Hi, and thank you so much for inviting me to visit. It’s lovely to be here!
In your latest book, CLAIMING HIS VIRGIN PRINCESS, your hero Noah Carson is a billionaire. This is a common thing for a romance hero. What makes a billionaire hero so attractive? What is your favorite type of hero to write?
It’s interesting how many heroes are rich, isn’t it? One thing I particularly enjoyed about Noah was his perspective on wealth and power. He doesn’t come from money but from very humble origins and worked hard to build his commercial success.
I think there are a couple of reasons why billionaire heroes are popular. At the most obvious level a rich hero can do things that are poor hero can’t, like whisk the heroine away on a luxurious yachting trip, as Noah does. But for me, the real appeal lies deeper. That wealth is a sign of the hero’s success. One of the things most people find attractive is competence - whether it be a man who can fix things with his hands, or solve a problem, or just be very, very good at whatever it is he does. If he’s a businessman his financial success is one measure of his competence, a sign that he stands out from the rest. Also, a man who is a successful CEO, used to taking charge and making major decisions, makes a great hero because I love watching him come undone when one, single woman turns his whole world upside down. So, to answer your second question, I’d have to say that I love writing about men who are in control of their world, or think they are, until they fall in love and suddenly discover how vulnerable they are. It’s enormous fun when they meet the intriguing woman who is their equal. For all their wealth and power these guys are just as human as the next. That’s something they must learn.
One thing I love about Harlequin books is that they put an excerpt in the front of the book with a brief exchange between the hero and heroine. This exchange gives the reader a better idea of the chemistry between the central couple. How would you describe the dynamic between your couple in CLAIMING HIS VIRGIN PRINCESS?
Ooh, good question. Thinking about it I’d have to say they interact very much as equals right from the beginning and I loved that – the challenges issued and taken up, the respect and honesty between them. In the beginning it’s a case of instant attraction which neither wants. Both have reasons not to pursue a relationship. Noah was hurt in the past by a lover who looked down on him because of his origins and he assumes a princess will be snobby too. Ilsa’s life is a mess and the last thing she needs is an affair with a high-profile man to add to the scandal. Yet they can’t resist spending time together. They fall in love while telling themselves they can still walk away – until it’s too late.
In this book, your heroine, Princess Ilsa of Altbourg escapes to Monaco and the hero is Australian. Do you enjoy writing about exotic locales in your books?
Absolutely! One of the reasons I fell in love with romances in my teens was the chance to escape to faraway places. Ilsa and Noah meet in Monaco and then the story takes place as they cruise down the coast of Turkey. It was terrific fun to write because I got to relive places I’d visited myself, which made every scene all the more real in my head. A lot of my stories are set in far-flung places, and I know many of my readers enjoy that. I often give behind-the-scenes details and photos in my newsletters - another opportunity to share my research.
As for writing an Australian hero, that doesn’t seem very exotic to me as I’m Australian.
As a reader, I prefer relationship/character-driven stories. In this book, are there dark secrets or characters trying to tear the couple apart, or just the two of them working on their evolving relationship?
There aren’t really dark secrets or evil characters intervening. The story is more about to strong people, dealing with their own issues, and finding love when they least expect it and learning, reluctantly, to share their fears and hopes. That’s not to say there aren’t problems! At first glance each seems to be exactly the wrong match for each other, despite their attraction. There are complicating issues around Ilsa’s ability to have children which she doesn’t want to discuss and Noah’s expectations around commitment. Fortunately, they work it all out in the end!
Your November release, THE INNOCENT'S PROTECTOR IN PARADISE, sounds fascinating. Is it difficult trying to maintain a balance of romance and suspense in a story?
That was something I worried about when I started to write it. I don’t usually include suspense in my romances but in this case, it was a catalyst for the story and that drama flowed through the plot. I had a ball writing it and reader feedback is that it worked, with the focus on the romantic relationship but with enough of the suspense to make it real. I wouldn’t mind writing another like that sometime.
What are you currently working on?
It’s very exciting! My current work in progress will, fingers crossed, be my 50th title for Harlequin Presents. Reclaiming His Runaway Cinderella starts with a bride discovering the real reason her new husband married her and running away on their wedding night. When he finds her again there are lots of complications, not least the fact that they don’t hate each other nearly as much as they thought they did. :-) But there are a couple of books to be published before that: One Night with Her Forgotten Husband (can you guess it’s in an amnesia story?) and The Desert King Meets his Match.
Royal Scandals #2
When their two worlds collide, the result is their passion! USA TODAY bestselling author Annie West enchants with this royal romance.
A sheltered princess…
And the man who could set her free!
Hounded by the paparazzi and pitied by the public after two failed engagements, Princess Ilsa of Altbourg escapes to Monaco. She’ll finally let her hair down in private. Perhaps self-made Australian billionaire Noah Carson can help her do that…
Women like Ilsa have always scorned Noah’s humble roots. So when an inferno sparks between them, he’s cautious, even while whisking Ilsa away on his lavish yacht! It’s clear opposites do attract…but if Noah claims her, can he be sure they can bridge the gap between their different worlds?
Romance Contemporary | Romance Billionaire [Harlequin Presents, On Sale: January 25, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781335568403 / ]
USA Today Bestselling author Annie West loves writing passionate, intense, contemporary love stories, and not just because it gives her the perfect excuse to avoid housework! She is published in 25 languages across 34 countries and has won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and the Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year. Annie loves sexy, emotional romances about charismatic heroes and feisty heroines who are their perfect match. She lives on Australia's east coast and her favourite things are books, good company, good food and travel. Annie loves hearing from readers!
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