by Lynne Graham, author of Flora’s Defiance (Harlequin Presents, April 2011)
My mini break in Amsterdam was a Valentine Day surprise from my husband.
The snow was on the ground, the canals were frozen and in spite of my layers of sensible woolies I was absolutely freezing within minutes.
The charm of the extraordinarily diverse houses flanking the waterways and the glorious museums were the antidote to the extreme cold and biting wind but we had to continually duck into quirky little cafe bars for me to defrost with a hot drink.
It was in one such venue that I saw the living breathing inspiration for my Dutch hero, Angelo in FLORA’S DEFIANCE. A handsome businessman, he was the very epitome of cool sophistication and he was reading the business section of his newspaper as he stood by the bar. He was very tall, the sort of guy who requires a tall partner and by the look of his stubborn jaw line, a strong one.
Flora doesn’t trust men and can think of nothing worse than being put in the position of having to depend on one. A spineless fiancé who let her down when she needed him, a father, who was a gifted deceiver and a weak mother have together ensured that Flora is determined to be an independent woman. In comparison, Angelo is accustomed to women chasing him. He enjoys his freedom and resists the ties and promises which previous lovers have to impose on him. Unfortunately for him he has never met a woman quite like Flora before- a woman with boundaries, unwilling to compromise her ideals.
When Flora falls pregnant and Angelo refuses to meet her expectations Flora just as firmly refuses his support, preferring to go it alone. My heroine puts me very much in mind of a phrase I often heard while I was growing up- ‘cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.’ Flora is indeed that proud and obstinate but only because her growing feelings for Angelo make her feel vulnerable. She tries to protect herself by keeping him at a distance. They are both very stubborn and very evenly matched characters and I had fun crafting their story.
Kindest regards,
Lynne Graham
Lynne, it was a pleasure to read about a different type of destination, and Flora was indeed independent! Really enjoyed this story and hearing about the inspiration behind it.
x Abby
Thanks Abby, pleased you liked it. I did love Amsterdam in spite of the cold XLynne
Hi Lynne,
I have always adored your books. You were one of the Presents authors that most inspired me to write so thank you! You bring such passion and emotion to the page. Can’t wait to read this one.
Best,
Melanie
Your husband sounds a real romantic, Lynne. You must treasure him!
Thanks, Melanie. And yes, Christina, I do treasure my romantic husband. He can still surprise me which is a joy
Lynne, Dutch heroes being thin on the ground (as opposed to the head) – your book opens up a whole new world now that you’ve created such a very SEXY one!
You have such a gift for creating believable characters, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Sharon, You’re so kind and just the encouragement I need right now I’m in the early stages of a new book and when you don’t know your characters very well yet it’s sometimes hard to believe you’ve got them right.
Glad you enjoyed Angelo. Occasionally I like doing something different. X Lynne
@Lynne: we hardly ever get winters like that in Holland. Last year and the year before were terrible weatherwise!
Being Dutch myself, I liked reading a book situated in the Netherlands, but was a bit disappointed that Angelo turned out to be half Spanish and throughout the book never uttered a word of Dutch… would have been a nice touch, but other than that, a great read!
I remember reading a Betty Neels book set in Holland – I think, and it made a huge impression. Can’t remember the plot but the picture I have in my head is really clear…
Lynn, you can’t beat real life inspiration like that!
I can’t wait to read this book! I know I’ve mentioned it before, but one of your books got me through sitting at my daughter’s hospital bedside in the NICU last year when she was born. A hard time made so much more bearable because of a good book.
Oh dear…and I left the ‘E’ off of your name. That’s not embarrassing at all…*blushes*
I adored Angelo and was so pleased to see an interesting new alpha. It seems that 2011 has inspired many writers to experimen. A maharaja, a few Russian’s and now your Dutchman. What could possibly be next?
That’s ok Maisey, I left off the “t”.
Lia, sorry there weren’t more Dutch words. I could have done with your brains to pick for vocabulary when I was writing the book! Glad you enjoyed the book though.
Maisey, can forgive you for leaving off the’e’ as long as you don’t call me Lynda which I often suffered from as a kid. Hope you like Angelo when you meet him between the pages.
Marilyn, Yes isn’t it great when we get to develop new international heroes- we’ll soon be feeling all powerful in our role as creators:)
I’ve read all your books and love your writing style.
One thing I must say though, I’m not a great fan of the two part novels and would much prefer the ones where the story is told in a one book format. We discussed this at our last Harlequin Romance book club meeting and we are all in agreement that the two part Harlequin Romance books (other authors included):
1. The story is too drawn out
2. By the time the second book comes out the reader has forgotten parts of the first book
3. Readers don’t like to wait month(s) for the second part to come out; many of us read a romance book cover to cover in one sitting.