Please join Susan in giving a big, warm welcome to Samantha James!

Publishers Weekly Starred review calls The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell" just about perfect. . . rich, meaty, sexy and honest."

Romantic Times says : "A story so potent, so powerful, so stunning, it's a sure bet that readers will immediately place it on their keeper shelf."

Susan: Samantha, welcome! The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell hit the bookstores last week—congratulations!

Samantha: Yes, I'm excited! It's been a while since I've had a book out. It's still a kick to see my books on the shelves (If you asked my grandson what his nana does for a living, he'd say I sell my books to Safeway).

Susan: LOL! I've heard great buzz about this book so far. You must be so pumped.

Samantha: I'm tickled pink by the reviews so far for Simon (that's what I've started to call it—The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell is too long to keep repeating!). The word "Keeper" keeps coming up. . . and I'm not complaining!

Susan: No kidding! So, tell us a little about Simon.

Samantha: Well, Simon Blackwell is a man who's weathered some hard knocks—five years earlier, he was on top of the world. But in the space of one night, a tragedy occurred that robbed him of everything—everyone—that he loved.

Susan: I sense a tortured hero coming up!

Samantha: Oh, yeah, BIG-time tortured hero. Probably the most tormented character I've ever written. Simon shuts himself away, out of guilt and remorse, and he's certain that nothing—or no one—can ever bring him back. I shed buckets of tears while writing Simon. Honestly, if that happens while I'm writing, that's my cue that I've done my job. Simon definitely tugs at the heartstrings.

Susan: It must take some kind of heroine to get to a guy like that.

Samantha: (big grin) Let me just say that with two older brothers, Annabel McBride knows how to give as good as she gets. She's pretty darn spunky and once she makes up her mind to go after something—or someone in Simon's case--there's no stopping her. Anne definitely figures out how to get under Simon's skin, if you know what I mean. She was the perfect woman to sneak into Simon's heart when he least expected it—and especially when he was so determined to fight it!

Susan: You write pretty angst-ridden books, don't you?

Samantha: For the most part, yes. I love reading books with snappy banter that are just plain fun (I ADORED Just for Kicks). When I wrote for Loveswept and Silhouette (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth), my books were definitely on the lighter side. But you have to do what you do best, and you have to write what you like. I discovered that I wrote better books when I wrote darker characters who had some baggage to deal with. And when I made the switch to historicals, I really felt I'd hit my stride.

Susan: So I guess that makes you pretty much a time-traveling fool, huh?

Samantha: (another grin) Gee, I never thought of it that way, but I suppose you're right . Contemporaries, western, medieval, Regency. And Simon is Victorian—most of it takes place in 1848.

Susan: Is Simon part of a series?

Samantha: It is; the first book of a trilogy, in fact. I was slow to the game when it came to writing series. I did a couple of mini, two book series before writing the "Perfect" trilogy. But I'm excited about the two books coming after Simon. Annabel's got two very sexy brothers—definitely hero material!

Susan: Rumor has it you were pretty happy about the cover for SIMON.

Samantha: Happy? Oh, man, I was over the moon. I love it. I adore it. I . . . well, you get the picture. Avon did a terrific job. I think it's my best cover yet.

Susan: Yeah, it's sexy and pretty and, well, just downright hot! And I understand there were certain rumors going around about the cover model for Simon.

Samantha: Rumors? Weeell, you might say that. When I got the mechanical for Simon (usually the first peek an author gets of the cover art), my editor asked me and my agent if we noticed anything uncanny about the model for the artwork. Uncanny? Well, for me, it was like Jeopardy and taking tests, you know? When the first thing that pops into your mind is usually the right answer. The first thought that popped into my mind was that he looked like a certain celebrity. So I showed the cover to my kids, to my hubby, to all my friends.

Susan: And? And?

Samantha: Only my editor, my son-in-law and myself came to the same verdict.

Susan: Don't leave us hanging. What conclusion did the three of you reach?

Samantha: (laughing) That I was right . . . the cover model DOES look like a certain celebrity (and no, I'm not saying who!). But I'd like to ask readers to check it out for themselves. Who do YOU think he looks like?

Susan: 'Scuse, me, I gotta rush over and post my opinion.

Samantha: Uh, Susan? You don't think that might blow the fun for everyone else? You already know who I think he looks like.

Susan: Oh. Well. If you're going to be a spoilsport. Still. . . (brightening) Thank you so much for joining us today! All you readers out there--you really need to check this book out. To learn more about The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell, visit Samantha's website at www.samanthajames.com. When she's not writing, you might find her lurking at the Avon Authors Bulletin Board .