In The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, Suzanne Allain’s playful Regency romance, delightful chaos ensues when an heiress and her impoverished cousin switch places.
In The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right, Suzanne Allain’s playful Regency romance, delightful chaos ensues when an heiress and her impoverished cousin switch places.
A terrifying monster is both a real entity and a manifestation of taboo desires in Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s Feast While You Can.
A terrifying monster is both a real entity and a manifestation of taboo desires in Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta’s Feast While You Can.
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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.

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…
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Have you already torn through Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You? Starting on July 31, 2012, you can enter the world of another love story with sizzling sexual content—although this novel has a twist. Beth Kery’s Because You Are Mine will be published in eight installments; a new part will come out every Tuesday until September 18, 2012. The parts are available exclusively as eBooks.

This steamy tale follows Francesca, an artist, and Ian, a businessman. Francesca is commissioned to create a painting for the lobby of Ian’s building, and sparks start to fly once they get to know each other better.

Kery chatted with BookPage about erotic romance, art and sexy heroes.

Erotic romance is more popular than ever. Why do you think so many readers are attracted to this genre?
I think the genre was growing before Fifty Shades of Grey became such a publishing juggernaut. Once that happened, however, it really hurtled the genre into the spotlight. It’s hard to pick apart the elements of a sensation. There are so many factors, plus a little bit of incalculable magic.

Once romance readers were exposed to higher sensuality and sexual content, they came to crave more. Even romance that isn’t considered to be “erotic” is hotter nowadays, and readers expect it. There’s a trend for more sexual content, more graphic sexual description and more honesty about what happens in the bedroom in romance novels.

What is unique about the relationship between Francesca and Ian?
What’s unique is their ability to give just what the other needs to grow. Ian is the experienced, worldly one, both sexually and in general. He teaches Francesca so many things: about the power of her sexuality and beauty; how to better manage her somewhat haphazard, hand-to-mouth existence; how to take the reins of her life and take control. He’s a little weary of life, however, of always having to be in ultimate control. Ian never really had a childhood. Francesca teaches him how to let go, live in the moment and be spontaneous.

That’s what’s beautiful about their relationship. Each holds the key for the other’s transformation.

Readers want "more sexual content, more graphic sexual description and more honesty about what happens in the bedroom."

What do you think makes for a sexy, memorable hero?
Oh, so many things. He’s a protector of the heroine, even if he doesn’t start out with the intention to be so. He’s the epitome of strength, but there has to be something about him—some crack that only the heroine can access, something that opens this seemingly impenetrable male to the experience of love. A sexy, memorable hero has to have enough depth and layers that the reader ends up “getting him” completely and falling in love with him, despite his imperfections.

Francesca is an artist. Ian, a businessman, commissions her to create a painting for his new skyscraper. Do you have a particular interest in art and architecture?
I definitely do. I’m a lover of the arts—although a terrible artist myself. You’ll often see artists or art motifs showing up in my books. I’m a longtime member of the Art Institute here in Chicago. Francesca actually holds degrees both in art and architecture, and I’m a huge admirer of architecture as well as art.

One of the first misunderstandings between Francesca and Ian is when she mistakenly believes he just awarded her the commission because of a “love of a straight line” versus her immense artistry. You’d have to be a very special person to be both an architect and a painter.

Were there any challenges specific to writing a serialized novel?
Yes, it was a fun challenge, but a huge one. For instance, while I was working on Part VIII, I had just finished copyedits for Parts III to V. I was worried about content specifics from Part I-III, because those are edited and sent off . . . but what about slight changes I’ve made in the story? Any author will tell you that she constantly goes back to tweak in the earlier stages because of something she wrote later that wasn’t necessarily planned. The Berkley staff was so supportive about going back and making small content changes in blurbs and even the copyedited manuscript.

How will you hold readers’ interest in the characters over eight installments of the book?
Hopefully, each installment will pique interest in the characters’ growth and romance. I’m curious to hear what the experience will be like for readers. I hope it’ll be positive, sort of like watching a television show and anticipating the next episode. I think the small wait—the parts come out weekly every Tuesday—will help to build excitement and deepen an awareness of Ian and Francesca’s love story.

