Amy Rose Bennett is enjoying her debut release with Steam eReads and learning that writing the book is just the beginning! Welcome and thanks for treading the boards with us today.

Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing?

I write historical romance so history often inspires me. For example, the second Jacobite Rebellion—the ‘45—and its aftermath, the Regency period and the Battle of Waterloo, and more recently the Korean War, have all given me a wealth of ideas for my plots. My historical romance heroes (so far) all have military backgrounds too. My short story ‘An Improper Proposition’—released on 15th April with Steam eReads—features a young footman who served as a corporal in Wellington’s army. Place too inspires me—I love the UK and all of its grand manor houses and castles; I’d so love to live in one! My two unpublished manuscripts are both largely set in Scotland and both feature the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh—such a beautiful, evocative place.

1.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us. For quite some time, I really wanted to write a dark and gothicky ‘Jane Eyre gone wrong’ story—a story about a governess who isn’t really a governess—set in Scotland.  So ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte has always been a source of inspiration in a round-about way! At the time I was plotting this particular novel (one of my unpublished manuscripts), I also saw a photo of the ruined Dunnottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. That certainly gave me a wealth of inspiration for this story too.

How did you come up with the idea of ‘An Improper Proposition’?

I thought it would be fun to break a few rules and write a cougar romance set in the Regency period. My heroine is a widowed countess who falls in lust/love with her younger footman so some class rules are broken too!

How do you come up with your characters’ names?

Good question! I usually have a strong mental image of how my character looks physically and the name that would suit. Sometimes my characters even tell me their names! I have a really helpful baby name book I love perusing when I’m stuck for inspiration also. Writing historical romance, I also need to choose historically accurate names…so no Rivers or Krystals in a Regency! I chose the name Bianca for my dowager countess heroine in ‘An Improper Proposition’ because I wanted a first name that was a little different, given that Lady Wells makes some unconventional (for the time) choices. I also liked playing around with the theme of duty when naming her. In Shakespeare’s ‘Taming of the Shrew’, Bianca is a dutiful daughter, but my Bianca is dutiful only up to a certain point!

Who would you cast for a movie/TV series as your main characters if given the chance? Harry Blake…The British actor Alex Pettyfer with darker hair would be perfect. Or a younger Henry Cavill.  Lady Bianca Wells…Perhaps Rachel McAdams with blonde hair.

If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be?

Ed Sheeran’s ‘Kiss Me’ is so romantic and sensual—and about falling in love.

What is your favourite holiday?

 Visiting the UK. Scotland. Paris, Venice, Capri…I don’t want much do I?

Do you read reviews of your books? What do you do when you read a not-so-nice one?

 I’ve only had three on my first published story and they have been lovely. I’ll try to ignore the bad ones.

How many times were you turned down before you finally got published?

For this particular short story I had two rejections…then on the third time I got lucky! I’m still waiting to get ‘the call’ for my big two manuscripts though…

Who is your literary hero?

Anna Campbell hands down!

What is your favourite book of all time that you can reread a hundred times, and it still feels like the first time?

 ‘Cross Stitch’ (now called ‘Outlander’) by Diana Gabaldon. Or any Stephanie Plum adventure by Janet Evanovich.

What do you need to set the mood for you to write?

 Not much! A laptop. I’m lucky I can write pretty much anywhere. Music inspires me also.

If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be?

A paranormal/historical cross genre novel. I actually have plans to write 2 separate trilogies that fit the bill. I’m still plotting and researching but I hope to start on one after the RWA conference.

How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one?

For ‘An Improper Proposition’ only a couple. I don’t actually mind writing the blurb. Now synopsis writing on the other hand, that just gives me the shudders.

If you could bring one of your characters to life, who would it be? And why?

 The hero from my latest 1950s set novella (working title ‘Long Gone Girl’), Jefferson ‘Jett’ Kelly. He’s a fighter pilot. I like pilots (I’m married to one).

What are you working on now?

Another single title Regency.

Would you like to share an excerpt from your writing or a photo or music link that inspires you?

Here’s the blurb from my debut release ‘An Improper Proposition’:

Fraternizing with one’s footman—no matter how young and handsome he is—is not the done thing…but Lady Bianca Wells is going to do it anyway…

 

Widowed countess Lady Bianca Wells secretly lusts after her much younger, rakishly handsome footman Harry Blake. Even though he has been in her employ for six months, she has not succumbed to her indecorous urges to take him as a lover… until one wicked night at an isolated country inn when she throws caution to the wind and offers Blake a wholly improper proposition.

