Gaelen: I live in the "misty green hills" of western Pennsylvania. I was born in Pittsburgh, and a lot of my family's here, but I have also lived in New York, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Georgia. I met my husband Eric when I was only 18 and, yes, it's true, it was love at first sight. We have been inseparable for going on seventeen years now. If it weren't for him I would probably be writing depressing existential literary fiction. But his love (and his quirky New York humor) have brought so much joy into my world that romance is not just a genre for me--it's a way of life! Our bichon frise is our only "baby." The closest thing to a hobby I have is cooking on occasion and trying to keep up with my email. I lead a pretty quiet life!

Bo: What made you start writing romance? Who are some of your favorite romance authors, past and present?

Gaelen: The first time I read a historical romance, I just knew that that's what I needed to be writing, it was such a great fit with my interests and my personality. I always knew that I wanted to be a writer, but until I picked up my first historical a few weeks before college graduation (it was a Penelope Neri that a friend was reading to de-stress during finals week) I was like, WOW. This kind of writing is actually fun, not depressing--and better still, these authors don't have to wait til they're dead for people to read their work! LOL (I had been a Lit major - too much Hemingway.)

Bo: Do you plan your writing time or just write when inspiration strikes? Do you ever get up at 3 a.m. and add to your work in progress or go start a new one? Keep a pen and notepad handy?

Gaelen: I have a set starting time of 8 a.m. each morning, but it depends on any given day how long I'll work. Sometimes I'll go til 4 pm. and sometimes I'll go all the way until 11 pm. I have been known to have problems with insomnia, unfortunately, so when that happens, I get up and oftentimes will end up fiddling around with my manuscript or brainstorming future stories.

Bo: Robert from THE DUKE and Devil Strathmore from DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE are two very different heroes, but both are compelling and entertaining - Robert with his quiet, steady ways and Dev with his wildness and intensity. Is it easier to write about a man like Robert or a man like Dev?

Gaelen: Hm, what an interesting observation! I'm not sure which one was easier, but I do recall that each one had his own special challenges for me as a writer. With a bonafide Good Guy like Robert, you have to make sure he's still alpha enough, if you know what I mean, and, like all of my heroes, in some ways larger than life. To meet that challenge, I decided to draw on his extremely high rank as a duke and emphasize his vast political power, along with his megabucks. *g* With Devil Strathmore, as with any "dark hero," it's a totally different challenge. With the Bad Boys and rakehell type heroes, the danger is giving them so many vices and so much bad attitude that they can easily become unsympathetic. So it's the writer's job to find the wonderful, shining, good qualities within the hearts of these bad boys in order to compensate for their many vices. Dev was someone who, even though he still had an edge to him, had learned from his mistakes, and, even more importantly, was fiercely devoted to a select few people in his life. Who doesn't love a wild rake who comes riding hell for leather through a blizzard to make sure his old dragon lady aunt is okay? Once again, to meet the challenge of making Devlin larger than life, I researched his travels during the period when he had left England (in his backstory) and gone wandering all over the place. (BTW, one of the influences for his character was the hero of "Legends of the Fall"--the gorgeous novella, not the movie. Like that hero, he was a man who had been to the far edges of experience and came back changed.)

Bo: How did you come up with the idea for Georgiana, the "Hawkscliffe Harlot" - she is the wayward mother of six of your heroes, correct? Have you ever considered writing her story - all those love affairs could certainly provide some inspiration!

Gaelen: In my historical research, I came across a number of real women in Georgian and Regency England who inspired ideas for the series. These ladies did pretty much exactly what my fictional Georgiana did--having numerous children by various lovers, and raising them all as if they were the legitimate offspring of her husband. The husbands generally knew the truth, of course, and just shut up about it in order to save face. Of course, they had mistresses who bore them children, too, so I guess what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

The specific woman I used as a model for Georgiana was Elizabeth Harley, the Countess of Oxford. And talk about a shock. In some of my more recent research, I found information that suggested she might actually be a distant ancestor of mine! (I share my findings on the Author page of my website in the article called "Famous Foleys of the Regency Era.")

Bo: One of the things I like best about LADY OF DESIRE is that I got a better "look" at Georgiana through her daughter. Jacinda Knight is feisty and stubborn, funny and lusty and kind-hearted. I think Jacinda could very well be a ReBeL! *G* The last place you'd expect to find an English lady is in a garbage heap, yet there she is, looking up at Billy Blade! You write some of the funniest scenes - do you ever find yourself laughing at your work as you go along?

Gaelen: I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I am sure that Jacinda would LOVE you guys. She'd be the first to check out the latest eye candy. *gg* I appreciate you pointing out the humor in my books because I guess it's not the main thing I'm really known for, what with all the angst and emotional intensity in my books. But to answer your question, yes! I crack up all the time at the outrageous stuff that comes out of my characters' mouths or that goes thrOUGH their heads sometimes. I just don't know where they get it from! :::batting eyes innocently:::

Bo: Do you have a favorite hero and heroine from your work - from someone else's? If so, who are they and why do they appeal to you so much?

