How do you relax?

Walking the dog, visiting the theatre, watching something not too taxing on TV.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

Don't get it right, get it written – i.e. just get on with it! 

 

What is your favorite book?

It varies, I have a shelf full!

The food you couldn’t live without?

 Spicy foods – chilli, curries etc.   

The BEST thing about you?

Being able to write (and get published) the stories I want to read :-)

One place you’ve never been, but ALWAYS wanted to go?

The past – a good book can take me there for a short time.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

There are so many great people in the past, but I think I would really like to meet Captain Thomas Coram, who established the foundling hospital in the mid 18th century.  He was a shipwright and sailor who came back to England to retire after working in America.  He managed to enlist the help of the rich and famous of the time such as Hogarth and Handel and the hospital took in the first foundlings in 1741. Coram seems like one of those genuinely good, compassionate people and he looks so benevolent in his portraits, I would love to talk to him.


If you weren’t an author what would be your next choice of career?

 If I'd known then what I know now…. If I'd had the confidence when I was younger I think I would have liked to train as an archaeologist – I love studying old buildings or towns etc and working out just what changes have been made. At the time the idea of having to learn ancient Greek and Latin was just too daunting!

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

Northern Spain, following the route of the British Army's retreat to Corunna in 1809 – our trip was taken as the same time of the year, January, so we were able to appreciate the appalling weather conditions, as well as the difficulties of marching through the mountains.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

 Too many to mention.

Lightning Round:

White wine or red? Red

Coffee or tea? Tea

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery? Cook dinner

Outdoorsman or homebody?  Homebody

City Life or Country Life? Country life

Do you prefer to live in hot weather or cold weather? A mixture (England is great for that)

Dog Lover or Cat Fan? Dog lover

Pancakes or eggs?  Eggs

Sleep in or get up early? Get up early

Laptop or desktop for writing? Desk top (or old-fashioned pencil and paper)

COMPETITION – To win an e-copy of NEVER TRUST A REBEL.  Which actress (present day or one of the old-time greats) do you think could play my heroine Elyse?

Who was your Greatest  inspiration in helping you develop your writing career?

There are so many authors I admire but it’s hard to go past the amazing Nora Roberts. I cannot pretend my writing career resembles hers even remotely, but Nora's is the voice in my head when I feel like the words aren’t coming. “You can’t fix a blank page”. And on the other hand, Susan Elizabeth Phillips is an inspiration to me because I don’t think anybody writes better relationships than SEP.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

Michael Fassbender or Viggo Mortensen for Xavier and Naomi Watts for Lizzie.
 
Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block? 

Different things work at different times because I think writer’s block comes from different root causes and has different levels of severity. There are days I have sat doggedly at the computer for five hours before the writing has begun to flow (usually just before I have to leave the house to pick up children!) There are days when I need to pre-write freehand or diagram the story on a white board or merely think about it from a different perspective. 

I listen to old RWA workshops a lot and as people are telling me the elements of story and craft, my subconscious is busy applying that to my own story. People who have studied creativity maintain that inspiration comes from, firstly, working very, very hard on brainstorming a problem, secondly, walking away to rest the conscious mind and let the subconscious work, then, thirdly, returning to the problem the following day or after a good few hours have passed. You often find sudden insights and inspiration when you follow this practice. (Incidentally, this is why we *always* think of the perfect comeback to an insult hours after the fact.) Try writing first thing in the morning before everyone else is up, before your critical brain has the chance to take over. Your subconscious will have been working on the book while you sleep. 

Other times, it’s a problem with the story. You’ve gone wrong somewhere and you need to stop and work out how you’re going to fix that wrong turn before you can continue. Some people say just bash through the first draft and that works for some people but not for everyone. Writer’s block (if you want to call it that but I think just giving it the name makes it scarier than it needs to be) might even come from trying to deny yourself the process that works best for you. 

