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.

Old Time Sex
By Carrie Lofty

Probably because we look back at the era as so wholesome, it can be difficult to imagine WWII lovers getting it on. Jimmy Stewart? Bing Crosby? Come on!

But believe me, they got it on like whoa damn. After all, it was the middle of a war! "Meet on Friday, marry on Sunday" because a clichéd phrase because it was so common. Joe and Lulu from His Very Own Girl don't move quite that quickly in their courtship, but they do enjoy just as much fun in the sack as any other romance couple.

Here's a little taste, in an exclusive excerpt…

Joe was drowning in the feel of her, all heat and edgy wiggles. Their rasping exhales filled the room, but he could barely hear it over the rush and swish of blood in his ears. His heart slammed in time with the impatient throb of his erection.

Lulu said his name on a ragged sigh, and the tenor of her movements changed. She tugged at his tunic. A whimper caught in her throat. "Joe, please."

"Hmm?" He was enjoying her breasts too much to stop.

"I want to touch you."

"So do it."

"Naked, you fool."

He grinned against her damp throat. "If you insist."

He stood and released her, forcing taut arms to fall limp at his sides. Lulu wasted no time in attacking his new uniform. The tunic went first. Then she quickly dispatched the line of buttons down the front of his khaki shirt. She smiled as she yanked it out of his waistband, then sidled nearer. Full breasts molded against his T-shirt, gouging him with those two hardened peaks as she smoothed each sleeve down his arm. With her tongue against her lower lip, Lulu slipped her fingers beneath both suspenders.

He was on fire. Only a thin stretch of cotton separated their upper bodies as they clung together, joining for another melting kiss. He fought the demanding urge to toss her onto the bed. He needed to slow down, to savor. Memories of this moment would stay with him as long as he drew breath. He wanted to hoard them and delight in his woman for as long as she was his.

Edging back toward the bed, he tugged Lulu's pliant body and delicious mouth with him. He trailed open kisses down her neck as she whispered his name and edged her fingers around his lower ribs.

"I was trying to help you out of this gown," he said against the upper swell of her breast. He circled down and peppered tiny kisses along the curve underneath. "I'm not doing a very good job of it."

"I've lodged no complaints."

Feeling robust, he forced himself to stop kissing. He sat on the edge of the bed. She turned and stood with her back to him. Before removing her nightgown, he wondered what underwear she wore. Perhaps some frilly, cheap, lacey piece of froth. Or maybe something more demure, befitting the efficient way she wore her uniform.

Aroused to the point of mindlessness, he slowly lifted the hem. She wore perfectly ordinary white panties. The cotton was worn thin from repeated washings. The lace trim meant they were older than restrictions on nonessential clothing. How long had she gone without something new and pretty?

The war intruded at impossibly intimate levels.

Joe swallowed his frustrations. He wasn't able to lavish her with gifts, but he could make these next few moments, few hours, unforgettable.

And that's even their first time together! You can imagine that their reunions are far more…heated. No one lives for the here and now more than lovers during wartime. I hope you give Lulu and Joe a chance. Come read their journey from wartime fling to happily ever after… Find out more about His Very Own Girl here.

Thanks again to Under the Covers for featuring His Very Own Girl!


Summer has been a blast! Available now from Pocket Books are three Christ Family romances. FLAWLESS kicked it off with a tale of an estranged couple's search for love. The 99¢ tie-in novella, "A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL" follows two aspiring lovers to London. And the Scottish-set second novel, STARLIGHT, was an RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Pick. "Richly nuanced characters and a superbly realized Victorian setting come together brilliantly." ~ The Chicago Tribune

I've also launched a co-written pseudonym, Katie Porter, with my long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown. Our "Vegas Top Guns" series of contemporary erotic romances launched from Samhain with DOUBLE DOWN and INSIDE BET, both of which were RT BookReviews 4½ Star Top Picks: "This racy, raunchy, hella good read…will move Fifty Shades of Grey to the children's section of the bookstore."


Where to find me:
http://www.carrielofty.com
Twitter: @carrielofty

From the author of Flawless and Starlight comes an emotional, sensual romance set during World War II about a female British civilian pilot and the American paratrooper medic who opens her heart—only available as an eBook.

After the War took the lives of Lulu Davies’s parents and her fiancé, she promised herself she would guard her heart carefully and concentrate on her great love—flying the biggest and best airplanes in the sky. Lulu is a pilot in the British civilian air force, ferrying planes around Great Britain and keeping her eye on a coveted spot in a training program for world-class pilots. She’s perfectly content to strive for greatness in the skies, and dance with a few GIs on the way.

Brawny, quiet American medic Joe Weber signed up with the paratroopers to escape his checkered past; he’s hoping that jumping out of planes and patching up soldiers will earn him respect and a hopeful future. Joe’s first real test of medical skill is on a pilot whose plane takes a hard landing in a training field; after rushing to the crash scene, he is stunned to come face-to-face with a gorgeous Rita Hayworth lookalike. And when the two cross paths at a dance hall a couple weeks later, he can’t resist the urge to find out more about this spirited, dark-haired beauty.

Their flirtation breaks all of Lulu’s rules, but dance by dance, week by week, walk by walk, she finds herself falling in love with this honest, vulnerable man on the run from his demons. But as Lulu and Joe’s undeniable attraction gains momentum, World War II steadily intensifies toward D-Day. The lovers only have one night together before Joe is transported to France for the Battle of the Bulge, where his skills and his instinct for survival will be pushed to their limits. Lulu distracts herself with flight school and the friendships of her colleagues, but she can’t get the handsome medic out of her head. Only time and hope will tell if her love will return unharmed from War, and if the two will be able to overcome their pasts to form a beautiful life together in peace-time.

READ OUR REVIEW

Carrie is giving away a digital copy of HIS VERY OWN GIRL in any format. So much danger! So much reason to live for the moment! Just answer: Do wartime romances appeal for you? Why, and from which era?

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ARC Review: His Very Own Girl by Carrie Lofty

His Very Own Girl

by Carrie Lofty

When I first saw this book I thought "Wow I don't think I've read anything in fiction centered around this era".  This might just be because of the lack of romance novels that want to tackle such a sad time but I've watched more than my share of movies.  They are always the hardest stories to read/watch and they especially tug at the strings of my heart.  That being said, Ms. Lofty captured the time with precision and emotion.  

Reading HIS VERY OWN GIRL was almost like watching a movie and the story had me so involved I couldn't put it down.  It's a story of love in trying times, of the strength of two people to do what was right for their lives, for their countries, for so many other people and to find their way back to each other.

Lulu Davies is a British pilot who has already experienced a big loss in her life.  Her fiance killed himself after coming back home from the war with PTSD.  She's been alone for a while and swore she would never give her heart to anyone else again.  Only one night dates for her from now on.

But then came Joe Weber, an American paratrooper who had been tapped to be a medic.  They first meet when he drags her out of her own plane after she had to do a rough landing.  From there, they see each other a few times, and always Lulu intended it to be the last.  But Joe is persistent and he keeps going after her until her resolve starts to break down.

While they flirt and date and fall in love, war is going on around them.  At times I felt that I could've done with less of the war times descriptions because it just always seemed so real that it made me sad.  And speaking of sad, this book is such a tear jerker.  I'm even crying writing this review, already had to take two breaks and then I come back to write it and as I think about it I get teary eyed again.  

A hero that is just that, a true hero, even though at times his macho attitude and way of thinking had me wanting to slap him silly.  But it was different times and that's the way the majority of men thought.  Joe also fits the tortured hero mold.  I won't tell you what's in his past so I don't ruin the story as it unfolds but lets just say he tried to do the right thing and only got screwed for it.

