New interview with romance author Rachel Brimble

Novelist Rachel Brimble is back! Today we’re chatting about her new Edwardian romance/sage, The Mistress of Pennington’s.

During her virtual book tour, Rachel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. Since 2007, she has had several novels published by small US presses, eight books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical.

In January 2018, she signed a four-book deal with Aria Fiction for a brand new Edwardian series set in Bath’s finest department store. The first book is The Mistress of Pennington’s.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Rachel.

Please tell us about your newest release.

The Mistress of Pennington’s is an Edwardian romance/saga set in Bath’s finest department store. The theme is female empowerment and the story is about Elizabeth Pennington’s fight to convince her father that she should take her rightful place as heiress to Pennington’s Department Store. The story is full of ambition, intrigue, suspense and romance…

What inspired you to write this book?

I loved the TV series The Paradise and Mr Selfridge, but something was missing for me. I soon realised I wanted more focus on the female characters and the women’s issues of the day. I struggled for a long time wondering whether writing a book in a department store was the right thing to do but when Aria Fiction offered me a four-book deal on the basis of The Mistress Of Pennington’s, I was convinced my instinct to write a series was right!


Excerpt from The Mistress of Pennington's:

He moved to walk away, and she reached for his arm before she could think just how dangerous such contact could be. He halted, and even when he looked at her fingers clutched on his forearm, she did not remove them. It suddenly felt important she touch him; that he understood she had care for what he said or asked her.

Even though the physical contact set her heart racing, she held her grasp. ‘Why do you ask me about your family?’

He closed his eyes and dropped his chin to his chest.

Disquiet whispered through her. What had caused such uncharacteristic hesitation in him?

‘Joseph…’ She slid her hand from his arm, ignoring the pang of loss that the break of contact brought. ‘If there’s something bothering you, please, share it with me.’

He slowly raised his head, his blue eyes full of irritation once more. ‘I will, but not here. Not on the street. I’d prefer to come to your office tomorrow.’

How was she supposed to wait until tomorrow? Her curiosity was rife. It was clear something had changed between them. Something, it seemed, of which she was the cause.

She nodded. ‘I’ll send a message to you first thing in the morning.’

‘Thank you. Until then, I bid you good day.’

He walked away, leaving Elizabeth with questions and words flailing on her tongue. She stared after him, fearful of the pull deep in her chest that Joseph’s concerns had somehow become hers. No good could come of such caring. Her only goal should be proving her worth and capability in Pennington’s and beyond. She could not allow one man, any man, to have such an effect on her.

She inhaled a long breath and walked towards Pennington’s doors.

What’s the next writing project?

I am waiting for edits for Pennington book 2 (The Suffragette At Pennington’s releases Jan 2019) and also writing the first draft of Pennington’s book 3. I’ve also plotted a brand new contemporary romantic suspense which I hope to get started on within the next month or so. Busy, busy!

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

My biggest challenge is always ensuring the plot idea I have is strong enough to stretch to 90,000 words! I plan my books rather than just write by the seat of my pants but every book I write seems to come to a screeching stop around the 50,000 word mark and I have to figure out what’s missing. So far, I’ve managed to find it…often with the help of my critique partners! Writing is hard and, unfortunately, doesn’t seem to get any easier.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

A bit of both – before I start a book I read a lot about the period and issue I want to explore, if historical or the issue if I’m writing contemporary. I tend to plot quite a bit before I start writing but once I start, I write the first draft from beginning to end without looking back. If anything needs researching pops up during that first draft, I’ll make a note and push on. For me, moving forward is the best way to ensure a book is finished.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I am lucky enough to have a home office with a huge antique white desk and bookshelves as well as two corkboards in front of me for all my story ‘visuals’. As I live in the UK, I am more or less in my office every day because of the weather but, in the summer months, there is nothing I love more than taking my laptop into the garden.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

So many! But my favourites are Nora Roberts and Jill Shalvis for contemporary and Philippa Gregory and Alex Grecian for historical. I read a lot of non-fiction historical stuff, too. Especially biographies of past British kings and queens.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

Just to thank everyone who buys my books and has followed me on my journey – I appreciate every one of you! Oh, and my next release is Pennington’s book 2 – The Suffragette At Pennington’s is due for release in January 2019.