Sometimes the problem stems from emotional trauma. Some writers might welcome writing as an escape or a way to express pain. But if you’re not one of those writers, and there’s no reason why you should be, then as far as I know, there’ s no simple fix for that except for time. Above all, be kind to yourself. 

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

I’m grateful that people are reading my books! They’re entitled to their opinions. I must admit, I don’t often read reviews any more unless my editor sends them to me.

How do you relax?
By reading, of course!

  What is your favorite motivational phrase?
One that my agent sent me on a card years ago: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.” Which makes no actual sense but I think we all know the sentiment!  

One place you’ve never been, but ALWAYS wanted to go?
Egypt. I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody mysteries and I’d love to see all the places she writes about.

If you weren’t an author what would be your next choice of career?
I think I’d like to be an editor. It would have to be something to do with books.  


Lightning Round:  

White wine or red?  Red
 
Coffee or tea?  Coffee
 
Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Cook
 
Outdoorsman or homebody? Homebody
 
City Life or Country Life?  City Life
 
Do you prefer to live in hot weather or cold weather?  Hot!!

Dog Lover or Cat Fan?  Dog Lover

Pancakes or eggs?  Pancakes
 
Sleep in or get up early?  Get up early
 
Laptop or desktop for writing?  Laptop with wireless keyboard

Personal Questions:

How do you relax?

Gardening and reading. And occasionally, playing on Pinterest.


What is your favorite motivational phrase?

 Write what you must, but you must write something.

What is your favorite book?

 I have three, because they are three different kinds of books:

Persuasion by Jane Austen, which is my favorite book as an adult;

Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, which was my favorite childhood book; and

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, which was my favorite book as a teenager, and was the book that made me want to write my own stories.

Who is your favorite author?

 Jane Austen.


What is your favorite movie?

Roman Holiday. But the ending kills me. Every time.


Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Jane Austen, again, because I think she was wickedly funny.


If you could do anything besides being an Author, what would it be and why?

I used to be a Nautical Archaeologist, so I would go back to doing that because I loved excavating shipwrecks, and traveling, and diving, and doing research. I’ve been really lucky in my jobs, but I love being a writer best.


What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

I’ve traveled pretty extensively, and been in a lot of remote places, but I have very fond memories of the trip my husband, the Indispensable Mr. Essex, and I took to Nepal for our honeymoon. We started in Katmandu, and trekked around for an entire month. It was lovely.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Was? I continue to have embarrassing moments all the time, still. Just last month, after a panel at the Romantic Times Convention in New Orleans, my dear author friend Tracy Brogan came up and quietly told me I needed to zip up my pants. So much for my hopes to be seen as elegant, knowledgeable and professional. :)

Lightning Round:

White wine or red?  White.

Coffee or tea?  Coffee first thing in the morning. And then iced tea through the day, and hot tea in the late afternoon (at least in winter).

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  The Indispensable Mr. Essex is the chef in the Essex abode, and I am happy, happy, happy to be his sous-chef. But if I am left alone to make the dinner? Take out. Every time.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Chocolate!

Pancakes or eggs?  Eggs Benedict (which I should like to rename Eggs Cumberbatch, for no reason in particular) on Sunday Mornings and special days. Pancakes only if I’m out for breakfast, or if the sprigs have made them.

Sleep in or get up early?  Up early. All the time. Even on holiday. But that’s when I get the most work done, before everyone else (with the exception of the Indispensable Mr. Essex who rises even earlier than I do) is awake.

Laptop or desktop for writing?  Laptop. I drag it nearly everywhere, especially in the carpool line at my kid’s school, were I always try to sneak in an extra 200 words. It all adds up.

GIVEAWAY

Elizabeth has Graciously offered one print Copy of AFTER THE SCANDAL. All you have to do is answer the question; After the Scandal has a mystery element mixed in with the romance, as the hero and heroine are drawn closer together by a murder. Do you like an extra element mixed with the romance plot?

Tell us about your book(s)!