And then there's Lulu.  You have to love and hate Lulu.  Love that she is strong when women were only looking for a man to lean on and take care of their problems.  Love her for wanting to be there for her fiance when he was struggling with PTSD when even he had given up on himself.  Love her for opening up her heart again, because once she does she loves truly and unconditionally.  But also hate her for being stubborn, because she didn't make things easy, because she still had things her way.

I recommend that you read this beautiful love story, but make sure you have a box of Kleenex handy.

*ARC provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Starlight by Carrie Lofty

Starlight

by Carrie Lofty

(The Christies # 2)

Historical romance does not get much better than this!  STARLIGHT was beautiful from beginning to end.  With a hero you just can't help but falling in love with, a feisty heroine full of passion and courage and a story of two opposites that perfectly compliment each other.  This book had it all.

Alex Christie, the eldest of the siblings, thought he wouldn't have to get involved in the scheme his late father had created to have each kid take over a struggling business.  But he is forced by his father in law to do in order to keep his son with him.  His son is the only thing he has left after his wife died and he will do anything to protect him.  Even going to Scotland and taking over the textile business his late father owned there and making it profitable again so he can collect on his inheritance.

Not very business savvy and in need of some guidance, who better than the union's spokeswoman, Polly Gowman.  She's smart, outspoken, sassy, daring and a lot of fun.  She is also loyal to her people and their interests and will protect them with everything she's got.

Alex is definitely my type of hero.  He's hard, rough and even brooding but he allows those walls to come down and is playful with Polly.  He's intense and had me tingling on more than one occasion.  Polly on the other hand is no wilting flower and can stand up to him as well as match him in his desires.  Whether that's in the bedroom or in an alley while they're running away from the bad guys.

The element of mystery in this book was also perfectly woven in with the romance.  It does not take away from them as a couple but it adds another dimension to what they're going through.  And if I have to be honest I did not expect the ending and resolution to turn out the way it did, even though maybe I should've.

Job very well done Ms. Lofty.  I cannot wait to read more about the Christies and what adventures await next, but Polly and Alex will be a pretty hard to beat couple in my heart.

*Review copy provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Interview and Giveaway with Carrie Lofty

We'd like to welcome to UTC once again, Carrie Lofty.  With the release of STARLIGHT just a few days away, this is actually the first time we got to ask her some questions and here's what we got out of her!

For someone who hasn't read your Christies series, how would you describe it?

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 half-siblings 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. FLAWLESS, the story of an estranged husband and wife learning to love each other for the first time, was released in September 2011. A tie-in novella called A Little More Scandal came out just last month, where I take a look even father back in time to see tough, gruff William Christie fall in love. It's available now from Pocket in all digital formats.

STARLIGHT is about the eldest Christie, Alex. What can we expect from his book?

First off is a new setting for me: Scotland. I finally made it north of the border! Readers can expect a passionate affair that catches both lovers by surprise, and a conflict between them that seems to have no resolution. Alex is determined to save his son at any cost, while Polly, the head of a weavers union, works tirelessly for an entire community. I loved working with that dynamic, as to which holds greater value. Compromise, trust, being able to see the other side of an issue--these are themes that weave through their romance and define who they are, both as people and as loving partners.

You write post-apocalyptic stories under a different pen name with Ann Aguirre. How do you get in the right mood to write each genre?

Sometimes it was simply a matter of deadlines! For example, I co-wrote MIDNIGHT, the second of our Ellen Connor "Dark Age Dawning" books, at the same time I was writing my Napoleonic historical, PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION. I would literally finish a chapter on one, take a break, then finish a chapter on the other. The brain...it spins! To get in the mood, however, I always use music. I have a playlist for each of my books. Some I choose ahead of time, but most spring up organically from music I'm listening to at the time. For example, with MIDNIGHT the playlist consisted of dark, atmospheric music by performers such as Abney Park, St. Vincent, Jon Crosby, and the Cocteau Twins. PORTRAIT OF SEDUCTION was much more adult contemporary, with OneRepublic, David Cook, Bat for Lashes, and Dido as key artists. Switching from one to the other was vital!

If you could travel back in time, what would be your ideal time to visit and why?