Can you tell us about your next project?
My next project will actually be another serial for Berkley! It’s due to come out in January of 2013 and will take place in Ian’s and Francesca’s “world.” I have three other books due out from Berkley between 2013 and 2014.

Have you already torn through Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You? Starting on July 31, 2012, you can enter the world of another love story with sizzling sexual content—although this novel has a twist. Beth Kery’s Because You Are Mine will be published…

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Magical realism and breathtaking contemporary romance converge in the newest from Lisa Kleypas, Dream Lake. It’s our August 2012 Romance of the Month, and as romance columnist Christie Ridgway writes, “This is Kleypas at her contemporary best: The writing wows and the ending evokes happy tears.”

We chatted with Kleypas about writing, romance and great abs!

Describe your book in one sentence.
Alex Nolan, a dark and cynical man who is being haunted by the ghost of a WWII fighter pilot, fights his growing attraction to local innkeeper Zoe Hoffman.

What’s the most romantic thing that has ever happened to you?
I was on a first date with a charming but slightly reserved guy who took me out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. At the restaurant, they were passing around a bowl of conversation hearts—those candies with words printed on them—and he sorted through the bowl until he found the one he wanted to give to me. It said “TRUE LOVE.” We have been married for 18 years, and it’s still true love!

What’s your favorite thing about being a writer?
I love the fact that I’m always learning more about the craft. With writing, there is never a point at which you can say, “I don’t need to get any better.” That kind of challenge always makes it exciting and interesting.

What was the proudest moment of your career so far?
It was when I managed to summon the courage to try something new after almost two decades of writing historical romances, and I completed my first contemporary novel, Sugar Daddy. Also, I feel incredibly grateful that one of my books is being made into an upcoming Hallmark Hall of Fame movie titled Christmas With Holly. I can’t wait to watch it with my family and friends.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
Often it’s not the love scenes as much as the intimate moments between two characters when you realize that some emotional change is happening. For example, in Dream Lake, there is a moment when Alex, a guy with a really tough and cynical personality, rushes to help Zoe, a young chef who has just gotten a minor burn on her arm. His behavior reveals a tender and caring side that is unexpected and I think very sexy. Having a man take care of you, show concern for you, is a much bigger turn-on for women than the sight of muscular abs—although the abs certainly never hurt!

If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one of your heroes, who would you choose?
I think Hardy Cates from one of my contemporary novels, Blue Eyed Devil. Very sexy, tough and charming. He would be fun to spend time with under a palm tree, but he could also build a boat to get us back home!

What are you working on next?
I am having so much fun writing Crystal Cove, a contemporary romance about a young witch who has been cursed never to fall in love . . . but then she meets a handsome and mysterious stranger, Jason Black, who may just break the spell.

Magical realism and breathtaking contemporary romance converge in the newest from Lisa Kleypas, Dream Lake. It's our August 2012 Romance of the Month, and as romance columnist Christie Ridgway writes, "This is Kleypas at her contemporary best: The writing wows and the ending evokes…
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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?

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.…

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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.”

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…
Interview by

Megan Mulry’s stylish debut, A Royal Pain, is an unusual fairy tale, but one romance columnist Christie Ridgway calls “a modern love story fizzing with bubbles of Cinderella fantasy.” For anyone who watched the Royal Wedding in rapt attention—or simply lusted after those hats—this story of a Yank and a Brit is the perfect contemporary spin on fairy-tale love.

We chatted with Mulry about British gossip, sexy waiters and much more.

Describe your book in one sentence.
A Royal Pain is the story of a strong-willed, independent American woman who unwittingly falls for a British duke . . . trials and tribulations ensue.

What’s your celebrity guilty pleasure? Do you love British royalty gossip?
The Duchess of Cambridge is my celebrity guilty pleasure. I try to rationalize that visits to www.whatkatewore.com are really my way of addressing matters of high sociological philosophy and help me speak to modern feminism. I’m really just there for the dresses. I’m not that into the gossip side of things . . . I’m more of a voyeur than a delver.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
The ones at the beginning of a relationship when both characters are a little unsure; I love writing scenes that are all tingly and full of unspoken promise.

Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party?
All the best people, darling! Julia Child, Christopher Hitchens, Coco Chanel, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Duchess of Devonshire, Caitlin Moran, Colin Firth, Anthony Bourdain, Vita Sackville-West and some of my real-life friends to round out the numbers. David Gandy would be the waiter.

How do you conquer writer’s block?
I write every day. No excuses.

What’s one book your readers might be surprised to know you have read?
I am in the process of reading the 10 original Harlequin Presents by Violet Winspear, Anne Hampson and Anne Mather. Not that surprising, actually.

What’s next?
Earl Meets Girl (June 2013) and L is for Lady (November 2013) are the next two books in this royal series. There’s also a sexy little historical novella coming out sometime in 2013.

Megan Mulry's stylish debut, A Royal Pain, is an unusual fairy tale, but one romance columnist Christie Ridgway calls "a modern love story fizzing with bubbles of Cinderella fantasy." For anyone who watched the Royal Wedding in rapt attention—or simply lusted after those hats—this…
Interview by

Our December 2012 Top Pick in Romance is a tale of an inescapable connection from “an author deft at mining deep emotion.” Robyn Carr takes her readers to Virgin River at Christmastime in My Kind of Christmas, a hopeful tale of a rugged Navy man and the woman he loves.

We chatted with Carr about sexy scenes, great books and the upcoming holiday season.

Describe your book in one sentence.
The hardest question in the world—Angie LaCroix and Patrick Riordan retire to Virgin River for a respite from their traumas and find that love and passion does as much to heal wounds as a vacation could.

What is it about Virgin River that makes it such a hotbed for romance?
It’s removed from the world in a way and exists as a place of community and caring, a kind of magical town where people help each other, can trust each other, and commitment is the order of the day. It could be something in the water, but whatever you need, chances are you’ll find it in Virgin River.

Who is your favorite character you’ve ever written?
That’s a little like asking a mother who her favorite child is. I guess the character I’ve gotten to know best is Jack Sheridan, who has appeared in every Virgin River novel. He has so many sides—by turns sexy and courageous or funny and meddling. I do love him. And he loves me.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
Not the sex scenes, actually, but the scenes that lead up to the sex scenes—the caress, the touch, the shiver of expectation, the kiss. The seductive words and the growing expectation that it’s the right match, the perfect possession.

What’s one book you think everyone should read?
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, so much deeper and more complex than the movie by the same title. The character growth and story development and smashing denoument are stunning.

What do you enjoy most about the holidays?
The gathering of friends and family, not to mention dangerously delicious food everywhere you turn. For our family, the pleasure in giving far exceeds the fun of opening our own presents—both giving gifts within our family and giving to charities. Every time I put five dollars in the bell-ringer’s bucket, my heart gets larger!

What’s next?
After 20 Virgin River novels, a new series starts in March with three novels scheduled for 2013. The anchor character came out of Virgin River, and we’ll travel to a new location in the beautiful wilds of the Oregon coast—and I am having so much fun! That doesn’t mean I’ll stop writing about Virgin River, but it’s time to freshen things up a bit.

Our December 2012 Top Pick in Romance is a tale of an inescapable connection from "an author deft at mining deep emotion." Robyn Carr takes her readers to Virgin River at Christmastime in My Kind of Christmas, a hopeful tale of a rugged Navy…
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It’s been said that the mind is the sexiest part of the human body, and that’s never truer than in Jayne Ann Krentz’s Dark Legacy series. The second in the series, Dream Eyes finds psychic counselor Gwen Frazier and psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith drawn into a tricky web of deception and murder—and drawn helplessly to each other.

An “imaginative and exciting” psychic romance, Dream Eyes is our Top Pick in Romance for January 2013, so we chatted a bit with author Jayne Ann Krentz about writing and sexy scenes.

Describe your book in one sentence.
I can’t do this! I’m no good at the one-line pitch thing. Okay, okay, Dream Eyes is contemporary romantic suspense with a psychic twist. And there’s a cat in it. How’s that?

What do you love most about writing?
That great feeling I get when I can see the whole vision of the book and finally know where I’m going. Unfortunately, I don’t usually get that feeling until I’m on the last chapter—sometimes not until I’m on the last page. It’s a very inefficient approach to my craft.

