Friday, March 18, 2011

Today's Special -- Interview with Bronwen Evans

It's my pleasure to welcome Kensington debut author Bronwen Evans to The Romance Dish. I was lucky enough to review Bronwen's debut novel, Invitation to Ruin, last month. It's a dark, sexy Regency with plenty of heat. Her second book, Invitation to Scandal, will be released early next year. Bronwen lives in Wellington, New Zealand and is one of five sisters and she's also a twin.

When Bronwen is not busy working, reading and writing, she spends her free time golfing, hiking, and enjoying movies.
You can find out more about Bronwen on her website, follow her on Twitter, and friend her on Facebook.

Time to chat!



Gannon: Welcome, Bronwen! You're in the hot seat now. *g* When did you first know you wanted to write?

Bronwen: I moved to London, England in 1988. When I lived in London I talked a lot with friends about wanting to write but didn’t quite know how to start. I decided I’d love to write romance stories as I’m a big romantic at heart. Then when holidaying in Greece the pension where we were staying in had some Mills and Boons – in Greek. Gosh, I thought to myself, this market is huge. On my return to London I contacted Mills and Boon and got all the information including a cassette tape on how to write romance – it’s a hilarious tape and I still listen to it and laugh. Boy things have certainly changed at Mills and Boon since the 1990’s. Back then you could only kiss! Anyway, I never really did anything about it – life got in the way.

When I moved back to New Zealand in 2005, a very close friend was very ill. I would sit at his bedside and we’d talk about our dreams in life and I mentioned I’d love to write romance novels. So he promptly got me to start plotting one with him. He told me if I was serious I should do it properly. So I joined Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) in 2006 and took loads of online courses. My writing career had begun.


Gannon: How long did you write before your manuscript was bought?

Bronwen: I have been writing seriously since about the beginning of 2007, but I fell into the ‘new writers’ trap of starting loads of books but never finishing one. In 2009 I decided to get serious. My co-RWNZ author Nalini Singh told me I had to find the time to invest in my career if I was serious. So I did. I took a part-time job at the beginning of 2009 so I could write. It was hard. I am single and I am my only source of income, so it was a risk. I gave myself two years. If I wasn’t published in two years I would go back to full time employment. I finished my first completed manuscript on 30th October 2009.


Gannon: We love call stories. Can you tell us about the day you got "the call"?

Bronwen: At the end of October 2009 I had finished my manuscript, but it was still being read by my critique partners. However I thought I’ll send out some Query letters and see what response I would get – thinking it would take a few weeks to hear back. On about the 10th November, I submitted five query letters. Two to editors and three to agents. They all immediately requested the full book. As I was still editing (from changes my critique partners – all 3 of them suggested) I actually sent them the first three chapters instead. What was the point of rushing f they didn’t like the first three chapters.

In the middle of December everyone came back asking for the rest of the book, but I still didn’t have it finished. So I thought I’d wait and finish the changes over my Christmas break and submit on 1 January. But Megan Records from Kensington (who bought my book) phoned me from New York on 18th December chasing the book, saying “I think I’d like to buy it”. I had to come clean and told her I’d submit on 1 January. She was happy to wait once I had explained what I was changing. Needless to say I was very very excited.

I submitted to all five people on 1 January. On the 3rd January, Melissa Jeglinski from The Knight Agency (who I met at the RWNZ 2009 conference) offered me representation and on the 6th January Megan called to offer me a two book deal with Kensington Brava. I couldn’t believe it! Loads of screams, champers and shaking – I don’t think I slept for a week. I wish everyone could experience a ‘CALL’. Editors must love giving them.


Gannon: I would think that making those calls would be one of the best parts of an editors job. Invitation to Ruin was fantastic, but had a bit of a "dark" feel due to the subject of the slave trade that you hit upon. How did you come up with that subject as part of your plot?


