Interview with romance author Virginia Barlow

Romance author Virginia Barlow is helping me kick of a new year by chatting with me about her new historical holiday romance novel, On This Christmas I Thee Wed.

During her virtual book tour, Virginia will be giving away a digital copy of A Lilli by Any Other Name to a randomly drawn participant. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be. Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.

She loves to write steamy romances whether fantasy, historical, or contemporary, all are liberally spiced with adventure and sensual, seductive heroes. Her heroines are just as compelling with equal parts intelligence, sass, and backbone. They give as good as they get whether saving their man’s life or responding to his heated kisses, they’re all in.

The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next love story. Virginia has published fifteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling around inside her head eager to make their debut.

Welcome, Virginia. Please tell us about your current release.
On This Christmas I Thee Wed is a story about a young woman who risks social ruin to find happiness. Leaving the most eligible bachelor in London is no small thing. And Lady Lavinia Holbrook plans to be in Scotland before her father discovers her location. She did not take into account the handsome duke and his heated kisses, and finds fate has other ideas about her future.

What inspired you to write this book?
The last book I wrote for The Calhan Bride Series, the groom left the bride at the altar. I switched it around with this one.

Excerpt from On This Christmas I Thee Wed:
His mother had nothing to do but plot his matrimonial demise and design a nursery for his progeny.

God. Though he loved her with all his heart, why wouldn’t she accept his decision to remain a bachelor?

Lavinia’s voice played in his head.

There, neither Papa nor the viscount can order me to do anything I don’t want to do.

He understood her frustration, but even Scotland wouldn’t save him from his mother. The woman had a tenacious streak to rival Satan’s.

And who the hell was the viscount? He knew of no scandal involving Lavinia.

Her voice continued.

I refuse to be some man’s broodmare, impregnated and discarded…

Snorting, he wanted to add his discontent to being a…What would a man forced to sire a child be called, anyway? A brood sire?

He chuckled. Discarded like a settee in the parlor.

Forgotten until the lord required someplace to sit. The girl used amusing analogies, he thought. But if she were his, he wouldn’t be sitting on her. Nay, she would be atop him. The memory of her soft body in his arms made him rigid.

Shifting in his seat to ease his ardor, he remembered her mentioning being abducted by a Scot and taken to the highlands to ravish. Then her voice went all dreamy and soft as if ravishment by a highlander were every girl’s fantasy.

His lips tightened as he swung his chair around to stare out the window, steepling his fingers in thought.

English lords were much better lovers and far superior in every other avenue. What the devil did she have against them?

What exciting project are you working on next?
I am in the process of writing the eldest Calhan brother’s story for my Calhan Brides Series.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I didn’t consider myself a writer until I held my first published book in my hands. I will never forget the feeling.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I do not write full time to my sorrow. I am an executive assistant to the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company. So, I am pretty busy. I do find time to write at night, over the holidays, and on the weekends.