What’s the most romantic scene you’ve ever written?
I’m rather fond of the scene in Dream Eyes when the heroine, Gwen, walks into Judson Coppersmith’s deeply troubled dreamscape.

If you could read only one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The one I would immediately start writing in my head. That way I could keep changing the story around to make it new and different. I would be in control so I wouldn’t ever finish the book.

What’s the proudest moment of your career?
What makes me proud is knowing that my family is seriously proud of me. Their support and enthusiasm for my career means more than they will ever know.

If you had psychic powers, what would you do with them?
Figure out how to describe my books in a single sentence.

What’s next?
The Mystery Woman, a Ladies of Lantern Street novel written under my Amanda Quick pen name. More romantic suspense with a psychic twist, but this one is set in the Victorian era. There is no cat, but there is an Egyptian mummy.

It's been said that the mind is the sexiest part of the human body, and that's never truer than in Jayne Ann Krentz's Dark Legacy series. The second in the series, Dream Eyes finds psychic counselor Gwen Frazier and psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith drawn into…
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Picture this: Colorful cottages nestled on pristine white sand. Palm trees and bougainvillea. Bluffs rise above the beach, and at 5 o'clock every day, someone blows in a conch shell to mark the coming of happy hour. Welcome to Crescent Cove, California.

Focus your attention on Beach House No. 9, a beautiful place that veteran romance author Christie Ridgway invented for “two yearning hearts” to fall in love, as she tells me by phone from her home in Southern California. She lives about an hour south of the beachfront community that inspired fictional Crescent Cove, the idyllic setting introduced in an eBook novella, Beach House Beginnings.

Now, readers can journey from the slush and snow of winter to summertime in SoCal in a back-to-back trilogy: Beach House No. 9 (January 29), Bungalow Nights (February 26) and The Love Shack (March 26).

A lifelong Californian, the author believes that two people can fall in love anywhere, but she also thinks “some palm trees and some coconut-scented oil in the breeze might help things along a little.” That’s exactly what happens in the Beach House books, though the path to happily ever after is never easy.

Ridgway, who has written 40 novels and is BookPage’s own romance columnist, based her setting on the real-life Crystal Cove in Orange County, which was once a location for silent films and is now a state park. Her research trips sound like something out of a dream: lunch at a beachside restaurant, trips to avocado groves and gourd farms.

Reality check: It must be noted that the research trips weren’t always totally dream-like, since Ridgway was laid up with a broken leg from a fall for much of the writing of Bungalow Nights, and her “wonderful, loving, loyal” husband drove her around to see the settings for the trilogy while she was on crutches. Still, Ridgway is sunny about the less-than-ideal experience. “I couldn’t put any weight on my leg for three months. So I remember thinking to myself, this is kind of a bummer—but I could take myself away every day and go write about Crescent Cove, which I’m sure was very helpful.”

Ridgway is especially adept at writing the sort of snappy banter that showcases the confidence and brains of heroines.

In Beach House No. 9, the first full-length book in the trilogy, we meet Jane Pearson, a buttoned-up book doctor (with a weakness for shoes) who has been recruited to work with Griffin Lowell, a war journalist under contract to write a memoir about his harrowing experience in Afghanistan. Griffin is by all appearances a (handsome) wild man, turning Beach House No. 9, where he’s staying for the month of June, into Party Central. Jane can hardly get him to speak of his time embedded with American troops, let alone commit to putting his memories down on paper.

In spite of Griffin’s impenetrable façade—he’s either playing the tough guy or the partier, or closing up completely—it eventually becomes clear that he’s suffering from PTSD. Jane, patient and kind, seems to be the only person who can get him to face his demons and show his true personality. It doesn’t hurt that the two share an electric connection and just can’t keep their hands off each other. Parallel to this plotline is a tender and wrenching story about Griffin’s sister, Tess, and her husband, David, who have reached a bit of a stalemate in their marriage.

Though Ridgway’s books are packed with witty dialogue, sexy love scenes and a setting that will have readers fantasizing about margaritas and suntans, the stories are much more than easy, breezy reads. They pack an emotional punch, dealing with forgiveness in relationships, second chances and the trust we must have in the people we love.

