Danielle: Thank you so much for having me! I’m always thrilled to get a chance to talk about my stories. Loving a Fairy Godmother is about the Cinderella story from the fairy godmother’s point of view – that is, if the fairy godmother was also dealing with her own romantic escapades while trying to ensure Cinderella got her Happily Ever After.
Alexis: That sounds so fun! Where did you get the idea for this story?
Danielle: Usually my stories start with the characters. In the case of Loving a Fairy Godmother, the character who appeared to me was Tiernan, the hero of the story. This is one of those instances where I have no idea where he came from, he just popped into my head fully formed. There he was, this dashing rogue with dimples, who told me he was the only fairy godfather around.
So I started wondering why there was only one fairy godfather, and the rest of the story followed.
Alexis: You have to love a guy that’s masculine enough to be the only man in his profession J What are your favorite character traits of Reina and Tiernan?
Danielle: I love the pride Reina has in her work and how fair she is in her dealings with everyone. She is one of those people who commands respect, even as everyone may fear her just a little bit. J For Tiernan, well, Tiernan is just perfect. He has this roguish charm, but he has integrity and a core of steel. And don’t forget the dimples!
Alexis: Believe me, I won’t. What kind of research did you do for this novel?
Danielle: This wasn’t a research story beyond rereading fairy tales. J just wanted to create a fairy tale ending for that staple of fairy tales, the fairy godmother.
Alexis: That was so nice of you. Do you have any other romance novels in the works that we can look forward to?
Danielle: I do! My second story was released earlier this month, it’s called Pleasure Satellite. It’s an erotic Sci-fi story and has been released from Ellora’s Cave.
Currently, I’m finishing up my very first novel – a Sword & Sorcery Paranormal Romance - which I’m going to try to get print published. After that’s done, I’ve got a few more ideas for the epub market, including a FWB ménage, a saucy take on Greek myths about a foul-mouthed nymph who is given the assignment to seduce a virgin, and my own take on Little Red Riding Hood.
Alexis: Fascinating ideas. And your current novels sound exciting too. What is it about romance novels that attracts you as a reader?
Danielle: I love romance and am a proud romance reader – in all of its incarnations. I don’t think there is anything more gratifying to read about than these two (or hey, sometimes more) people doing this dance of feelings and emotions and exploring what they mean to each other. And what makes romance so great is you can do this exploration in a variety of ways, from books that range from sexually chaste to sweat-inducing, and in any sub-genre that catches your interest.
I love, love. I love people falling in love. I love the variety in which I can write that. To my mind, romance is the best.
Alexis: I completely agree with you! There is something about love that is so satisfying. Thank you so much for visiting Happily Ever After Thoughts. We like talking about romance novels here and learning about the creative authors who write them J
Danielle: Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m always excited to talk about romance novels. This has been a great experience for someone as new as I am, and I hope I get the chance to come back again!
Danielle Monsch is a Romantic Geek Girl Writing in a Fantasy World. You can find her on the web at www.DanielleMonsch.com, www.twitter.com/DaniMonsch, www.facebook.com/DanielleMonsch
One random commenter will receive a copy of Loving a Fairy Godmother. Good Luck!
Alexis: Check out this excerpt from Loving a Fairy Godmother.
Excerpt:
“Godfather Tiernan—”
“You can just call me Tiernan,” he interrupted.
She tried again. “Godfather Tiernan—”
“”Didn’t Sara just tell you that you had to follow my directions?”
That pushed her over the edge. “Do you truly think you are going to secure a HEA when you haven’t been able to do it yet?”
He let out a derisive snort, but immediately realized that was a huge mistake. Her face lost her usual look of annoyance crossed with bemused tolerance, leaving pure ice in its place. “This is why men should not be allowed into the Godmother program. None of you have any respect for Happily Ever Afters.”
“I never said I didn’t believe in HEAs” he began, but she cut him off.
“Every case you’ve been on tells me you don’t believe, or else you would have tried once, just once, to get one!”
