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I am so glad you could join us here at RomanceJunkies. To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your current projects?

Nancy: Thanks for having me!  I’m delighted to be here.

I’m enjoying writing a paranormal romantic suspense series, The Protectors, for Grand Central’s digital-first line, Forever Yours.  The first novel, Renegade, and a novella, Protector are available.

I’ve loved superheroes since I was about seven, and mages or wizards are akin to superheroes. With magic, so much is possible.  So I chose mages as the centerpiece of my magical world.

Griffin Dare, the hero of Renegade, is the mage world’s most wanted fugitive while the heroine, Valeria Banning, is their top cop.  They meet when he rescues her from ghouls, beings who use dark magic and prey on humans and mages.   Because she owes him her life, she’s willing to listen when he argues that he’s been framed and someone on the mages’ governing council is in league with the ghouls.  Soon they’re on the run from ghouls and mages, with their lives and their hearts on the line.

Protector is the story of a helicopter pilot and a wildland firefighter, both mages.  Josh Campbell and Edie Lang almost got together once before, but he backed away.  Now they’re fighting a wildfire together and are under attack by dark magic.  Aware that each day could be their last, they turn to each other again, but their old issues still stand between them.

When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

Nancy: I didn’t have a particular epiphany.  I started out writing superhero fan fiction, just for fun and as a way to unwind.  To my surprise, people not only liked it but encouraged me to try something original.  I found I enjoyed making up my own worlds and people, so I’ve stuck with it.

Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

Nancy: One of the joys of being in RWA is the members’ generosity with helpful advice.  A number of people have shared insights that made my writing better.

As I began submitting and dealing with rejection, Harlequin author Peg Sutherland told me, “You haven’t failed until you stop trying.”  That advice helped me persevere and has been valuable on a number of fronts.

Describe the “perfect” hero.

Nancy: He’s strong, brave, smart, and kind-hearted.  He can be brusque or even arrogant, but he’ll protect any women, children or animals in his orbit, even if he does so grudgingly.

What are some of your favorite pastimes? Do you have any hobbies or collections?

Nancy: I love reading, as so many writers do.  Traveling is always a pleasure, especially if I can see a museum or historic site.  I still read comic books, though not as intensely as I once did.

What has been your biggest adventure to date?

Nancy: The summer after my junior year in college, I studied Tudor and Stuart England at Oxford University.  I’d never been out of the country before, never seen any currency other than the American dollar, never been too far away to talk to my parents on the phone.  And I had a blast.

Really, how could I not enjoy it?  I was a history major and an Anglophile.  The students in the program lived at St. Anne’s College and had the chance to explore Britain on weekends. It was great.

If your fairy godmother waved her wand and whisked you away to the location of your choice, which place would you choose, and why?

Nancy: Oh, tough choice!  There are so many intriguing places I’ve never seen, but I could only visit one, I’d probably pick Scandinavia.  My husband is part Swedish, and I’m interested in the Viking era.  Also, strange as it may sound, I’ve been fascinated with fjords since reading about them in third grade.

When it comes to food, are you the adventurous type who will try anything once, or do you prefer to stick to tried and true foods and recipes?

Nancy: I’m definitely Ms. Tried and True.  My husband is a very adventurous eater.  He says, “I’ve never heard of that.  I think I’ll try it,” while my philosophy is more along the lines of “I have no idea what that is, so there’s no way it’s going in my mouth.”

What is the one modern convenience that you cannot do without?

Nancy: Hot running water.

What is this romance writer’s idea of the “ideal romantic evening”?

Nancy: A nice dinner by candlelight, possibly under the stars.  If some flowers happened to turn up, that would be great, too, but the candlelight is the most important part.

How do you describe yourself? How would your family and friends describe you?

Nancy: I think I’m bookish, logical, and a bit stubborn with some humor mixed in.  I’m not sure how my family and friends would describe me, but I’m sure the stubbornness would come up, and I hope the humor would.

What is your favorite comfort food?

Nancy: Chocolate, in pretty much any form!

What is your favorite season? What do you love about it?

Nancy: Spring.  The weather turns mild, and the world seems full of possibilities.

What project are you working on next?

Nancy: I’m figuring out the rest of the Protectors arc and working up the proposal for the next books.

Any place we can find you in person or on the net this month or next?

Nancy: Thanks for asking. I’m reading at Lady Jane’s Salon RDU, in Cary, North Carolina, on March 27 and at Lady Jane’s Salon Greenville  in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 6.

I blog on Totebags ‘n’ Blogs on April 12, and I blog on Romance Bandits  the 26^th of every month.

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TOO HOT TO HANDLE

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT