Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Welcome to my interview with my favorite character from ANCIENT WHISPERS.

But before I start, I have a winner from last Monday ……..Keli Gwin!!! Congratulation Keli !!!!

So now I sit on a boulder, with sand under my feet. It’s cold on the town beach of Langdon RI in December. The icy wind blows all around me. My full length wool coat and mile-long scarf is not enough to block entirely the frigid air.

But I’m excited. Sorcerer Gabriel Callan, my hero, has agreed to meet with me. I’ve dreamed about him, spent months writing about his smoky green eyes and long dark curls. And today I get to meet him in the flesh. My heart thumps at the thought.

The ocean waves before me crash in a low rumble and I can taste the salty air on my lips. The long stretch of sand is practically empty but at the corner of my eyes, I catch something.

It’s him. The long black coat, the curls blown by the wind. Apparently immune to the cold, he strides with purpose towards the rocks where I sit.

My breath is a little short now. Oh boy, I can’t wait to talk to him. But I am a little scared too. Even at a distance, I can feel his raw power. If I didn’t know he would never harm me, I might even be slightly fearful.

He sits beside me and I am surrounded by his masculine scent.

[I swallow. Okay I can do this.]

Marie-Claude: Gabriel. How are you? [I try not to stare at his wide shoulders and feel hotter suddenly to have him so close]

Gabriel: Marie-Claude. [He nods. Why am I surprised that he pronounces my name the French way? Of course, he’s Acadian.]

Marie-Claude: Thanks for meeting with me. I’m so excited, this is so great. [Oh man, am I talking too much?]

Gabriel: Sure. No problem. [He looks at the ocean. Oh no, he doesn’t like me.]

Marie-Claude: Well. I just wanted to know, Gabriel. Can you tell me and the readers a little about you?

Gabriel: What? [He raises his eyebrows at me then looks back at the stormy sea.]

Marie-Claude: Oh. Okay. Let me asks specific questions then. Tell me. Are you happy now? After all these centuries, you finally found her. You’ve spend a whole week-end with her.

[He glances back at me. A faint smile curls his lips.]

Gabriel: Evangeline.

Marie-Claude: Well, I meant Lily.

Gabriel: Same thing.

Marie-Claude: Of course. Lily is Evangeline reborn. But she doesn’t remember.

[I hear him sight briefly as he stare in the distance again]

Gabriel: I know. She doesn’t know about me either.

Marie-Claude: You mean your magic.

[He looks at me fully now and his features harden.]

Gabriel: The whole thing. The power, the immortality. I don’t want her touched by this. Morag is a monster for having trapped Lily into this.

Marie-Claude: Yes, Morag is the one who forced Lily to your bed with a spell.

[He winces.]

Gabriel: I didn’t want it like that. Lily deserves more. More time.

Marie-Claude: But now Gabriel, you’ve slept with her. She has to mate with you at Beltane. Or you’ll lose your soul.

[His gaze turns dark]

Gabriel: I don’t care about my soul. Only her.

Marie-Claude: But she has powers. Don’t you think Morag has to train her, make Lily a priestess of the Coven?

[He looks at the ocean again and I feel I went too far. I know how he hates Morag who controls him. I’m losing him now.]

Gabriel: I don’t know. I don’t know if I can tell Lily about me, about us, the Priory. But, I also can’t live without her.

[He grabs a rock at his feet, stands up and in one mighty swoop throws the stone in the ocean. Then he drops his dark gaze down at me]

Gabriel: Time’s up. Got stuff to do. A plus, Madame l’Auteur.

[I feel a little sad inside. I guess I won’t get any more from him.]

Marie-Claude: Au revoir, Gabriel LaJeunesse Callan.

He walks away now. His dark and dangerous figure gets smaller and smaller. His black coat, which I know is full of spell components, flaps in the wind behind him. He’ll jump on his motorcycle now, probably go for a long ride down the New England coast, as he always do when he’s bothered.

My heart feels for him. I want to call him back and tell him all will be fine, eventually. That he’ll let go of tragic past, find happiness with Lily, that he’ll save his soul from Theuron Keir’s dark forces.

I want to tell him, but I know I can’t. He has a lot to learn on his journey and has to figure it all out, by himself and with the love of his soulmate.

Hopefully, we’ll all get to read how he gets there in ANCIENT WHISPERS.

