Author Jo Leigh lost her husband this year to cancer. Theirs was a story of reunited lovers worthy of a romance novel. The loss of her husband hit her hard, both emotionally and financially. (authors are self-employed, so often have no medical insurance.)

In an effort to raise money to help her pay off those medical debts, the romance community has once again banded together to support one of their own and an auction is being held. This is a wonderful way to purchase gifts for yourself or a loved one AND write it off on your taxes.

Check out all the wonderful items here: http://www.forjoleigh.com

I’ve donated:

• two Marked series coffee mugs, a Tor Books keychain that lights up when squeezed, an autographed ARC of EVE OF DARKNESS (April 28, 2009), and some surprises
• a tote bag with an autographed coverflat and ARC of IN THE FLESH (June 2, 2009).

Please spread the word about the auction to any loops, forums, etc. that you might be on.

Hugs,
Sylvia

Hi everyone!

This is Marie-Claude. Happy Thanksgiving for those in the US!! I am Canadian and my husband British and we never celebrated Thanksgiving on this day before we moved to the US but now we do, every year. I have to say that this is my favorite holiday. There are so much in life to be thankful for, that I’m glad to have one special day to focus on these beautiful things and also to share a meal with family and friends.

And someone is getting a little something more to be thankful for today. We have a winner from Mondays commenters…..Quilt Lady!!!! Congratulations!

So today Barbara Longley returns to interview one of her character from TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER, Madame Giselle.

To you Barbara:

——————————————————————-

I’m ten feet from the same green-and-white striped tent Alethia Goodsky faced before being sent back in time. The hackles on my neck have risen, and I feel like I’m in the presence of an extraterrestrial—my fight-or-flight instinct is flashing code red. Madame Giselle, or rather Áine, her true name, is not human, nor is she mortal. She messes with people’s lives big time, and I want to know why.

Giselle: “Come, child. You’ve kept me waiting with your speculations. You have nothing to fear.”

Barb: “No? I’m not so sure.”

I follow her into the tent and take a seat in the very chair Alethia must’ve sat in for her “reading.” Gulp. At least she’s appearing as a human today.

Giselle: “What is it you wish to know? Keep in mind there are things I cannot reveal.”

Barb: “I want to know how you justify meddling with people’s lives the way you do? I’ve heard there are laws governing the Tuatha Dé Dannan, just like there are laws for humans. Aren’t you breaking some kind of universal code of ethics when you take a person out of their own life and time?”

Giselle: “You’re an educated woman. Surely you’ve heard the term ‘cultural relativism.’ The laws that apply to me do not translate into mortal concepts of right and wrong, ethical or unethical. Your race cannot comprehend a universal code of ethics until you can adequately define a universe. And believe me human; such an endeavor is beyond your species at present.

Barb: “Still, we are sentient beings. We have rights.” She laughs. And for an instant I glimpse the ethereal being beneath the glamour, and a chill runs down my spine.

Giselle: “Define meddling. Time is not linear as you imagine. Time loops, twists and turns back on itself. I’m a time traveler, and it is the prerogative of my kind to change events and mortal lives as we see fit in any epoch. How do you know my interference isn’t part of some grand design? Or fate? I was once known by the Celts as the goddess of love.”

Barb: “Really? I did not know that. Still, have you given any thought to the disruption and the pain you cause?”

Giselle: “Fleeting.” She shrugs. “Compared to me, you have the lifespan of a fruit fly.”

Barb: “Well . . . alrighty then.”

Giselle: “I’ve said enough. Before I leave, I will bestow upon you a blessing. May your stories bring pleasure to those who read them, and may you never run out of words.”

Barb: “Thanks. Are you going to continue popping into my stories?”

Giselle: “Count on it.”

——————————————————————————————-

This is a very intriguing interview Barbara and very sweet that Giselle gives you this blessing. Yes, I agree, may your stories bring pleasure to those who read them. I am looking forward to see TRUE TO THE HIGLANDER in print.

Thank you for your interview Barbara and thank you to Sylvia for letting us come today.

Happy Thanksgiving to all,

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Well, the voting is over for this round and the remaining contestants will be announced on Dec 15th. So you’ll have to be patient…But while waiting, we still have three weeks of interviews left. So you can drop by to learn more about the rest of the contestants before the next round begins.

Before we start today, we have a winner!!!! Minx Malone. Congratulations!!!

And now let’s meet Barbara Longley who finaled with her time-travel historical TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER.

