Interview with Author Danelle Harmon and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author, Danelle Harmon. Danelle is currently on tour and has stopped by to answer some questions as well as chat about The Wild One, book one in her de Montforte Brothers Series. Before we get to all of that, lets get to know a bit about Danelle.

Multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author Danelle Harmon is the author of ten books, previously published in print and distributed in many languages throughout the world. A Massachusetts native, she married her English husband while living in the United Kingdom, and both now make their home in Massachusetts with their daughter Emma and numerous animals including four dogs, an Egyptian Arabian horse, and a flock of pet chickens.

Places to find Danelle:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
Hello, there! I'm Danelle Harmon, and I'm a multi-published, bestselling historical romance author. After a ten-year sabbatical where I took time out to be a mom and pursue some other interests, I'm returning to writing, and am in the process of bringing out all of my books, previously published in print by Avon, as e-books for Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers. What an exciting new world! I'm also an artist and avid animal-lover with four dogs, a horse, chickens, and a tankful of fish, and I do a lot of volunteer work for animal rescue, but since we're here to talk about books. . . .

Did you always want to be a writer?
It was always on my radar, though not with specific intention. I wrote and illustrated many stories as a child and as a teen, but I always thought my career path would take me to veterinary school.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
I must confess that I don't know what a "Panster" is! But my books are carefully and tightly plotted, and I like to know where I'm going before I get too far into a new work. Usually, I envision the ending long before I've finished writing the beginning!

Where do your ideas come from?
Many places! I love to use setting as a springboard for both characters and plot, and living here in New England, immersed in history, there's no shortage of story ideas. I also lived in England for a while (my husband is from southwest London), and it was while living there, in Abingdon-on-Thames (a little town just south of Oxford … famous as the home of the MG car!) that I came up with the idea for the de Montforte Brothers series. I did, in fact, write THE WILD ONE while still living in England … Abingdon itself is featured as a setting for the last third of the book.

Can you describe your book (or series).
The de Montforte Brothers series is set largely in Georgian England during the 1770s and follows the adventures and love stories of four gorgeous aristocratic brothers, headed by the eldest, Lucien, the Duke of Blackheath. Each brother has been given a nickname by the locals which is also the title of his book: Lord Gareth, the ne'er do well black sheep of the family, is THE WILD ONE; Lord Charles, the brave and noble soldier, is THE BELOVED ONE; Lord Andrew, the gifted, reclusive inventor, is THE DEFIANT ONE, and the duke, who spends the series manipulating his brothers into marriage with cunning delight, finally gets his comeuppance in his tale, THE WICKED ONE. Though each book can be read as a stand-alone, I think they are best enjoyed read in order in the series.

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
I love a well-told tale, but find myself gravitating toward fiction — including romance — set in England's Georgian era and the corresponding American colonial era. It was a fascinating time!

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
Of my own titles? I must confess that I'd be hard-pressed to choose amongst my work, and an even harder time choosing between these four brothers! I love them all for different reasons, and all were fun, challenging, and very rewarding to write.

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
Complex, emotional scenes are the ones I find hardest — not because of any technical issues, but because I really tend to throw myself into my characters, and if they're feeling something and going through the wringer, I'm going to feel it and go through the wringer right along with them. For example, while THE WILD ONE, the first book in the de Montforte Brothers series, was a fun, fast read based on the fact that the hero, Lord Gareth, was a lighthearted and charming fellow, the second book in the series (THE BELOVED ONE) was a much angstier, more complex book driven by the personal challenges faced by its more serious, and very tortured hero Lord Charles … and I suffered right along with him. Truth be told, I was exhausted by the time I finished writing that book, and as a result, I have a special soft spot for Lord Charles.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Can I choose more than three? I so love a dinner party! I would choose Joseph Girzone, who penned the Joshua series -- these books, especially the earlier ones, are amongst my most beloved treasures and came at a time when my personal faith was in need of some shoring up. I would round out the trio with romance authors (and dear friends) Julia Quinn, Candice Hern, Jennifer Jakes, and Kathryn Smith, all of whom were instrumental in setting me on this road to e-book publishing!

