Today we have, Janet Mullany,
author of Hidden Paradise.
Welcome, Janet!!
How do you develop your plots
and your characters? Do you use any set outline?
I usually start off with an idea, "I'd like to write a book about
…" and take it from there. If I'm selling on proposal I have to squeeze
out some sort of synopsis but I can't do it until I'm well into the story and
know more about the characters. I wish I had some sort of magic formula and
what's scary is that this may be the closest I get to a magic formula!
What do you think makes a good
story?
Something that stays with you after you've read it and that you want
to press into friends' hands and demand that they read it too and talk to you
about it. This is where ereaders don't quite do the job because unless it's a
book you can lend you have to hand over the entire ereader.
Is there a genre(s) that you’d
like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?
Yes, mysteries, and I have a germinating idea.
What book are you reading now?
The Night Strangers by Chris
Bohjalians which is a little disappointing so far because I was hoping it would
as crazily creepy and clever as Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger.
What did you want to be when
you grew up?
An archaeologist. I was, for a time, in my early 20s. I was really
good at shoveling dirt.
What influenced the idea for Hidden
Paradise?
I wanted to write something that tied in my interests with Jane
Austen, Regency servants, historic buildings, and the idea of people dressed up
in wonderful clothes trying (not very seriously) to reinvent Regency life. And
why not make it an erotic romance (and I just happened to be contracted for a
second book!).
Did you surprise yourself at
all, as an author, when writing this story?
I wasn't really intending to write m/m scenes but they just sort of
fell in there, although it's a very domestic sort of relationship. I think a
lot of writers agonize about the "right" way to write sex scenes,
like there's some sort of secret book with all the rules that everyone else
knows about. I've never worried about that. I take the view that it's the
characters who determine the sexual activities.
What was the most difficult to
thing/scene to write in this story?
Coming up with Regency activities that wouldn't bore the characters or
the readers to death. I couldn't write about modern women sitting around sewing
for hours! The men are better off with
fencing, boxing, and riding. There's quite a lot about dancing which was a very
sexy activity.
Did the story turn out the way
you planned from the beginning? If not, what change happened that you didn’t
expect?
I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen with the character I call
Hero #2, Rob, a footman. He's quite young, and dealing with all sorts of
problems in his family, and surprisingly he got a girlfriend toward the end of
the book. I really didn't plan that!
What do you hope readers take
with them after they’ve read this story?
That they'll have had fun and found it hot. I don't believe in books
with deep moral messages.
Fast & Fun:
Boxers or briefs? Boxers
Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek
Captain Kirk or Spock crush? Kirk, but it's mainly because I now love his TV ads
Silk or satin? Silk
Brad Pitt or George Clooney? zzzzzzzz neither
Harry Potter or Twilight? Harry Potter
Big Bang Theory or 30 Rock? Sorry, don't watch either
Wine or beer? beer
Dancing with the Stars or
American Idol? Sorry, don't watch either
Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
Heels or running shoes? Running shoes
HBO’s Game of Thrones or True
Blood? Sorry, see above
What place to travel is on your
Bucket List? Prague
When traveling do you prefer
hotels or Bed & Breakfasts? B&Bs but my
husband whines so much about inadequate bathrooms/beds we go to hotels
Was it love at first sight for
you when you met your spouse? Not really
What did you notice first when
you met your spouse? He was late!
Thank you very much for being
here. We all wish you the best of luck!!
Thanks for having me visit.
Hidden Paradise
by Janet Mullany
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALL IT SENSE AND
Sensuality...
Louisa Connelly, a recently widowed Jane Austen scholar, needs some
relief from her stifling world. When a friend calls to offer her a temporary
escape from her Montana ranch, she is whisked into a dizzying world of
sumptuous food, flowing wine...and endless temptation.
She's an honored guest at Paradise Hall, an English resort
boasting the full experience of an authentic Georgian country-house weekend.
Liveried servants tend to the every need of houseguests clad in meticulous
period costume: snug breeches, low-cut silken gowns and negligible
undergarments.