And as I said goodbye to Gabriel Callan, I also say goodbye to all of you who came along to our American Title V series of interviews.

Very warm thanks to you Sylvia for giving me the opportunity to come here and tell your readers all about us finalists.

We hope you will continue to participate in the contest by voting until the end of March. The winner will be announced at the RT conference in April.

On Monday Dec 15^th, mosey over to the Romantic Times website:

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

You’ll find out who the remaining 7 finalists are. You can also read the description of their heroes and heroines and vote for your favorite entry.

And please, add your comments today for your last chance to win!

Brightest holiday blessings to all,

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude.

I have a winner to announce from last week…Kimberley C. Congratulations!!!!

Well, I have interviewed all the finalists and I am the only one left. I felt a little strange interviewing myself and when I told this to Lily, the main character in my dark paranormal ANCIENT WHISPERS, she volunteered to interview me. I suppose she might be a little curious to find out where she came from and what will happen to her.

She is a pretty no-nonsense kind of gal so she doesn’t quite get why I would be making up such crazy things as sorcerers and Celtic Priestesses living among us, but she is a very generous and warm person so she made me a nice cup of coffee while I sit in the cozy kitchen of her apartment in downtown Providence RI, where she live with her great-aunt.

Lily:Marie-Claude, I am still amazed that you finaled in a writing contest. How did your react when you found out that you were an American Title V finalist.

Marie-Claude: It was very odd. I had started writing just a year before that, in September, so I stared at the email from Liz French in awe. Because I had no idea that I could write, and this was the first sign I got that someone might actually like my story. It was like a whole world had just opened in front of me, full of possibilities. It was a true magical moment for me. Then an hour later when I picked up my kids at school, the best part was to see the delighted faces of my 7 and 9 years old boys when I told them. They had really wanted this for me. They are my stronger supporters.

Lily:Your head is often in the cloud, but I know you are pretty focused in your writing schedule. Has the final changed anything in your writing life?

Marie-Claude: Yes, a lot. I was pretty organized in my writing, spending each early mornings writing before my family would get up and I use to spend very little time online. But now that I am blogging a lot and meeting so many people online, I am very chatty and having way too much fun on the internet and it’s slows my writing down!

Lily:Since this is about me, I am very curious to find out what this story is about?

Marie-Claude: Let me tell the whole thing to our blog readers as well then.

ANCIENT WHISPERS is a dark paranormal inspired by the poem Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie by Henri Longfellow (1847). It is the story of a bold immortal sorcerer and his obsession to be reunited with the fiancée he lost centuries ago

Gabriel Callan is the youngest member of the Priory of Callan, an ancient Celtic brotherhood of thirteen cursed sorcerers and alchemists, each deadly, each haunted by a tragic past.

Still tortured by the devastating events of the Acadian deportation in 1755, Gabriel wants nothing more than to reunite with his lost soulmate, now reborn to this century as you the cool-headed and practical Lily Bellefontaine.

But you Lily, a pediatric nurse, yearn for a peaceful life in your own dream home. You seek an existence far different from the experiences of your unstable childhood and purposefully ignore your latent psychic abilities.

Will you ever be able to accept your fate? And can Gabriel let go of his tragic past to live fully in the present?

ANCIENT WHISPERS is filled with tortured heroes, engaging and mysterious characters, intense emotions, scorching dark desires, gothic rituals and a touch of history.

Lily:Okay, I’m a little sacred now. Where did you get the ideas for this story?

I’ve known the story of the Acadian deportation for many years because my family descends from deported Acadians and my grand-father had told me all about it. I was very saddened by the fate of Gabriel and Evangeline in the poem, how they are forced on separate ships on their wedding day and spend their life searching for each others. It got me to think of many tragic lovers of literature and legends, and I decided to use paranormal element to reunite them on paper. I’m a big fantasy geek, I played Dungeons and Dragons a while back, so I used that for inspiration. I have also studied Pagan witchcraft for a few years now and I wanted to use that and portray realistic ritual magic using what I know.

Lily:What series of words would best characterize your writing style or tone?

Marie-Claude: Deep, emotional, intense, dark, incredibly romantic, gothic, sexy, full of hope, passionate, packed with powerful imagery, lyrical.

Lily:Passionate. I cannot imagine a story with me in it that would be passionate. Dark maybe, but passionate? How does this show in ANCIENT WHISPERS?

