Interview with author Lisa Kleypas
Much-beloved USA TODAY and New York Times best-selling author Lisa Kleypas joins HEA to chat about her new Avon book contract, fangirl moments and the appeal of her very popular 2008 contemporary romance, Blue-Eyed Devil.
Joyce: Welcome back to HEA, Lisa!
Lisa: Thank you, Joyce — I'm delighted and honored to be here.
Joyce: So you've signed a new deal with Avon for seven romances. Are they going to be linked or stand-alones?
Lisa: It's a dream come true to be writing for Avon again! I know for certain that the first four, possibly five, will be a linked historical series. I love connecting books because it often gives me the opportunity to develop a character's arc throughout the series, and it's always fun to "see" what some of the previous couples are up to.
Joyce: What can you tell us about the upcoming titles (assuming you know — I know these things can be fluid!)?
Lisa: The setting will be Victorian England because I'm so fascinated by the intense class conflict of the aristocracy and the up-and-coming industrial entrepreneurs. It makes a story very lively! And I've always been drawn to the theme of an outsider trying to find a way to fit in. I also love to write about reforming a rake, so I'm sure there will be quite a bit of that going on.
Joyce: Lol. What can readers expect to see from you in the meantime?
Lisa: I have finished the fourth novel in my Texas Travis series, titled Brown-Eyed Girl ... it's the story of a wedding planner who doesn't believe in love ... and she finds herself falling for the charming (but quite alpha) Joe Travis. It's going to be published by St. Martin's Press in spring 2015.
Joyce: HEA recently asked lots of romance authors who they would get all fangirly over if they ran into her/him at the upcoming RT Booklovers Convention, and your name came up again and again. Who would turn you into a fangirl if you ended up on the elevator with them?
Lisa: Oh, I love hearing that, thank you! I will admit, I once launched myself at Julie Garwood for a hug, hoping some of her magic would rub off on me ... and I have fangirl crushes on Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Linda Howard, and Kresley Cole, among many others. My ultimate crush may be Judith McNaught — I met her once more than 20 years ago, and she was incredibly kind and encouraging to me. I adore that woman. But I also fangirl over aspiring or beginning authors, because every time I talk with them, I'm so energized and inspired.
Joyce: HEA has also asked romance authors about their favorite romances, and Blue-Eyed Devil gets mentioned a lot. You've even mentioned that it's one of your favorites among your own books. What is it you love so much about that book and why do you think it connects with so many readers (other than being awesome)?
Lisa: I really appreciate that ... I'll tell you, although I try my best on every single novel I write, sometimes a story just has particular emotional resonance for an author. To use a phrase from one of my historicals (Love in the Afternoon), the words become "heartbeats on a page." Blue-Eyed Devil is a story of healing from a bad relationship, and finding the courage to risk loving again. And for some reason, in every scene that Haven and Hardy appear in, it felt electrifying and visceral to me. It's actually a little frustrating because I'd like that kind of chemistry to happen every time, but you can't force it. Part of the mystery of writing!
Joyce: Read any good romances lately?
Lisa: I loved Three Weeks With Lady X by my friend Eloisa James (charming and sexy) and MacRieve by Kresley Cole (wonderfully intense).
Joyce: What are three romances on your keeper shelf and why are they there?
Lisa:The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss, because you never forget your first. Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips — hysterically funny, and the first love scene is so cute but SO hot that I actually can't read it in public. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught and Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, because both books have off-the-charts romantic charisma.
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Lisa: Just that after being at the Romantic Times Convention, I challenge anyone to deny that romance readers are the most devoted, passionate, smart and funny women on the planet!
Joyce: Thanks, Lisa!
Lisa: Thank you, Joyce!
Find out more about Lisa and her books at www.lisakleypas.com.
HEA curator and contributor Joyce Lamb is a USA TODAY best-selling author of romantic suspense and three-time RITA finalist and has been a professional journalist for 25 years. You can reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter (@JoyceLamb). You can also follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).