Ravishing Romances: Sasha Romanov

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Author Interview: Marquita Valentine on her novel "Third Time's a Charm" - Holland Springs Series #2

Read Sallie's review

Marquita is answering questions

in the comment section below

Self-published author Marquita Valentine is with Ravishing Romances today. She's the first ever author to be featured on our site twice and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Thank you for being on Ravishing Romances, Marquita!

Oh wow! That’s so awesome. Thank you so much for having me again!

Q: Third Time’s a Charm starts with the hero and heroine madly in lust with each other. It makes their chemistry much more intense. Did you intentionally set them up for this in the first book Twice Tempted or did it just happen?

A: Actually the entire book kinda just happened. LOL! I had absolutely no intention of writing Sasha and Rose’s story, but Katharine Ashe, my beta reader and fabulously talented author who writes Regency set romances for Avon, emailed me and asked, “So you’re writing Sasha and Rose next, right?” My response: “Sure am.” ACK! However, their lust for one another was purely organic. I had to restrain them at times. ;)

Q: Though hero Sasha and heroine Rose have sexual tension…Rose hates him. A lot and often. Her distrust of Sasha creates much of their relationship conflict. Was it hard to write a wounded and guarded heroine?

A: I’d be lying if I said any book was easy to write. It’s not. But the more I learned about Rose, the more she came across as the traditionally tortured hero. Quiet, reserved...basically the opposite of Sasha. And Sasha didn’t exactly help things. One minute he’s offering to help her out, then next he’s back to plotting against her. So the hardest part of writing Rose was showing the reader why she would ever take a chance on Sasha.

Q: Nipple rings. Sasha has them. Details!

A: HEE!! I love piercings on heroes. There just aren’t enough of them. ;) I loved the thought of him having them, because it’s so unexpected yet sexy as all get out. Especially the shower scene and of course Rose loves them...it’s a source of smexytime fun.

Q: Is Rose a witch? Third Time’s a Charm hints at it and though some things are explained, others are left to readers’ imagination…

A: Honestly, Rose is in fact...well, it’s up to the readers to decide if she is or isn’t a witch. I purposefully answered some things about her “powers” and left others wide open. But I will say that Practical Magic (the movie not the book) was an inspiration for the Holland Sisters. So...

Q: Third Time’s a Charm is part of the Holland Springs series. Holland Springs is the small town where the series is based, but their is an actual spring that plays a prominent role in the stories. Can you talk about that?

A: Great question. Where I’m from it seemed as though every town or county had a local legend it was known for, like Blackbeard. Some of the legends, like the infamous pirate, are rather bloody and gruesome. I wanted one that was known for something rather lovely and sweet. That most people didn’t believe in anymore but still wanted the experience ends up happening with a lot of legends and traditions. Heck, even Rose doesn’t know the entire story concerning the spring OR her family’s reputation.

Q: The next novel in your series is a novella titled His Christmas Wish and tells the story of war hero Joaquin Morales and his estranged wife Sage Caswell. Sage is introduced in Third Time’s a Charm, being kind to mistreated Rose. What’s Sage’s motivation for this?

A: Sage is actually a nice person and one that has benefited from the Hollands’ love advice...even if it didn’t turn out so well. Besides, not everyone in town is mean or rude to the Holland women. Yet Sage does have a motive behind her very nice gesture. She wanted Rose’s advice concerning a man Sage has fallen in love with through letters. The man in question, a 1st LT in the ARMY, is deployed in Afghanistan and she’s never met him in person. Or so Sage thinks. By the way, the Holland women are always right when they match up couples. Hence Sage and Joaquin’s novella.

Q: Can you give us an excerpt from Third Time’s a Charm?

A: I’d love to! This is an excerpt that hasn’t been shared anywhere before and it’s one of my favorite scenes from the book.

He lifted it to her mouth. “Open.”

“You’re going to feed me?”

He gave her a crooked grin. “Sharing food is something that family does in Masvingo.”

“I don’t know.” She squirmed in her chair. Somehow the act of him feeding her seemed very intimate, something lovers did for one another.

“It’s not poison, Rose.” He dipped the ball of sazda, then drew air circles with it. “One bite, love.”

Feeling slightly silly, she barely opened her mouth.

“Wider.”

Sighing, she widened it and Sasha’s green eyes glinted.“Not that wide—I don’t want to actually watch you chew it.”

Jerking back, she began to clamp her lips together, but he popped it in before they closed. Flavor exploded in her mouth and she moaned in appreciation.

“What every man most likes to hear when a woman has her mouth full of his…cooking.” Sasha waggled his eyebrows as she chewed.

She giggled. “More please.”

He fed her another bite. “That particular phrase a close second.”

“Stop, I’ll choke.” Somehow she managed to swallow and he fed her yet another bite.

“Third.”

“Now I get to feed you,” she said, pinching off a bite-sized portion of the thick tortilla, rolling it in her hand, then dipping it in the meat stew. He grinned as she held it up to his mouth. His lips parted and she pushed the sazda inside.

