Today's Special - - Nancy Herkness

I'm delighted to welcome two-time RITA® nominee Nancy Herkness back to the Romance Dish today. Nancy has won many awards for her books, including the Golden Leaf, the Maggie and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. After graduating from Princeton University, Nancy worked in a variety of jobs including retail management and buying and computer systems sales and marketing before turning her focus to romance writing. 

Nancy recently answered a few questions for me about her Wager of Hearts series and her newest book, The All-Star Antes Up. For the record, I loved it! 

Hi Nancy! Welcome back! I’m having so much fun reading your Wager of Hearts books. Please tell our readers about the premise of this series.

It’s so great to be back here on the Romance Dish, one of my favorite blogs!

A CEO, a quarterback, and a writer walk into a bar…I have one of my heroes comment that it sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but these men aren’t laughing. When my three lonely billionaires find themselves drinking alone one night at the exclusive Bellwether Club, they realize they have a lot in common—humble backgrounds, impressive wealth, and a lack of love in their lives. Tired of being pursued for their money, they make a wager: to find women who love them for who they are.

Book One, The CEO Buys In was terrific but I enjoyed your new book, The All-Star Antes Up even more. What can readers expect from this story?

I love hearing that you liked The All-Star Antes Up even more than The CEO Buys In because I am always challenging myself to write a better book each time. Knowing that I’ve accomplished that in your eyes is a great satisfaction to me. Thank you!

The All-Star Antes Up is about Luke Archer, the legendary quarterback for the New York Empire. When his best friend retires from playing football, Luke realizes his time is coming soon, and he faces that prospect with despair. To reach the pinnacle of success required a single-minded focus on the game that has left no room for anything else in Luke’s life. Add to that problems with his brother and Luke is facing a bleak future.

When he is temporarily sidelined due to injury, Luke decides he should begin to broaden his horizons, so he hires his luxury building’s concierge to give him a cultural tour of New York City.  It’s amazing how passionate great art can make two people feel.  LOL!

Being a life-long football fan, and a small town girl, you tapped into many of my youthful fantasies with this story. Are you a fan? Were you inspired by any real-life players while creating Luke? Have you ever been in a NFL VIP box?

I am a football fan by association: my husband loves sports of all kinds, so I have absorbed the game

by osmosis. What really turned me into an enthusiastic spectator was Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ marvelous novel It Had to Be You, which lives on my keeper shelf and gets re-read on a regular basis. When I watch a real football game, I keep looking for Susan’s hero Dan Calebow pacing the sidelines. And am disappointed when he isn’t there. Now, of course, I search for Luke’s #9 on the field.

Confession time: Luke Archer was originally a hockey goalie. I’m a huge hockey fan and particularly admire the career of Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils (since I’m a Jersey girl now). I wrote a book starring a future Hall of Fame hockey goalie facing the end of his career (sound familiar?), but no publisher wanted it. So I recast my goalie as a quarterback and Luke Archer was born.

PJ, interrupting to say I've been an enthusiastic hockey fan since I was a sprout and my college boyfriend was a star on our university's hockey team. I so would have bought that book!

Once I settled on Luke being a quarterback, I combined the careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, although I made sure that Luke has one more Super Bowl ring than Brady.  Of course, Luke would never cheat either.

Many, many years ago, before the new stadium was built here in the New Jersey Meadowlands, I was lucky enough to spend a game in a VIP box. It wasn’t nearly as nice as the new ones, but I remember the massive amount of food on offer.

Miranda is a terrific concierge and tour guide. (I found myself taking notes while reading the book) What are the top five experiences she would recommend for someone visiting New York City?

Being the talented concierge she is, Miranda would tailor her tour of New York to her visitor’s interests. However, we’re book people here, so let’s go with that.

The Morgan Library. THREE Gutenberg bibles, with one always on display! That alone is enough to get a book lover there. The building itself is spectacular, a library to die for. You never know what marvelous manuscripts will be on display in the various galleries, but I guarantee you, they will be fascinating.  Miranda and Luke dine in the restaurant that was originally the Morgan family dining room, so she would recommend that.

