Author Sarah MacLean
"As the daughter of a former British spy (yes...that kind of British spy) and a jet-setting Italian who met in Paris and lived, at one point or another, in Rome, London, San Francisco, and New York, I feel that I should tell you that I’m a real-life Lara Croft who spends her days haggling in the bazaars of Marrakech, shopping on the Champs-Élysées, riding a motorbike across the Gobi desert, and scaling ancient Mayan temples. Unfortunately for all of us, however, that would be a gross untruth. My parents settled down in Lincoln, Rhode Island long before I was born and left me little choice but to turn to books to find my own romance and adventure.
By high school, thanks to my older (and much wiser) sister, I was thoroughly obsessed with historical fiction. I would become enamored of whole eras and read any- and everything I could get my hands on that related to them. I went through phases—Medieval England, the Vikings, the Italian Renaissance.[...]
My first book, a YA historical romance called The Season, is available in the YA section of your local bookstore. My adult historical romances are on their way...Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake is in bookstores now, and the sequel, Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord is coming in October 2010 from Avon/HarperCollins."read full bio on author's site
Sarah MacLean on the Web: Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Sarah's Latest Release:
'Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord'
Released October 26th, 2010 (Today!)
The daughter of a titled wastrel, Lady Isabel Townsend has too many secrets and too little money. Though she is used to taking care of herself quite handily, her father’s recent passing has left Isabel at sea and in need of outside help to protect her young brother’s birthright. The sinfully handsome, eminently eligible Lord Nicholas could be the very salvation she seeks.
But the lady must be wary and not do anything reckless and foolish…like falling madly, passionately in love."Source[Read a review of 'Ten Ways To Be Adored...' on Book Binge: here]
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-Q&A-
RJ: Hey Sarah! Thanks so much for stopping by for a little chat. Firstly, congratulations on your new book, 'Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord', which will be available for purchase as of 10.26.2010 (TODAY)! What have the past few months been like; with having the book finished and anticipating it's release? What have you experienced emotionally as well as professionally with the completion of this new book?
SM: Thanks so much for having me! This is my third book, and I never feel entirely calm with the whole release process. I don’t sleep leading up to the actual release day, and I spend a whole lot of time trying *not* to obsessively Google myself and the book to see if people like it! The good thing is, I had another book due this month, so that kept my mind off of the big release of Ten Ways!
RJ: Why don't you tell me and the readers a little bit about 'Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord' from the author's point of view?
SM: Readers of Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake will recognize the hero of Ten Ways . . . Lord Nicholas St. John is the twin brother of Ralston, the hero of Nine Rules. Nick is named one of London’s Lords to Land by a popular Ladies’ Magazine (The People Magazine of his time), and he flees the city (and the throngs of single ladies) to the quiet country. He lands himself in Yorkshire, at a house filled with women . . . that is not so quiet at all. The mistress of the house, Lady Isabel Townsend is compelling and mysterious . . . and Nick doesn’t have a chance!
RJ:Where did the inspirations for your plot, characters and setting come from?
SM: Even though I write historical romance, I draw a lot of inspiration from my own life . . . places I’ve been, people I’ve met, things I’ve done. A big part of my inspiration for Minerva House (the house filled with ladies where Nick ends up), was my time at Smith College, where I lived in a houseful of women!
RJ:What challenges or difficulties did you face with the writing of this particular novel?
SM: This novel was a particular challenge for me because it’s all set outside of London, in a single location. So the interactions were really all about the characters rather than the places they went or the things they saw. I think the challenge turned the book into a much more character-driven story than Nine Rules . . . the adventure is all emotion!
RJ: This latest book is the second in the St. John siblings series—about the Marquess of Ralston, his twin brother, and their half-sister. Could you tell me a little about this trio of books and the siblings they follow? Who are they and what makes them special?
SM: The St. John siblings (how I refer to them even though Juliana is not a St. John in name) are a unique family . . . one that has really only fully come together in recent months. Gabriel cut a wicked swath through London after school while Nick left England for the Continent for years, and Juliana grew up in Italy. They’re all learning each other as much as they are learning themselves in these books.
RJ: I have to touch on your book titles real quick. They have certainly turned into a mouthful (which is not a bad thing). They went from a simple title like 'The Season' to the more lengthy 'Nine Rules To Break When Romancing a Rake' and now 'Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing A Lord'. I think the longer titles are lots of fun and very cute! Is there anything you'd like to share about their conception, or did the idea just hit you & you ran with it?
SM: Nine Rules titled itself . . . and once the title arrived . . . there was no question that the other books would follow with long, elaborate titles. People keep asking me if I’m going to continue them after Juliana’s story (Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart) . . . and unfortunately (or fortunately for the poor designers who have to squeeze all that text onto the covers), the answer is no . . . the next series has fun titles . . . but they’re much shorter!
RJ: The writing process differs from author to author. Some are planners, and others just jump right in. Some consider themselves night writers, while others need daylight and a park bench or a coffee shop (wink) to set the mood for creativity; whats your writing process and atmosphere like?
SM: I’m an outliner . . . I use index cards and a chalkboard-paint wall in my office to come up with the whole idea . . . and then I write beginning to end, in a very methodical, boring manner. I work better in the afternoon, and write long hand as much as possible, because I think it makes for less fear!
RJ: Romance has transcended many different sectors of pop culture. I think the Beatles said it best, "All you need is love". This being a Romance Blog, I've got to ask: what are your favorite picks for the following: Favorite Love Song?Favorite Scent on a man? Favorite Romantic Comedy? and of course, Favorite Romance Novel?SM: Favorite love song: Ween’s Stay Forever
Favorite scent on a man: Tobacco flower (not to be confused with smoke . . . which is ick!)
Favorite romantic comedy: When Harry Met Sally
Favorite romance novel: Jude Deveraux’s The Black Lyon
RJ: What's coming up next for you (book-wise or otherwise)?
SM: Juliana’s story, Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart in April 2011, followed by a new series from Avon in Autumn of 2011!
RJ: Do you have anything that you would like to address to your fans and the readers?
SM: I’m so grateful and humbled by the way readers have responded to Nine and Ten . . . thank you thank you thank you for making my publishing dreams come true! Please come over to my blog (www.macleanspace.com) and tell me what you think of the books . . . I love to hear from readers!
RJ: Final Question: Name something shocking or interesting about yourself that the readers may not know.
SM: I took two years of Icelandic in college . . . I’m terrible at speaking it, but I can actually read and write it pretty well!--
RJ: Thanks so much for stopping by, Sarah! I loved getting to know a bit more about you, your characters, and your newest release that is probably flying off the shelves as we speak!
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To all the readers, be sure to make use of those 'on the web' links above to better acquaint yourself with this fabulous author! This has been great! I hope all of you have enjoyed this edition of:
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