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Friday, January 20, 2012

Cozy Guest Friday: Vanessa Kelly + Giveaway

Welcome to this week’s Cozy Guest Friday with historical romance author Vanessa Kelly! Vanessa’s latest release, My Favorite Countess, is available now from Kensington Books….




Spirited, stubborn, and entirely irresistible…

She is difficult, demanding, and at times, quite fierce.  And Dr. John Blackmore can’t take his eyes off her.  The Countess of Randolph is the most striking woman he has ever seen…and the most infuriating patient he has ever tended.

Mired in responsibility, Bathsheba doesn’t have time to convalesce in the country.  She should be in London, hunting for a wealthy new lover to pay off her late husband’s vast debts, not dallying with a devastatingly handsome doctor.

But it is only a matter of time until the good doctor and the obstinate countess will have to contend with the sparks that fly between them.  Once their bodies surrender, their hearts may follow…



Stay tuned for a sneak peek into My Favorite Countess! We go now to the Caribbean where our Cozy correspondent, Tink, is with Vanessa onboard the Black Pearl. Take it away, Tink….



*sailors singing “A Pirate’s Life for Me”*



Tink: If you were a mixed drink what would you be and why?


Vanessa: Oh, God.  I’m the worst person to answer this question since I don’t do mixed drinks.  In my family, it was always wine or scotch.  In fact, my dad used to refer to mixed drinks as “garbage drinks”!  But I did go through a phase in college when I was quite fond of a good tequila sunrise, so I think I would have to go with that.  There’s something very exotic about it and, man, does it pack a punch!


Tink: If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring only one of each of the following…what would they be? Person? Song? Book?


Vanessa: The person would be my husband, the song would be Some People Fall, Some People Fly by Matraca Berg, and the book would be Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase.



Tink: What would be the name of your pet gourd?


Vanessa: Excaliber, and I have absolutely no idea why that should be so.


Tink: Now for a bit about your book. If you wrote to music, what would be this book’s theme song?


Vanessa: Darling Pretty, by Mark Knopfler



Tink: What are the first words your hero speaks to your heroine (or vice versa)?


Vanessa: “Lady Randolph, it is a great pleasure to finally meet you.  I have seen you at routs and concerts in London, of course, but have never had the honor of an introduction.”  My heroine, being a bit of a live wire, fires back by telling him that if it was such a pleasure he should have made a better effort to meet her before this!



Tink: Would you define your hero as an alpha or a beta? Why?


Vanessa: He’s a mix.  Although John Blackmore is a big, strong, and confident man who has no trouble taking control of a situation, he’s also a physician.  He’s a supremely kind and self-sacrificing man who will do anything to protect those in his charge.  He’s my perfect hero!



Tink: Does your hero prefer to wear boxers, briefs, a kilt? Or commando? ;)


Vanessa: Being a physician, John would wear boxers – practical and healthier for his man parts!



Tink: *grin* What is your heroine’s idea of the perfect date?


Vanessa: It would depend on whether the date fell before or after her reformation as a bad girl.  Before, it would involve an expensive trinket.  After, it would involve a quiet evening with her husband or perhaps a picnic with him on a beautiful summer’s day in the country.  If the latter, Bathsheba would be sure to include a blanket, so she and her husband could take a little “nap” in a secluded glade in the forest!



Tink: What is your favorite thing about each character?


Vanessa: Bathsheba is so sharp and funny, and she’s very aware of her own faults.  I like that she doesn’t sugarcoat life.  In John’s case, it’s his enormous capacity for compassion and forgiveness.  His big heart eventually allows Bathsheba to forgive herself for the mistakes she’s made in the past.



Tink: More seriously, what was your biggest challenge crafting this story or these characters?


Vanessa: My heroine, Bathsheba, is actually the villainess of my second book, Sex And The Single Earl.  She did some very nasty things in that book, and I had to come up with rock-solid motivations as to why she could act so badly and yet still deserve redemption.  I enjoyed writing her very much, but it was sometimes a challenge.  Bad boys are frequently reformed in books.  Bad girls, less often.



Tink: Now for a more in-depth look at the author… I will now ask you a round of nosy and nonsensical questions developed by Bernard Peevo and used by James Lipton on Inside the Actor’s Studio…. Brace yourself J What’s your favorite word? Least favorite?


Vanessa: Honestly, I don’t think I could pick just one that I love.  There are so many words that are simply glorious.  If I had to pick a word I hate, I think I would go with “pus.”



Tink: What sound or noise do you love? Hate?


Vanessa: I love the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of trees.  Hate the sound of a TV turned up too loud.



Tink: What’s your favorite curse word?


Vanessa: Given your ratings restriction, I can’t tell you!



Tink: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?


