Q&A With Susan Mallery, Author Of WHEN WE MET (GIVEAWAY)

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery invites you back to Fool's Gold, where a newcomer to town might finally meet the man she never knew she needed… 

I am super-excited to have Susan on the blog to talk about WHEN WE MET, the latest addition to her popular saga,  Fool's Gold. Enjoy the Q&A and don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of the book (US residents only). Welcome, Susan!

Q. WHEN WE MET' s hero Angel Whittaker  appeared in your 2005 book  Living On The Edge. What made you decide to bring him back?

A. I never forgot about Angel, and I always knew I would write a book for him when I found the perfect woman for him. When I started brainstorming this year's Fool's Gold romances, Tatum Crawford came to me. She's a very powerful, confident, self-made woman.  She started her PR firm from nothing, and she is the clear leader over her three JFK-star partners. She needed a man who was equally strong, someone who would stand up to her when need be, and someone who would cherish and protect her when she wasn't feeling all that strong.  Angel, who'd been hovering in my subconscious  for years, stepped forward and claimed her. 

The idea was a little disconcerting, to be honest, because Living On The Edge is a romantic suspense, and Fool's Gold is spool not a suspense-y series. Which meant Angel, this very serious, hard-core sniper type was going to have to move to a quirky small town in California.  I paired him up with buddies from the military who opened a bodyguard academy in Fool's Gold last year.

Angel grew up in a small town, so in some ways, Fool's Gold felt very familiar to him right away. After a few months of living there, he decides that he wants to give something back, to contribute, because that's what people do in small towns. A decision he lives to regret...the project assigned to him by the all-knowing Mayor Marsha isn't exactly what he has in mind. I think readers are going to really slight when they see what he's gotten himself into. Fortunately, Taryn will help him over the rough spots.

Q. What book would you like to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. I'd love to spend a weekend on Debbie Macomber' s Blossom Street. I wouldn't even to travel far - I live in Seattle, where that series is set. I'm hopeless at knitting, but since this is fantasy, let's pretend that I'd whip up a gorgeous sweater during my weekend visit.

Q. With the release of WHEN WE MET, as you look back, what was the biggest surprise that occurred while you were writing the story?

A. I was a little surprised by how hot things got between Angel and Taryn. I tend to write sexy, but Angel and Taryn are a little older than my typical hero and heroine - 40 and 34, respectively - and significantly more experienced. They know what they want, and they're not afraid to ask for it. There were times when these two were so in-your-face with their sexy repartee that I was sort of gasping and laughing I wrote. 

Q. What's the hardest thing you've had to face or as a writer? How did you overcome it?

A. The hardest part of what I do is making sure each book is better than the one before.  In the beginning, when I was still learning, it was pretty easy to improve. But now, after over 100 books, it's challenging. But that's always the goal. That the characters are more real, the dialogue funnier, that the story draws you in even faster. There's not a single day that I sit down to write without thinking about how to do it better than I did yesterday.

Q. You wrote in a recent Facebook post that you started writing a new Fool's Gold book for 2015 and rewrote the beginning a few times because you didn't know the heroine well enough yet. Can you explain this process and how you are able to finally get to "know" the character you're writing?

A. I first start reading about a book somewhere around 18 months to two years before it's released. This is particularly true with a series like Fool's Gold. I need to know what's coming so that I can set up the stories in advance, so the characters feel naturally integrated into the town.

When I'm ready to really get started, I write until the characters click for me, usually about a chapter. I have to know who they are so that I can know how they will react to whatever might happen in the book. Once I know them, I stop writing and through my plot the story. Because of the prep work, once I get to the actual writing of the book, I can write pretty fast. But it's kind of like when you ask an artist how long it took them to create a beautiful painting - a few hours...plus years of practice and study.

Q. You often turn to your fans to help you come up with names for your characters. What makes you decide to do this and how do you pick?

A. Oh, I lovlove asking my friends at www.facebook.com/susanmallery to help me brainstorm, whether it be character names, business names, or even country music song titles for a heroine who will be coming to Fool's Gold next year! Sometimes a character comes to me complete with a name, but mostly, they come with heart and soul, and I have to think of a name. I could easily look at naming websites for ideas, but I think my Facebook friends love being involved, and it's fun for me to see what they come up with. I choose the name that I think best suits the heart and soul of the character in my head. Whenever possible, I give that character the last name of the reader who suggested the first name I selected.

Q. If WHEN WE MET were made into a movie, who would you have play Angel Whittaker and Taryn Crawford?

A. Have you heard of an actor named Sullivan Stapleton? He's British, but with an American accent, he'd be perfect as Angel. Tall and dark, with a dangerous edge. His pale gray eyes are almost hypnotizing, like the covers in Jungle Book. Except, you know, sexy guy, not at all snake.

For Taryn, I'll go with Sandra Bullock. Taryn' s high-powered fashion plate. She likes what she likes, she wants what she wants, and she makes no apologies for it. Everything she has, she has earned. She's not just smart, she's street-smart.

Q. What makes Taryn stand out from the other heroines you've written?

A. Contradiction is what makes any character come alive, and Taryn is full of them. On the surface, she has it all together. She runs a very successful PR firm.  She has a wardrobe that culture fashion models would envy. Your first impression of Taryn is that she wants for nothing...but she went through a lot of pain to get where she is today.  She's a survivor. She has pulled herself up from very tough circumstances, and to do that, she has had to guard her heart. But there's a softness, a vulnerability inside her that no one but Angel can see. He will treasure her forever.

Q. What's next for the town of Fool's Gold?

A. Up next are BEFORE WE KISS and UNTIL WE TOUCH, featuring two of Taryn's partners at Score PR. In BEFORE WE KISS, Sam Ridge, a former NFL kicker, has to hire Dellina to help him plan a major company bash. He's very reluctant to work with her because a few months ago, they had a little fling that went terribly (and comically) wrong. Dellina's going to make him pay a little bit before she forgives him. So much fun to watch a strong man grovel!

At the start of UNTIL WE TOUCH, former quarterback Jack McGarry is shocked when the mother of his personal assistant and best friend Larissa Owens tells him to fire Larissa because the big-hearted beauty is in love with him. That's new to Jack...and when he tells Larissa what her mom said, it's news to Larissa, too! She's not in love with Jack. Except, just by saying the words, her mom has opened both their eyes, and things between them suddenly get very hot.

Fans of the romance and romantic comedy genre, you're going to love what Susan Mallery has in store for you!

GIVEAWAY (US only)

Susan's  publicist is generously offering 1 copy of WHEN WE MET to a lucky follower of this blog (US residents only, please). Follow Mina's Bookshelf, leave a comment in the section below, and include your email address for a chance to win. Good luck!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Angel Whittaker earned his scars the hard way, but the scars that can't be seen are the ones that haunt him the most. Since he moved to Fool's Gold, California, he's cobbled together a life for himself as a bodyguard trainer. If he's not exactly happy, at least his heart is safe. 

Working with pro-football superstars taught tough-talking PR woman Taryn Crawford one thing—she can go toe to toe with any man. But then dark, dangerous former Special Ops Angel targets her for seduction…and challenges her to resist his tempting kisses. 

Even in four-inch heels, Taryn never backs down. Unless, somehow, Angel can convince her that surrender might feel even better than victory.

WHEN WE MET

by

Susan Mallery

Harlequin; April 29, 2014; Paperback, 352 pages

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