AccessRomance interviews author Susan Stephens.

AR: What can you tell us about your latest release, Virgin for Sale?

Susan: Virgin for Sale is the result of an interesting conversation at the Dallas RWA conference between me and my editors at Harlequin. I like being set a challenge, given the germ of an idea and be asked to go and see what I can make of it. Neither they nor I knew what would result, but I hope my readers agree that I came up with something special for them.

AR: This book is a Harlequin Presents/Mills & Boon Modern UnCut novel. What is UnCut, and how is it different from regular HQ/M&B novels?

Susan: UnCut is a new Presents miniseries where perhaps the issues are rather more stark than usual. The general impression is that there will be more sexual content, but I don’t think there’s any more sexual content in Virgin for Sale than in any of my other novels for the Presents series, though perhaps at times it’s a little more inventive! But that’s not to say the heroine ever feels threatened. Lisa is Tino’s equal in every way, which is why I made her one tough lady. But like many outwardly tough individuals, Lisa is emotionally vulnerable… but then so is Tino.

AR: Do all of your books come out in the UK and the US basically at the same time?

Susan: Not always, and this can be confusing both for me and my readers. Some authors write more books than others, and as Harlequin like to put out a balanced selection each month for readers to choose from it isn’t always possible to coordinate the release dates across the world.

AR: Most of your stories have international settings. How do your readers respond to this?

Susan: Feedback from my readers indicates that they love the travelogue element of my books. When my children were young I couldn’t travel as spontaneously as I do now, and I get so excited when I go to anywhere new that I just have to share those feelings. I want my readers to know why and how I become inspired to write a story, and by bringing back as many scenes and cameo’s in my mind as I can, supported by the appropriate photographs to use as an aide memoire I hope to bring my books alive.

AR: You love to see the world, and you travel to many exotic locations in the name of research. What are some of the most memorable places you've visited?

Susan: The place that always gets me is New York. I started off in life as a professional singer and was lucky enough to sing in cabaret on board the QE2. I will never forget sailing past the Statue of Liberty for the first time. The most incredible feelings swept over me as I thought about what the sight of that statue had meant to so many people.

And then of course I will never forget the friendliness of the Caribbean, and Europe here on my doorstep is a never-ending source of riches. My ambition now is to go to South America to walk the Inca trail, and then to visit the unspoiled Galapagos Islands off the coast of Chile. I also want to visit Australia and New Zealand in the near future. But even sooner than that I will be attending the Romantic Times conference at Daytona in May 2006, where I hope to meet as many of my readers as possible!

AR: Many authors write continuing series and revisit previous characters. Your books seem to be primarily stand-alone. Is that a conscious decision?

Susan: It hasn’t really been a conscious decision, and in fact my editor has recently suggested I should start thinking in terms of series rather than stand-alone, so you’re very intuitive with that question.

AR: What's next? What are your plans for the future, career wise?

Susan: I have several irons in the fire right now, but above and beyond everything else I absolutely adore writing for Presents. My heroes are so impossibly Alpha that some days I sit at my desk almost tearing my hair wondering how my heroine is ever going to fall in love with one of them, which in turn means my heroines have to be pretty robust! But that’s the fun of it- because having two take-no-nonsense daughters myself I know they want to meet their match and not a wimp when they pick up one of my books. In fact you could say they’re my inspiration.

AR: Finally, tell us what you can about your background. What did you do before writing? What do you do now in addition to writing? Hobbies? Family?

Susan: As I’ve already mentioned, I was a professional singer who trained at the Royal College of Music to sing opera. Music is a theme that comes into many of my books, not as a main theme, but as a background track, if you like. After two years with an opera company I formed my own cabaret act, which was how I came to be on the QE2 sailing into New York. I met my husband while I was singing in Malta, and famously we met on Monday, became engaged on Friday and married three months later. We will be celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary in 2006. And yes, if either of my girls hit me with news like that I would really tear my hair out. All I can think now is, ‘my poor mother’! I have a wonderful son too, who is about to become engaged on Christmas Day in a much calmer fashion to his beautiful French girlfriend of four years.

What do I love? My children, my friends and my wonderful husband, and I adore meeting and chatting with my readers, or e-mailing with them when we live too far apart to meet in person. My readers make me smile and make every moment I spend writing worthwhile. I play the piano every day and love shopping, cooking, skiing, horse-riding, walking with my dog, reading, and eating chocolate- amongst many, many other things!

AR: Thank you for talking with us!

Susan: It's been my great pleasure.

Interviews Index > Susan Stephens (December 05)