In the last three or four years, both the Harlequin Romance and the Harlequin Presents/Mills& Boon Modern series have been enlived by the arrival of wonderful new authors.Abby Green, one of the latest acquisitions for the Presents/Modern series, has lived all her life in Dublin and her day-job, as an assistant director in the film industry has undoubtedly strengthened those essentials needed by every writer; the ability to let her imagination soar and the absolute requirement to battle on through mud, storm, hail and fire when everything is against you.
The successful writer of popular commercial fiction is the writer who turns up every morning and puts in a full days work, ignoring backache, rsi, and every distraction that family and friends can throw in his or her way. And Abby does that twice over.
Many, many congratulations on this new career, Abby. I admire you more than you can possibly know.
Abby...
First of all a big thanks to Liz for inviting me to blog in this special year of celebrating fifty books! Wow, fifty books. It makes my mind boggle, especially as I’ve only just completed number seven. That’s just another, oh, forty-three to go. The sheer scale of Liz’s achievement and success is something amazing to aspire to and I think if I manage to make it halfway to fifty books I’ll be very happy!I have a book out this month, Bought for the Frenchman’s Pleasure and it mixes a few of my favourite things: romance, obviously; Ireland as I’ve set pieces of the story here; an arrogant but devilishly sexy French hero and an Irish heroine who is close to my heart as I’m Irish.
I was able to draw on a lot of friends for inspiration for my heroine as I have quite a few who share her colouring, that very distinctive Celtic pale skin, dark dark black hair and blue eyes. It was such fun dreaming up the characters and thinking of the various situations to put them in. And untimately giving them a happy ending, despite all the odds.
Sorcha opened her mouth, to try and say something, to reach him and he took advantage, driving his mouth down on hers, full of pent up aggression and anger. Hatred. Sorcha’s hand had come up to his to try and take it away and in her shock she left it there. His words were swirling in her head but all she could feel was him, wrapping his arms around her again, his tongue dancing erotically with hers. He was relentless, a master of her senses and she could do nothing but succumb, even as she felt a tear trickle out form under one eyelid and down her cheek.
After a long, long moment Romain pulled back with a jerky violent movement and looked down. He shook with reaction, to what he’d just revealed, to what he’d found on Sorcha’s person, and most of all to the way she was making him feel. To the way she held his body in her spell. He could see wetness on her cheek where a lone tear had left its mark and instead of inciting concern, he welcomed the hardness that settled in every bone. She was looking up at him with those big eyes. Lips trembling, plump from his kiss. And he would have her. Even though it went against every moral principle he’d held dear. Even though he’d hate himself. Because he couldn’t not.
‘You asked what I’m going to do Sorcha…well this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to take your delectable body when I’m good and ready. And I’m going to sate myself with you, burn myself free of this desire I feel.’Sorcha swallowed painfully, her head and insides in absolute chaotic turmoil. ‘But…you mean you’re not going to send me home?’
He shook his head and a cruel smile touched his mouth. ‘No way. At this stage that would cost me money…’ he trailed a finger down her cheek and around her jaw. ‘And cost me my sanity. You’re going to finish the job…as my mistress…’I’d love to know if any of your friends or acquaintances have ever inspired you for a story, either in the way they looked at a certain time that led you to imagine her/him as a heroine/hero, or by the jobs they do, or the lives they lead? I find my friends a constant source of inspiration, not that I’d tell them of course! And usually by the time the book is written, the piece or thing that inspired me in the first place is much changed from the reality. But I’d love to hear your experiences and I've a signed copy of the book for the one that floats my boat!
In the meantime, congratulations again to Liz, and here’s wishing her all the best for the next fifty books which I’ve no doubt we’ll be celebrating in the future.
Great question, Abby. I can't wait to read the comments, but in the meantime, for more information about Abby, her books, her life, you can visit her website here
