SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR BRONWEN EVANS

FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY THAT I HAVE BECOME IRREVERSIBLY AND COMPLETELY ADDICTED TO THIS LADY AND HER BOOKS. IT IS A RECENT ADDICTION WHICH HAPPENED WHEN I READ AN ARC OF HER LATEST BRILLIANT BOOK, A KISS OF LIES. 
ONCE I FINISHED THAT I DELVED INTO HER HISTORICAL BACK LIST AND NOW I AM STUCK. SHALL WE CALL ME A FAN GIRL? SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO AUTHOR, BRONWEN EVANS.

Hi Kimberly

Thanks for having me over! Waving from New Zealand…

I was born in New Zealand, and other than the eight years I spent living in England, I have lived here all of my life. It’s a wonderful place to live, but it is a bit small and far from anywhere, so I do feel isolated sometimes. Thank goodness for the Internet. I’ve made a lot of overseas friends! Writing has really opened up the world for me.

I’m the eldest of five girls and I’m a twin. My twin sister, Leigh, is my harshest critique partner. She’s an avid romance reader… and is very tough. Some of her favorite authors are Nalini Singh, Stephanie Laurens, Lora Leigh, Gaelen Foley, Olivia Gates and me.

I’ve been writing since 2009 and it’s the best job in the world. I also work two days a week running a surgical association. I look after the concerns of about 300 surgeons in NZ and we administer the surgical training program.

I live in the Hawkes Bay, a northeast region of NZ known for its vineyards. My house sits amongst vineyards, looking over the sea. Check out Bron’s Bold Belles and if you love my books and want to be a part of my team, you could be lucky enough to come visit one day….

1.When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’m one of those people whose head is always full of stories. I use to dream them up and play them in my mind. I was never very good at English. I’m slightly dyslexic so I never considered any notion of being able to write them down.

Then a very close friend became very ill and he made me think about following my dreams. He urged me to give writing a go. So I joined Romance Writers of NZ and found a support network.

I began to enter contests and I finaled a few times, so I thought, ‘maybe I’m not too bad’. I finished writing Invitation to Ruin, my first book, and sold it to Kensington in 2010 and things moved from there…Invitation to Ruin won the RomCon Readers’ Crown in 2012, and was an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best First Historical Nominee.

2.Tell us about your upcoming work?

I’m working on a new Regency series called The Disgraced Lords. The series follows six sexy rakes, all friends since school, who are being targeted by a common enemy. Book #1 A Kiss of Lies, released in January and book #2, A Promise of More is due out in April. I’m currently writing book #3 A Touch of Passion.

A Kiss of Lies - Kimberly’s 5 star review says it all

Thrown out of England for a crime he swears he did not commit, the disfigured by fire, Christian Trent, the Earl of Markham has spent a year in Canada biding his time to return to his homeland and vindicate himself. In the meantime, he has become the guardian to his friend's daughter, when her parents perish in an unfortunate accident. A member of the renowned Libertine Scholars, Christian has friends back in England fighting to clear him name so he can return home.

Lady Serena has been thrust into a disastrous marriage to the sadistic man her father basically sold her to, to get out of debt in England. Once Lady Serena and her evil husband are in Virginia, her life drastically declines as she is treated no better than her husband’s slaves. One horrific night changes her life forever when she attempts to save herself from her husband's twisted actions and runs from Virginia after striking back and leaving him for dead.

Lady Serena arrives in Canada as the widow Sarah Cooper who applies for the job of being Lord Markham's ward Lily's governess. From the first minute, Christian is shocked that his disfigurement has no effect on the beautiful woman. Most people cringe at the sight of his burnt flesh and flee from his presence, but no Mrs. Cooper. Unbeknownst to Christian, Sarah Cooper is quite familiar with him, for in her other life of Serena, she admired him from afar when he was the catch of the ton and secretly wished he could be hers. It was not to be, but Sarah sees his advertisement as a message from above that is meant to be.

While on the ship returning to England to take back all he has lost, Christian seduces the beautiful widow and unwittingly falls in love with Sarah, but Sarah in no certain terms wishes to ruin her reputation and that of her charge, so the deal with Christian is they have a love affair that ends the minute the ship docks in England. Sarah wants to continue to be Lily's governess, not the Earl of Markham's mistress, and she couldn't possibly be his wife because once her true identity is discovered and the fact that she is a murderess comes to light, she would undoubtedly hang for the crime and has no wish to tarnish the Earl and his ward's names.

Once back in England, danger lurks for both the Earl and the governess with horrible pasts becoming the present and parties involved need a miracle to save them from demise.

I’m also working on a contemporary series, book #1 due out the end of 2014. Desire Me, Play Me, Love Me.  This series revolves around a group of Investment Banker Cowboys. Yeah, what a mix, but they are smokin’ hot!

Here’s an unedited taste of PLAY ME. The heroine, Jenny Spin, is a famous NY DJ…

Ric had just lifted his leg to step over the rope into the VIP area of the nightclub when a large hand descended on his shoulder.

“No entry without an invitation.”

He didn’t take his eyes off Jenny. He merely smiled and said to the big burly bouncer, “I think I’m about to get an invitation.”

Heat hit every inch of his body as she caressed him with her eyes. They raked his body from the top of his head to the tips of his cowboy boots.

As they stared at each other time stood still and the music faded to a soft thud. Tension entered his frame.

Then she gave him a smile that tightened his balls and crooked her finger at him. The bouncer released his hold and with a smile Ric stepped over the rope and made his way to her side.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw a cowboy in this club,” she hesitated, “or any hip club in this city.”  She looked down at his boots then back up his body, taking her time over his worn jeans and white t-shirt. “Underdressed but nice.”

