Interview with Andrea Laurence (Giveaway)

I would like you all to welcome Andrea Laurence the author of A Beauty Uncovered to What I'm Reading today.

Hello Andrea, welcome to What I’m Reading. How are you today?

I’m a little jet-lagged, frankly. I returned home recently from a two week trip to Europe. It was amazing, fabulous, wonderful... and I may never get my time-zones right again.

I have been wondering for sometime where did you come up with the idea for Secrets of Eden series?

My first two books for Desire had heroes who had made money in their own right, but had some serious family fortunes to help them along the way. I decided I wanted to do a group of heroes that had come from nothing and made themselves into something. I also wanted there to be a secret that threatened to take away everything they’d worked so hard for. And thus, Secrets of Eden was born.

Since  A Beauty Uncovered is the 2^nd book in the series can you share a little about the story?

A Beauty Uncovered picks up about a year after Undeniable Demands. Brody’s long time secretary is taking a month-long vacation for her anniversary and Brody is forced to get a replacement while she’s away. Brody isn’t the most personable, to put it mildly, so dropping Sam into his world is bound to shake things up.

Can you tell us a little bit about Brody Eden and Samantha Davis and what makes them special to you?

I felt very strongly about who I wanted Brody to be from the first plotting of the series. I wanted a hero that was scarred severely. Not just your average scar across the face. Serious stuff. Enough that he would hide away from the world. I also wanted him to be a virgin. My agent wasn’t sure that idea would fly in Desire, but I was adamant. Sam was the perfect foil for Brody because she’s beautiful and unlike most heroines, she’s cognizant of it. She has good self-esteem and the desire to right the wrongs of the world, so she can’t pass up the opportunity to ‘fix’ Brody. They both have things they can learn from each other.

How would Brody and Sam describe each other?

Brody would describe Sam as sparkly. She’s such a girly girl. Pink, glitter, rhinestones, sequins, jewelry... She’s a meddling little magpie and he isn’t quite sure how to handle a woman like that. Sam would say that Brody is handsome, intense and stubborn as all get-out (although she’s got a pretty stubborn streak of her own!).

I know that this is the 2^nd book in the series, would my readers need to go back to read the first book of the series or would they be able to pick up from book 2?

I think you can read A Beauty Uncovered on its own. The plot between Brody and Sam is self-contained. If, however, you’re interested in the subplot about the body and what is going on there, going back to read Undeniable Demands will help.

What do you have in the works and can you share a little about?

I am a busy bee, as always. I have four books and one novella out in 2014. First are two books that are not related to the Secrets of Eden series. Back in Her Husband’s Bed (Feb. 14), is set in glamorous Las Vegas during a poker tournament. His Lover’s Little Secret (Apr. 14) is a Babies and Billionaires story. For those who read More Than He Expected, the heroine Sabine will be familiar. In that book, she tells the heroine about her son and how she’s keeping him a secret from his wealthy, powerful father. Well, guess who finds out the truth? I just turned in book three of the Secrets of Eden series (Aug. 14) and am currently working on the fourth and final book in the series (Nov. 14).

For something completely different, I’ve got a Christmas novella out with Nocturne in December 2014. Jingle Spells is a humorous take on the magic of Christmas, the temperamental nature of Santa and the hard working witches and warlocks that make it all possible. My novella, Silver Belle, will be featured along with novellas from New York Times Bestselling Authors Vicki Lewis Thompson and Rhonda Nelson, and Kira Sinclair.

Final question, if you were to write your own autobiography, what would your title be and why?

It would probably be called The Book Nobody Wants to Read. My life isn’t that exciting really. The people I write about are a lot more interesting. But a more accurate title, I guess would be More Than Just a Statistic: How A Little Ambition and Creativity Helped Me Overcome the Odds and Become a Bestselling Author. (Assuming no one would be interested until I hit the NYT list.) I’m the child of a single mother that grew up with very little money and worked my tail off to get through college and make something of myself. I guess that’s why I wanted to do self-made heroes for the Secrets of Eden miniseries. There’s a little bit of myself in each of them.

Thank you for stopping today. Is there anything you would like to say to my readers before you leave us today?

Thanks for having me here. I’m so excited about sharing Brody and Sam’s story. I think it’s a really special book and I’ve gotten some wonderful reader mail on it, already. I’d also like to offer a copy to one of the commenters today. To enter, share below your favorite type of hero. If Brody is any indication, I guess I like the tortured soul.

So if you would like to learn more about Andrea you can always checkout her website www.andrealaurence.com. You can also find her on Facebook. 

Giveaway: 

Fill out the rafflecopter and you have a chance win a copy of this awesome read. I loved this story. So, don't forget to comment your favorite type of hero. I personally like rake/players depending what genre. 

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