Bronwen: I like intelligent heroine’s and I remember sitting down one afternoon and comparing my life to a woman in the early 1800’s. I have done many things with my life. I have travelled extensively, I have been to University and I have set up and run my own company. I thought, how boring a woman’s life must have been in the early 1800’s, stiffed by Society’s conventions and rules. I realized she wouldn’t have had the freedom to do the things she really wanted to do, and it almost sounded like she was a slave to her father or husband. If you were lucky they treated you well, if not you were their servant. So that’s when I decided that Melissa would realize her lack of freedom was not right, and that she would help other’s in her situation i.e. The Women’s Freedom League who bought slaves and gave them their freedom. Once I’d had that in place it seem logical that the hero should have a slave trading background. I imagined the type of father the hero might have had if the family were slave traders.

Gannon: When you're not writing, what do you like to do in your free time?


Bronwen: I’m quite a busy person. I am a writer and I work part-time as Executive Director of a private surgical society in NZ, I am editor for the RWNZ Heart 2 Heart magazine and I run a writing loop called the Book in 50 Days for unpublished authors serious about a career in writing. When I do have spare time, I love spending it with my friends and family. I have a large, diverse group of friends from all walks of life and I love socializing. I play golf and bridge. However, my Sunday afternoons are definitely for reading. I try to read during the week when I can, but Sunday afternoon is always chill out time for me. I set myself up with a cup of tea, the odd biscuit or two, and a fabulous romance novel.


Gannon: Who are some of your favorite authors?

Bronwen: Gosh I have sooooo many!!! I love finding new authors to read. I have just read Eloisa James, When Beauty Tamed the Beast. She is not a new author but it is the first of her books that I have read and I absolutely loved it. I have also just read my first book by the authors Lynsay Sands, Taming the Highland Bride, and Lydia Dare, It Happened One Bite - both fabulous stories. I have also just finished FATED, a debut novel by Rebecca Zanetti and loved it. I have to buy most of my books online as NZ is so small, most romance novels are not distributed in book stores here.

I love anything by - Gaelen Foley, Nicole Jordan, Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, Natalie Anderson, Anne Gracie, Judith McNaught, Stephanie Laurens, - I could go on and on and on


Gannon: Here's a little something we do called the "quick six."

Milk chocolate or dark?
MILK
Beer or wine?
WINE
Mountains or beach?
MOUNTAINS (WITH SWIMMING POOL)
Early riser or night owl?
EARLY RISER
Summer or winter?
SUMMER (if you knew a Wellington winter you’d know why – the wind howls and the rains pours - no snow but still freezing and you can’t use an umbrella because of the wind.)

Coffee or tea? TEA


Gannon: Thanks for answering all of my questions, Bronwen.
Do you have a question you'd like to ask our readers?


Bronwen: Who is your favorite DARK and TORTURED hero – in a book or on TV and why?


So readers, tell us about your favorite dark and tortured hero. Bronwen is giving away three copies of Invitation to Ruin to three lucky commenters.

~ Gannon

68 comments:

  1. Hiya Dishes! Hiya Bronwen! Bronwen, huge congratulations on the release of INVITATION TO RUIN and all the wonderful buzz you're getting, including that fabulous review in Romantic Times. Wow! Great stuff. I laughed at your description of Wellington's weather. I visited for the first time in my life a couple of weeks before Christmas and the weather was gorgeous. As a result, it was one of my favourite stops in NZ. Everybody has told me since how lucky I was that I wasn't blasted to Antarctica on the cold winds you usually get!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Bronwen

    I am looking forward to reading your debut I have heard lots of great things about it.

    One of my favourite tortured heros is Kylemoore from Anna Campbell's Claiming The Courtesan and of course Gideon from Captive of Sin. Why I am not really sure but they captured me from the start of both books and to see them come through to the HEA with their respective heroines kept me inthralled.
    I don't have anyone from TV shows I read rather than watch TV LOL.
    Congrats on the release Bronwen and I loved the call story.

    Gannon and Bronwen great interview I love getting to know new authors

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ooh, Helen, aren't you the biggest honey this side of the Pacific? Thank you! Hey, can't wait to catch up in a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Anna

    I am soo looking forward to next weekend I have just been packing boxes up and getting everything sorted to send over to Bondi on Sunday (my son is taking the majority of the things over in a van for me)and I will be arriving on Thursday morning some time.

    Bronwen it would have been great if you could have made it as well maybe the next convention in 2013 fingers crossed

    Have Fun
    Helen

    ReplyDelete
  5. One of my favorite tortured heroes was Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, from Sabrina Jeffries book LET SLEEPING ROGUS LIE. There is just something about that character that I absolutely love.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Btw...If you liked that Lynsay Sands book "Taming the Highland Bride", you will love her others. She writes both historicals and paranormal romance and they are great!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Right now my favorite dark & Tortured hero is Castiel from Supernatural. A deliciously dark, & yet good, angel.

    marypres@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congrats on the release, Bronwen. One of my favorite tortured heroes is Vere from Loretta Chase's "The Last Hellion." He's seen so much death in his family(he became the duke after his young nephew died.)

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratz on the release Bronwen! Im new to ur books as well, but love delicious dark n tortured heros so I'm definitely gonna check it out:D

    My favorite dark and tortured book hero at the moment (b/c really I love many lol) is a battle hardened shifter alpha named Hawke from Nalini Singh's Psy/Changling series. He's got his own book coming up so I'm excited for that. On tv it's Dexter! I never thought a serial killer character could get me to root for him but Dexter always does:)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi, Anna dear! You should add Invitation to Ruin to your TBR list---I'm sure you have as many books as me...and that's a lot!

    Lucky you for getting good weather in NZ. One of these days I would love to visit there, as well as your own lovely country. What fun that will be!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi, Helen! I think you'll enjoy Invitation to Ruin, especially with your love of tortured heroes. ;-)

    I love Anna's heroes, too. Some of my favorites!

    ReplyDelete
  13. One of my favorite tortured heroes was Anthony Dalton, Viscount Norcourt, from Sabrina Jeffries book LET SLEEPING ROGUS LIE.

    Good morning, June. That's one Sabrina Jeffries book that's on my TBR mountain of books. I may have to move it closer to the top now. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Right now my favorite dark & Tortured hero is Castiel from Supernatural.

    Marybelle, I love Supernatural!

    ReplyDelete
  15. One of my favorite tortured heroes is Vere from Loretta Chase's "The Last Hellion." He's seen so much death in his family(he became the duke after his young nephew died.)

    Jane, he sounds tortured. Another LC book I need to add to my list. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi, Bella! If you have a thing for dark and tortured heroes, you'll love Invitation to Ruin.

    My favorite dark and tortured book hero at the moment (b/c really I love many lol) is a battle hardened shifter alpha named Hawke from Nalini Singh's Psy/Changling series.

    Another series on my TBR list! LOL I think I need about a year on a desert island to catch up. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love a dark and tortured hero. He may be a warrior who is haunted by the men he has killed. He might be a man with guilt over the death of a friend or family member. For whatever reason he feels he is incapable or not deserving love. I like to see how the heroine shows him how wrong he is.

    user1123 AT comcast DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  18. One of my all time favorite dark heroes is Lord Damerel from Georgette Heyer's Venetia. He's truly dark and tortured. I love how he tries to spare Venetia from his tainted past and how she refuses to let him get away with it. And then there's Spike from Buffy...Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  19. My favorite tortured hero is Maxim DeWinter from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. Thanks for visiting today.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Congratulations on your debut, Bronwen! Invitation to Ruin sounds intriguing.

    I have a long list of favorite tortured heroes. Since I can't possibly choose just one, I'll just name two, very different favorites from classic romances that I'd put on my recommended list for all romance readers: Sebastian, Marquess of Dain, from Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels and Christian Langland from Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sebastrian Townshend from Johanna Lindsey's Marriage Most Scandalous. I just re-read this the other day! Banished after a duel-gone-wrong leaving his best friend dead, he comes home to confront his demons.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Good morning everyone from NZ. I've slept in a bit. It's 7.30am on Satrday mroning and I have just woken up.

    Thank you all for your kind comments on my debut book.

