Alexandra Hawkins winners!

The two lucky winners of a signed copy of Till Dawn with the Devil by Alexandra Hawkins are:

Laurie

and

Amber

Congratulations, Laurie and Amber! Please send your full name and address to theromancedishATgmailDOTcom and we'll forward your info on to Alexandra.
Thanks to everyone who commented!!

Today's Special -- An Interview With Alexandra Hawkins

Historical romance author Alexandra Hawkins burst on the scene in February of this year with her sizzling debut from St. Martin’s Press, All Night With a Rogue. The book launched her Lords of Vice series featuring sexy, decadent heroes who find love with strong, beautiful women. The second book in the series, Till Dawn With the Devil, released last Tuesday, August 3rd. Check out Andrea’s review here! Alexandra was gracious enough to agree to an interview, so without further ado, please welcome Alexandra Hawkins to The Romance Dish!



Thank you so much for joining us today, Alexandra!


My pleasure, Andrea!


Congratulations on your newest book, Till Dawn With the Devil, hitting the shelves! Can you tell us a little bit about the story?


In TILL DAWN WITH THE DEVIL, readers will learn that Reign’s notoriety began with his young wife’s accidental death. Years later, he is still being quietly shunned by London’s polite society because many believe he murdered his wife, and Reign has done nothing to quell the gossips. After a disastrous marriage, Reign is unwilling to tie himself to another woman, and his wicked reputation has its advantages. That is, until he glimpses a young woman with pretty blue bows on her dress. When he gives in to his curiosity and crosses the ballroom to find her, Reign is unaware that he is pursuing a lady that is connected to his family’s scandalous past.


Sigh. I loved that he was drawn to her and her pretty blue bows. :) As you can tell from my review, I adore characters with physical flaws such as Sophia’s impaired vision. Was her character difficult for you to write?


At times. The cobwebs and shadows that obscured Sophia’s vision could shift so the severity of her impairment varied throughout the book. Sophia was too independent to allow this to slow her down so I had to constantly remind myself to focus on her other senses.


Here at The Romance Dish, we love to dish about heroes...and your Lords of Vice are incredibly sexy heroes. How did you come up with the concept for this series?


The original concept for the story started out with a Seven Deadly Sins theme. However, around the time I was working on the proposal, I had read that Kathryn Caskie was coming out with a Seven Deadly Sins series. Since mine was still a work-in-progress, I dumped the cardinal sins but kept the seven rogues.


I'm so glad you decided to keep those seven rogues. *wink* And speaking of said rogues, the Lords of Vice have terrific nicknames (which I love!) to suit each of their personalities. Did you come up with their nicknames or their full names first?


Great question! I actually came up with the nicknames first.


You have been really blessed with the gorgeous covers for this series. Did you have any input in them?


My input is very limited. For every book, I turn in character descriptions, and the art department takes it from there.


Can you tell us what a typical writing day is like for you?


I try to work around the kids’ schedules so my writing day can vary. During the school year, I’m up at 6:30 am. While the kids are getting dressed, I catch up on email and promotional tasks. I usually settle down to write by 8:30 am and I’ll work until 12:30 pm. Sometimes I use my afternoons for research, but it depends on how much progress that I’ve made that morning. The kids are home by 4:00 pm so I turn off the laptop for a few hours to take care of homework, dinner, and working out. If I’m closing in on a deadline, I also write in the evening. It’s my favorite time to write so if I’m in the “zone” I’ll work all night.


You certainly have your priorities in order! What is your very favorite part about being a writer?


Working barefoot. My feet are allergic to high heels.


LOL! I love that! And I can so relate as I hate wearing heels, too. :)


Everyone has those special auto-buy authors whose books they never miss. Who are some of your favorite authors to read?


My auto-buys are Linda Howard, Jennifer Crusie, Jayne Ann Krentz, Gaelen Foley, Anne Stuart, and Lorraine Heath.


Those are some terrific authors!


‘Friends to lovers’ and ‘enemies to lovers’ are two of my favorite themes in a romance novel. What are some of your favorite themes to read about and why?


Beauty and the beast and revenge tales are two of my favorite themes. I’ve been drawn to both themes since I was a teenager. These stories tend to be stark, full of angst and tortured characters. By the end of the book, the hero and heroine have truly earned their happily ever after.