It's Mac Salazar, a journalist immersing himself fully, deeply, lustily
in the naughty pleasures of upstairs-downstairs dalliances, who piques Louisa's
curiosity-and libido-most.
He's a dilettante straight out of a novel:
uninhibited, unapologetic and nearly insatiable. But Lou's not romantic about
this much, at least: Paradise Hall is a gorgeous fantasy, nothing more. A lover
like Mac is pure fiction. And the real world beckons....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Lou took a deep breath, enjoying the solitude and silence. She took
inventory of her outfit and gathered her fan, gloves and fancy red-and-black
reticule. Her remaining silk flowers wouldn’t work with this gown, or her
headdress, a small turban which was little more than a twist of the same fabric
sewn into a circlet. But she needed some sort of adornment, some bling. She
looked at her meager collection of jewelry and picked out the ruby on a fine
gold chain that Julian had given her for their wedding. When was the last time
she had worn this? At his funeral?
For you,
Julian, she thought. You should have been here tonight. This should have been
our moment, and you would have loved the discovery of the conservatory. You’d
be out there with the Paint Boys, bashing off plaster, given half the chance.
She threaded the necklace carefully around the turban, adding a few
clumsy stitches to secure it with the sewing kit the room provided. By
candlelight, her inadequate housewifery would pass and the ruby, a large
square-cut stone, glistened. Perfect.
A touch of glossy red on her lips and she was ready, and only just in
time. She joined a flow of guests down the stairs, where women in gorgeous
gowns and men in Regency evening wear or military uniforms mingled. Footmen
passed through the crowd with trays of champagne. There was a little more light
than usual in the foyer and she guessed the floral arrangements concealed
hidden lights. A few flashbulbs exploded as they descended the steps, members
of the media incongruous in modern clothing, and a couple of camera crews.
A man stepped forward and bowed, dressed in a severe black swallowtail
coat and snowy white linen. His evening trousers were black knit that shone
with the luster of silk and clung to his beautiful physique, a lock of dark
hair tumbled over his forehead. He extended a gloved hand to her.
“Mr. Darcy, I presume,” she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio
and Links:
Janet Mullany, granddaughter of an Edwardian housemaid, was born in
England but now lives near Washington, DC. Her debut book was Dedication, the only Signet Regency to
have two bondage scenes (and which was reissued with even more sex in April
2012 from Loose-Id). Her next book, The
Rules of Gentility (HarperCollins 2007) was acquired by Little Black Dress
(UK) for whom she wrote three more Regency chicklits, A Most Lamentable Comedy, Improper Relations, and Mr. Bishop and the Actress. Her career
as a writer who does terrible things to Jane Austen began in 2010 with the
publication of Jane and the Damned
(HarperCollins), and Jane Austen: Blood
Persuasion (2011) about Jane as a vampire, and a modern retelling of Emma, Little to Hex Her, in the anthology Bespelling Jane Austen headlined by Mary Balogh. She also writes
contemporary erotic fiction for Harlequin, Tell
Me More (2011) and Hidden Paradise
(September, 2012).
Website: www.janetmullany.com
Twitter @Janet_Mullany
Book Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bixcPDj8JKA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet will pledge $1 for every comment made on the
blog tour to Heifer International (which has absolutely nothing to do with the
book but is one of her favorite nonprofits), up to $250.
Additionally, she'll award the choice of the following eBooks from her
backlist to one randomly drawn commenter at every stop: Forbidden
Shores (erotic historical romance w/a Jane Lockwood), or Tell Me More
(contemporary erotica) or The Rules of Gentility (funny sexy Regency).
To one randomly drawn host, she'll award their choice of either a 1
lb. box of Leonidas chocolates (US only) or a flock of chicks in
their name from Heifer International.
Please
leave a comment or question for Janet (and your e-mail address) on this post to
be entered in the giveaway.
Click HERE for
the complete tour schedule. The more tour stops you comment on, the better your
chances of winning. Good luck!
Thank you for hosting Janet today
ReplyDeleteHi Kacey, thanks for having me visit. I'll check in during the day.
ReplyDeleteNice interview.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com