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
During the years of my sabbatical, I received many emails from readers asking me if Lady Nerissa (the youngest of the de Montforte siblings) would ever get her own book. I had thought I'd tied her story up at least somewhat well in THE WICKED ONE, but you know, the readers were right — there was still a tale to be told. And given the terrible ordeal that her beau, Lord Brookhampton, went through in that same book, I realized that he was going to need a lot of … work. I'm writing this book now, and am also in the process of re-releasing other titles in my backlist for e-readers, with hopefully a new book every month or so.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog -- it has been an honor!
-- Danelle Harmon

"The bluest of blood, the boldest of hearts; the de Montforte brothers will take your breath away."

England, 1776: Lord Gareth de Montforte is known as an irresponsible rake with a heart of gold. When he takes a bullet for boldly thwarting a stagecoach robbery, he is stunned to discover that the beautiful young woman he has heroically rescued, Juliet Paige, is his deceased brother’s American fiancée, accompanied by her infant daughter. Despite his brother the duke's refusal to acknowledge Juliet, Gareth is determined to do right by the courageous woman who crossed an ocean to give her baby her rightful name. But Juliet is wary of marrying this black sheep aristocrat, even while she is hopelessly charmed by the dashing devil. Never has she met anyone who embraces life so thoroughly, who makes her laugh, who loves her so well. And, even when it seems the odds are against them, Juliet has absolute faith that Gareth will go beyond the call of duty, risking his life itself to give her and her daughter a home — and a love that will last a lifetime.

**On sale for ONLY $0.99 at all eBook Retailers.**

Places to Purchase:

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo |

"Just what on earth are you doing, Lord Gareth?"

The way she said it made his cheeks warm with embarrassment. So he was a pillock. Who cared? Instead, he gave her his most devastating grin and said with cheerful earnestness, "Why, I have come to rescue you, of course."

"Rescue me?"

"Surely you didn't think I'd allow Lucien to banish you into obscurity, now, did you?"

"Well, I - The duke didn't ban-" She gave a disbelieving little laugh and leaned out the window, grasping the blanket tightly at her breasts. Her hair, caught in a long, dark braid, swung tantalizingly out over her bosom. "Really, Lord Gareth. This is ... highly irregular!"

"Yes, but the hour is late, and as it took me all day to find you, I was feeling rather impatient. I do hope you'll forgive me for resorting to such desperate measures. May I come in and talk?"

"Of course not! I - I cannot have a man in my bedroom!"

"Why not, my sweet?" He pushed aside a small, leafy twig in order to see her better and grinned cajolingly up at her. "I had you in mine."

She shook her head, torn between what she wanted to do - and what she ought to do. "Really, Lord Gareth ... your brother will never approve of this. You should go home. After all, you're the son of a duke and I'm just a — "

" — beautiful young woman with nowhere else to go. A beautiful young woman who should be a part of my family. Now, do collect Charlotte and your things, Miss Paige - I fear we must make haste, if we are to marry before Lucien catches up to us."

"Marry?!" she cried, forgetting to whisper.

He gazed at her in blank, perfect innocence. "Well, yes, of course," he said, clinging to the branch as it dropped another few inches. "Surely you don't think I'd be hanging out of a tree for anything less, do you?"

Check out the other books in The de Montforte Brothers series:

Click on cover for more info.

Want to win some goodies from Danelle? Check out what's up for grabs.

Up for grabs:

• 1 lucky commenter will win a eBook copy of The Beloved One.
• 1 lucky commenter from the ENTIRE tour will win a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

To Enter:

• Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Danelle. 
• Please leave your email address along with your comment to be entered. No email address, no entry.
• Giveaway ends August 3rd.

Good Luck =)