An Exclusive Interview with Wendy Vella + Giveaway (Thank you, Authors! Thank you, Fellow Readers!)

Two weeks to Christmas and Wendy Vella has released a new Christmas novella just in time for the holidays!

CHRISTMAS WISHES by Wendy Vella
A Regency Novella

Miss Hero Appleby distrusts noblemen, especially self-indulgent rakes like Lord Caruthers, however she was desperate for money to support the orphans in her care this Christmas, so it is to him she must go. Perhaps it had been wrong of her to point out his many faults so boldly, but the man drove her to distraction and all thoughts of lady-like behaviour disappeared in his infuriating presence.

Max didn't remember much of his first meeting with the annoying Miss Appleby, thanks to the after effects of one good drink too many. But he vaguely recalled he'd promised her something, just to get her out of his house so he could suffer in peace. Unfortunately peaceful was the last word to describe her as he found out the next day. She was unlike any woman he knew - opinionated and rude certainly, but she worked selflessly to provide for children that were not even of her blood. Max had believed himself incapable of emotion yet Hero was making him feel things that he had believed were long dead. Could his long forgotten Christmas wish really come true?

I discovered Wendy Vella when I (very nervously) emailed her to request for an ARC of Duchess by Chance -- it was an intimidating experience because I didn't think my blog was big enough or had enough followers to merit any sort of ARC request approval. Wendy was very gracious and sent me a copy of her book -- and I fell in love with her writing. That love was cemented when I read Lady in Disguise. In the latter title, Vella has created sisters who are captivating and engaging. This is one series I am definitely looking forward to in 2014.

LStW: What inspired you to write Lady in Disguise?

Wendy Vella: Actually the inspiration came from the heroine as she was the character that kept telling me her story. She was raised in a wealthy family but due to the death of her parents she became responsible for her sisters. Being a woman she inherited nothing, and had no means to earn money and what little she could earn working was never enough, especially as her little sister was unwell, therefore she turned to becoming a highywayman in desperation.

LStW: (Halloween) If you could dress up as any character, real or fictional, who would it be?

Wendy:I loved Arwen in Lord of Rings so I’d probably dress up as her, however I would have no chance of looking like Liv Tyler.

LStW: (Thanksgiving) As a writer, what are three things that you are most thankful for?

Wendy:
- My fertile imagination.
- The support and love of my family.
- As yet I have never had writers block.

LStW: (Christmas) Do you have a favorite thing to gift friends for Christmas?

Wendy: I’m one of those people who constantly buy their friends cups and mugs. I love them, teacups especially and if they have something soppy written on it or is filled with a soft toy or chocolate even better!

LStW: (New Year) What's next for Wendy Vella in 2014?

Wendy: I have a Christmas Novella coming out in December, and it’s about two very special people who have been pretty much alone most of their lives. They’re both strong willed and are determined to stay in control and single. However they eventually find something in each other that they’ve been searching for even though neither realized it. I have some cheeky and charming children and a kitten with a missing claw called Mistletoe in there too.

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Books by Wendy Vella

From rising romance star Wendy Vella comes a Cinderella story of whirlwind passion between a dashing earl and a beautiful countess—and the secret that threatens to tear them apart.

Regal, poised, and elegant, Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is everything that a highborn lady should be. But Sophie is hiding a past that is far from royal. When Patrick, Earl of Coulter, realizes that her story doesn’t add up, he resolves to find out the truth of what Sophie and her sister-in-law are concealing. Although Sophie has every reason to avoid him, the handsome and charismatic Patrick awakens something wicked deep within her soul ... a powerful need that Sophie must stifle in order to protect her place in society.

Despite Sophie’s humble background, the raven-haired beauty has won Patrick’s heart. But what Sophie needs now is an ally. Viscount Myles Dumbly, the disgruntled former heir of Monmouth, is determined to expose Sophie as a fraud to recapture his lost inheritance. Soon Patrick is drawn into a fight for both their lives. Somehow he must find a way not only to rescue Sophie from poverty once and for all, but to keep her in his arms forever.

Daniel, Duke of Stratton, learns of his betrothal to Miss Berengaria Evangeline Winchcomb minutes before his father’s death. Having gambled his fortune away, all the late Duke had left to sell was his son. To save his family’s honor Daniel agrees to the marriage, but society’s favorite bachelor is no longer a charming easygoing man - his father’s betrayal has left him angry and with a thirst for revenge.

Eva learns she is to wed the Duke of Stratton on the way to the church. Inside she feels a flicker of hope that at last she is to leave her horrid family -- however that flicker is short-lived as she faces the cold unyielding man who is now her husband.

Has she merely replaced one tyrant with another?

Desperate and penniless, Miss Olivia Langley is out of options. To ensure her family's survival she and her sister decide to take a drastic step -- they don masks and take to the road as highwaymen. Disaster strikes when, inside the first carriage they rob, they find the one man Olivia had hoped never to see again. Five years ago Lord William Ryder had broken Livvy's heart. Now he has returned and she has a bad feeling that if anyone can succeed at unmasking her deepest secrets, it will be him.

Will knew his return would be greeted with both joy and resentment, but after five years of hard living he was ready to come home and take his place in society. He had never forgotten Olivia no matter how hard he'd tried, and whilst he hadn't imagined she would welcome him with open arms, the hostility and anger she displays are at odds with the woman he once knew. It is not long before he realizes she's living a dangerous lie, and now that he’s back, Will is determined to keep her safe and finally claim her for his own.

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Meet Wendy Vella --

How did Wendy Vella come to be New Zealand’s newest historical romance author?

Wendy Vella is a lover of all things romantic. She started reading her first Georgette Heyer book at a young age and instantly fell in love with the Regency era. Writing is something she has always found time for; she penned her first novel at eighteen though she says it will never make an appearance further than the closet in which it currently resides.

After having her two children, she then joined Romance Writers of New Zealand and started honing her chosen craft by entering competitions with some success and attending conferences.

Wendy has an addiction to reading and loves a wide range of genres while her first love will always be historical. She relishes novels steeped in romance and excitement with feisty heroines and delicious heroes, especially when they are set amongst the treacherous waters of London society.

Wendy is a sucker for a happy ending, having secured her own. She has been married to her own dark brooding hero for 28 years and shares her home with two wonderful children, two dogs and anyone else who happens to be visiting at the time. Born and raised in a rural area in the North Island of New Zealand, Wendy loves the beaches and lush green rolling hills of her homeland and is proud to call herself a very patriotic Kiwi!

To find out more about Wendy Vella and her books, click below:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

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Thanksgiving's done and it's almost Christmas and this is my way of saying "Thank you" to all the wonderful authors and to all the wonderful romance readers in the world.

Image from Freedigitalphotos.net

For this week, as support for the authors, I'm hosting a giveaway for one copy of Lady in Disguise, the first book in Wendy's The Langley Sisters series.

*This giveaway is via Rafflecopter and is open to International Readers.
*This giveaway will run until December 18.
*One entry per household per IP.
*Rafflecopter will select 1 winners who will receive a copy of Lady in Disguise by Wendy Vella (ebook via Kindle or Smashwords)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Drop by on Monday for the next interview and giveaway. ;-)