Wild and Wonderful with Margo Maguire!
| By Anna Campbell | 02.5.09 |
Recently I was delighted to interview Margo Maguire whose latest release WILD sounds exactly that. Margo writes historical romance set in both the Middle Ages and the Regency and there’s often more than a touch of magic in her stories. So here’s Margo!
ANNA: Margo, your latest historical romance is WILD which came out in January. Can you tell us about this story?
MARGO: I would love to! The premise of WILD was to pit a prim and proper young spinster against a young man with no sense of propriety, no decorum. I came up with Grace Hawthorne, the companion to a dowager countess, and Anthony Maddox, the heir to an earldom who was lost on safari in Africa as a child. Twenty-some years later, Anthony is back on his grandmother’s estate (that would be Grace’s employer) and Grace is given the task of making him a suitable earl. Of course Anthony loves to push Grace out of her comfort zone with his inappropriate, “uncivilized” behavior. And Grace pushes back with strict rules to govern his actions. Yet in spite of their differences, sparks of attraction fly between them interfere with what each one thinks he or she really wants.
ANNA: Sounds great! There’s more than a touch of Tarzan in this latest book. Do you have a favorite version of Tarzan? Why?
MARGO: [Blush] I am embarrassed to admit I never read any of the Graystoke novels. But I did see the Johnny Weissmuller film version on TV as a kid. I should see if I can rent it one of these days and see if I remember it correctly. There was Jane, of course …and Cheetah. And weren’t there a few Nazis wandering around the jungle? WILD doesn’t have any scenes of Africa (nor does Anthony do that “Tarzan call”). For WILD, I had to figure a way for Anthony to have remembered English, or else the dialogue in the book would have been problematic. He had an old bible that he read during his years in Africa. So, er, to answer the question … I guess the Johnny Weissmuller version would be my favorite Tarzan – because it’s the only one I can remember!
ANNA: What’s coming up next?
MARGO: TAKEN BY THE LAIRD is coming out in October. It features a brooding Scottish castle, a brooding laird, and a runaway bride. I love adventure-romances, and this one is full of it – there’s smuggling, and a daring sea rescue… not to mention a lot of steamy interludes between the hero and heroine. It’s going to be a perfect book to curl up with on a chilly autumn night!
ANNA: What’s your favorite film?
MARGO: Independence Day – with Will Smith and Bill Paxton. I know that seems weird for a romance author, but it has all the elements I love – including a bit of romance!
ANNA: Tell us five quirky things about Margo Maguire.
MARGO: I’m almost always reading four or five books concurrently.
I used to be a director of the 17-18 year-old division of a large travel ice hockey association. I can quote all kinds of hockey rules. Aren’t you glad you know this? (ANNA: Delighted, LOL!)
I have more pets than I ever wanted: two 90 lb Labrador Retrievers and two house cats. And somehow, they all get along!
My body doesn’t tolerate caffeine. I can’t even drink a coke without having problems with it! And yet, I somehow manage to live a full and happy life.
I do my computer “mousing” with my left hand. It was awkward at first, but when I broke my right hand and had to have pins and a cast, I didn’t have any choice. Now that I’m used to it – I won’t go back!
ANNA: What makes a great romance hero?
MARGO: He’s a man with issues to resolve, but the issues don’t turn him into a whining wimp – they propel him forward toward a resolution. He is strong in his own way, and learns to appreciate the heroine for all of her strengths. He is never threatened by her (OK, maybe at first, but he gets over it pretty quick!). He has an innate kindness inside, but it’s not always obvious – except to the heroine. He can appreciate humor and irony, although he doesn’t always apply those insights to himself. Most of all, he will protect and respect the heroine from the very start – even before their love has a chance to get off the ground.
ANNA: Lovely description of a romance hero, Margo! Thanks for being my victim…uh, guest today! I’m really looking forward to reading WILD! Sounds like it combines two of my favorite themes – the fish out of water and opposites attract.
February 5th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Hi Anna and Margo
Great interview I have just finished reading Wild and loved it Anthony and Grace are so good together I loved the way Anthony bought Grace around to his way of thinking really enjoyed this book and Margo the next one sounds great although it won’t be autumn here when I get to read it it will be spring it will be on my order though.
I too love the movie Independence Day it is one of my favourites and I so lovd the Tarzan movies when I was growing up
Have Fun
Helen
February 6th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Great interview, ladies! Margo I love the cover of Wild. Speaking of Tarzan, I loved Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan with Christopher Lambert from 1984. I had a huge crush on Lambert after that.
February 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Helen, thanks for popping over to say hello! A Tarzan fan, huh? There was a great TV series of Tarzan on when I was a kid (well, I thought it was great at the time!) with a rather scrumptious Tarzan played by Ron Eli. Did you see that?
Kate, I had a huge crush on Christopher Lambert in Greystoke. He was just so intense and gorgeous in that, wasn’t he? And it was such a sad story! I read somewhere that apparently he had those very intense eyes because he’s so short-sighted, he can’t see anything without his glasses so in the film, he had to peer at everything. It really worked, didn’t it?
May 30th, 2010 at 12:39 am
I really enjoyed reading this posting.Many thanks.