      The New York Public Library. Say hello to the lions Patience and Fortitude who guard the entrance. Visit the glorious Rose Main Reading Room. There are also rotating exhibitions there.

     See Something Rotten! on Broadway. If you love Shakespeare and/or Broadway musicals, you will laugh until your sides hurt. My favorite number: “It’s Hard to Be the Bard.”

     The Empire State Building’s Observation Deck. Yes, it’s touristy, but there is nothing like seeing New York City spread out below you in all directions. And it evokes two wonderful movies: An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle.

     
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for so many reasons. Miranda and Luke begin at the Temple of Dendur and progress from there. Remember that in The Age of Innocence, Ellen Olenska and Newland Archer (note the last name!) meet at the museum, so it’s a place for literary lovers.

I fell hard for Luke; going all fan-girl at some points and at others, wanting to wrap my arms around him and give him a hug. What do you want readers to understand about this billionaire athlete who seems to have the world at his feet?

We’re all human, no matter how rich or successful we are. Luke loves his family, which makes him vulnerable to the same pain we all feel when those nearest us are unkind. His brother makes him feel both guilty and angry, emotions we can relate to.

Not to mention that in order to reach the top of his field, Luke had to focus on one thing: football. He missed out on many of the things we take for granted: going out for a pizza (he’s always in training), learning something just for the fun of it (he took classes around his practice schedule), traveling to sight-see (his trips were to football stadiums), or making an occasional mistake without the press pouncing on it (cell phone cameras are everywhere).

Miranda left the farm behind to pursue a life surrounded by theaters, museums, and the vibrancy of the big city – her happy place. Where is your happy place? What makes it special?

I have more than one happy place, which makes me a lucky person. One is in my office, sitting in front of my computer and writing my next book. I love my job!

The second is exploring a new place. I love to travel. My husband and I often talk about going back to one of the places we’ve visited and loved, but we never do because there’s always someplace we haven’t been to, calling our names.

The third is on the back of a horse (although nowadays my muscles complain about it.) I often go horseback riding when I’m traveling, which makes me doubly happy.

The more I see of Gavin (billionaire #3), the more intrigued I become. Are you able to share anything about his story? When will it be released into the wild?

Ah, Gavin. Everyone is interested in him…which puts a lot of pressure on me to make his book great. LOL! Honestly, I’m almost finished with the first draft of his story and it’s been pure pleasure to write it. I am particularly good at torturing Gavin because he’s a writer and I know all of a writer’s worst fears. In fact, I gave him the most awful problem a writer can have: writer’s block. I’m so mean!

But I also took pity on him and gave him Allie Nichols, a down-to-earth physical therapist (who just happens to hail from Sanctuary, West Virginia).* Allie has enough sass to handle Gavin’s snark, but she’s also a healer. And he needs a lot of healing.

Gavin’s book should be released next spring. My publisher hasn’t given me a date quite yet.

*Sanctuary, West Virginia is the setting of Nancy's award-winning Whisper Horse series.

Where can readers connect with you online?

I’m always happy to “meet” up with readers on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness

I have a Pinterest board for each of my more recent books here: http://www.pinterest.com/nancyherkness/

Sign up for my New Book Alert so you never miss a release…and you might win a prize or get a free novella: http://bit.ly/1SDu5jp

Will you be attending any events this summer where readers will have the opportunity to meet you in person?

I will be at the Romance Writers of America conference in San Diego in July. While I am not participating in the big public signing, conference attendees can find me at the Montlake Romance signing on Thursday, July 14th, from 9:45 – 11:15 a.m.

Thank you for visiting with us today, Nancy. Would you like to ask our readers a question?

PJ, it is always a great pleasure to be here on the Romance Dish with you and your fabulous readers. I’m so grateful to be invited!

I’m already thinking about the Christmas novella I’m planning to write. So here’s my question for readers: What is the maximum age you would find acceptable for the heroine of a romance novel?

Two randomly chosen people who leave a comment on today's post will receive an autographed print copy of The CEO Buys In. 

