Q. Have you ever written a book or a series about brides?

I’ve always wanted to write a bride series.  Something romantic with orchids and white lace.  For years, I toyed with an idea for a sort of Cinderella story about a duke who accidentally falls in love with the wrong woman.  Not his betrothed, the woman he has promised to marry, but his fiancée’s poor relations, a cousin hardly suited to become the wife of a duke.  ROYAL’S BRIDE, the first book of the Bride's trilogy, was the result.

Q. In the Bride series the heroes are brothers. Tell us a little about each brother.

In ROYAL'S Bride, the eldest son of the Duke of Bransford, Royal is left with the responsibility of running an impoverished dukedom when his father dies. And his honor demands he live up to the vow he made his father to marry an heiress and rebuild the Bransford fortune. Even if he is forced to wed a woman he doesn't love.

In REESE’S BRIDE, the middle brother, Reese, is the kind of dark, brooding hero I love to write.  He is home from the war, retired from the cavalry and forced to live the sedentary life of a country gentleman, the last thing he wants to do.

In RULE’S BRIDE, the handsomest, most rakish Dewar brother is shocked to find the young bride he wed in an arranged marriage three years earlier all grown up and sitting in his London living room.  Violet Dewar has matured into a delectable little morsel Rule can’t wait to seduce into his bed. 

Q. Tell us a little bit about how you came up with the storylines for the Bride trilogy.
Like most of my books, the story idea began with just a single scene in my head. A tall blond man kneeling next to an unconscious woman in the snow, his scarlet cloak billowing out around him. Since I wanted three stories for the trilogy, I decided to make the other heroes Royal's brothers. Then each one began to get a story of his own.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the research you did for this series.
I am currently writing in the Victorian period, which is a little later for me and requires more research. I had written a lot of Regency romances, but this time frame has its own history, its own personality.

Q. Without giving any of the stories away, what will readers love about this series.
I think they’ll love the heroes but also the women who are strong enough to stand up to such tough, masculine men.  And there is plenty of action and adventure to keep them all on their toes.

Q. What is one of your favorite scenes in RULE'S BRIDE?
I love the fire scene.  The tension and danger, the way Rule steps up when the odds are against their survival.  I love the love scene that follows when both of them are so grateful to be alive.. 

Q. What character in RULE'S BRIDE was the most fun to write about?
Definitely Rule. Being one of the biggest rakes I had ever written, I had to find the real man inside before I could come to love him (and I did!).  There was such chivalry in Rule.  Though it took a good deal of effort for him to overcome his roguish nature and become the man he was meant to be, Rule truly proved to be the son of a duke. The journey wasn’t easy.  It took a strong-willed woman like Violet to help him find his way.

Q. Which book in the Bride's trilogy is your favorite, and why?

I would have to say, Rule's Bride. I loved revisiting old acquaintances, but I also liked the action in this book, the adrenalin-pumping scenes in the story as the plot develops.  Co-owners of Griffin Manufacturing, Violet and Rule are thrown together as they frantically try to discover who is working to destroy their company--perhaps at the cost of Rule’s life. I hated to finish this book.  But alas, all good stories must come to an end. 

Q. You've written a number of trilogies; what is the most challenging aspect of writing a trilogy?
Keeping everyone straight! The dates and places, the connections of the people to each other, the descriptions of the residences and the people themselves. Trilogies are much harder to write, but are also very rewarding.

Q. Which is your favorite time period to write about? Why?
I love writing Contemporary Romantic Suspense, but also Regency and Victorian England. I love medievals, but have only written one. I used to enjoy writing western romance and still read them when I can.

Q. Have you traveled to the places you write about in your books?
I try to travel to the places I write about. I've been to England several times, traveled in France and Spain, Brazil and a lot of other countries. I've been in most of the 50 states and make a point to visit an area I think may be in one of my upcoming books.

Q. Tell us about where you live and how that influences your writing?
I live in rural Montana. I love cowboys and horses. You will see that reflected in AGAINST THE WIND, the first of the Raines Brothers' trilogy. But the books won't be out until 2011.

Q. Your husband writes too. What are the pros and cons to having a writer for your spouse?
Mostly good, I think. We know the same people. He understands my problems and I understand his. He is great help in plotting and researching my novels.

Q. What do you attribute your success and longevity in the industry to?
A positive attitude and a very strong drive to succeed. I think a writer has to have a thick skin and a lot of determination.

Q. What's the best and worst advice you ever received?
The best? Keep after it! Don't give up. The worst? Change your writing style to fit what is happening in the market. You have to write your own books and hope you will find the readers who enjoy them.

Q. Tell us about your next series?
My next series also happens to be about three handsome siblings.  The Raines brothers from Wind Canyon, Wyoming.  I call it my AGAINST series, AGAINST THE WIND, AGAINST THE FIRE, and AGAINST THE LAW.  They novels are high-action contemporaries--so much fun to write.

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