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* Skye Warren: Author Override
* Narrator Lorelei King: Interview
* Stephanie Tyler: Interview
* Carolyn Crane: Author Override | UTC Review
* J.T. Geissinger: Interview | UTC Review
* Men and Women of the Military Giveaway Hop
* Keri Arthur: Interview | UTC Reviews

Saturday 4 February 2012

Author Override: Carrie Lofty

 
Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.



When I was in college, I had not genuine appreciation of the literary term “trope.” It was way to pretentious, and once involved psychoanalyzing Snow White for Freudian undercurrents. Please, lit professors of the world, stop trying to find phallic references in Disney movies!

But “trope” has taken on a whole different significance for me since I began writing romance. Long before then, I knew I had particular preferences. I love friends-to-lovers, marriages of convenience, and “little sister” stories—where the hero meets his best friend’s little sister after a long absence and realizes she’s grown into a fine, fine woman. Even the old skool “she dresses like a man to be accepted in a man’s job” (like piracy or ranching) really got me going.

My two favorites came together when I wrote Flawless (Pocket; available now). Set in the 1880s, where the four Christie siblings are challenged to earn rather than simply receive their inheritance, Flawless features Miles, Viscount Bancroft, and his estranged wife, Vivienne Christie. Miles is…a cad. Basically. He’s not worth very much beyond his title when the novel opens, and Viv is perfectly justified for having left him.

Their forced cooperation to earn the inheritance, both for their own reasons, bring out Miles’ inner badass. At one he stands looking out over a magnificent vista, carrying a whip, after having just saved people from a burning coach. Rock! Viv finds her own strength, putting issues from her past behind her in order to connect with her husband for the first time.

The estranged marriage trope is a variant, I suppose, of “marriage of convenience”—the first of the two tropes I mentioned bringing together in Flawless. Miles and Viv married for title and money. They fell in love because their shared adventure revealed the deeper personas they’d never been brave enough to share. That aspect of redemption is the second trope. To watch characters reach their greatest potential and rewarded with a happy ending is so satisfying!

So a question for readers: What are your favorite romance tropes? What storyline will you search out and read, almost regardless of genre or author?

A passion this seductive is more precious than diamonds...

Sir William Christie, ruthless tycoon and notorious ladies' man, is dead. Now his four grown children have gathered for the reading of his will. What lies in store for stepsiblings Vivienne, Alexander, and twins Gareth and Gwyneth? Stunning challenges that will test their fortitude across a royal empire...and lead them to the marvelously passionate adventures of their lives.

Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne's dilemma: She must earn her father's inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa.

Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?
I’ll be giving away two copies of Flawless to a commenter, drawn at random. I’ll mail anywhere too, so feel free to enter if you’re international!

In the meantime, look for the continuing Christies saga in 2012: the tie-in novella “A Little More Scandal” in May, and the second novel, Starlight, in June!

Find Carrie: Website | Twitter | Facebook

 
To enter the giveaway:


1.  Be a follower
2.  Answer Carrie's question in the comments.  Please make sure you leave your email address in the comment so we can contact you if you win.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do love a series, and it's always nice to get a glimpse of places and characters from one book in another. Something that keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering how on earth the characters are going to deal with this! And reformed bad boys (what's not to like about them).

kimmyl
klmc_37@yahoo.com

sienny said...

i don't necessarily need more than an interesting plot to make me pick a book. but if it has a little mystery, thrill or suspense in it, it'll boost my interest up.

thanks for the giveaway :)


sienny (smile_1773@yahoo.com)

Unknown said...

I too love a friends to lover story. Especially if the friendship started years earlier.
I also like when at the beginning the couple dont actually like each other but then something or some event throws them together and then they fall madly in love.

To be honest though, I love all situations. If the author is gifted, pretty much any situation can be an amazing story.

Thanks!

another_look_book_reviews at hotmail dot ca

Rebe said...

I like the friends to lovers trope and reunion romances (especially when he was an idiot and then has to grovel - LOVE the groveling!).

rwschwarz11ATgmailDOTcom

Catherine Lee said...

Flawless does have a gorgeous cover!

I like the theme of second chances--high school (or college) sweethearts who part but then they meet up again--at a reunion or because the "prodical" one returns home due to some family tragedy. It's definitely an overused trope, but I have a weakness for it!

catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

Lady D said...