M-C: Barbara, what is the first thing you did when you found out that you were an American Title V finalist.

Barbara: I never knew I’d finaled. The e-mail from Dorchester went straight into spam! My critique partner, also a finalist, called me while I was teaching a group of third graders and filled me in. Then of course I squealed like a little girl and hopped around the room. My third graders were greatly amused by my undignified behavior.

M-C: Well, you had all the rights do overreact! So far has the final changed things for you with your writing?

Barbara: Participating in the American Title V contest is a thrill; however, my writing has slowed down considerably as a result. Between printing off little promo cards, campaigning, blogging and keeping up on everyone else’s blogs . . . well, it’s kept me pretty busy. I work full time as well, and I have a puppy. She’s kind of an empty nester compensation thing. My youngest is off to college and living large on campus.

M-C: Yes, it is a lot of work isn’t it. You have the word “highlander” in your title. I am very curious to find out what your story is all about?

Barbara: My story is about a young violinist who is sent back in time to save a life. Whose life she is to save is a mystery until the end of the story. She assumes it’s her self-appointed, overbearing protector; he thinks so too. She keeps trying to get the job done, while he keeps trying to keep her out of trouble. There are quite a few subplots, twists and turns. I wish I could put the whole synopsis here . . . it’s so hard to boil it down into a few words, isn’t it?

M-C: Well, you do a good job at making this an intriguing must-read story! Where did you get the ideas for TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER?

Barbara: I got the idea from a book I read about haunted castles in the UK. I thought to myself, “What if someone had gone back in time to rescue the poor woman who haunts this castle . . . “ Well, my heroine does save her life, but she’s not the one my heroine was sent to save, just another fray she jumps into.

M-C: Haunted castles….Now I am very curious! How would best characterize your writing style or tone?

Barbara: Witty, lyrical in places, angsty (is this a word?) complex, layered.

There is a lot of humor in the story, dry humor, sometimes sarcastic. Man, M-C, you’re making me think here. I like my characters to experience the whole gamut of emotions on the human spectrum, and I hope the readers will be there with them.

M-C: Do you have any idea about what prompts you to write in those certain tones?

Barbara: I haven’t really asked myself why I write what I write. A story comes to me, and I just go with it. I know why I love romance though. Life is tough, and we all need a little relief. I started reading romance when I was going through a very painful divorce. I needed the “happily-ever-after” fix romance never fails to deliver. Now I’m hooked. I refer to the romance section of the bookstore as the Happily-Ever-After section.

M-C: Yes, the happily-ever-after is always important for me too. With an historical, the setting must also be important?

Barbara: The setting is absolutely essential to the story. Other than the opening, which takes place at a Renaissance festival in New York, the story is set in 1423AD, in the Highlands of Scotland. The historical atmosphere of the time is very important. James I, Scotland’s heir to the throne, has been held captive by the English for 18 years and the hero’s father is part of the contingency of Scottish nobles who negotiated his release. England’s king Henry has died, and his heir is only a year old. The Scottish Highland clans are at each other’s throats, and the historical and treacherous reconciliation feast between the MacKintosh and Comyn clans, enemies since the days of Robert the Bruce, actually did occur. Alethia has an impact on a lot of lives, none of who turn out to be her ticket home as she had hoped.

M-C: I just love Scottish history. Would you say TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER is more character-driven or plot-driven?

Barbara: My stories are all character driven with a strong plot. So I guess you’d have to say both? Your characters can’t grow or have any kind of an arc if your plot is weak, can they? And a great plot goes nowhere if your characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts.

M-C Can you describe the pace of the story?

Barbara: My story is pretty fast paced. Alethia (heroine) lands herself in “situations” one right after another, beginning with her visit with the fortuneteller who sends her back in time, and almost ending when she’s captured by Black Hugh, who wishes to exact his revenge against our hero through her.

M-C What do you think readers will get out of reading TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER?

Barbara: The theme I hope comes through is that anyone can be a hero given the right circumstances. Alethia is an introvert, a violin playing music geek with no aspirations of heroism, and yet she truly is the best kind of hero. Her compassion, selflessness and wit come forth as she grows into her own inner strength.

M-C She seems like a lovely heroine and I love her name. Do you have any more projects in the work beside your American Title V entry?

Barbara: I’m currently working on THE LEGEND OF THE DRUID LAIRD, a second chance romance involving reincarnation, a curse, and an impossible task.

