People who know me, know I love to read historical romance.  It’s my go-to read for pure escapist fun.  And there’s nothing more intriguing than a proper pirate hero.  Wait.  Maybe I should rephrase that, because we all know there’s nothing proper about a pirate.  But this is what I like.  I have a huge soft spot for rebels and outlaws (so much so that I practically married a pirate!), and so when I heard that Michelle Beattie had a new pirate romance out, I was quick to get it.

Michelle’s new release, Her Pirate to Love features strong, passionate characters.   Cale and Grace are stubborn and have trust issues but together, they are simply perfect.

I invited Michelle to stop by for a quick Q&A with us about Her Pirate to Love and am sure you’ll enjoy hearing from this delightful author as much as I did.  Please join me in welcoming this talented Canadian to the Jane Blog.

Michelle, please tell us a little bit about yourself that is not commonly known.

I’m fluent in French.  I have mild scoliosis in my back. My nose is crooked because I broke it when I was a baby.  I’m hate moths and can’t sleep if I know there’s one in my room.  My favourite ice cream is tiger.

What do you love most about being a writer?

Working from home and not having to scrape ice off my windshield every morning in the winter.

When you first started writing, what ambitions did you have for your writing career?  What are your ambitions for your career today? 

At first it was just to see if I could finish a book.  Then once I did that, could I sell it?  My goal was to see my name on the cover of a book, which is why I don’t write under a pseudonym.  My goals today?  Well I’d love to make the New York Times List and win the Romance Writers of America’s Rita Award but ultimately it’s just to have a long-term career where people see my name on a book and buy it because, as a writer, I’ve never disappointed them.

 How many books have you got under your belt now? What’s the journey been like since you became published? Does the thrill ever fade?

Her Pirate to Love is my 7^th to be available for purchase but all together 10.  The journey has been one of great joy, much learning and times of utter frustration.  Like most things the first time will always be a little sweeter, but each time I see a cover with my name on it, I’m very proud.

Why did you choose to write about pirates? 

Johnny Depp.  Seriously.  Pirates of the Caribbean did it for me, especially the first.

 What keeps the attraction alive for the romance genre for you? 

The happily ever after.  Life is hard.  Not everybody gets what they deserve but I like that in romance novels despite the struggles and pain, happiness is found at the end.

 Please tell us about the premise of your new release. 

The book picks up four years after Cale Hunter was asked to be the notorious captain Sam Steele in his brother’s stead.  Driven by grief from having lost a wife and son many years ago, Cale plunders as Steele while doing his utmost best to forget the man he used to be.  But when he takes Roche Santiago’s ship and finds a pregnant woman aboard, a woman needing his help, he finds the past impossible to keep buried.

Grace also has a bloodied past and doesn’t trust men.  All she wants is freedom.  But the more time she spends with Steele, the more she comes to question if that is, in fact, what she wants most.

But Cale and Grace haven’t heard the last of Santiago and while he wants to see Steele dead, he wants even more than that from Grace.

What sparked the idea for this novel?  Do you draw inspiration from real life for your stories? 

Cale came as a surprise to me.  He hadn’t even entered my head until I was nearing the end of the 3^rd book, A Pirate’s Possession, and realized I needed to kill off a major character.  Then, as Aidan was yet too young to be a hero in his own book and I’d just killed off the next heir to the Sam Steele throne, I knew I needed another character to fill the gap and the idea for Cale was born.  Do I draw inspiration from real life?  Sure, to a point.  I’ve lost family as well.  Both my parents and a brother all before I was 31 so I used those emotions to hopefully make Cale’s grief feel a little more real.

What message would you like readers to take away with them once they read this story? 

Sometimes life isn’t only about forgiving others.  Sometimes to find happiness and peace, you also have to learn to forgive yourself.

Will there be more books connected to this one? 

Yes, the series concludes with Aidan’s story, In The Arms of a Pirate, in April.

What’s your writing process?  Do you have a set routine?  Do you work every day?

Once my daughter is off to school, I do the social media thing and then I sit down to write.  I struggle to write with noise or distractions so I typically only write until 3:30.  I’ve tried to treat it like a business and I work Mon-Fri during regular business hours unless I have deadlines.  I like to balance my work with my family so I’m not at my computer 24/7.

Does your main character have any characteristics (personality quirks) that are similar to your own? 

Yes, we’ve both carried guilt for things we can’t change though I’m happy to say we’ve both learned to forgive ourselves.

Do you flesh out all your secondary characters before you start the writing process or do they sort of take life as you write? 

Because this is a series a lot of these characters I’d written in other books but I always have a vague idea who they are before I start though they do surprise me now and then along the way.

What was the best or most fun part about writing this story?  The not-so-great part? 

The best part when I realized the ending (that came to me half way through the novel, it was never planned).  I was so excited!  I thought it was perfect.  The not-so-great part?  Grace’s Irish history.  To try to write in just enough of Ireland’s past so the reader gets why she’s the way she is without turning it into a political saga.

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t writing? 

