Amy Andrews Will Make You Laugh, Cry and Tingle

Back in 2013, when I became a top 10 finalist in Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write competition, I was assigned a Harlequin author mentor – and I hit the jackpot by landing the ridiculously talented Amy Andrews, who is not only a great writer, but an amazing supporter of the newbies in the industry. I’m understandably ecstatic, therefore, to welcome Amy to Get Lost in a Story. Amy is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author who writes contemporary romance and medical romance. Her books are always sexy, always sassy, always fabulous. Her latest novel, Playing the Player – the third in her Sydney Smoke rugby series, published by Entangled – is just out.

About Amy...

Amy is an award-winning, best-selling Aussie author who has written sixty plus contemporary romances in both the traditional and digital markets. She is a USA Today best-seller who writes books that feature lots of sex and kissing. She likes to make her readers tingle, laugh and sigh.

She loves good books and great booze although she'll take mediocre booze if there's nothing else. At sixteen she met a guy she knew she was going to marry and she did. They’re still together. They have two grown kids who are stretching their wings to far flung shores.

She lives on acreage on the outskirts of Brisbane with a gorgeous mountain view but secretly wishes it was the hillsides of Tuscany.

Connect with Amy via her website, or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads, and subscribe to her newsletter.

After a long history with crappy guys, high school teacher Em Newman is going man-vegan. Four months of revirginization has opened her eyes to her doormat imitation but, baby’s got spine now, and some smooth-talking—even if he is sinfully hot—rugby player, won’t be adding her as a notch anytime soon.

Lincoln Quinn loves rugby, women, and poker. And he likes to win at all three. When his team mates bet him he can’t break through Em’s resolve, he’s more than up for the challenge. But this lady has a shoebox of stipulations before she’ll even go on a date with him, much less use that mouth for kissing instead of giving orders.

Something’s gotta give but this time Em’s not settling. And Linc’s questioning everything he ever knew about matters of the heart.

Read a little, buy the book...

Linc rang Em at the same time he had the day before. Every part of him ached from a morning of gruelling training, but in a good way. The kind of way that made him grateful for his fitness, that made him feel alive. And pumped. 

Pumped to make this phone call. Pumped to hear Em say yes. 

“Hi, Em Newman speaking.” 

She had one of those teacher’s voices. Firm but kind, with just enough fuck-with-me-and-I’ll-send-you-to-the-principal edge to keep a guy in line. That kind of voice that had never really worked on him when he’d been in high school, but then he’d never had a teacher as sexy as Em Newman, either. 

He might have turned up more often if he had. 

“I think I’ve been going about this all the wrong way,” he said, picturing her sitting at her desk, her mouth pressing close to the phone receiver so she wasn’t overheard. 

“I’ve been going for traditional names. But it’s not Ermintrude. Or Emma. Or Emily or Emmeline. So I’m thinking now your parents might be hippies, and it’s actually something like Ember. Or Emerald.” 

There was a long pause then a deep sigh. “Why do you care?” 

“I want to be able to call you by your real name.” 

“Well, the kids call me Miss Newman.” 

Linc chuckled. “Oh. Don’t tempt me.” 

Another heavy sigh. “Are you just going to ring me every lunch hour?” 

“Sure. If I have to.” 

“Don’t you have...push-ups to do? Or something? Balls to kick. Tries to score?” 

He grinned. “Training finishes at twelve, and in case you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to score right now.”

“Linc...” He’d have to have been deaf not to hear the exasperation in her voice. “I have papers to mark.” 

“You are hell on a man’s ego, Miss Newman.” He loved the way “Miss” rolled off his tongue, and a dozen dirty thoughts about naughty teachers with crazy curls bending over to help a student with a problem, their shirts gaping to reveal pretty bras flitted through his head with a predictable effect on his dick. Who knew teachers could be such a fucking turn-on? 

Certainly not a guy who’d spent a good portion of his life avoiding them at all costs. 

She snorted. “I have a feeling your ego couldn’t be brought down with an elephant gun.” 

He laughed, not even bothering to try and dissuade her from the accuracy of her statement. “The Nerd Chicks are in town on Friday night.”

She didn’t say anything for a beat or two. “You know who the Nerd Chicks are?”

