Fresh Fiction welcomes Lia Riley to talk about fairy tale romances, favorite
characters, and traveling.
Jen: Hi, Lia! Thank you for joining us at Fresh Fiction.
Lia: Thanks so much for having me by--love this site.
Jen: BEST WORST MISTAKE, is the third book in the
Brightwater series. You’ve called this a Beauty and the Beast
story, which may be my favorite fairy tale. What influence have fairy tale
romances made on you and which is your favorite fairy tale?
Lia: Great question! One of my earliest memories is singing “Part of Your
World” from The Little Mermaid (terribly off-key I might add). I grew up on
fairy tales and these days am always keen for a great re-telling like Julia
Quinn’s AN
OFFER FROM A GENTLEMAN or Eloisa James’s THE UGLY
DUCHESS. However, Beauty and the Beast has always been the tale that
utterly captivates me. I adore so many themes from the story such as the
redemptive power of love, family sacrifice and the juxtaposition of internal and
external beauty. Throw in a brooding hero and a feisty heroine who refuses to take
his attitude and I’m a happy camper. I’d also love to write a modern day
Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood…plus
Bluebeard if I ever get really brave.
Jen: Each book in the Brightwater series can be read as a stand-alone novel,
but the sense of community and family bind this series together. Grandma Kane is a
favorite character with her badgering and grumpiness. Who’s your favorite
character to write and why?
Lia: Oh man, Grandma Kane is a hoot to write. My own maternal grandmother
raised eleven kids on not much more than a prayer and a shoestring. She was a
tough nut with a loving heart and definitely provided some of that character’s
inspiration. I also have to say that I’m a big sucker for the Kane brothers.
Sawyer, Archer and Wilder each bring their own unique personalities to the page
and it’s honestly impossible for me to choose between them. Sawyer is that fantasy
good guy next door who is always ready to fix what’s broken or kiss you silly,
Archer is the flirty charmer with a hint of bad boy and Wilder is the gruff, surly
one who inside has a heart of gold.
Jen: Humor, romance, HEA, sexy, and friendship are words I see over and
over in reviews for your stories. What do you think are the essential elements of
romance and why?
Lia: What lovely descriptions…that makes me so happy to hear! Well, in real
life I deal with problems and tough situations with humor and self-deprecation so
my characters tend to do the same. I write the kind of people that I’d like to
spend time with so they end up sharing my slightly weird sense of humor. I like my
romance to be physical but also emotional. My books tend to have a bit of steam
because it’s an opportunity to strip down (literally) the characters and show them
at their most vulnerable which always provides great fodder for conflict and
connection. The books I most connect to as a reader always have humor, heat and an
HEA.
Jen: You traveled quite a bit after college. What place would you recommend
everyone visit and why?
Lia: Wow, that is not an easy question to answer. I’ve written about two of
my favorite destinations which are Tasmania, Australia (UPSIDE DOWN
and SIDESWIPED) and Patagonian Chile (WITH EVERY
BREATH out on December 29th). Both of these places are raw, wild, and as I
travelled to them with my now husband, pretty deeply romantic. I do love a city
(NYC and San Francisco have my heart) but getting out into rugged natural beauty
is what really feeds my soul.
Jen: Can you give us a sneak peek at what you’re working on now? Are there
any genres you’d like to try your hand at?
Lia: By the time you’re reading this I’ll have given birth to my third
child so my writing schedule is a mite erratic at the moment. That being said,
book-making is vital to my sanity so I’m always drafting something. I’ve recently
begun a fish out of water contemporary romance set in the South (a fictional
version of Savannah, Georgia). Hopefully the series will turn out as fun, sweet
and quirky as the plots dancing around in my head. Sorry but I can’t share much
more…I have to keep my ideas fairly under wraps in order to maintain enthusiasm.
If I disclose too much too soon about my stories I start to lose mojo.
I am also strongly considering trying my hand at Women’s Fiction (obviously with
strong romantic elements) soon.
Jen: Congratulations on your new family member! I know we're looking
forward to see the new series!
Lia: Thanks for having me on. I had a blast answering your questions :)
After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, Lia Riley scoured the
world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of
direction. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good
tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about
as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet
another trip. She and her family live mostly in Northern California.
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Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…
Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous
wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world,
refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder
finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his
darkness would be a mistake.
After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave
Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She
spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by
a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder,
not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.
But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront
the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able
to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?
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