.jpg)
From country girl to actress of the stage, one
woman dares to live her dreams—but is she brave enough to open her heart…?
Monica Danes always wanted more than the village
of Biddestone had to offer. After a failed courtship to a man of her parents’
choosing, she fled for the city of Bath and never looked back. Today, Monica is
the undisputed queen of the theater—a wealthy, independent woman. But when she
is called home in the wake of tragedy, Monica returns—intending to leave again
as soon as possible.
Thomas Ashby has been a groom at the Danes estate
since he was a boy—and has been enamored with Monica for almost as long. He
knows he isn’t a suitable match for his master’s daughter, despite the special
bond he and Monica have always shared—and their undeniable attraction. But now
that she’s returned, Thomas has one last chance to prove himself worthy—and to
show Monica a life, and a love, she won’t want to give up...
What
was the first romance novel you read that made an impression on you?
I
can’t remember its title (which is really annoying!) but it was a Harlequin
Romance that I picked up in my local library. I must have been around 14 at the
time and I remember being absolutely engrossed! It was most likely my first
romance and although I had written short stories since I was about eight or
nine, it was after reading this book that heroes came into play!
Do
you plan all your characters out before you start a story or do they develop as
you write?
I
complete character sketch sheets for my hero and heroine (and villain, if I
have one!) before I start a story to give me a good idea of who they are and
their pasts. However, they ALWAYS change and develop from what I originally had
in mind. I never fight these changes because the characters know themselves
better than I ever would. Right??
Which
authors have caught your interest lately? Why?
I
recently discovered crime writer, Alex Grecian and I am loving his Victorian
series. I can’t get enough of his books! I also recently read The Husband’s
Secret by Liane Moriarty and will definitely be looking up her backlist. Great
women’s fiction J
How
did you get the idea for this particular novel?
What
A Woman Desires was written purely because of Monica Danes, my heroine. She
appeared as a secondary character in the previous book, The Temptation of
Laura, and was an absolutely dream to write. I fell in love with her and knew
she deserved her own story. What A Woman Desires was one of the quickest books
I have written and I really believe that was because I knew Monica so well. I wanted
to explore where she came from and what happened to make her who she is today.
What
is your favorite scene in your new release?
Ooh,
there are too many to name! Monica and Thomas are very strong, fiery
individuals and I adore their passion, which means their love and arguing
scenes are my favorites!
Flirting Questions
Which actor or book character do you have a crush on?
Thomas, my hero, in What A Woman Desires – he was inspired by Tom Hardy
as he appears in Lawless. Yum!
Hey,
baby! What’s your sign?
Aries
When
was your last kiss?
This
morning – kissed my husband before he left for work J
What’s
an absolute no-no in a relationship?
Control
– No one should control, or feel controlled in a relationship. Ever.
If
you could take a romantic trip, where would it be?
I
had most my romantic trip ever last summer and can’t wait to repeat it – my
husband and I flew to Ireland for a Nora Roberts signing and stayed in the
wonderful Ashford Castle. It was a weekend that I will never forget… sigh
Flirting Quickies:
Boxers or Briefs?
Boxers
Facial hair or clean
shaven? Clean shaven
White wine or red? White
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Laptop
or desktop? Desktop
Winter
or summer? Summer
Cat or
dog? Dog
City or
Country? Country
Clubbing
or candlelight dinner? Candlelight dinner
Backpacking or luxury hotel? Luxury hotel
 |
| Rachel Brimble at Ashford |
Rachel lives with her husband and
two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several
novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011.
In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in
2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released
in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released
Jan 2015.
Rachel is a member of the
Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America, and was selected
to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest.
When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking
the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. Her
dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes nothing more than
connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel
would love to hear from you!
Links:
I'm here!! Been a manic day as I have been guesting on not one but two, release parties - so great to meet such fantastic romance readers :D I am here to answer any questions or comments...although with me being in the UK, I might have to get to some tomorrow. Thanks for having me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping in during your busy day! :)
Delete