The two main characters in your book TAKEN seem like opposites. Is that the case? And, if so, do you enjoy writing about characters who are very different from each other more so than ones who are very similar?
Well, yes. I do enjoy writing about opposites, as long as they have a similar moral compass. The characters must be steadfast, good partners, good friends, honest and hard working. Those are the basic traits of a good person. But beyond that, in a couple’s partnership, I find it fun when each party brings different things to the table. In my case, my women are often arty, or nerdy. Very focused on aesthetic or intellectual issues. The guys tend to be masters of the physical world. I just like the thought of each being really good in a particular realm and the other partner appreciating it. Because together they form a whole.
The heroes in your books are dark and dangerous. What’s your inspiration?
Well, these are romances, mostly romantic suspense novels. The hero must be dangerous, in many ways. But above all, very dangerous if the woman they love is threatened.
A romance novel is heightened emotion, a call to action. But I like the idea of a dangerous hero. He will put his life on the line for what he believes in and to protect those he cares about. In a romance context, of course, the hero is dangerous but definitely not to the heroine. The dangers of the world are real. There might not be terrorists gunning for you, but the world is full of traps, and the idea of having a very capable man on your side is a very enticing thought.
What was the easiest book for you to write? The hardest? Is there one that keeps popping around in your head but just isn't ready to be put on paper?
Two books came very easily to me. One was WOMAN ON THE RUN. I grew up out West in a small town and the dynamics of a small western town came easily to me, as Julia learned to appreciate the solidarity of the town’s inhabitants. And Cooper sprang fully blown in my mind – a man who didn’t know how to express his emotions but felt them, very deeply.
The other book that came to me easily was MIDNIGHT MAN. It just flowed from me during a very difficult period. John and Suzanne had to deal with serious problems almost immediately and I loved how they overcame them together. In both books, as well, the steamy scenes came easily.
The hardest book? Always the current one, the one I am writing, that is recalcitrant. Whatever book I am writing seems to be the hardest, until I get that first draft down!
How much research goes into the action and especially the knowledge of the weapons used?
I do a lot of research, a lot a lot a lot. I read and I ask questions of experts, and I watch YouTube tutorials. I like reading about cutting edge research, and many of my books are essentially near-future science fiction-y. The world is dangerous, yes, but absolutely fascinating. And I like the feeling of having a little esoteric knowledge.
A number of locations used in your books are exotic (to me) - have you visited those places or just do a lot of research on them?
I was a simultaneous interpreter for many years and I traveled widely for the job. So if it is a real place, I’ve probably been there. I’ve invented countries, like Nhala in PROTECTOR. I loved doing that. I sort of based it on Bhutan but only loosely. (Disclosure: I’ve never been to Bhutan but I did read many guidebooks). I just loved that feeling of creating a history for the country, specific traditions, a cuisine. That was a ton of fun. I live in Italy so of course the books with Italian settings (THE ITALIAN, THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL, PORT OF PARADISE, MASQUERADE, etc) are accurate. In TAKEN a big section of the book is set on Malta, which I’ve been to several times. I like mixing up the settings.
The main setting for the Midnight series is Portland, Oregon and I am an Oregonian, so …
Some of your heroines in your books are well-trained, or occasionally just your average woman at the wrong place at the right time. Do you choose them based on an idea you already have, or does the character develop and change from what you originally envisioned as you’re writing?
Actually, my heroines tend to be either arty (designer, artist, musician) or nerdy (scientist, computer expert). In fact, I am writing a trio of Midnight novels based on the women, who are all computer geniuses and form the IT department of ASI. I spent my entire adult life among very smart and accomplished multilingual women and that’s my template for my heroines. They aren’t so young they are naivve, most of them have a good career and are not swayed by money, and are fairly secure in themselves, in what they can or cannot do. Even if they are on the run and afraid, their core is strong.
And I love it that the hero and the heroine often work together in saving each other. Usually by the heroine being smart and the hero strong. Heh.
I like to think that my heroines aren’t average. They have already made their way in the world, in one way or another, by the time they meet the hero. But then the hero isn’t average, either.
If you could only pick one of your books, other than this one, to a romance reader unfamiliar with your work, which one would you pick? And why?
Well, I’d recommend two books, since both are free! And I loved writing both of them. The first is MIDNIGHT MAN, a classic romantic suspense, that is fast paced, very intense. John Huntington is a man’s man, a former SEAL, who is flummoxed by his beautiful landlady. Danger comes calling very fast. The second is CHARADE, set in Paris, mainly at the Louvre, and my inspiration for that was that wonderful movie with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, Charade. Harper Kendall meets a bland businessman in the plane on the way to Paris. A plumbing supplies salesman. Not her type, and yet … when danger strikes, it turns out that Mark Redmond isn’t a bland office type. He’s one of the most dangerous men on earth.
Other authors I’ve interviewed have told me that the kinds of books they enjoy reading are different from the kind of books they enjoy writing. What do you like to read? Favorite books? Favorite author?
I love thrillers, the more techie the better. Techno-thrillers are really my thing. And I love science fiction. But my real passion is apocalypse and post-apocalypse stories. I get immersed in them and when I finish one, I get up and turn a tap to turn the water on. Because I can. And someday, maybe, I won’t be able to.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on book two of the mini trilogy inside the Midnight series, MIDNIGHT EMBRACE. It’s a blast, as my hero and heroine fall in love while stopping a scheme that could bring down the US economy.
She is his. She just doesn’t know it yet.
Marcus Rey clawed his way to the top. He is immensely wealthy, ruthless and feared. He has everything he could possibly want ... except for her.
Eve Banner.
Elegant, cultured, regal—she makes Marcus’s pulse pound like nothing ever has. But the remote, bookish beauty is out of reach for a man who does not officially exist. But she has come into the sights of his worst enemy and he has to sweep her to his luxurious underground mansion to save her life.
Eve has worked hard for her success and enjoys it. Though she is a little lonely. The men she
meets are so weak and boring. It’s easier to be alone. Until one night she is attacked by thugs, and rescued by a man who is anything but weak or boring.
Marcus Rey is strong, mysterious, secretive … dangerous. A man doomed to always live in the shadows. But he calls to her like no man ever has. She is tempted to stay in his underground lair forever.
But then his deadly enemies start closing in on them with terrifying speed …
Romance Erotica Sensual | Romance Billionaire [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: May 17, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781648392191 / ]
A dark hero wins the girl
Lisa Marie Rice is eternally 30 years old and will never age. She is tall and willowy and beautiful. Men drop at her feet like ripe pears. She has won every major book prize in the world. She is a black belt with advanced degrees in archeology, nuclear physics and Tibetan literature. She is a concert pianist. Did I mention the Nobel? Of course, Lisa Marie Rice is a virtual woman and exists only at the keyboard when writing erotic romance. She disappears when the monitor winks off.
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