jude devereaux Archives | Margaret Locke

Welcome to #WriterWednesday! We’re so glad you’re here.

What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than by bringing you a fellow female romance author? Today I’m thrilled to have J.L. Lora here, talking all about her writing life and her latest release, Boss.

I hope you grab a good snack or something to sip on and that you relax and enjoy this quick intro to J.L. Lora!

What inspires you to write?

Writing is the way I cope with everything in my head. I hear something in my head, a line, a conversation and that turns into a scene, a chapter and then a story and if I don’t write that, it will continue until I do.

Which type of romance do you love most, and why?

Romantic suspense. I love the idea of love developing in these high pressured situations and the danger stalks every corner and the hero/heroine should be worried about saving their lives but they have to also deal with this explosive attraction neither can fight.

Name one interesting thing you learned in researching/writing your last book:

I learned a little bit about some guns, police procedures, and some medical stuff I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Name two things people don’t know about you:

When I’m writing and I get stuck, I take two minute showers and that usually does the trick so sometimes I shower like five times a day.
I stopped watching baseball because I get too involved in the game and there’s a lot of screaming and hurling food at the TV.

What fellow romance author do you recommend reading, and why?

We all know the big names like Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I want to recommend my critique partner Cate Tayler’s book Love Me Now which is coming out in May and it’s a beautiful love story about a sassy young woman, a rebellious billionaire, and a pretend engagement.

What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?

I wish years ago, when I was in college, someone had told me that writing had nothing to do with life experience. That I should go ahead and start writing books but at the same time, I’m one of those firm believers in everything happens at the appropriate time. I’m more prepared mentally now to make the sacrifices I need to for a writing career.

What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?

This is a tough one. I have so many different ones and I am one of those people who misses characters so one day I wake up with the need to revisit those characters and have to pick up the book all over again. Yeah, you asked me a question. I can’t pick one, but here are some. Um, let’s see. Jude Deveraux’s Sweet Liar (Swoon!), Nora Robert’s Carolina Moon and Sweet Revenge, Julie Garwood’s Mercy, Amanda Quick’s Mistress, and Sandra Brown’s Mirror Images and Tidings of Great Joy.

A Bit About Boss:

Boss is the first in the Trinity Series. It debuted March 6, 2017. It’s a story about love, tragedy, empowerment, friendship and embracing oneself. It all begins with Alec and Carissa…

Determined to avoid the violence that claimed her family and friends, Carissa Elliott flees her hometown with a dangerous plan. She has proof that mafia boss Calum DeMateo killed her father—now she just has to catch him. To do so, she’ll have to transform herself from small-town ingénue to New York mafia queen.

When her path crosses with Alec McLean, the sexy stranger with whom she once shared a steamy nightclub kiss, things take an unexpected turn. Alec heads his family’s criminal organization, the kind of man Carissa should want nothing to do with. But he also has a plan to take down Calum, and the flames that flicker between them are irresistible.

Will their vengeful quests jeopardize their chance at lasting love?

Get Boss here:

A Bit About J.L.:

J.L. Lora was born in Dominican Republic and came to the United States just at the age of 13. Her goal in life was always to be a writer. As a child, she told stories to her family and friends and wrote fiction about historic figures. Today, her stories explore the dark side of good characters, people who are backed into corners and how they react to it. She loves strong heroines and their equally powerful love interests. She currently lives in Maryland while pursuing her dream of writing compelling, sexy, can’t-put-down stories about empowered, badass heroines and take-yourbreath-away heroes.

Want to connect further with J.L.? Find her here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Thanks so much for being here, J.L. Lora! It was a delight to share this time with you!

Last night I got to thinking about some of my favorite romance novels, and wondered, if anybody ever asked me, if I could narrow them down to an all-time Top Five. The task was quite challenging, but here’s my list:

1. Stardust of Yesterday by Lynn Kurland – At one time in my late 20’s, shortly after I married, I (stupidly) decided my romances should go. And so I gave all of them to the public library. All except this one. I just couldn’t bear to part with this book. It’s a time-traveling ghost story full of sweet, sweet romance. What’s not to love?

2. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux – Oh, yes. A Knight in Shining Armor. *swoon* An oldie (relatively speaking – it’s from the late 80s), but most definitely a goodie. I’m a sucker for time-travel romances, as evidenced by my first and second choices here, but not all writers pull them off with such grace and such memorable characters. I plead the fifth as to whether or not this book’s medieval knight MIGHT be one of the reasons I majored in medieval history in college and pursued that into doctoral studies…

3. The Secret Pearl – by Mary Balogh. Ah. I rediscovered this one a few years ago; once I began it I realized, with great delight, it was one I’d read years ago (hey, I have a really cruddy memory) and relished – but since I’d forgotten the title and the author, I didn’t think I’d ever find it again. Two scarred souls and the absolute brilliance in writing in terms of expressing deep emotional depth in and between the characters draws me back to this one again and again.

4. Sweet Love Survive – Susan Johnson. O.K., to be honest, I don’t remember the story much; Russian historicals don’t seem to be among my favorites for some reason. But once my passion (hee hee) for romances picked up again, I immediately searched for this one. Because what I DID remember were the scorching love scenes, especially for a romance from the 90s. So when I’m looking for more erotica-flavored romance, I often look to Susan Johnson.

5. Let Me Be The One – Jo Goodman. The Compass Club. I loved the Compass Club – the four men whose stories Jo Goodman told over a series of four books. But of all of them, this one is probably my favorite. I especially loved the hero, North. Now that I’ve listed it here, I think I’ll go dig it up again!

6. Twice Loved – LaVyrle Spencer. O.K., yes, I cheated. I went past 5. But I love, love, love LaVyrle Spencer, and she was one of the authors in the 1980s of whose books I just couldn’t get enough. I could list about any title here and have it be a favorite, but I remember this one with special fondness. If you don’t know Spencer, I urge you to read her. Let me know what you think.

I could, of course, list a zillion more authors. My favorites from my early years of reading romances included Catherine Coulter, Johanna Lindsey, Phoebe Conn, Constance O’Day Flannery, and the above-mentioned LaVyrle Spencer. Christina Dodd, Lisa Kleypas, Betina Krahn, Teresa Medeiros, Laura Kinsale. Oh yeah. I took a leave-of-absence from romances for the most part when my kids were very young, but my love for and addiction to the genre was reawakened when I discovered Julia Quinn. And then Eloisa James. And then Sabrina Jeffries. Now I have probably 200 (not kidding) unread romances sitting on my shelf, waiting to delight me with their tales of lust and troubles and ever-lasting love, including new authors I have yet to experience.

So many, many books. So not enough time.

If you have to winnow it down to YOUR five (or six) these-can’t-be-missed romance novels, which would you choose?