I grew up fascinated by the Old West and eventually wrote my master's thesis on gunfighter legends, so that's the first to jump out of my head. Recently, though, I've become much more interested in the Georgian period. I haven't set a book there yet, but I have an image in my head of the movie Amadeus. Decadence. Wealth. Few rules. It seems like Rome before the fall, with cataclysmic events such as the French Revolution right around the corner. So...I'd visit and play for a while, but scamper back home before the peasants dragged out the guillotines!

Were there any particular writers that influenced your craft or your desire to be a writer?

I grew up reading literary fiction as well as romance, which gave me an appreciation for poetic language. We derogatorily call it purple prose when too much of it is used in romance, yet I love playing with words. Romance authors such as Penelope Williamson, Megan Chance, Patricia Gaffney, and especially Candice Proctor are among my favorites because of their rich characters, immersive settings, and gorgeous use of language.

Can you give us a peek into the day of a writer? Do you write every day? If so, for how long?

I can give you an idea of the variety of tasks I accomplish, but again, what I do always depends on putting out fires. Promotion, contracts, proofing, answering emails, website updates, conducting workshops, social networking--they're all essential to an author's career. That said, I feel cheated if a day passes where I haven't written new words! One a solid writing day, I average 18-20 pages, and I'll managed three to four such days each week. The writing is the reward!

Out of your own characters, do you have a favorite hero/heroine?

I once heard Nora Roberts reply that the favorite of her books is always the most recent one. I love that, and it's completely true for me. When I think back to what compelled me to write previous romances, sometimes I'm not able to remember that spark, that obsession. As such, the characters don't resonate as well for me as more recent ones do. That said, Polly will remain one of my favorite heroines for many years. She's the least pretentious, happiest, most resilient young woman, despite growing up under tough circumstances. And I'll always have a soft spot for Miles, the lovable bad boy rogue in FLAWLESS. Who can resist an aristocrat wielding a whip?

What's next for Carrie Lofty?

After STARLIGHT hits the shelves, I'll be looking forward to the release of HIS VERY OWN GIRL, a historical romance set in World War II. It's not women's fiction. It's not literary fiction. It's a genuine romance, complete with sexy times and a happy ending. Look for it September 4th as a Pocket Star digital original novel. I cannot wait to see how readers respond!

I'll also be launching a new co-written pseudonym, Katie Porter, with my long-time friend and critique partner, Lorelie Brown. Our "Vegas Top Guns" series of contemporary erotic romances will launch from Samhain on July 31 with the release of DOUBLE DOWN. Two more from the series, INSIDE BET and HOLD 'EM, will follow in August and September. You can learn more about these and future books at our website [http://katieporterbooks.com].

Thanks again for having me!

Where to find me:
http://www.carrielofty.com
Twitter: @carrielofty


STARLIGHT EXCERPT

“Now, then, Mr. Christie, you seemed ready to act as judge and jury. Shall I fetch an ax and reveal my neck?”

He blinked so hard it was nearly a flinch. “Excuse me?”

“You might as well be my executioner, too.”

And, good Lord, he could be. A quick glance down revealed hands bunched into fists like mallet heads. He wore that beautiful white shirt and finely tailored woolen trousers, yet the simmering anger that pulsed from his robust body was anything but elegant. More like . . . brutal. There was no mistaking how his baser instincts would resolve matters.

How odd. Most masters left their dirty work to overseers like Livingstone. This Mr. Christie looked ready to knock heads. Polly shivered and returned her gaze to his face. But that was no help either. Breathtaking hazel eyes stared back at her, narrowed, fierce in his disconcerting blend of ire and intelligence.

She cocked a hand on her hip. “No bloodshed today, then? No beheading? Just rampant accusations and brute force, instead of a proper investigation. Typical, I say. If this is how you do business with your workers, especially after an emergency, I’ve all I need to know about what sort of master you are.”

