Interview with Christine Wells & Giveaway!

I stumbled across a mention of Wicked Little Game by Christine Wells on Anna Campbell's website. A Marquis, longing hopelessly for another man's wife, is tempted to take up an offer from her dastardly husband: Spend one passion filled night with the woman that's plagued his thoughts for years in return for the criminal sum of ten thousand pounds. Needless to say my interest was immediate and I googled the unknown author, read an excerpt and promptly fled the office for the nearest bookstore to pick up my own copy. My instincts were spot on too after I finished the book and loved every moment of 'Wicked Little Game'. You can read my thoughts in my review.

When I contacted Christine to gush my fangirl love for 'Wicked Little Game', you can only imagine the embarrassing happy dance that erupted when she replied to thank me and offer a signed copy of my precious to giveaway. Yay! I'm so excited to share this author with you.

Please join me in welcoming Christine Wells to Lovin' Me Some Romance!

1. What was your inspiration for 'Wicked Little Game'?

My initial inspiration for WICKED LITTLE GAME was the movie INDECENT PROPOSAL, but the story veered wildly from the premise of a man paying an enormous sum for one night with another man's wife. I had Lady Sarah, who has suffered the pain and humiliation of her husband's infidelity for years and Lord Vane, who met her too late--after she was already married. He has longed for her ever since. And then Sarah's husband offers Vane one night with her for ten thousand pounds. But it's not the money, it's Vane's honor that would be the true price of the bargain.

I deliberately haven't watched the movie since beginning the book and I can't quite remember the ins and outs of it. But that premise was intriguing and with a lot of tweaking, it fitted nicely into a Regency historical romance.

2. I noticed that Jardine, a secondary character in 'Wicked Little Game', was getting his own story in 'Sweetest Little Sin'. Is this going to be a loosely tied series?

The hero and heroine of SWEETEST LITTLE SIN, Jardine and Louisa, were secondary characters in THE DANGEROUS DUKE and I had so much demand for their story from readers, I decided to write that one next. Jardine also appears briefly in WICKED LITTLE GAME. All my books stand alone but some feature common characters. I have a full explanation on my website: http://www.christine-wells.com/extras.html

3. When writing about a difficult heroine, you run the risk of turning readers off from her plight. Was this a fear you had with Lady Sarah Cole?

Oh, yes, absolutely. Sarah is flawed and stubborn and proud. She was so real to me that I would have had a lot of trouble 'softening' her or trying to make her more obviously likeable, but actually, my editor didn't ask me to change her at all. I'm so delighted that readers seem to have understood why she acted the way she did and liked her in spite of her flaws.

4. A follow up question (in a way): Have characters ever "argued" with you on where they want to go in the story or do they pretty much do what you tell them to do?

I don't plot in advance, so once I have a central premise and some turning points in mind, my characters drive the action. Sometimes I have to accept that a turning point or a scene I really wanted to write later in the book simply isn't appropriate, given the way my characters behave on the page. When I'm writing well, it feels as if the story is going on without me in some parallel universe and my job is to transcribe it as best I can. So my characters don't argue with me, but if something's off in the way the story reads on the page, I have to go back and watch and listen harder to what's happening over there to get it right. It sounds nuts, doesn't it? LOL

5. Are there any plans for Vane's brothers getting their own story?
I don't have any immediate plans to write Vane's brothers' stories--that was definitely not my intention in including them in WICKED LITTLE GAME. I think series with brothers have been done quite a lot and I don't want to go down that road at this stage. However, if I was writing a heroine and one of Vane's brothers turned out to be perfect for her, I'd certainly use him. They are a gorgeous collection of men!

6. It says on your website that you have a Bachelor of Laws and attempted writing a crime thriller. Will you ever decide to revisit that genre? Or do you potentially see yourself using the degree for another romance genre like contemporary? Would you ever even consider writing in another genre at all?

No, crime thrillers were not my bag at all, sadly! I don't think I'll ever stop writing historicals but I might branch out into other romance subgenres. It would be fun to use the law degree--or rather, my experience as a lawyer--in some form or other, but I have to think of a good slant. The day to day life of a corporate lawyer would scarcely be riveting to the general public!

7. In 'Wicked Little Game' you brought to life forbidden sexual tension as well as some explosive love scenes. I've always thought an author's ability to provoke such feeling, not only in their characters but in their readers as well, is a form of art. Do you find it difficult to write sexual tension? Does a lot of your ability to capture those feelings rely heavily on your characters or the nature of the story?

Thank you, what a compliment! I think you're right--the level of sexual tension depends a lot on the set-up of the story and on the characters. Because of its premise, WICKED LITTLE GAME is about two characters who begin the story negotiating their relationship in terms of sex. When I have the right character and situation, I can really feel the charge and the tension when I'm writing. I might finish a scene and realize I haven't breathed for a while. :) Love scenes are pivotal in my books. You can show ten times more about character and the nuances of the hero and heroine's relationship in a love scene than in any other. I find them endlessly fascinating to write.

8. Me and my blogger friends have a love for what we affectionately call "Hussy Reading Material". Do you have any go to romance authors that you prefer when or if you're in need of more erotic romance reading material?

Oh, hey, maybe you all need to give me some recommendations! I tend to enjoy the hotter historical romances that aren't specifically erotic romance, like Lisa Kleypas, Liz Carlyle, Anna Campbell. Denise Rossetti writes fabulous and intelligent erotica (and she's also a friend and critique partner, so I'm biased:). Tawny Weber and Kathleen O'Reilly write fantastic Blazes and Annie West writes superbly nuanced love scenes in her Presents romances. The most important thing for me is that I'm invested in the characters. Once they are real people to me, they can explore a lot of territory and I'll follow.

Thank you so much for having me here today. I hope you will all give me recommendations for your "Hussy Reading Material". I'll take copious notes! One reader who comments will win a signed copy of WICKED LITTLE GAME.

*Contest Open to All*
**Contest Closes and Winners will be Announced Friday, August 14th**

A big thank you to Christine Wells for answering all my questions and providing a signed copy of 'Wicked Little Game'. Please be sure to take a moment to visit Christine's website for the latest information on her current and upcoming releases.