“I do now.”Linc had spent a long time online last night trying to come up with something that’d blow Em’s mind. He’d finally found An Evening with the Nerd Chicks. Apparently they were three women with science backgrounds who ran a popular YouTube channel discussing all things science and had taken their show on the road. 

“We should go together.”There was another pause, but he thought he could hear her breath hitch. 

“Top marks for trying, Linc. But it’s sold out. It sold out in about half an hour.”

“Lucky for you I have two V.I.P. tickets.”

He definitely heard her breath this time. Hissing slowly out in a long exhale. “Thank you but...no.”

“No? Did I mention you get to meet them afterwards?”

A soft noise that sort of sounded like a whimper or maybe even a low growl caressed his eardrum. “I said no.”

But it was the most unconvincing no Linc had ever heard. He could practically feel her conflict. “Come on, Miss Newman,” he pressed. “Why deprive yourself?”

“Because, Linc,” she muttered, her voice terse, “afterwards I’ll probably fuck you in your ridiculously sexy car.”

Linc’s pulse spiked at her direct prediction. Even if she had sounded utterly depressed over it. He laughed. “And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. What if I promise to not let you fuck me in my car? Or anywhere else?”

It wasn’t going to win him the bet—but he really didn’t give a fuck anymore. Linc just really wanted to take her to the show. Because she obviously wanted to go. 

She snorted. “I can be very persuasive.”

Buy it on Amazon. 

Let's talk...

Avril: What’s the attraction of rugby?
Amy: To be honest I’m *not* a sports person at all although I had accidentally written a couple of bigger books with heroes who were sports stars. Not sure how that happened really… But anyway, my Entangled editor approached me about a rugby series they wanted me to write. I said hell yes, without batting an eyelid. I knew squat about rugby (other than that weird kind of osmosis we have in Australia for any sports that involve balls and full body contact) but I also knew that sports romance was very popular and writing about buff men in tight uniforms wasn’t going to be any kind of hardship.

Avril: How does being an Aussie influence your writing?
Amy: I guess any writer brings their own life experiences including where they’re from, to their writing. I don’t think being an Aussie influences my writing necessarily, I think I’m the sum of my parts and everything I am influences how I write.

Avril: What are some of the most common comments reviewers make when talking about your books? 
Amy: Reviewers tend to either love or hate my books. But for those who do love them they usually say that I can write funny, hot *and* emotional. Which I love. If you can make a reader laugh, cry and tingle in all the good parts then that’s a huge compliment.  

Avril: How easy is it to switch between contemporary and medical? 
Amy: Not that difficult really. After all, medicals are just contemporary romances set in a medical world. I used to grapple with the medical to romance ratio when I first started but I honestly haven’t thought about it in years, each story seems to find its own balance without any conscious engineering.

Avril: Who are some of your favourite authors and what do they have in common?
Amy: All my favourite authors are women who write funny. If you can make me laugh then you have me for life (which is one of the things I love about Avril’s books!). Writers like Jennifer Crusie, Rachel Gibson, Victoria Dahl, S.E.P. and Helen Fielding from an international perspective. From this side of the pond Kelly Hunter, Sarah Mayberry and Ainslie Paton. Also my sister, Ros Baxter. Yeh, she’s my sister but man her books always crack me up. I’ve also found a couple of new-to-me Aussie authors last year who I adored. Madeline Ash and Eve Dangerfield are awesome writers and know how to bring the funny too!   

Avril: What does 2017 hold for you? 
Amy: A lot! Four more rugby books. A fire fighter and a bull rider for Tule Publishing. The second book in my Limbo series and a bigger medical romance set in a rural locale is in the works too.  

Avril: As a romance reader, what’s your pet hate?
Amy: Women who giggle in books. Grown women don’t giggle. Unless it’s a trait you want to give to a character to demonstrate how annoying they are, then you’ve nailed it.  

Thank you so much for inviting me on the blog Avril. What Avril didn’t mention though, dear readers, is what I told her after I first read her SYTYCW story. I was supposed to give her advice and feedback on the book. Instead I said - this should already be published, you don’t need me! I was not remotely surprised she was contracted soon after! But I was very proud and excited for her.

A question from Amy:
 Are you a sports fan? If so what’s you favourite? 
If not, what would you rather be doing!

