Then head on down to the bottom and enter to win some really fabulous gifties from Vanessa!
When Major Lucas Stanton inherited his earldom, he never dreamed his property would include the previous earl’s granddaughter. Phoebe Linville is a sparkling American beauty, yes, but with a talent for getting into trouble. Witness the compromising position that forced them into wedlock. Whisked away to Mistletoe Manor, his country estate, it isn’t long before she is challenging his rules—and surprising him in and out of bed.Phoebe has no intention of bowing to Lucas’ stubbornness, even though he offers all that she wants. His kisses and unexpected warmth are enticing, but Phoebe is determined to show the Earl of Merritt what real love is all about. And if that takes twelve nights of delicious seduction by a roaring fire, she’s more than willing to reveal her gifts very slowly…
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Hi Anna! Thanks so much for including me in your wonderful holiday event. I have a confession to make—I’m not in Canada! I’m fortunate enough to spend part of the winter in Florida with hubby, so we’re staying pretty toasty, thank goodness.
LOL Well then hello way down there from NC! <g> I finished your book, His Mistletoe Bride, not too long ago and loved it. It was such a refreshingly unique read. From the heroine being a Quaker to the rather cheeky servants and blunt family members. Could you tell us a bit about the book and what inspired you to write Lucas and Phoebe's story?
I have to give much of the credit to my editor, who wanted me to write a Christmas book. I already knew I wanted a heroine from a Quaker community, and the idea of placing her in a Christmas story intrigued me. I grew up in a historic Quaker town in New Jersey, one of the oldest in the country. That heritage is still very visible, with an active Friends school and meeting house. So in a real way this book is partly a tribute to the town where I grew up. I also thought it would be fun to have a heroine who had very little knowledge of what an English Christmas looked like, and I enjoyed showing the festivities and traditions from Phoebe’s perspective.
You're editor may be one of my favorite people now! So glad she put in for a Christmas story :) Did you have anyone in mind when you were writing Phoebe and Lucas?
In terms of models? For Lucas, I very firmly had the divine Henry Cavill in mind. He’s strong and commanding, but utterly handsome and dreamy.
For Phoebe, I envisioned Keira Knightly as she appeared in Pride and Prejudice—plainly dressed, outspoken, but still lovely and appealing.
Oh they're lovely together :) The two attended some rather disastrous parties and get-togethers in the book. Any party catastrophes in your past?
Honestly, too many and too embarrassing to even list here! I do remember one party years ago, when I first went off to university. I went with one person from my dorm, who pretty much abandoned me when we got there. I didn’t know a soul and spent the night in the corner, nursing my drink and trying to pretend that I did, in fact, have a social life. So I could really relate to Phoebe feeling like an outsider. I’ve also been at more than few parties where things got out of control and the police were called. I usually tried to make my exit from those out the back door!
Could you tell us 3 fun behind the scenes facts about His Mistletoe Bride?
Fact one – this is the first of my books that has gone to a second printing. *yay! Congrats! That's awesome Vanessa!*
Fact two – I have a really cute Pinterest board about the book, with a scene by scene breakdown in pictures and text.
Fact three – As you know, some of the characters in the book go by the last name of Christmas. It’s actually a not uncommon name in some parts of England, including Kent, where part of the book is set.
Ah yes I love your Pinterest boards <g> So, what's up next for for you? Will we be seeing any more from this lovely group of friends and family?
It’s possible, although I am now on to writing a new series. The Renegade Royals is about the unknown, illegitimate sons of the royal princes of England, and the first story will be out in December, 2013. But I do love the Stanton family, and there just might be some self-published short stories and novellas set in their world.
Oh.My.Word that sounds fantastic Vanessa! I seriously cannot wait to meet these men! Now, you also do a bit of writing with your husband as V.K. Sykes. I gotta know, how do yall go about that? Were there any big surprises that came about from writing as a team?Two big surprises – how well we work together, and what a good writer my husband is. We were both non-fiction writers in our former lives, but Randy has a great sense of pacing and he’s wonderful with creating exciting and interesting plots. And I think one of the reasons we work so well together is that we never work on the same part of any manuscript at the same time. He writes the first draft and hands it on to me for revisions, and does something else while I’m doing that.
Holiday traditions played a big part in His Mistletoe Bride. Do you have any you're looking forward to? Any exciting plans for the holidays?
Honestly? We’re hoping for a very quiet Christmas with my dad and stepmother. We had a lot of craziness in my family last year, including some pretty big health challenges for my dad. If we can just have a peaceful, healthy time of it we’ll all be happy! But we do enjoy all the traditional things like putting up the tree, decorating the house, and cooking wonderful holiday foods. And I have a sneaking fondness for our animatronic reindeer. I nicknamed him Tad, and he always gives me a smile whenever I see him.
LOL. Tad? That's awesome! How about a just for fun lightning round then we'll let you get back to the family and all that relaxing. Sounds like pure bliss to us!
- Cats or Dogs? Dogs
- Favorite villain? Darth Vader
- Oddest thing in your purse? Hand moisturizer from Japan
- Pecan or Pumpkin Pie? Both *oh, we knew we liked you! ;) *
- Mistletoe Manner or Belfield Abbey? Belfield Abbey
- First book that got you hooked on Romance? Regency Buck, by Georgette Heyer
- Favorite scent? Vanilla
Vanessa Kelly is an award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her latest book, My Favorite Countess, was nominated for an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Regency Historical Romance.
Vanessa spends most of the year in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband, but she’s lucky enough to spend some of the winter near lovely Amelia Island, Florida. When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, she’s writing contemporary romances with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
Vanessa is being so awesome and giving away two SIGNED copies of her books today!
Mastering The Marquess and My Favorite Countess
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We'll have 2 winners, one book each! Open INT