Today's Special - Q&A with Nancy Herkness

Nancy Herkness is the author of the award-winning Whisper Horse series, published by Montlake Romance, as well as several other contemporary romance novels.  She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA^® award. Her new series, Wager of Hearts, follows the romantic adventures of three very wealthy men who make a life-changing bet. 

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and Novelists, Inc. She has received many honors for her work, including the Golden Leaf Award, the Maggie Award in Contemporary Romance, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.  She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing. A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband, two mismatched dogs, and an elderly cat. 

For more information about Nancy and her books, visit www.NancyHerkness.com.

Social media links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyHerkness

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/nancyherkness/

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PJ: Welcome, Nancy! It’s a pleasure to have you visit with us today. Your new contemporary romance, THE CEO BUYS IN will be released July 21 and kicks off your Wager of Hearts series. Please tell our readers what they can expect from the series and from this story.

NH: PJ, it’s such a pleasure to be here on The Romance Dish. My readers tell me this is where they look for all the best in romance, so I am thrilled to chat with you.

My new Wager of Hearts series follows three billionaires—a powerful CEO, a celebrity quarterback, and a bestselling novelist—who find themselves drinking together one night. They realize they have much in common: modest backgrounds, dazzling wealth, and a lack of real love in their lives. Tired of being pursued for their money and power, the billionaires make a high-stakes wager. To win, they must find women who love them for the men they are, not their market portfolios.

My upcoming release, The CEO Buys In, introduces all three heroes in the prologue, which repeats in the next books in the series but is told from a different hero’s point-of-view each time. It has been such a fun writing challenge!

In The CEO Buys In, self-made billionaire Nathan Trainor feels restless and disillusioned. His

company may be thriving, but he can’t find a woman who sees him for more than his wealth. With his love life in the red, he meets the two other billionaire bachelors at the ultra-exclusive Bellwether Club and makes his wager of the heart.

Savvy office temp Chloe Russell is trying to scrape together the money she needs to support her grandmother. So when a flu epidemic strikes Trainor Electronics and she’s promoted to Nathan Trainor’s assistant, she jumps at the lucrative opportunity. But then Nathan himself falls ill, and he and Chloe must work from his penthouse while he recuperates. Before long, it’s clear there’s genuine heat between them, and it’s more than just a fever spike. Will Nathan win Chloe’s heart—and the bet? Or will their differences destroy any chance for love?

PJ: Why billionaires? What makes them intriguing to you as a writer?

NH: Funny you should ask! I am curating a post for USAToday’s HEA blog on exactly that topic. To me, billionaires make great romantic heroes because they have this vast array of resources—money, power, influence—which they fully exploit to court the heroine, who generally has very limited resources. That’s pretty darned sexy and romantic because it’s so over-the-top.

The inequality also creates great conflict. The hero and heroine come from such different places so there are always fundamental questions: Does she love me only for my money? Is he just slumming because he’s bored? Is the power dynamic too uneven to make this relationship work?

PJ: I loved the conflict caused by that inequality in The CEO Buys In. Nathan and Chloe have lifestyles that are so far apart they could be on separate planets. Without the extraordinary circumstance of his illness, they most likely would never have connected on a personal level. What is it about these two characters that convinced you they could overcome their differences to find happiness together?

NH: Chloe has a little bit of a chip on her shoulder about large corporations, so although she understands how impressive Nathan is, she isn’t intimidated by him. Because Nathan is a self-made billionaire, he admires hardworking, capable people like Chloe. But what draws them together is what they offer to each other. Nathan proves to Chloe that not all CEOs are motivated by profit over the good of their employees. Chloe helps Nathan establish a meaningful relationship with his difficult father. They connect on both professional and emotional levels.

PJ: I love how practical, no-nonsense Chloe gets giddy over a pair of great shoes. What’s your guilty pleasure?

NH: Shoes! That’s one of the fun things about being a writer: you can live vicariously through your characters. I even have a Pinterest board of my fantasy shoe closet which I developed while looking for Chloe’s shoes. My biggest problem with beautiful shoes (besides budget)? I can’t wear those sky-high heels; I would break my ankles. But my heroines have strong leg muscles and great balance so they have no problem walking in Louboutins (when a billionaire buys them a pair).

