Book Releases

Holding On (Colorado High Country #6) —
The Colorado High Country series returns with Conrad and Kenzie's story.

A hero barely holding on…

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help. He’s the last person in the world she should ask to foster this little furball. He’s barely capable of managing his own life right now, let alone caring for a helpless, adorable, fluffy puppy. But Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie with her bright smile and sweet curves. One look into her pleading blue eyes, and he can’t say no.

The woman who won’t let him fall…

Kenzie Morgan’s life went to the dogs years ago. A successful search dog trainer and kennel owner, she gets her fill of adventure volunteering for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. The only thing missing from her busy life is love. It’s not easy finding Mr. Right in a small mountain town, especially when she’s unwilling to date climbers. She long ago swore never again to fall for a guy who might one day leave her for a rock. When Conrad returns from a climbing trip haunted by the catastrophe that killed his best friend, Kenzie can see he’s hurting and wants to help. She just might have the perfect way to bring him back to the world of the living. But friendship quickly turns into something more—and now she’s risking her heart to heal his.

In ebook and soon in print!


About Me

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I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

An Interview with Jamie Blakewell (w/update)



Here's the downloadable wallpaper that you can get off my Web site. You might be able to download it here, too, if you click on it. Not sure...

Thanks, Jenn!

So now we return to interviews with our heroes. Today we speak with Jamie Blakewell, the hero from Carnal Gift. You gave me the questions, and I passed them along to him. If you have anything you'd like to discuss with him, go ahead an post additional questions or statements and I'll make sure he gets them.

Without further ado...

An Interview with Jamie Blakewell


Q: What did you think when you realized that Sheff was giving you an innocent woman as a sexual gift?

At first, I could not believe that he would do such a thing. One hears stories, of course, of lords who use the maids of their households in such a fashion, but one hopes such tales are merely that — stories told to horrify and amuse. Of course, I was enraged for her sake, enraged that he could take a young and innocent woman from her kin and give her over to a stranger to be used so cruelly. I thank Providence that I was his guest that not, and not another.

Q: Did Sheff show any sign of the cruel man he would become when you were both studying at Oxford?

He was never a man to show pity for the sorrows of others. His compassion was given to those most like him — nobility, gentry and his friends. He debauched more than his share of young maids in that time, earning my disapprobation on that account. But he did not yet have the & etc., which later destroyed his mind, giving him over to his basest, most cruel nature. He was my friend but because of Bríghid, he became my greatest enemy.


Q: Jamie, do you have a hard time reigning in Brígid’s Irish temper even after several years of wedded bliss? And did the children inherit it and or their mother’s Irish Accent?

Aye, my wife has a temper, but she does not show it often. When she does, I know just the way to soothe her.

Those months in Ireland were long and hard. She feared for her brothers and for herself. So much was uncertain and ever obstacle against them. We’ve three sons — Ciarán, Nicholas, and Seamus — and two little girls — Maura and Catriona — all with my wife’s dark hair. The girls have their mother’s temper and are the very likeness of her. Ciarán, I fear, has his Uncle Ruaidhrí’s temper, while Nicholas much resembles his mild-mannered Uncle Fionn, and Seamus, the youngest and my namesake, takes after his father. My wife is young yet, so there will surely be more children.

Q: Was there ever a moment that you questioned, even if only for a moment, whether or not it was truly worth converting your religion just to be with Bríghid?

Nay. Once I realized that I loved her, I never doubted that a life with Bríghid would be worth any sacrifice or travail. I worried only what consequence there might be for my family. But Virginia is far removed from the Penal Laws of Britain, and though there are many who disdain Catholics, few would dare to say so to my face, given my family’s standing. If becoming Catholic made it possible for me to take Bríghid to wife, then I was willing to become the Pope’s most loyal subject.

Q: Does your family accept your new faith and your wife?

’Tis a family tradition to marry outside the confines set by society. Alec, my brother-by-marriage, took Cassie, my sister, to wife, though she, as the daughter of a middling plantation owner and not a wealthy one, was not, as the wags of London no doubt discussed at length, of his “quality.” To be sure, my marriage to Bríghid is more unconventional than his to Cassie, and certainly the question of religion is at the heart of it. But I would not allow my new faith to become my hindrance, nor would my family stand to see me suffer on that account. They have accepted me and my wife — and my wife’s family — with open arms.

---
Update:

Stef had some questions for you, Jamie. She lives in France.

Should i answer in French?

Er... Nay, English will suffice (thank goodness!)