Vanessa: I’d like to be an art historian.



Tink: What profession would you not like to participate in?


Vanessa: A mortician.


Tink: Now for a sneak peak from My Favorite Countess….


Bathsheba swallowed an unladylike snort.  Obviously the good doctor knew exactly how to behave in polite company, and wrap said company—especially the female variety—around his little finger.  She suspected that ten thousand apologies on her part wouldn’t make a whit of difference to Lady Dellworthy, or any other woman in the room, for that matter.   But they all appeared to have quickly forgiven him, since they were now hanging on his every word with breathless anticipation.     

She took a gulp of tea and burned her tongue.  Cursing silently, she banged her cup and saucer onto the tea table, attracting both Blackmore’s and Lady Dellworthy’s attention. 

“Is everything well, Lady Randolph?” the doctor enquired in a mild voice.

“Yes, thank you.  Please continue with your conversation.”

Her hostess began to flutter nervously.  Again.  “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll just go see if Lord Randolph wants another piece of plum cake.”  As Lady Dellworthy scuttled away, Blackmore switched his unnerving quicksilver gaze back to Bathsheba.

“Lord Randolph says you rarely visit Ripon, preferring to live in the city.  Why is that?” he asked.

Blast the man.  Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? 

“I should think the answer is obvious,” she replied in a nasty voice.  “Because I hate the country.”  Perhaps if she were rude, he would go away.

No such luck.  Instead, he began to query her about friends, seeking to discover if they had any mutual acquaintances.  He settled into his chair, long limbs relaxed, his manner casual, but she wasn’t fooled.  She saw the sharp gleam in his eyes and the hungry way he studied her mouth.  Perspiration dampened the inside of her thighs and the back of her knees, and she had to call on all her discipline not to squirm in her seat.

After several minutes of conversation—stilted on her part, completely at ease on his—Bathsheba saw Miss Elliott make her determined way toward them.  No doubt she thought to save the doctor from her infamous coils.  Unfortunate the pursed-lip spinster didn’t realize she was the one who needed rescuing.

Miss Elliott planted herself in Lady Dellworthy’s vacant chair, looking down her thin noise at them from her self-righteous heights.  “Sir, Dr. Littleton tells me that you originally hail from the country.  The Lake District, I believe?”

“That is true, Miss Elliott.  I was born and raised in a village near Keswick.”

She bestowed a beneficent smile upon him while doing a fine job of ignoring Bathsheba.  “So lovely, the Lake District.  You must miss it.  And you must be glad to escape the grime and heat of London in the summer to enjoy the quiet beauties of Ripon and the glories of the surrounding dales.”

Perhaps her headache was to blame, but Bathsheba could no longer tolerate more social inanities—or being treated like a pariah.  “Good God, Miss Elliott.  What are you talking about?  The only thing worse than Yorkshire in the summer is Yorkshire in the winter.  No person of intellect would want to spend any amount of time here.  It’s the most boring place on earth.”

Too late, she remembered the spinster considered herself a person of intellect.  She sighed, inwardly correcting herself.  The only thing more boring than Yorkshire in the summer was a bluestocking in a fit of pique.

Miss Elliott’s firm mouth thinned into an outraged line.  If the woman had a pistol, there was little doubt she would aim the damn thing at Bathsheba’s head and pull the trigger. 

At least that would get rid of this headache. 

She choked back a laugh as the spinster excused herself and stalked across the room to join Matthew.

“Why do you do that?” Blackmore asked, looking irritated.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled, suddenly tired of fighting.  “Perhaps it’s my headache.  I believe someone is firing cannons inside my skull.”

He reached out a big hand and took her wrist in a light but firm grasp.  She tried to jerk it away.

“What are you doing?” she spluttered.

“Feeling your pulse.  Sit still,” he ordered.

She tugged, but his grip was unbreakable.  Hard, warm fingers on the fragile skin of her wrist sent a shuddering wave of excitement through her veins all the way to her heart.

“Tumultuous,” he pronounced.  “I’ll send over a powder tonight and stop by Compton Manor tomorrow.”

“Don’t bother,” she said, finally able to snatch her hand back.  Clearly, he had let her do so.  “I’m returning to London tomorrow.  I’ll be fine once I’m away from the quiet beauties of Ripon,” she finished sarcastically.

He regarded her with a cool arrogance.  “I wouldn’t advise that, Lady Randolph.  You need rest, not travel.”

“Thank you for your advice, Doctor.  Shall I pay you now, or will you send me a bill for your services?”

As he studied her, the flinty look in his eyes gradually softened.  “It’s obvious something troubles you, my lady.  Tell me what it is.  Perhaps I can help.” 

She gasped, and he unleashed an engaging grin.  Her heart fluttered madly in her chest.   

