TODAY IT IS OUR GREAT PLEASURE TO WELCOME HISTORICAL ROMANCE AUTHOR, BRONWEN EVANS!!
MBA&M: Please tell our readers a few tidbits about yourself?
BE: Hi April. Thank you so much for having me over to blog today. Tidbits-I’m not sure I’m that interesting really. Hmmmmm…
- I live in New Zealand, a land of only 4 million people
- I’m one of 5 girls, and I’m a twin, and the eldest by 20 minutes. My twin sister, Leigh, is my biggest fan.
- I was pretty sporty in my younger days, playing representative netball (think basketball except you can’t bounce the ball nor run with it).
- I grew up on a farm and had my own pony
- I lived in London, England for seven years in my twenties
- I have a business degree from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand
- I’ve travelled extensively – visited every continent except two, the ones at the top and bottom of the world. Italy is my favourite country. Russia the most interesting.
- I used to run my own company, which I listed on the New Zealand stock exchange in 2000.
- I love reading romance novels and watching anything that has a thread of romance in it – Farscape, Fire Fly, Angel, Vampire Diaries, Bones, Revenge, The Mentalist. I’m a hopeful romantic…
MBA&M: What are some of the things that influence you while writing? (ie. Music, scents, images)
BE: I usually find I wake in the morning with scenes playing in my head. I’m not sure if I dream all through the night but they are definitely there when I wake. Therefore, I usually can start writing as soon as I’m showered, as long as I have a cup of tea in my hand! If I get blocked, I take myself off for a hill walk. I live in the hills of Wellington and I get a really good workout by walking up to the top of the hill where I can look out over the city, the harbour and watch the planes land at the airport. I usually have my walkman on, and I listen to the lyrics and I’m inspired enough to find my way through any block in my story.
MBA&M: While we understand everyone wants to know about the main characters, let’s take a different approach and discuss your secondary characters. Name a secondary character from your story and tell us a little about them?
BE: In the third novella, there aren’t many secondary characters that readers haven’t already met in books one and two of the Wicked Wagers trilogy. However, Amy Shipton, the heroine in To Challenge the Earl of Cravenswood, was a secondary character in the previous books and received so many emails from readers wanting her to get her own HEA. That pleased me immensely as I had her lined up for Henry. It proved to me I was heading in the right direction. I think readers liked Amy because she was true to herself while being selfless and kind. They could relate to her stance on marriage – which she would do her duty and marry to aid her family’s position but she refused to marry a man who loved another.
MBA&M: Who would you cast as your characters if your book was made into a movie or TV series?
BE: I was asked this recently and I’ve picked the following: Henry would definitely be played by Philip Winchester, Leontes in Camelot, and Strike Force (in Regency historical romances the men are always a bit older). I think he’s so sexy. Amy would be played by Nina Dobrev from The Vampire Diaries. Sassy, strong and gorgeous. Can you see them together?
MBA&M: What scene from your story stands out the most to you? What scene was hardest to write? What was easiest? Is there a scene you’d love to rewrite now that the book has been published?
BE: The scene that stands out the most is the scene where Amy is searching Henry’s room for her earring and is almost caught. She hides under Henry’s bed and is shocked to see Henry…You’ll have to read the story to see what she catches Henry doing!
The scene that was the hardest to write was the same scene. The easiest was when Amy and Henry help a woman give birth. It was fun and romantic and a real beautiful moment.
MBA&M: Why did you choose this place,a country house, for your book’s setting?
BE: To Challenge the Earl of Cravenswood is the final book in my Wicked Wagers trilogy so I wanted to set it somewhere that Henry and Amy would be forced to be together. I also wanted Henry St. Giles led down the garden path as to Amy’s feelings. So, I set the story at Marcus Danvers, The Marquis of Wolverstone country house. Marcus is the hero in book two of this trilogy. It worked really well! So well that Henry and Marcus almost come to blows.
Thank you, Bronwen, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with us and our readers today!! “A Wicked Wager” trilogy sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing with us and our readers!!
~~~~~~
Would you like a snippet…
Henry took a deep breath before entering the drawing room and joining the guests before dinner. His eye immediately found Amy deep in conversation with Caitlin. He scanned the room and found Marcus on his own at the sideboard pouring himself a brandy. He crossed to his side.
“A word with you if I may.”
“Only one? How unlike you, Henry. What have I done now? You’re wearing your saintly frown.”
Henry bit back his annoyance at Marcus’s comment. Right now he felt anything but saintly. He wanted to smash his curled fist into Marcus’s smug face.
“What the hell are you up to?” he said through clenched teeth.
“I’m pouring myself a brandy. Shall I pour one for you? You sound as though you need one. Was the estate business worse than predicted?”
He looked around the room. No one appeared to be paying them any attention. “I know what you’re up to. I saw you.”
Marcus handed him a glass of brandy and frowned, “I don’t follow, old chap.”
