October 2008

Blair Bancroft
STEEPLECHASE
blairbancroft.com

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
     Harlan Dawnay, Lord Davenham, handsome and dashing heir to an earldom, offers a marriage of convenience to a suitable young lady he scarcely knows, only to discover she has no intention of being ignored in favor of his friends or his mistress. Lady Sarah Ainsworth, age 17, accepts Lord Davenham's offer solely because she secretly admires him and has high hopes for the future. But when Davenham steadfastly ignores his young bride, including not coming to her bed, Sarah embarks on a series of adventures guaranteed to drive any young husband wild. From unsuitable friends to unsuitable flirtations, from gambling to calling on Davenham's mistress, Sarah forces him to pay attention. Until one final adventure almost ends their marriage before it's really begun. Happily Ever After teeters on the brink of disaster.

What is your favorite book you read as a child?
     A series of historical novels for children, called "The Little Maid." There were at least 20 books, and I read each one of them more than once. Obviously, I was hooked on history at an early age.

What's your favorite smell?
     Bergamot. But I can't leave out the smell of frying bacon!

What do you like to do when you're not working?
     I enjoy sewing, crocheting, and some knitting. I'm also a gardener, though a somewhat lazy one. But, above all, I'm an avid reader.

If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
     I'd like to be able to soar above the earth, looking down at all its wonders. I miss the early days of flying when airplanes flew low enough to give passengers a marvelous view of the world below.

What's number one on your bucket list of things you hope to do before you die?
     It used to be to see Machu Picchu, but I've done that twice. So I'm going to be pragmatic and say that I'd like to make a more than comfortable living with my writing.

Besides your spouse or boyfriend, who makes your heart beat fast and why?
     Sean Bean in his role as Sharpe and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. And they're not so bad in their other roles!

What's the most interesting thing you've ever done?
     Good question. I've been fortunate enough to do a great many things in my life, so it's hard to choose. But I think traveling 10,000 miles in the Soviet Union back during the Cold War has to top the list. As well as western Russia, the trip included Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan -- a unique peek into a culture that was very much a mystery at that time.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
     I have always been guilty of writing what I wanted to write, rather than what was currently hot on the market. Not great for building a career, but personally very satisfying. In addition to historicals, I write romantic suspense and an occasional mystery. I finaled twice in RWA's Golden Heart contest, winning for Regency romance in 1999. I've been a RITA finalist in Regency, and an EPPIE finalist in Romantic Suspense and Young Adult. I also won a Best Romance award from the Florida Writers' Association for TARLETON'S WIFE, an historical romance that will soon be offered by Cerridwen. I love to write. Each morning I look forward to sitting down to my computer and discovering what my characters are going to do today. They constantly astonish me. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.