PJ: When I want my favorite food I head to a local restaurant or, more frequently, into my own kitchen. Nathan is a bit more creative as illustrated during his lobster date with Chloe. If you had a dinner date with a billionaire who had a personal jet at his disposal where would you have him take you and what would be on the menu?

NH: I am going to jump straight into cliché and say Paris.  I mean, the man has a jet so why wouldn’t I go to the most romantic city in the world with him? As for the menu: Dom Perignon to drink and a fabulous pastry—or maybe two--for dessert. I don’t really care what else I eat. LOL!

PJ: Mmmm. French pastries are definitely worth skipping the main course! 

Nathan and Chloe are both surprised by things they learn during their journey to love. What have you learned during your writing journey that has most surprised you? 

NH: How generous and helpful my fellow romance authors are! I am always amazed and awed by the way romance writers share their experience, their expertise, and their contacts with each other. I have heard this is not typical of other genres where such information is carefully guarded. Not in romance! We are a community in the best sense of the word; we pay it forward all the time.

PJ: Congratulations on receiving your second consecutive Romance Writers of America RITA® nomination (for The Place I Belong in the Long Contemporary category). How exciting to have your writing honored two years in a row! Will you tell us a bit about the book?

NH: Thank you so much! I have been thrilled and quite surprised to be nominated twice in a row. Who’d have thought? Both nominations were for books in my Whisper Horse series which takes place in the mountains of West Virginia, where I grew up.
This year’s nominee, The Place I Belong, tells the story of veterinarian Hannah Linden and world-famous chef Adam Bosch. Fleeing professional scandal and a broken engagement, Hannah abandons Chicago for the mountain town of Sanctuary, West Virginia, hoping to put her troubles with men and the media behind her. But when she encounters Adam, she finds herself increasingly drawn to the charming but darkly complex man and his troubled teenage son, Matt.  Adam, a recovering alcoholic, fears he can never be a worthy father to the surly, distant boy he has just come to know, and enlists Hannah’s help in his struggle to connect with his son.

Hoping to coax Matt out of his shell, Hannah introduces the boy to an ailing brown pony who has the power to change his view of the world. But can the determined little whisper horse prove to Hannah, Adam, and Matt that they were meant to be a family?

It’s one of my most emotional books ever. There are several scenes that make me cry when I read them!

PJ: It sounds wonderful. I'm off to download a copy! 

Will you be signing at the July 22nd “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing in New York City?

NH: Yes, I will be there and hope to see lots of my wonderful readers! I will be signing both The CEO Buys In (hot off the presses since its release date is July 21^st) and my 2015 RITA®  finalist The Place I Belong.

PJ: What’s next for our wagering billionaires?

NH: Next up in the series is Luke Archer, the legendary quarterback for the New York Empire football team. He doesn’t believe in having a relationship during football season, so he fights his attraction to concierge Miranda Tate with every ounce of his steely willpower.

Miranda works with the spoiled rich and famous, catering to their every whim, so she’s pleasantly surprised by Luke’s innate decency and, even more, by the vulnerability he reveals to her and her alone. But she knows their relationship expires as soon as Luke goes back to playing.

Of course, you get to see Nathan from The CEO Buys In in this book, but from Luke’s perspective. And Gavin Miller, the third billionaire, makes his usual trouble-stirring appearances.

I am having a blast writing this book. Elite athletes fascinate me because of what they have to give up in order to succeed in their field. And, of course, how hot they are.

PJ: Thanks for visiting with me, Nancy! Would you like to ask our readers a question?

NH: Many thanks for inviting me to meet your readers! It has been a delight to answer your thought-provoking questions.

My question for your readers is: Georgette Heyer is the author who inspired me to become a romance writer and I re-read her books often. What author and/or book do you re-read on a regular basis?

One person who leaves a comment on today's post will receive an autographed copy of The CEO Buys In. (U.S. only)