most about your bad boy characters?
The way they fall in love: hard and intense and grumbling all the way. But once they’re there, desperate for that one woman who can change everything . . . they’re not bad boys at all. They’re tremendously heroic and perfect for their heroine.

There’s a huge secret about one of your characters that is revealed in this novel. Has it been hard to keep the secret?
Yes! I’ve known it for two years and had to do a fair share of dancing around the truth to keep it quiet. I confess, I’m happy that it’s finally out—and that I can share it with readers. I hope it was worth it!

You are an outspoken champion of the Romance genre. What do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of the genre?
I think romance is maligned in large part because at first glance, love seems so pedestrian. It’s all around us. It’s in books and songs and movies and on billboards, so how could it really hold literary value? But what people tend to forget is that the search for love—for the simple idea that there is someone out there who will see us for who we are and accept us isn’t trite. It’s a huge part of our lives. And it’s an enormous part of our dreams.

There are so many fabulous romances out there—there’s something for everyone. I really believe that. And I believe that most of the people who look down their noses at the genre haven’t ever read a romance novel. I think that if they did, they’d be really surprised by how good great romance can be.

What are your top “gateway” books for Romance newbies?
I always start everyone with Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who is hysterically funny and deeply emotional. My favorite of hers is Nobody’s Baby But Mine, which is the story of a socially inept but brilliant scientist heroine with a clicking biological clock, who is terrified of having a baby as smart as she is . . . so she goes looking for an unintelligent man who might make a decent sperm donor. She ends up “stealing” a baby from the quarterback of the local NFL team . . . and thereby hangs a tale.

If you’re watching and/or reading Game of Thrones or just into fantasy, you should absolutely try Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound, set in an alternate universe of New York City where magic exists. The hero is the wealthiest man in New York, who happens to be a Dragon shape-shifter, and keeps his hoarde of wealth locked up in the basement of his skyscraper. The heroine has never met a lock she can’t pick. She gets herself into trouble and ends up having to steal something from him . . . so she takes one penny, and leaves a replacement and a note saying, “I’m sorry.” The story begins there.

And I have to recommend a historical, too! Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels is consistently listed as the best romance novel ever written, and it is. The hero is dark and truly alpha—a Marquess who doesn’t believe in love. The heroine is a spitfire who is his match in every way. They fall for each other with fireworks that are undeniable . . . but end up butting heads in a magnificent display of chemistry that burns you up.

What’s an ideal date night for you?
I know it sounds cheesy, but honestly? I’m still pretty crazy about my husband . . . add in a great dinner and a long conversation with lots of laughs, and I’m happy.

This novel ends at Christmastime. Which of your characters would you most want to kiss under the mistletoe, and why?
I’m still pretty hooked on Temple, the hero of No Good Duke Goes Unpunished. He’s the gentlest of all my heroes, even though he’s made his name as the winningest bare-knuckle boxer in London. A true alpha male with a gooey, nougatty center.

What’s your number-one song to smooch to?
I’m a firm believer that the smooching makes the song . . . not the other way around.

What’s next?
Chase’s book! The last in the Rules of Scoundrels series and the one that I’ve been waiting to write for nearly three years. Readers of the series will find Chase’s biggest secret revealed at the end of Temple’s book, and they’ll get the rest of the story in late 2014!

Jennifer Haymore's The Scoundrel's Seduction is our June Top Pick in Romance! Sam Hawkins is an undercover agent, and is sworn to protect his king and country. When he is sent to assassinate an aristocratic conspirator, he carries out his orders, but the traitor's wife, the beguiling Lady Dunthorpe, witnessed the entire event. Sam is horrified and sees no choice but to kidnap her from the scene, yet Élise is glad to be free from her abusive husband. Soon, she is torn between her desire to escape from Sam and the heated attraction between them, but an unforeseen danger at last unites the pair, and they must put faith in each other as they run for their lives.

We chatted with Haymore about her favorite character, English history and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
An assassin and his target’s wife are thrown together and need to weed through the truth and the lies, and struggle against their growing attraction for each other.

What do you love most about writing historical romance?
I love so much about it! One of my favorite things is the lushness of the historical worlds I write in. Money, power, aristocracy and pomp and circumstance make a delicious backdrop. 

What traits are most important in a romance heroine?
Inner strength, intelligence and a strong spirit.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, which is your favorite?
That’s impossible! That’s like publicly picking one of your children out as your favorite!

