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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Interview with Anna Campbell & Giveaway of What a Duke Dares (INT)

Buried Under Romance is very pleased to welcome author Anna Campbell for an interview on her upcoming book, What a Duke Dares! :)

**GIVEAWAY INFO**
-- One Advance Reader copy of What a Duke Dares (International). Comment for a chance to win! 

About the Book: 
What a Duke Dares (Sons of Sin, #3)
A Reputation at Risk

What woman in her right mind would say no to marrying the dashing Duke of Sedgemoor? Miss Penelope Thorne, that's who. She's known Camden Rothermere since they were children - and she also knows she'd bring nothing but scandal to his name.

Cam can hardly believe Penelope turned down his proposal. But if she wants to run off to the Continent and set the rumor mill ablaze, he can't stop her. Then her brother's dying request sends him to bring home the one woman he thought he'd finally gotten over.

The only way they'll both get back to London without their reputations in tatters is to pretend they're married during the journey. That means kissing like they mean it and even sharing a bed - until it becomes hard to tell where the game ends and true desire begins...

Q: What inspired your Sons of Sin series, and in particular, WHAT A DUKE DARES?

Anna: Mary, thank you so much for having me as your guest today! I have to laugh at what inspired my Sons of Sin – at first, it was a purely practical decision. In 2011, I was changing publishers from Avon to Grand Central Forever. Every book I’d done for Avon was a stand-alone but Grand Central were keen on the proposal I’d done for SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED and wanted more books using the same world. As you’d know, in Rogue, the hero’s bastardy is a major problem, so I came up with the idea of three friends at Eton all affected by the shadows hanging over their births. The strange thing is that I’ve found it’s such a joy to write connected books and to come back to check on previous characters and introduce future personalities. 

Right from the start, I’d been looking forward to writing the third book which was to feature Camden Rothermere, the Duke of Sedgemoor. Cam has always been one of those “I’m completely in control of my life” heroes – and it’s such fun when love brings chaos to those cool, calm, collected types. I’ve long wanted to write a book about unrequited love – the heroine Penelope Thorne has loved Cam all her life but knows it’s completely hopeless. I find those stories really touching, and I adore that the lover is so strong and steadfast in their devotion, despite knowing (well, at least thinking that they know!) that there’s no chance for them. 


         Q: Tell us three things you love about Penelope and Cam.


Anna: Ha, this is the easiest question in the world. I always fall in love with my characters, but I particularly love these two. With Pen, I love her courage and her spirit and her willingness to go to any length to protect the people she loves. With Cam, I love that he always really tries to do the right thing, his confusion when he falls in love when he was so sure he never would, and the passionate nature he hides beneath his control. 

         Q: What a Duke Dares features one of my favorite tropes in historical romance - the traveling together trope. What are your favorite tropes to write? 


Anna: I love a road trip romance too. The first few chapters of this one, as you know, involves Cam very unwillingly escorting Pen back from Italy to London, although the bulk of the book takes place in England. In the road trip trope, I love that the hero and heroine are stuck together and much as they might want to, they can’t escape that nearness. And we know that nearness brings temptation! Other favorite tropes include the marriage of convenience (ooh, look, there’s one in WHAT A DUKE DARES!), the conflict of honor and love, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers (that’s also WHAT A DUKE DARES), Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the hero in spite of himself. 



Q: Along their journey, what are some things that Cam and Penelope learn about each other? 

Anna: I had such fun writing that journey – they’re both so reluctant to undertake it. Cam, because he promised Pen’s dying brother that he’d get her back to England and safety, Pen because Cam won’t take no for an answer once he’s accepted the responsibility. And of course there’s the threat of scandal if the world discovers that they’ve spent all this time alone together! When Cam and Pen meet again, they haven’t seen each other for nine years. Their last encounter was when Cam asked Pen to marry him and she turned him down flat. On the trip, Cam discovers that his unwilling attraction for Pen only becomes stronger the longer they spend together. While Pen to her despair realizes that time has done nothing to dull her love for her childhood hero – and that the love she feels as a grown woman is considerably more complex than her adolescent adoration. They also recognize, with some surprise, that the qualities they admired in each other’s younger self are still just as compelling. I’ve written enemies into lovers before. This is the first time I’ve written friends into lovers. It’s such a lovely trope. 

        Q: What was your favorite scene to write in the book? 


Anna: I think probably the first kiss which takes place during a storm at sea. The wildness outside is nothing compared to the wildness these two conjure up when they at last give in to their simmering attraction. 

         Q: If you could have any character in the book as your best friend, who would you pick and why? 


Anna: Oh, undoubtedly Pen. I think she and I would be great friends – and she’d be the sort of pal who always gave you great advice. I admire her take on life and her bravery and her strong individual moral code. I also think she’d have some wonderful stories about her years wandering around Europe with the likes of Shelley and Byron before she becomes a duchess. And hey, I’d love it if she let me look at her art collection! 

        Q: What's coming next for you?


Anna: I’ve just handed in the manuscript for A SCOUNDREL BY MOONLIGHT, the fourth Sons of Sin book which should be out the first half of next year (not such a long wait this time). The hero is the Marquess of Leath who plays a part in both A RAKE’S MIDNIGHT KISS and WHAT A DUKE DARES. He’s another straight arrow who falls in love with a woman who threatens everything he’s always wanted in life. The heroine is another intrepid miss, Eleanor Trim, who gives Leath a run for his money! As this is the last full-length novel in the series, I had a lovely time tying up all the threads and giving everybody a blissfully happy ending at Christmas. For the last two years, I’ve done a Christmas story (THE WINTER WIFE and “His Christmas Cinderella” in the free collection, A GROSVENOR SQUARE CHRISTMAS). I’m doing another one this year so look for that around late October/November. I’ve done the first draft and it’s tentatively titled HER CHRISTMAS EARL.  
Mary: Thanks for your answers, Anna! I can't wait for Anna's book!


**GIVEAWAY INFO**
-- One Advance Reader copy of What a Duke Dares (International). Comment for a chance to win! Winners will be picked on July 8th. :) 

Winner picked - awaiting confirmation! 

About the Author:
ANNA CAMPBELL has written eight multi award-winning historical romances for Grand Central Publishing and Avon HarperCollins and her work is published in sixteen languages. Anna is currently engaged in writing the "Sons of Sin" series, which started in 2012 with SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED. Look out for WHAT A DUKE DARES in August 2014. Anna lives on the beautiful east coast of Australia where she writes full-time.

Author Links

60 comments:

  1. Great interview Mary and Anna!

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  2. Nancy Leeking SutphinJuly 1, 2014 at 5:33 AM

    I love your books, Anna Campbell! Thank you so much. I love learning more about my favorite authors.

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  3. I enjoy your books so much Anna. Thanks for sharing

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  4. Thanks for saying that, Debra!

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  5. Thanks so much for swinging by and saying such nice things, Nancy!

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  6. Thanks so much, Carol!

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  7. Aw they sound amazing! I always love when the hero is a little gobsmacked by falling in love. So fun to watch happen :)

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  8. Congratulations on the upcoming release. When writing interconnected books, do you know the plot for each book from the beginning or do you wait until you get to that story?

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  9. Hi Anna!

    I love the Sons of Sins series and was thrilled to learn that What a Duke Dares is already available for pre-order on Amazon especially since I had so much fun reading Seven Nights in a Rogue;s Bed! I adore this series and can't wait to find out how many more books are to come!

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  10. Congrats Anna for your beautiful books! Looking forward to read it and check the scene during the storm at sea!

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  11. I like the friends to lovers trope too, Anna. I think friends make such good marriage partners and their partnership usually lasts and lasts...like their friendship. Not all friends fall in love with each other, however, so it is with delight that I hear Pen and Cam actually do. I also love the pretend marriage trope, which usually falls into love...so I'm doubly delighted that Pen and Cam take part in that courtship game. All together, this story sounds absolutely wonderful! Thanks for the post and the coming release, Anna. It is so hot here in Sacramento that I am staying inside a lot and...you guessed it...reading romances! :-) jdh2690@gmail.com

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  12. I can't wait for this book! I need to go back and reread the series again now since I forgot about it.

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  13. Looking forward to this book. My personal favorite is still Captive of Sin. I recommend that book to people all the time! :)

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  14. I can't wait to get my hands on What A Duke Dares! Great interview ladies!!

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  15. Anna, it's one of my favourite tropes too. Love it when Mr. In Control loses control! Mayhem ensues!

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  16. Kim, what a great question. This is my first series of interconnecting books so I'm learning all the time how to do it. With this particular series, I had a theme or a vague idea of character arc for each hero when I started the series and then let each story develop naturally from that.

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  17. Thanks so much, Jeanne. Not long now till Duke is actually out in the world! I LOVE that red cover. So glad you're enjoying the series. I think Duke might actually be my favourite yet!

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  18. Jeanne, at this stage there's a fourth book out in the first half of next year - who knows what happens after that?

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  19. Thanks so much, Erin!

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  20. Nicole, that was one of my favourite scenes in the book. Hope you enjoy! Love it when a whole stack of plot threads come together in a tangle as they do there. Thanks for saying you enjoy the books.

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  21. Janice, this books sounds absolutely up your alley! Clearly I was writing it just for you. Yeah, I'm a sucker for marriage of convenience/pretend marriage stories. Ack to how hot it is. I'm currently visiting Melbourne, our most southerly mainland capital, and it's blooming freezing!