M-C: What a great title and them! Sounds like a great read. If readers want to know more about you and your writing, where on the web can the find you?

Barbara: If readers are interested in checking out excerpts from either book, they can visit my website:

www.barbaralongley.com

M-C: I invite people to do that. I read the excerpt and it is really well written. I just wished I had more to read!

Thanks everyone for dropping by. And thanks to all of you who voted in the American Title in the last two weeks, we all appreciate the time people take to go over and support us. And thank you Sylvia for letting us come over here today!

On Thursday, Barbara will come back and interview a fascinating character called Madame Giselle. I am very curious, aren’t you?

Don’t forget to leave your comments for Barbara for a chance to win!

Best to all,

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,
This is Marie-Claude. Today we get to meet a harpy!!! A paranormal creature from Michelle Lauren’s urban fantasy HOW TO TAME A HARPY. How exciting.
Before I leave the stage to Michelle, we have a winner from the commenter on the last post……Karin!!! Congratulations.

Now to you Michelle, let’s read!
———————————————————–

Ringing the doorbell to Siren Jones’ house would have been easier, but no matter how often I explained my reasons for writing the book about her, the staff still treat me like a member of the paparazzi. So here I am, freezing my butt off as I lobby pebbles at her bedroom window like a lovesick teenager.

A shiver works down my spine and I spin, searching the darkness. The feeling could be anything, but living in Poseidon, Virginia, has instilled a healthy fear of the dark in me. Then I feel it, a pulse of power – subtle but unmistakable. A figure separates from the shadows and prowls forward. Thick, cottony curls tumble down her back and she wears jeans paired with a white sweater that look stark against her dark complexion. She would have passed for human if not for those eyes. Amber and feral, they pin me.

Siren Jones:Stalking is a crime, you know.

Michelle Lauren:You haven’t returned my calls.

SJ:So you decided to hunt the monster in its lair? Gutsy.

ML:It’s about the book. My editor made some last minute changes we need your approval on.

SJ:What kind of changes?

A flicker of power belies her calm tone. Experience tells me to tread carefully. Harpies are normally temperamental, but this one especially is a wild card. Slowly, I pull the galley from my purse and extend the bound pages of the manuscript to her.

ML: She wants to include the scene with your mugging from the night you met Daniel.

A blast of kinetic energy knocks me to the ground. Sputtering, I look up and watch as Siren struggles to control her temper.

SJ:We agreed not to include that! Getting jumped by a bunch of humans makes me look weak and ridiculous!

ML:It makes you relatable. Your ex just trashed you to the tabloids, and then you found him in bed with his secretary. Of course you were distracted! Listen, this is why I wrote the book: to let everyone know you have feelings like us, that you aren’t a monster. Don’t you want that?

Vulnerability darkens those amber eyes, raw and deep, before disappearing.

SJ:Fine. What other changes?

This is the hard part.

ML: My editor found my description of your first time making love with Daniel…lacking. (I can’t hide my irritation at the insult to my writing. Siren, of course, notices and snorts.)

SJ:What does she want, diagrams? You were pretty accurate, right down to Daniel’s size.
MJ:(I blush.) I made an educated guess about that.

SJ:So what’s the problem? Does your editor have issues with my stamina?

ML:No. She just wants more raw emotion. For instance, how did you feel that first time?

Siren hesitates so long I think she won’t answer. Then she speaks, her voice soft and hesitant.

SJ:I felt fragile. Weird, huh? I can bench press a Hummer, but Daniel touched me like I was made of glass, like I was something to cherish and protect. I never felt that way before. I knew then that I never wanted to make love with anyone else. How’s that for raw?

ML:That will do. (Swallowing a lump in my throat, I replace the galley in my purse.) Thanks.

SJ:No. Thank you.

I can’t describe the look in Siren’s eyes, but it warms me. The ghost of a smile parts her lips and then she is gone, faded back into the night.

—————————————————————-
Thank you so much Michelle for this interview. Fascinating. Those harpies sure do have a temper! Siren ones is a great character.

Next week, we will have another finalist…Barbara Longley who will talk about her writing and her historical time travel, TRUE TO THE HIGHLANDER.
There are only 4 days left until the vote close for the American Title Contest V. The remaining seven finalists will be announced on Dec 15^th.
So don’t forget to vote for your favorite first line at:
http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

Have a great week-end everyone and thank you Sylvia for hosting us today!!!
Marie-Claude Bourque
www.mcbourque.com

Romancing the Blog * Read the latest post »

by Michelle Lauren

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Hope you all had a great week-end. We are in the second and last week of voting for the first line in the American Title V, so please if you haven’t voted yet, take a minute, play editor for a day and cast your vote at:

http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

We have a winner from last week… Fedora. Congratulations!!!!!!

Note from Sylvia: If you’ve been named a winner, you need to contact either Marie-Claude or me with your mailing address. I can’t send out your prize, if I don’t know where to send it.
Hugs, Sylvia

And now, please welcome Michelle Lauren who finaled with her urban fantasy, HOW TO TAME A HARPY.

MC: Michelle, how did you feelwhen you found out that you were an American Title V finalists?

Michelle: I was so grateful. The opportunity to participate in this contest filled me with excitement - and terror. The prospect of putting my manuscript up for public critique à la American Idol. It felt surreal because I’ve voted for members of my writing groups in this contest but I never imagined I would be in this position. It’s been a great experience so far.

MC: You are so right, it is so great to have the chance to participate in such a great experience. Has the final changed things for you in your writing life?

Michelle: My schedule has gotten a lot more hectic. I’m still involved in a regular, 9 to 5 job, along with working part-time as a freelance writer, so I’ve gotten very good a balancing the schedules. The final is very big for me because, not only has it introduced me to new friends in the other AT V finalists, but it’s helped me connect with readers and fellow writers. So this is an all-around win/win situation for me.

MC: You are certainly turning all this into a positive thing for all. Can you tell us what your story is about?

Michelle: Here is the blurb from my site:
Welcome to Poseidon, Virginia. A place where the things that go bump in the night come to play and where passion and danger go hand in hand.

Tall, dark and lethal, genetically-enhanced human Daniel Smith lives in the shadows. Nicknamed “gargoyle” for his ability to shift into stone form in direct sunlight, he is considered an outsider even among other creatures of the night. Jaded by past betrayals, Daniel swore off love. But when fate—and a series of murders—tosses Siren Jones (a street smart harpy with a temper that has a mind of its own) into his lap, he finds both his heart and his life in danger.

Passion and danger collide as Daniel struggles to protect Siren from a killer determined to destroy them both. As time runs out, his only hope lies in learning How to Tame a Harpy.

MC: What a enticing premise, it gives me goose bumps, wow. Where did you get the ideas for this story?

Michelle: I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales and comics. I enjoy blending traditional themes of soul mates and love conquering all with more fantastical elements such as super powers and paranormal creatures. For How to Tame a Harpy, I modeled the heroine after the X-Men character Storm, a woman whose emotions were connected to her powers. When she lost control, bad things happened.

My character Siren is a harpy, so I made her “trigger” emotion anger. When she loses control of her temper, the emotion manifests physically in kinetic force.

MC: I’m a big fan of X-Men myself and aside from Wolverine, Storm is also my favorite. How would you best describe your writing style or tone?

Michelle: Darkly funny, sensual and fast-paced.

MC: Darkly funny, now this is new to me. How does this translate in HOW TO TAME A HARPY?

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY has a lot of dark humor and sensuality. Both Daniel and Siren are somewhat jaded, use humor to deflect attention from their emotional vulnerabilities. Another “dark” element comes in connection with the murder mystery woven through the plot.

MC: Dark elements and a mystery, how interesting. Doyou have any idea why you write dark?

Michelle: I enjoy reading stories with a lot of action and some darker elements. I’m a root for the underdog kind of girl, so the characters that affect me most are flawed but redeemable.

MC: Is this story more character-driven or plot-driven or both? How so?

Michelle: Both. Although the race to catch a killer and clear Siren’s name is paramount to the story, it doesn’t overshadow the developing relationship between Siren and Daniel. Their interactions deepen as the plot unfolds.

MC: How does the AT finalist theme of “Love Conquers” relate to your story?

Michelle: This really is a story about love conquering all in every aspect. Siren and Daniel are from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds, yet they forge a strong emotional bond despite those differences. They enjoy a committed, passionate relationship in spite of the outside forces contriving to separate them.

MC: It is really nice how you put all these very important elements together. I look forward to read this story.Can you describe the pace of HOW TO TAME A HARPY? It seems like a fast/edge-of-your-seat kind of story

Michelle: HOW TO TAME A HARPY is fast-paced, with several twists, mysteries and enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat. I think readers will enjoy Siren and Daniel’s unique approach to crime solving.