I guess I’ll have to say, it’s my “firstborn” hero, the should-be hero of my first book, A Hint of Wicked, Garrett, the Duke of Calton. I think his story is the most heartbreaking of all my heroes, because he really does lose everything but fights back and ultimately earns his happily ever after.

How do you conquer writer’s block?
I just write through it. I think to myself, “You’re writing crap. It makes no sense. It’s horrible. But you’re writing it, and you’re not going to stop.” Invariably, I read it later on and discover that it’s not so horrible after all.

What’s your favorite period of English history?
Another hard question! I love so many periods of post-Roman English history.  Of course I do love my beloved Regency period, but I also love the Middle Ages and Victorian England as well.

What are you working on next?
An offshoot of the House of Trent series, The Highland Knights. Many of the characters from the House of Trent will be making appearances, and some will find their own happily ever afters.

Author photo by Lawrence Balingit

Kate Noble's The Game and the Governess is our August Top Pick in Romance! A tale of swapped identities with plenty of Jane Austen flair, the first novel in Noble's new Regency series gives a boastful Earl a much-needed reality check. Our reviewer, Christie Ridgway, calls this Romance "a delicious treat," and the insightful, strong-willed Phoebe is a heroine readers won't soon forget.

We caught up with Noble and chatted about her characters, the surprising feminism of Jane Eyre, writing for television and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
Trading Places comes to the Regency when Ned, the Earl of Ashby, decides to switch places with his secretary John Turner—wagering that he can get anyone to fall in love with him . . . but no one expects the governess, Phoebe Baker to turn everything on it’s head.

What do you love most about Ned, The Earl of Ashby?
I love his obliviousness. I know, it’s an odd thing to say, but it amuses me so much that he thinks he’s universally beloved because of his charm, when really, he takes a great deal for granted: his position as a peer, his friendship with Turner and how the world reacts to him. I loved watching him come down a peg or two as he learned what the world really thinks about him—and how he goes about adjusting his own opinion.

What do you love most about Phoebe Baker?
That she is subversively happy. Here is someone who has been dealt the worst kind of luck, but instead of letting it sour her attitude on life, she finds small things to be happy about. Happiness, for Phoebe, is a decision. One that she makes every single day. 

Name one book you think everyone should read.
Jane Eyre. It’s the most crackingly feminist of the popular romantic era novels. To have someone who is in a subservient role, a woman, with nothing to recommend her, say to the man who she loves that she’s a human being too and she cannot be treated immorally? Hot damn, does Jane have a spine.

How do you balance your time between writing for television—most notably for "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries"—as Kate Rorick and your Romance alter-ego, Kate Noble?
I have no idea. I find that I rocket back and forth between them blindly, hoping no one notices that I’m usually one or two steps behind on my endless to-do list.

What about the Regency era inspires you most?
The rules of the era mean that women had very little choice—but one choice they did have, which would greatly affect every other aspect of their lives, was whom they married. Therefore, they had to be very, very careful choosing the person they fell in love with—because love could be the most daring, dangerous thing they could do.

What are you working on next?
I’m hard at work on the next book in the Winner Takes All series! This story will belong to John Turner—the secretary with whom Ned traded places. He’s fairly mixed up by his experiences playing the Earl, as well… 

In Mary Jo Putney's latest historical romance, Not Quite a Wife, two estranged lovers are brought back together after a 10-year separation—except the pair are already husband and wife. Spymaster James Kirkland's dark and violent career prompted a young and innocent Laurel to head for the hills, but a fateful meeting may be enough to rekindle their passion for one another.

We chatted with Putney about her love of music, historical romance and more in a 7 questions interview.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A long estranged couple who never stopped loving each other must come together again to see if they can rebuild their marriage.

What do you love most about James and Laurel?
They're both very honorable people who care about helping others, but they do so in very different ways. James's work as a spymaster is vital, but it eats at his soul. Laurel is all warmth and compassion, and James needs that so much. She gives him warmth and love and in return he makes her feel loved and valued, which she needs. They balance each other.

Music is a key element of their connection. Does music play an important role in your own life as well?
I've no particular musical talent or knowledge, but I do love it. When I work, I always have music playing. Instrumental only because words distract me. I love Celtic music and Baroque, among others. Music seemed like a perfect way to show how James and Laurel connect. After they separate, his music is his one solace and a way of connecting with her, even though she's gone from his life: He keeps it so private that even his closest friends don't know what a talented musician he is. 

What do you love most about writing historical romance?
It's a great excuse to research history! Plus, because the setting is distant from modern life, it's possible to write dramatic, over the top characters and plots. It's also possible to deal with difficult issues, like alcoholism and death, because setting them in the past allows for some space and detachment.

Which authors first inspired you to start writing yourself?
I always loved reading and books, but I grew up in farm country. Lots of dairy cows, no writers. It never occurred to me that I could become a writer. The actual inspiration to start was getting a personal computer so I could get words down, and when I fixed them, they stayed fixed! But authors that influenced me greatly would be Robert A. Heinlein, Mary Stewart, Dorothy Dunnett and Georgette Heyer. They all shaped my love of storytelling. 

What’s at the top of your reading list right now?
I'm madly trying to finish a book, so I'm re-reading old favorites at the moment. Lois McMaster’s Bujold's Vorkosigan series. Beth Kendrick's smart, funny contemporaries. Patricia Briggs' urban fantasy because she does brilliant characterization. When my book is done, I'll go back to shopping around for new authors.

What are you working on next?
I'm currently working on my seventh Lost Lords book, which will be out next year and is titled Not Always a Saint. The hero, Daniel, is the brother of Laurel in Not Quite a Wife. Like her, he is caring and hardworking, a doctor who is also an ordained minister. The heroine, naturally, is a Wicked Woman for contrast!

Author photo by Marti Corn

After eight years of unfulfilled promises, there may finally be a wedding at Twill Castle. In the second book in Tessa Dare's Castles Ever After series, Say Yes to the Marquess, Clio Whitmore has found independence and is ready to break her long engagement to the Marquess of Granville, but his brother is determined to see the two tie the knot. Of course, Rafe Brandon just has to keep from falling in love with Clio himself.

We caught up with Dare and chatted about the allure of castles, her favorite historical era and more in a 7 questions interview. 

Describe your book in one sentence.
A ne’er-do-well prizefighter tries to save his older brother’s wedding from disaster—but ends up falling for the bride instead. Also, there’s cake! Lots of cake.

What do you love most about writing historical romance?
I’ve just always loved the romance of historical settings. Since I spent my teenage years inhaling Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Julie Garwood (among others), I think my formative reading permanently wired my brain to connect cravats, kilts and carriages with swoony romance.

What do you love most about your heroine, Clio Whitmore?
Clio has a lot of good qualities, such as patience and generosity . . . but I loved writing her more human touches. For instance, the fact that she “floor-skates” in stockingfeet around her inherited castle (because wouldn’t you?) and makes little happy noises when she eats cake.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
The sexiest scenes are always the ones with the most raw emotion. A great love scene is about getting the characters naked in more ways than one. They have to reveal themselves, their deepest fears and their needs.

What inspired you to pen a whole series set at various castles?
Well, let’s be honest . . . partly, I just thought it would be great fun to be able to visit castles and call it research! But also, writing about women who’ve inherited castles gives me a way to write about heroines empowered to take on new challenges and make bold choices. In that day and age, a woman who owned property was a true rarity.

What’s your favorite period of English history?
My books are all set in the Regency, so I think I would have to say that one! It’s just a great setting for romance. The country was at war. The Enlightenment and Romantic period opened new worlds of knowledge and artistic expression. The class system was in force, but it was starting to become a tiny bit more flexible. Restrictive Victorian morals (and necklines) had yet to appear.

What are you working on next?
Next in the Castles Ever After series is When a Scot Ties the Knot. At last, I’m getting to write a hero in a kilt! Verra, verra exciting. 

Author photo by Raphael Maglonzo

Our June Romance Top Pick is Caroline Linden's Love in the Time of Scandal, a Regency romance about a headstrong woman and a suave Lord who end up making a shockingly scintillating pair. In a 7 Questions interview, Linden tells us about the beauty of the Regency era, her Math degree from Harvard, a time-travel stipulation and more.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A feisty heiress in search of adventure, a nobleman in search of a bride and a scandalous book that tempts them both to find their greatest passion.

