Reading Romances discussion

Here's my quick interview with author Alissa Johnson!

Alissa Johnson is a RITA-nominated author of historical romance. She grew up on Air Force bases and attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She currently resides in the Arkansan Ozarks where she spends her free time keeping her Aussie dog busy, visiting with family, and dabbling in archery.



Welcome to Reading Romances, Alissa! Let's begin getting to know your references a bit, when did you first start reading romance? Who are your favorite romance writers and their book that stands out the most for you?


I first started reading romance a few years after college, which is longer ago than I care to admit. One of the first books I tried was Julie Garwood’s Ransom. Then, naturally, I went on a Garwood bender. The great thing about coming to a genre late is that all your new favorite authors already have a backlist. Another favorites of mine is Lisa Kleypas’s, Dreaming of You.



What's unique about historical romance and why did you decide to write under this sub-genre?

There are too many advantages to writing historical romance to name them all. The ambience. Candlelight. Gaslight. Steam engines. Really awesome clothing.

I think what drew me, and continues to draw me, to the romance genre as a whole is the Happily Ever After. I love knowing that, no matter what, things will work out in the end. Until then, anything and everything is possible.



How to you like your heroes and heroines to be?

As a reader, the only traits I demand from my hero and heroines is that they be believable, relatable, and fun. I really want them to make me laugh. At least once.



Please tell us five fun facts about the The Thief-takers Series that readers would love to know!



1. I originally thought to set this series in the Regency era before bumping it up to the early 1870s.

2. When A Talent to Trickery starts, Lottie hasn’t spoken to Owen in eight years. If you asked both characters why Lottie is so angry, however, you’d get two different answers.

3. Lottie has a lot of useful skills, but riding a horse isn’t one of them.

4. Owen carries a double-barreled pistol.

5. The next book in the series, A Gift for Guile, comes out in June and features Sir Samuel Brass and Miss Esther Walker-Bales.



Which character is your favorite?


I don’t think I could choose between the heroine and hero. But of all the rest, I’d say Lottie’s younger sister, Esther, is my favorite. She’s a bit of a rogue.



If you could only describe a single scene to encourage someone to read your novel, which scene would you describe?

About quarter way into the book, Owen handcuffs Lottie to the bed.

Okay, it’s not for sex.

But there is intrigue, danger, and quite a lot of humor involved. It’s a fun scene.



What makes a romance novel a great love story?

The characters. It’s all about the people in romance.



What are you currently working on?

The third book in my Victorian-set Thief-takers series, currently titled A Dangerous Deceit. It’s Sir Gabriel Arkwright’s story.



This or That:

1. Alpha or Beta? Alpha
2. Wallflower or Belle of the Ball? Wallflower
3. Debutante or Spinster? Spinster
4. Virgin widow or Secret baby? Virgin widow
5. Titled peer or Working man? Oh, this one’s hard. Coin toss. Working Man.
6. Love at first sight or Second chances? Another coin toss. Love at first sight.
7. City or country? Country
8. Writing or Reading? Reading
9. Plotter or Pantser? Pantser


More about the book...

The Lady is a Thief

Years ago, Owen Renderwell earned acclaim-and a title-for the dashing rescue of a kidnapped duchess. But only a select few knew that Scotland Yard's most famous detective was working alongside London's most infamous thief...and his criminally brilliant daughter, Charlotte Walker.

Lottie was like no other woman in Victorian England. She challenged him. She dazzled him. She questioned everything he believed and everything he was, and he has never wanted anyone more. And then he lost her.
Now a private detective on the trail of a murderer, Owen has stormed back into Lottie's life. She knows that no matter what they may pretend, he will always be a man of the law and she a criminal. Yet whenever he's near, Owen has a way of making things complicated...and long for a future that can never be theirs.

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