I write Regency historical romances usually with some quirky heroines. My latest series Bewitched is about three women who in medieval times would have been called wise women. They are all healers/midwives for the estates where they live. It’s been a fun series to write because my previous series The Spinster Club was located in London and these books are mostly out in the country. The last book, Vexing the Viscount, does return the reader to London.

  Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book? 

For Vexing the Viscount, I would have to choose Amy Adams. The heroine, Tia is a feisty redhead.    

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Go back and reread what you have written up to that point. I usually find that I get blocked because I’ve written something that just isn’t true to the one of the characters. Look for motivation issues. If you read something and think that just doesn’t sound quite right, it probably isn’t.  

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?  

Well, of course I love a good review, but I also know that not everyone is going to love what I’ve written. And that’s okay. As long as it’s not a personal attack or a review where you know the person didn’t read the book because they can’t even get the hero’s name right (yes, that has happened to me).  

How do you relax?  

Do what now? What is relaxing? I work full-time and write as close to full-time as I can get without losing my mind. I do walk when I can and if I really have time, I love to kayak on the river near my home. 

What is your favorite motivational phrase?   

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.
- Somerset Maugham   This is my favorite because I’ve always said I’m a storyteller, not a writer. 

What is your favorite book?  

Only one? I have far too many books that I love to come up with just one.  
Who is your favorite author?  

Jane Austen.  

What is your favorite movie?

Pride and Prejudice. 

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?  

I would love to meet Stephen King. Even though he writes horror, he is a wonderful author and a supportive voice for the genre fiction writer.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

I took a trip to Italy a few years ago that was fantastic. My next book was to start and end in Venice so it was fantastic to see the city and feel its heartbeat. I also have never gotten so lost in a city.


What was your most embarrassing moment? 

The number of times I got lost in Venice. Seriously, even with a map I couldn’t find my hotel.  

Lighting Round:

White wine or red?   White and a little sweet  

Coffee or tea?   Coffee!!!! 

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?   That depends, if I have time, I love to cook.  

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?   Vanilla.   

Pancakes or eggs?   Without question, both.  

Sleep in or get up early?   Sleep in, but it never happens with two cats who want to be fed.  

Laptop or desktop for writing? Laptop so I can sit on my screened porch when the weather is nice.

GIVEAWAY

Christie has offered to give either a Kindle pre-order of Vexing the Viscount (August release) or an ecopy of Bewitching the Duke, which ever the winner prefers to a Lucky commenter who answers the question; what is your favorite time period when reading a romance?

Tell us about your book(s)!

The newest series I’m working on is the Markson Regency Mystery series with The Masked Lady and The Murder being the debut book. This particular series has the Viscount and Viscountess of Hampshire, Lord and Lady Markson, solving the crime and they don’t care if the accused is a peer or commoner. That they can look past the status of the person is what will make it unique and I feel different from other series.

Currently, I’m working on the second book, The Guilty Countess, and have started to plan out book three which is still untitled.

What I will be doing is, at the end of each book, having the first few pages of the next book with the release month. This way you, my readers, will get a tiny taste of what’s coming.

As with my other regencies, I plan to keep the love scenes behind closed doors.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

For Lady Kristina Markson I could see Gwyneth Paltrow playing the role. I love her in Emma and Shakespeare in Love not to mention the Iron Man movies. For Lord Robert Markson my choice would be Hugh Grant. I love him in are Notting Hill and Love Actually.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

I don’t know if you’d call it writers block or not but I do get what I call brain freeze. It’s when I can’t write, not because I don’t want to but the brain and fingers don’t want to work. This usually occurs when I write for anywhere up to three to four weeks in a row without a break. To resolve the problem I take a day or two off then get back to writing.

For you writers out there you’ll have to find what works for you, sorry.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Getting reviews; great, good or bad are part of being an author. The great and good ones I love, don’t we all, while I deal with the bad ones knowing they are part of the process.

How do you relax?

I’ll read a book and or watch television. This way I can get my mind refreshed to get back to work-writing.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

Don’t sweat the small stuff, everything’s small stuff.

What is your favorite book?

I’ve got to many to list with the majority being regencies. Contemporary romance comes in a close second.

Who is your favorite author?

Again, I’ve got to many and won’t for fear of leaving someone off the list.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I’d love to have tea with Jane Austen not so much to discuss her books but to understand how she chose the subject matter of her stories.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

This is an easy one. When I loaded my car in September 2012 and drove from Connecticut to Texas not knowing where I’d be living once I arrived.

Where do you get your inspiration & motivation from?

Most of the time I get the idea for the first book in the series from a “What if?” After that I get the ideas for the following stories from the current one I’m working on.

Lighting Round:

White wine or red?  White wine

Coffee or tea?  Coffee especially Starbucks

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Take-out

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Vanilla

Pancakes or eggs?  Both

Sleep in or get up early?  Since I write at night- sleep in

Laptop or desktop for writing?  Laptop and Netbook

Giveaway-

Now for some fun. You’re a lady in regency England, of the following which would you do-

• Dance with a gentleman more than twice at a ball.
• Waltz without receiving permission.
• Carry on a conversation with a gentleman you’ve not been formally introduced to.
• Ride astride along Rotten Row.

Leave your answer in the comment section for an eBook copy of The Masked Lady and The Murder. I’ll pick the winner on Sunday, April 13 using Random Number Generator.

Blurb-

When Lord Robert Markson, Viscount of Hampshire, is force to return to England to find out who murdered his father and older brother he’s in for a surprise.

It comes in the guise of Lady Kristina Rosewood, daughter to the Earl and Countess of Crossington. To many she’s quartz but to him a multifaceted diamond.

While recovering from an attempt on his life which thrust them closer together they work through emotions for each other while sorting through letters sent to his mother years ago. Slowly, they’re able to discover the one man who could have set the murders in motion. The only problem, he’s been dead for years so who could it be and more importantly why now.

Once all the evidence is compiled the answer is something neither could believe as the threat comes from within the late viscount’s house.

Writing Related

Tell us about your book(s)!

 Thanks so much for having me here today, and letting me talk about my favorite thing—books!!!  My current release, Murder at Westminster Abbey, is the second in my new series “The Kate Haywood Elizabethan Mysteries.”  After years of writing historical romances as Amanda McCabe and Laurel McKee, I love having yet another alter ego—Amanda Carmack—and getting to play in a new genre and my favorite time period (Elizabethan England)!  It's so bawdy and exciting, full of fascinating characters and amazingly wonderful poetry and music.

In Wesminster Abbey, we meet up again with Queen Elizabeth's favorite court musician, Kate Haywood, amid the splendors of the queen's glittering coronation.  But all isn't what it seems—danger lurks in the shadows of the Abbey...


Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?


 I am a Pinterest fanatic for this very reason—I love saving inspirational pics in my folders, of houses, clothes, historical images, all sorts of things.  I always kind of picture Kate as a young Rachel Weisz...


Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?


 LOL!  I don't know—if you hear of any foolproof methods let me know.  I usually find that when I'm stuck in a story I am trying to make the characters do something they don't want to do.  I try long walks, hot baths, reading research books, until it occurs to me what they DO want to do and change course....


What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?


 Hmm...I like good ones, and cry at bad ones???  Not really, LOL.  I've been writing long enough to know I can't let a bad one get me down or I will never get anything done.  I do sometimes learn something from reviews, though, so they are all useful.  And sometimes a good one can give me a boost just when I need it!

How do you relax?

 A good Pomegranate martini!!!  Also, lavender-scented baths, watching historical romance movies (like “Young Victoria” or anything from an Austen novel!), going out with friends.


What is your favorite book?


 That is a hard one!  Often my favorite is whatever I'm reading at the moment.  But I always come back to Austen's “Persuasion” or George Eliot's “Middlemarch”


Who is your favorite author?


 Jane Austen!  And the Brontes...


What is your favorite movie?

 Nothing can make me feel better than watching something with Audrey Hepburn in it!  “Roman Holiday” maybe, or “Sabrina”

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

I think I would like to meet Shakespeare, but then again I might be too intimidated to ask him anything at all!  I bet Austen would be a lot of fun.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

My first trip to my favorite city in the world—Paris!  I wandered around the streets and museums in a blissful haze for days, and ate way more macarons than I should have.  I will never forget it.  The beauty and elegance, the romance, of Paris is amazing.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Hmmm.  Once, when I was about 7, my tutu fell down in the middle of a ballet recital.  I still remember how horrifying it was!!!  Though I also laugh about it now, so it can't have been that bad.

Lighting Round:

White wine or red?  White!  Or champagne

Coffee or tea?  Tea

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Take-out!  I almost set my kitchen on fire once broiling a steak, and decided it wasn't worth the risk.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?  Chocolate, always!


Pancakes or eggs?  Pancakes!  Sadly, I am a carb fiend....


Sleep in or get up early?  Sleep in.  My mother is a morning person, we all kinda hate her for it.


Laptop or desktop for writing?  Laptop!  I usually write sitting in bed, with music playing and my dog lying beside me

Amanda has going to give away a signed copy of "Murder at Westminster Abbey".  All you have to do to enter is answer the question; "What is your favorite time period to read about? AND Who is your favorite queen in history??"  GOOD LUCK!!!

Tell us about your book(s)!

.      My first book is called A Man Above Reproach.  It’s a historical romance set in 1830s London about a brothel called the Sleeping Dove and a Duke who finds himself enthralled with a piano-playing bluestocking.  It’s my baby and it’s not even a year old yet, so I’m still very nervous-mother about it.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

·        This question continues to nettle me because I can never come up with a satisfactory answer. Now when I’m asked, I post it on my Facebook page and steal answers from my friends. This time they cast Elias, The Duke of Lennox, as: Matthew Macfayden, Tom Hiddleston, Dame Edna, Nicholas Cage, Vin Diesel, and sweaty Matthew McConahey (specifically the ‘sweaty’ version and I have to assume bare-chested). I can’t account for my friends.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

·        Write something else. I always have some projects in dock, some which will never see the light of day (and some that may). If I’m blocked on the current ‘alpha’ project, I just go to the little folder on my desktop and work on something I don’t have to feel so serious about.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

·        This is my first time being exposed to such a wide dearth of reviews and it’s not something you can really prepare for in any sense. You can intellectualize until it’s your book. That said, I think reviewing is a very important part of the process, but it’s highly subjective and not for the weak-stomached. I read mine until I thought it was interfering with my creative process, and then I stopped. I think if you want to keep writing, you can’t hover over it. You can peek, but you can’t perch.

How do you relax?

·        Not easily. I find that wine helps, but my constitution is not what it used to be, so by glass two I’m talkative and tipsy but by four I am trashed and thus useless in the morning.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

·        Done is the engine of more. The whole “Done Manifesto”: http://www.brepettis.com/blog/2009/3/3/the-cult-of-done-manifesto.html

What is your favorite book?

·        An impossible question.

Who is your favorite author?

·        Can I cheat and give a list? Saint Jane, Mr. Waugh, Mr. Wilde, Dorothy Parker, and Margaret Atwood.

What is your favorite movie?

·        Citizen Kane (and Labyrinth and F for Fake and His Girl Friday and Hysteria and the Keira Knightley Pride and Prejudice). Sorry, I can’t control myself.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

·        My first thought was I would like to talk to Aaron Burr because frankly, I have a lot of questions. Then I thought—that’s entirely selfish (because he’s just kind of my historical obsession) and this is a very serious question when you really examine it. To have the ability to talk to someone from the past could potentially benefit all of humanity in the modern timeline, so I don’t want to take it lightly. Ask again later?

