Interview with Elf Ahearn ~ Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower

I am delighted to have my friend and fellow author, Elf Ahearn (just love her name!) here with me today talking about herself and her latest release Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower.

Can you tell us a little bit about your current release?

It’s kind of a psycho-thriller, which probably isn’t done all that much in Regency romances. The villainess is heavily involved in the plot—in fact, her madness is what keeps the lovers apart. Claire Albright, the heroine, tries to use herbal remedies to cure the villainess’s hoarding and psychotic tendencies. Action, adventure and high drama ensue, capped by a happy ending.

I am a fanatic about my character names. Are the character names special in any way?

My hero’s name is Flavian, after a cat we had when I was growing up. My brother-in-law brought him home as a kitten, saying he appeared to be the shelter’s “special of the day.” Shortly thereafter the little fluff ball got very ill and wouldn’t eat. My sister Jenny (upon whom the heroine, Claire, is based) nursed him day and night until one day he indicated an interest in my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I gave him a bite and then fed him the whole thing. After that he was fine, and he and Jenny fell in love.

You asked who influenced me most to write; well, that was Jenny. She told me to write Regency romances because that’s what she likes to read. In return, I made her favorite kitty into a dashing hero.

Do you have plans for a sequel to this book?

Yup. Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower is the second in a planned series of four books about the Albright Sisters. The girls are all loosely based on my siblings and me.

You are invited to a dinner party.  On your right sits Genghis Khan and on your left sits Oscar Wilde.  Who do you talk to for most of the evening?

Once upon a time I was an actress and my favorite part was Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest, therefore I would have to say Oscar Wilde. However, Genghis Khan apparently spread his seed around the globe, so he’s probably a cousin.

I love finding fellow theatre folk!  And I absolutley adore The Importance of Being Earnest!  We would have heaps to talk about if we were at a dinner party together!

What is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?

When I was a kid I used to hang by my heels like a trapeze artist, but I’d have to say getting drunk with a gun-toting pimp was probably the most “exciting” thing I’ve ever done.

My girlfriend and I were at a bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when this middle aged paunchy guy started talking to us. He called himself Marty Diamond and said he was a practicing gynecologist. A few drinks later, he said he was a second-story man and his name was actually Marty Valentine.  A pitcher later, he asked us to accompany him downtown. We were so toasted we actually got in the cab. At a midtown bar, he left us while he “transacted some business.”

When a guy hit on me, Marty appeared suddenly with a gun in his hand. Fortunately the guy skedaddled and my girlfriend and I hailed the first yellow car in view.

Now, Lightning Round:

Beach or mountains?

Beach. Love them waves.

Boxers, briefs or commando?

Old lady u-trou. The kind that come up over your hip bones and bag in the back. Oh, you meant on him! Briefs.

Blond, brunette or redhead? (preferred men’s hair color)

The hubby is gray, so I’m going to go with that.

Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?

Scuba. You won’t catch me leaping out of a plane.

Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?

London. Old places speak to my soul.

Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate?

Tea all day every day.

Favorite Food?

Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia FroYo

Cats, dogs, or exotic (please share the type)?

CATS! Though I used to be nuts for horses and I can’t walk past a dog without petting it.

Thanks so much for coming by and hanging out, Elf! 

And now here’s the blurb for Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower:

Two years of bewildering silence have passed since Claire Albright’s passions were first inflamed by powerful, brooding, Lord Flavian Monroe. On the brink of her London debut he unexpectedly summons her, asking for help to cure his ward’s hoarding. Embroiled in a desperate attempt to curb the child’s destructive madness, Claire struggles to understand why Flavian’s kisses veer from burning desire to icy rejection. Can she reach his heart before the child’s insanity undoes their chance at love?

When he was fourteen, Flavian made a mistake so devastating it ruined all hope for happiness. Years later, he’s still paying for his sin. But before his ward’s troubled mind destroys his home and family, he must see Claire once more. Vowing to keep their relationship professional—she the healer, he the guardian—he finds the bonds of his resolve snapping. Somehow, he must content himself with the love that could have been, but he cannot resist . . . one final embrace . . .

Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower is available at Amazon and other e-tailers.