Author Interview: Diana Quincy of Tempting Bella
What made you want to
be a writer?
I’ve always loved to write but I
would say it became a passion about five years ago when I first started reading
romance novels. I absolutely fell in love with the genre and was eventually
motivated to try writing my own. I love everything about the process and now I
can’t imagine not writing!
Who is your favorite
author?
There really are too many to
count. In historical romance, I enjoy Madeline Hunter, Joanna Bourne, Jo
Beverley, Mary Balogh, Loretta Chase, Lorraine Heath, Sherry Thomas and Lisa
Kleypas. For contemporaries, I'm really enjoying Rachel Gibson, Shannon Stacey
and Ruthie Knox at the moment. The list goes on and on.
What is the name of
the last book you read?
I just finished reading Return to Audoban Springs by RoseAnn
DeFranco, one of my blog mates over at The Violet Femmes romance blog. It’s
fresh and funny, sort of a romantic take on The
War of the Roses.
Tell us about
yourself in 3 words?
I'm optimistic, stubborn and loyal.
What is your favorite
activity?
Reading and writing. So I guess
that means I’m in the right business!
If your book could be
made into a movie? Which actors would you have play the main two characters?
I really don’t know. As a reader,
I find I prefer to conjure up my own images of what the hero and heroine look
like. For Sebastian, maybe I’d choose a young Antonio Banderas and for Bella, maybe
a young Helena Bonham Carter.
Who is your favorite
character in your book?
Sebastian, my hero. He is kind,
decent and loyal. He’s also virile, complicated and very sexy. Sebastian remains faithful
to his child bride while he waits for her to grow up, so I guess you could say
he is all about restrained passion!
What's in your TBR (
to be read) pile?
I’ve got dozens of books in my TBR
pile. Next up for me is Madeline Hunter’s latest book, The Counterfeit Mistress. I also just picked up Jennifer
McQuiston’s new book, Brighton is for
Lovers.
What are 3 of your
pet peeves?
People who are purposely rude or
unkind. Oh, and having shoes strewn about the house and not in their proper
place.
What's your favorite
( cats or dogs), ( coffee or tea), and what's your favorite food?
I have to go with dogs and coffee
over tea, although I enjoy both. To
single out one favorite food would be difficult, but I’m pretty partial to Thai
food.
Tempting Bella Excerpt #1
Sebastian Stanhope’s first glimpse of his future wife came minutes
before they were bound for all eternity.
He’d rushed from university in a haze of disbelief after receiving
the urgent summons from his father. His father now sat across from him during
the long carriage journey to the bride’s ancestral home, barely acknowledging
his son’s presence, his open disdain crowding the closed space.
Sebastian
sucked air into his lungs, his unease growing as the coach-and-four closed the
distance between him and the stranger with whom he would be forever
intertwined. He should be grateful. Being joined to the daughter of a duke was
a much better match than he, a mere mister, had a right to expect. And, more
importantly, the alliance would save his family from certain financial ruin.
A mammoth baroque edifice rose into view, dwarfing the surrounding
landscape, its numerous chimneys, towers, and domes sprawling across a blue,
cloudless sky. Sebastian’s stomach loosened, a faint cramp deep in his belly.
The fortress hovered over them as the carriage jerked to a full
stop on the circular drive. The heavy front doors gaped open. Sebastian
alighted and strode into the clutches of a murky future, barely noticing the
stone-faced butler who showed them in. Squaring his shoulders, he walked ahead
of his father through the mirrored hall. His black Hessians clicked a protest
against the marble floor, the sound echoing high into the endless ceilings
before trembling away.
His hand went to his cravat, adjusting it even though it had been
perfectly wrought that morning. He always took care with his grooming because
his appearance was not extraordinary. He stood only average in height, lacking
the towering elegance of his four brothers. He’d always been different from the
rest of the family. His powerful build and dark features lacked the gilded
radiance of his lithe brothers. And their father.
They were shown into a massive receiving room that smelled of
beeswax and lemon. Wood surfaces shimmered, reflecting shards of sunlight from
tall arched windows at the far end of the chamber. Formal furniture in the
French empire style crowded the space, lions’ faces carved into the mahogany
side tables seemed to mock him. He surveyed the chamber, every muscle in his
body taut, and caught sight of a girl sitting in a window seat by the arched
windows. Swinging her hanging legs to and fro, she regarded them with an
expression of mild curiosity.
He looked at the butler, acknowledging the portly man for the
first time. “Will Lady Mirabella be joining us?”
The butler nodded in the direction of the girl. “This is Lady
Mirabella. His Grace will join you presently.” He bowed out of the chamber.
For a moment, his
mind went blank. Feeling the blood drain from his face, he turned to his father
and murmured, “You cannot be serious.”
Interested? Check out the first chapter, the wedding scene, by clicking
here. http://www.dianaquincy.com/tempting-bella/
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