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  22. Sandy, love that you're thinking of re-reading. It's always nice when the characters are fresh in your mind when you start a new book, isn't it?

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  23. Thanks so much, Rebecca. Oh, poor Gideon! Didn't he suffer before he got his happy ending?

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  24. Thanks so much, Glenda. Good luck in the draw!

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  25. He sure did! I obviously have a thing for tortured heroes. So glad he's happy now though, otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to sleep at night :)

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  26. Anna, thanks for letting me know that I'll only have to wait until the first half of the year for your next book in the series. I have my fingers crossed that you muse will visit and you'll add another book to the series!

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  27. I'd not read a single Anna Campbell novel until May last year. Since then I've read 5 and I have a whole new appreciation for the whole historical romance genre. I first read Captive of Sin because I heard a lot of people saying it was their favourite at Literarti last year - and it is great! - but I think Seven Nights in a Rogues Bed was the one I've enjoyed most so far. Best of luck with the release of What a Duke Dares! :D

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  28. Julie, I particularly love it when he is completely certain that there's no chance she'll say no. Ha! Sounds like you might enjoy the rest of the book!

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  29. Rebecca, I'd love to revisit Gideon and Charis at some stage and show them blissfully happy! Perhaps there's a novella somewhere in the future!

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  30. Brother's best friend & 2nd chance romance! Love it!

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  31. Great interview thank you. Can't wait to get my hand on another Anna Campbell book.

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  32. Aren't they high and mighty when they think they have everything under control? Thanks for the interview!

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  33. Joanna, it's one of my favorite tropes both as a reader and as a writer. I love seeing a proud man struck down by love!

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  34. Thanks so much, Mary! Not long to go now. By the way, I bet Ballarat is even colder than Toowoomba today!

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  35. Sharlene, love the brother's best friend thing and 2nd chance romances - I include reunion romances in that. i love those too!

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  36. Oh yummy! I love the sound of this book Anna. I want to read the 1st kiss scene! Could we have an excerpt pleeaase?

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  37. I am so far behind in my reading that I've totally missed reading Anna's work lately. I didn't even have this book on my BTB list! Fixed that right now!

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  38. Indeed! And I'm going to quote you bc I do too :)

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  39. I love the cover!
    Thank you for the lovely interview :)

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  40. Thanks, Bube. I love that cover too!

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  41. Love the cover! Story sounds good, going to add to my tbr list.

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  42. I enjoy road trip romances, too, and look forward to reading this.

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  43. I didn't realize that two of my favorite Anna Campbell books were part of the Sins series...may have to re-read them in order now!!! I can't wait until this one is released!! I love friends to lovers themes and road trip themes!

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  44. Wow, Dianna, how cool! Because Jonas is such a loner, the others don't play such a large part in his story as they do in the later ones. Hope you enjoy my Duke!

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  45. Thanks so much, Janie. There's something delicious about them being stuck together and unable to escape!

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  46. Thanks so much, Carol! x

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  47. Book Chatter CathJuly 7, 2014 at 4:40 AM

    Another masterpiece to add to the collection!
    I can't wait to read it, congratulations on the continued success Anna <3

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  48. Cassandra PenningtonJuly 7, 2014 at 6:29 AM

    This is my first time to this blog and I LOVE it. Have spent a good hour looking at other posts as well as this great interview with the delightful Anna. I love Anna's books! Thank you Mary and Anna.

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  49. Oh Anna I am so looking forward to this story and getting to know Pen woohoo I love when coupes are on ships :-) :-)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  50. I love this series and I have been dying to read Camden's story. Thanks

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  51. I love when the woman is strong, and the man comes to realize, and appreciate it.

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  52. Love the premise for this story. I too like when the heroine turns the hero down.

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  53. Thanks so much, Cath! Must admit I'm very fond of this one! :-)

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  54. Cassandra, isn't this a wonderful blog? So glad we introduced you to it. And thanks for saying you love the books! Mwah!

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  55. Helen, all that close proximity really helps build the heat level, doesn't it? Hope you enjoy Duke!

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  56. Thanks so much, Sheryl! Glad you're enjoying the series!

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  57. Patricia, I love when they change their minds about each other too. That's one of the lovely things about enemies into lovers stories (which Duke definitely isn't).

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  58. Thanks so much, Angelina. That was a fun scene to write. He's so sure that she'll say yes!

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  59. Love first kiss scenes!!! So difficult to write but wine you get it right, so perfect!

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  60. Fab interview, Mary and Anna! Anna always brings a smile. I love that she turns him down. Sometimes a gal has to keep a guy wondering. Sounds like a wonderful story, Anna. :-)

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