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Group | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

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New interview with author Rachel Brimble

Romance author Rachel Brimble joins me today. We’re chatting about her new romantic suspense, If I Want You.

During her virtual book tour, Rachel will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had seven books published by Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and an eighth coming in Feb 2018. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical Press.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Welcome, Rachel. Please share a little bit about your current release.

If I Want You is the first single title romantic suspense I have written for a while and I’m so excited for its release! It’s a little darker than I’ve written before but the sexual tension and mutual respect that simmers between the hero and heroine meant I had to ‘beef up’ the suspense to level things out. It revolves around a child abduction that provokes memories the heroine would rather forget about her own childhood kidnapping. She is on a mission to save the abducted little girl and has the perfect hero on hand to help her.

What inspired you to write this book?
I am a huge fan of crime novels as well as TV dramas where there is some kind of suspense or mystery interwoven into the plot. I have wanted to write something more crime-related for a while, but I also wanted to write a relationship running through the main plot. The idea for If I Want You came from me tapping into the worst thing that could happen to my family and all the emotions that come with it.

Excerpt from If I Want You:
Sensing her discomfort, he stopped and leaned against the bureau. God, did he frighten her? Surely not, or she wouldn’t be here. Or did she sense his attraction toward her and would do all she could to deflect it? He didn’t doubt for one minute his eyes gave away his appreciation whenever he looked at her.

He lifted the can to his lips. “So, what have you been thinking about?”

She tapped a peach-painted nail on the bureau. “This.”

“The bureau?”

“Principal White’s bureau.”

He frowned. “How did you know it was hers?”

“She mentioned you were working on a bureau for her when I was in the school office. I assumed this is it.”

“It is.”

“Good, because that makes it all the easier for me to give you your first assignment.”

“You want me to talk to her.”

She smiled, took a few tentative steps closer to him. “Got it in one, Watson.”

He smiled, pleased to see genuine mischief shining in her eyes. “I’m Watson?”

“Yep.”

“So that makes you Holmes. Not sure I like being anyone’s sidekick.”

Another couple of steps closer until no more than a couple of feet separated them. She met his eyes and his heart kicked. Her V-neck shirt was just the right side of professional. Yet, the way it revealed her collarbones and hugged her full breasts made him want to reach out and pull her into his arms, kiss her, taste her…

“You’re staring, Watson.”

He blinked and snapped his gaze from her breasts, rare heat hitting his face. “Sorry. You look nice.”

“Thanks.” She raised her eyebrows and nodded toward his chest. “So do you.”

He smiled. “Why don’t we go inside? It’s way too hot out here.”

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am currently revising another romantic suspense which I hope will be the start of a brand new series as well as working on the first draft of a new Edward romance which I am absolutely loving right now. I think it might even my best work so far, but we’ll see how it turns out!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When my first book was published back in 2007 – I think it’s very hard to for a writer or novelist to accept that’s what they are until they hold a published body of work in their hands. Of course, you’re a writer as soon as you put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m lucky enough to write full-time and never take that luxury for granted. I work as hard as I would in any other job. During the week, I work from 8.30am to 5.30pm with two dog walks and a short lunch break in between. At the weekend, I try not to work at all but find that impossible when I have deadline looming.

Things were a lot harder when my daughters were young, but they’re now 18 and 16 and don’t really pay a lot of attention to what mum is doing, lol!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t think I have any writing quirks as such – although you might say it’s a quirk that I turn into a savage animal when I CAN’T write!

 
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Write – I always wrote stories for myself and my friends and then around the age of 11, I decided the only ‘real’ writing was journalism. Unfortunately, life took an unexpected turn and I had to go out to work at 16. I worked in a bank for 10 years before staying home to raise my daughters. When the youngest started school full-time, I had a ‘now or never’ moment and sat down to start my first novel. Searching for Sophie was published 18 months later.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I am a social media nut so if you want to know what I’m up to work wise and personally, but sure to follow me on Twitter, Instagram etc.

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

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Interview with contemporary romance author Rachel Brimble

I’m featuring contemporary romance author Rachel Brimble today as one stop in her virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for her new novel, Her Hometown Redemption.   