“A lot of the situations in the Beach House trilogy are really about the differences between men and women, and how they yearn for the same things,” Ridgway says. “I’m fascinated by that because I feel like men are not naturally emotional, and yet they still put themselves out there. They want to be with these women that open their hearts.”

Ridgway knows this from personal experience. Beach House No. 9 is dedicated to her husband; her brother and her brother-in-law; and her two sons, 20 and 23. The dedication reads: “I’ve seen what’s underneath those all-guy exteriors—deep family bonds and strong yet tender hearts that are reflected by every hero in my stories.”

In addition to those guys, Ridgway turned to military men for inspiration, including her father-in-law, a retired Naval aviator. She also did a lot of reading on PTSD, coming to the conclusion that “all service people—the people who are carrying weapons, people who are journalists or doctors and nurses—everybody is affected by what they see and what they experience.”

The other books in the series focus on other couples from Griffin’s circle and the community of Crescent Cove—like the combat medic who stays in No. 9 in July and falls for the daughter of a fallen officer; or Griffin’s photojournalist twin brother, who has kept up an old-fashioned letter correspondence with the rental property manager of the beach houses.

Each of these relationships, though distinct, is marked by believable romantic chemistry—an authentic attraction that Ridgway conveys by describing “the great attention to detail that two people have for each other,” she says. Ridgway is especially adept at writing the sort of snappy (and sometimes silly) banter that showcases the confidence and brains of her heroines—like Jane, who is all business, until she just can’t resist Griffin’s charms.

Perhaps it was fate that a woman who was supposed to be born on Valentine’s Day (she was actually born on February 4), and who grew up reading love stories, would one day become a romance novelist. The way Ridgway talks, it seems like writing romance must be the best work in the world.

She almost squeals when I ask about her favorite part of the job. “I’m just such a lover of reading romance novels,” she gushes. “It’s so fun to create the kinds of books that have given me so much joy. I never tire of them.”

Picture this: Colorful cottages nestled on pristine white sand. Palm trees and bougainvillea. Bluffs rise above the beach, and at 5 o'clock every day, someone blows in a conch shell to mark the coming of happy hour. Welcome to Crescent Cove, California.

Focus your attention on…

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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 20th 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?

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…

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Mary Burton’s new romantic suspense The Seventh Victim is our February 2013 Romance of the Month, and Romance columnist Christie Ridgway promises a cold case adventure packed with “procedural details, red herrings and spine-chilling danger.”

We chatted with Burton about the romantic suspense genre, her career and much more.

Describe your book in one sentence.
The Seventh Victim features the woman who escaped death, the serial killer who never forgot her and the Texas Ranger determined to let neither escape.

What’s your favorite part of mixing romance and suspense?
It’s just a perfect blend. I love the puzzle of the suspense and the constant wondering of whodunit. And if there is a romance to complicate matters, all the better. The suspense offers a sense of justice for the reader, and the romance, hope.

What are the sexiest scenes to write?
I love the scenes that are loaded with sexual tension. The hero and heroine are very aware of each other but for whatever reason can’t do anything about their attraction. It’s that lingering question of “will they or won’t they?” that keeps me turning the pages.

What has been the proudest moment of your career?
Last year the Washington Romance Writers awarded me their Lifetime Achievement Award. I’ve been a member of the group for many years, and I was very touched and humbled by the acknowledgment.

What’s one book you think everyone should read?
Great by Choice by Jim Collins.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve received?
Write every day. Even if I only have a few minutes, I write every day. This keeps the story fresh in my head and my writing skills sharp.

What’s next?
No Escape, which will be released in November 2013. This is the second in my Texas series and tells the tale of Dr. Jolene Granger and Texas Ranger Brody Winchester.

Mary Burton's new romantic suspense The Seventh Victim is our February 2013 Romance of the Month, and Romance columnist Christie Ridgway promises a cold case adventure packed with "procedural details, red herrings and spine-chilling danger." We chatted with Burton about the romantic suspense genre,…
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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.

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…
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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.

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…

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