It's my pleasure to welcome Nancy Herkness back to The Romance Dish! Nancy is the author of the award-winning Wager of
Hearts and 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.
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 Book Buyers Best Top Pick, the New England Readers’ Choice award,
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.
Welcome back, Nancy!
It’s always a pleasure to host you. I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories
in your Wager of Hearts trilogy. Please share with our readers what they should
expect from these three books.
PJ, it’s ever and always a delight to be your guest on the
Romance Dish. You ask the best
questions.
I love my Wager of Hearts billionaires, so it makes me sad
that The VIP Doubles Down is the last
book in the series. Of course, my next series is set in New York and also
features ultra-wealthy heroes which means there’s a good chance that some cameo
appearances will occur.
What to expect? My three self-made billionaires—a CEO, a
quarterback, and a bestselling author--meet in the bar of an exclusive New York
club and discover a common problem: money gets in the way of love. So they make
a bet on finding the women who can love them for themselves and not all the
trappings of their wealth. Each book traces one man’s journey of the heart. I
take readers into the world of the hyper rich: mansions, penthouses, private
jets, glamorous parties, designer clothes, and fast cars. All these things
could easily dazzle my working girl heroines, but they are well-grounded,
fiercely independent women who see past the sparkly package to the men who need
their love and understanding to be whole.
The third book, The VIP Doubles Down was released April
18
and I have to say, Gavin’s story was well worth the wait. What
would you like readers to understand about this brooding author hero?
I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed The VIP Doubles Down. It’s a book of my heart.
Gavin covers his pain with his biting wit. The truth is that
he’s quite sensitive underneath all the snark. He has a lot of issues from his
past that could have turned him into a bitter man; instead he has channeled his
desire to escape into a hugely successful career as a writer of spy novels. But
it’s lonely at the top and he needs the warmth and healing of Allie, his new
physical therapist.
As with the previous
two heroines in this series, Allie’s life is so far removed from Gavin’s
billionaire lifestyle, they may as well be from different planets. What
qualities does she possess that convinced you she would be the right heroine
for Gavin?
Gavin has many wounds and Allie is a healer by nature. She’s
also warm, generous, and without pretension. His former fiancée, the actress
Irene Bartram, was none of those things, so Allie makes a wonderful antidote to
the poison Irene poured over Gavin’s heart. But Allie is no pushover; she calls
on her country-girl strength to stand up to Gavin’s strong personality when he
tries to walk over her. As a result, sparks often fly between them.
Pundits often advise
people to “write what you know.” I’m curious. As an author, were there any
unique challenges in creating a fictional author as the hero of this book?
Quite the opposite. I understood Gavin’s problems so well
that the book just flew from my madly typing fingertips. I love the way he uses
words to mask his wounds and vulnerabilities. In Luke’s book, The All-Star Antes Up, when I revealed
that Gavin is a romantic at heart, some readers were surprised, but I knew it
all along, of course. For some reason, the third books in my trilogies seem to
gravitate toward darker heroes and deeper emotional issues, and Gavin is no
exception. But I love my tortured heroes the most because they make me cry,
first with sadness and then with joy when they find the soulmate who will heal
them.
Readers of your
Whisper Horse series will no doubt enjoy the crossover characters in The VIP Doubles Down while others, like
me, who haven’t read those books yet will likely be intrigued and want to know
more about Sanctuary, West Virginia and the fictional characters who live there. What should readers new to the Whisper Horse
series expect from those stories? Do you plan more crossover characters for
future books?
I’ve become addicted to crossover characters. Even in my
earlier standalone books, I have the main characters from A Bridge to Love show up for cameo appearances in Shower of Stars and Music of the Night. When I fall in love with characters, I just
can’t let them go. In fact, I’m working on the first full-length novel in my
new Second Glances series, and I’ve already written a scene between the hero
and Nathan Trainor from The CEO Buys In.
It even takes place at the Bellwether Club. I didn’t plan for it; it just
popped into my writer’s brain.
The Whisper Horse novels spring from a different part of my
life: my childhood in a small town in the mountains of West Virginia. During
those years, my pony, Papoose, was my best friend and confidante, giving me the
idea of every person needing a special “whisper horse” who helps share the
burden of their problems. I would whisper my teenage angst into Papoose’s ear
and feel better for doing it.
Tim and Claire, who make the brief appearance in The VIP Doubles Down, are from the first
Whisper Horse book, Take Me Home. The
Whisper Horse novels are titled with phrases from Almost Heaven, the famous John Denver song about my mountain state,
because the setting is integral to the stories.
Allie may be meeting
Gavin for the first time when she accepts a position as his physical therapist
but she’s no stranger to his dashing fictional hero, Julian Best. In fact,
Julian has starred in many of her dreams and fantasies. Have you ever had a
book boyfriend? What made him stand out above all the others?
True confession: I’m a bit fickle in my book boyfriends.
I’ve had many. The first was Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre. I melted over his dark, brooding edge of mystery. Then
Mr. Darcy. No explanation necessary. I adore Lord Damerel and the Marquis of Vidal
in Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances. Both are untamed rakes with that
delicious hint of dissipation. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the
heroine bring them to their knees. Damerel and Venetia trade literary
quotations which utterly delights me. The Marquis of Vidal is a very bad boy,
who still makes me sigh. For more modern heroes, I’m still madly in love with
Dan Calebow in Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ It
Had to Be You. He might have fed into my creation of Luke Archer in The All-Star Antes Up. There’s something
about the drive and discipline required to be an elite-level athlete that makes
my pulses race. Not to mention their perfectly honed bodies. Sad to say, I
could go on, but I’ve proved my point: I love the one I’m with.
Allie’s pet cat in
this story is inspired by a very special real-life feline who shares your life.
Please tell us about Pie.
Ah, Pie, the cat who came for Christmas…and stayed. Let me
preface this story by saying that I already had two dogs. I did not need a cat.
Pie, however, had other ideas.
My daughter, Rebecca (who is now a veterinary student at
Iowa State), worked at a homeless cat shelter in Pittsburgh where she found
Pie, the little gray cat whom no one would adopt because she had multiple
health issues and didn’t get along with other cats. She had nearly been
euthanized because of that.
Pie was no dummy. She curried my daughter’s favor by
greeting her with loud, enthusiastic meows, purring every time she was touched,
and showing a decided preference for her company. Pretty soon Pie had moved
into Rebecca’s apartment as a foster until someone was found to give her a
permanent home.
When my daughter came home for Christmas, of necessity, Pie
came with her…only for the holidays. When Rebecca returned to Pittsburgh after
the holidays, Pie somehow remained behind. And thus their goal was achieved:
Pie found a forever home.
Pie is the perfect illustration of a profound truth:
Sometimes we don’t know what’s missing from our lives until the universe sends
it our way. She has brought unexpected joy and love and comfort into my life.
Since Gavin in The VIP Doubles Down is
a writer like me, I decided he needed a cat too, even though he didn’t know it.
So Pie found her way into his story.
The sad news is that Pie was recently diagnosed with a very
aggressive form of breast cancer. She’s an elderly lady and has been through
three surgeries in the last year. Our vet says that another surgery would kill
her, so the cancer will win this time. Right now Pie is doing fine, and I
treasure my time with her, whether petting her or having her curled up on my
lap or basking in the spring sunshine on our back patio.
I loved the concept
of the Barefoot Ball that all three couples attend in The VIP Doubles Down. Was this a product of your imagination or
fashioned after an actual event? What’s the most unique event you’ve attended?
The Barefoot Ball is entirely imaginary. I love the feel of
cool, soft sand on my bare feet, so it popped into my head to require all these
fancy folks in their ball gowns and tuxedos to go barefoot on the beach in the
middle of winter. Of course, there are giant heaters but the sand will still be
chilled and delicious on their soles.
As for a very fancy real event, I once attended a private
party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when the Edgar Degas exhibit was there
(which dates me, alas). When I walked into the grand entrance of the museum,
the first sight that met my eyes were actual ballerinas dressed in costumes from
the Degas paintings posing on the grand staircase to the music of a live
orchestra. I was escorted to the Temple of Dendur for hors d’oeuvres, proceeded
to the American Wing for dinner, and then toured the exhibit with only the
party guests, no public crowds. As I departed, I received a goody bag
containing gourmet chocolates and notecards printed with Degas’ paintings. That
was an evening to remember!
Gavin’s bestselling
books have been made into enormously successful movies. Which of your books
would you most like to see on the big screen? Any thoughts on which actors you
would want to portray the leads?
I think all of my books would make great movies, of course.
However, I understand that movies need less internalization and more action, so
I would choose Shower of Stars (one
of my standalone novels) or The Place I
Belong (the third Whisper Horse novel) for a movie script. Both offer
plenty of external events to hang the visuals on, but they also offer strong
emotional scenes for a really good actor to sink his teeth into.
I love casting the heroes of my books; I seem to be less
picky about the heroines. I see Colin Farrell as Jack Lanett in Shower of Stars; he has that edge of
danger that Jack projects, as well as a dark brooding presence. We’d have to
change his accent from Irish to Deep South but I’m sure Colin could manage
that.
For Adam Bosch, the world-class chef and restaurateur in The Place I Belong, I would cast Hugh
Jackman. He has that smooth, charming façade, but there are depths to plumb
there. Adam could even be turned into an Aussie for the movie because I love
Hugh’s accent. And a few other things about him.
What’s next?
I’m just proofreading the kick-off story for my new Second
Glances series, a novella titled Second
to None. The new series combines billionaires, New York City, children,
dogs, and second chance love stories…all my favorite things! Second
to None will be released September 12th. It’s set at Christmas
time, too. Below is the story summary…and your readers are the first ones to
see this!
Billionaire chemist
Max Varela is selling his company and leaving New York for good when Emily Wade
bursts into his office, desperate for his help in funding her program for
disadvantaged kids and shelter dogs. Seven years ago, he fell in love with her
when she was married to another man. To fight the unbidden attraction, he cut
off all contact but he’s never forgotten her.
Ever since her husband
died, Emily has poured her heart and soul into the after-school care center.
Seeing Max reawakens the pain of her loss, but it also brings unexpected hope
for the future. As emotions thought long gone resurface, they begin a
passionate affair that seems destined for a fairytale ending.
Until Max reveals that
he’s moving to Chicago in a matter of weeks and wants Emily to uproot her
daughter and her life to come with him. If a second chance at love is possible,
someone’s got to give.
Thank you for sharing us! I'm off to mark the date!
Will you be attending
any events this year where readers will have the opportunity to meet you in
person?
I will be at RWA’s “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing
on July 29th from 3:00 – 5:00 at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort. I
am also the luncheon keynote speaker at the New Jersey Romance Writer’s “Put
Your Heart in a Book” conference on October 14th in Iselin, NJ. Hmm,
I need to get out more.
Thanks for visiting
with us today, Nancy. Would you like to ask our readers a question?
I have so many questions for readers, but today I’ll ask:
How much does a book’s cover affect your decision about whether to buy it or
not? (I’m asking this because I love, love, love the cover of The VIP Doubles Down.)
Two randomly chosen people who leave a comment before 11:00 PM (EST), April 22, 2017 will each receive an autographed copy of The VIP Doubles Down. (U.S. only)
Gavin Miller, the billionaire author of a bestselling thriller series, struggles with a grim secret: he hasn’t written a word in more than a year.
Writer’s block is killing his spirit and jeopardizing his contracts with his publisher and his Hollywood producers. Prodded by his agent, Gavin reluctantly agrees to see Allie Nichols, a sassy physical therapist tasked with treating the novelist’s severe neck and shoulder pain—and maybe his writer’s block, too.
The tempestuous Gavin and no-nonsense Allie soon find themselves entangled in a steamy affair that sparks Gavin’s creativity again. But their manipulative ex-lovers and Gavin’s lingering childhood scars threaten their happily ever after. Can Gavin and Allie find their way to love when the stakes are high and the obstacles are overwhelming?