Tell us in the comments and enter the giveaway to win an Amazon Kindle copy of the fabulous first book in Amy's Sydney Smoke Rugby Series, Playing By Her Rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BRAZEN MARGO MAGUIRE

Margo Maguire’s historical novels – all 19 of them! – have been in print since 1999, and translated into twenty different languages. Her first career was that of a critical care nurse, but when burn-out hit, she studied and earned a degree in history. Now she writes full time, utilizing her passion for history in all her writing.

Read more about Margo on GLIAS.

Discover all her books on her website.

BRAZEN

Harper Collins

Read part of the story…

“Captain Briggs, how did you find me?”  Christina asked.

“It was a long and complicated process. I will not bore you with the details.”

“It must have been difficult…” A plan began to form in her mind. “Did my grandfather engage you to find my sister as well?”

He gave a nod, lifting his densely muscled arm as she wrapped the linen around the wound she’d caused. Christina kept her focus on her questions and not on the thick musculature of his arm and the odd prickle of awareness that skittered down her back.

“Did you know where my sister had been taken when our parents died? Who had raised her?”

“No. I went to London – where Sarah and Daniel Hayes lived – and started asking questions.”

Christina could not imagine what the questions had been or whom he would have asked. How did one begin to find a needle – or two – in a haystack?

“Can you locate anyone? Anyone at all?”

She found him looking at her, not at what she was doing, but at her face. He was very close, close enough that she could see flecks of silver in his light blue eyes. And his lashes – impossibly long and black as coal. A small crescent of a scar at the corner of his eye only added to the stunning appeal of his features.

He did not respond immediately to her question, holding her gaze until he blinked and turned to look at his arm. “Yes,” he finally said. “Anyone.”

Christina could think of no other person who showed such complete confidence. She finished the bandaging and tied the knot. “So… Windermere has paid you to find me?” she asked.

The brow over his right eye lowered ever so slightly. “He is not obliged to pay me until I take you to him.”

“Are you one of those Bow Street men?”

“No. Apparently, your grandfather heard of my expertise at… finding people… on the continent.”

“In the army?”

“Aye.” A muscle in his jaw tensed.

Christina knew he wasn’t about to leave Sweethope Cottage. After all, he must have come some distance for her. And he wouldn’t be paid until he produced her for her grandfather. He had to stay.

She did want to meet her sister. It was just that the situation with her brother was so immediate.

Christina quickly made up her mind. She was going to have to delay that meeting until she found Lang. And Captain Briggs was the key to doing so. He’d found Lily with few clues, and it couldn’t have been easy to find her, either.

She followed Briggs to the drawing room at the front of the house and waited when he stepped outside and went to his horse. Half naked, he reached up and took down a leather satchel while Christina gaped at his bare back. His shoulders. His lean waist. The ripple of muscle when he moved his arms. The way his longish, dark hair brushed his neck.

She watched with interest as he came back to the house, pulling on the fresh shirt that he’d taken from his satchel. He was far more rugged than her late husband, and seemed to fit into the rustic setting of Sweethope Cottage far better than Edward ever had.

It had surprised her to learn Edward had bequeathed her the country house, for she’d visited there only a few times. But of course, he had not planned on dying so precipitously. Or in such outrageous circumstances.

“If we leave now, we can make it to Windermere the day after tomorrow,” Captain Briggs said when he turned and saw her standing at the window in the drawing room.

“I’m not going to Windermere,” Christina replied.

“Yes, you are.”

“I need to go to London first.”

He tucked the long tails of his shirt into his trews. Then he caught her gaze and spoke quietly. “I’d rather not tie you to the back of my horse, Lady Fairhaven, but I will if I—”

“Do you order your wife about this way, Captain Briggs?”

“I have no wife, Lady Fairhaven. And I assure you that if I did have one, she would be far more tractable—”

“I am being blackmailed, Captain. I need to go to London right away.”

Questions for Margo…from Heather...

Do you write while listening to music?

Yes, I sure do. It helps me to get into the zone and also to block out everything else that’s going on around me because I usually write at Starbuck’s or another coffee shop. I prefer to listen to soundtracks, but not the kind with lyrics. I’ll listen to things like Pirates of the Caribbean or Pride and Prejudice. I love Finding Neverland and the music from the Transformer movies.  Sometimes I go for classical, and I’m a fan of the baroque. Love JS Bach, Vivaldi, and Corelli.

