Sunday, June 10, 2012

Spotlight & Giveaway: Captive but Forbidden by Lynn Raye Harris


Lynn, Thank you for blogging with us here today...

Thanks for having me!
  

If you had to sum 'Captive but Forbidden' in 100 words or less, what would you say?

Reformed bad girl becomes president of her nation, gets in trouble, and needs a bodyguard.  But she doesn’t count on a sexy, too arrogant former Special Forces soldier turned tycoon whisking her to his home, keeping her captive—and then refusing to admit he’s fallen in love with her too.

How do you conceive your plot ideas? How do you get inspired for it?

Oh gee.  I’m not much of a plotter, truthfully.  I usually start out with two characters in a situation, and then I go from there.  With Raj and Veronica, all I knew was that Veronica was newly elected and in trouble.  And Raj was just the man to protect her.  His character formed based on a couple of things that interested me: a remark by a child on House Hunters (the television show where people go shopping for a new home) and the idea he was a man without a country.  Raj is half-Indian, half-American – but he fits in neither world and isn’t sure where he belongs.
 
I get inspiration from everywhere, truthfully.  Television, movies, going out to dinner and watching people.  Reading.  I never know what little thing will strike my imagination.  It can be a remark by a child, or a photo, or anything that takes me off into ‘what if’ territory.  That’s the fun of being a writer!

What was the hardest part of writing 'Captive but Forbidden' ?


I was most worried about Raj’s heritage.  Because I know nothing about India, other than what I’ve seen on television or read in books.  Part of the reason he had to be half-American was so my ignorance would become his.  Aside from that, there is a minor suspense plot in the book, and I had to think really hard about that.  Because outside forces are never what drives a Harlequin Presents story.  It’s always about the conflicts between the characters, so I had to be very careful not to let that external element take over.


Tell us a little bit about yourself...

I’m a Southern girl who spent much of my life moving around the world.  My family was an Air Force family, and I married an Air Force man.  Therefore, I’ve been around a bit. ;)  Now, I’m firmly planted in the South, in the lovely state of Alabama, where I enjoy the (mostly) warm weather and a circle of fun, quirky friends who prove that all that stuff you hear about Southerners being both friendlier and crazier than everyone else is quite true.


What is your writing routine, Take us through a typical day in the life of “Author Lynn” 

My writing routine has settled into a real job over the years.  When you have deadlines, you can’t just write when you feel like it.  When my deadline is farther away, I get up early, go into my office, and work all day until my husband comes home.  Then we spend the evening together, maybe watching television or going out somewhere.  When the deadline is really, really close – then I work all day, much of the night, and all weekend too.  It’s a job, and I take it seriously.  Granted, I set my own hours and I can work in my pajamas, which is a great perk.  But it’s still work.


What are 4 things you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?

Hmm.  Well, those things are pretty important, especially the phone.  I usually need my comb, a mirror, and some lipgloss too.  And sunscreen.  Because you never know.
 

If you were stranded on a deserted Island.... 

I’d really hope I had a lot of sunscreen!  But if I had everything I needed, like water, food, and shelter, I’d certainly hope I had a lot of books so I could read endlessly.


Do you have any other releases this year?  

I do!  In November, my contribution to the Santina Crown continuity will be out.  Book 7, The Girl Nobody Wanted, was such a fun story to write.  There’s a jilted bride, a rakish hero, a deserted island, and a surprise pregnancy.  I really hope readers enjoy it!

Thanks for having me today!  I hope your readers enjoy hearing a little bit about me. :)  

I’ll give away one copy of Captive But Forbidden to a lucky commenter here today!  
Please enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Post a comment telling us...

In keeping with the book....What are your thoughts on a Reformed bad girl as a President of her nation?


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12 comments:

  1. I'm starting to get used to bad girl heroines. Especially well written ones by favourite authors. It's nice to think they can rise to the highest office. To be honest I still prefer virgins when it comes down to it. But a well written book with well rounded characters will suck me in.

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    1. That's good to know, Fiona! :) I don't want bad girls all the time, of course, but I did enjoy writing one just to imagine what must have made her that way. I am most certainly not, and never have been, a bad girl. ;)

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  2. I think a reformed bad girl would have knowledge of the problems others face. She would obviously be of strong character to have picked herself up & therefore able to help others. I can see this!!

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  3. It may be harder in some countries than in the USA or a liberal EU nation for a reformed bad girl to become leader but it could happen.
    I agree with Marybelle, she would have empathy and maybe even sympathy for her people, therefore making her decisions more informed about impact on people than someone from a 'perfect' background. :)

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    1. That's why I made up a country! ;) And I agree that she would have more empathy! She knows what it's like to make mistakes!

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  4. I think a reformed bad girl will have something to prove. If she wants to be taken seriously then she will have to show that she is capable of doing the job. Although there are probably several closets filled with skeletons.

    Geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

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    1. That's what she thinks too, and why she wants to do a good job! :)

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  5. I think it will be a hard job for her to begin with. A reformed girl will have to prove herself twice to her people before they accept that everything she is doing is for the best of everyone and that she's taking everything seriously. But she will do a better job because she knows what good and bad is since she had one life style and now is living the other. She would have to be strong to face opposition and be able to keep going the way she wants to go.

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  6. I'm all for the power of women so I'm for it. Why not someone who knows all walks of life? As long as you can present your journey in a way that resinates there is a chance of making it work.

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  7. I love the idea of a bad girl reformed - turn about is fair play & we have lots of reformed bad boys!

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  8. Reformed bad girls...they are everywhere! Look at the Bible!

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