“You were in the stable the other night. With Amy.”
A slow, smirk of a smile shaped Marcus’s lips. “How do you know that?”
Henry took a step back. He’d walked right into that. “I was looking for you.”
He chortled. “You didn’t find me.”
Henry clenched his fist around his glass. Don’t let him make you lose your temper. “I know that. Odd time of night to be meeting a young lady in your stables. In her nightdress…”
“Oh, that. She’d had a missive from her father that she begged my help with. You know my father and hers were close.”
“And she had to discuss it with you? Alone? In the stable? So late at night?”
“I’ve been advising her.”
I bet you have, bastard. “About what?”
“I’m not sure I can share her confidences.”
“I wonder what Sabine would think about you sharing—confidences—with Amy.”
Marcus’s countenance abruptly changed. The glass banged down on the side board. “What the bloody hell does that mean? It better not mean what I think you’re implying or I’ll knock your teeth down your saintly throat.”
“Why so defensive? Do you have something to hide? I saw her in your arms a few nights ago too.”
Marcus looked over his shoulder. “I was comforting her. Her father is forcing a match with Chesterton, whom she hates. I suggested she work on the Comte.” He nodded his head in a direction over his shoulder. Amy was smiling gaily at the Frenchman. Henry wanted to knock his teeth down his throat too.
“Whatever is wrong with you? How could you imply…”
Thanks for letting me share some of my story with you.
Thank you for visiting with us and our readers today!!
GIVEAWAY ALERT!!
Who would you love to be stuck at a country house party with and why? I have an eBook copy of To Challenge the Earl of Cravenswood for one commenter!
About Bron:
New Zealander Bronwen Evans grew up loving books. She’s always indulged her love for story-telling, and is constantly gobbling up movies, books and theatre. Her head is filled with characters and stories, particularly lovers in angst. Is it any wonder she’s a proud romance writer?
She writes both historical and contemporary sexy romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and compassionate alpha heroes. Her debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, won the 2012 RomCon Readers Crown for Best Historical and Invitation to Ruin was also nominated for Best First Historical in the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards 2011.
Bronwen loves hearing from avid romance readers at [email protected] You can keep up with Bronwen’s news by visiting her website www.bronwenevans.com
Links:
Website: www.bronwenevans.com
Blog: http://www.bronwenevans.com/bronwen-blog.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthor
Twitter: bronwenevans_NZ
~~~~~~~
TOO CHALLENGE THE EARL OF CRAVENSWOOD
BRONWEN EVANS
To live happily ever after…
Henry St. Giles, the Earl of Cravenswood, longs to find his soul mate. Now that his two best friends, both reformed rakes, are happily married, the need becomes an obsession. When they challenge him to find a wife by the end of the season or marry his neighbor, the innocently alluring Lady Amy Shipton, he can’t believe his luck. He wins, either way. But a darkened garden, a case of mistaken identity, a drunken kiss, and a dropped emerald earring, leads Henry on a Cinderella hunt. He knows the woman he held in his arms could be the one he’s searched for all his life. He just has to find her.
Lady Amy Shipton is determined to marry for love instead of sharing her husband like her mother did. So why did she let her handsome neighbor and romantic fantasy, the Sinful Saint as he’s called for his bedroom prowess, seduce her in his garden? And what can she do when in the middle of their passionate encounter; he whispers another woman’s name. Now Henry is hunting the owner of the earring Amy left behind, and she’s determined to retrieve it before her identity is revealed. She’s not about to give her father the ammunition he desperately wants to force her down the aisle.
Buy links:
GIVEAWAY ALERT!!
If you want to enter the draw for the main Wicked Wagers Blog Tour prize giveaway of a $30 Gift Card from Amazon or B&N and all three of the eBooks then follow the raffle copter instructions.
The raffle copter code to insert
<a id=”rc-397d91194″ class=”rafl” href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/397d91194/” rel=”nofollow”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src=”//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js
I adore your books. Thanks for visiting with us today!
AprilR
Hi April
thank you so much! What a lovely welcome. Sorry I'm late, had internet issues today.
someone who could play music, definitely! along with my boyfriend!!
Hi Eva
Perhaps Adele and then she can serenade you and your boyfriend.
Someone cute who could make me laugh.
Hi Rita
Someone cute that could make me laugh sounds ideal – how about Chandler off Friends?
I'm really looking forward to reading these new releases, Bronwyn! I really admire everything that you have done in your life…so far!
Best of luck.
Hi Connie
Thank you. It's been an interesting ride….
I would want to be stuck with a wonderful pianist or singer or actor because then I would be entertained.
Hi Maureen
Great idea! Some like Elton John would be entertaining.
My BF Pat – always amusing and entertaining and best of all, unconditional love.
I don't really know who I'd like to be stuck with!! The book sounds really good. Thanks for the chance.
I'd like to be stuck with Betty White because she's funny.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com