What was the first story you remember writing?

The first story I remember writing was when I was in 8^th grade. It was a sci-fi piece about an alien from another planet, and although I can’t recall the story itself, I do remember the illustrations. Drawing was my passion back then, and I kept up my artistic pursuits ever after. Although now I am more likely to remember the story rather than the picture. J

What is your favorite movie of all time?

Independence Day.  It’s one of the few movies I can stand to watch more than once. My husband thinks it’s a hoot, since I’m a Romance writer, for heaven’s sake. But there’s so much to love in ID. A lot of romance – plus a great alien invasion story! I think it must take me back to when I was a kid and we went to the Saturday afternoon matinees to watch monster movies.

What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

That’s a tough one, because it really depends on my mood. There are times when a romantic comedy is just the thing that suits my fancy. Or I might like a dark and chilling romantic suspense novel. Of course I love historicals, love to get lost in the time period, in the manners and conventions of times long past.

How often do you get lost in a story?

Not nearly often enough! I am always reading at least two books, and though one of them might be a piece of non-fiction, I am never without a good romance. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to read for recreation these days. It seems my own writing takes up more and more of my time – with deadlines encroaching much faster than I’d like!

What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?

Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, all the aunts and uncles and cousins on my mom’s side of the family got together for a great Thanksgiving feast. We kept up our bond with each other that way, and my cousins and I are all still in touch with each other – all twenty of us. Now I’m the one who hosts Thanksgiving every year with my side of the family – all the aunts and uncles and cousins. My kids and their cousins are keeping the bonds they made when they were little.  

What’s the first thing you do when you finish a book?

Read. I dig through my TBR pile and pick something that appeals to me right at that moment. Then I keep on reading until my eyes shrivel up like raisins!

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

I avoid reading reviews of my books because whether they’re good or bad, they interfere with my ability to write. A great review and I start thinking I ought to do more of whatever the reviewer liked – even though more of that (whatever that was) might not work well in the next book. And a so-so review makes me wonder if I can write at all. Or I’ll overthink the things the reviewer didn’t like. So yeah – I try not to read reviews. Just keep my head in the sand, telling myself that if my editor likes my work well enough to publish it, and my fans like my work well enough to read it  – then I must be doing something right.

What has been the most unexpected thing about being a published author?

I’m amazed at how many people tell me they’d like to write a book. Or that they could write a book if only they had enough time. Like it’s something you can just pick up and do well – like making a meatloaf from a recipe. Not that there aren’t some talented undiscovered writers out there… it’s just that a lot of people think it’s just a matter of sitting down and typing up whatever comes to mind.

A question for my readers…
At this time of year, do you like to hunker down with a Christmas-themed movie or book? Tell me your favorites! 

A book for my commenters…
One lucky commenter will receive a copy of Seducing the Governess. (Featured book on Margo's March GLIAS visit.)

Please follow us on Facebook & Twitter (#GetLostStories) for a daily update on who’s visiting GLIAS and what they might be giving away! Join us tomorrow as Angi hosts NYT Bestselling suspense author Chritsy Reece.

Patricia Rosemoor

BRAZEN
Harlequin Intrigue
ISBN: 0373695284

Despite their uncanny psychic connection, Siobhan McKenna had once pushed Clay Salazar away. Better to break his heart than to be responsible for his death, as her family curse threatened any man she loved. But now the feisty McKenna faces trouble on her ranch—someone's trying to drive the Double JA into the dust! Her solution: hire Clay, a Navajo-trained horse gentler, to run the place. With their special connection severed, his life should be safe.

GETTING TO KNOW PATRICIA ROSEMOOR

Feeling that justice is all too rare in real life, Patricia Rosemoor drives her characters to seek an equitable resolution, no matter the personal sacrifice. Her fascination with "dangerous love" – combining romance with danger – has led her to write various forms of romantic suspense and paranormal romantic thrillers, bringing a different mix of thrills and chills and romance to each book. She believes strongly in breaking down barriers to write crossover fiction that appeals to a large and varied audience.