    I can't believe what fabulous heroes you have all mentioned. I hope you enjoy Anthony.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on your debut. Lisa Kleypas writes some great tortured heroes.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Stacie - I'm with you! I love a hero who has to dig deep to love himself and it's the heroine's love that helps him.

    You're goign to love Anthony then!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Helen

    I'm a huge Anna Campbell fan. I have all of her books, so I can relate to your favourite heroes.

    I can't wait for Anna's next book, Midnight's Wild Passion - I think it's due out in May

    ReplyDelete
  26. TiceB - I loved Angel in Buffy but I thought Spike was a great villian turned hero.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Janga - I have read and loved Loretta Chase's book and Dain was a fabulous hero. I have to admit I haven't read any Laura Kinsale, but I have three of hers on my TBR pile

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congrats on your release! What a fantastic publishing story.

    I have to agree with Jenga--My favorite dark hero is Christian, the Duke of Jervaulx from Flowers from the Storm.

    But the war-scarred heros in each of Elizabeth Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers Series are memorable & sigh-worthy as well.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dtchycat - I'm glad I'm not the only one who re-reads. I have a huge keepers shelf which Johanna Lindsey's book take pride and place on.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Pendield - I hate to admit this but I think I haven't read any books by Lisa Kleypas - I keep menaing to read her because everyone says she is so good.

    Memo for the day - go buy this Lisa Kleypas book

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wendy - ohhh I love Elizabeth Holt's books. I'm not sure if I've read that one - another TBR. So much to read but I have to find time to write!

    You obviously love soldiers.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hello Bronwen ! Can't wait to read your debut! I'm a great admirer of Wilbur Wilberforce and Mary Seacole so your subject matter is right up my alley!

    Favorite dark and tortured heroes?

    Kylemore of Claiming the Courtesan!

    Gideon of Captive of Sin

    Both Anna Campbell heroes and both DIVINE!

    Ivan/John from Rexanne Bechnel's Dangerous to Love

    This is an older book, but if you can find it you will LOVE it.

    Christian from Laura Kinsale's Flowers from the Storm

    Dain from Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels

    Any of Anne Stuart's heroes. She REALLY does tortured well!

    Marcus Wharton from Joan Johnston's After the Kiss - another older book, but well worth seeking out.

    My favorite real life tortured hero? My basset/beagle cross Boudreaux! He was found trapped in a house in New Orleans with his owner's dead body. He was skin and bones and covered in nasty, oily water and suffered skin problems because of it. I've had him since November, 2005 and he is still terrified of thunderstorms. He has horrible nightmares and cries in his sleep. But he is the happiest, sweetest dog and is still brave enough to try and prevent me from going outside when it is raining.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Wonderful interview! I think my favorite tortured hero is still Angel in the Buffy world. I'm big on J.R. Ward's vamps as well. :)

    (Thanks for the shout out!)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Congratulations, Bronwen, on the release.
    My favorite is Aidan of Mary Balogh's Slightly Married. I loved the whole series, but he was the superior choice.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Gosh Louisa - I loved your dog story. It brought tears to my eyes. My first puppy I saved from a downing. Someone had put him in a sack and flung him in the lake but the sack had luckily caught on a tree and I found him - Sam his name was.

    ReplyDelete
  36. My favorite tortured hero has got to be Noah from Anne Stuart's "Into the Fire." Yum

    ReplyDelete
  37. Rebecca - your book FATED was fab - why wouldn't I mention it. Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Regina - I love Mary Balogh but I'm not sure I've read that one - sigh anther TBR. Blogging is fun - it introduces me to new books!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Welcome to The Romance Dish, Bronwen! Great inteview! I really enjoyed reading all about you and your writing career. Wishing you much success!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oh Bronwen, what a lucky dog your Sam was! There are some awful people in this world, but dogs always seem to find the good people in the end!