What do you love most about writing historical romance? 
The era I write about (early 1800s England) was one rich in intrigue and drama, with a major war, political upheaval, national scandals and spies, but it was also on the cusp of a new age of invention and scientific discovery. It was a good age for woman, historically speaking. It was also a beautiful age, with an emphasis on graceful architecture, landscaping and fashion—and that always makes a world more appealing.

How did you go from getting a Math degree at Harvard to writing romance?
I was working as a programmer at a financial services firm doing actuarial coding when I had my children. My husband and I moved from Miami to Boston when our youngest was a baby, so it led to a natural break in my career. Then my husband got me a new iMac, and I ran out of books to read, and somewhat idly I started writing a story of my own. It was a big surprise to me how much fun it was, although it took two or three tries to come up with a story I could finish.

If you had a chance to go back to the Regency era, would you take it?
If I had a guaranteed return ticket, I would. A few weeks of research and exploration would be wonderful, but I could not live there.

Have you ever considered writing a full-length contemporary romance?
Yes! I plan to in the not-so-distant future. I’ve been waiting years to put my beloved Red Sox into a story.

If you could go back and change something about one of your already published books, would you and what would it be?  
I suffer terrible longings to edit every single one of my books forever. I seem to have a knack for opening a newly printed book and finding the typos that got overlooked in production. And of course I want to go back and fix every mistake in my research or hole in my plot. However, if I could change only one thing in one book, I would re-write the ending of A Rake’s Guide to Seduction. It got a little carried away.

What would you like to ask the next “7 Questions” Romance participant?  
If you had to write a book in a completely different genre, what kind of book would you write?

Suzanne Enoch closes her Scandalous Highlanders series with our October Top Pick in Romance, Some Like It Scot, the tale of two stubborn souls who find each other in the beautiful yet treacherous Scottish Highlands. In this 7 Questions interview, Enoch talks about the appeal of a kilt, her favorite romances and what's next for her. 

Describe your book in one sentence.
The course of true love never did run smooth, especially when it involves the two most stubborn, set-in-their-ways people on the planet. In kilts. (Okay, that’s two sentences, but just barely.)

Why do you think Highlanders are such a romance novel staple?
In our mythos, the word “Highlander” comes with a built-in dictionary definition filled with terms like “wild,” untamed,” “strong,” “independent,” and very, very alpha. It’s one of those words like “shark” or “tornado,” where just its mention fills a reader's mind with a whole slew of imagery. And it’s very compelling, very seductive imagery.

Would you rather be a part of the Regency ton or take to the moors of 19th-century Scotland described in Some Like It Scot?
That’s a really tough question. As a lady, I think I’d have an easier time in a London drawing room, but man, those Highlanders and that kind of rollicking lifestyle are so tempting. Can I summer in the Highlands and winter in my estate in Surrey? That would work for me.

Did you do any research for Some Like It Scot?
Over the course of this Scandalous Highlanders book series, I’ve done a lot of research on what was going on in the Highlands at the time of the English Regency—the easing of the restrictions placed on the Scots after their loss at the Battle of Culloden, the Clearances that were forcing landowners to replace tenants with Cheviot sheep, the decline of the clan system, etc. It wasn’t fairy-tale pretty by any means, but the hardship and the drama make for a fascinating setting—and tons of conflict—that I love as a writer.

You’re a big film fan: What’s your favorite on-screen romance?
I love Hawkeye and Cora’s romance in The Last of the Mohicans—it’s so sweeping and larger-than-life (much more so than in the novel). And I’m also a sucker for the much more subtle romance of Ripley and Hicks in Aliens, with two very strong-willed people who know both how to survive and how vital it is to do what’s right.

What do you love most about Bear and Catriona’s relationship?
I like how neither of them are looking for love, but eventually—through much smack-talk and arguing—realize that while love is a compromise, it also has the effect of making them better people than they were before. I knew I would be using Bear for the book’s hero, and I knew he was big and imposing and fierce. When it came time to concoct a heroine, I figured I could go one of two ways: either give him his complete opposite, someone shy and proper and who needed his protection, or give him a lass at least as tough and fierce as he was. I decided the latter would be so much more fun, and it definitely turned out that way.

This is the final Scandalous Highlander book. What’s next for you?
I had the opportunity to go back to London if I wanted, but as I was doodling out plot lines, I realized that I’m not quite finished with the Highlands yet. So I’m heading back there again, with a new group of lads and lasses and putting as much trouble in front of them as I can manage. I can’t wait.

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