Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Today's Special - - Maggie Robinson and Elyssa Patrick


It's my pleasure to welcome Maggie Robinson and Elyssa Patrick to the Romance Dish today.  I've known these two authors for many years; since long before either of them was published.  It's so much fun to watch their success and growth as writers.  Maggie and Elyssa have joined forces this Christmas in Holiday for Two, a duet of snowbound romance novellas.  Learn more about Maggie and Elyssa at their respective websites and check out Holiday for Two at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well as other online book retailers. 

Welcome Maggie and Elyssa!





Hi Maggie!  Welcome back from your fabulous European vacation.  It's a pleasure to have you with us today.  Please tell our readers what they can expect from "All Through the Night."

ATTN is a warm, fun, feel-good romance where everyone's troubles get wrapped up with a red ribbon.  It's slightly Cinderella-ish, even though the Prince is just a viscount. ;)

I've always enjoyed a snowbound romance.  What do you think draws readers to this type of story?

Who doesn't love a good snuggle?  Snow is gorgeous to look at-- from the inside. I live in Maine where I'm snowbound half the winter. This is why I go to Florida in February, LOL.

Can't say as I blame you.  I grew up in snowy Michigan.  It sure didn't take much to convince me to follow my parents and younger siblings to the sunny beaches of southwest Florida!

Part of Griffin's initial appeal for Carrie is his English accent.  If you were in Carrie's position, snowbound with a hunky stranger for the night, what accent would you want him to have?

Well, you know Carrie is really a much-younger Maggie. I'll go with English too!

Carrie is transporting the Christmas turkey and the trimmings to her employer's home when she's caught in the snow.  What's the traditional Christmas dinner at your house?  

We've experimented with everything. Lately we've been having turkey breast and ham. My mashed potatoes are famous in the family, so I have to have them on the menu. My daughters do side dishes and my husband makes pies.  We all eat too much and drink lots of champagne!

What's next from Maggie Robinson?

I'm working on Book 4 in the Ladies Unlaced Edwardian historical series(the hero is a virgin!). I don't have pub dates yet, though. I also may write another contemporary novella, since I enjoyed doing this one so much

Thanks, Maggie!

Welcome, Elyssa!  It's your turn.  Please tell us about your story, "While it Was Snowing".  

Hi PJ! Thanks so much for having Maggie and I on here to talk about our anthology, Holiday for Two! 

While It Was Snowing is about two best friends who slowly discover that taking their relationship to the next level isn't as easy as they thought it would be and risk ruining their friendship for good. But thanks to a snowstorm, they're stuck in a cabin in Vermont and have to fight for what matters most: each other.


This story uses two romance themes: friends to lovers (they've known each other since they were seven) and opposites attract (Harry is a true beta with a quiet demeanor and a fondness for bow ties while Felicity is a take-charge woman with a fondness for four-letter words).  What about these romance tropes appeals to you as a writer?  Why do you feel they resonate well with readers?  

Ha, this shows you what type of writer I am as in I didn't really consider it to have too much of an opposites attract theme. ;)

But, yes, Felicity and Harry have different temperaments, but I usually like to do that with any book I'm writing where if one character is colder, the other is warmer, or if one is more outrageous, the other is more contained. In the case of Harry and Felicity, I wanted to take the usual thing and switch it up so that Harry was less assured while Felicity was not. And usually going further than just personality types, the characters are missing vital things they need: like one character might have a crappy family while the other has a warm, loving one. I like to pair characters who don't have the same qualities, so that there's that contrast and, ultimately, those differences complement one another. Also, I find it boring when the characters are too similar. Maybe it's also because I'm super shy, too self-aware, klutzy, have a sailor's mouth, and am an awful cook in real life that I tend to be drawn to confident men who can cook. :)

As to friends to lovers, I just love this theme and, for me, it's just that I think any strong relationship has friendship in addition to being lovers.


I can't speak for why the themes resonate to everyone or even guess why, but for me--and maybe this is foolish and silly on my part--but I think that most romance themes have this connection and hope that we want for ourselves in our real lives. Where our true selves are loved, accepted, respected, and where we can be who we are without fear or rejection, because the one we love loves everything about us. I believe romance is about finding the true essence of a person and celebrating that, and having that love be fulfilled for a happily ever after. 

Felicity attempts to set the mood for romance by cooking Harry's favorite foods.  What foods should a hero-in-waiting have on the menu if he wants to romance you?

I'm easy like that. Cupcakes or chocolates would easily win me over. Or nachos, lol. 

What's next from Elyssa Patrick?

Right now I'm working on my second new adult contemporary romance, Go With Me, which should come out late spring or summer 2014. 

Is there anything you'd like to ask our readers today?

Sure! Readers, tell me: What is your favorite romance theme and why? 


11 comments:

  1. I enjoy historical romance although I have been reading more contemporary lately. I love those sexy Highlanders,

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  2. Good morning! Thanks so much for having us dish today! I'll answer the question too--I'm a Cinderella sort of girl, as I indicated in an answer. But my Cinderellas aren't just hanging around waiting for their prince, but working hard and overcoming obstacles. I love how romance provides so many ways to fulfill our fantasies!

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  3. Welcome, Maggie and Elyssa! Great to have you with us today. Maggie, I love that your Cinderellas aren't afraid to work for their happy endings!

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  4. My favorite theme is marriage of convenience. I like reading about two people who are forced to get together for whatever reason: money, to protect a child , to protect themselves and along the way they discover an attraction, a liking and then love with their partner.
    Second would be beauty and the beast where one is wounded or disfigured and they find that no body is perfect and they do have the capacity to love and be loved.

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  5. Thanks so much for having us on, PJ! I love the Beauty and Beast trope the most too. :)

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  6. I have several favorites! I’ve always loved governess stories and I adore marriages of convenience.

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  7. I love the winning the heart over .

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  8. I love a variety but I must admit I tend to like historicals the most but I will try a bit of everything.

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  9. I love about all of them. Like to switch around.

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  10. I love beauty and the beast and wounded warrior stories the best. But I also like best friend's brother and marriage of convenience/mail-order bride tropes. I guess I'll read anything if it's good.

    Marcy Shuler

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  11. My favorites are contempary and romance/suspence...I used to read a lot of historical but had to take a break...I like series books like the one from Marie Force...I can't wait to get to the next one to see what is happening to all of them...lol

    Donna

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