AccessRomance interviews author Barbara Dunlop.

AR: Hi, Barbara. Thanks for visiting with us here at Access Romance.

Your March book, A SECRET LIFE, is part of Harlequin's HOTEL MARCHAND series. Tell us a bit about the series and where your book falls in the ongoing story.

Barbara: HOTEL MARCHAND is a mystery series set predominately in New Orleans, centering around--as you may have guessed--the Hotel Marchand. It's chock full of rivalry, revenge, romance and family secrets. My book A SECRET LIFE takes place in the small town of Indigo, Louisiana. It has its own murder and its own set of secrets. In the opening of the story, mystery author Joan Bateman's real identity is revealed. The plot of her latest book has come inadvertently close to the plot of a real murder committed many years ago. This brings the murderer out of hiding, putting Joan's life in jeopardy. Luckily, her smart, sexy, capable agent is down from New York, providing support and protection when the bullets start flying.

AR: Was it difficult to write a continuity? Did you feature characters and plot points from previous books in the series? What did you like about the format?

Barbara: A SECRET LIFE was my second continuity book. What I particularly enjoy about continuities is the ability to draw on such a rich background, involving so many of my minor characters. I find myself taking plot points from earlier books--perhaps things I never would have come up with on my own--and incorporating them into my story to provide a fresh twist. When you pull together the creativity of twelve authors, you can end up with something that's really special. For example, Luc Carter was in my book and in many of the others. He was a dark bad boy at the beginning of the series. But ended up being redeemed and having his own romance in Book 11, A SECOND CHANCE by Kara Lennox.

AR: With the demise of the shorter Harlequin category lines, you've moved to Silhouette Desire to write. Are you enjoying that? Have you had to change anything about your approach to writing or storytelling?

Barbara: I very much enjoy writing stories for Silhouette Desire. I've always been partial to alpha heroes and strong heroines, and Desire is the perfect place to write them. First and foremost, I love writing passionate, emotional romance stories, and that's what Desire is all about. I also enjoy writing humor. And while Desire doesn't lend itself to the comedic storylines of say Duets or Flipside, there is definitely room for characters with a sharp sense of humor. I love characters that know how to banter. And that seems to work for my Desire stories.

AR: In case our readers don't know, you live in a very remote area of Canada, one with a bit of a romantic and adventurous history - the Yukon. Have you lived in that are all of your life? Have you set any of your books in that locale?

Barbara: I've lived in the Yukon for twenty years. Although I grew up in Vancouver, my husband and I decided to spend some time in a more remote area with unique opportunities for outdoor recreation. We fell in love with the Yukon and never looked back. My writing is definitely inspired by my experiences in the North. I've set three different stories in Yukon and a fourth one in Alaska.

AR: What do you have in the works after A SECRET LIFE?

Barbara: A SECRET LIFE is out in March, 2007. In April 2007 I have a new Desire hitting the shelves. THE BILLIONAIRE'S BIDDING is a marriage of convenience with blackmail, secrets and a multi-million dollar business deal, all wrapped up in one very sexy romance.

AR: Is there anything else you'd like to share with Access Romance's readers?

Barbara: I just like to thank all the readers out there for their support and inspiration. I love getting your notes and letters. It's particularly exciting when they come from such far flung locations. I still find it hard to imagine a book written in Yukon being read in Florida, Britain or even Tasmania.