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"New
Worlds Are Our Oyster."  |
 P.E.A.R.L |
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by
Barbara Sheridan 
Leslie Tramposch: Managing Editor - Sara Reyes: Marketing and Publicity
January 2001 Issue
By
Candleglow ~ The Heralded Return of Gothic Romance!
NEW! PNR Poll: We Want More............Gothic
Romances!
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Evelyn
Rogers Evelyn Rogers is the author of 26 best-selling romance novels and six novellas. A former newspaper reporter, teacher and librarian, she has found great satisfaction in the writing process. She
lives in San Antonio, where she dotes on her three grandchildren and
pays homage to her retired journalist husband, who has taken over most
of the cooking while she sits thinking up stories.
PNR: Devil in the Dark is one of two-novels kicking off the Candleglow Gothic line in January 2001. This isactually the third time one of your novels has introduced a new Love Spell line, correct? Evelyn
R:
Yes,
"Golden Man" started the Perfect Heroes line in February 1999
and "Second Opinion" began the contemporary humorous line
The Time of Your Life in September of the same PNR:
Though
you are probably best known for writing western romances, including
your latest Texas Empires series, these three kick-off novels were departure
from that setting. Your first novel for Dorchester was a light paranormal
romance entitled "Wicked", which was reissued last January.
You've also written a time travel entitled "The Forever Bride".
Do you enjoy variety in your writing? Evelyn
R:
Very much. Varying settings and times keeps me fresh when I return
to western romances. PNR: What influenced you to try your hand at Gothic style romance? Evelyn R: After finishing the Texas Empires series, I wanted to leave westerns for a while. I looked to the movies. "The Sixth Sense" was very popular, as was "The Blair Witch Project." I had long been a fan of the Gothic and decided perhaps it was time for a go at it. I am grateful that my wonderful editor Alicia Condon agreed. PNR:
Lets talk about the Gothic sub-genre. Several years ago, publishers
had virtually given up on the gothic sub-genre, explaining that there
just wasn't a big enough audience for them. What do you think influenced
Dorchester to reintroduce Gothic novels to the romance readership? Why
do you feel this new line will be successful? Eveyln R: It was after receiving my proposal that my publisher started looking at the broader picture, not just my lone title. With all of the darkness in popular movies and television programs, they felt the time was ripe for the same darkness to appear in romance books. Bear in mind, this is a supposition on my part. But I think it's a pretty good guess. My editor, a brilliant woman and great editor, has compared Gothics to the classic "Beauty and the Beast," as well as mythology, most notably Cupid and Psyche.. Everyone should hear her talk on the subject. She gave me insights on the genre that I had never before considered. PNR:
The settings
for Gothic novels are generally secluded or spooky. When and where does
your story take place? Eveyln R: On the misty moors of 1860 Yorkshire. It's a classic setting, going back to the Brontes. There is a dark, forbidding castle as well as a haunted mansion to add to the chilling atmosphere. PNR:
The heroine is an American heiress, how does
she find herself in England and how does she meet the hero? Is there
instant chemistry between them, or do they dislike each other immediately? Evelyn R: The heroine, Lucinda Fairfax, long estranged from her viscount father, has come to claim his estate, planning to claim what she can in the name of her late mother and return to her New York farm. Her first night, the hero, Gideon Blackthorne, Duke of Ravenswood, known as the Devil Duke, almost runs her down. The attraction between them is immediate and does not let up. PNR:
Lucinda's life has changed in a big way, how
does she deal with the changes? Evelyn R: Her view of herself changes. Faced with challenges, threats, mysteries, she learns to be strong, to stand up for herself and her beliefs, and to accept the fact she is capable of love. PNR: Many of the ParaNormalRomance readers enjoy dark heroes, the popularity of series such as Christine Feehan's Carpathian novels has shown that. And of course <g> an added bonus of paranormal elements within the stories would be icing on the cake. The second kick-off novel, The Wolf of Haskell Hall by Colleen Shannon, features werewolves. Are there paranormal elements in Devil in the Dark? Eveyln R: Most definitely. There is a ghost and a mysterious hound, both of which figure strongly into the plot. The hero, however, is all man, although a difficult one. PNR:
On that
note let's talk about the "Devil Duke". Can we safely assume
that he has both a reputation and a dark secret? Can we assume the secret
spells danger for Lucinda? Evelyn R: Yes, to both, his reputation including the possibility of murder and lustful depravity. A primary characteristic of the genre is the possibility that the man could be both a hero and a villain. Faced with life-threatening situations, the heroine must decide which and act accordingly. PNR:
Generally
the darker the hero's reputation the more vulnerable he really is, would
you say that Gideon is vulnerable? Has he been hurt? Evelyn R: Ah, the vulnerable hero is a wonderful part of romance. Gideon is definitely vulnerable. His demons are very much real, including a forbidden fascination with Lucinda. PNR:
Have you any plans to write additional
Gothic romances? What is next for Evelyn Rogers? Evelyn
R: I'm
back to westerns for a while. "The Loner," a July 2001 release,
is the fourth in the Secret Fires series, each book written by a different
author, about the McBrides, a dysfunctional family if there ever was
one. Elaine Barbierie launches the series with "The Wild One"
this February. Then comes Bobbi Smith's "The Half-Breed" in
April and "The Arrangement" by Constance O'Banyon in June.
Readers who buy all four can receive four additional titles free of
charge. Elaine's book includes details. As for writing another Gothic, it was such a departure for me I'm waiting to get the reaction from readers. It could very well be I'll be back on the moors or in an Irish castle or some place equally evocative of suspense.
Interviews with:
Out of Print Zebra Titles BRAZEN EMBRACE
- Keller Graves collaboration (ISBN: 0821719831) ANGEL - Evelyn
Rogers (ASIN: 0821751638) Out of Print Anthologies AVON BOOKS PRESENTS:
LOVE BEYOND TIME - (ASIN: 0380775409)
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Love
Spell DEVIL IN THE DARK - He rode out of the Yorkshire mist, a dark figure on a dark horse, black cape flying, the sharp hooves of his steed flashing ominously in the half-light that fell across the road. Trapped by the sudden danger, Lucinda stood terror-stricken in his path. Instinct drove her backward. She struck her shoulder against the open door of her carriage, narrowly avoiding the hooves as the horse thundered past. Her own mare whinnied and jumped about in the carriage traces, equally terrified, sending high-pitched squeals into the damp night air. Time stopped. His cape, she saw, was lined in red, the color of blood. He nodded once, to what purpose she had no idea; then with a flick of the reins he disappeared into the mist from whence he had come, the sight and sound of him absorbed by the darkness, leaving her with a chill that crept along the surface of her skin and, equally disturbing, with a stirring in her middle that came close to heat. He must have been before her no more than a few seconds, yet it had seemed a lifetime. A strange sensation stole over her, a feeling that from this moment on, her life would never be the same.
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