During her tour, Rachel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released Jan 2015.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us about your current release.
Her Hometown Redemption is book 5 in my Harlequin Superromance Templeton Cove series, but all the books can be read as stand-alone stories. This is a reunion story between former banker turned party planner, Tanya Todd and criminal lawyer, Liam Browne.

What inspired you to write this book?
Tanya and Liam appeared as secondary characters in book three (What Belongs To Her) of the series and during the writing of the book, it emerged that these two had a history together. Whatever led to their break-up is hinted at but never fully revealed. As I finished book 4 (Christmas At The Cove), Tanya started nudging me to write her and Liam’s story…she is the type of woman who’s hard to ignore!

Excerpt from Her Hometown Redemption:
He stepped toward the window and peered through the small gap between the frame and the closed blind. An array of glass display cabinets stood side by side, waiting to be filled with whatever party planners filled cabinets with, as well as what looked like a rolled rug or carpet. He was about to pull back and get his ass over to his own office where it belonged, when a very female shadow passed over the cabinets. Judging by the curve of breasts he remembered only too well, Tanya had just made herself visible. He smiled. “Got you.”

He walked back to the door and bent down, pushing open the letterbox. “Tanya, open up. I know you’re in there. Look, I just want to talk to you, okay?” Liam darted his gaze over the gleaming white floor tiles and a stack of boxes. “If you’re still upset about the whole tossing you on the couch thing, I’m sor––”

A brief glance of black denim clad legs whipped into his limited vision before a lock clicked. Tanya flung the door open with such force he nearly fell face first onto her office floor. He gripped the doorjamb and straightened.

She stared into his eyes, her darkening with sadness. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”

He frowned. “Are you okay?”

She blinked. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

His smile dissolved and his heart kicked painfully. “What?”

“I’m sorry for a lot of things, but I’m sorry for hurting you most of all.”

When a tear slipped down her cheek, Liam reached for her before he could think just how stupid a mistake that might be. “Hey, come here.”

Taking her hand in his, Liam leaned down to retrieve his briefcase before kicking the door closed. Dropping the case a second time, he led Tanya to a low wooden cabinet and drew his hands to her waist, lifted her and sat her down on top. Her legs opened and he stood between them…just like he used to.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am just polishing my first single title romantic suspense – the proposal is currently under consideration with several publishers so I’m hoping for some good news soon! As well as that I am working on the first draft on what will be book six in the Templeton Cove series – it will be a mainstream romance which introduces two brand new characters to the Cove. I am very excited about these two!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’d like to say when I first started seriously writing toward publication – once you write, you’re a writer! Yet, I think I truly started ‘owning’ it once I signed a contract with Harlequin in 2012 – it had always been a goal of mine to be published by Harlequin and I’d finally made it J

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am one of the lucky few able to write full time and I am always determined to treat my writing as a job. I work 8.30am to 5.30pm through the week (with an hour for lunch) and then as much as I can on the weekend. Family time is in the evenings…or maybe I should be more honest and say TV time, lol!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Um…I don’t think I have one! Does that make me boring??

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A journalist – I know I always wanted to write but it never occurred to me that I could make a living as a novelist even though fiction has always been my first love. I never did make it as a journalist, instead, I ended up working in a bank for ten years.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes! As well as Her Hometown Redemption, I also have my fourth Victorian romance (eKensington/Lyrical) coming in March 2016 – I would love your readers to mark their diaries for that one too!

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers 

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Harlequin

Thanks, Rachel!

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Interview with Victorian romance author Rachel Brimble

Author Rachel Brimble is here today to chat about her new Victorian romance novel, What a Woman Desires.

During her virtual book tour, Rachel will be awarding a signed paperback copy of What a Woman Desires and a tote bag to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win these prizes, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released Jan 2015.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us about your current release.
What a Woman Desires is the third book in my Victorian series with eKensington/Lyrical Press––although all the books can be read stand alone. Set in Bath and the Wiltshire village of Biddestone, What a Woman Desires is a reunion story between upper-middle class heiress turned actress, Monica Danes and her family’s groom, Thomas Ashby. Not happy at home, Monica fled to Bath to pursue her dream of becoming an actress five years before the book opens - a family tragedy means she has to return home…whether she wants to or not…

What inspired you to write this book?
During the writing of the previous book, The Temptation of Laura, Monica pushed herself forward even though I only ever meant for her to remain a secondary character. I heard her voice so strongly and knew her history and story were worth telling. I plotted most of What a Woman Desires while writing the preceding book, it was most inconvenient!

Excerpt from What a Woman Desires:

Thomas clenched his jaw as Monica tightened her arms around his waist. He longed to feel the weight of her head on his back, too, but knew well enough she would not lean on him considering the dark cloud under which he left Marksville the night before. He purposely kept Jake at a slow walk, wanting this closeness between him and Monica to last as long as possible. He’d been foolish enough to wake this morning, thinking the night apart had strengthened his resolve and he would be strong enough to accept her as his employer and nothing else.

Now he was with her, the notion was laughable—but one he must adhere to.

He needed to play nice and convince her staying at Marksville wouldn’t mean the future she dreaded. If he could do that, he would keep his father’s legacy intact and maybe, one day, his son would take the reins and become a groom to the Danes family as two generations had before him. She had to understand positions like his and Mrs. Seton’s weren’t just jobs, they were a livelihood, a lifestyle, and treasured way of life.

He’d come out of the stable yard astride Jake, and as soon as he had seen Monica standing alone, her head back and her breasts thrust forward, nothing of his job entered his mind. Only pure, unadulterated attraction had surged through him. The sun glowed on her dark hair like a million dancing lights and, with her hands on her hips, her delicate figure taunted him with forbidden possibility that had lingered in his subconscious forever. Even in mourning, the woman was beautiful.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I have just finished the fourth and final book in the series and sent it to my agent. Once she has read it, I will send to my editor and pray he likes it! This story is Jane’s story (younger sister of Monica) and focuses on her need to sever the bonds of the unrequited love of Biddestone’s squire, Matthew Cleaves…things don’t go quite as she planned.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I would like to say it was when the Wild Rose Press published by first book, Searching for Sophie in 2007, but I still couldn’t tell people confidently that I was an author. It wasn’t until I signed with Harlequin Superromance in 2011, that I truly believed in myself and started to imagine a life doing what I love. Since then, I have gone on to sign five books with Harlequin and four with eKensington. I am a very happy lady!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mum to two teenage girls – I pretty much write from 8.30 to 5.30pm (with an enforced lunch hour) during the week and then as much as possible on the weekend. Writing is my oxygen, I can’t function without working.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m not sure that I have one! I need silence to create but can edit with background noise. As for where I write, I can write anywhere – at my desk, the garden, cafes, coffee shops…

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I didn’t know it for many years, but in retrospect, I always wanted to be an author. I was avid reader as a child and used to write stories where I would bind the pages together with ribbon. As I got older, I decided I wanted to be a journalist but personal circumstance at home meant I left school and got a ‘proper job’ as an insurance broker. It wasn’t until my youngest daughter started school that I had my ‘now or never’ moment. I haven’t looked back since.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes! Look out for my next Harlequin Superromance, Her Hometown Redemption, coming in September. LOVED writing this book!

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers 

Thank you for being here today, Rachel!

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Interview with romantic suspense author Rachel Brimble

Romantic suspense author Rachel Brimble is stopping here today as she tours her novel A Man Like Him from Harlequin.

During the tour, Rachel will be awarding a lucky commenter a $25 Amazon gift card. To be entered to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, visit other tour stops and leave comments there, too.

Bio:

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013.

16 Marsden Place with Omnific Publishing is her first romantic comedy since 2010.

She has just signed a further three-book contract with Harlequin Superromance.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England…although she hopes a dream visit to Canada might just change her mind!

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers.

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us about your current release.

A Man Like Him is a romantic suspense and the second book in an ongoing series with Harlequin Superromance. The books are set in the fictional UK seaside town of Templeton Cove and feature an array of new characters as well as catching up with old ones.

This book was inspired by my real-life experience of being rescued by helicopter from a hotel roof during the 2010 French floods. The opening chapters are an almost hour-by-hour account of what happened to me and my family…

Blurb:

Changing her life...again

After two years in hiding, Angela Taylor knows her independence is worth it. As long as she can escape her past, she has everything under control. Until a flash flood hits the park where she works, and hot Chris Forrester shows up the exact moment she needs a hero.