His deep assessment was nearly more than she could endure. She would’ve rather taken more of Livingstone’s jabs and pinches. Standing before Mr. Christie, waiting, holding her breath, with the whole room silent after her taunt, she felt terribly exposed, as if he could peer past her bravado to the place where she hid her moments of doubt.

But they were just that. Moments. She never let her doubts last long.

Briefly, he stood at the wide only window and looked out to the darkening sky—half in shadow, half in the fading afternoon. Only then did Polly notice the coat he should have been wearing, tossed over the back of his chair. Her rebel mind insisted on playing out that moment. How had his body moved as he shed an encumbering layer of civility? Even now, poised in that tense moment, she admired the way the revealing cotton stretched between his shoulders. She traced where twin shirttails disappeared into the snug waistband of his trousers.

She shut her eyes. Secretly, she led the union in her father’s stead, which meant the new master of Christie Textiles was her adversary. But he was also a precious novelty in her tiny world: a strong, handsome, intelligent gentleman.

“I want all of you out,” he said at last. His odd American accent, so low and rough, invaded her darkness. Polly opened her eyes on a shiver.

“Pardon, sir?” asked Constable Andrews.

Mr. Christie swiveled away from the window. “Out of my office. I’m going to chat with Miss Gowan.”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re doing,” the overseer snarled. “She bats her green eyes and wraps every Calton man around her finger.”

“And you are radically out of place by speaking to me in such a tone. I’m no Calton man, Mr. Livingstone, and I’ll manage just fine.”

“The law doesn’t work for you.”

A callous smile shaped Mr. Christie’s firm, wide mouth. “No, I suspect the law works for the highest bidder. I will ensure they’re well compensated for putting you in your place. Get out.”

Raw hatred flickered through the overseer’s eyes, but Mr. Christie stood his ground. His big fists were back, curled and primed for a fight. Polly covered her mouth with unsteady fingers. To see Livingstone get his comeuppance at the hands of this new master would be the makings of her wildest fantasies.

Hit him, she found herself chanting. Hit him.

I'd like to give away a copy of STARLIGHT, and I'll ship anywhere. Just answer the question Under the Covers asked me: If you could travel back in time, what would be your idea time to visit and why?  Be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you win.
  

An esteemed astronomer, Alex Christie, the eldest and most steadfast of the Christie siblings, has never possessed his late father's ruthless business drive. But to protect his frail infant son from his cruel father-in-law's bid for custody, the young widower must undertake Sir William Christie's posthumous million-dollar challenge: to make a Glasgow cotton mill profitable. At sea in an industrial world of sabotage and union agitation, Alex meets Polly Gowan, daughter of a famed union leader, who hopes to seize a mysterious saboteur without involving the police. Because a sympathetic mill master would aid her cause, Polly becomes Alex's guide to urban Scotland. From soccer games to pub brawls, Alex sees another side of life, and feels free for the first time to reveal the man--vital and strong--behind his intellectual exterior. Polly is utterly seduced. Their ambitions, however, remain at odds: Alex vows to earn the mill bonus to save his child, while Polly fights for the needs of her people. Is there strength enough in their sparkling passion to bind them together in their quests-- and in a lasting love that conquers all?

Available June 26, 2012
Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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.

“A Little More Scandal”
By Carrie Lofty
http://www.carrielofty.com/LittleScan...

If she’s anything, the heroine of my novella “A Little More Scandal” is adaptable. Catrin Jones grew up one of five children in a small village in western Wales. After the death of her quiet, respectable fiancé, and all the talk and sympathy that followed, she struck out on her own and volunteered to become a nurse during the Crimean War.

Three years of warfare, including the snowy, bloody siege at Sevastopol, were enough for Catrin. The ship that takes her home however…sinks. She remains as the only survivor. Penniless but notorious—the curiosity of the moment—she does what she can to survive yet again: by trying to secure an advantageous marriage. She knows her time among the elite is very, very limited.

Luckily, she finds William Christie. “A Little More Scandal” will tell you that story.