Gaelen: It's too hard for me to choose from among my own, so I'll pick from other people's works, two characters who mean the most to me.

My favorite heroine is Scarlett O'Hara. This is because--unfortunately--I think I'm a lot like her. *g* (At least until she turns into a real moron in Act III.) I can relate to her strong will and her flamboyant determination to make her life the way she wants it to be no matter what anyone thinks of her.

My favorite hero is Johnny Depp's character in "Don Juan de Marco." Everyone thinks he's crazy, and he's obviously in a lot of inner pain, but his imagination is so powerful and his version of reality is so intoxicatingly potent that he is able to seduce hordes of people, even the intellectually superior psychiatrist, "Don Ottavio" (Marlon Brandon), into participating with him into a richer, more graceful way of life and a more romantic existence. That kind of says it in a nutshell right there what my life as a romantic storyteller is all about!

Bo: There are a lot of Regency- and Victorian-era romances out there; sometimes it seems as though they're all the same. Yet your books are always interesting page-turners, with at least one unique element to the story that makes it truly memorable, a standout from the crowd. How do you manage that? Is it chance, imagination, in-depth research of actual events of the time?

Gaelen: Wow, that is a fabulous compliment. Thank you. I think it's just that I have an overactive mind. *LOL* I'm interested in everything, and have never been bored for one hour in my entire life. I love learning and I know my readers are smart cookies who also love learning, so I don't shy away from sharing cool info or historical events that have happened to shape the world we live in today. There is a way to make nearly any subject pertinent, and for myself, I am interested in everything and everyone. My dh says I have a lot of joie de vivre. But if there is one particular talent that I have--and it wouldn't surprise me if it came from being the big sister in my family and having to entertain/babysit three little sisters all the time and hordes of neighborhood kids--I think I have an instinct for knowing what people would find interesting. Things that make ya go, Hmm!

Give me any subject, and with a little research, I will find a cool angle to bring out and put into a story to give the readers a little something extra. Perhaps it's just my enthusiasm for weird, colorful, strange, and unusual things that translates onto the page. I feel really lucky that I get to dive into so many diverse subjects for my novels.

Just in researching my past two books alone, I've had the chance to learn about Russian history, Regency-era gambling, the jungles of South America and so many of the fascinating creatures there, day to day life onboard a massive 74-gun ship along with a little bit about how to sail one (you know, just in case), and Bolivar's struggle for South American independence.

Right now I'm researching India (talk about a complex subject) and the fascinating struggles between the British Army and the various Maharajas for supremacy.

If nothing else, all this varied research has made me a force to be reckoned with at the game of Trivial Pursuit. *g* Though I freely admit I'm useless in the sports category and not great with questions about television shows, either.

Bo: Your newest book, HIS WICKED KISS, is the long-awaited story of Lord Jack, the "black sheep" of the Knight family, correct? What can we expect from this Knight brother? Tell us a bit about his story, please.

Gaelen: Jack is the second-born brother who left home and never looked back. He went off to have an adventuring life and to create a shipping empire based out of the West Indies. Now he is forced to go back to England because he has gotten involved in the colonial struggle for independence taking place in South America. (If you glance at a map, Jamaica and Trinidad are pretty much a stone's throw from the beaches of Venezuela.) The colonists need more men or they're going to get creamed by the forces of the Spanish Crown, so he is heading over to Britain to recruit battle-hardened soldiers who are just flooding back into England after having beaten Napoleon under the Duke of Wellington. (Political-phobic readers, don't worry--his secret mission is only a subplot to the romance.)

Bo: Now that the Knight Miscellany series is complete, what's next? Can you give us some hints?

Gaelen: The Knight family saga will continue--with a spin-off trilogy about three colorful Knight cousins who will be arriving in London from British-ruled India! The two new Knight brothers of this branch of the family are star officers in the cavalry--their names are Gabriel and Derek. And the youngest is their highly unconventional, drop-dead gorgeous sister, Georgie, who is named after her aunt, the scandalous duchess, Georgiana, who is at the heart of the Knight Miscellany series. She'll be hooking up with Ian, Lord Griffith, the boyhood friend of the London Knight brothers, who has appeared in a number of the stories.

Bo: We have a lot of aspiring writers here at RBL. Do you have any advice for them?

Gaelen: I have a list of "Tips for Aspiring Authors" on my website that everyone is welcome to. Beyond that I would say that attitude is key. Shun people and places that have nothing to dole out but negativity, mockery and cynicism. Too much of these things can poison the well of creativity, undercut the feeling of safety that the artist needs to really pour her heart and soul into her work, and of course, that whole "snarky" vibe runs counter to everything our genre is about, namely love, compassion, and understanding. How we choose to use our words, both in life and in writing, matters--whether to hurt or to help, to tear people down or to build them up. Either way, what we put out will come back to us, for good or ill.

There's an old saying that I believe to be very true: A talent is God's gift to you, but what you do with that talent is your gift back to God (in whatever manner you conceive of Him/Her/It). The best formula for success, therefore, is to do what you love for the right reasons, continually strive to improve, and give it all you've got, no matter the outcome. And of course--have fun along the way. :)