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

·        In my twenties, I went to Ireland for eight days with a mix of family, friends, and strangers. It was supposed to be a trip to connect with our heritage and I suppose it was, but the only thing it proved was that my heritage is verdant and belligerent. We stayed at a different bed and breakfast every night and drove around the whole country in what seemed like a terrifying whirlwind blur. I remember the countryside as mainly out of focus from the window of a car that was going too fast. We were in Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day and it was the one of worst experiences of my life. I kissed the Blarney Stone and later found out that the Irish like to piss and god knows what else on it, which in hindsight, I really should have figured out. There are a lot of pictures of me in rocky arches, atop freezing windy hillsides, on horses, and pursing sheep. The details are blurry. I was very drunk.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

·        I have never been one to dwell.

Lighting Round:

White wine or red? : Red

Coffee or tea? : Coffee

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?: Cooking is leisure time, take out is busy time. Lately, take out.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? : Chocolate

Pancakes or eggs? : In deference to Leslie Knope, I must insist on waffles.

Sleep in or get up early? : Get up early

Laptop or desktop for writing? : Laptop, couch

Evelyn has GENEROUSLY offered to give a lucky contestant a copy of her novel on audio or paperback.  For your chance to win, answer the question; What is the one thing that bothers you about the romance genre, no matter how much you LOVE it?  GOOD LUCK, EVERYBODY!!!

Tell us about your book(s)!

My last latest release is Twice the Temptation, a historical. It’s the first book in The Temptresses series, which is connects to my first series, The Elusive Lords.  The best way to describe this series is Cheaters in the Victorian England. In Twice the Temptation, the heroine, Catherine, discover the man she loves—the man who recently proposed marriage to her—proposed marriage to her identical twin sister first. Now she must determine if it’s her he truly loves or if she’s merely a substitute for the woman he couldn’t have.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

LOL. I don’t have a clue. I’m more likely to see unknown models who I think look like my hero and heroine.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

I skip that scene and move on to another scene. 

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

I love good reviews and I’m ambivalent to bad reviews—although I tend not to read most of my reviews after the first couple weeks of the book’s release. I look for constructive criticism and what seems to be working for most readers.

Personal Questions:

How do you relax?

Read.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

This book isn’t going to write itself.

What is your favorite book?

Tangled by Emma Chase

Who is your favorite author?

Agatha Christie

What is your favorite movie?

The Usual Suspects

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why? 

Abraham Lincoln. Because he was such had such a pivotal role in our country’s history and its present.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

How about the trip I intend to take? I plan to visit England and France in the next year.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Ha! Like I’m going to post about it.


Lighting Round:

White wine or red? Neither. I don’t like wine.

Coffee or tea? Tea with lemon.

Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?  Order take out.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Chocolate all the way.

Pancakes or eggs? Pancakes.

Sleep in or get up early? Sleep in.

Laptop or desktop for writing? Laptop

Beverley is going to do a drawing and giveaway to one Lucky commenter to win a digital copy of any one of her historical novels.  All you have to do to enter is answer the question; would you continue a relationship with a man if you later learned he had gone after your sister or best friend before you two got together?   Have Fun & GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!

Writing Related:

Tell us about your book(s)!

I write what I love to read; sinfully sexy adventures with a hint of humor.  The Heart of a Duke, the regency anthology I've written with Samantha Grace, Aileen Fish, Olivia Kelly, and Christi Caldwell came out Feb 3rd! I would love to share the story with your readers.  A gypsy fortune teller, five determined young ladies, and an enchanted locket guaranteed to win the heart of a duke.  My heroine Alison is science-minded, so she doesn't want to believe in the supposedly magical pendant.  However, when her father gives her an ultimatum--choose a man to marry or he will choose one for her--the one man she truly wants isn't even offering.  In desperation, she wears the necklace, shoves aside her fears and reservations, and puts her faith in fate.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book? 