Friend turned lover is one of my favorites, mainly because that is my husband and my's personal romance story. :) As you mentioned, the little sister one as well, although that one can get a bit tiresome if the author overdoes it. :)

ladyd2206(at)yahoo(dot)com

erin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
erin said...

Congrats on the book release!!!

I love this cover and the premise... definitely the top of my wishlist :)

I like the friends to lovers and enemies to lovers trope (as long as it's not too drawn out). But like others have said, if the book is well written and the characters believable, I'd read about a shapeshifting turtle ;)

Thanks for the lovely post and giveaway!

gfc: erin
efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

Catherine said...

I am a big fan of second-chance-romances (if done well), friends-to-lovers, and frenemies-to-lovers. I especially like the last because I like bickering and banter in a courtship. :)

catherine.n.morgan (at) gmail (dot) com

Jeremy said...

I would have to say that I love a story about enemies turned lovers. I just love to see them break down because of love and break all the rules.

romancebookjunkiesdanielle at yahoo.com

Traemac said...

I read a lot of historical romance books of all types. My favorite has mystery and danger. I love it when the characters are thrown together with a little danger to spice up things.
traemac01@yahoo.com

miki said...

i'm for friend to lovers too ^^ or perhaps exotic ones ( a woman /men in the colony for example)

gfc: miki

isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com

thanks you a lot for opening this to international

all the best

RFTC Blog said...

There are a few that are my favorites-second chance at love, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, reconciliation stories. I pretty much like any trope where the characters already have some sort of relationship whether it's friend, enemies or past loves. I feel it adds a lot of sparks and chemistry between the h/h and just keeps me riveted to the story.

Thanks for the giveaway. I've heard a lot of good things about this book. I've had it on my wish list for sometime now.

iqb99 at yahoo dot com

Barbara E. said...

The second chance at love is one of my favorites, as well as arranged marriage/marriage of convenience. I think it's fun when two people who think they can't get along are thrown together in some way where they have to work together for a common goal and realize there are so many great qualities that they either forgot or didn't realize the other person had.

Barbed1951 at aol dot com

Shelly said...

Really enjoy reading second chance, reunion and friends to lovers stories. Like how they overcome obstacles to be together. Flawless looks to be a good story. Thanks for the giveaway.

shellya121 at yahoo dot com

Dawn said...

I love connected series. Second chance love, surprise babies, love at first sight, falling in love with your best friend's brother and families. This book cover is absolutely gorgeous.

megblod said...

I like the enemies to lovers kind of story, I don't know there is just something about the whole love-hate kind of relationship that I really enjoy reading about. Not to mention bad boys, I love reading about bad boys but then who doesn't.

Meg
Megblod@yahoo.com

alainala said...

thats tough.. i tend to try almost any type of shifter paranormal.. historical, contemporary, futuristic, steampunk... (i think that answers the question.. lol)

thanks for the chance to win!!

alainala AT hotmail DOT ca

Mary Preston said...

I had to go and look up TROPE. My new word for the day.

I'm enjoying stories loosely based on fairy tales. There are some great books around right now. I find I am actively seeking them out.

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

Timitra said...

There are so many...I love to read student and professor, reformed bad boys/rakes, bad boy and least popular girl in school and hero and his best friend's little sister I will search these out regardless of genre or author!!!!

taccb_1981@yahoo.com

Carla63 said...

I really like the shifter paranormals. Thanks for the great giveaway.
Carla63@windstream.net

VampedChik said...

There are so many great ones.. I love the friends to lovers and enemies to lovers. Those are always fun. :)
Thanks,
-Amber
goodblinknpark@yahoo.com
gfc-vampedchik

Julianne said...

I like a good plot with some twists and turns with maybe just a little humor. The characters must overcome lots of turmoil.

luvfuzzzfaces at yahoo dot com

Linda said...

The cover of Flawless is gorgeous!
I like bluestocking heroine stories best but I've found that a storyline can be made or broken by how well the author handles it.

thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

Eli Yanti said...

Hi Carrie,

so excited with this book ;)

i love second-chance-romances, friends-to-lovers, and frenemies-to-lovers

i like both of genre and author ;)

eli_y83@yahoo.com

Joanne said...

I really like books with some mystery and/or suspense along with some romance. Also, how can you go wrong with second chances or friends to lovers or even frenemies to lovers.
Thanks for the giveaway.

e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

JessS said...

I love friends to lovers, or where one of the characters has been in love with the other for ages but thinks they don't even notice them. And sometimes when they start off disliking one another, mostly for the sweet moments where one of the characters (usually the guy) changed their mind and tries to seduce the other. I can't really think of any tropes that I would purposely search for though, but I guess those are more likely to make me read an unknown author.

Thanks for the giveaway!

jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com

sienny said...

i love all kind of stories and plots. but what i love most is a story with a hint of suspense and 'sparks' (i have no idea how i should explain this)

thanks for the giveaway

smile_1773@yahoo.com

Carrie Lofty said...

Hi everyone!

I'm so sorry I'm late to the party! Deadlines have eaten my last six weeks. The best I can say is...more books on the way! I'm really happy to see how many readers are excited about this series, and particularly about the reunited/rekindled lovers trope. Just to keep things fresh, it'll be some time before I can revisit that trope in my work, but I hope to bring new, surprising, emotional historical romances to you soon!

Best of luck in the drawing!

Carrie Lofty

Anonymous said...

I have to say my favorite stories are paranormal romances. I love a great love story with a kick ass heroine and a totally BAD BOY!! Thanks for having this giveaway.

kandj7299 at verizon dot net

Maureen said...

I would have to say the marriage of convenience stories are my favorites. I like to see people fall in love when they had no thought of it happening.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

misskallie2000 said...

I love your books Carrie and can't wait to read this series. I love a story where the H & H take an instant dislike of each other but then realize they really love each other and have been fighting the feelings. Also like second chances that end with HEA and friends into lovers. I just love romance. lol
Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us and for giveaway.

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

lisagkendall said...

Follower, I love the little sisters trope and the friends to lovers among others. lisagk(at)yahoo(dot)com

AmberD said...

I as well had to look up "trope"

I enjoy the enemies to lovers storyline, especially where the male is convinced the female is lying about something, loves her despite the lie, then finds out that she was telling the truth and has to win her back.
Tend to find more of those in historical fiction. But really I love anything with a good story.

adujay@gmail.com

AmberD said...

I as well had to look up "trope"

I enjoy the enemies to lovers storyline, especially where the male is convinced the female is lying about something, loves her despite the lie, then finds out that she was telling the truth and has to win her back.
Tend to find more of those in historical fiction. But really I love anything with a good story.

adujay@gmail.com

Tin said...

I realized recently (a friend pointed it out) -- that I'm partial to "adventure" romances.

I also like the friends to lovers as well as the winning back the spouse stories.


khriscc (at) yahoo (dot) com

The ParaNormal Romance Party said...

I love enemies turned lovers or when the H/HR are thrown together for some reason (good or bad) and the fall in love. I love historicals so I will definitly check this out! :))

Samantha Dacier
samanthadacier @gmail.com

mcv said...

My favorite kind of books to read are historical romances. I enjoy plots about marriages of convenience or forced marriages where a heroine has been compromised by the hero and they must wed.
mcv111 at hotmail(dot)com

This Bookish Girl said...

I tend to gravitate towards the bad boy/rogue type heroes in my historical romances. Also, I like series...because if I love a cast of characters, i enjoy reading more than one book in their world.
Awesome giveaway!

This Bookish Girl said...

ooops, forgot to include my email...velvetsun(at)live(dot)come

GingerRing said...

Wow looks like a great book, just added it to my wish list. Beautiful cover! I tend to like the story lines where the hero wins the girl in a poker game or saves her from some other bad situation. He doesn't want to do it but can't bare to watch her end up in the wrong hands. rings@wwt.net

MeikkiBeibi said...

English not being my first language I actually had to google trope. ;)

Here goes, mine is... a bad boy or a rake redeemed by his love for one woman who at first scorns him and wants nothing to do with him. Ah I love those, wither 1800's rake or a modern bad boy. ;)

elvenspirit at gmail dot com
Follower. :)

rainie72 said...

I will read almost anything. But I do love those with lost loves found, or second chance love stories. I feel the characters have worked for the HEA.

rainie72(at)gmail(dot)com

Soft Fuzzy Sweater said...

My favorite trope is The Secret Baby. There's something that just melts my heart about the heroine revealing the secret she's been keeping for years in the form of a beloved child. And I have a weakness for kids in general.

annfes@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I really go for the "working girl/man," reformed or current. It seems to be rather sexy and yet bring out the protective instincts of the honorable people!

Ann
Kyreadinggirl@yahoo.com