Guest Author: Susan Stephens

It was back in 2013 in Freemantle when I first met USA Today Bestselling author, Susan Stephens, who writes fabulous romances for Presents line (including the bestselling Blood and Thunder Series). I then met up with her and my recent guest, Carole Mortimer, again in New Orleans at the Romantic Times Convention in 2014 and had a few very interesting conversations about romance writing.

Highly successful, Susan has written over fifty books with global sales of over 10 million books, in 26 languages and across 109 countries!!

I particularly love Susan’s personal story that she met your husband in Malta on a Monday, was engaged on Friday and married three months later. It lends so much credibility to the stories we write where true love can strike hard and fast!

Thanks for joining me today for the quick author quizzing, Susan.
Would you please tell us about your latest release and whether or not your characters or their story posed any particular challenges for you?

Thank you so much for inviting me to do this, Alyssa!

My latest release Pregnant By The Desert King features Lucy, a feisty young woman who played a small part in my previous book, The Sheikh’s Shock Child. I couldn’t get Lucy out of my mind. I knew she must have her own story, as well as one of the fabulously wealthy and impossibly sexy Sapphire Sheikhs—so called because between them these titans of the desert own the world’s largest sapphire mines.
I love Lucy because she is a hands’ on type of gal, as happy mending a machine as she is taking on a sizzling hot hero. And also because we seem to have a lot in common...‘She was the woman targeted by slimming magazines who always planned to lose weight. And she would, just as soon as chocolate was written out of history.’
Plus, there’s nothing I love more than bringing a strong man to his knees for love!

 I'm looking forward to reading it!
I know you were once a professional singer. What drew you to romance writing?

I was lucky enough to meet the fabulous Penny Jordan at a Pride and Prejudice ball, where we were all in full costume. There was an auction after dinner, to which Penny had generously offered a day of her precious time as one of the prizes. My husband bought this for me, and the rest is history. Hearing about my personal life, as well as my career on the stage, Penny persuaded me to try my hand at writing a romance, and was always behind me, urging me on through many attempts and many rejections. I miss her more than I can say, and owe everything to Penny’s unflagging belief in me.

I was never fortunate enough to meet Penny, but I have many of her titles on my bookshelves and it is sad to know there won't be another one joining them. How wonderful for you to have had Penny as your mentor. She evidently had an eye for spotting your talent, too!
You’ve recently moved home. How have you settled in and did you take your menagerie with you?

I’m still settling in! To be polite, let’s just say that this house has more problems than we could ever have anticipated. BUT, it is in the same street as my youngest and her new baby, so I couldn’t be happier. As for the water pouring through the ceiling the first time we ran a bath, the gas leak, the live electrical wire hanging loose in the bedroom, and the central heating we can’t turn off in a heatwave if we want hot water, lets just say that it will all get fixed in the fullness of time!
And yes, not only have I brought my animals with me, but I have somehow acquired my daughter’s two cats. I guess the cuisine is more to their liking over this side of the road ☺

The grass is always greener...or perhaps in this case it's the fish that's more appealing!!

                                    

Of all the books you’ve written, is there one couple who have resonated with you more than others?

I love all my heroes and heroines, and believe passionately in their right to their own particular  ‘Happy Ever After’. If I do have a type, it’s a swarthy male with stubble and attitude, just crying out to be loved fiercely and forever by a strong woman! Typically, my heroines might not have much in the way of worldly possessions, or even beauty, but they all possess strength – even if it sometimes takes them time to find that strength—as well as that indefinable something that makes them irresistible to the hero.   

Irresistible to the hero and very appealing to the reader too. As readers we cheer your heroines on as we turn the pages.
What’s next for you as an author?

I’m just written a book set in Spain, which is where I started with A Spanish Inheritance, so every story set in Spain has a special resonance for me. It doesn’t have a title yet as I’m waiting right now to hear my editor’s verdict, but while I’m waiting I’ve started a new book set in Greece, with a betrayed bride trying to rebuild her life, and a billionaire who doesn’t believe in love, but who badly needs an heir.

Thank you for joining me today, Susan. I hope I’ll be able to catch up with you again somewhere in the world! (And to the left is a memory from RT New Orleans - Susan Stephens, Alyssa J. Montgomery and Carole Mortimer)

My great pleasure Alyssa! Who knows, next time we might meet up in London...
 Love from me to you, and all your readers,
Susan xx

I do find myself in London from time to time so I'll definitely let you know when I'm planning my next trip there. If it's not this December/January we'll have to wait a couple of years until after my youngest has finished her last two torturous but all-important years of high school!


For more information about Susan, please visit her website at susanstephens.net

Thank you for visiting the blog today. I hope you'll visit next Saturday for my next guest romance author, Lori Foster. Until then, Happy Reading!

Best wishes,
Alyssa J. Montgomery

http://www.alyssajmontgomery.com/

_____________________________________________________________________________
About the Blogger:
Alyssa J. Montgomery is an Australian contemporary romance author who is published by Escape Publishing (Harlequin Enterprises, Australia). She also 
writes medieval romance as Alyssa James,



 












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