It's always a pleasure to welcome Manda Collins to the Romance Dish because that usually means she has a new book out and we do love Manda's books! This time around the book is WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE and it's a wonderful addition to her Wicked Widows trilogy. Manda recently answered some questions for me about her books and herself. Please give here a warm welcome!
Welcome back, Manda!
Congratulations on the release of WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE, the second
book in your Wicked Widows trilogy.
Please tell our readers what they can expect from this trilogy and the
new book.
Hi PJ! Thank you so
much for having me! I'm thrilled to talk about this second book in the Wicked
Widows trilogy. WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE follows Georgina Mowbray and dashing
Lord Coniston as they try to find the truth behind a series of incidents meant
to make Georgie doubt her sanity. In the process they'll fall in love, but
they'll also come face to face with a killer.
I loved Georgie and Con but, at first glance, they appear to be an unlikely match. What was it about these two that convinced
you that they belong together?
When I first
envisioned Georgie, I knew that someone with her sense of duty and practicality
would need to be paired with a hero with a great sense of humor and a strong
protective streak. And Con fit the bill perfectly.
He certainly does!
You’re very good at creating a thread of suspense in your
books that enhances the story without detracting from the romance. Who are your mystery/suspense inspirations?
Thank you so much!
I've been a mystery reader for even longer than I've been a romance reader, so
I love mixing the two of them together. These days I've been reading a lot of
Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series set in WWI. And I also enjoy the modern American
mysteries of Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner. Of course romantic suspense is
really what I love so that means I devour every new Karen Rose and Laura
Griffin. And my friends Lena Diaz and Rachel Grant are writing some fabulous
romantic suspense these days. Really, it would be safer to ask who I don't
read!
(madly writing down new romantic suspense authors to check out)
We’ve talked a bit about your characters. Now let’s turn the tables. What would Con and Georgie want readers to
know about you?
Oh gosh! Well, they'd
probably tell you that I stayed up way too late putting the finishing touches
on their book so it would be just right when it landed on my editor's desk. And
they'd say that I seem to subsist on coffee alone during my editing sessions.
And they might wistfully mention that they'd have liked me to add at least one
more love scene to the book;)
LOL! I'm sure they would!
What’s your current favorite book by an author other than
you?
I recently read
Rachel Grant's fabulous BODY OF EVIDENCE and it blew me away! I'm still
thinking about that book months after I finished it.
Wow, that's an amazing endorsement. (adding another book to my buy list)
If you could step into the life of any fictional character,
who would you choose and why?
I'd love to spend a
little while in Nancy Drew's shoes, driving her convertible and solving
mysteries with her friends.
Will you be attending any conferences or book signings where
readers will have an opportunity to meet you this year?
Right now it looks
like I'll be attending the Romance Writers of America convention in San
Antonio. After that, not sure what else. There are a few possibilities in the
fall but I'm not comfortable committing to them just yet.
 |
July 29, 2014
|
What’s next?
I've just gotten the
green light from St. Martin's for a new trilogy with them that will feature the
members of a gentlemen's driving club, which I'm super excited about. And there's a secret project I'm working on
that will come out this fall that I can't wait to share with readers! It will
feature a couple from one of my past books that I've had many readers ask
about. J
Awesome news! Hmmm...I do love a mystery. I guess I'm going to have to re-read your books to see if I can figure out who this couple is.
Thanks so much for visiting with us, Manda. Would you like to ask our readers a question
today?
Thank You! Readers,
I'd love to know what some of your favorite romances mixed with mystery are? It
doesn't have to be romantic suspense or strictly romance, but could be a
mystery with romantic elements or a romance with mysterious elements. Inquiring
minds want to know!
Manda is giving away two copies of WHY EARLS FALL IN LOVE today: one to a U.S. resident and one to a person outside the U.S. To be eligible, you must include U.S. or International in your comment.
Find more information about Manda and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.
IS IT A REASON FOR ROMANCE?
In Why Earls Fall in Love by Manda Collins, young widowed Georgina Mowbray is settling into her role as Lady Russell’s companion quite well—until the lady’s nephew Dominic, the Earl of Coniston, arrives in Bath for a visit. Georgie’s always found him shallow and too smooth, and trusts him as much as she trusts most men…which is to say, not at all. But Con turns out to be more intriguing than she remembers—and completely irresistible...
OR A PROMISE OF PASSION?
Pretty, practical Georgie is nothing like the women Con usually woos—especially since she seems blind to his charms. But his elderly aunt is so fond of her that Con is determined at least to be sociable…with the occasional flirtation thrown in just for fun. But things take a serious turn when a dangerous figure from Georgie’s unhappy past appears and threatens to bring her harm. Con will do whatever it takes to keep Georgie safe. And if he can show her that all men are not menaces, he might be able to keep her in his arms and never let go…
