Posts tagged with: Interview

The Importance of Being Miranda Neville

Posted by Anna Campbell Nov 27 2012, 12:01 am in An Ideal Scoundrel, Anna Campbell, art, Avon, Bandita Booty, historical romance, Interview, Miranda Neville, The Burgundy Club, The Importance of Being Wicked, The Second Seduction of a Lady, The Wild Quartet

I’m always delighted to host the sparkling Miranda Neville in the lair – not only because she’s darn good company and a wonderful guest, but also because it means she’s got another one of her wonderful books for me to read. Even better, today’s book THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED launches a new series based around some art-loving and very scandalous aristocrats.

This story is already creating great buzz around Romancelandia – for example, RT Book Reviews called it “deliciously wicked” and Publishers Weekly chose this book as one of their top 10 romances of the Fall.

Here’s the blurb:

The rules of society don’t apply to Caro and her coterie of bold men and daring women. But when passions flare, even the strongest will surrender to the law of love…. 

Thomas, Duke of Castleton, has every intention of wedding a prim and proper heiress. That is, until he sets eyes on the heiress’s cousin, easily the least proper woman he’s ever met. His devotion to family duty is no defense against the red-headed vixen whose greatest asset seems to be a talent for trouble…   

Caroline Townsend has no patience for the oh-so-suitable (and boring) men of the ton. So when the handsome but stuffy duke arrives at her doorstep, she decides to put him to the test. But her scandalous exploits awaken a desire in Thomas he never knew he had. Suddenly Caro finds herself falling for this most proper duke…while Thomas discovers there’s a great deal of fun in a little bit of wickedness.

You can read an except of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED on Miranda’s website.

Miranda, absolutely lovely to have you back again! You’re a favorite in the lair.

Thanks, Anna. A day with the Bandits is always a highlight of any blog tour.

Congratulations on THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED which is out TODAY! Can you tell us about this story?

This is the tale of two people who instantly fancy each other like mad but appear to be totally unsuited. Thomas, Duke of Castleton is an aggressively conventional man. He wants to marry an heiress, both because that’s what dukes do (amazingly they aren’t that anxious to wed courtesans and governesses) and because he’s suffering a temporary cash flow problem. His designated heiress is staying in London with her Cousin Caro, a wild widow on the edge of financial ruin. Neither is at all pleased by their mutual attraction. Gradually Thomas learns to loosen up and Caro leans to appreciate a reliable guy. I have to let myself gush a little about Thomas. Against his better judgment he lets Caro lead him into doing all sorts of naughty things–and thoroughly enjoys himself. But he never loses his inner compass and in my humble opinion is just adorable: the kind of guy we should all have as a husband (as well as being incredibly hawt).

What were the inspirations behind this book?

My previous books were set in the late Regency. I wanted to go back to the aftermath of the French Revolution, which had huge repercussions on English life and politics. The transitional period between Georgian and Regency is also a bit socially looser and the ground hasn’t been covered so extensively in historical romance. Also, I love the clothes. The 1790s are about big hair and big hats, giving way to the high-waisted look that came over from France. Caro favors particularly skimpy examples of the new styles. THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED is set in 1800, a date I picked because of a specific historical event that’s coming up in book two of the series.

I notice your latest series, The Wild Quartet, is built around art collectors. I love that theme. Can you tell us a little bit about the forthcoming books?

It’s a bit complicated to explain (evidently I have no understanding of High Concept). Four young men met at Oxford and were thrown out of the university. They went on a tear around England the Continent, gaining bad reputations and worse habits. Caro’s first husband, Robert, was one of the four and the others are the heroes of the next three books. But The Wild Quartet isn’t a happy group-of-friends series. Their relationships are complex and not always cordial and the resolution of their issues is part of the story arc as they grow up and find their heroines.

One of the things that drew the quartet together was an interest in art. The eighteenth century nobility had an unquenchable lust for art and antiquities which spread to the middle classes. All sort of aesthetic theories were bandied about and London was full of artists. Caro keeps a kind of salon for young artists and you can imagine what her stuffy duke thinks of that! Robert gave her a Titian for a wedding present and she has it stashed away to hide it from her creditors. Thomas is more of a horse and dog man when it comes to paintings.

Horse and dog man? Love it! What’s next for The Wild Quartet?

Art will play a part in subsequent books, not so much in the second book of the series, AN IDEAL SCOUNDREL. I won’t say much about it because it’s not quite finished–it’s due in about ten minutes. It features Caro’s heiress cousin Anne and Marcus Lithgow, who shows himself to be a very bad boy in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED.

Any chance of your art collectors and the bibliophiles from your marvellous Burgundy Club series crossing paths?

Not unless we meet them as children! If I can find a role for him, I may introduce Lord Hugo Hartley, an elderly connoisseur who has appeared in several of my books.

A treat for readers, a delicious novella appeared in October to launch this series. Can you tell us about THE SECOND SEDUCTION OF A LADY?

Set seven years earlier, the novella introduces Caro when she’s falling in love with Robert (who later dies). But the story is about Robert’s guardian Max Quinton and the woman he loved and lost. Eleanor dumped him when she learned he’d taken part in a bet over her with friends, but when they meet again by chance, Max is determined not to let her get away again. This is my first shot at the reunited lovers trope, but it won’t be my last.

I’m intrigued to know whether you see any particular trends in historical romance at the moment (apart from luscious, romantic covers!).

I think it’s a very exciting time to be writing historical romance. Scandalous, sinful, seductive Regency dukes aren’t going away (neither would I wish them to!) but we’re seeing more variety. Although nineteenth-century England and Scotland are still the most popular settings, we’re seeing more characters from different classes and greater scope for quirky stories and characters. While the self-publishing movement hasn’t yet affected historicals as much as it has some other subgenres, I feel a kind of buoyancy and sense of possibility among authors, a willingness to experiment. I’d be very curious to know if other writers agree–and if readers are finding and enjoying new kinds of stories.

I had so much fun researching the art background to this book. Surfing the internet for paintings is my idea of a good time. (Visiting museums with Anna Campbell is even more fun, but darn it she lives too far away!) What kind of art do you enjoy? Do you have favorite artists or art galleries?

Ah, Miranda, I still have fond memories of the guards at the National Gallery of Art wanting to throw us out because we were being too naughty. Too long since we’ve done that!

OK, everyone, Miranda has very kindly offered TWO prizes today (international). Print editions of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING WICKED and THE SECOND SEDUCTION OF A LADY. Yum! Get commenting!

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Kylie Scott in the Flesh!

Posted by Anna Campbell Oct 19 2012, 12:03 am in Anna Campbell, Australian Author, Bandita Booty, Debut Author, e-books, Flesh, Interview, Momentum, post-apocalyptic, zombies

Today I’m delighted to introduce a good friend and very talented writer Kylie Scott who is going to tell us all about her brilliant debut novel FLESH, from Momentum Books, the digital division of Pan MacMillan Australia. The book is available worldwide – here’s the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Flesh-ebook/dp/B0095ELMTA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347513187&sr=1-1&keywords=Flesh+Kylie+Scott

FLESH, described on Kylie’s website as a M/F/M post-apocalyptic erotic romance (hmm, seems we’re not in Kansas anymore, guys!) is selling its little socks off – even if the socks do occasionally contain rotted bits of feet. Yeah, it’s a zombie novel!

Reviews have been pretty nice too. To give you an example, Rosie at Fangtastic Books says, “FLESH is a fast paced thriller, a stunningly sensual feast and a funny, tragic, horrifying emotional journey in a world torn apart. It’s erotic, it’s got zombies, and it’s fun.”

I first encountered Kylie’s wonderful writing when she came to a workshop at my house on writing deep point of view. A critique was part of the training and I was immediately blown away by Kylie’s prose, not to mention her dab hand with a hot scene. These people fleeing the zombie apocalypse sure know how to keep warm! I wasn’t at all surprised when shortly after the workshop, Kylie contacted me to say she’d found a publisher.

You can find out more about Kylie on her website: http://www.kylie-scott.com/

Kylie, welcome to the lair! Congratulations on the release of your debut, FLESH. Can you tell us about this story?

Thank you so much for letting me visit, ladies!

FLESH is the story of Ali, Daniel and Finn. Ali has been hiding in an attic since civilisation collapsed eight weeks ago. When the plague struck her neighbours turned into mindless, hungry, homicidal maniacs. Daniel has been a loner his entire life. Then the world empties and he realises that being alone isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Finn is a former cop who is desperate for companionship, and willing to do anything it takes to protect the survivors around him.

When the three cross paths they band together; sparks fly, romance blooms in the wasteland and Ali, Daniel and Finn bend to their very human needs in the ruins of civilisation. Lust, love and trust all come under fire in Flesh as the three battle to survive, hunted through the suburban wastelands.

What were the inspirations behind this book?

I’ve always been fascinated by what life would be like if society went to pot. No more law and order. No more electricity. What on earth would we do without the internet? Scary times indeed. Also, I was keen to try my hand at writing a ménage but I felt I needed a situation where a loving, long-term relationship involving three people was a viable alternative. Creating a deficit of women fit my evil plans to perfection.

As for the Zombies…there’s a very real chance my big brother exposed me to too many B-grade films back in the 80’s. He worked in a video shop and was always bringing home crazy horror and action/adventure movies. Things like EVIL DEAD and Romero’s LIVING DEAD series, plus tons of futuristic titles starring Arnie or Van Damme or the like. It couldn’t have been healthy for an impressionable young mind.

Zombies seem to be a rising force in genre fiction. Any thoughts?

There’s certainly a lot of fans coming out of the closet (or dark, dank underground tombs, as it were). I’m not sure what the popularity of reducing people to slobbering, mindless creatures in pursuit of their next meal says about the collective unconscious. Writing wise, Zombies make a great threat. They’re always lurking out there, waiting for you to mess up so they can snack on your innards. They lack the grace and glamour of vampires, and they’re not as cool and sexy as werewolves. Zombies are grittier and nastier. They’re walking death and decay in all its gory glory. Maybe they’re a testament to our will to survive and to have hope for a better future. Or maybe it’s just time for body bits to start dropping off…

We love call stories in the lair. Can you give us yours?

Aah, Momentum. I love them so. I’d already had one offer and was still waiting on a response from New York when I decided to submit to them. Their energy and originality when it came to engaging with their audience on Twitter and FaceBook really appealed to me. I submitted as part of their regular Momentum Monday and the next morning Anne Treasure asked for the full. A week later Joel Naoum offered me a contract. It was hugely exciting. Their enthusiasm for my story was wonderful. It was wildly exciting.

What’s next for you?

I have a short story coming out 1^st November also with Momentum. It’s called ROOM WITH A VIEW and is set in the same Post-Zombie-Apocalypse world as FLESH but features different characters. The story is part of the HOT DOWN UNDER short story series. 14 Australian romance writers publishing erotic short stories with Australia’s first ever digital imprint. How neat is that?

Very neat! Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Write about what you love. Be brave!

Great advice. Do you have a question for the Bandits and Bandita Buddies to get conversation going?

My Post-Zombie-Apocalypse plan involves boarding up the house and hunkering down with the collected works of Jane Austen and tins of home brand spaghetti until everything calms down. Got a plan? Share it with me in the comments for a chance to win a copy of FLESH…