Start the New Year right with a new book from Tessa Dare! Full of warmth, humor, and scorching passion, every Tessa book is a reason to celebrate. And Tessa is every bit as lovely and genuine as her books. Check out my interview with one of historical romance’s brightest stars.
LENORA: The cover of SAY YES TO THE MARQUESS is absolutely gorgeous! What were your first thoughts when you received the artwork?TESSA: Isn’t it beautiful? I was just blown away by it. Blown away. Avon is really good to me. And if you think this one’s gorgeous, just wait until you see the next book!
LENORA: I love the way a Tessa Dare book is guaranteed to forge emotional connections and make me laugh and, on occasion, cry. I can picture you chuckling at your laptop along with your characters. Am I right?TESSA: Ha! You wouldn’t be wrong. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that I crack myself up, but… I figure if it doesn’t make *me* laugh (or cry), what hope can I have of amusing my readers? So yes, I laugh and sniffle along with the characters.
LENORA: Ha! I knew it. Of course there’s also the heat factor in your books. And from everything I’ve heard, Rafe is super HOT. How did you decide to make your hero a prizefighter?TESSA: You know, I’m not sure how I wrote eleven books and four novellas *without* writing a prizefighter hero! 😉 I mean, really. They’re hot. And during the Regency, prizefighting was a quite dicey profession. The sport was revered and enjoyed by almost all Englishmen, but the fighting itself was illegal and dangerous. It was the perfect profession to give Rafe, who comes from a noble lineage but always felt like the outsider in his own family.
LENORA: Your heroes are always dangerously seductive 😉 A huge favorite of mine is Griff, from ANY DUCHESS WILL DO. When I give him to friends who’ve never read a romance novel, they immediately become hooked. What are a few books in your romance conversion kit?TESSA: What an amazing compliment! Thank you so much. My go-to historical romance recs include (but are not limited to):
- Julia Quinn’s THE DUKE AND I
- Sarah Maclean’s NINE RULES TO BREAK WHEN ROMANCING A RAKE
- Loretta Chase’s LORD OF SCOUNDRELS
- Courtney Milan’s UNLOCKED
- Lisa Kleypas’s DREAMING OF YOU
LENORA: What a great list!To ring in the New Year, leave a comment and you could win a copy of SAY YES TO THE MARQUESS!** What’s in your romance conversion kit?** What will be your biggest New Year’s resolution?** If you could interview any romance author in your living room, who would it be, and why?Hugs,Lenora






I’d love to interview Karen Marie Moning because she’s one of my fave authors
Thanks, Timitra! I haven’t read any KMM – thanks for the rec!
Romances to convert readers? Lord of Scoundrels, The Duke and I, hmmm, this list is sounding an awful lot like…I’d add Nine Rules too. Just because I love paranormal – Frost’s Halfway to the Grave and Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series.
Yes, yes, yes! Lord of Scoundrels is one of my all time faves. And another vote for KMM? Now I have to read her. Thanks for stopping by!
Great interview, Lenora! Can’t wait to read Tessa’s new one:)
I’m sitting down to start reading it right now. Woohoo! You have good taste, Laura 🙂
What a gorgeous cover!
I don’t really make resolutions, I just make a conscious effort to do better, always. If I could interview any romance author in my living room, it’d probably be Nalini Singh with her adorable accent.
I know, Julie, that cover is too stunning. Great choice of authors to interview. Thanks for reading!
I totally love this interview! I love Tessa Dare too! She’s part of my romance conversion kit together with Judith McNaught, Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn, and Eloisa James.
I stopped making New Year’s resolutions because the unfulfilled resolutions are piling up. LOL. But I’ll definitely add reading more books as a part of my 2015 goals!
If I want to interview a romance author on my living room, I’ll definitely pick Julia Quinn….that is, if I ever end up interviewing her before I freak out and faint from severe fangirling feels.
Ha! Mary Ruth, love your answer. You are a lady after my own heart for sure. I hear you on the fan girl nerves. I was shaking like a leaf when I met Eloisa James recently. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for the interview. I never make any New Year’s Resolutions. They’re too easily broken. It would be nice to interview Julie James, Sherry Thomas or Judith McNaught.
I hear you on the resolutions, Kim. I rarely keep mine and it’s disappointing. But I have to make a few. I’m staying with my inlaws for the holidays and I’ve already gained four pounds from all the cookies 🙂 So glad you stopped by!
Love the cover! Big fan of Tessa Dare!
My Romance Conversion kit:
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
Dark Lover by JR Ward
An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
Devil Takes a Bride by Gaelen Foley
It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
My NY’s resolution: Don’t stress the small insignificant stuff and focus more and appreciate more what you have.
If I could interview any romance author in my living room it would be Lisa Kleypas hands down! Love her!
Yay, glad to meet another Tessa Dare fangirl! Ooh, Lisa Kleypas. Excellent choice. Happy New Year!
Biggest New Years resolution is to find a job. They are hard to find in my field! Fingers crossed!!!
Best of luck in the New Year, Sumer!
i love the cover!!! Can’t wait to read the book!! Love all her books!!
Thanks for stopping by, Florencia! Tessa Dare fangirls unite!
Thank you for sharing. I love the cover. It is absolutely beautiful. My goals for the new year are to take more time for myself, get more writing done and more walking. This last year has been quite difficult because I have become my mother’s primary caregiver and during all of that I’ve lost myself so it is very important that I get me back.
Best of luck with the writing and walking, Lori! I’m in awe of your strength and compassion. Happy New Year!
I love Tessa Dare books! She writes the bed witty dialogue ever.
I set goals instead of resolutions. This year Im determined to finish writing my first book.
I’d love to interview my favorite author, Shana Abe.
Great idea to set goals, Jena. You can do it! Finish that book! 🙂 Hugs, Lenora
She is one of my favorites and would love to win. But if not cong. to the one who does.
Norma
Happy New Year, Norma! Thanks for reading.
I would love to meet J.R. Ward, shes just a complete bad ass, and her writing is amazing. I wanna pick.her brain on millions of topics, just to see and hear her responses, im sure it would be filled with colorful language
That would be an awesome interview, Vickie! Thanks for stopping by and happy New Year!!