“Delicious,” he said, after chewing and swallowing it down.

Then they fed each other. Sasha purposefully nipping at her fingers when it was her turn. She couldn’t stop giggling.

“Quit biting me.”

“But I like the extra flavor,” he said with a teasing smile. “One last bite then dessert, yes?”

“Yes.” She began to part her lips, but the heat of his gaze stopped her. “What?”

“Close your eyes this time,” he gently ordered, his voice husky.

Her lashes fluttered down, but she quickly opened her eyes again to find him leaning closer. So close that she could count the freckles on his nose. Forget counting them, she wanted to kiss each one.

Thank you for having me again, Musing Sallie. I had a great time answering your questions!

Marquita's answering your questions in the comment section!

Someone please ask her about that trunk incident.

Website - Twitter - Facebook

MARQUITA VALENTINE writes small town romances that are anything but small. Lisa Kleypas, Carly Phillips and Rachel Gibson are her favorite contemporary authors. Marquita met her husband aka Hot Builder at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man -- and if that doesn't work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children.

Ask Marquita your questions.
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Third Time's a Charm, Holland Springs Series #2 (by Marquita Valentine)

Amazon - B&N

Third Time's a Charm rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Release Date: September 7, 2012

Holland Springs series rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

"Third Time's a Charm" is the second novel in the Holland Springs series

and can be read as a stand alone novel

How are the sex scenes?

I loved them. There aren't so many that the sex is distracting and this isn't an erotic romance, but the hero has nipple piercings and he and the heroine have a long burn before giving in to temptation.

How are the story lines?

Enjoyed them greatly. It was easy for me to keep up

and I was very interested in the plot with the hero and his mother.

Would you read it again?

The hero has nipple rings. YES.

Back of the Book

Not even Holland Springs' Most Notorious Resident

can stop this Love Spell.

Customers come to Rose Holland’s apothecary shop for three things: to hear her uncanny matchmaking advice, to buy the “magical” hair and skin products she sells, and to accuse her of trying to steal their men. For years Rose has been entirely innocent and almost content with that status quo. But that was before sexy, smooth-talking Sasha Romanov came to town and made her want to use her love potions on him… until he broke her heart. Now corrupt town officials want to seize her land and sell it to an industrial giant, and her only hope for help looks like the one man she can’t trust—or stop herself from falling under his spell.

Alexander “Sasha” Romanov seems like every woman’s dream: charming, handsome and fabulously rich. But while the people of Holland Springs think he’s in town to generously invest in their economy (and possibly one of their daughters), Sasha struggles to save his sick mother from his vicious uncle’s plans by doing everything the greedy businessman wants. And Vlad Romanov wants Rose Holland’s land—at any cost.

Despite Sasha’s vow to get the job done and keep his hands (and everything else!) off Rose, the blue-eyed witch enchants him. But his mother’s life remains in the balance. Sasha must find a way to protect his mother, sabotage his uncle’s plans, and win the woman who’s captured his heart without destroying everything she loves.

Review

Hero Sasha Romanov and heroine Rose Holland have chemistry. Yet it never gets too far, because their relationship is...unpleasant.

"Possibly she was mulling over how to best kill him."

Sasha is that kind of guy. Good looking, fashionable and all together someone Rose does not trust.

Sasha's returned and Rose is furious with her little sister for renting a room in their home to him. Naturally, this intimate proximity sets the stage for close calls, sexy sneak peeks and plenty of nighttime - and nightclothes - scenes.

For all of Rose's wariness, it seems she overcomes it rather quickly. She's upset Sasha lives in her home and is uncomfortable with her lust for him...but he babysits Ivy and now Rose is won over because she gets to take a nap? This is no doubt a huge gesture, but it takes only one to win her trust.

33% through the story Dr. LA (from Twice Tempted) shows up and starts talking about a girl named Lily. This caught me off guard and doesn't seem to fit because Dr. LA and Lily are not mentioned at any other point in the story.

With the exception of Dr. LA's sudden appearance - all other cameos are a wonderful addition. To tell you who pops in would be a spoiler, but towards the end when **** walks into Rose's office I about died. It. Is. FABULOUS.

Something else that's fabulous is Marquita Valentine's way with words. She writes very quotable novels:

"...she carefully placed [the dress] into the back of the closet, where it couldn't mock her."

"Well, I am a Holland, and we aim to please the men around here."

Gabriel (Twice Tempted's heroine's ex-fiance) is in this novel and his gentlemanly actions made me like him even more. He's going to be such a great hero (hopefully) one day.

Those who read Twice Tempted know Sasha has an eye for fashion and Third Time's a Charm explains a lot when we find out the reason why.

The characters are defined, the pacing is easy to run with and the story lines intertwine while pushing along Sasha and Rose's relationship. I do wish the paranormal element was resolved and explained. Valentine may have intentionally left it open, but the story never specified.

And Sasha. I thought about Sasha for days after reading this novel. He is, quite simply, unforgettable.

GOOD job, Marquita.