Playing golf, reading.  Watching my favourite TV shows:  Black Sails, Murdoch Mysteries, Castle, Heartland, The Voice, Survivor.

How big an impact would you say a book cover plays in the process of a reader’s buying process? 

It’s huge.  If I don’t like the cover I won’t bother reading the blurb.  And sometimes I’ll buy a book, despite it not being my usual genre, if the cover speaks to me.

What’s the riskiest decision you’ve ever made as a writer? 

Firing my agent and continuing with a series the original publisher didn’t want anything more to do with.

 Are there any authors who had a significant influence on you during your journey to becoming published? 

Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts.

 For your personal reading preference, do you prefer ebooks or print books?  What are you reading for pleasure right now? 

Print wins for me every time.  Right now I’m reading Kristan Higgins’ new book.

 What does success mean to you? 

Being happy and surrounded by family and friends.  I’ve always been about making a life and not just a living.  I’m not someone who is driven by money.

What advice would you give aspiring writers today? 

Write what you want, what speaks to you and know that it’s damn hard work but the most fulfilling too.

What can readers expect from you next? 

Well, after Aidan’s book in April?  I’m going back to finish a historical western trilogy.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers? 

Just thanks. Thanks for taking the time to read this, to hopefully check out the book.  I’m on social media so maybe I’ll see you there!

www.michellebeattie.com | Twitter | Facebook | Her Pirate to Love

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Michelle, thanks so much for sharing with us today!  Readers, if historicals and pirates appeal to your reading tastes, I hope you’ll get your copy of Her Pirate to Love soon!  And before I go, I have a $15 Amazon gift card for one lucky reader!  Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered.  Tell me if you enjoy pirate stories and if you’re not a pirate fan, which is your favorite kind of hero?   Contest ends Sunday, February 14th with the winner announced on Monday the 15th!

I’m a huge fan of  Lark O’Neal and so excited she was able to join me on my blog to talk about her new release, Extreme.  Lark is an inspiration and something of a mentor so please help me welcome Lark to JaneBlog!

Lark, please tell us about the premise of your new release, Extreme.

Extreme kicks off my new series, Going the Distance II: YOLO.  It’s about a group of young backpackers and travelers in exciting locations across the planet.  Up first is Iceland, land of ice and fire, where a volcano causes all kinds of trouble.

Kaitlin Bouvier has been in love with her friend Tyler forever, so when he texts her from Iceland saying he’s in trouble, she’s more than eager to fly to his side and try to rescue him, even though she knows there is no hope.

At the airport, she meets Gabe Walsh, the opposite of Tyler in everyway—but very, very hot. He talks her into going to the Blue Lagoon, and the two discover an extreme attraction. The trouble is, both have a serious passion in life that has nothing to do with falling in love.  Graduate student Gabe is studying volcanoes, while Kaitlin is an Olympic snowboarder—there’s just no way they’ll ever both be on the same Continent, much less the same town.  It’s hopeless—and they agree to just have a fling. A very, very hot fling.

But when the volcano blows, they’re stranded together and discover they just might be soul mates.

What sparked the idea for this novel?  Do you draw inspiration from real life for your stories?

Kaitlin was a minor character in the first Going the Distance series. She’s Tyler’s friend and I loved her rugged athleticism and straightforward attitude. I also went to Iceland last January and it was crazy, amazing—and so dark.  Because it’s cheaper in winter, there were a bunch of young travelers around and I was intrigued by them.  I am a very serious traveler and have been to a lot of places (with more still on the list!!).  Readers loved going to New Zealand in EPIC, and asked for other countries.  Iceland was very high on the list, so it was an easy choice.

Will there be more books connected to this one?

The YOLO series will follow some of the characters readers will meet in this book to England, Venice, Australia—and who knows where else? Next up is Chelsea’s story, FIERCE, out in April.

Why did you choose to write this book?  What keeps the attraction alive for this genre for you?

People have been asking me a lot why I ventured into New Adult, as I have a successful career in women’s fiction and romance (as Barbara O’Neal and Barbara Samuel). Why add a new genre?  A fair question.

The answer is really pretty simple: these books speak to me.  At nineteen, you have autonomy, but not much experience making choices.  Life is huge and decisions can have enormous consequences—both good and bad—and luck plays into it all, too.  Also, love is real and deep and intense—really intense. I love that. It suits my voice.

I wrote the first one, Random, in a few weeks. It arrived whole and insisted it had to be written—and I was off.  Here it is, three years later, and I’ve written six of them.

You’ve got to take a trip suddenly, with just twenty minutes to pack and you don’t know how long you’ll be gone.  What 5 things would you absolutely have to take with you – besides clothing?

iPad.

Book in case of iPad failure (I once broke a Kindle as I got on the plane in Denver to fly to the UK and was desperate by the time I landed. Nine. Hours. With. No. Book.) Good English teabags.

Notebook and pen (of course).

A tiny tin of watercolors and paintbrush.

What’s your astrological sign?  Do you read your horoscopes or is it all malarkey in your opinion?

I’m a Gemini, with a Taurus moon and Aquarius rising.  That means I’m a restless rebel and easily bored, but also rooted in things like growing gardens and cooking meals to make a home.  I love to travel, but I love to come back.  I’m a very loyal friend and a big talker.  And there was probably no other possible career for me but writing.  I’m just too odd to make anything else work.

Is it malarkey? Maybe. Maybe not.

How may fans contact you? 

Lots of ways! Larkoneal @gmail.com  larkoneal.com https://www.facebook.com/LarkONealAuthor

You can also find me on Instagram.

Thanks for having me, Jane!  xoxox

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Lark, it’s been such a pleasure to chat with you and I am so looking forward to reading Extreme!  Readers, do check out Lark’s new release and if you read it, drop Lark an email and let her know what you think of it.  Authors always like to hear from readers and I know Lark would love to hear from you.

Look for Extreme at these online retailers:
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay

Meanwhile, I have a festive holiday themed giveaway for one of you, a box jam packed with treats and fantastic reads by three of my favorite authors, along with a couple signed books by me, too!  Don’t miss this special prize box and you can enter the giveaway by leaving a comment for Lark below.  The winner will be drawn late on Christmas day, and the winner announced on December 26th.  Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend.  Much love to you!

This Thanksgiving, Ty and I are in Louisiana with the boys and we’re touring historic plantations, overnighting at one of the most haunted buildings in the US (the Myrtles Plantation!), and spending a few days in New Orleans enjoying the French Quarter.  In between sight-seeing, I’m also looking forward to doing a lot of reading and have loaded my kindle with some great books!

First on my list is Put A Ring On It by Beth Kendrick.  Some of you may recall reading previously on my blog that I met Beth a number of  years ago at a tea hosted by John Charles, former RWA Librarian of the Year.  I remember reading one of Beth’s womens fiction stories and becoming an instant fan, loving her fresh, fun voice and flirty writing style.  As always, I’m thrilled every time she has a new book out so this month and available in stores today, November 3rd, is Beth’s new book, Put A Ring On It, which I cannot wait to read!

The author of New Uses for Old Boyfriends returns to the Delaware beach town of Black Dog Bay, where one woman learns to put passion before practicality…
Brighton Smith doesn’t do outrageous. As an insurance actuary, she’s trained to assess risk and avoid bad investments. But when her fiancé calls to confess he’s married someone else on a whim (“I looked at her and I just knew!”), she snaps…
That night, at a local bar, Jake Sorensen—hot, rich, and way out of her league—buys Brighton a cocktail. At midnight, she kisses him. And by dawn, they’re exchanging vows at a drive-through chapel.
Brighton knows Jake is a bad bet, but she doesn’t care. After a lifetime of playing it safe, she’s finally having fun. Until the whirlwind romance gives way to painful reality…and Brighton finds out the truth about why a guy like Jake married a girl like her. With her heart on the line and the odds stacked against them, Brighton must decide whether to cut her losses or take a leap of faith that this love affair is one in a million.

Look for Beth’s new release at one of these online retailers:
Amazon | Indie Bound | Barnes & Noble

Next, I’m really looking forward to reading The Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris.

Look for The Edge of Lost here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I’ve always been a huge historical romance fan and Elizabeth Hoyt is one of my all time favorite authors so I’m especially looking forward to reading her new release, Sweetest Scoundrel.

SHE’S TAKING CHARGE
Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother’s investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London’s premier pleasure garden, Harte’s Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can’t be controlled.
HE’S RUNNING THE SHOW
Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn’t have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden’s larger-than-life owner, he’s already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He’s not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.
BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL
In spite of her lack of theatrical experience-and her fiery clashes with Asa-Eve is determined to turn Harte’s Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There’s no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all . . .

You’ll find Elizabeth‘s release available for download here: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Another favorite author I always love reading is Kelly Hunter and she’s got the perfect story for the holidays in  A Bad Boy For Christmas!

How can he protect his family when he no longer knows what family is?
Cutter Jackson’s perfect world is crumbling. A new-found half-brother, a father short on answers, and a woman who challenges his every word will do that to a man. He’s losing his authority, his morality and his restraint with every breath. And there’s still Christmas and New Year to navigate.
Street-savvy Mia Blake isn’t looking for a place in the family Cutter loves so much. As for the lust that sparks between them, Mia’s more than happy to fan those flames and drive them both a little nuts. She can handle it. She can handle him right up until the moment Cutter decides he wants more than a holiday fling…

Look for Kelly’s new release here: Amazon | iBooks

I’m such an avid book girl and always looking for great reads and there’s nothing I love more than talking about books.  Have you added any good books to your TBR lately?  Can you recommend a great holiday read for me?  Share with me and one of you will win a signed print copy of my Taming of the Sheenans anthology (which includes the first three stories in the Taming of the Sheenan), a $5 Starbucks drink card, a festive ornament and some great reader swag.   Giveaway closes Dec 1st with the winner announced Dec 2nd!