His attire did make him stand out, especially given his height. “At least most of my body is covered.”

“You are a little bit country, aren’t you?” She moved close, her scent filled his senses, a soft vanilla, with a hint of musk. “What’s you’re name cowboy?” He could barely think when her tiny hand landed on his chest.

“Richard Taylor,” he flashed her what he hoped was a sexy smile, “my friends call me Ric.” When he said his name, her hand hesitated in its exploration for a second.

She walked round him, eyeing him up like a piece of meat. It thrilled him. “And what’s a cowboy doing in New York? Just visiting?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve just moved here to take over the New York office from my business partner.”

“And what business would that be, selling ranching supplies.”

He laughed. “No. I run an investment company.”

This time she laughed. “You don’t scream money. In fact, you look like a model or actor who’s only just scraping by.” She rose up on her very high stilettos and whispered in his ear, “a very sexy model.”

Shivers raced over his skin and he pulled her tight against him. “I think you’ll find I scrape along very well, in the lap of luxury actually. Come home with me and I’ll prove it.”

To his delight she didn’t fight his hold, rather she sunk further into his embrace. “But we have a bottle of champagne to drink,” she teased. “besides, you haven’t passed my test.”

“Test?”

“Dance with me,” her sultry command echoed in his brain making him wish they were alone.

“How is that a test?”

She began to move within his embrace, to the rhythm of the beat, her body brushing every inch of him. “If a man’s a disaster on the dance floor, he’s a disaster in bed.” She gave him a sexy smile. “I don’t want to waste my time.”

“Oh, your time won’t be wasted, honey. I promise you that.” Within seconds, Ric rose to the challenge, literally. Dancing so close his erection was obvious and her fingers moved to caress him through his jeans.

“Impressive. Things are looking up, cowboy.”

Not one to back away from what he wanted, his hands drifted down her back to slip beneath the folds of her scanty dress and he cupped two pert buttocks. Her skin was like fine silk and he ground his hips against her.

“How long does this test take?”

“Patience. Tut tut. Your haste doesn’t bode well for the bedroom.”

He looked into her exquisite face. Her eyes danced with fiery amusement, the deep brown reminding him of liquid chocolate swirled with toffee. “Any further teasing will be revisited upon you ten fold when I get you in my bed.”

“Promises, cowboy?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Cocky aren’t you. I might want you in my bed.”

“The way I’m feeling right now, who needs a bed.”

3.Do you have any mentors? Heroes?

I mentioned my friend who urged me to write, Jock, he was my life mentor. He was ill for most of his 40+ years and he instilled in me the drive to go after what I want. I dedicated Invitation to Ruin to him. My deepest regret is he didn’t live to see it published and I miss him everyday!

I admire several authors and I can’t thank them enough for sharing knowledge—Shana Galen, Grace Burrowes, Galen Foley, Anna Campbell, Lorraine Heath, Rebecca Zanetti, Gracie O’Neil, Natalie Anderson to name a few….

4.   Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

Gosh, that’s a hard one. I tend to love all of them. I guess one of my favorites is Marcus Danvers, Marquis of Wolverstone, in To Wager the Marquis of Wolverstone. He thought he’d found his one true love, but she left him without warning and he spends years trying to forget her, but he can’t. When Sabine re-enters his life, he is handed the means for revenge, but he’s too good of a man to hurt her. Instead, he lays his heart on the line for her again. He’s willing to give all for love. Who can resist a man like that?

5.Was it difficult for you to get published?

Hmmm, not really. I queried publishers and agents with Invitation to Ruin, my first completed book and landed myself an agent and a publisher. I was very lucky!

6 Who are your favorite authors/reads?

Gosh, I have so many!

Gaelen Foley, Stephanie Laurens, Nicole Jordan, Nicola Cornick, JR Ward, Kresley Cole, Toni Aleo, Anna Campbell, Rebecca Zanetti, Lorraine Heath, Emma Wildes…

7. Hobbies?

I don’t have a lot of spare time with writing and work, but I play bridge and golf. I also walk and enjoy bike rides.

8.What is your dream job?

LOL, I’m doing it – writing!

9.Do you have any favorite TV shows?

Yip, I’m a TV slut, I watch far too much of it. The historical, Reign is currently one of my favorites, and of course Downton Abby. The Mentalist, Bones are always good. Any property program – we get English property programs called Relocation Relocation, Escape to the Country, which I have to watch. Then there are my sexy SAS men in Strike Back (UK), Spooks (UK). Comedies like Big Bang Theory, Friends etc. Mystery programs like Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Homeland, and Midsummer Murders…

10. What’s next for you?

I think I have answered that above – more writing. More Disgraced Lords and more contemporaries…

11.Where can we find you?

My website: http://www.bronwenevans.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Bronwen-Evans/e/B004LKXYLC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1391722350&sr=1-2-ent

Facebook:  I have a personal page and a fan page but most people use my personal page…

https://www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthor

https://www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthorNZ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bronwenevans_NZ

Pinterest: https://www.facebook.com/bronwenevansauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4331713.Bronwen_Evans

12 What would you like readers to know about you?

That I’m really friendly and really approachable. I love my journey into the writing world, and I appreciate hearing from readers. The contact is fabulous because I feel so isolated from everyone being tucked down here in New Zealand. I love feedback, good or bad as it helps me grow as a writer.

I’m going to the RT Booklover’s Convention in New Orleans this year, so don’t be shy, come and say hello!

GIVEAWAY: A KISS OF LIES – tell me the traits you look for in your favorite hero to be in with a chance to win a copy of A Kiss of Lies…

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