Marie-Claude: I think all my emotions show up in the story and in my writing in general. I tend to be intense and it is as if I literally bleed all over the page. All my feelings, my hopes, my darkness and belief in true love. I am passionate about my writing and my characters tend to have passions, whether they love, hate or desire. I cry at the end of my stories and also every time I re-read a high moment in a manuscript. My writing has once been called melodramatic, but it doesn’t bother me. I choose to see this as a compliment!

Lily:Do you have any idea why your writing is so passionate?

Marie-Claude: Why? I’m not sure. I think every writer writes because they must. Ray Bradbury says that “writing is survival”. I suppose it is true for me. I express my intense emotions that way and I am actually a pretty normal and leveled person in life.

Lily:Is your setting important in your story and why? I mean this is Rhode Island. Why would that be interesting?

Marie-Claude: Yes, little Rhodie might not seem that interesting. But I’ve lived here for seven years and got to know it well. It can be a pretty harsh environment, especially for a dark paranormal story such as this. I don’t want to reveal it all to you, Lily, but there are the woodlands where you got lost, and the lakeside house where Gabriel’s aunt lives, it’s a fairly gothic setting. And then there are the cold beaches in winter, the constant wind, the quaint villages and of course the dock area and club scene of Providence.

Lily:You’re telling me that I am involved in both a romance and a dark paranormal story. I am very curious. How are these two elements balanced in ANCIENT WHISPERS?

Marie-Claude: They are intertwined. The paranormal kind of sneaks on the reader. At first, it is not expressed so much, but it is always there, as an undercurrent. But life is just as we see it now.And then the otherworldly builds, builds until you, Lily, your relationship with Gabriel and the forces against both of you are filled of dark powers and rituals. And you have to both accept it and confront it. And it is the romance that helps resolve it all.

Lily:You know, I haven’t witness much love in my family. How does the American Title V finalists theme of “Love Conquers” relate to your story?

Marie-Claude: Love Conquers is actually the main theme in my story. And I didn’t come up with the finalists theme, Jessica Darago did. And it was spooky because it is so much was this story is about. It is love that vanquish all, true love between two people, an unconditional kind of love, where both lovers accept all of each others, without any demands. When you finally reach that level, Lily, when you find that kind of strong and selfless love, that is when you vanquish everything and find happiness.

Lily:My life is pretty boring, you know, go to work at the hospital, then swimming, cook dinner for my great aunt. The library, a movie with my girlfriend Brianna. I heard this story is pretty fast paced, is it true?

Marie-Claude: Yes, it is. My critiques thanked me for a wild and entertaining ride. It is a story that I hope will wrap itself around a reader, slow at first, but consistently increasing in pace and drama, in a way that carries the reader through with more and more action and intense emotions to finally end in a very powerful climax.

Lily: Of course I know who the hero is. It’s Gabriel Callan. And yes, I’ve met him and ….okay things got out of hand. I couldn’t help myself. I know how amazing he is. I’m not sure if I’m ready for such a guy though. Can you tell me more about him?

Marie-Claude: Lily, I can’t tell you all there is about him, because he will have to reveal himself to you. He is a tortured soul though. As I know you’ve guessed. Beneath is dark curl and smoky green eyes, his dangerous air betrays none of the turmoil brooding in his heart. He has suffered. But he is also brave and true and fiercely protective of those he loves. He just needs some time.

Lily:So far, since I have met Gabriel, I haven’t seen much paranormal element in this story. I mean, I got lost in the woods, that was very scary but nothing otherworldly. Gabriel’s aunt, Morag Callan, practices some sort of Pagan witchcraft, but it is hardly paranormal. What sort of paranormal word building is there in the story?

Marie-Claude: Again, not to reveal everything, but there are various magical elements in this. Morag Callan practices witchcraft as you guessed, ritual magic using her devotion to the triple moon Goddess. Her magic comes from ancient Celtic wisdom and it follows closely the rituals used by Wiccans and Pagans today. Her consort, Iain Callan has completely different powers. He’s an alchemist and also a sorcerer. His magic is more of a spell-casting sort, using his herbs and powders, and also his acute mind to control the elements. All the sorcerers in ANCIENT WHISPERS have powers similar to Iain Callan.

