Angela Britnell Interview & Giveaway

 Joining me today is fellow Desert Breeze author Angela Britnell to talk about her new book, Opposites Attract.  Be sure to leave a comment for her for a chance to win a copy of the ebook.

[Anne] Name one of your favorite books as a child.

[Angela] I’m not sure of the exact title but it was a book of 365 Bedtime stories for children. This became a special time with my Father and I would want him to read on to the next night’s story but he never would!

[Anne] Out of all the books you've read, which one comes immediately to your mind?

[Angela] ‘The Rector’s Wife’ by Joanna Trollope. It’s one of the few books I read over and over again. One reason I love it is because it’s set in the sort of small English village where I grew up. Her beautifully drawn characters will stay with you long after reading. It’s difficult to pick a favorite scene but I think where the light bulb comes on in Anna’s head when a parishioner helps her to see that action is the only way forward. She realizes that if she doesn’t do something things will only get worse because no one else will do it for her. The consequences of her decision will be far-reaching both for Anna and her family.

[Anne] What's your favorite dish?

[Angela] It would have to be a Cornish Pasty. This is a hand-held pie made with beef, onion, and rutabaga. It was traditionally eaten by Cornish tin-miners as it was easy to carry and eat. Of course it has to be made by my mother!

[Anne] You’ve just landed a multi-book contract with a major publisher! Which vehicle would we be more likely to see you driving after you’ve collected your huge advance: a Hummer, RV, truck, muscle car, or BMW?

[Angela] I’ll go outside the list on this one – I’ve always loved the dark red Jaguar driven by Inspector Morse in the Colin Dexter mystery series set in Oxford .

[Anne] What's your favorite television show/movie?

[Angela] If I have to pick one I’ll go for the ‘Pride and Prejudice’ version with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. I never tire of watching that. But I’ll also have to say anything with Johnny Depp.

[Anne] Where do you go when you need to get inspired to write?

[Angela] As soon as my eldest son left home I painted his room in peach and decorated with cream lace curtains, a tea table, sofa and desk. This is now my favorite spot and no one is allowed to mess with it. I also have a Johnny Depp calendar on the wall perfectly sited to admire and inspire from anywhere in the room!

[Anne] What are you working on now?

[Angela] I’ve just finished my new novel ‘It’s Complicated.’ It’s a contemporary romance set in England . Charles ‘Black Ash’ Ashton temporarily abandons his jet-setting lifestyle to avoid being blamed for a multi-million pound poker scam and comes face to face with quiet, elegant math teacher Emily Worthing but the odds aren’t in their favor. After a disastrous affair cost Emily her heart and prestigious job she now prizes truth and honesty above all things. Ash makes his living at the poker table, where a little deviousness and the occasional white lie never hurt. Put them together and the odds are not in their favor. Emily and Ash have to prove they’ve an ace in the hand called love.

Angela's Bio -

I was born in Cornwall in southwestern England and return frequently to visit family and friends. After school I joined the Royal Navy and at my last assignment in Denmark met my own tall, dark, handsome stranger - a US Naval Officer named Richard who became my husband. Our itinerant life took us to Sicily , California , Maryland , and finally London . Along the way we had our three sons. On retirement from the Navy my husband took a job near Nashville , Tennessee and we're still here. I've always been a voracious reader and in 2001 took a creative writing class which sparked my writing career. I've had short stories published in women's magazines in the UK , US, and Australia . My first novel 'Truth and Consequence' was published in 2006. I belong to the Red Bandanas Writing Group, Jubilee Readers Book Club, the Music City Romance Writers, and the Romantic Novelists' Association. I also volunteer at my local library so you can see words are important to me.

Opposites Attract book blurb:

Why can no one believe Holly and Brett are content with their single lives? Certainly their interfering parents don't and they decide to take action. The 'Opposites Attract' dating agency has the theory if normal matchmaking hasn't worked they'll turn it upside down. The uptight British policewoman and the laid-back Southern writer are complete opposites and so will make the perfect mismatch. A weekend in Paris turns magical but secrets, lies and sheer stubbornness threaten this romance before it hardly gets off the ground. Holly and Brett will fight love all the way and it's a question of who'll give in first.

Excerpt:

Holly sucked in a deep breath. This wasn't on her agenda. The neat picture she'd formed of Brett Adair - short, thin, pale and chain-smoking - was just blown into next week. She preferred her men sharp, from their haircuts to their suits, to their minds. No way did she have any interest whatsoever in a lanky American with a cowboy hat and an accent straight from 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' He probably made moonshine in his spare time, when he wasn't shooting squirrels or ... whatever they did. She would make her position crystal clear. "The only things I plan on enjoying are the sights of Paris . I don't intend to let the fact I have to see them in the company of a stranger spoil my weekend. It's unfortunate, but I'm sure we can make the best of things."

"Hey, you don't take any prisoners do you?" Brett threw up his arms in mock surrender.

"Actually I do, often, or have you forgotten what I do for a living?"

Brett laughed. The deep, warm sound of it sent a little shiver through her belly. That laugh made her almost give in and smile.

"Smart lady. You're quick on the draw, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Not if they wanted to see me again." Mortified heat instantly flamed in her cheeks. God, that sounded like flirting.

A lazy smile crept from his eyes -- a deep Mediterranean blue she'd have preferred not to notice -- all the way to his mouth, turning up the edges of lips way too tempting to a woman who hadn't been kissed in over a year. Her belly clenched. She told herself she was just hungry.

Brett tipped his head toward her and stared straight into her eyes. One slight move, and his mouth would touch hers. Oh, God. Would he kiss her senseless if she wasn't careful? Her heart raced. Would he dare? Did she want him to?

"Come on, y'all. Time to get on board. Paris , here we come."

Brett took a step back and grinned at his father. "Sure thing, me and Holly here were just getting to know each other. Weren't we, darlin'?"

Holly buttoned her jacket, grateful for the interruption. She could've done something really stupid, there. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not your darling and never will be. We've merely got to tolerate each other for two days like reasonable adults. End of story."


Don't forget to leave a comment with your contact info to be entered in Angela's drawing.