#Interview with Jess Michaels of An Affair in Winter

Lexi: Our guest had stopped by with her release of THE OTHER DUKE and talked about the kinds of characters she likes to read and write. Her heroines are our kind of women! And we are excited to have her back today to talk about her new release, AN AFFAIR IN WINTER! Welcome Jess Michaels!

Oh my gosh, has it been that long since I came by? A lot has happened since THE OTHER DUKE came out in January 2015! Lots of books and I hit the USA Today bestseller list three times. Phew! I’m so happy to be here!!

Lexi: Historical Romance is one of my go to genres so I am very intrigued by the blurb in AN AFFAIR IN WINTER. Two people share a hot night thinking they’ll never see one another again. A fairly straightforward plot but you throw all kinds of complicated in when the next day they realize their siblings are engaged. Did you have a sense of freedom from your characters when you wrote their first night together?

Oh yes! I love that kind of “wrong bed”/one night stand sort of set up, but you see it more often in contemporary romance. So it was really fun to take that into a historical setting. The scene between Gray and Rosalinde that first night was the impetus for this entire series, so it was so much fun to put them in a room, rip away inhibition and let them surrender.

Lexi: Oh the things people will do when they think they will never see someone again. Which also gives us some insight to Rosalinde. She is a willing party to their hot night. What was it like to write down Rosalinde’s feelings when she saw Grayson again after their hot encounter?

The first thing they say to each other when they’re alone is “did you know” so they start from a place of real suspicion, it put them at a lot of odds with each other, which creates so much tension. Here you have spent this wildly passionate night together and felt such a connection with a stranger and suddenly you’re on opposite sides. So you both want and struggle with each other. I loved writing that balance.

Lexi: Your writing style stands out and has historical romance fans hooked. Your characterization and ability to weave more than one plot into the story keep us coming back for more. AN AFFAIR IN WINTER is the beginning of a new series, correct? Do you have the entire series plotted out beyond book two which sounds like it will be Cecilia’s?

I do! I had to really have a strong idea of every story so that their connections are strong. Celia’s book is fully written and in the final stages of editing and I love her and her hero. And I just started Stenfax’s book (Gray’s brother). And that leaves me with Felicity.

Lexi: Another aspect you are good at is writing your secondary characters which in this case is family. Family dynamics are so much fun and you have some family tensions running pretty high in this book. Strong minded people have strong opinions. How much of what happens in AN AFFAIR IN WINTER will impact the next book? Should readers read this book in order to follow the next one?

There’s a lot of impact from each book to each book in this series, but I always try to write my books so you CAN read them out of order, but you’ll probably enjoy them more if you DO read them in order. The situation with Stenfax and Celia’s engagement will have rippling effects across the rest of the books.

Lexi: However you make the book magic happen we are thankful for it. Congrats on the release of AN AFFAIR IN WINTER! Thank you for coming back, Jess and we will eagerly be waiting for your next release!

Thanks so much! I hope you guys will LOVE An Affair in Winter and the new series! It’s a good place to start if you haven’t read me before!

An Affair in Winter

by Jess Michaels

Published July 12th 2016 by The Passionate Pen

Widow Rosalinde Wilde is on her way to her beloved sister’s wedding when an unexpected storm waylays her at an overcrowded inn. There she meets a tempting stranger who sweeps her into a night of unforgettable passion.

Grayson Danford never expected a night with the irresistible Mrs. Wilde, but she was a welcome distraction from the unpleasant duty of breaking up his brother’s impending nuptials. He’s shocked when he discovers his passionate lover is none other than the sister of his brother's intended.

Now Rosalinde and Gray will butt heads, even as their simmering desire for each other threatens to boil over. Who will win? And who might lose it all? 

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ABOUT JESS MICHAELS

Jess Michaels always likes the "good parts" when she reads romance, so it makes sense that she writes erotic books. She is a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of over 50 novels and novellas. When not writing, she enjoys being a geek and trying to keep the cat from scratching the furniture. She lives in Tucson with her husband.

Find her online at www.authorjessmichaels.com