 

Harry Blake, the bastard son of a duke and governess, is the epitome of the perfect footman, except for one thing—he fantasizes about seducing his beautiful mistress. When Lady Wells proposes that they become lovers for one night only, he is torn. Even though he wants her with every fibre of his being, he suspects that forbidden fruit once tasted, can be awfully addictive. He wonders if one night of passion will be enough, for either of them—especially now that he realizes he might very well be falling in love with his bella Bianca.

 

But when all is said and done, Blake can hardly refuse such a tempting proposition, no matter how unwise or improper. He just prays that he can put a smile on his mistress’s beautiful face…

 

Lady Bianca feels shaken after a drunken patron propositions her for a kiss at the inn she is staying at. Her footman, Blake comes to her aid, then escorts her to her room…

The sooner she dismissed Blake for the evening, the better. For a servant who’d only been in her employ for six months, he read her too well. And she had come to rely on him far too much. This growing familiarity between them was a problem, but one she wasn’t fit to deal with right now.

She turned back to address him and her breath hitched. He really was too handsome to be her footman. Even with his black hair hidden beneath his periwig again, his chiselled jaw, wide mouth and sparkling emerald green eyes set him apart from most other men of his station. Indeed he was as handsome as any young buck of the ton. Or so her close friends repeatedly told her. Those same friends—including Lady Jameson—who also whispered to her that she was mad not to have a fuck or two with him.

Stop gawping at him like a foolish adolescent girl, Bianca. Dismiss him, before you do something you regret.

With a trembling hand, she pushed a strand of her blonde hair away from her mouth and found her voice. “Well, thank you again for your timely intervention, Blake. That will be—”

“Do you have any brandy, my lady?”

She arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

Blake held her gaze. It was one of the things she liked about him so much. He was respectful yet not easily intimidated by her when she played the haughty dowager countess.

 “Please forgive my impertinence,” he at last responded, his forehead dipping into a frown, “but you’ve had a shock and it might help. Would you like me to fetch you some from the taproom?”

“No, that won’t be necessary, but thank you.” Now was the time to bid him good night but for some reason, she couldn’t do it. She supposed it was because she found his strong male presence reassuring after what had happened only minutes before. She stepped back from the door, opening it wider to admit him. “But perhaps you could re-stoke the fire for me…Tilly has retired early with a headache.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Bianca shut the door after him and leant against the smooth wood panels, watching him as he removed his white gloves before he bent low to toss several logs into the grate. His wide shoulders strained against the navy blue superfine of his liveried jacket as he moved. Such power and grace for such a tall man. She suspected he’d developed his athletic physique when he’d served as a corporal in Wellington’s army. Not for the first time, she wondered how he would look without his livery. She bit her lip.

Stop behaving like a vixen on heat, Bianca. Tell him to go. Now.

But she didn’t. She crossed to her travelling trunk at the foot of the four-poster bed and after rummaging around for a moment, pulled out a bottle of sherry. Her medicinal sherry, she liked to tell herself. In truth, a nip or two before bed was her one and only vice. Aside from lusting after Blake.

‪http://steamereads.com.au/product/an-improper-proposition/

‪http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JOJ7WVI

2.              Please share your favourite cocktail recipe or celebration photo.

Champagne with a nip of St Germaine liqueur.

JM Bray has a racing Porsche named Tuffy! Sorry, I know that’s not got a lot to do with the topic for today but it intrigued me and made me quite envious to the point I just had to share it. And there is a short video of a record-breaking lap at the end of the post. JM also touches on the importance of knowing where your work fits, genre-wise. It can make all the difference!

Without further ado, welcome. JM, and thanks for treading the boards with us today! 

 When you've learned to take possession in stride, love should be easy. Right?

It might be if your life and the lives of people you loved weren't threatened by an invasion of monsters.

Vincent thought saving the world once was a challenge, he didn't figure on retribution putting a price on his head.  It means college takes a back seat again as he’s possessed by Coleman to fight a new battle with the Kafla.  But this time he’s not alone, Jule, the woman he loves is also possessed.

Together they hope to stave off the invasion and take the fight to the Realm, where only a supreme sacrifice can Mend the Shroud and save their worlds.

 
J.M. Bray lives in Southern California with his college sweetheart and their two dogs. After a lifetime together, they are happier than the moment they met. In his spare time, he cooks, enjoys family, travels with his wife, and races an old Porsche named Tuffy.


1.      Are you inspired most by places, people or experiences and how do these work their way into your writing? Great question, so I hope this doesn’t look like a dodge. None of the above. Though all three do find their way into my writing, the thing that inspires me most are “what if” ideas. Sometimes these come in dreams, sometimes just as random thoughts while I’m going through life. The Shroud Trilogy (Tearing the Shroud, Mending the Shroud and Shrouded) came that way. Wherever heaven or hell is, what if there is another world reality between our existence and that eternal place? What if the Shroud separating us from them became damaged?