MC: Now I am very curious. What kind of heroine do you have, and how does she relate to the hero?

Michelle: Siren is street smart with a trigger happy temper that has a mind of its own. But her tough girl attitude conceals a vulnerable heart. Burned by love in the past, she isn’t sure she can trust her heart with Daniel, a man as handsome as he is lethal, but he offers her everything she secretly craves: protection, acceptance and a passionate love he will do anything to protect.

MC: What kind of hero is Daniel?

Michelle: Daniel is a gamma hero: dangerous, a bit jaded and a lot sexy, not to mention extremely loyal. He never backs down from challenges. Plus, he’s gorgeous! Betrayed and rejected by past lovers, he swore off relationships until meeting Siren. She challenges his mind, heals his heart and offers him the kind of future of his dreams.

MC: Gamma heroes, my favorite!!! Now tell us a bit about the world building of your story, it must be important in an Urban Fantasy. How did you create this world?

Michelle: I envisioned Poseidon, Virginia as Sin City with less gore and set in the South. Dark imagery juxtaposed against the beauty of lush Virginia landscapes. This is a world where creatures that go bump in the night roam free, maintaining a fragile peace with the city’s human inhabitants.

MC: Fascinating. What do you think readers will get out of your story?

Michelle: This story delivers on all counts: it has humor, action, political intrigue, jealous exes, passionate romps, and true love conquering all.

MC: Definitely a winner there!!! Do you have any more projects in the works beside your American Title entry?

Michelle: My article “Six Things American Title Taught Me About Promotion” will appear in the Passionate Ink Winter newsletter. My column “Agent Spotlight” will also be in upcoming issues of Romance Writers Report, featuring literary agents Ethan Ellenberg and Jennifer Jackson. Also, I have several urban fantasy novellas out now with publishers.

MC: Wow, you are very busy. Ifreaders want to know more about you and your writing, where on the web can they find you?

Michelle:
http://www.michellelaurenbooks.com:
My main website. I host giveaways, post book reviews and author interviews (Some of my past interviews include bestselling authors Sunny and Lynn Kurland).
http://www.myspace.com/michellelaurenbooks:
Find me on Myspace.
http://thenaughtygirlsnextdoor.blogspot.com:
The Naughty Girls Next Door Blog, where I blog with authors Minx Malone, Emma Petersen, Savannah Chase, Eden Rivers, Linda Wisdom, Meagan Hatfield and Kyann Waters.

MC: What is the character you chose to interview and why?

Michelle: I chose to interview the heroine, Siren Jones, from HOW TO TAME A HARPY because she’s a spitfire. She is beautiful and dangerous yet has an aching vulnerability that I love. I want readers to get inside her head and love her like I do.

M-C: I am certainly looking forward to this interview on Thursday and read a little of your dark humor.

Thank you so much for telling us a little about your book and your writing. Good luck with all your projects, I’ll be looking forward to my next copy of RWR!!

Please everyone, join us on Thursday for Michelle’s interview with Siren Jones. Thank you Sylvia for letting us take over your blog today!

And don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. We are right in the midst of the American Title V competition now with the contestants trying to get as many votes as possible. Edie is handing flyers to local merchants, while writing partners Tamara and Barbara have teamed for their promotion efforts and while I remain chained to my laptop while my boys are in school!!!

Don’t forget to cast you vote for the first line at:

www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle3.php

And we have a winner from Monday………Shari C. Congratulations!!!!!

So without further ado, let’s welcome Jessica recount her visit with her character from A SERPENT’S TOOTH, Gladys.

——————————————————

The kitchen is spotless, like every other room in the Baxters’ town home, even in the unforgiving gray light of winter. The young woman across the scarred pine table from me wears a dress the color of the rain-heavy sky, broken by the white of starched apron and the warmer hue of her hands—much softer than they should be—folded in her lap. This is London. This is 1855. And this is Gladys, ladies’ maid to the Baxters. Confidant of Reba MacKenzie.

Strange. I don’t know her last name.

“Another cup of tea, miss?” she asks, as if speaking to a child, deceptively serene. It was Nate who noticed for me that Gladys was Welsh. The eiderdown “o.” An “i” like a dagger.

I look at the milky dregs in their chipped porcelain cup, the rose-garden rim robbed of a bloom. “No, thank you. And thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”

“Of course, miss.”

