Beverly and Tamara: Welcome to SSLY Samantha. Thanks so much for joining us today. So first why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks for having me! I’m a medieval romance author from a small village in England and a mum of twin girls. I’m bubbly, hard-working and a control freak. I tend to come across as a bit of a dumb blonde initially until people get to know me as they normally only see the bubbly bit!

Tamara: What do you HAVE to have when you are writing?

Coffee! It’s such a cliché but a nice, frothy coffee always gets me going. That, and some awesome tunes.

Beverly: When did you start to write?

Not long ago. About a year ago I think! I’ve always enjoyed writing but never tried sitting down to do it until recently. Now I’m hooked.

Tamara: What do you think are the qualities that make up a “hero”?

An innate sense of right and wrong (even if he is in the wrong, he will know it), courage and the ability to be brought to his knees by the right woman.

Beverly: Can you describe your favorite character? And which of your books is he/she in? How do you come up with your characters?

I am still very much in love with Jake from Borderland Bride, in spite of now being two heroes away from him. He is a little bit of a wounded warrior, which I always love, but he is deeply chivalrous, a little rough around the edges and just waiting for the right woman to open him up. I do like my men brooding.

As for my characters. I’m not sure. Little traits come to me and then it goes from there. Sometimes, a hero or heroine will come to me as a sort of antithesis of the other – someone I know will test and compliment them.

Tamara: What are the hardest scenes for you to write? Suspense? Sex? Dialogue? And why?

Sex scenes are one of my favourites but always take me the longest. My scenes are of the sensual variety so sometimes it’s difficult skirting around the ‘real’ words. But for me, it’s always about the coming together of two characters and creating a real moment. It should be a turning point for them so they are vitally important. I often write them first so I can get a really good idea of the characters.

Beverly: What writer, if any, influenced how you write?

I can’t really name any one author. All the romance authors I’ve ever read and loved have probably played a role in it.

Tamara: Who would you choose as your “book boyfriend”? From what book? Author?

John Thornton from North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Though he’s a Victorian man so boyfriend wouldn’t suit him. He has the whole brooding hero thing going on.

Beverly: What is the kinkiest thing you’ve ever done? Or would like to? What? We are all about the love!

Well, I’ve been married nearly 10 years so we’ve done plenty but I’m always up for trying new things. My hubby is good at going along with whatever I want! Maybe a night under the stars…? It’s not exactly kinky but the whole ‘getting caught’ thing is exciting.

Tamara: What are your favorite types of heroines? Do you like the damsel in distress who needs saving or the kick-ass variety? Why?

I’m a bit blunt so I tend to empathize with characters like that but I quite like ones with a sort of inner strength. One of my characters was very much a maiden but there was a real strength in her very positive view of the world. She was determined to see the best of things in life, and I’d like to be able to do that. A balance of both is nice to me, I think. Being strong when necessary but also being strong enough to allow someone to help you.

Beverly: What was your worst date ever?

I didn’t really ‘date’ as I met my husband when I was 18 but we did have one night out together when we were first married where he threw up everywhere. We were both pretty mortified! I’m still with him, so can’t have been too bad.

Tamara: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want to have with you? (you have food, water, shelter, all the necessities, so nothing mundane)

Firstly, a good kinky read! I love my romance more than anything but I think I’d need something to spark my imagination. Do we have alcohol? You can’t be on a beach without pina coladas in my opinion. And a hunky companion, in case the kinky book doesn’t do it for me.

Beverly: What is your “guilty pleasure”?

A nap. How boring is that? I love a good daytime nap. I have an amazing ability to just crawl into bed at any time of the day and sleep for an hour.

Tamara: What dream or goal have you yet to realize?

Ok, honestly, I really want my own castle. I know this is completely unrealistic and everyone laughs and thinks I’m joking, but I genuinely want one! Maybe I’ll be able to buy a wing of one, one day.

Beverly: What was you most embarrassing moment?

Flashing someone to get into a club when I was much younger. Awful. I hope my hubby doesn’t read this… We did get in for free though!

Tamara: If you were a color what would you be and why?

Purple – vibrant and bright but classy (ahem, like royalty) when needed.

Beverly: Who has influenced how you perceive love? Why?

The numerous Mills & Boon authors (the British version of Harlequin) I read as a teenager. I’m quite grateful to them because not only did they teach me about love but they taught be about sex in a loving relationship. People criticize the romance genre for creating unrealistic ideas but they all taught me to fight for what I want, be it love or something else in life.

Tamara and Beverly: Okay. We are SSLY so I have to ask. Who loves you?

My husband and my two girls. I’m very lucky to have found my soulmate at such a young age and honestly, he is such a romantic man. My girls tell me daily that they love me.

Now for some quick fun questions:
Boxers or briefs? Boxers
Coffee or Tea? Tea – I am English after all.
Tall, dark and handsome or Blond and buff? TDH
Hairy chest or smooth? Hairy.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Choc all the way!
Kinky or Sweet? Kinky
Fast or slow? Fast
Public or private? Private – you can be kinkier then.
Top or bottom? Bottom

Author Bio

Samantha resides in Warwickshire, England with her twin girls and occasionally her husband, who works abroad. She admits that his long absences often help get the creative juices flowing. She’s a romance addict and has been devouring all kinds of romance for as long as she can remember.

A huge history buff, Samantha likes to blend her love of the past with her love of romance and create thrilling and passionate tales set to medieval backdrops. She thinks there’s nothing sexier than a rugged warrior and a feisty maiden falling head over heels for each other.

You can find Samantha on Facebook and purchase her books from Amazon

Borderland Bride

Blurb:

In the wilderness of 14th century Northumbria, Lady Isabel discovers just how dangerous the borderlands can be. With the loss of her voice and her hearing, there is little hope left for her. But when a brooding knight rescues her, she vows never to become a victim again and buries the secrets of her past in the hope that those hunting her will never find her in the borderlands.

Jake is astonished to come across the beautiful Isabel, near to death, on his brother’s lands. Bringing her back to his brother’s home, he finds himself longing for something more from the courageous woman, something that he thought he would never want again. Isabel works her way into his scarred heart and opens Jake up to loving once more. But will Isabel’s secrets destroy their bond? And with his charismatic brother, Dominic, charming her, does he even stand a chance?