From the Desk of... (& Giveaway)

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...author Louisa Edwards!

What Makes for a Good Romance Heroine?

When I first started writing romance, one of the guidelines I heard often was that your heroine should be someone readers want as their best friend.

The heroines of my books haven’t all been universally loved—which makes perfect sense, by the way. I don’t know about you, but my closest friends couldn’t be more different from one another. There isn’t a single set of characteristics that makes any one person the perfect friend for the entire universe. That would be boring! My heroines are true to themselves, and to their stories, so I’m proud of all of them.

But the heroine of my third Recipe for Love novel has been by far the most beloved by reviewers and readers. And she was the one I was worried for! When Just One Taste hit bookshelves on August 31st, I felt like a mom sending her little one to school for the first time, terrified she was about to get picked on by the rest of the class.

Dr. Rosemary Wilkins isn’t your typical contemporary romance heroine. In fact, not to put too fine a point on it, she’s a total nerd. A scientific prodigy who skipped multiple grades, has multiple advance degrees, and multiple diagnosable neuroses, Rosemary is more comfortable alone in her food chemistry lab than in conversation with other people. She’s awkward, sexually inexperienced, prickly, and tends to think in the clinical, analytical terms that are most familiar to her.

Of course, she’s also vulnerable, desperately lonely, generous, and funny—but I was so afraid readers wouldn’t see beneath her geeky exterior to the woman underneath. The hero, bad boy chef Wes Murphy, does . . . and never tries to change a thing about her, which I think is what makes him my most romantic hero ever.

But I should’ve had faith that my readers might turn out to be more like me than I thought! So many people seem to be able to identify with Rosemary’s brand of shyness, if she were a real person, she wouldn’t be the kid in the back of the class getting bullied; she’d be at a lunch table full of kids just like her, laughing, sharing comic books, and talking about the latest episode of “Dr. Who.”

Rosemary, it turns out, is best friend material for a lot of readers. Nerds rule!

Who are some of your favorite romance heroines? I have an autographed copy of Rosemary’s book . . . and some signature Recipe for Love culinary sway for one reader who comments!

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This was my first time reading a Recipe for Love novel and I just loved Rosemary in JUST ONE TASTE. She was very clinical and awkward but in such a cute way! Maybe I just have a thing for nerds but she was definitely a great romance heroine!! Be on the look out for my review tomorrow =)

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

One lucky reader will win a signed copy of JUST ONE TASTE (August 31, 2010) by Louisa Edwards and some culinary swag (pictured below). I will also be giving away my gently read review copy to another reader. First name drawn will win the prize pack, second name drawn will win the review copy.

To enter simply answer Louisa's question above and include an email address with you comment... (no answer or email address = no entry)

Extra Entries:


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Giveaway ends October 18th and the winners will be announced October 19th. Sorry, US Entries Only.

Good Luck!