Tina Donahue | Deception, passion, danger, oh my…

If you’re like me, you enjoy historical romances with frequent twists, loads of
action, bedroom scenes to die for, danger at every turn, and a hero that will
leave you breathless. In other words, the whole enchilada. Or what I like to
call a vacation from my totally boring life…which is a trip I take every day I
write.

In my make-believe worlds, I pour on passion and danger, sometimes with a twist
of deception. Why? When I read a romance, I want loads of conflict. Where’s the
fun if the couple falls in love on page five then get it on like hormone-soaked
teens for the other two or three hundred pages? Face it, conflict makes sex and
love far more interesting, as any country song can attest.

With an historical romance, a writer has tons of obstacles that can easily muck
up the course of true love. Everyone’s read stories about the lady of the estate
swooning over the stud who works in the stables. Can’t blame her for wanting him
rather than her old and gross husband. Now, imagine living in the medieval era
when men truly ruled and women were basically chattel with love the least
consideration for two people to wed. In those days, betrothals were political
alliances, often signed and sealed while the bride and groom were children. When
the woman finally came of age, she met her intended again on the day they wed.
I’d rather not think about those wedding nights. Ew.

Yet, I’m certain love did blossom during those times. That’s what I wanted to explore with Fernando and Isabella in my erotic historical LOVING LIES, book one in my Dangerous Desires series. A little background: LOVING LIES takes place in medieval Spain, specifically 1488. Not your usual English or Scottish scenario, but hey, I’ve always been a maverick so why change now? Isabella, my heroine, is about to be sold as a concubine for the Sultan’s harem in Granada. Just as things seem hopeless for her, Fernando arrives. Not only is he a virile warrior-knight (is there any other kind?), he’s also betrothed to her sister Sancha. Not having seen Sancha since they were children, he believes Isabella’s his betrothed.

You can see where this is heading, right?

Since Sancha is loath to marry a guy she met only once, she’s prepared to
cloister herself in the convent, if need be. Always faithful to her sister,
Isabella doesn’t tell Fernando who she really is. Could be a good move on her
part, or a bad one, or maybe both. However, her deception definitely circles to
passion.

With Fernando believing they’re betrothed and liking the woman Isabella has
become, he pulls out all stops to woo and bed her. Isabella has to dance around
their passion…for as long as she can. The first one who guesses what page that
happens on wins a prize. Okay, I’m just joking.

However, there is constant danger: Not only from Isabella’s desire for Fernando,
a man she believes will never belong to her, but from ruffians intent on robbery
or worse while she and Fernando cross the Spanish countryside to her father’s
castle.

A walk in the park it’s not, and I deliberately planned LOVING LIES that way, putting as many obstacles as I could in Fernando and Isabella’s path. Not only is he betrothed to another woman—worse, Isabella’s beloved sister—he’s a warrior who’s used to storming his way through life and having the babes fall into place. Spirited and independent Isabella wants no man to rule her, Fernando included.

As much as we moan these days about finding the right guy and that dating sucks,
women in the late fifteenth century had it far worse than we ever will. In
researching this period, I learned more than I ever wanted to know about
betrothal ceremonies, dowries, banns, political alliances, and the other stuff
that made women’s lives hell back in the day. With all that, I had to give
Isabella and Fernando their happy-ever-after, just as soon as they overcame one
last, stunning development. That’s all I saying on the subject for now.

From Romeo and Juliet to Meredith and Derek in Grey’s Anatomy, star-crossed lovers have always been a romantic staple. As far as Isabella and Fernando are concerned, those who try to tear them apart had better watch out.

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