Patricia has won a Golden Heart from Romance Writers of America and two Reviewers Choice and two Career Achievement Awards from RT BOOKreviews, and in her other life, she teaches Popular Fiction and Suspense-Thriller Writing, credit courses in the Fiction Writing Department of Columbia College Chicago. Five of her former students are now published in novel-length fiction.

TWENTY QUESTIONS

okay, it's more like ten [[GRIN]]

ANGI: How often do you get lost in a story?
PATRICIA: All stories are not equal in what I get from them or in how much they affect me, but I would say I get lost in some scenes in every story I write. Truthfully, it’s usually in the suspense scenes, but some romances touch me more than others. BRAZEN was one of those stories. Clay and Siobhan’s love story in the past called to me so strongly that I had to write it. So as the present day story progresses, the reader gets thrown back to the past, alternating in their points of view up to the point that Clay leaves town brokenhearted. Every one of those scenes sucked me in as my hero and heroine told me about their past together.

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
PATRICIA: I truly don’t remember my first book, but I remember my first significant read. I know my mother made me a “reader” before I started school. At the time, the library had 3 levels of cards–Juvenile, Senior (for 7th graders and up) and Adult. By the time I was in second grade, I had read or been read every book in the juvenile section, so I started reading senior books. I skipped a grade and so was in third grade for the last few months of that year. Still, I always finished my work in class before the other students, so I would read a library book. The nun caught me reading and took the book – DOUBLE DATE by Rosemary DuJardin – and said she was going to look at it. The next day she gave it back to me and told me I should be reading history and geography instead.

ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
PATRICIA: Reading a book in which I realize the author didn’t do enough research to suspend my disbelief. It’s probably why I’m so paranoid about “getting it right.”

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?
PATRICIA: Definitely Action Adventure. I know authors who love writing the beginning of their stories but aren’t thrilled figuring out and writing the end because it’s so difficult. I LOVE writing the big finish, the longer, more action packed, more suspense and thrill filled the better. My July book DEAL BREAKER didn’t feel as special as BRAZEN when I was writing it, but I just read the galleys last week and realized my big was the entire last fourth of the book and it sucked me in! I surprised myself.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?
PATRICIA: Oh, dear, I don’t remember the title, but it was an historical romance with a shipwreck involved. It was never published. As a matter of fact, the first rejection letter I got was badly xeroxed telling me good luck elsewhere and signed off “The Editors” – no actual signature. I gave up, decided writing wasn’t for me. And then six months later, I started my second historical romance that didn’t get published.

ANGI: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
PATRICIA: WITNESS. Hum, that might have something to do with Harrison Ford playing the hero...now if only they had ended up together at the end. Sigh.

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?
PATRICIA: Oh, come now, isn’t Hannibal Lecter everyone’s favorite? He’s the perfect example of a three dimensional villain. He has so many sides to him, it’s difficult to hate him. Be scared of meeting him in a dark alley, yes, but not hate him.

ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
PATRICIA: Aren’t they the same? When I write I am telling myself a story. I love having written. But half the time (maybe more), writing is something to be avoided whenever possible until that deadline starts looming closer. It’s always great to get to those scenes where I “lose myself,” but the rest of the book usually feels like torture. My students hand in first draft. I probably rewrite a scene twenty times before I think it works.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: So, Patricia, what’s your favorite “paranormal” element to add to a story?
PATRICIA’S GOTTA ANSWER: I like playing with psychic abilities, especially when it has to do with animals–I’ve used human connection both to wolves and horses in my McKenna books. I think it’s true that we humans use only a fraction of our brain power and if we found a way to develop them, we would feel a real connection not only to each other, but to the animals around us.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
I would love to know if/how they can suspend their disbelief when it comes to psychic abilities.

PATRICIA will be happy to send an autographed copy of BRAZEN to someone leaving a comment today.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

HERE’s how and where you can contact Patricia: website; Facebook; Patricia Rosemoor’s Novels at Facebook; and Twitter.

DON’T FORGET to “Like” us on Facebook, “Follow” us on Twitter, and visit here Thursday when Heather interviews Historical author Julie Anne Long AND again on Friday when Simone Gets Lost with Erin Kellison. See you next Wednesday when I bring you Historical author Winnie Griggs.

~~Til then, Angi