Interview and Giveaway with Jennifer Ashley!

Holla Maidens! Please help us welcome back historical romance author, Jennifer Ashley! Ashley writes some of the best historical (and paranormal) romances out there so if you haven't checked out her HIGHLAND PLEASURES series, then here is your chance! Don't forget to stay updated on the latest info on her website here. Now please help us welcome back, Ms. Ashley!

Jennifer Ashley

Thanks for coming back to UTC! It's a pleasure to have you. Eleanor Ramsey is one of my favourite heroines of yours. What quality should every heroine have?


Heroines, imho, need to be strong enough to stand up to that uber-powerful, romantic hero we pair them with. The stronger the hero, the stronger the heroine. And she needs to love him to pieces, even if she believes for half the book that he's bad for her. In the end, they both know that they're stronger together. I love strong women!

Hart is one hot highlander! I know that a lot of readers are anticipating his book. While writing his book, did you find it was easier than expected because he is an established character already or was it more difficult to flesh his character out?

Hart is a hottie, and I've always loved him. I think it's much easier to come up with a brand new character than to start with one partly established in other books, because you have no restrictions. However, with Hart, I've known that character for a very long time, so he was fairly easy to slip into. He played a large part in Ian's book, and that's what I drew from--the relationship between Ian and Hart. Duke's Perfect Wife is very much about the Ian/Hart relationship as well as the one between Hart and Eleanor.

Your next book in the series is called THE SEDUCTION OF ELLIOT MCBRIDE. Readers have seen a glimpse of Elliot already, but what can you tell us about him that we have yet to discover?

Yes. I love Elliot! I know readers don't know much about him, but I think you'll like him. Elliot has had a rough time of it--he was a wild young man who went to Afghanistan and India, and found a way to make money at being a wild adventururer. Then life beat on him (he was imprisoned in a very bad place for a long time), and he's back in Scotland trying to recover. So that wild young man he was is battling the PTSD-like problems he has now plus trying to figure out how to be a proper Scottish laird. Juliana, his heroine, is never sure from day to day what's going to happen!

But Elliot's very hot, loves running around in his kilt (only), and loves kissing the heroine.... no matter where they happen to be or under what circumstance.

I call him "The Untamed McBride".


You've got me all excited now! Daniel Mackenzie is also set to have his story told. How would you say Daniel has grown throughout the series so far?

I'm looking forward to writing Daniel's story. I think he has grown--he was raised with benign neglect, and he's had to watch and learn on his own, for the most part. As he sees each of his uncles find love and happiness, he understands the importance of true love vs. simply having someone to be with. He'll be looking for his one true love, and start to believe he'll never find her. Until he stumbles across her in an unlikely place...

We are fans of highlander romances here at UTC. But we would like to know which books you enjoy. Care to share your favorites with us?

I love a good mystery! I'm a mystery fan first and foremost. The mysteries of Donna Leon (set in Venice) are full of atmosphere, good mysteries, and great food! (I always want risotto after reading one.) In romance, I'm fond of Eloisa James, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Sarah MacLean. They are amazing romance authors, with wonderful senses of humor. Mary Jo Putney was my inspiration to write historical romance in the first place, and I've never stopped loving her books (and she's a very nice person too--when I, drooling fan girl, finally got to meet her). I'm also a fan of fantasy--Terry Pratchett, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs--I can read and re-read them any time, and find great pleasure there.


You've named some of our absolute favorites there! What is the most essential item you require to crank a book out?

Iced tea. Lots of it.

Ian, Mac, Cam and now Hart - you seem to write the perfect highland hero. But now here's a tough question...If you could choose only one to go on a date with, who would you pick, where would you go and why?

Ahhhh!!! That's tough. I love them all, and I'm loving Elliot now too. I would probably pick Mac, though. He's full of fun and unpredictable, but he'd make sure you had a good time! I love men who like to laugh, and who make me laugh.

How many books do you have planned in this series?

As many as it takes. :-) I'll be discussing this soon with my publisher. I have stories to tell about Ainsley's other brothers (Sinclair and Stephen), and would like to do Inspector Fellows' story. Plus I introduced the character of David Fleming (Hart's decadent friend) in Duke's Perfect Wife, and I'm interested in what makes him tick. And then there's Angelo, the Romany...

And lastly... we are going to ask the question every girl wants to know...What's underneath a Mackenzie kilt?

What do ya think? ;-) Heaven.

I knew it! Cue swoons! Thanks for chatting with us today, Jennifer! It's a pleasure to have you at UTC again. 

It's giveaway time and Jennifer Ashley has a very generous giveaway for you all. She is giving away the COMPLETE HIGHLAND PLEASURES SERIES all SIGNED. Open to all.

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill in the form below