2011 Golden Heart winner Máire Claremont first fell in love with Mr. Rochester, not Mr. Darcy. Drawn to his dark snark, she longed to find a tortured hero of her own… until she realized the ramifications of Mr. Rochester locking his frst wife up in his attic. Discovering the errors of her ways, Máire now looks for a real-life Darcy and creates deliciously dark heroes on the page. Oh, and she wants everyone to know her name is pronounced Moira. Her parents just had to give her an Irish Gaelic name.
Website: http://www.maireclaremont.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MaireClaremont
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaireClaremont
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/maireclaremo
Welcome Maire and thank you for coming to visit Stitch Read Cook!
1. What inspired you to write about the Victorian era?
I adore the contrasts. The absolute morality of the time veiled so much going on underneath. It was a time of secrets. And on a shallow note, I adore the gowns.
2. Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I have a master’s degree in drama. Yep, drama. I love directing and have actually won awards. My very favorite is Shakespearian outdoor theater and greek drama.
3. What authors have influenced you?
Meredith Duran and Elizabeth Hoyt. I adore them both. Such fabulous writing.
4. What are you working on right now? Can you give us a sneak peek into your current WIP?
I just turned in Lady in Red, the sequel. It features Mary, a character in The Dark Lady. I adore her and can’t wait until she gets to show just what she can do.
5. What book is at the top of your "must read" list?
Elizabeth Hoyt’s Lord of Darkness. I want to read it SO badly, but have been so busy with edits. It will be my big reward when I’m done.
Quick & Easy:
Hero or Bad Boy? Oh, bad boy. I adore anti-heros. I love to see them make the journey from notorious to heroic.
Wallflower or Belle of the Ball? Wallflower. I love powerful women, but I must admit, seeing a woman make it from the sidelines to the center is one of my favorite things.
Read or Writing? Writing. I love the characters inside my head. They’re my best friends. Shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell. :D
Reality or Fiction? Fiction. I love the drama and scope and the HEA’s that don’t often happen in real life.
Love at First Sight or Second Chances? I adore second chances. We all make mistakes and deserve the chance to make it right.
Scandal or Intrigue? Intrigue. A good mystery makes my day.
Plotter or Panster? Panster. I never know where my books are going when I start.
Paperbacks or E-books? I still read paperback and don’t own an e-reader, but I think E is the future.
Coffee or Tea? COFFEE. I used to be a total tea drinker, but now I am a coffee addict.
Author's Choice: What do you want to ask the readers?
I’d love to ask the readers, what makes the perfect hero? Does he need to be a white knight or can he have made some very bad mistakes? Should he be the heroine’s biggest cheerleader???
Thank you so much for having me. ;-D
The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor....
Lord Ian Blake has returned from India a broken man. Years ago, he pledged to Lady Eva Carin — his childhood companion and " first love — that he would bring her husband back alive. His failure haunts him. But even his jade soul can’t anticipate the shocking sight of beautiful, independent Eva confined in a madhouse....
Locked in an asylum, forgotten by society, Eva is adrift in both body and mind. For Ian to break her free, they must cross a powerful enemy — and prove her sanity to England’s unforgiving aristocracy. But the biggest danger of all may come when the secrets of Eva’s tragic past are finally unlocked....
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Lady-Novel-Passions/dp/0451417992
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Lady-Passions-ebook/dp/B008BM4N0W
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-lady-maire-claremont/1111518783?ean=9780451417992
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dark-lady-maire-claremont/1111518783?ean=9781101609323
Excerpt: http://www.maireclaremont.com/#!the-dark-lady-excerpt/ctw6
GIVEAWAY
Open to residents of the US only. No PO Boxes please.
Must be 18 or older.
To enter, leave a comment answering Marie’s question:
“What makes the perfect hero? Does he need to be a white knight or can he have made some very bad mistakes? Should he be the heroine’s biggest cheerleader???”
Don’t forget to leave your email address!
example: emailaddress (at) gmail (dot) com
Ends: Feb 24th, midnight EST
I think a perfect hero can be a white knight, but most of the time he is more interesting if he has made mistakes or has some flaws to overcome before he is ready for the girl. As for the cheerleader part, he should definitely be in her corner & willing to fight for her.
ReplyDelete(sharlenewegner@hotmail.com)
ReplyDeleteI think the hero should have made some mistakes, be slightly tortured or have some flaws. He shouldn't be perfect. He should definitely fight for the heroine and help her any way he can.
ReplyDeletee.balinski(at)att(dot)net
No, he doesn't have to be perfect. I've always enjoyed bad boys in my reading. But he should be loyal and having a sense of humor helps too lol.
ReplyDeletecatslady5(at)aol.com
I like the hero to be a bit of a bad boy, who eventually ends up being redeemed by falling in love. Nobody is perfect, and I love to follow his journey to redemption.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this chance to win. I'd love to read "The Dark Lady". :-)
I think he needs to be imperfect, bad boy, and alpha and cares and supports the heroine.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
I really like imperfect characters, both for the hero and heroine. They are just much more realistic since no one is perfect. I enjoy watching them make mistakes, learn & grow. As long as they are respectful (no abuse, no cheating, etc) a bad boy is definitely more appealing that the white knight who does everything right all the time. I do want them to be respectful and encouraging, dependable and caring of others, especially their heroine.
ReplyDeletemanning_J2004 at yahoo dot com
I love flawed imperfect heroes. They make it even harder to dislike them because they are so...real? They can even be a white knight but in disguise as a dark night. ouuuu~. They don't necessarily have to be a cheerleader but they should still back her up.
ReplyDeletekp_kazamei(at)yahoo(dot)com
DeleteI think the perfect hero for me would be a healthy combo of all three: white knight, has made mistakes and a cheerleader. However I like a hero who can support the heroine but not be dominated by her.
ReplyDeletelorih824 at yahoo dot com
I think the perfect hero is real. He makes mistakes, but he tries to fix them. He can be the white knight, but I think he could also be a reformed villain. I like to see someone who evolves throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteAquarianDancer at gmail dot com
The perfect hero is that men that has made some mistakes and now his only wish is to save people or to make them a small joy to compensate what he has done bad.A perfect hero is good,kind,friendly,allways there when you need him.
ReplyDeleteI think the perfect hero for me would be one that has made mistakes and is still and white knight also.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
A flawed not perfect hero is who I like to read about, especially if the heroine shows them the errors of their ways! This one looks good. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletemlawson17 at hotmail dot com
I like my heroes to be human - that means not perfect, but I do like some white knight tendencies and to support the heroine.
ReplyDeletesallans d at yahoo dot com