2.      Please share one of your favourite moments of inspiration with us. I was in Monterey, California staying at a big house with a group of friends. We rented it as two of us were racing our Porsches at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. Trees arc over the roads through the area and fog is a regular thing, causing moss to grow hanging in long strands. The whole atmosphere poured images of scenes into my mind and several went into the third book, Shrouded.

3.      How do you come up with your characters’ names? The main character Vincent Muldoon came as a product of his family…yes I know all names do. I wanted him to have a tumultuous upbringing and decided to have his parents be from Italy and Ireland, so his name reflects that. With my other characters, I cheat…I often use names of people I’ve known in the past, on whom I loosely based the character. Then, if all else fails, Scrivener (the program I write in) has a random name generator.

4.      Who would you cast for a movie/TV series as your main characters if given the chance? If I could pick from any time and age…again I may be cheating. Robbie Amell is Vincent, to a tee. Coleman would be played by a young Heath Ledger, Jule is a tough one…and I haven’t found a perfect match for her maybe Leighton Meester or Italia Ricci.

5.      If you could pick a soundtrack to match your main character’s life, what would it be? I have a huge soundtrack list that I played while writing the Shroud Trilogy, but the one that fits best is the song Vincent and Jule consider theirs, I’ll Melt With You by Modern English. Here is a link so you can dance around the living room:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuN6gs0AJls

6.      How many times were you turned down before you finally got published? Thirty agents and three publishers passed on Tearing the Shroud before Kate Cuthbert at Escape Publishing fell in love with it. I love Kate Cuthbert too! Especially for loving my book that comes out a month after yours, JM!

7.      What reason(s) did the publishers give for their rejection of your manuscript? The most common comment was that they loved it…but didn’t love it enough. I think, in part, that was my fault. I was pitching it as a Fantasy, which it is…but not fully. When Kate told me she wanted to release it as a Romantic Fantasy I almost slapped my forehead. She saw what the novel really was.

8.      What is your favourite book of all time that you can reread a hundred times, and it still feels like the first time? I’m blessed or cursed with a ridiculously good memory. As a result I can’t re-read. Two pages into the book, the whole story comes flashing back and I’m done. That said, the series that I enjoyed the most, that I never wanted to end, that sucked me in and wouldn’t let go is Raymond E. Feist’s Crydee novels, starting with Magician Apprentice.

9.      What do you need to set the mood for you to write? I can write just about anywhere, and have. If I’m at home, settling in for a session, I sit where I can see out a window, usually in our family room and put Pandora radio on one of the following stations: Keren Ann, Carla Bruni, A.A. Bondy, or Swell Season. The volume has to be soft though or I get too lost in it.

10.  If there is one genre that you have not written in yet, but would love to try writing a book in that specific genre, what would it be? All my novels have a fantasy element, I love it too much not to… I’m aiming at a historical fantasy with romantic elements as the next book after the Shroud Trilogy.

11.  How many blurbs did you have to write before the final one? Countless. Thank God for Ainslie Paton, who lent a hand and helped polish it up or I’d still be flailing about trying to come up with something.

12.  What are you working on now? Shrouded, book three. In the Trilogy, there is a time pattern to events, every twelve years something happens, or can… I’m not going to say any more, but this pattern plays a huge part in the setting for Shrouded.

13.  Would you like to share an excerpt from your writing or a photo or music link that inspires you? This is the meeting of Coleman and Jolie, in Tearing the Shroud:

Flowers. Yellow flowers.

Knee-high fields of them as far as he could see. Green stalks gently moving in the breeze. He walked through them, enjoying the peace.

‘Hello?’ a soft voice said. He turned but saw no one. He was calm. The voice meant him no harm.

‘I need you to try again. I know you’re tired.’

The voice; was it a woman? The voice was right. Tired, so tired. It’s peaceful here. A good place to rest.

Just.

Stay.

Forever. That would be nice. Rest.

‘Don’t give up; you’re doing well. Come to me. Lift the bar.’

What bar? He turned and now saw a door, standing alone in the field. Oh, she’s right, it’s barred. Such a nice voice. I’ll just lift...’

Coleman crashed to the floor, the weight of the bar more than he could bear. Light like the heavens flooded in. A spirit had come to take him to Paradise. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen reached toward him.

So, this is death...

***

As the Cloister’s Mistress of Healing, Jolie was first through the door when it opened. She lifted the bar from his chest. He spoke; something about flowers, and she saw his face, clearly, for the first time. By the Divine, he’s gorgeous.

 
14.  Please share your favourite cocktail recipe or celebration photo.  How about a video? In the lap, you’ll see Tuffy (that’s the name of my car) and I break the track record for my class. The huge thing is that the record stood since 1996 before we came along.