Chris proves he can save lives-and weaken a girl's knees. But how can she make him understand that she's off-limits, that getting close to her will endanger his life? Her happiness or his safety: it shouldn't even be a choice.

Because when you love someone, you protect them, no matter the cost. At least, that's what Angela keeps telling herself....

Excerpt:

Their eyes locked and Chris’ gaze dropped to her mouth. It fell ajar and her tongue poked out to wet her bottom lip. He snatched his gaze back to the sky. They were in the middle of a disaster situation. They were reaching out to each other for support. Nothing more. Nothing less. So why the hell was his heart beating like a damn jackhammer?

He shielded his eyes against the sun and prayed to God she hadn’t seen his need to kiss her. He focused on the helicopters. “Damn it.”

She shifted beside him and he felt her gaze on him once more. “What is it?”

“They’re not going to be any help to the people stranded in the trees.”

“Of course--”

“Those vultures aren’t going to do a damn bit of good. Where are the rescue teams?”

“What are you talking about? What vultures?”

“Can’t you see?” He shot his arm toward the sky as frustration hummed along his nerve endings. “They’re TV helicopters. A fat lot of bloody help--”

“TV cameras? Oh, my God.”

Chris turned. Her face grew ashen and she swayed back on her heels, her eyes wide with terror. She gripped his forearm. “Help me. Don’t let them see me. You have to do something.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Chris, please. Help me.”

Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and she buried her face into his chest. He brought one hand to the back of her head, the other to the small of her back and pulled her close. She fit the contours of his body like she was meant to be there.

He held her tight. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head against his chest. “It’s over. It’s all over.”

The helicopters circled one more time and then flew away, disappearing over the horizon once more. “They’ve gone. Angela? Look at me. What is it?”

She pulled back and tears slipped over her lower lids and down her cheeks. “I’m dead. He’s coming. He’s coming and this time he’ll kill me.”

He gripped her forearms, adrenaline filling his blood on a protective wave. “Who will? What are you talking about?”

She closed her eyes. “My husband.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have just returned the first round edits for book three in the series to my editor – this is a mainstream contemporary romance set in and around Templeton Cove’s fairground. I LOVE this book as much as the others but this is the first that reduced me to tears. What Belongs to Her will be published in March 2014. As well as that, I am writing the first draft of book four (otherwise known as the ‘crappy’ draft), a Xmas 2014 book in the series. On top of that I’m going through final edits for my second Victorian romance with eKensington. The Temptation of Laura will be released in February 2014 and I am pleased to announce I have just contracted books 3 and 4 with Kensington too. Busy, busy!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When my first book was contracted with The Wild Rose Press. When Searching for Sophie was published in July 2007, it gave me the much needed belief that I might actually be able to write and the dream began of making this my career. At long last, that dream is happening and I am making money from doing what I love. Hurrah!!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I am lucky enough to write full-time around my husband, two daughters (14 &12) and my mad black Lab, Max. My usual day is getting the kids off to school and then I am at my laptop from 8.30-11.30 when I take a break to walk Max, then I work through until 3.30pm when the kids come home. After that, it is time for chores, making dinner etc with trips back and forth to the laptop when I can until 7pm. After 7pm, it is strictly family time…aka lounging in the bath, followed by TV time, LOL! :D

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Ooh, tough question! I’m not sure that I have one…the only thing I can say is that I become extremely savage, almost monster like, when I haven’t written for a couple of days. My family is used to it now, but it is the most horrible, disconcerted feeling. Writing is my obsession.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer, honestly. I was about seven or eight when I started writing and making little books of my own from paper, a hole punch and ribbon. I then decided at twelve, I would someday live in a swanky flat in London, living off of my high-paid journalist job. The reality? I left school at 16, worked in a bank for 10 years before I had my eldest daughter. I didn’t have my ‘it’s now or never moment’ until daughter number two was born. I was lucky to have my first novel published…after SEVERAL rewrites ;)

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I have had some great reader comments about my Templeton Cove series and would love to know what readers love so much about series books and if they think the saturated market has room for more.

Also, I would love readers to follow me on Twitter for my daily madness – it’s the best way to see the real and, often frantic, me! Other ways to connect include: Website | Blog | Facebook 

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Harlequin 

Thanks for stopping by, Rachel. I absolutely know what you mean about the feeling you get if you can’t write for a couple of days!