“Doctors are all professional busybodies, Lady Randolph.  We’re trained to notice small things—signs of trouble.  Your nails, for instance.  You bite them, don’t you?”

Her throat closed around the pain that lodged there.  She couldn’t move or speak.  But she must.  She must get away.  Blackmore was the most dangerous man she had ever met.

He gazed down into her face, waiting confidently for her to break.  She dredged up every ounce of willpower, calling on years of discipline, hard-fought and won in the face of her husband’s tormenting ways.

Forcing herself to rise gracefully from her chair, she signaled with a nod to Matthew that she wished to go home.  She turned and glanced down at the doctor.  He looked anything but pleased.

“You flatter yourself, Doctor,” she said coldly.  “I have no troubles.  And if I did, you would be the last man on earth I would go to for help.”            
 

Tink: And the final questions Jack and the boys have been waiting all day to ask…. If you could choose anyone (real or fictional) to be the captain of your, er, ship…who would it be? 


Vanessa: Captain Blood, aka Errol Flynn. 


Tink: Which savvy piece of the Caribbean would you most like to take home – the Black Pearl, the Dead Man’s Chest, or the Fountain of Youth? 


Vanessa: The Black Pearl, absolutely.



Tink: Would you rather take your chances with a zombie, a mermaid, or Blackbeard?


Vanessa: Blackbeard.  Easier to kill.



Tink: And most importantly – Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, or Commodore Norrington?  


Vanessa: Is this even a fair question?!  Captain Jack, of course!



Tink: Thank you, Vanessa! You have been a lovely interviewee! And Jack tells me that you are invited to stay aboard the Black Pearl whenever she is in port…in his quarters, of course J


Vanessa Kelly writes Regency-set historical romances for Kensington Publishing.  Her books have finaled in several contests, including the RomCon Readers’ Crown and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, and she recently won a Maggie Award for the Best Historical Romance of 2010.  Booklist, the prestigious review journal of the American Library Association, named her one of the “new stars of historical romance.”  When not penning Regencies, she slips into a phone booth and changes into her writing alter-ego.  In that guise, Vanessa writes sexy contemporary romance and romantic suspense books with her husband under the pen name of VK Sykes. Vist her on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter!



Vanessa has kindly offered a giveaway for today’s Cozy Guest Friday. By commenting to today’s post between now and midnight EST tomorrow, you will be entered to win My Favorite Countess in either digital or print (no international restrictions)! The winner will be chosen by the True Random Generator at Random.org and announced Sunday morning so be sure to check back to see if you have won. Good luck! (Chances of winning depend on the number of entries; you must be 18 years or older to enter.)

14 comments:

@Monikarw said...

Oh, I love Vanessa!
It's so much fun to talk to her on twitter!:)
Love that cover, beautiful..
Thanks for the interview!:*

Johanna J said...

This book has been on my wish list for a while now. I can't wait to read how Bathsheba was reformed! Thanks for a great interview!

LadyRed said...

*Giggling* That interview was hilariously wonderful! Although if I was given the choice of Jack, Will, Or Norrington I think I would have picked Norrington myself (look up and watch the British comedy Coupling, Jack Davenport plays Steve and he's hilarious and gorgeous!). Can't wait to read this book! greeneyesredhair@gmail.com

Vanessa Kelly said...

Thanks for dropping by, Monika! I enjoy talking with you too!

MicheleH52 said...

I have not read any of Vanessa's books before but would love to win this and check it out.

Vanessa Kelly said...

Johanna and Lady Red, I had a lot of fun doing the interview with Tink! And,actually, I did think for a moment of Norrington, but I eventually had to give my heart back to Jack.

Vanessa Kelly said...

Thanks, Michele!

Julie said...

That excerpt is intriguing. Thanks for the interview!

Sue P. said...

Such great questions - except you forgot the gates of heaven question! It's fun to get to know the authors a bit better. And so love this book.

pennsdog(at)yahoo(dot)com

Mary Preston said...

I'm reading down the post with A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME stuck in my head. Thank you for the wonderful interview.

Vanessa Kelly said...

It was fun doing this interview! Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

@Monikarw said...

aaaww ..Thanks Vanessa!:)
Have a nice weekend :*

Anonymous said...

OMg a chance to win Vanessa book:). This is truly a delicious treat:D. Love everything that Vanessa writes. I love the cOver for my favourite countess the cover successfully shows the independent woman that is betsheba:D. Wish you all the best Vanessa :D. Aretha zhen, aretha_zhen@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Cool:D. Vanessa book is such a wonderful treat:D. Love the cover , the cover really2 shows betsheba strength. Wish you all the best Vanessa :D. Aretha zhen, aretha_zhen@yahoo.com