The Midnight Rose - April Vine

Please welcome my special guest this week, Scarlet Rose author April Vine whose debut Scarlet Rosette, The Midnight Rose, was released a couple of weeks ago by The Wild Rose Press. And April's second Scarlet Rose, Blindfolded by Lust, was released on Wednesday!

Over to you, April.

I’m South African by birth, wife to a wonderful husband, mother to two amazing boys, a slave to chocolate, devout to books, dangerous to my stove. I’m pretty normal during the day, I’d like to think, but come night I transform myself into Vine, April Vine, License to Erotize. Thanks to The Wild Rose Press – The Wilder Roses, my stories don’t self- destruct before they get read…at least once.

I love your bio! It always makes me smile. Can you tell us a little about your book, The Midnight Rose?

Firstly, thank you so much for having me, Christina, and again congratulations on all Foretaste of Forever’s success. It’s so well deserved.

The Midnight Rose is a short erotic story about boundaries. Ryan Redford is secret agent with the South African government. He’s gorgeous, tough as nails, there isn’t an organisation he can’t infiltrate, a criminal lord he can’t break, but there’s there one thing that scares the life out of him and she comes in the form of his best friend’s little sister, Leah Jenkins.

He goes out of his way to avoid her because he’s so afraid that he might break that code he shares with her brother, which puts her off limits. But then Leah takes matters into her own hands and there’s no place he can hide.

How did the idea for the plot come about?

In a roundabout way. I actually sent out something a bit milder and instead got asked by my wonderful editor to try out something for Scarlet. She recommended I read a few Scarlet’s to get a proper feel and I did. It had to be extra hot with a sizzling equal amount of conflict. There’s just something so nobly sexy about a man who resists his best friend’s little sister. And Leah Jenkins was created for that reason exactly, virgin on a rampage with a little help of course from a set of underwear called The Midnight Rose.

But what does a man like Ryan Redford do when he’s pushed too far? That’s what the plots about.

Poor Ryan! I'm sure he doesn't stand a chance!! As you know, I'm a sucker for sale stories so can you tell us about your road to publication - and your call story?

I grew up with romance. My mother was a Barbara Cartland fanatic; she has stacks and stacks of them. So my first romance was very tapered, very clean. Then someone at school passed me a Zebra Historical and even though I can’t remember the title I know I read it gaping, twice. So I figured then already I liked my books racy, my plots daring and my characters physical. I just didn’t know I could write one until my first attempt which was The Midnight Rose. I’m still blushing.

Anyway, I was making breakfast for my family on a Saturday morning when I opened my mail and found a contract inside. I calmly closed my computer and then restarted it. The contract was still there. I’ve never been able to cook a breakfast since then without burning it - it reawakens that unique feeling for me.

We are all about the love here, so please share your fave books, movies, TV shows or current fantasy squeeze (it's all in the line of research!)

Favorite books, too many to name, but I’ll read anything by Nora Roberts, Lori Foster, Jodi Picoult, Linda Howard, Jill Mansell, Marian Keyes. I love Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series and Harry Potter. But the book that stays with me and probably will forever in a troublesome way is One hundred strokes of the brush by Melissa P, scary stuff.

You’ll always find a copy of my contract under my pillow and books by the wonderful Scarlet Rose writers steaming up my computer.

Movies, without a doubt any version of Pride and Prejudice.

TV shows, there’s only one, House, I love his crassness, even his limp is sexy. Half of the time I have no idea what he’s saying but it doesn’t matter because it’s just the way he says it, I think it’s an age thing with me. The only soapie I’ll follow is All my children and I think I’m way behind the rest of America. Bianca is finally going to learn the truth about baby Bess.

Now my fantasy squeeze has to be my husband. Firstly he knows I exist and secondly he loves me right back.

Aww! I love that. And I agree, my husband is my fantasy squeeze too! What are you working on now?

My WIP in progress is about a billionaire who wants my heroine’s virginity, well, just because it’s so novel to him.

I have a second story out with The Wilder Roses called Blindfolded by Lust. It’s part of an anthology based on Dan Fogelberg’s song ‘Same Old Lang Syne.” It consists of four authors, Ana Aragon, Devon Gray, Paisley Scott and myself, collectively known as the Scarlet Redhots.
Check out the interview Devon did with our talented editor, Jennifer Haley, to see how it all came about.

And be sure to check out Paisley’s Sugar Shack and Devon’s Playing for Keeps out already at The Wilder Roses.

How can readers keep up with your writing and books?

There’s my website:
My blog

MySpace

My publisher

Thanks again. Can’t wait for your next book.