Take Five with Miranda Neville!

It’s my huge pleasure to introduce debut Avon historical romance author Miranda Neville. Miranda’s first book  NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION sounds absolutely delicious, not just because it’s a luscious love story but also because the heroine is a skilled chef. It’s currently available in all good bookstores. You can find out more about Miranda and her wickedly tempting books at her website: www.mirandaneville.com

Miranda very kindly agreed to be my victim…uh, guest on the blog today. So here are five questions with Miranda Neville:

ANNA: Miranda, congratulations on the release of your debut historical romance NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION which is out at the end of February. Can you tell us something about this story?

MIRANDA: Jacobin, my heroine, runs away from her uncle when he loses her in a game of cards. She’s learned to be an expert pastry chef and she gets a job in the Prince Regent’s kitchen, disguised as a young man. That’s all fine until her uncle – one of the Prince’s friends — is poisoned by a dessert she made. Someone’s setting her up to take the fall so she escapes again and ends up working for – the man who won her in the card game! Anthony, the Earl of Storrington wants to use her as an instrument of revenge but he’s soon torn between his attraction to her and his other goal.

ANNA: I know food plays a major part in this story. What made your mouth water? Apart from Lord Storrington, obviously!

MIRANDA: Jacobin is a pastry and dessert cook so NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION gives some of the recipes she makes for her employer. Ironically Anthony, Lord Storrington doesn’t really have a sweet tooth. However, he learns to appreciate her confections in certain contexts. Ahem. Whipped cream anyone? While I was writing the book I was on a diet and lost 50 pounds so my appreciation of her pastries was entirely vicarious.

ANNA: What was your favorite book when you were 12?

MIRANDA: That’s easy. I must have been about 12 when I first read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and it’s been my favorite book ever since. LITTLE WOMEN came a close second. Around that time I also started scarfing up everything by Georgette Heyer and Jean Plaidy.

ANNA: Describe your ideal holiday location.

MIRANDA: Anywhere but England! If that sounds odd, you have to understand that I grew up there and all my family live there, so that’s pretty much where I spend my vacations. Sometimes I long for sun, beaches and drinks with umbrellas. I love museums and art galleries and had a marvelous five days in Rome two years ago. And I have a friend who moved to Hawaii and keeps asking me to visit. If I get really stuck with a deadline I’m going to take my laptop to her veranda for a working holiday.

ANNA: Do you cast your novels? If so, who would you cast as Jacobin and Lord Storrington in NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION?

MIRANDA: I mostly use period portraits and my own imagination for inspiration but the hero of my WIP does bear an uncanny resemblance to Daniel Craig. And one of my earlier efforts definitely featured a Brad Pitt look-alike. I could see Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet as Anthony and Jacobin.

ANNA: Thanks, Miranda! Great answers! And it sounds like a great book!

Miranda is a brave woman. She’s blogging with the Romance Bandits on Tuesday, 10th March. Pop by to find out more about this sparkling new addition to Avonlandia and to win a signed copy of her debut book NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION!

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