His hands slammed on the table as he leaned across it, his face coming inches from hers. “I’ve never tried because I believe in love! Humans need love so much, who the hell was I to screw up two people in love to get them to HEA status? I could never forgive myself if two people in love missed out on each other because of my actions!”
All anger fled her face, and a hesitant, unsure look came over features. “What do you think a HEA is?”
He drew in a deep breath, sitting down once again. “I think happily ever after is a nice way to end a story, but in the world I remember, it’s a waste.”
Her hand was halfway towards him before she seemed to remember their roles, and she pulled it back to her side. “Love is wonderful, but only love alone is incomplete. You can love someone, but they can ultimately not be right for you. Even in love, people can still be led to believe the worst of each other, still hurt each other, still decide they are better without the other,” she began, her words hesitant, as if she was trying to define to herself what it all meant as much as to him. “But the Happily Ever After is so much more. It’s finding your perfect match, love purified, refined, to such an extent that it can never be sundered. With a Happily Ever After, men can achieve greatness, as can all the generations who follow growing up in its shadow.”
“And you think jeopardizing the surety of a love match now is worth it for only the possibility of a Happily Ever After?” he asked, his voice gentle, reverent, wanting nothing to break this intimacy their words were creating.
“I do. In your view, maybe that seems cruel, but in my view, there is no greater tragedy then two people who almost make this connection but fall short in the end.”
Such a hard exterior to cover such a tender heart. “I’m not sure if I can believe as you do,” he said after considering her words. “But I never want Sara... you... to feel as if I let you down. After we get this situation behind us, I want you proud of the job I do.”
And as his breath caught at the rare smile she bestowed upon him just then, he knew all she had to do was keep smiling at him like that, and anything she wanted, whether it be his beliefs or his blood, he would give her.
Her smile faded, and the moment ended. Reina cloaked herself in her position of authority as she handed him the file that had been sitting on her desk. It was already open to show a picture of a blond girl, pretty and vibrant with a mouth full of straight white teeth, all of which was evident even underneath the dirt. “I looked over this case earlier, before I realized what was going on,” she said. “It is a good, solid HEA case. There are several challenges to overcome, but also several sources of help for the client. It is about as perfect as a case can be for this purpose, as evenly balanced as I’ve ever seen. No one can accuse the council of favoring either side. The girl’s name is Cinderella. She lives with an abusive Stepmother and two rotten spoiled stepsisters. She is a very kind, generous girl—though a little too much of a doormat, if you ask me—but outside of that, not really any other character flaws. She is much beloved in her village, children and small animals flock to her daily. In short, we exist to give HEAs to mortals like her.”
Tiernan read the file quickly, then flipped the page and took in the photo of the male who would supply the HEA. “A prince, huh? That’s pretty standard.”
“Indeed, but for the most part, we don’t mess with the classics here.” The pointed look she gave him told him he was one of the exceptions, and she wasn’t necessarily thrilled about it. Ah yes, completely back to normal.
He returned that look with a flirty smile. “I used to serve royalty, Godmother Reina. Believe me when I say, sometimes the large crown is to compensate for something.”
“Oh really? Well, I assume we can say the same thing about your sword, eh, knight?”
Maybe not completely back to normal after all. The second those words passed her lips her eyes went saucer wide, and Tiernan couldn’t say who was more shocked, him or Reina herself. There was no way he was letting this pass. His voice coming out a low growl, he replied, “Why, Reina, I never knew you were interested in the size of my sword. Anytime you want a private viewing, I will be more than happy to oblige.”
Alexis: Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win this unique romance!
Great blog Danielle! And that book of yours sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOoh, this sounds like a fun story!
ReplyDeleteHi Marie,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming over to comment! I admit, I'm rather fond of it :)
Hi Robin,
ReplyDeleteThat was the point, I wanted it to be fun. I wasn't looking for deep or angst, just a fun time to be had.
Thanks for commenting!
Shoot, I'm SO late catching up on emails -- but what fun to read the excerpt of Tiernan and Reina's story. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, Danielle, I hope you enjoyed being on the other side of the interview for a change...Alexis makes it as much fun to read as you make it to hear!