Interview: Samantha Grace, 'Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie'
Rumor has it that when Samantha Grace's second novel, Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie, earned a starred review in Publishers Weekly, Samantha did a happy dance in her kitchen. Which I hope was followed by happy dances in her living room, garage, backyard and bedroom. Samantha visited HEA back when her debut, Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel, arrived. We bonded over Wisconsin-isms, so I couldn't resist inviting her back to talk about more fun stuff.
Joyce: Welcome back to HEA, Samantha!
Samantha: Thanks! It's great to be back.
Joyce: Your latest release is Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie. What are some white lies that you tell/have told? I promise your secrets are safe with HEA.
Samantha: Well, as long as this stays just between HEA's 50 gazillion readers and me … LOL
I have a strange relationship with time. The clock has a tendency to speed up and what feels like five minutes is actually 15. That means I'm often running late, so probably my biggest white lie is "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to take a call" or "Something came up that couldn't wait." I'm not telling a white lie when I say I'm sorry, though. I feel bad when I keep someone waiting for me, even if it's only a few minutes.
Joyce: If you were able to time travel back to the Regency period to star in a book similar to the ones you write, what would that book be called and why?
Samantha:Ms. Grace's Gigantic Nightmare! Chamber pots? No thank you. I love the fantasy of a Regency romance. Courtships, dancing, carriage rides, and lovely dresses create a very romantic feel, but the lack of adequate plumbing would have me dashing back for my decade as if the hounds of hell were nipping at my heels. : )
Joyce: If you had to describe your writing as a type of music, what would it be? Eighties? Country? Don Ho? Hip hop? Hard rock? Heavy metal? None of the above?
Samantha: Hmm … I think I'll go with alternative music. Sometimes my writing is flowing and romantic like Coldplay. Often it's upbeat and a little quirky like Chairlift. I think my stories are slightly different from what one might expect from Regency romance but not too far off base that they don't fit the subgenre.
Joyce: When Joan Wilder finishes her book at the beginning of Romancing the Stone, the first thing she does is cry and make a toast to her cat. What do you do?
Samantha: I announce it to my critique partners and bask in their praise and congratulations. : ) My fellow authors have a true appreciation for what it means to finish a book. They always know when I've struggled with a storyline or character, and they are an unending source of support. Later, I tell my husband and kids, and they say, "That's nice." (I assume their less-than-enthusiastic response is based on their confidence that I could do it. LOL) Then I have my husband take us out to dinner.
Joyce: What are your guilty pleasures?
Samantha: My guiltiest pleasure has to be watching The Bachelor and its spinoffs, The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad. I know the shows are over-the-top, but I find it very entertaining. Talk about a character study!
I was really rooting for Jef in the last season of The Bachelorette, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've subscribed to his posts on FB. Now it makes me smile every time I see a photo he has posted of him and Emily doing things together with her daughter.
Joyce: Please tell us about Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie and what readers can expect to see from you next.
Samantha:
A scoundrel drives a hard bargain …
Spirited and determined to protect her young brother at any cost, Lisette Lavigne is desperate to flee New Orleans. There's only one ship sailing to England, though, and the rakish Captain Daniel Hillary will only allow Lisette's family aboard for a steep price …
But a lady always gets the upper hand …
Daniel prides himself on running a tight ship, and he knows a lady will be nothing but trouble on a long voyage. Yet he can't help but break his own ironclad rules when Lisette persuades him that being gentlemanly just this once is his wisest course of action …
The story is ultimately about family loyalty, betrayal, healing, forgiveness and, of course, discovering true love.
Lady Vivian Defies a Duke is scheduled to release in May 2013. It's the final book in the Beau Monde Bachelor series, but there's a good chance some of the characters will make appearances in future books.
This book picks up with Lord Andrew's family (Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel), and it's about his oldest brother, Luke. In Miss Lavigne's Little White Lie, Luke is known as Lord Westin, Daniel Hillary's old schoolmate. Here is a basic overview of the story:
Luke Forest, the Duke of Foxhaven, has inherited more than a title with his father's untimely death; he has a fiancée he never knew existed. Luke isn't any more suited to be a husband than he is to fill his father's Hessians, so he pays a call to his betrothed, hoping he can convince her to break their agreement. When Lady Vivian refuses, he proposes to find her a replacement husband at his mother's house party and she agrees. Little does he realize Lady Vivian intends to win his heart long before they reach their destination.
It was a fun little story to write with a hero and heroine that became dear to my heart.
Joyce: Thanks so much, Samantha!
Samantha: Thank you again for having me at HEA. : )
For more information about Samantha and her books, you can visit her website, SamanthaGrace.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@SamGraceAuthor) and the blog Lady Scribes.