Lily:Sorcerers, there are sorcerers in the story? I thought Iain was just an old chemistry professor. Never mind, I don’t want to know. There is a happy ending to this, right? How important is this to you?

Marie-Claude: Very important. All the books I read have to have a happy ending. I will read the ending of a book just to make sure, before I can read the whole thing. I need that reassurance. It took me a while to have the courage to read the Harry Potter book when Dumbledore dies. I had to read that scene first to brace myself for the whole story! So yes, I need happy endings. Maybe not for all the plots and subplot, but for you and Gabriel, definitely!

Lily:What do you think readers will get out of reading my story? Do you really think they will care?

Marie-Claude: I do hope they will care. I think you are such a great character Lily. So solid, so brave. You need that happiness and I think readers will want that for you and for Gabriel too, who is so tortured. But I want readers to see that there is always hope. I wonder sometimes why I write so dark, but maybe it is my way to come out of the darkness, find that hope. See that deep love can get bring us out from darkness into the light.

Lily:I haven’t seen any villain so far. Except maybe Morag Callan who is pretty domineering. Do you have any villains? Do I get to meet them?

Marie-Claude: Yes, there are villains and they may not be who you think they are. There is one villain in particular, a suave looking gentleman called Theuron Keir. He is fascinating, so dark yet so appealing. His darkness is such that women want to be near him, to neutralize it. They want to merge with him, be his. All I can say is: stay very far from him and also warn your best friend Keira. Because I don’t know if I can save her from him.

Lily:Is he so bad that even you, as the author, cannot resist him? I find that hard to believe. But tell me, I know all good fiction has tension, conflicts. That worries me a little. After my crazy childhood, I’m not sure I want to experience conflict. In fact, that’s probably why I am not so keen to have Gabriel call me back after that week-end we had together. What are the conflicts in ANCIENT WHISPERS?

Marie-Claude: Well, there is the conflict between Theuron Keir and the sorcerers. That is pretty obvious. But there are more subtle conflicts. The relation you have with your great-aunt for example. How easily you hide behind being her devoted care-giver. How you use this as a way to stay away from Gabriel. And what of your own feelings about your magical powers, you have a tremendous inner conflict there. Why do you suppress your powers? And of course, between you and Gabriel, as all couples, it all starts so nice, but when you both reveal your true selves to each others, things won’t be easy, not easy at all.

Lily:Well, I think I’ve heard enough about my story. It seems a little too dark. Have you told any more stories so far? Gabriel’s cousins maybe? Phoebus and Loic? They’re pretty interesting.

Yes I have told more stories. I have a manuscript called GOTHIC WARRIOR about medieval knights fighting demons in modern-day Paris. It’s a pretty dark urban fantasy. And I wrote a short piece called PANTERA’S HEAT which pits a half-werecat and a warlock leader, former lovers fighting each other for the possession of a sacred dagger. But if you are interested in Gabriel’s cousins, yes I started Phoebus’ story in a manuscript called ANCIENT CONFESSIONS. And yes, he is fascinating. I’m glad we get a glimpse of him in ANCIENT WHISPERS.

Lily:I know you are an internet freak. Where are you on the web if readers are interested?

Marie-Claude: I do feel that I am everywhere on the web these days and please, I love friends so if you are on MySpace or Facebook, add me to your friends list!

My website is at: www.mcbourque.com

My LiveJournal is at:
mysticblu.livejournal.com

I’m on MySpace at:
www.myspace.com/marieclaudebourque

On Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1322252310

On Twitter at:
twitter.com/mysticblu

And I am also on a brand new writers’ group blog called Musetracks (http://musetracks.wordpress.com ) and where in January, I will be using my fitness professional expertise to do a series of interactive posts on “The Fit Writer - Get Back on Track after the Holidays.”I do hope people will join me and come share their health routine with me. Just bookmark the site! I’ll be giving away some fitness logs and free personal consultations to help everyone stay on track.

Lily: Sounds good. You choose to interview Gabriel on Thursday, right? He doesn’t reveal much of his past. Why did you choose him?

Marie-Claude: It’s very simple Lily. Gabriel is hot, so hot. And it might be my only chance to be around such a hot hero. I just wanted to be near him for a little while, even if he might not talk much. I just want to look at him. And maybe see if he’s okay after spending this whole week-end with you.

I’m sorry though, I can’t report to you what he tells me. You’ll have to wait for the story to unfold.

