Price of Temptation by Lecia Cornwall ~ Interview, Review & Giveaway

I am so very excited and honored to have Lecia Cornwall on my blog today. What makes it even more special is today is the release day of Price of Temptation. I loved this book so much that I just had to write Lecia to tell her! And guess what? ... She agreed to do an interview for the blog! Hurray!!!  You will find my review of Price of Temptation following the interview.

Lecia Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada, amid the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with four cats, two teenagers, a crazy chocolate lab, and one very patient husband. She is hard at work on her next book.


Where you can find Lecia Cornwall:  
Website | Facebook| Twitter


FBL ♥: Do you have a list of character names to choose from, or do names come as your characters are created?

Lecia: I used to make lists, thinking I’d use a particular name someday, but I still end up searching for the perfect name for my characters every time I start a new project. Once I find the name that fits, be it Phineas or Gilbert of Sinjon, they just couldn’t be anyone else. I get inspiration from lots of places. I look at the mastheads of British magazines, read movie credits, and even check phone books and maps for ideas.

FBL ♥: Do your personal relationships influence those of your characters?

Lecia: My daughter is a beautiful redhead, and my heroines often have red hair, but I try to keep the people I love separate from my work. If I put them in my stories, I’d never get invited anywhere and I’d probably end up old and alone! I used to write shy, introverted heroines, who were too much like me to be satisfying, so now I make the ladies I write choose the difficult path every time, participating in their own rescue, giving as good as they get in all situations.

FBL ♥: Do you have any writing rituals?

Lecia: I get a large cup of coffee, two squares of 90% chocolate, and sit down to start work. I usually write about four hours a day, and rough in outlines for the next day’s chapters at night. I do a lot of mental plotting while I’m walking my dog in the afternoon. It’s amazing how fresh air, sunshine and the company of a good chocolate lab help you think better!

I write a character outline when I start a new story. It answers questions about who they are, what they want, and what their flaws and weaknesses are. Once you know these people—and they do become like family as you go through a story with them—their choices match their personality.

I have two cats who like to sit on my desk while I write, so space is always at a premium. I’ve learned that you can’t fish pages out from under a contented cat. I swear they know which documents on a messy desk covered with pages are the most essential to what you’re doing. Those are the ones they roost on.



FBL ♥: The relationship that develops between Sinjon and Evelyn is filled with high amounts of sexual tension and undeniable passion. As a writer do you ever find it challenging to make the characters wait for that heated moment ?

Lecia: I love making them wait! I think that sexual tension can be even sexier than the sex scene….all those glances, touches, wicked quips, and naughty thoughts—delicious! Sexual tension uses every sense, from touch to scent and sight to create a mood of desire and passion. That offers great possibilities for bringing the characters closer emotionally and physically, so the love scene, when it happens, is a culmination of a hundred little moments that create romance through deep feelings for each other outside the bedroom. That makes sex magic (for the reader as well as couple, I hope!) Sinjon and Evelyn’s passion was forbidden, and that adds even more spice to their relationship.

FBL ♥: Do you make a music playlist for your stories?

Lecia: I’m more visual. I look for photos of people who might look like my characters, or search for pictures of beautiful settings or costumes. I did have one heroine who shockingly launched into playing Beethoven’s latest passionate symphony at a party when she was supposed to stick to safe, sedate, country dances. I love music, from Beethoven’s 7th, to Loreena McKennitt’s evocative music, to the jazz my kids play in their high school bands.

I listen to a lot of Loreena McKennitt music, actually…here’s a Christmas treat…a link to Loreena’s version of ‘Good King Wenceslas’ from one of her Christmas albums. The accompanying video is very beautiful, too.

FBL ♥: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them or let them influence your writing?

Lecia: I read every one! Perhaps that comes from being a relatively new author. I’m thrilled when people read my stories, and when they like them, but I don’t get terribly upset by negative reviews—a writer is usually her own worst critic, and I’m far harder on myself than any reviewers has ever been (at least so far)! If there are several similar comments about a particular aspect of a book, then I usually consider how to improve on that for the next story.

