THE DADDY SEARCH—a conversation with Lexi and Nick

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook. Today I'm talking with Lexi Parker and Nick Clayton about THE DADDY SEARCH, a Silhouette Desire originally released in print in November 1999 and currently available in ebook.

Hello Lexi and Nick.  Welcome to my blog.  Thank you for being here with us today.

Nick:  It's our pleasure, Shawna.  Thanks for the invitation.

My first question is for you, Lexi.  As I understand it, you had an absolute personal agenda that took you to the Via Verde Dude Ranch, something far removed from a vacation.

Lexi:  That's right.  I was determined to locate my nephew's father and make him take financial responsibility for his son.

But why the Via Verde Dude Ranch in Wyoming?

Lexi:  My sister had always been wild and irresponsible, but when she became pregnant she totally changed.  She doted on her son.  Mother and I kept asking her who the father was but she would only say that the father told her he didn't want anything to do with the baby, that it was her problem and not his.  She eventually admitted to me that the boy's father was Nick Clayton who, along with his brother and mother, owned the Via Verde.  She had met him when she vacationed there and he had taken her to Hawaii which was when she became pregnant.  But she remained adamant that she didn't want anything from him, that she would take care of her son on her own.  She even took on a second job to earn more money.  It was a bad rainstorm that caused the accident when she was on her way to that job.  Custody of my nephew passed to me upon her death.  I decided that Nick Clayton had to take financial responsibility whether he wanted to or not.  So, I booked a three week vacation at the ranch for the sole purpose of confronting him.

Nick:  She totally grabbed my attention as soon as she got off the shuttle bus from the airport.  She had wandered over to the corral where I had just been thrown from a bucking bronco…(chuckles at the mental image) not a very impressive introduction.

Well, that certainly doesn't seem like the type of circumstances that could lead to romance.  Lexi had already made up her mind about the type of person you were.  How did you manage to get beyond that?

Nick:  I didn't have a clue about her agenda.  She did mention that her sister had vacationed at the ranch and had said how much she enjoyed it, but her sister's name didn't register with me.

Lexi:  The more I saw him, talked to him, was around him and his family, the more confused I became.  I started doubting my sister's claim about Nick being the father.  I couldn't reconcile what she claimed with the reality of man I had met…and against my better judgment, the man with whom I was becoming personally involved.

Obviously, somewhere along the way you changed your mind about Nick.  How did that come about?  What happened to make you think that perhaps Nick was not your nephew's father?

Lexi:  That's all in the book.

LOL…okay, let me try a different question.  Nick—at what point did you realize that Lexi had a hidden agenda toward you and what that was?

Nick:  (grins) That's in the book, too.

Thank you, Nick and Lexi, for being with us today.

***

THE DADDY SEARCH, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes and Noble for Nook.  Additional information available on my website  www.shawnadelacorte.com

Blurb:

RANCHER DAD?

When Lexi Parker first set foot onto Nick Clayton's dude ranch, she had one goal in mind: to vacation undercover and find out if Nick really was the father of Lexi's precious, now-motherless nephew. It seemed like a perfect plan…

Until Lexi herself succumbed to the cowboy's devastating charms—and found out that this bighearted, honorable rancher was nothing like the love-'em-and-leave-'em rake her sister had portrayed. But if Lexi revealed her secret agenda to Nick now, would she lose her chance with the one man who'd ever stolen her heart?

Inside front cover excerpt:

Which one was the real Nick Clayton? The man her sister had described, or the one Lexi herself had observed?

There was no way you could call Nick irresponsible or callous. She could not imagine him knowingly abandoning his son or tell the boy's mother to get out of his life.

And most devastating of all was Lexi's sense of guilt for her personal involvement with the very man she had come to confront. What was she to believe? Her sister's accusations, or her own observations of a man who made her tingle with excitement and caused her heart to sing?

------------------

Text Copyright © 1999 by SKDennison, Inc.  Cover Art Copyright © 1999 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON—a conversation with Dylan and Jessica

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Dylan Russell and Jessica McGuire from STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON, a contemporary romance from Harlequin's Silhouette Desire line, originally released in print March 2001 and currently available in ebook.

Hello Dylan and Jessica.  Welcome to my blog.  Thank you for taking the time to be here today.

Dylan:  It's our pleasure, Shawna.

Jessica:  Thank you for the invitation.

I understand there was a connection between the two of you before you were reacquainted at the cabin?

Jessica:  Yes, the connection was my brother, Justin.

Dylan:  Justin and I were best friends in college.  I could tell Jessica had a crush on me back then (shoots her a sly grin), but she was in high school so I dismissed her as being too young for me to date.  Besides, I had the distinct feeling that it wouldn't have set well with Justin.  After college I moved away and even though Justin and I stayed in touch, I didn't see any more of Jessica.

What did you think about that, Jessica:

Jessica:  I have to admit to that crush.  I was fascinated with him…handsome, charming, an intriguing 'older' college man.  But, as Dylan said, there wasn't anything between us.  Over the years, Justin would relay information about Dylan's globe-trotting exploits and business successes, but once they graduated from college, I never saw Dylan again.

Dylan:  Not until that fateful day when she climbed into bed with me.

That sounds like an interesting reunion.  How did that come about?

Jessica:  Wait a minute!  LOL…before you get off on that track, I'd like to say something in my defense.

In your defense?  This sounds like it's going to be a really good story Dylan is about to tell us.  Okay…I'm an equal opportunity interviewer.  Let's hear your excuse first then we'll get Dylan's side of it.  :)

Dylan:  (winks at her).  Yes, let's hear your side of the story first.

Jessica:  Justin and I own the mountain cabin together.  In my defense…Justin didn't tell me he had agreed to let Dylan use it for a few weeks.  The weather was okay in Seattle, but on the Olympic Peninsula where the cabin is…well, I arrived at night during a rain storm.  The power in the area was out which was not unusual during storms.  I made my way through the dark to my bedroom, got undressed, and climbed into bed.  I was exhausted and immediately fell asleep.  I had no knowledge of anyone else being there until the next morning when I woke up with him in my bed.

Well, that sounds logical.  Now how about equal time to Dylan?

Dylan:  Thanks.  First, let me make it clear that I was in the bed and sound asleep when Jessica climbed under the covers and joined me there.  And in my defense…and also Justin's defense…(turns toward Jessica as he tries to suppress a grin) you told Justin you were going to be in New York for three weeks.

So, lack of communication started everything off on the wrong foot.

Jessica:  LOL…and it all went downhill from there.

Dylan:  And quickly, too.  The first disaster happened that very morning.  I built a fire in the fireplace to take the chill out of the air and smoke came pouring out into the living room.  She accused me of not knowing enough to make sure the damper was open, but I was quickly vindicated and proven innocent of any wrongdoing in that debacle.

Jessica:  I thought for a minute he had set the cabin on fire.  And, I'm embarrassed to say, I immediately attributed it to what I assumed was his playboy lifestyle and lack of experience with real life.  In sharp contrast to the crush I had on him when I was in high school, I formed a picture in my mind of someone involved in shady business deals, a womanizer who couldn't or wouldn't make a commitment.  All-in-all, not a very flattering picture.

Dylan:  She definitely had me on the defensive.  I felt I should do whatever I could to redeem myself in her eyes, but I had an upheaval in my life to deal with.  I needed the quiet and mostly the isolation the cabin provided.  I needed to get my life together again.

Jessica:  I couldn't picture someone like my perception of Dylan Russell being content in such a remote location with no social activities or other people.  He kept insisting that he had the right to stay because Justin gave him permission to use the cabin and the fact that I owned half the cabin was immaterial since I was supposed to be in New York.  I suggested—strongly suggested—that he check into the lodge on the mail road, but he refused to even consider it.  He wouldn't say why he wanted to stay in the cabin.

Dylan:  Then the matter was taken out of our hands.  The bridge over the creek…the only way out of the area…was closed because of high water and there was no end in sight for the rain.  We were now stuck in the cabin together with neither one of us having any way out.  So, there was nothing to do but agree to a truce and try to get along.

What was this problem you were trying to work out, Dylan?  It sounds like something pretty serious to drive you to an isolated cabin in the mountains.

Dylan:  Serious?  Very.  What happened had me rethinking my entire life, all the choices I had made over the years, and trying to figure out a new direction for myself.  Jessica McGuire presented way too much of a distraction.  And a temptation.  And a concern.  Her presence left me in a very awkward and uncomfortable position.

What had you in such an unsettled state of mind?

Dylan:  (flashes a teasing grin) That can be found in the book.  Along with Jessica's actions and reactions.  And then there's Justin's input.

Jessica:  Oh, yes.  My brother definitely got off on the wrong track.  But, as Dylan said, it's all in the book.

Thank you Dylan and Jessica for stopping by.

***

STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com  (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte). Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook.

Blurb:

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE…

Wealthy, jaded playboy Dylan Russell had sought an isolated cabin in the woods to escape his fast-paced life and reconsider his future. He wanted solitude…but awoke to a woman in his bed! Nothing had prepared Dylan for the sight of his best friend's sister…or the sensual spark that embracing her ignited.

After a canceled project, publicist Jessica McGuire looked forward to days of relaxation. She never expected to encounter the man who had stirred feelings deep in her soul years ago. Stranded with her in a storm, Dylan beckoned her closer with his bedroom eyes. But would Jessica have to be content with only a few nights of passion when she yearned for his love for a lifetime?

Inside Front Cover:

Jessica McGuire didn't know how long she had been sleeping when something nudged her awake. She managed to open one eye enough to see the morning light of a stormy dawn and know that it was still raining. Then a strong arm curled around her waist, jolting her into full wakefulness. A body snuggled up against hers—a naked body that was unmistakably male. A strange, naked, male body. In her bed.

----------------------------

Text Copyright © 2001 by SKDennison, Inc.  Cover Art Copyright © 2001 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Check out my website for additional excerpts from STORMBOUND WITH A TYCOON and information about my other Harlequin ebook reissues.

www.shawnadelacorte.com

SECRET LOVER—a conversation with Jim and Andi

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Jim Richards and Andrea Sinclair from SECRET LOVER, a mystery romantic/suspense from Harlequin's Intrigue line, originally released in print June 1999 and currently available in ebook.

Good morning, Andi and Jim.  Thanks for joining me today.  Your story is certainly spread out geographically.  It starts in the middle of a snowy winter at an area of summer vacation cabins in the woods on Vancouver Island in Canada and travels all the way down the west coast to La Jolla, California, next to San Diego.

Jim:  Good morning, Shawna.

Andi:  Thanks for the invitation to stop by for a chat.

Andi, you're from La Jolla, a charming Southern California beach town.  And you live in a restored bungalow right on the beach.  Why would you leave such a marvelous location and travel to the Canadian woods in the middle of winter, a time when most people are getting away from the cold, snowy climate and traveling to a warm and sunny place to spend the winter?

Andi:  (chuckles) That's a great question, one I kept asking myself as I looked out the cabin window and watched the snow falling.  I'm an author…mystery novels.  The book I was working on was something different for me.  Instead of creating the plot from beginning to end, I was using a real case from the news that had never been solved, a cold case, as inspiration.  I concocted a similar storyline to the facts of the real case as the back story for my novel and was in the process of trying to bring it forward and solve my similar but fictional mystery.  Unfortunately, I was having a major case of writer's block.  My agent made a reservation for me at the cabin campground hoping the change of scenery and isolation would eliminate any distractions and help me get back on track again.

Jim:  That's where I encountered Andi.  After a year of running, I finally found an out of the way far off the beaten path place in the Canadian woods on Vancouver Island and had worked there four years.  In the off season I was the winter caretaker of the cabins.  We occasionally had someone check in during the off season, but not that often.  So, to have a beautiful woman staying there all alone was far from ordinary.  While bringing in some more firewood for her, I noticed all the crumpled, discarded sheets of paper on the floor and asked her about them.

Andi:  I had so thoroughly researched the facts of the real case, that I couldn't let go of the real man who was the center of the story—a man who had done the right thing in exposing criminal activity and agreeing to testify in court, then an attempt on his life put him in protective custody.  Shortly after that he disappeared from the safe house.  With their key witness gone, they had to drop charges.  That left me with lots of questions.  Was he bought off by the bad guys?  Had they killed him and disposed of the body?  Had he taken off because he changed his mind about testifying?  Everything I had dug up about the missing witness said he was an honorable man.  So what happened?  I couldn't concentrate on my fictional version.  Part of that, I'm sure, can be blamed on the time I spent as assistant to a top investigative reporter.  All my instincts were pushing at me to follow the real story rather than make up a fictional ending.

What about you, Jim?  What went through your mind when you saw her research notes?

Jim:  That's an easy question.  Pure and absolute panic.  My mind flew in every direction at once trying to latch on to anything that made sense.  I even gave a brief thought to the possibility of her being a professional hired killer sent to silence me.  For five years I had been living by my wits…five years since I had been forced to flee the custody that was no longer protecting me.  The only person I trusted was me.