And so everyone, I leave Lily in the cozy apartment she shares with her great-aunt. Don’t worry, I’ll report my whole visit with Gabriel to you. In fact, you can be right there with Gabriel and I on Thursday. Bring a warm jacket though, because it’s cold on the town beach in Langdon RI, in December.

And so thank you all so much for dropping by today and thank you Sylvia for having Lily and I today on your blog. And please leave us a comment for your chance to win!

See you all Thursday!

Marie-Claude Bourque
www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Today Evonne is back and interviewing one of her character: Suzanne, the mother of the heroine in NEVER COMING HOME.

But first let me announce the winner from Monday’s post: Judi Fennel. Congratulations!!!!

Now to you Evonne:

———————————————————–

My first thought was that I’d interview Devlin, the hero of Never Coming Home. Then his ex-boss swept up to my door, in an unmarked car. She is one scary lady. She was there to tell me that if I talked to Devlin, then everyone who read the interview would have to sign the Official Secrets Act. At that point, I changed my mind. He would probably have been a pretty difficult subject anyhow. Very cagey about his past, is Devlin. If you knew some of the places he’s been and the things he’s done, you wouldn’t be surprised about that. It’s probably better not to know.

Next on the list was Kaz, my heroine, but I know she had a bad experience with a reporter just after her daughter was killed and I didn’t want to stir up tragic memories.

So who? And then I realized. I could talk to Suzanne, Kaz’s mother. Now there’s a woman with an interesting past, who’s not afraid to talk about it. So here we go.

Evonne: Hello Suzanne, and welcome to the blog of award winning author Sylvia Day. We’re here to talk about the American Title V contest, and your part in my book, Never Coming Home.

Suzanne: Thank you so much for inviting me — and I have to say that I picked up a copy of Sylvia’s book, Don’t Tempt Me, when I was last in the US. I’m really looking forward to reading it.

Evonne: I’m sure she’d be pleased to know you’re a fan. If you like romance, you must be pretty excited about being in a book that finaled in American Title V?

Suzanne: I certainly am.

Evonne: But you’re no stranger to excitement. You were a top-flight model, and then the muse and mistress of one of the world’s greatest living artists. That’s quite a biography.

Suzanne: It’s kind of you to say so. It was a while ago now, in the late 1960s.

Evonne: Even so, not too many women can say that they were on the cover of five fashion magazines in one week - which you were in 1968.

Suzanne: Now that was an amazing time. The London scene was wild. So many brilliant photographers and designers and beautiful girls. Carnaby Street and the King’s Road were buzzing. We were all flower children then.

Evonne: But you gave it all up for love?

Suzanne: At 18 years old, you do these things! And Olivier really did sweep me off my feet. On our first date we drank vintage champagne in a Venetian palazzo. He was older, more sophisticated, and already successful and he was desperate to paint my portrait. What girl could resist?

Evonne: I think it would be impossible.

Suzanne: I was crazy in love with him, and he with me. I was his muse and inspiration for over fifteen years. We travelled the world, lived in palaces and chateaux. There were always exciting people around. It was one never ending party. When I had my daughter, Kaz, life could not get any better.

Evonne: Your relationship with Olivier did come to an end, though?

Suzanne: As these things do. I grew up, I suppose. I had an eight year old daughter, responsibilities. The lifestyle of a famous painter — it’s difficult to bring up a child, in those circumstances. Children need some stability. Olivier and I are still in contact. I don’t regret those years.

Evonne: And then shortly after you left, Olivier married a Russian countess?

Suzanne: Yes. He met her in New York, I believe.

Evonne: Moving on. You now have a successful business, in Fulham Road in London?

Suzanne: Yes, a dress agency. People bring in ball gowns and designer clothes that they no longer want, and we sell the garments for them. It keeps me in touch with the fashion business, which I still love.

Evonne: But your daughter has quite a different career.

Suzanne: It couldn’t be more different! Kaz is a landscape gardener. She’s won two gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, which shows how talented she is. She’s had so much tragedy in her life - the failure of her marriage and then the terrible loss of her daughter in a car crash, but she’s a survivor. She’s remaking her life, one step at a time.

Evonne: Will there be romance in her future do you think?

Suzanne: I certainly hope so — provided she can find a man who is confident enough in himself to cope with a strong minded career woman.

Evonne: And for you?