Of all the heroines I’ve written, Catrin is the most adaptable but also the most genial and sweet. Some heroines are strong survivors, but they lose their optimism and become jaded. Catrin is exceedingly practical and remains able to laugh at herself.

If she were to show up in our time, she would take things in stride. The woman survived the Crimean War and a shipwreck and the ton! She might need a few days to figure out malls, the internet, and airliners, but she’d get there a lot faster than most. Seeing our “normal” through the eyes of a clever and undaunted young woman would make everything new. Plus, her dry wit would make even something as mundane as a traffic jam entertaining.

Although I love where I live near Lake Michigan, I would definitely avoid taking her on a stroll along its shores. Large bodies of water probably aren’t the best tourist sites for a woman still traumatized by her near-death tragedy. Instead, we would take the train to Chicago and see the sights: tall buildings, priceless art, ancient history, and so many kinds of people. Having nursed wounded soldiers from all over the British Empire, and having wound her way through the Upper Ten Thousand, she knew what it was to get along people from all walks. Chicago would be just another playground of new experiences.

I suppose novelties like television and music would catch her attention, but she’s not a passive person. A TV show would be a pale imitation of the unknown world she’d just entered. Why watch it when she could live it? Why settle for fiction when her experiences were already so colorful. Music—she’d dance, of course.

The only problem with spending time with Catrin Jones in our time is that she’d be missing her rock. Her silent, unflagging support: William Christie. He’s the one she’d want to dance with. He’s the one she’d want to share every new adventure with, no matter the time or place. So as much as I’d enjoy showing our world to the sweetest, most amenable, most clear-headed character I’ve written, she needs to stay where she belongs. In the middle of the 19th century and in the arms of the man she loves.

A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL

Release Date: May 29, 2012

Rising star Carrie Lofty, author of Flawless and Starlight, continues her Christies family saga with A Little More Scandal, a sensual eBook novella featuring William Christie and the woman who steals his heart.

Self-made industrialist Sir William Christie tempts the scorn of London society by attempting to seduce Catrin Jones, a modest but opinionated battlefield nurse who earned notoriety after surviving a naval shipwreck. His ambition to secure her exclusive story is part of his latest business plan, while her intention is to marry well before her moment of fame expires. With respectability, wealth, and security at stake, they must decide whether love is worth embracing just a little more scandal...

READ OUR REVIEW

Find Carrie: Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

Carrie is graciously giving away a print copy of FLAWLESS, the first book in her Christies series.  International.

READ OUR REVIEW

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?

To enter the giveaway:


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2.  Fill out the form below 

ARC Review: A Little More Scandal by Carrie Lofty

A Little More Scandal

by Carrie Lofty
(The Christies # 1.5)

A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL is the story of the original Christies.  At the beginning of FLAWLESS, Sir William Christie had just died and left his kids with some tough choices to face if they wanted their inheritance.  This is his story.

William Christie is not a man of good family, he's made his fortune on his own, coming from nothing.  After the death of his wife, whom he was married more for convenience and respect than love, he's hardened even further.  Everything with him is a means to an end.  His end, his goals, his success.

Which is why he is challenged and at the same time attracted to Catrin Jones.  She is from a decent family, but poor.  The only survivor of a shipwreck.  Military nurse.  He wants to get her story so he can have control of a newspaper that is sure to go out of business and he wants to get his paws on it.  The key is the exclusive of what happened to that ship and the story of the lone survivor.  If he has to seduce her to get it, then so be it.

William Christie, the brute, the jerk, really I shouldn't like him.  He is everything that you'd expect me NOT to like.  But I find myself captivated by his spirit, his drive, his passion.  And I can say the same for Catrin, she's straightforward, she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it.  They're perfectly matched.

It is bittersweet to see their story knowing they are no longer around, but now I really want to read Alex's story, STARLIGHT.  He is the son from Sir William's first marriage.

A LITTLE MORE SCANDAL will release May 29, 2012

*ARC provided by author

Purchase Links: Amazon

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?

READ OUR REVIEW

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!

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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.