Aye, I see that. ’Twas hard for Bríghid and her brother to leave their homeland. There is no place in the world like Ireland. We've not been back. ’Twas too treacherous at first, with the matter of Sheff's death and the fire hanging over us, and then Bríghid was with child. Though she wishes to see Eire again, I'll not risk her nor any one of our children on that perilous voyage. When the little ones are older, we shall make the long voyage so that they can see the land where their ancestors once reigned as kings. Bríghid speaks only Gaelic to them, so they know the language. With Fionn and Muirin nearby, they are able to share tales of the home they all miss. And then there's the music — Irish music that all of us have come to love. So although I know my wife is homesick, she also has a home she has come to love and kin when grows weary of her Sassanach husband.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Helloooo Jamie (fluttering eyeslashes)
I thought that the scenes when you take Brighid first to England then to Virginia were both heartwrenching. Poor Brighid had to leave her beloved Eire. Do you intend to take your children back there some day? So that they can see their mother's country?
stef

Cheryle said...

Gotta love tradition!

Lori said...

Oh Jamie is such a wonderful guy. *sigh*

I apologize for the unseemly music. I love Lifehouse, but to have it blare on YOUR computer isn't right. I was trying to share my playlists — the ones I use when I write — but I must be a techno-idiot because I can't make it not play. So I deleted it.

Hi, Stef, Cheryle, Lori!

Let me see if Jamie is available....

Anonymous said...

Great interview! And, Lori has said it, what a guy! Where are these men? LOL. Ah, I guess that's why we love our romance novels :) Only in them can we find such perfect men.

I'm about to start, Sweet Release. Can't wait to read it!

~Barbara

I hear you, Barbara!

Being single, I hold high hopes of meeting a man like him one day. In the meantime, I tried to raise my boys to be heroes. I figure a mother's job when it comes to sons is to raise men who will make the women in their lives happy one day. ;-)

I hope you enjoy Alec and Cassie's story! My first attempt at this crazy story-writing thing.

Anonymous said...

See now, that's a good mom! All moms should think that way!

I got lucky I guess, my hubby and his brothers were raised to be gentlemen.

RE: Sweet Release...Oh, I have no doubt I will enjoy it. According to Kristie(J) the story is wonderful and she hasn't let me down yet ;)

Amanda said...

Aw man, he is so amazing! And with the story being set in Ireland I know I'll love it!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for answering Jamie. Though I'd have loved it if you had done it in French, you don't need that to be sexy.

Pamela!!! You love Lifehouse too!!! I thought I was the only one.

stef

Anonymous said...

LOVE the interview and hearing from one of my all time personal favorite men of the Clare Legacy's! ;) SO wonderful to catch up and see you and hear about Brighid and the children again!

Thank you for your time Pamela and Jamie!

Barbara, you are lucky, indeed! That's wonderful to hear. I've told Kristie she deserves her own bronze engraved plaque inside Ride the Fire because of how much she's done to spread the word. Can't wait to hear what you think of the rest of the trilogy!

Amanda, how lucky you are to have Ireland right outside your front door! I would love love love to visit the country and live there for, oh, say, a decade or something. Say hi to Eire for me!

Jamie says, "You're most welcome, mademoiselle." And, yes, I love Lifehouse! I have Sue Z and Kristi and Libby to thank for that!

You're so welcome, Jenn! "Clare Legacy"? I didn't know I have one, but I like the sound of that. LOL! I hope you're doing well.

So, up next: Nicholas Braden Kenleigh.

Anyone have any questions they want to get in for the hero of Kristie J's favorite, Ride the Fire?

Hey, Kristie, do you have any questions for him? You're is No. 1 fan!

You should all know that Iain, Morgan and Connor are waiting with barely veiled impatience for their chance to answer your questions. This is all about them, in case you were wondering. (That's what they think.)

Anonymous said...

I'm rereading Ride the Fire for the first time in years (don't have the time for many re-reads, I'm afraid) and I had forgotten how much I adore Nicholas. What a wonderful, wonderful man he is. I find it extremely hard to choose a favourite historical hero Pamela -- you write them so well. (sigh)

Amanda said...

We're waving back at you Pamela!! And you should come visit!! But I will warn you, a decade won't be long enough!

Hi, Lucy —

How funny! I picked up RtF and was perusing parts of it yesterday. I just had a jones for Bethie and Nicholas. I'm so glad it's standing up to another reading. And thanks so much for your sweet words. I do try to write heroes that we can all truly love and admire.

Hi, Amanda —

You may be right about that. Ten years might not be long enough. I hope I live long enough to get my fill of Eire and Scotland and Denmark and all the other places I love — Spain, for example. ::sigh::

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