Helen Lacey With A Giveaway Of MARRIAGE UNDER THE MISTLETOE!

We invited author Helen Lacey for a visit and she came bearing gifts! Helen around the web:

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Life, Love & Family …….. What makes a Harlequin Special Edition book so special?

When I read my first Harlequin Special Edition book I was immediately drawn to the series. I liked the home town feel and strong sense of community in the stories. And I particularly loved the heroes – from the CEO’s to the ranchers and cops and single dads. The characters always seem ‘real’ to me, like they could be someone I know, maybe a relative or friend. From Karen Templeton’s recovered alcoholic hero in Baby I’m Yours to RaeAnne Thayne’s veteran amputee heroine in Dancing In The Moonlight – these kind of emotionally fraught characters and deeply touching themes translate throughout the pages. Many of these characters live an ordinary life, but are challenged by extraordinary circumstances on their way to finding that happily ever after.

I also like getting to know the extended family of these characters – their parents, children and brothers and sisters, many of whom end up with their own story down the track. Pets too can often have a role in a Special Edition book. Since the tag-line for this series is Life, Love & Family, it’s not surprising that families and pets play such an important part in the stories … because they play such a vital role in our real life.

When I start writing a new book, I try to keep my characters ‘in the box’ so to speak. By that, I mean I try to keep them real. Because I spend many, many months with these people in my head, I have to enjoy their company. When I started writing my current release, Marriage Under The Mistletoe, it wasn't long before I had a little crush on my hero, Scott Jones. Not only because in my writers imagination he looked like Ryan Reynolds, but because he was a genuinely nice guy. Perfectly flawed, of course, but nice.  And my heroine, Evie, quickly became someone I would want to have as a friend. From there, it was easy to give them a much deserved happy ending.

So, do you prefer your romance reads to be small-town or big city? I have a copy of Marriage Under The Mistletoe to give away to one commenter.

Strong. Sensible. Dependable. That was Evie Dunn's type. Certainly not young, fearless gorgeous firefighter Scott Jones. She knew the wisest course was to keep her distance, but she couldn't resist the allure of a holiday fling. Now the widowed single mom found herself with an unexpected post-Christmas gift—she was having Scott's baby!

Scott came to Crystal Point to see his sister tie the knot, not fall for the alluring owner of the town's oceanfront B and B. He knew he was all wrong for Evie, but he would do anything to win her heart and build the family he'd always wanted. All he had to do was persuade Evie to take the biggest risk of her life…on love.

Read an Excerpt


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