So the two of you formed an alliance?

Jim:  Not exactly and certainly not at first.  Even though I'd seen some of her research notes, it was a little while before she tumbled to my true identity.  That's when the trouble began.

Andi:  Well, the trouble actually began a little before that.  I got a phone call from my agent telling me someone had broken into his office and the only thing they took was his file on me containing my real name in addition to my pseudonym and my address in La Jolla.  At that point it hit me…someone thought my research for my novel had turned up information telling me where the missing witness was hiding and I had probably gone to meet with him.

Jim:  So against my better judgment, we hit the road together making the 1500 mile drive all the way to La Jolla in order to avoid airports where someone might be watching for me.  The theory being that someone looking for me would not be looking for a couple vacationing by car.  But the journey was far removed from being a smooth, uneventful trip.

What happened?

Jim:  In addition to all the pitfalls during the course of those 1500 miles, once we arrived in La Jolla we were faced with a whole new set of dangers including Andi being shot—

Andi:  Don't give that away.  Save some surprises for them to discover when they read the book.

Uh Oh…you're going to pull that 'you have to read the book' stuff on me?  That has become a repeated pattern with these interviews.

Jim:  (tries to suppress a teasing grin) And that somehow surprises you?

LOL…okay.  Enough questions.  Thanks for being here today.

Andi:  It was our pleasure.

***

SECRET LOVER, a Harlequin Intrigue mystery romantic/suspense by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com/ (do search for author name Shawna Delacorte).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook.

Blurb:

A MYSTERIOUS AND SEXY STRANGER

Andrea Sinclair found herself inexplicably drawn to Jim Richards—mind and body—as if she already knew him. His hair and face were wrong, but there was something about the man… Was he the one she'd been searching for ever since he left the Witness Protection Program with a price on his head?

Jim had been alone for too long—alone and lonely. He couldn't help fantasizing about Andi, though she represented life-threatening danger to him. She knew everything about him—everything he'd carefully tried to erase. Could he trust her to help him find the killer who pursued him…? He didn't have a choice. His heart wouldn't let him leave her.

Inside front cover:

What was there about Jim Richards that seemed so familiar?

Andrea focused on his eyes, his nose, the shape of his face. His athletic build—broad shoulders, long legs and good looks. His bed-tousled hair. She recalled the warmth of his handshake and the moment of poignancy when he had placed his hand on top of hers. A tremor of desire shivered inside her. Why?

The man was an enigma, a puzzle with many layers and facets. Did she have the right to pry into his private life? Her sense of integrity said no, but her instincts kept tugging at her with a different answer. Every instinct she possessed told her he was not who he appeared to be, that he was hiding something.

Andi had to know who Jim Richards really was and why he had assumed a secret identity. The last thing she needed was to become involved with a mysterious stranger.

But she couldn't ignore his allure….

--------------------------

Text Copyright © 1999 by SKDennison, Inc.  Cover Art Copyright © 1999 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Check out my website for more on my Harlequin ebook reissues.

http://www.shawnadelacorte.com/

MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE—a conversation with Britt and Ashley

Harlequin has reissued 16 of my backlist titles in ebook.  Today I'm talking with Britt Carlton and Ashley Thornton from MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette title originally released in print June 1998 and currently available in ebook.

Hello, Britt and Ashley.  Welcome and thanks for taking the time to be here today.

Britt:  Our pleasure.  As I understand it, you want to know about our road to romance?

Ashley:  Road to romance…(chuckles) that was the last thing on my mind when we met.  After a broken engagement to a man who turned out to be cheating on me while I was wearing his engagement ring, I had no intention of giving it another try.  The only thing on my agenda was settling into my new city and my new job so I could make some new friends and start my new life.

Britt:  Romance was definitely off my list, too.  Been there, done that.  I had no use for the concept of a committed relationship let alone where that could logically lead.  I'd been burned before.  No-strings-attached was the only thing I wanted.  But even if I had been looking for that certain someone, (he gives her a quick wink) I have to admit that I made a really bad first impression.

A bad first impression?  That sounds interesting.  How and where did the two of you meet?

