March, 2010

What do you think of love?

(Mercy shook her head slowly) My mother taught me to expect only disappointment from love. That love does not last and it is best not to waste time on it. So I am not sure what to think of love.

Do you wish to fall in love?

(A hesitant smile surfaced) I am curious to see for myself what at times can cause great sorrow and other times great happiness, though I will be cautious as my mother has warned.

Do you feel you are open to love?

(Mercy frowned) I sometimes wonder if perhaps I am afraid to love. I believe that love will not and cannot endure. That eventually it will disappoint and I do not know if I want to suffer as my mother did. Therefore I cannot truly say I am open to it, for it rather frightens me.

What do you want in a husband?

(Mercy did not hesitate)  Kindness. He must be kind, for I have felt and seen the remnants of indifference, intolerance and selfishness.

Do you want a handsome husband?

(Mercy smiled) I want a husband with a beautiful heart, for I believe – I wish to believe – that a beautiful heart loves forever.

I knew that Duncan would have his work cut out for him with Mercy, but I also knew that Duncan had what Mercy needed – a beautiful heart.

Their love story gets told in Bound To A Warrior coming in August!

I’m blogging at RomCon today. Stop by and leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win an autographed copy of Bound To A Warrior as soon as it becomes available. Hope to see you there!

In getting to know Duncan MacAlpin — hero in Bound To A Warrior, I asked him a few questions. I’d like to share them with you so that you can get to know him.

Are you ready to fall in love?

(After Duncan’s laughter subsided he answered.) A foolish question and a fool is he who thinks he can ever be ready to fall in love.

Are you open to love?

(Duncan scratched his head before he answered.) I am not sure what you mean, though I assume by open you refer to a door that stands open in welcome. So if then you mean do I welcome love — I do.

What do you expect from love?

(Duncan stared for a moment then shook his head.) You ask strange questions. But I will answer as best I can. From what I see of others in love, I would expect complete confusion. It seems that is the one consistent thing when it comes to love. No matter who it is, if you are in love — you are confused.

What is it you want in a wife?

(Duncan answered without hesitation.) For her to love me with strength and courage as I will her.

What of features? Do you want a beautiful wife?

(He grinned.) Love see through the heart, not the eyes.

I asked no more questions after that — I didn’t need to.

I can’t wait for you to meet Duncan in Bound To A Warrior — release date August.

An Irish blessing and a very happy St. Pat’s Day to you all!

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

I don’t know about anyone else, but to me it’s the little things in romance books that make them such great reads. I love a strong hero who has a thoughtful touch. One who takes the heroine’s hand without thinking about it because it’s where it belongs. Or he slips his arm around her to simply comfort or console. And then there are those moments when he expresses his love for her and not because he has to, or she wants him to, but because he feels it in his heart.

What about the hero risking death itself to save the heroine? I know there are many kick-ass heroines who can save themselves, but you can’t tell me that it doesn’t catch at your heart when a hero does something heroic to save the woman he loves.

I have gotten and continue to get more e-mails than ever about one particular scene in my book The Buccaneer. The hero arrives at the island where the heroine is being held, tied to a stake near the water’s edge and he knocks out anyone who stands in his way of getting to her. Then of course he must fight the bad guy.

While there were many little things I could do in Bound To A Warrior, especially with the hero and heroine being shackled together, the most challenging part was having Duncan protect Mercy. It wasn’t as if he had two free hands, he always had to consider that one was constantly tethered to her. While that certainly could prove beneficial; it also could prove dangerous in more ways than one.

Still it’s those little things that tug at my heart and keeps me reading romances. What about you?

What are the little things in romance books that catch your heart?