Suzanne: Now that would be telling. Let’s just say I don’t lack for male company.

Evonne: Well, I think that just about wraps up our interview. Thank you so much for being with us.

Suzanne: Thank you for asking me. I’ve really enjoyed it. And of course, I must remind readers that if they want to know more about me and about Devlin and Kaz, all they have to do is to keep voting for Never Coming Home in American Title V.

——————————————————————-

What a fun interview Evonne! I’m sure you’ll have quite a few followers voting for your entry to read more about Suzanne, Devlin and Kaz. I wonder if we’ll see any of Suzanne’s “male company” in the story? She sure sounds fun.

Thank you so much for coming this week and thank you Sylvia for having us today.

Well everyone, we are almost done with our series of American Title V interviews. On Monday, you’ll get to find out more about my own writing and my American Title entry, a dark paranormal titled ANCIENT WHISPERS. Since I didn’t want to interview myself, I asked my heroine Lily Bellefontaine if she’d ask me a few questions. She thinks I have my head in the clouds most of the time, but she’d agreed to have me over for coffee at her place on Monday. Can’t wait!!!!

So, hope you’ll join us.

Until then, have a great week-end and don’t forget to leave comments today for a chance to win!!!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

Hi everyone,

This is Marie-Claude. Hope everyone in the US recovered from Thanksgiving. I’ll be on a carrot stick diet for a few more days I think. Today, I am pleased to welcome UK native Evonne Wareham. Evonne is quite a special finalist. She finaled twice!!!!! This year, she finaled in the American contest V with a romantic suspense, NEVER COMING HOME.

Before I interview her, let me announce another winner. Today we congratulate Sue A!!!! Way to go Sue. : )

And turning to Evonne now……

M-C: Now Evonne, you are quite a unique American Title finalist. In the whole history of this contest, you are the only one who ever finaled twice. How did it feel when you learned you had made it to the finals of American Title V?

Evonne: After a bit of squeaking, I think I made myself a cup of tea. Then I rang my mother, and one of the two friends who knew that I had entered, and emailed the other, who lives in France. Then I was going to post to let my fellow Title Magicians, the other finalists from American Title IV know. I hadn’t told them I had entered for the second time, but Mel had already seen the finalist list and posted to ask if there was something I wanted to tell them.

M-C: You have a lot more experience than us with this and it is true that we, Title V finalists ask you a lot of questions about the contest logistics. How did the final changed things in your writing life?

Evonne: It’s given me a lot less time to write – which is exactly what happened last year. You are so busy, first with the entry for RT and then with publicity for the contest, writing takes a back seat. Since this is my second final. I’m thrilled and excited and incredibly grateful to Dorchester for picking my manuscript from the pile for a second time.

I’ve found that since last year, editors in particular have been much more responsive to my submissions, and although I did not achieve publication after ATIV, I have much more of a feeling that it is only a matter of time. I hope I am not delusional.

M-C: I am sure you’re not, I bet there are many good things coming along for you very soon!!! Can you tell us a little about NEVER COMING HOME?

Evonne: Kaz Elmore’s four year old daughter died in a car crash, while on an access visit to her father, in the US. Now, six months later, a man turns up on Kaz’s doorstep in London, to offer his condolences. His account of what happened at the crash site differs wildly from what Kaz got from her ex husband. She needs to find her ex, to discover what really happened to her daughter. Devlin, the stranger, seems to be the only one willing to help her. She doesn’t know his motives, but she need his skills – the attraction between them is a complications she really doesn’t need.

M-C: This looks like a very powerful story. How did you get the idea?

Evonne: I really don’t know where this one came from. I usually get fragments, perhaps a scene, or a snatch of dialogue in my head, then after a while it comes together and I know what the story will be. I don’t remember the process in this case, but that must have been what happened.

M-C: In what style or tone is this story written?

Evonne: Fast paced, dark, unsettling, wry humor, classically romantic in places.

M-C: An interesting series of characteristics. How do they translate in the book?

Evonne: NEVER COMING HOME is the darkest thing I have ever written. When I was editing it, I was surprised how dark it was in places. Whatever I write, my aim is for it to be a page turner, so I always have a voice in my head saying, faster pace, faster pace. I’m quite a sentimental romantic at heart, and as parts of the book are set in Italy, I indulged myself with a few classic moments – the walk along the Ponte Veccio at dusk, the drink in a little corner bar, the intimate dinner for two. The perfect setting, that a girl dreams about when she’s falling in love. Kaz has been through a pretty rough time, I though she deserved a little romance. It’s a new thing for Devlin, and it was fun to find out that he was a secret romantic too.

