Interview/Giveaway: Against the Wind by Regan Walker

AGAINST THE WIND

By

Regan Walker

Blurb:  

A night in London’s most exclusive bordello. Agent of the Crown Sir Martin Powell would not normally indulge, but the end of his time spying against Napoleon deserves a victory celebration. Yet, such pleasure will not come cheap. The auburn-haired courtesan he calls “Kitten” is in truth Katherine, Lady Egerton, a dowager baroness and the daughter of an earl as elusive as she is alluring. She flees a fate worse than death. But Martin has known darkness, too, and he alone can touch her heart—as she has touched his. To the English Midlands they will steal, into the rising winds of revolution.

Excerpt:

“Is making love something you do not wish to do?” he said. “As I recall, you seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.” Then, more tenderly: “Besides, I have missed you, Kitten.”

“No…I cannot. I am not your…your…” She could not bring herself to say the word. Their one night together had been a wonderful, amazing, and yes, passionate experience, but it could never happen again. She had escaped for one dreadful night into a dream. Into his arms. As much as she wanted those around her again, wanted to lie with him, she could not allow it. This was not who she was. Not who she was raised to be.

Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her against him. The heat from his broad chest overwhelmed her as she stared into indigo eyes now stormy with desire. “You opened a door, Kitten, I’m unwilling to close.”

Interview:

To get started can you tell us what you are working on or have coming out?

I’m finishing my last book in the Agents of the Crown, a Regency trilogy. The idea came from my early love of mysteries and spy stories and my knowledge that all branches of government have their own agents. It wasn’t much of a stretch to conceive of the Prince Regent asking a few of his subjects to take on “special assignments.” Kings have been doing it for centuries. Hence my trilogy features heroes who have been asked by the Prince Regent to take on a unique task. First there was Racing With The Wind, and the British Lord who masqueraded at the Nighthawk, the thief of Napoleon’s secrets. Then there is my current release, Against the Wind, the story of Sir Martin Powell, the agent for the Crown in France who has come home to England for one last assignment and gets embroiled in the Pentrich Rebellion of 1817. The 3^rd in the trilogy—Wind Raven--takes place on a schooner and in the Caribbean and features a rakish sea captain, the brother of the hero in book 2. There will also be an intriguing secondary character, a pirate who plied the seas around Puerto Rico. I’m writing it now.

Which genre do you write and is it your favorite?

I write historical romance and likely always will—and yes, it is my favorite to read as well. The research behind the stories fascinates me. Each of my own stories will have some history or historical person, or both. Initially, I chose to write Regency romance because of a curiosity about all that was going on in France and England during that period in history. But I also have a medieval that is half done, The Red Wolf’s Prize, that I’ll be finishing after the trilogy. I was an avid reader and reviewer in the genre before I became an author and still maintain a blog for lovers of historical romance where I help readers find the keepers. You can see Regan’s Romance Reviews here: http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com.

What inspired your latest book?

I was listening to a Ricky Martin song, “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely” and the scene of Kit in the bordello came to me, a young woman whose life has been shattered standing before a window, bathed in moonlight, staring out into the night, a “broken arrow.” She hears a voice behind her, a man in the shadows, saying “Come to me.” My mind wondered, “What could make a young woman find herself at such a point?” And from that I wrote the novel.

Do you have a place you dream of traveling to and why?

Yes, I do. I think I’d like to see more of Scotland and Ireland, this time with more emphasis on the history. I’ve been to the British Isles several times, but my heart longs to see them again. There are some places in the world when you visit them you know you leave a part of your heart behind. Such is Scotland for me. Perhaps it’s in my genes, I don’t know. And though I’ve traveled to over 40 countries, there is one country I’ve not been to I’d like to see: Morocco. It’s exotic but modern and it has an interesting history. It was a place one of my heroes, Winston Churchill, found interesting.

Does travel play in the writing of your books?

Yes. I want my readers to feel like they’ve had an adventure, been somewhere new and met interesting people, as well as experienced love. So setting is very important to me and likely it always will be. It is rare I like a book the whole of which is set in one place. My first book took my readers to Paris in 1816, my second (and current release) to the Midlands of England in 1817 and my third will take them to the Caribbean in 1817—all Regencies but with a historical twist!

About the Author:

As a child Regan Walker loved to write stories, particularly about adventure-loving girls, but by the time she got to college more serious pursuits took priority. One of her professors thought her suited to the profession of law, and Regan realized it would be better to be a hammer than a nail. Years of serving clients in private practice and several stints in high levels of government gave her a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown” on its subjects. Hence her romance novels often involve a demanding Prince Regent who thinks of his subjects as his private talent pool.

Regan lives in San Diego with her golden retriever, Link, whom she says inspires her every day to relax and smell the roses.

Links:

Website               Blog            Twitter

Giveaway:

Regan will be awarding either Racing with the Wind OR Lunchbox Romances that tie into the triology,The Holly and the Thistle and The Shamrock and the Rose (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Please comment with a VALID email address.