Ooooh, I love a good revenge tale, too. We know that writing is a big part of your life, but what sort of activities/hobbies do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?


Not surprisingly—I’m a voracious reader. When I have a free moment, I usually have a book within reach. I also love to cook. I find it soothing, and it’s just another way to express my creativity. I have three teenagers so I spend a lot of time with them playing video games and watching movies.


It was such a pleasure to meet you in person at this year’s RWA conference in Orlando! Did you have a good time? What are some of your favorite memories from the conference?


Oh, it was great to finally meet you in person, too! I had a fantastic time at the conference, but there never seems to be enough time to do everything that I’ve circled on the workshop schedule. As for favorite memories, I thoroughly enjoyed the keynote speeches. Getting some face-to-face time with my editor is always something that I look forward to each year, too. However, the best part of the conference was meeting readers. I was really touched by everyone’s enthusiasm for the Lords of Vice series.


I'm with you about not having enough time to do everything. This first timer was certainly overwhelmed! LOL!


Can you share with us what is coming up next for you on the writing front?


Once I finished the edits for AFTER DARK WITH A SCOUNDREL, I’ll go back to working on the synopses for the remaining Lords of Vice books. I should have more details about the next books in the coming months.


Oh, good! I can't wait! *g*





Quick six time!

Plotter or Panster? Plotter

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

Coffee or Tea? Tea

Dogs or Cats? Dogs

Flats or Heels? Flats

Beach or Mountains? Beach


Thank you so much, Alexandra! Since I’ve inundated you with so many questions, I’m going to let you have a turn. Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?


Just a quick one—Historical or Contemporary? Why?

Contest alert! Two lucky commenters will win a signed copy of Till Dawn With the Devil! Good luck!


For more information on Alexandra and her books, please visit her website at http://www.alexandrahawkins.com/

Review -- Till Dawn With the Devil

Till Dawn With the Devil
Lords of Vice - Book 2
By Alexandra Hawkins
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: August 3, 2010






I have a real soft spot for books featuring a physically flawed hero or heroine. In Till Dawn With the Devil, the heroine, Lady Sophia Northam, has damaged eyesight due to a traumatic occurrence when she was a child. Though, her flaw isn’t the underlying theme of the book...murder and scandal is.

Gabriel Housley, Earl of Rainecourt, or Reign as he is most often referred to, has lived in the shadow and conjecture of scandal for so long that it’s a natural part of his life. His mother died when he was a child and later his father was involved in a horrendous murder-suicide that also included a couple of family friends. Years later, Reign met and fell in love with a young woman and eventually married her when it was discovered she was with child. Their short-lived marriage was tumultuous (at best) and then one night their arguing went to an all new level when she revealed to Reign that her baby wasn’t his. The next morning, after waking up with a hangover, Reign learned that his wife was dead after falling and breaking her neck. Ever since then, the rumor was that he killed her in a drunken rage, despite the fact that the magistrate ruled it an accident. Needless to say, Reign has not had an easy life. Thankfully, he has good friends in the Lords of Vice, a group of men who are notorious for their expertise in the art of seduction. They are there for him through thick and thin. Reign harbors no desire to marry again, and for good reason given his past. That is until he meets the lovely Lady Sophia Northam.

After being sheltered by her overprotective brothers for much of her life due to her “disability”, Sophia is ready to go to London and face the ghosts of her past. When she encounters Reign at a ball, she knows him to be the son of the man who killed her parents, but she doesn’t hold that against him as he was just a boy when it happened. They enjoy a waltz and a nice chat in which Sophia tells him about her poor eyesight but not her family’s name. It isn’t until her brother, the current earl, comes to claim her that Reign realizes who she is—the girl that his father almost killed years before. However, that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. But can they overcome their families’ tragic history and find love with each other?

Alexandra Hawkins delivers again with another sinfully delicious Regency historical. Her characters are vibrant, sincere and will surely steal your heart. Reign and Sophia had to overcome a great deal (including a startling plot twist!) to heal and reach their “happily ever after”. I particularly loved Sophia and appreciated Ms. Hawkins’s handling of her near blindness. She’s one of those characters that you just love to root for. Till Dawn With the Devil is a wonderful addition to the Lords of Vice series and I can’t wait for the next delectable installment, After Dark With a Scoundrel, out next February!

~Andrea