M-C: You seems to have a bit of both. The dark side and then the sweet romance to balance it out. Do you know why you write this way?

Evonne: I can’t account for the dark side coming to the fore, but I do always like the injections of pure romance – the sort of things that real lovers do. I make no bones about the fact that what I write is escapism, meant to entertain, but I want to feel that my characters are grounded and real, that they have the same hopes and fears and dreams as the reader, except theirs are more extreme, because of the pressure I’m putting them under.

M-C: How does your story fit with our American title V finalist Love Conquers theme?

Evonne: Devlin has a very nasty past. He worked for the government, in a branch of the security services that no one acknowledges exits. The one that does all the really dirty jobs. And he was good at it. He’s done things that he will never talk about. He has trouble believing that any woman can accept what he has been. He’s never been in love and he doesn’t know if he can do it. Kaz has learned the hard way that she has to be independent and she’s extremely cautious about following her instincts over Devlin. She can’t understand why she trusts him, particularly when she gets a small glimpse of the world he once inhabited. Love is what makes it possible for them to get beyond all that. I know that after the end of the book they are going to make a success of a new life together, even though it will sometimes be tough.

M-C: You said you had a very fast pace.

Evonne: I hope that it’s fast. It’s also quite complex, and I hope the reader won’t see the twists and turns coming.

M-C: And what sort of heroine is Kaz?

Evonne: She’s a very practical woman. Life has thrown her a pretty raw deal, but she knows that she has to pick herself up and get on with it. She’s quite self aware. She knows that her upbringing, and her parents’ bohemian lifestyle, have left her with insecurities and that she overcompensates by looking for stability. That’s part of Devlin’s attraction, no sane woman would expect him to stick around and set up house. Kaz has the chance to prove that she’s got past all that too. That she can have a fling that is only about sex, with a complete hunk. Except Devlin isn’t behaving the way he’s meant to behave. And neither is her heart.

M-C: And Devlin, what sort of hero is he?

Evonne: He’s an alpha, because of what he used to be, but it is so much part of him that it’s no longer a big deal. That makes him quite laid back, able to accept Kaz’s independence. He sees her unconscious vulnerability and her bravery and it touches him in a way he’s never experienced before. Kaz comes into his life when something is changing in him – he’s getting protective impulses that he finds deeply unsettling. He’s wrong footed and he neither likes nor understands it.

M-C: What kind of villain do you have?

Evonne: Luce is something out of a nightmare – Devlin’s nightmare, if he ever admitted to having them. They used to be in the same line of work, but now Luce has gone far beyond the dark side. And he has a score to settle with Devlin.

M-C: What do you think readers will get from the book?

Evonne: I hope they would get an unputdownable read.

M-C: Unputdownable , what a great word. I never heard that said before. You taught me something new today Evonne! Do you have any more writing projects?

Evonne: I’m currently working on a Victorian gothic – for fun while the contest is on, although it’s not getting along very fast. I have another project in development for a contemporary romance, a real tear jerker, and I’m doing on and off research for a cozy crime series that I hope to write one day, set in London. I’m inventing a whole new network of streets in Chelsea, and every so often I write a bit more to the descriptions of the locations and store it in a huge folder.

M-C: You are very busy and have a great imagination! Where on the web can we find you?

Evonne: You can find me at http://titlemagic.blogspot.com which is a site I share with finalists from American Title IV.

M-C: You will be back on Thursday to interview a character from NEVER COMING HOME. Who did you choose and why?

Evonne: I’m talking to Suzanne, Kaz’s mother. She’s had an interesting life. She was an international model in the swinging sixties, and then the muse and mistress of a famous artist. She was thrilled to be asked to recount some of her memories.

M-C: An international model from the sixties! Can’t wait, sounds like a lot of fun.

Thank you so much for coming today Evonne and answering my questions. Thank you Sylvia for letting us come today to your blog.

To everyone, don’t forget to return on Thursday for a fascinating interview conducted by Evonne and please leave her a comment today for your chance to win! There are still prizes left!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Marie-Claude Bourque

www.mcbourque.com

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