Interview with Author Caroline Linden and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome back to the blog the lovely Caroline Linden. Caroline is gearing up to for the release of her newest book The Way to a Duke's Heart and has stopped by to answer a few burning questions. =) Before I get to the interview, let's learn a bit about her.

Caroline Linden knew from an early age she was a reader, but not a writer. Despite an addiction to Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew, she studied physics and dreamed of being an astronaut. She earned a math degree from Harvard College and then wrote software for a financial services firm, all the while reading everything in sight, but especially romance. Only after she had children, and found herself with only picture books to read, did she begin to make up a story of her own. To her immense surprise, it turned out to be an entire novel--and it was much more fun than writing computer code. Seven years, eight books, two Red Sox championships, and on dog later, she has never been happier with her decision. She lives with her family in New England.

Place to find Caroline:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
I am very boring (says my teenage daughter). I love to bake (and eat) cookies. I like to plant things in my garden, but they often die. I love my dog, who keeps my feet warm when I write, but who also digs holes in my garden and kills my plants. I like adventure movies (BOURNE LEGACY! SKYFALL! Can't wait!) but not horror flicks. I like the beach, but I am not going in the water unless it is crystal blue 80 degree Caribbean water.

Did you always want to be a writer?
Oh no, not at all! I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a kid. Science and math were my interests, although reading was always my 'fun' activity. I was a nerdy girl. :-) Writing was something I actively avoided until after college.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
A strange mixture of both. It tends to vary, book by book, which way things go. Sometimes I write incredibly detailed outlines and just follow them, and sometimes I have only a hazy mishmash of things that will probably happen in some order.

Where do your ideas come from?
Well, I used to say I got my best ideas in the shower. But really they come from everywhere, sometimes just a random little bit of info that I file away for future use, sometimes the basis of a whole book. Ideas just appear in my head. I don't always know why, but I hope they don't stop!

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
Charlie could be the next duke--but he has to prove it. Tessa is all business--until Charlie sets his sights on her.

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
I love books with some suspense, some adventure, some romance. A mystery or puzzle to solve is always good. Humor makes books awesome, and if it makes me cry a little, well, that's generally good, too.

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
My favorite romance novel is THEN CAME YOU by Lisa Kleypas. The heroine jumps off a boat. She paints a snake on herself. She ties the hero to her bed...and leaves him there for a while. Yum!

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
There's no one kind of scene that's always hard. If a scene is really hard to write, that usually means I should go write something else until it's ready. Every time I try to force my way through a scene, I end up deleting it the next day as the most dreadful piece of crap ever written. So, as you might guess, I write my books way out of order: sometimes the ending is the first thing I write.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Eve Silver, Tessa Dare, and Sarah MacLean. They are all very funny and very smart. I think we would shut the bar down.

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
This summer I started a book about Joan, the cousin of Mariah, the heroine from A VIEW TO A KISS. I always liked Joan--snarky, slightly off-color sense of humor, and with a weakness for dessert. I'm having a lot of fun with it.

Charles de Lacey, Lord Gresham, is running out of time, running from his responsibilities, and running from love.

Destined to be a duke, Charles de Lacey has led a life of decadent pleasure, free of any care for propriety or responsibility. It comes as a terrible shock to learn that he might be stripped of everything, thanks to his father's scandalous past. He has no choice but to find the blackmailer who would ruin him—and his only link to the villain is a woman who may be part of the plot…

To save his fortune and title, he vows he'll stop at nothing—in fact, he's all too eager to unravel the beautiful, tart-tongued Tessa Neville. She intrigues him and tempts him like no other lady ever has. With only his heart to guide him, and keenly aware that his entire future is at stake, Charles must decide: is she the woman of his dreams, or an enemy in disguise?

Places to Purchase:

| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | 

Check out the other books in The Truth About the Duke series:

Click on cover for more info. 

2 lucky commenters (International Shipping Available) will win a copy of I Love The Earl

To Enter:

• Leave a meaningful comment or question for Caroline. 
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

Good Luck =)

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