“I know that you’re very discreet, but I’m going to ask you to be frank with me.”

“I’ve nothing to hide, miss.”

I manage not to smile. “What was your first impression of Miss MacKenzie?”

“She’s a fine young lady. Good manners, good education, and a generous heart.”

I look over my glasses at her. She doesn’t quaver. “You do know who I am.”

“Yes, miss. You’re the Author.” She shifts in her seat, sitting a little straighter, a little taller, a most un-servant-like gesture of defiance, which is part of what I like about her. “And as that’s the case, you already know all about Miss MacKenzie.”

“And I also know all about you.”

She goes saucer-eyed. “You mean . . . are you offering to tell me—”

“What was your first impression of Miss MacKenzie?” I repeat.

Her eyes dart to the door behind me. Then she leans forward, lowering her voice. “I met her on the docks in Baltimore, not a quarter hour before we were to leave for England. She looked . . . . You’d expect a young lady about to set off on such an adventure to have an air of excitement, wouldn’t you? She looked like she was off to the gallows. We withdrew a bit to let her and her uncle say their goodbyes, and the way they looked at each other . . . .” She sits back, shaking her head. “She didn’t cry. You could see it. It was breaking her heart, both their hearts. But she didn’t cry. I liked that about her.”

“You know how that feels, leaving your family.”

“Yes, miss, though I was a bit younger myself. Fifteen when my family sent me to service. Still—” She looks away, not smiling. “Leaving home. It’s a grand adventure, isn’t it?”

“So now that you know her better, what do you think?”

“I think she could stand to cry a bit more often. She’s got so much anger locked away inside. Not that she doesn’t have cause. But she could stand to let a little of it go before it poisons her.”

“And what about Lord MacDonnell?”

She turns back to me with a small smirk. “My first impression? I thought he must have weak eyesight.”

It takes me a moment to realize what she means. Then I laugh. “The waistcoats!”

“The waistcoats. He was a sight. Must’ve been seventeen shades of vermillion in the one he wore that first morning at sea, the morning after he and . . . well, you know.”

“Want to know something funny? I had no idea why he dressed like that when I wrote it. Turns out, it was a plot point. Is. Will be, I mean, from your perspective.”

“It could hardly be anything else.”

“Okay, but seriously, what else did you think of him?”

She shrugs. “I thought he was a gentleman.”

“You don’t say that like it’s a complement.”

“Do you know what ‘gentleman’ means to a girl like me? It means a man who doesn’t have to listen to ‘no.’” Her smile turns hard, and I wonder if I know as much about her as I thought.

“And yet, when Mrs. Baxter put you on chaperon duty on the ship, you let Reba sneak out of her cabin and visit him in the middle of the night. When Mrs. Baxter banned him from this house, you helped them arrange their secret meetings—”

“I saw how he was around her. I thought he might be different.”

My eyebrows rise. “Thought? So you believe the rumors? You believe he could be involved in Reba’s uncle’s death? Because last night, you told her it couldn’t be true.”

“But then he didn’t deny it, did he?” Her eyes narrow at me, as if the whole mess were my fault . . . which, of course, it is. I can’t even claim I never meant to hurt anyone. My stomach clenches with guilt, and not for the first time.

I look away and turn my teacup in its saucer. “So if you could talk to them both, right now, give them advice, what would you say to them?”

She is quiet long enough that I brave a look at her. She is chewing the inside of her cheek, lost in thought. “I would tell Lord MacDonnell that . . . that she wouldn’t be so angry if she didn’t truly love him, and that someone who loves him like that deserves to hear the truth, whatever it may be. And I would tell Miss MacKenzie that a young man can be a foolish, prideful beast. But so can a young woman.”

I smile at her. “Thank you, Gladys.”

“You’re quite welcome, miss.” She looks at me expectantly.

“You’re sure you want to know your future?”

She smirks again. “Will it be as horrid as what you’ve put them through?”

“Yes and no,” I reply, and I tell her my plans for her.

I know she won’t remember a word.

——————————————————–

What a brilliant interview Jessica. Very witty. I can’t wait to read this book!! You have such wonderful characters.

Thank you so much for sharing them with us. And thank you Sylvia again for hosting us here today.

Next week, we will hear all about Michelle Lauren and her urban fantasy, HOW TO TAME A HARPY.

Please, don’t forget to join us next Monday and please leave a comment for a chance to win!

Best to all,

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com