    ReplyDelete
  41. LR - I must admit I do love all the Aussi/NZ historical authors, Anne Stuart, Anna Campbell, Anne Gracie, Christine Wells, Emily Gee, and of course Stephanie Laurens.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hey, guys, thanks for all the lurve! And I'm loving all the tortured heroes. Bronwen, can't believe you've never read a Laura Kinsale. Hie thee to a bookshop!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hello and welcome to the Dish, Bronwen! We're so happy to have you with us today. And what a great interview! I have your book added to my TBB list. *g*

    Off the top of my head, one of my favorite dark and tortured heroes is Max Pesaro from Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles. He is positively yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Oh! Thought of another: Gabriel Noble from Anne Mallory's Three Nights of Sin! *g*

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks Buffie for your kind wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anna Campbell - thank you for your support! It's been awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Andrea - thanks to Gannon for inviting me today.

    I have another book to read Max Pesaro from Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles. I do love a good vampire story ie. Fated by Rebecca Zanetti her debut book. I have just finsihed my first historical vampire book by Lydia Dare, it Happened One Bite - it was fun!

    ReplyDelete
  48. one of my favorite dark and tortured heroes is Max Pesaro from Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles. He is positively yummy!

    Oh, yeah, Andrea! Go Team Max! *g*

    ReplyDelete
  49. Bron, it sounds like you have as much reading to catch up on as me. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  50. I can't wait to read this book. I have had it on my wishlist for months now. It looks so good. My favorite tortured character is Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Hi Danielle - just about every hero in JR Ward's books are to die for, aren't they?

    Thanks for dropping by.

    ReplyDelete
  52. One of my favorite dark and tortured characters is Devlin in Maria V. Snyder's Glass series.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hi Carlr6 - that's another knew writer to me. I'll have to check her out. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Congratulations on the release of Invitation To Ruin! I really enjoyed your interview and found it interesting. I'm also a twin. New Zealand is such a beautiful country. Ever since watching Lord Of The Rings I have had hopes of seeing it in person one of these days. To answer your question of who is my favorite dark and tortured hero? I couldn't pick just one. I enjoy reading a variety of genres and I have read about so many great Heroes. So to narrow the field a bit, my most recent favorite Dark and Tortured Hero would be Rain Tairen Soul from C L Wilson's Tairen Soul Series.

    rjofus(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  55. Can't wait to read this book. My favorite tortured hero's are the 4 soldiers in Elizabeth Hoyt's books

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi Chris - another twin - are you identical? Leigh and I are, but we have grown less alike as we got older. At shcool no one could tell us apart. We aahd a lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  57. My favorite tortured character is Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward.

    Danielle, Zsadist is my favorite brother, too! *sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  58. Kmannrm - another vote for Elizabeth's 4 soldiers. I am going to have to ensure I read them.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Ever since watching Lord Of The Rings I have had hopes of seeing it in person one of these days.

    Chris, I think LOTR caused many people to want to go to NZ...including me! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  60. From what I have seen of the world, and it's a lot, as I have travelled almost everywhere, NZ is very similar to loads of other countries, especially the USA. EXCEPT, it's a much smaller version. It's easier to get around and you can get to diverse scenery in a short period of time. Small sometimes has it advantages.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Small sometimes has it advantages.

    Very true, Bron. :-)

    Thank you so much for being with us today and doing such a great interview with me!

    ReplyDelete
  62. Gosh Gannon, it was my pleasure! Thanks for supporting a debut author.

    ReplyDelete
  63. Bron, we love debut authors!! It's like discovering hidden treasure. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  64. What a call story!

    As for a tortured hero, I don't think I can pick one of J R Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Hi Sheree - thanks for your kind words about my call story. It was very exciting.

    JR Ward writes marvelous Alpha heroes.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Looking forward to your first book, congrats, Bronwen.
    Hero: It would have to be Mr. Rochester from JANE EYRE. Why him, he was my first of course - and you never forget your first :)

    ReplyDelete
  67. Bronwen, congrats on your debut, already have my eye on it.

    Gannon, also loved Vere from Chase's The Last Hellion.

    ReplyDelete
  68. I am currently reading Jennifer Blake's Masters of Arms series about a group of swordsmen in 1840s New Orleans. I am currently on book 5. The hero of each book is tortured by his past and struggling to deal with it. Each hero is very different but a great read. I look forward to finging out about these next 2.

    ReplyDelete