FBL ♥: What can readers expect next?

Lecia: This month, I have two releases, a Christmas e-novella called ALL THE PLEASURES OF THE SEASON, which will be released on December 20. The Price of Temptation will be available on December 27, and I’m working on a brand new story called HOW TO DECEIVE A DUKE, which will be released in late 2012.

FBL ♥: Thank you, Lecia for stopping by!!

The Price of Temptation
by Lecia Cornwall
Publisher: Avon
Published Date: December 27th 2011
ISBN: 0062018949 (ISBN13: 9780062018946)

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | 

Lady Evelyn Renshaw can ignore the disgrace her former husband has brought down upon her. She can even disregard the accusations. But when her life is threatened because of his actions, she realizes a stiff upper lip won't be enough to keep her safe. So she hires a new footman powerful enough to protect her...only to find herself shamelessly intoxicated by his breathtaking masculinity.

Captain Sinjon Rutherford is no footman...but there are those who believe him a traitor. The only way to prove his innocence is by playing the part of elegant Lady Evelyn's servant in order to infiltrate her home and uncover the truth about her suspicious relations. Yet what seems at first an easy deception is anything but, once he meets his alluring new employer and discovers just how tempting a woman in charge can be....

Review courtesy of netGalley
My Thoughts:

The story grabs you from the very beginning, within the first few pages the heroine, Evelyn, is attacked and a mysterious man comes to her rescue. If you enjoy historical romances with a dash of mystery or intrigue, then Lecia Cornwall’s Price of Temptation is for you. This book has it all. A tale which weaves treason, espionage, secrets, and romance together in a web that the reader can’t help but get pulled in. This novel will leave you crying, laughing, and cheering for Evelyn and Sin.

Evelyn is a strong female protagonist, she is shunned by the “ton” when her missing husband is accused of treason. She is tired of the gossip, tired of being watched. She is a recluse, a prisoner in her own home, whenever she ventures out someone is watching her, hoping that she would reveal her husband’s hiding place or were an important piece of "treasure" is hidden.

Sinjon (Sin) Rutherford is an outlaw with a price on his head. Needing a placed to lie low until he could find a way to prove his innocence, he agrees to pose as Evelyn’s “footman”. He was ordered to keep an eye on her, both for her safety and to dispel any rumors that she is aware of the location of her missing husband’s or the “treasure”. You felt his struggle when he lied to her, but he had no choice, it was the price he had to pay to gain his freedom.

Lecia did a great job with the secondary characters; they added depth to Evelyn and Sin. I enjoyed the relationship between Evelyn and her sisters, not only did they provide support and unity, they were also whimsical and I couldn't help but laugh out loud reading the dialogue between them. Who knew there were so many shades of "yellow." I also loved Marianne and Adam Westlake, these are two characters I would like to read more about ~ possibly from courtship to marriage.

Readers will get caught up in the romance between Evelyn and Sinjon. With well-written characters and an amazing plot, there’s more than enough to keep readers turning the pages. Price of Temptation kept me entangled from beginning to end. This is a terrific book with characters you'll remember long after you've turned the last page.

Price of Temptation has a well-earned spot on my keeper shelf. Lecia Cornwall is an author to watch!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


My Rating:

               

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Price of Temptation, Lecia is giving away a copy of this wonderful book to one (1) lucky winner. The book will be in the format of your choice, and she will be happy to mail it anywhere the winner lives! Another bonus, Lecia will be here today to chat with you, and answer any questions you might have.

It is almost 2012, along with the new year comes the Temptation to make Resolutions. So what is your New Year's Reading Resolution for 2012?

How to enter (you must use the rafflecopter widget to enter giveaway):

Leave a comment on this post of your New Year's Reading Resolution for 2012, whether it's your reading goal is for 2012, or reading a genre that you've never read before or simply what books in your TBR pile will you finally get to.

Extra points for tweeting about giveaway, following me on Twitter, Like me on Facebook or Add me on GCF.

Good luck to all! For those who just love to read the fine print, before you enter a giveaway please be aware of a few simple rules:Giveaway Policy.

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