I’ve known Jane for quite a
while now on Facebook, and I’ve just been dying to see this story hit the
e-shelves. I couldn’t resist pre-ordering it as soon as it was available – I
loved the cover, title and blurb! Here it is, if you haven’t already seen it –
Book blurb – How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates
The 10 Date
Challenge
Day 1: Take one
loaded commitment-phobe explosives expert, embarking on the impossible–a
challenge to have ten dates with one woman.
Day 5: Add in a
fiercely independent and feisty burlesque teacher who has sworn off men.
Day 10: She’s so
not his type and he’s so not in her life-plan. But the heat is sizzling and the
attraction is explosive. And they’re fighting it all the way….
I’m really pleased she agreed
to pop by on her release day and answer some questions.
So Jane, if you’re ready,
here’s my How to Find Out More about Jane Linfoot in 10 Questions…
- Have you ever been out with an explosives expert (like the hero)? If not, what made you pick that as his career? Hi Susie, great to be here, thanks so much for having me, and from the look of this first question we’re going to have fun! I haven’t ever been out with an explosives expert - but I did have a next door neighbour who was one. He used to tell some brilliant stories about working in the quarry just along the lane from where we lived. I used this as the setting for the start of the book – I used to walk the dog in the field where Millie’s accident takes place. I loved the thought of a hero who had an unusual job, and fireworks and big bangs tied in perfectly with the ideas I had bouncing round my head about explosive attraction.
- Can you tell us a bit more about your time in France? Ahhh, France. It was such a lovely time. We swapped a Derbyshire cottage for a rural farm in Southern France, intending to get away from it all and live the dream. But one morning hoeing potatoes was enough for us to know we weren’t cut out to be full time farmers. I was lucky enough to be able to set up an architecture practice instead, and a local builder’s merchant down the road worked out that if I did the drawings for people, he could sell the materials for the building projects, so he brought me loads of work. I designed everything from new bungalows for local farmers, through to large country house restorations for wealthy English exiles. But I did miss home, and in the end I wanted the children to have the advantage of growing up in their own culture, so we came back to UK. We still have lots of friends over there, and visit as much as we can.
- It sounds like you live in a lovely part of the country, if you had a choice where would you choose to settle, there or somewhere else? I love living where I am, but I do enjoy moving too. And I’d love to live in London for a while. Anyone fancy a house swap?
- What comes first when you write a story? I have lots of ideas floating around, and the story takes off when I find the perfect combination of characters, setting, themes and title to fuse together. I’d never begin without strong characters though, because for me they are the story.
- Your heroine, Millie, is a feisty burlesque teacher (I love the sound of her already!), have you ever tried burlesque dancing, or do you know anyone who has? The closest I’ve come to Burlesque dancing is that I once got a pole dancing lesson for a Mothers’ Day present, but sadly, in the end, the class didn’t run. Probably a good thing, as I’m totally un-athletic – I’ve always wanted to be able to do cartwheels, and I’ve never been able to. My daughter does Burlesque dancing though, and the inspiration for Millie grew from that. It sounds great fun.
- Can you name five characteristics we’re likely to find in your heroes, and same for heroines? My heroines tend to be feisty, strong, unusual and sexy, and they always need a good sense of humour to cope with the heroes I throw at them. My heroes have to be hunky, have a great sense of humour, and be ultimately capable of total commitment, even if they’re running scared at the start. They tend to be tortured, and they love great sex, the hotter the better.
- Do you ever do the gardening in a bikini?! (Sorry, but the scene I read from the book had Millie in a skimpy one, so I had to ask!) My garden gets pretty over-grown with nettles and brambles – I blame it on over-enthusiastic spreading of horse manure in the days when we had a rescue pony – so if I’m doing serious jungle-busting I’ll do it in shorts and a vest. But if I’m wafting in the garden, and it’s hot enough, I’ll wear a bikini, especially in France. And yes, it’s as skimpy as they come. I do like an all-over line-free tan – but I have to be careful not to scare the postman!
- What’s your idea of a perfect day? I like every day to be perfect.
- Can you tell us anything about your next book? My next book is already with Harper Impulse, waiting for release. Readers may recognise it as my 2011 SYTYCW entry, Being Bad, but the final title hasn’t been decided yet. It features Shea, who turns up at Brando’s country manor house in a helicopter, having won a TV competition, to try out for the position of his wife. She’s got no intention of being anyone’s wife, she just wants to do some home organising, and grab a chance for a new start. And Brando’s appalled by the whole thing, so the sparks fly.
- If you weren’t a writer, what would be your next choice of career? Wow, another great question. I’d love to be a jewelry designer, a lingerie designer, or maybe work with animals. Looking after polo ponies sounds like something I’d enjoy. In reality I’d probably fall back on property restoration, because I do enjoy doing that and I have a lot of experience of it.
And before you run off, can
you share a little excerpt?
Excerpt –
Millie
jumped as she heard Ed’s voice reverberate through the house. What the heck was
he doing rocking up in the middle of the afternoon, and her in her skimpiest
bikini?