Ashley:  I was just moving into my studio apartment, boxes piled on furniture and things in disarray.  I was hanging pictures and suddenly this very rude man was standing at my opened front door telling me to keep the noise down.  Since it was the middle of the afternoon rather than early morning or late at night, I was definitely put off my his attitude.  Not to mention that he looked like he'd been up all night partying.  My first impression was decidedly unfavorable.  Obviously a womanizer…just like my ex-fiancé.

Britt:  I had over indulged at a bachelor party that I wished I could have avoided, but didn't have a graceful way out.  I offered to help her unpack the boxes and even invited her to dinner as a means of apologizing for my rudeness…no ulterior motive, just friends.

Ashley:  I agreed to meet him at his apartment after I showered and put on some clean clothes.  I knew immediately he was the type of man that a woman should not get involved with, the type who would break her heart.  But two friends having a meal together?  No problem…as long as we were just friends.  But what did I find when I went next door to his apartment?

Britt:  (groans as if in pain) The first impression I made went from bad to worse.  The couple upstairs had an out of town relative visiting and they brought her to my apartment thinking the four of us could have dinner together.  To say this woman was overly aggressive would be an understatement.  Ashley walked in just as she wrapped herself around me.  Needless to say, Ashley made a hasty retreat.  (a thoughtful expression crosses his face) I'll never forget that look on her face…(he gives her hand an affectionate squeeze)…a combination of disgust and hurt.

And that was strike two?

Britt:  Exactly.  It took some fancy footwork to get all of that smoothed over, but things finally settled down and over the next couple of weeks we became genuine good friends.

Ashley:  And then he ended up with the flu, I took care of him, and to repay me he offered to take me on a flying sight-seeing tour.

You're a pilot, Britt?  Do you work for one of the airlines?

Britt:  No, a private charter company.

You mean like tour groups going on vacation?

Britt:  No, usually business executives and occasionally freight.

A flight-seeing tour sounds like fun.  Seattle is a beautiful part of the country with mountains and ocean as far as you can see.

Ashley:  (laughs) It was incredible…right up until the time the plane ended up in the ocean.

You crashed?  That sounds scary.  What happened?

Ashley:  It was definitely scary.

Britt:  And it's all in the book.

Did that put a damper on your relationship?

Ashley:  No, no…you forgot.  There was no relationship—we were just friends.

Britt:  Yep…just friends.

Well…obviously at some point being just friends wasn't enough.  When and how did friendship expand to include romance?

Britt:  That was a rocky road, too.  And it's all in the—

I know.  It's in the book!

Ashley:  Absolutely…in the book.

Well, it sounds like you're not going to divulge any more of the details.  I appreciate both of you stopping by.  Thank you, Britt and Ashley.

***

MUCH ADO ABOUT MARRIAGE, a Silhouette by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format.  Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com/ (do search for Shawna Delacorte author name).  Also available from Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook.

Blurb:

WHEN BRITT MET ASHLEY

Britt Carlton wasn't looking to fall in love—he'd been there, done that…and didn't want to do it again! Then Ashley Thornton moved in to his apartment complex, all smiles and sass—and incredibly sexy—and Britt knew there was only one safe course of action: they had to be strictly friends. Nothing more. Uh-uh, no way.

But…

No matter how hard they resisted the pull between them, no matter how vehemently they rejected the idea of love and marriage, Britt and Ashley couldn't get away from one inescapable fact: they might have started out as just friends, but that just wasn't enough anymore….

Inside front cover:

What the opposing sexes say about marriage:

He Says: "Marriage? Forget it. I'll never consider marrying another woman ever again—one broken engagement's enough, thank you very much. No, I enjoy my bachelor life too much to get serious about anyone. Of course, my very attractive next-door neighbor has been causing me some sleepless nights—no, just friends, that's all I'm looking for…"

--Britt Carlton, 31

She Says: "Marriage?! I'm taking a break from dating for the rest of my life. I'm young, I'm attractive…I'm stupid. After all, I was the last to know that my fiancé was the Womanizer of Wichita! Anyway, I'm not bitter, I just want to start a new life…with new friends. Speaking of friends, there's this handsome charmer who lives next door. He could be fun to hang out with—on a strictly platonic level, of course…"

--Ashley Thornton, 25

You'll Say: "Just friends? Yeah, right…"

------------------------------

Text Copyright © 1998 by SKDennison, Inc.  Cover Art Copyright © 1998 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Check out my website for more on my Harlequin ebook reissues

http://www.shawnadelacorte.com/