Tag Archives: romance

Interviews

Quintette of Questions: Charlotte Marigold

Answering five questions for me today is:

Charlotte Marigold

1. What’s the name of your latest book – and how did you choose the title?

The name of my latest book is Only for Show (book 2 in my Only You series). My publisher came up with the title and it’s inspired by the story’s fake relationship that is ‘only for show’. The first book in the series is Only for Pretend (another fake relationship) so you can see a trend!

2. If you could choose anyone from any time period, who would you cast as the leads in your latest book?

Casting a celebrity as inspiration for the hero in my stories is one of the most fun parts of starting a new book (and essential research of course!). For Only for Show I imagined the delectable Gilles Marini in the role of bad boy billionaire, Roberto Conti. He’s seriously hot and captures the cool, self-assured demeanour of Roberto while hinting at an inner vulnerability for my empathetic heroine, Sofia, to explore. Google him, you won’t regret it!

And for my heroine, spirited Sofia Beaumont, I would love to cast a young Monica Belluci. Dark, beautiful, sophisticated and sensual. The perfect match for Gilles/Roberto!

3. What five words best describe your story?

Glamorous, sexy, emotional, funny, delicious (chocolate plays a big part in this story!)

4. Who is your favourite fictional couple or team?

Johnny and Baby (Dirty Dancing movie) immediately spring to mind. Classic bad boy romance!

But if you’re talking literature, I’d have to go with another classic – Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice.  A popular choice, but there’s a reason for that! Swoon, swoon, swoon….

5. What song reflects a scene in your book?

I wrote the opening scene in Only for Show with Elvis’ version of Fever playing in my head. I also reference the song in this scene (Sofia and Roberto have to pose together in a photo-shoot while the music plays). The smokiness of the vocals, the seductive rhythm and suggestive lyrics perfectly captures the chemistry between Sofia and Roberto who are struggling to resist their scorching attraction to each other. It also happens to be one of my favourite songs.

About Only For Show

Enemies to chocolate lovers.

Sofia Beaumont and Roberto Conti’s relationship is only for show – a twisted fairytale manufactured for the Italian tabloids. But when the reclusive chocolatier unites with her family’s CEO playboy nemesis their sizzling chemistry is blatantly real. To Sofia’s alarm, her faux boyfriend is a seductive wolf in smoking hot sheep’s clothing; in Roberto’s embrace she’s in danger of losing all her senses.

Neither Roberto nor Sofia are prepared for the intense sexual awakening and emotional roller coaster as family loyalty collides with personal desire. Bound by their messy past, love of chocolate and forbidden attraction, the lines between fantasy and reality blur. But as the power of sensory memory unlocks devastating secrets to the past, will their chance at love be forsaken?

About Charlotte Marigold

Charlotte Marigold writes sexy contemporary romance for Escape Publishing (Harlequin Australia). In her passionate stories hot romance and seduction always lead to love.

Follow Charlotte Marigold online:

Buy Only for Show


Crowdfunding, News, Novellas

Cover Reveal: Duo Ex Machina Book 3 – Number One Fan

I’m delighted to reveal the cover for my third Duo Ex Machina novel, Number One Fan.

Duo Ex Machina Book 3: Number One Fan

It’s 2009 and Frank and Milo are in a new phase of their music career. They’re not where they thought they’d be: the violence they’ve witnessed and been subjected to has had consequences.

In spite of the traumas they’re dealing with, they are still making music. A new album has just been released and Frank is cutting his teeth as a producer for former pop princess, Gabriella Valli.

Then they start seeing strange messages from their Number One Fan. The trouble is that there are way too many candidates for the role.

The book is being serialised in fortnightly chapters on my Patreon. Once the final chapter is posted in April, the ebook will be prepared and published in partnership with Clan Destine Press.

I love Willsin’s work – he’s made a lot of my Clan Destine Press novel covers – and he’s created another fantastic cover for the Duo Ex Machina series. Thanks Willsin!

Willsin Rowe’s covers for books 1 and 2 of the Duo Ex Machina series.
News, Novels

Cover Reveal: Grounded

I revealed this cover a week ago to my Patreon supporters, and a few days later to my newsletter subscribers. Now for my blog readers – ta-da!

This is the gorgeous cover for my upcoming spec fic romance, Grounded, featuring Benedick Sasaki, one of the story’s love interests.

The blurb

In a world where flight is life, will two grounded people find other ways to fly?

When Benedick Sasaki’s wings are wounded in the line of duty, the former policeman doesn’t know if he has a place in a world where he can no longer fly.

Then he meets Clementine Torres, an artist born without wings and a vocal advocate for the flightless who has been subjected to recent hate mail and vandalism ahead of her new exhibition. As Clementine starts to teach Benedick new ways to appreciate the world on the ground, the threats against her art and possibly her life begin to escalate.

To survive, they will need to teach each other that not all beauty is in the air, and that both of them can soar without wings…

The edits have all been completed (my editor was a treat to work with!) and everything is set for Clem and Benedick’s story to come out on 20 March 2019 in ebook form.

Grounded is already available for pre-order at the following sites:

Novellas, Novels, Reviews

Narrelle’s summer reading reclist

While not everyone gets a break over summer, it’s always a good time for a reading recommendations list. And given I managed to read (as of 24 December) 159 books and novellas in 2018 (let’s see if I can make it 160 by NYE), I thought I’d share some of my favourites with you!

Seasonal delights

I don’t generally make a point of reading seasonal tales, but I’ve read a few that delighted me in different ways this year. If you’re looking for something a little different, may I present:

Merry Happy Valkyrie: A Holiday Novella by Tansy Rayner Roberts. It’s Christmas, Jim, but not as you know it. Norse mythology, Tasmanian snow in summer, secrets and a movie studio making Xmas schmaltz. What could possibly go wrong apart from, you know, everything? TRR never fails to be delightful, and she’s particularly and vividly charming with this gorgeous story!

Unchaining Krampus by JP Reedman. It’s Christmas. It’s a fairytale. It’s horror and demons and goblins and self rescuing princesses. It’s a hoot.

Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce by Brandon Witt. I discovered this author through the Facebook MM group I haunt. It was cute and a lot of fun to follow Paxton Peterson’s meticulous planning all go to ruin through a snowmobile accident and the delicious advent of a handsome neighbour.

The Miracle of the Lights by Cindy Rizzo. Christmas isn’t the only festival that can fall this time of year. Rizzo’s sweet story is about two Hasidic Jewish girls in love, losing each other and finding each other during Hanukkah in New York City.

Patreon Novellas

One of the reasons my count is so high is that I’ve been reading lots of wonderful shorts and novellas from the writers I support on Patreon. I love Seanan McGuire‘s fantasy work and every few months I get a new one.

Another joy is the work of Tansy Rayner Roberts – and I’ve sung songs to her before in this blog. For those who listen to podcasts (I never had time) Tansy podcasts many of her books before releasing the ebook, so you can get in ahead. A recent absolute gem is Tea and Sympathetic Magic, a sassy, smart, funny, brilliant regency-style story of. Well. Tea and sympathetic magic. Read an excerpt on Tansy’s website.

I don’t restrict myself to her Patreon stories – I’ve also this year loved to pieces her Creature Court prequel Cabaret of Monsters (backed through a Kickstarter), Girl Reporter (the latest in her superhero series), the  and all the parts of the Belladonna University series.

Basically, you will never go wrong with a Tansy Rayner Roberts story.

Young Adult fiction

This year I finally got to Ellie Marney’s Every series, and tore through Every Breath, Every Word and Every Move. Set in modern Australia, the stories are a clever reworking of Sherlock Holmes influences while also being their own thing entirely. Of course I love them.

Alex Marchant (who edited the recent Richard III collection, Grant Me the Carving of My Name) first came to my attention as the author of the very fine Ricardian YA adventures The Order of the White Boar and The King’s Man. I’m looking forward to a third in the series, and recommend the first two very highly.

Romance! Adventure!

I’ve adored Emily Larkin‘s work for a while now and loved The Spinster’s Secret, My Lady Thief and Primrose and the Dreadful Duke.

In a similar vein, I’ve discovered Erica Ridley – more sassy Regency heroines, thank you!

Rohase Piercy’s My Dearest Holmes was recently re-released, after being one of the first officially published Holmes/Watson love stories, back in 1988.

A twist on canon-era Holmes/Watson has just come out from Improbable Press – K. Caine’s A Study in Velvet and Leather. Holmes is a queer woman, Watson is a queer man: bisexuality is a thing, and so is BDSM in the Victorian era. I loved it.

Non-Fiction

I also read some wonderful non fiction –  the account of the Burke and Wills expedition is thoroughly examined in The Dig Tree by Sarah Murgatroyd.

Vikki Petraitas’s The Frankston Murders is an account of the murders that took place in Frankston in 1993 – compassionate and thorough, with a focus on the women who died and their families and communities.

Transgender Warriors : Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman by the late Leslie Feinberg and Strangers: Homosexual Love in the 19th Century by Graham Robb are both a little difficult to get, not being available in ebook form, but I learned a huge amount from both of them for current and upcoming books, and I recommend them thoroughly.

That’s probably more than enough to be getting on with! If you have any recommendations of your own, please let me know in the comments!

Wherever you are, whatever you celebrate at this time of year, my very best wishes to you all, and my hopes that this whole planet has a happy, hopeful, sunshiney new year.