‘I
knocked, but you obviously didn’t hear, so I let myself in.’
And
then he was there, sauntering through from the house, talking to her, but not
looking at her face. Eyes all over everywhere else. Devouring.
‘Who
finishes work at three thirty?’
Not
that she wasn’t completely at ease with her body – she was. Just not at ease
with the way her skin sizzled under his scrutiny. She rubbed her nose with the
back of a gluey hand, playing for time as she worked out her next move. Diving
into the house to grab a vest would be preferable.
But
how to get past him? He was leaning languidly across the doorway, all tanned
brooding strength, eyes sootier than ever behind those amazing lashes,and
uncannily silent. She saw his jaw clench imperceptibly, his broad shoulders
shift.
A
guy with a habit of getting stuck in doorways. Again.
‘If
you’ll excuse me?’ She took one firm step towards him.
He
didn’t move. Simply stared. And swallowed.
‘Can
I pass please?’ She ignored the banging whack of her heart against her ribs,
dragged her eyes away from the unmistakable blue shadow of an erection, forging
against the denim of his jeans.
‘Of
course.’ His eyes narrowed. Then he went sideways, back still grazing the wall,
to make room, and his lips slid into the laziest of smiles. ‘Any time.’
She
hauled in a breath, hesitated, hardly trusting herself to pass him so close,
hating that her body was betraying her, fizzing with excitement.
She
needed to man up. What the heck was happening here? It was only one man, and
one doorway she needed to get through. What could be so difficult?
Fixing
her eyes firmly on the island unit in the kitchen, she set off.
Easy
as. Except just after she’d made it past him, he snagged her. Not hard, not
fiercely, hardly at all in fact, just the slightest graze of her forearm, then
his fingers gently locking around her wrist.
Enough to make her heart-beat crash to a
standstill, as her legs turned to hot syrup.
She
stopped, turned a fraction, and the unbearable scent of him knocked her off her
guard. As she rolled her eyes to meet his, she registered smoldering heat in
their dark chocolate depths.
And
the thought that any moment his mouth was going to come crashing down on hers.
‘Millie......?’
His voice was hoarse, gravelly.
Frozen as the goose-bumps raced up her arm,
nipples like..... ‘What?’
He
let her wrist drop, and he cleared his throat. ‘I brought cakes. Any chance you
could make some tea? ’
And
then there was nothing, except her hand, limp at her side.
As
if she’d imagined it, as if it hadn’t happened at all.
‘Actually
I’m just about to go out.’ And then she was in the kitchen, grabbing a t-shirt
from a kitchen stool and grappling her way into it.
A
gut reaction. There was plenty of time for tea, so why was she pretending there
wasn’t? Lashing out because she was disappointed? Or saving herself from
looking like a total fool when her over-active imagination made her think he
wanted her? Hearing his voice advancing as he came in from the courtyard, she
blurted out a hurried excuse.
‘Sorry,
I have classes this evening. I need to get ready. I should have said before.’
She shrugged, diffidently. ‘Some other time perhaps?’
‘When
are you back?’ His eyes narrowed, more calculating now than smoldering.
Despite
the blasts of hot air wafting from the courtyard, she shivered. ‘Nine.’
Suddenly
she wasn’t sure she trusted herself to be around him any more. The more
infuriating she found him in real life, the more she ached for a piece of him.
She hated her body for playing tricks on her. No way could she be interested in
any man right now, without de-railing her life-plan. She needed to get a grip
on reality, she was a million miles away from ready for another guy. She had
her priorities, and more to the point, she had her self-preservation instinct
firmly in place. No guy, no matter how much animal magnetism he exuded, would
be allowed to distract her and make her drop her guard.
‘Catch
you later then!’ He was sauntering towards the door as airily as he had
sauntered in. One cheery wave, one disgusting, tummy flipping, laid-back smile,
and he was out of her hair. Easy peasy. But something about the set of his jaw
made it sound like a threat not a promise.
***
Buy
links – Amazon
Thanks for stopping by Jane,
and good luck with How to Win a Guy in 10 Dates, I can’t wait to read it – and
find out how she does it!!
Where can your readers find you?
Author Page Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaneLinfoot2
Personal Page Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jane.linfoot
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janelinfoot -
@janelinfoot
Website: http://www.janelinfoot.co.uk/
Watch out for my Tasty Book
Tours 21 Date Blog Review Tour, starting on 9th September! Thanks to the
wonderful Lisa Filipe for organising this! http://www.tastybooktours.com/
About Jane -
I’m Jane
Linfoot, and I write fun, flirty fiction, with feisty heroines and a bit of an
edge.
I live in a
mountain kingdom in Derbyshire, England, where my family and pets are kind
enough to ignore the domestic chaos – happily, we’re in walking distance of a
supermarket. For me, writing romance is cool because I get to wear pretty shoes
instead of wellies. I love hearts, flowers, happy endings, all things vintage,
most things french. When I’m not on facebook, and can’t find an excuse for
shopping, I’ll be walking, or gardening. On days when I want to be really
scared, I ride a tandem.
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