Guest Author - - Erica Ridley

At the age of three, Erica Ridley learned to read and also decided she was going to be a writer. Her writing journey has taken her from stories written in crayon to dramatic sagas filling multiple notebooks to her brand-new debut novel, Too Wicked to Kiss - a Regency historical romance with a touch of paranormal.  Check out PJ's review here.

Erica also has a taste for adventure in her real life. When not reading or writing romances, she can often be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.  Please join us in welcoming Erica to The Romance Dish! 

Is writing romance your primary career?

I should be so lucky! I'm not yet ready to give up my day job. I develop websites, databases, and software... not exactly the same side of the brain as writing romance, although programming applications can involve some pretty creative problem-solving skills. =) It may be hard to believe, but I think the two are good complements, precisely because they are so disparate. When I need a break from the endless lines of code, I can immerse myself in my story. And whenever I write myself into a corner and need time to think, there's always a website waiting to be tweaked!

But... it sounds like you never leave your laptop?

Well, not for long. LOL. Working from home, like all things in life, definitely has its pros and cons. The biggest downside--other than how tempting it is to do just about any chore other than whatever I should be working on--is the fact that I never have vacation days. I can't remember the last time I even went an entire weekend without working on a website, a manuscript, or both. The upside, however, is that this is work that can be done from anywhere in the world--and I adore taking advantage of that perk!

And it's all tax deductible?

Hahahaha! Sadly, no. (But one day, when I rule the world... *g) I have been lucky enough to do hands-on research, inasmuch as anything related to Regency England can be hands-on. I spent a few months in England this past year, and even got to visit the site of the next book! (I took copious photos of the caves used by smugglers... hint, hint!) While in Europe, I also had the chance to visit several period homes (where, unfortunately, copious photography was verboten) as well as various museums containing period costumes and furniture. It was fabulous.

Would you like to have lived in Regency England?

Well, I certainly wouldn't mind visiting Regency England... but I'm not sure I'd like to give up all my modern comforts. Then again, if I could be guaranteed a leg-shackle to a dark, brooding, loyal, fierce, utterly romantic hero like Gavin Lioncroft... Mmmmm. (It's not a sign of mental imbalance to be half in love with the hero of one's own book, is it??)

Where do you live now, and why?

I live in Tampa, FL, for the simple and shameful reason that I am a total cold wuss. Jacket weather is not my friend. As to ski-mask-and-moon-boots weather? And waking up half an hour early to warm up the car, scrap ice off the windshield, and try not to accidentally lock the keys inside? For me, the midwest (where I'm from) is much better suited for family visits over the holidays. Tampa, on the other hand, is almost always fabulous. (Save for this totally bizarre wave of record lows we've been having the past few weeks. Frost should not come this far south! Grrr.) I love the palm trees, the sunny skies, the ability to strap on my roller blades and cruise alongside the river when I'm working out a story problem. Plus, Tampa is a hotbed of fabulous romance writers. I'm extremely blessed!

HIS TOUCH HOLDS HER CAPTIVE...

From the ravens circling its spires to the gargoyles adorning its roof, Blackberry Manor looms ominously over its rambling grounds. And behind its doors, amid the flickering shadows and secret passageways, danger lies in wait.

TO HIS EVERY DARK DESIRE...

Evangeline Pemberton has been invited to a party at the sprawling estate of reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, who is rumored to have murdered his parents. Initially, Gavin's towering presence and brusque manner instill fear in Evangeline...until his rakish features and seductive attentions profoundly arouse her. But when a guest is murdered, Evangeline is torn. Could the man to whom she is so powerfully drawn, also be a ruthless killer?

TOO WICKED TO KISS
Zebra Debut
March 2, 2010



Where to find Erica:

Author Website: http://www.ericaridley.com/

Book Bonus Features: http://www.2wicked2kiss.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EricaRidleyFans

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EricaRidley

Breaking News: TOO WICKED TO KISS has been selected as a March book club pick for Barnes and Noble! Erica will be at the book club  forum all month long, so please stop by to say hi or to talk about the book! Here's the link: http://bit.ly/bOPvn4

A question for our audience:  Where do you live now, and why?  Where, and in what time period, would you like to live?  Do you think you'd enjoy life in Regency England?  

Review - - Too Wicked To Kiss

Too Wicked To Kiss
By Erica Ridley
Publisher: Kensington – Zebra Debut
Release Date: March 2, 2010

I cut my romance reading teeth on books by Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart so, as you might imagine, I have a fondness for gothic historicals set in spooky manors rife with scandalous secrets and hidden passageways, murder mysteries and dark, brooding heroes who unintentionally place the heroine in grave danger then rescue her in the nick of time.  There aren’t that many gothics being published these days so it’s a special treat when I find one, especially one as well-written as Erica Ridley’s debut, Too Wicked to Kiss.

Because of the visions she sees whenever she touches another person, and the debilitating headaches they cause, Evangeline Pemberton has led a lonely life of isolation and pain. Abused by her controlling stepfather, the only love and affection she has ever known has been from her beloved mother, a woman who also has visions. When her mother dies, Evangeline escapes to London and throws herself upon the mercy of Lady Stanton, her mother’s childhood friend, only to discover that she may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Lady Stanton’s daughter, Susan, having been publicly disgraced, is in need of a husband and the Stantons have set their sights on reclusive Gavin Lioncroft, expecting Evangeline to help them trap him into marriage with Susan. True, there’s the nasty business of him reportedly having killed his parents but they’re willing to overlook that detail to secure his riches. Evangeline wants no part of their scheme, especially after her first encounter with the man.

Evangeline swallowed a gasp.

Not because of the obsidian eyes framed by equally black lashes. Nor because of the angry slash of cheekbones, the flash of bared teeth, or the scar just above the edge of his jaw. Those things, though separately terrible, together formed a face of cold, cruel beauty. A face for statues, for frescoes, for-

Another flutter of orange light as he reached the final stair, and Evangeline could no longer breathe.

He was angry. Horribly angry. Livid. Enraged. Furious. His eyes glittered like a wolf’s because he was a wolf, a beautiful powerful violent wolf, prowling toward his unsuspecting prey. His dark hair slid across his face, snapping Evangeline from her trance just as his long, gloveless hand fell atop the countess’s shoulder.

Shunned by the ton and his own family for causing the deaths of his parents, Gavin Lioncroft leads an isolated life at his country home, Blackberry Manor. Haunted by the deaths of his parents and his role in their demise, he’s a tortured, angry man, paying a dreadful price for a youthful mistake. He’s shocked, but hopeful, when his estranged sister arrives on his doorstep with her family but furious when strangers start arriving at his home and he discovers that his sister has arranged a house party without his knowledge. He wants no part of these people, with the possible exception of Miss Pemberton. The attraction between them sizzles and Gavin has no intention of ignoring it.

He had not failed to notice Evangeline’s proximity, if the sudden heat darkening his eyes was any indication. His gaze slid down her body like warm oil over bare skin, gliding past her unruly mane, to the helpless widening of her eyes, to the erratic pulsing in her throat, to the odd constriction in her bodice, to the flowing silk of her borrowed gown, to the tips of her slippered feet.

And then his gaze retraced its path back up, just as slowly.

For all his alpha tendencies, Gavin is surprisingly tender with the reluctant Evangeline but just when she begins to trust him and it seems as if they may have a chance to claim the happiness that has been missing from their lives, someone is murdered and suspicion once again lands directly on Gavin.   

Ms. Ridley has written a deliciously sensual gothic romance with realistic characters that tug at the heartstrings, a murder mystery that kept me guessing, and a tortured hero who is rescued from his emotional prison by an unlikely heroine and who then rescues her in return. The fast-paced story flows smoothly and held my attention throughout. In fact, I stayed up late into the night, eagerly flipping pages until I reached the end.

Erica Ridley is a bright new talent to watch.  I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

~PJ