From Across the Pond--Romance Author Rachel Brimble

My lovely guest today is British author, Rachel Brimble--a sweet, sweet soul. So, grab a cup of tea or coffee and take the time to meet her. Rachel lives with her husband and two young 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 and she has since signed for three more.

Rachel at Buckingham Palace last year.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. 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's agreed to answer some interview questions for us. So let's get nosy...er...started, shall we?

 

1.   Rachel, how do you see your career in five years?

 

I love this question because thinking about the future gives me much of my motivation to sit at the laptop every day and write. Having said that, I’m a firm believer in living in the present and not taking anything for granted. Life is too short to wish it away! My next big project will be writing a romantic suspense proposal for Mira – my Harlequin Superromance editor has encouraged me to bite the bullet and go for it J Watch this space!

Mira are my dream publisher after reading their books for many, MANY years. A lot of their mainstream and romantic suspense authors are a huge inspiration to me, so to be part of that family would be incredible!

 

2.   Tell us, what are you currently working on?

 

I am currently working on book three in my Victorian romance series with eKensington. This book is Monica’s story - a secondary character in The Temptation of Laura. Once she appeared in my imagination, she was a joy to write and before long I knew she had her own story to tell. Thankfully, my editor enthusiastically agreed! I am due to hand the book in by mid-Spring so frantically writing away right now.

 

3.   If The Temptation of Laura were being made into a movie who would you cast to play your heroine and hero?

 

This is an easy question as I start every book by browsing the internet for images of my hero and heroine. I am a very visual writer and need pics to inspire me – so to answer the question:

Hero – The delectable Rupert Penry-Jones would play Adam Lacey (best known in US for his role as Captain Wentworth in BBC production of Persuasion).

 

 

 

Heroine – young Elizabeth Taylor (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) – how gorgeous was she??

 

NOW FOR MY FAST FIVE:

 

1.   Heels, sneakers or flip-flops? Flip flops

2.   Chocolate, champagne or cheesecake? Cheesecake

3.   SUV, sports car or minivan? Sports car

4.   Earrings, bracelets or navel piercing? Bracelets

5.   Fav vacation destination: beach, mountains or city?  Mountains

 

The Temptation of Laura is available for eKensington from today!! Here’s the blurb, excerpt & buy links:

 

Laura Robinson has always been dazzled by the glamour of the stage. But perhaps acting and selling one’s favors are not so different—for Laura must feign pleasure with the men she beds to survive. Now, with her only friend at death’s door and a ruthless pimp at her heels, escaping her occupation seems impossible. Hoping to attract a gentleman, she attends the theater. Yet the man Laura captivates is no customer, but a rising star and playwright… 

Adam Lacey has been driven to distraction since the moment he saw Laura. She is his ideal leading lady come to irresistible life—and so much more. Certain they can make the perfect team on and off stage, he is determined to win her heart—and discover her story. But that is precisely what Laura fears. And she has no idea that Adam harbors shameful secrets of his own. Will the truth free them to love—or destroy all their dreams…?

Excerpt:

What was she doing inside Adam Lacey’s house, sitting upright and rigid upon a settee she could never afford? Laura crossed and re-crossed her ankles as she glanced around his drawing room. His home was masculine, bare of trinket or flower, but compared to her and Bette’s place, it screamed of achievement. He’d left her to go upstairs and change out of his wet clothes. She glanced at the wall clock. The ten minutes she’d been alone could’ve been an hour.

She needed to leave. Get out of there.

Standing, she stepped toward the door just as it swung open and Adam entered. Her breath caught. The man was ridiculously handsome. His dark blond hair was darker than usual, after his unplanned swim, and his face scrubbed clean. Her gaze drifted, of its own accord, to the smattering of chest hair just visible at the vee of his open-necked shirt. The man was unfairly relaxed. Laura inhaled. Handsome—stupidly, stupidly handsome.

He halted, his smile dissolving. “You’re leaving?”

He moved to touch her, seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand to his side. Their eyes locked and silence descended. Her heart beat fast with the knowledge she would’ve given the world to stay there. Eye to eye; toe to toe with a man who fascinated and intrigued her.

She stepped back. It was too dangerous. The atmosphere between them too potent. Her attraction to him kicked and punched at her heart. It was strong enough to make her want to kiss him, touch him and bring that dazzling smile to the surface over and over. For little more than another breath, she would risk everything to run her fingers over his biceps and up to the plane of his wide shoulders…

Laura blinked as her mouth drained dry. What had she been thinking by coming here? She hadn’t been thinking. In that moment when he asked her to accompany him back to his home––nothing but desire had whipped through her. Nothing but interest had leapt in her veins and obliterated her common sense. The fervor and lust in his eyes bespoke of a man who clearly had an agenda entirely different to hers.

Laura blinked and looked past him to the door. “I have a friend. She’s sick. She needs me and the medicine I bought before I came upon you at the park.” She brushed past him, through the door and into the hallway. “I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry.”

“Laura, wait.”

Ignoring him, she hurried toward the closed front door. She had to get out of there. If she looked at him again, she’d falter. Her rationale already hung on a hair’s breadth. His footsteps sounded at lightning speed behind her and when she clasped the door handle, his hand closed over hers. She stared at their joined hands and her body heated.

“Laura. Please. I need to talk to you.”

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to meet his gaze. His dark brown eyes shone with a pleading she hadn’t expected. How was she supposed to refuse? She slowly pulled her hand from beneath his.

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Our guest likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:  

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook