I am beyond excited to introduce you today to debut Harlequin SuperRomance author, Anna Sugden! If you follow the Romance Bandits or their visits to the Romance Dish, then Anna's name and face are familiar to you. What makes her visit today so special is that it's the first time we're welcoming her as a published author. As someone who has followed her writing journey for more than six years, that is a very special thrill!
Anna is a three-time Golden Heart finalist who loves reading and writing happy endings as much as hockey! When not reading or watching hockey, she loves football, good food & wine, making simple cross-stitch projects, and collecting memorabilia, penguins and fab shoes!
A former marketing executive and primary teacher, Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats.
Learn more about Anna, her heart-warming romances and her shoes (the woman has some fabulous shoes!) at www.annasugden.com .
Hi Anna! It is such a
thrill to welcome you to the Romance Dish!
Congratulations on yesterday’s release of your debut novel, A Perfect Distraction. Will you please tell our readers what to
expect from this story?
Hi PJ! It’s such a thrill to be
here as a guest! I love visiting the Romance Dish as a reader, so it’s a huge
honour to be here celebrating the release of my first book! Thank you so much
for having me J
A Perfect Distraction is a story
about two people who have to learn not to judge a book by its cover. They have
to look deeper than what’s on the outside when it comes to each other, but also
within themselves.
Naturally, there is a glimpse into
the world of professional hockey and the amazing players who lace up the
skates. Readers will also meet some fun secondary characters (and one or two
who are not so nice!) who help Maggie and Jake on their turbulent journey
towards happily ever after.
You've created deliciously complex characters, Anna. I can't wait to find out more about some of those secondary characters!
As a fan of hockey since childhood, I can’t tell you how
excited I was when I first discovered that the hero of this book is a
professional hockey player. What would
you like readers to understand about Jake Badoletti?
Thanks, PJ! It’s funny, when I
first started writing this book, back in 2007, sports star heroes were a big
no-no. I’m so glad times have changed, thanks to authors like Susan Elizabeth
Phillips, Deirdre Martin, Rachel Gibson and Kate Angell.
What fascinates me about hockey
players is that no matter how tough/hard/nasty they are on the ice, nine times
out of ten they are decent blokes off the ice. My working title for this book
was Bad Boy, Good Man because that’s Jake in a nutshell! Only he doesn’t see
himself as having that ‘good man’ side.
I think it’s also tough for people
outside professional sports to understand what it takes to play at the highest
level. There has to be a level of confidence - even arrogance - and
self-belief, as well as a feeling of invincibility you don’t see in everyday
life. Jake is at a stage in his life when he’s been forced to realize that he’s
not invincible, nor can he take his skills for granted. That’s why he doesn’t
need distractions ;)
Your heroine, Maggie Goodman carries a lot of emotional
baggage that makes her understandably wary of Jake. What surprised you most about Maggie?
Maggie was full of surprises! Women
who survive abuse are strong; they have to be, even if they don’t feel it. Even
at Maggie’s toughest moments, her strength shone through. She would not be
defeated. What surprised me most was how her sense of humour also shone through
- she does like to wind Jake up!
Will you share a short excerpt from the book with us?
I’d love to!
Swallowing her apprehension over what
she’d see within, Maggie
gripped her briefcase tightly and stepped into the doorway.
In the large sitting area of the suite,
by the floor-to-ceiling windows, a group of women fluttered around a tall,
dark-haired man, like a flock of brightly colored, exotic birds. That must be
Jake Badoletti.
Her mouth went dry.
None of the photos in Tracy’s file had
done him justice. She’d known he was good-looking, but that didn’t begin to
describe the man in person.
Heaven help her, he was gorgeous!
Square-jawed and rugged, with piercing,
blue eyes and a crooked grin. He was clearly a warrior of the ice, but his
broken nose and scars somehow added to his appeal and made him more intriguing.
Unlike the hulking bodies of the thick-necks, Jake had the firm, solid lines of
an athlete in peak condition. Lean, corded muscle shaped the snug-fitting black
shirt and faded jeans. Exciting and enticing, he brimmed with charm and hints
of danger.
No wonder he had that reputation—any
woman would have a hard time resisting the pull of this particular bad boy.
Once upon a time, she’d have been in that crowd, fighting for his attention.
Not anymore. Never again.
Still, she couldn’t help feeling a little
relieved that she probably wouldn’t see him again.
He’d be Tracy’s problem, assuming Maggie
did what she had to in this meeting. Pushing aside a last-minute nervous
quiver, she donned her polite, but reserved media smile and entered the lion’s
den.
We love to hear call stories. How did you receive the news that you had
sold? Who was the first person you
told? Did you do anything special to
celebrate?
On December 18, 2012, I was sitting
in my office, working on some revisions to a romantic suspense proposal, when
the phone rang. It was my lovely agent, Jill Marsal, telling me she had an
early Christmas present for me. The funny thing was that I was so sure I was going
to get yet another rejection, that I didn’t register that my agent calling from
Los Angeles was something special. I chalked it up to it being one of those
‘nearly, nearly there’ rejections. Needless to say I was completely stunned
when Jill said that Wanda Ottewell at Harlequin Super Romance wanted to buy my
book! It took a while for the news to sink in. When it did, I began to cry.
At that moment, my lovely husband
walked in and saw me on the phone, crying, and began to panic that I’d received
bad news! As soon as he heard me say it was Jill he knew it was the best
Christmas present ever!
You know me, PJ - it’s all about
the shoes! I treated myself to a lovely pair of Christian Louboutins.
Aww, what a great story! Love - but not one bit surprised - that you celebrated with shoes! lol!
Let’s talk about you for a bit. What occupies your time when you’re not busy
writing? Any favorite activities?
I love to watch sport - hockey,
obviously, but also football (both soccer and American football). I also like
to make small craft projects - usually cross-stitching - to potter about in the
garden, read <g> and collect stuff … memorabilia, penguins, cats, shoes.
Oh and I might have a mild addiction to adventure games on the computer.
You live in England, a country most romance readers would
love to visit. What country would you
most like to visit? Why?
I’m very lucky in that I’ve
travelled a lot, so have visited many of the places I’ve always wanted to see.
I love being able to get back to the States and to Canada and exploring
different parts of those countries. There are so many places left to visit! Maine,
Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington … to name a few. Plus I’d love to do a
west coast swing when my Devils play Calgary, Edmonton and Vancuover to kill
two birds with one stone!
Sounds like a great plan! What are you working on now?
How long will we have to wait for your next book? I’m invested in this team now. I want to find out what happens next! ::grin::
Aww - thank you, PJ!
I’m currently working on the second
book in the New Jersey Ice Cats series <g>, so it’ll be next summer
before it hits the shelves. This is Tru and Jenny’s story - so you’ll get to
find out what caused the tension between them and whether they’ll be able to
overcome the pain of the past to get their happily ever after. Next up after
that is Ike’s book.
Thanks so much for answering all my questions, Anna. Is there anything else you would like to
add? Would you like to ask our readers a
question today?
It’s been my pleasure - thank you
again for having me!
What I’d like to know from your
readers is what is their perfect distraction? And does anyone else have a minor
addiction to one of their distractions J
Okay, readers, let's hear about those perfect distractions in your life! Anna is graciously giving one randomly chosen person who leaves a comment a signed copy of A Perfect Distraction as well as a special pack of Jane Austen commemorative stamps. (open internationally)
A face-off—head vs. heart
For Jake Badoletti, this year is all about his career. He has a rare second chance to make the most of being a pro hockey player, so no parties, no scandals. Too bad he's met a woman who could sideline those plans. Maggie Goodman is not his usual type—right down to being a single mom. Still, the sizzling connection with this gorgeous brunette can't be ignored.
With a little juggling and a lot of focus, Jake manages to have the game and Maggie. Then his performance on the ice suffers and a scandal erupts. Now he can't afford the distraction of Maggie…even if she is perfect for him.