Well, the jittery yet loving and fun character of Sookie from Gilmore Girls was her inspiration, so it would be fitting to have Michelle McCarthy play her. :D  

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block? 

I have three tricks. The first thing I do is read.  Sometimes my muse just needs a refill, and that will do it.  The second thing I do is read books on writing and articles about craft.  This will often get me thinking of my story in a new way.  The final thing, and definite last resort, is I go back and delete everything they’ve done since their last major decision and gently encourage them to take another route. I rarely have to be that extreme though.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

Don’t read them. But since that is a highly unrealistic philosophy, my practical one goes something like this: hope for the good, learn from the bad, and try not to take either too personally. 

How do you relax?

I love to snuggle my kids and hubby, write, or read a good book. If I can somehow combine those, all the better. :D   

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

Dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them.

What is your favorite book?

Tough question, but I really love humor, so maybe Odd Thomas, Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, or The Secret Diary of  Miss Miranda Cheevers. I love dark adventures as well. I've recently read The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie, and I loved it.
 
Who is your favorite author?

This is almost impossible because there are just too many really great writers throughout time and in all those genres. I mean, how would I choose between Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Piers Anthony,  Douglas Adams, Julia Quinn, and all the other fantastic writers out there whose styles are so different? If that sounds like an evasion, well ... What in the world could that be? A land war in Asia? A Sicilian? A Princess? Oh, nothing? Well, let’s move along then. ;) 

What is your favorite movie?

Wow, these questions are hard. I’d have to say that I love the romances. Bridget Jones, The Mummy (the version with Brendan Frasier) and Silver Linings Playlist <3. I also love Arsenic and Old Lace, Romancing the Stone, Harvey, Rope and so many of those old movies.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

This is another of those “there are so many” questions, and yet the simple answer is NONE! I’d love to talk to Jane Austen about her time and circumstances. I’d love to talk to Ben Franklin because that man was full of wit, and Oscar Wilde for much the same reason, though he had a naughty streak. The sad truth, proven over and over in my life, is that I cannot talk to celebrities. I turn into a bumbling fool. *sigh*  So, sadly, I will never be able to sit across from Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, or Ryan Reynolds and stun them with my witty banter.

What is the most interesting trip you have ever taken?

Single trips? Not really sure. I did have a job on the road for a year though. Now those were some interesting days. I would tell you about the trip that began with tequila shots alongside human cannonball, Dave ”The Bullet” Smith, and ended with the cops and several pairs of handcuffs, but I’d have to use a memory charm on you.
Obliviate!

What was your most embarrassing moment?

I wouldn't want to have to obliviate you twice in one blog, so I will avoid the sad tales of my bumbling over celebrities and keep it simple. I poured boiling oil (and I do men boiling) over my own fingers. To make myself feel better, I made it into an experiment on the uses of boiling oil in wartime. You can read about it at Ladyscribes, if you’d like. http://ladyscribes.blogspot.com/2013/10/efficacy-of-boiling-oil-as-weapon-by.html

Lighting Round:   Oh boy! Are the questions harder and the points worth double? I’m nervous.   White wine or red?

Pass! I mean none. I live in the wine country, but the only wine I can drink tastes like juice (or so complains my husband.)   Coffee or tea?

Coffee!  Give me Starbucks, or give me . . . Sorry, I can’t think. I need my Starbucks.   Cook dinner or order take-out/delivery?

I’d love to order, but my son recently went gluten/casein/soy/almond free and corn light. That means we have to stay home and eat air flavored with oregano.   Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?

Chocolate. Yum.   Pancakes or eggs?

Both, thanks!   Sleep in or get up early?

Get up early. It’s the only way I get to write without kids in the room.   Laptop or desktop for writing?

Laptop. It’s just easier to take with me to Starbucks. ;D

Robin is offering a copy of her story, The Heart of a Duke to one commenter. Please tell me what prophecy you would like to get from a gypsy fortune teller.