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ONCE UPON A WEDDING NIGHT by Sophie Jordan Avon Books August 2006 Welcome to your New Faces column, where we are delighted to introduce debut romance authors. This time we're visiting with Sophie Jordan, whose first release is Once Upon a Wedding Night from Avon. Sophie, welcome to TRR! Tell us about yourself. I'm a Texas gal -- grew up on pecan ranch in the Texas Hill country. I received a BA in English and History from Texas A&M University. Following that, I briefly attended law school before realizing that I did NOT want to be a lawyer. I then taught high school English for several years in Houston, where I currently live, before resigning. Now I write full time with my three year old underfoot. I love hanging out in bookstores (so does my daughter), Starbucks, Mexican food, watching movies and going to watch the Astros play with my husband. Are you coming to romance writing from another job? I don't think -- hope -- I'll have to return to teaching. We're going to give the life of a full time writer a chance. What led you to write romance? I've read the genre since junior high school -- easy when both my mother and grandmother were reading it. I just borrowed their books. Tell us about your road to publication. It took me about two years to become published. That first year I wrote a lot, but no contest finals -- even though I entered them faithfully. Then something clicked in my writer's head, and I was your basic contest "diva", finaling all over the place. One of these contest finals landed me my agent. Three weeks after signing with her, she got me a contract with Avon. What kind of research was involved for your first book? I always do some research, but with a history degree (and the fact that I've read historical romances since the age of twelve) I have most of my bases covered. Tell us about your debut book. Lady Meredith Brookshire has every right to Oak Run. Now that she's suddenly husbandless and penniless, where else would she, her addled father, and spinster aunt reside? Yet who should appear but Nicholas Caulfield, the new Brookshire heir, claiming the estate is rightfully his by law. The brute is as arrogant as he is handsome--besides, he's supposed to be dead. And the only plan resourceful Meredith can devise to save her family from homelessness is a desperate scheme that may lead her to salvation or ruin …and the bed of the man she has vowed to hate. A reluctant aristocrat, Nick does not trust this fiery, infuriating chit whom he suspects of subterfuge--yet who bewitches him with her innocent green eyes. The sooner he can get this tempting beauty married off to some stodgy old blueblood--and off his hands for good--the better. There is one slight problem, however: Nick can't bear the thought of her wedding any man but him. Who are your influences as a writer? The list is endless! My early influences include Johanna Lindsay and Maggie Osborne. More recently, I've become big fans of Mary Balogh and Julia Quinn. What does your family think of having a published romance author in their midst? My husband is incredibly supportive and will brag to anyone he comes across. My parents are very proud, but not necessarily surprised. I've always been a bit of an over-achiever, and they well remember the teenage daughter they would find up at 3AM reading a romance novel. Tell us about plans for future books. My second historical for Avon, TOO WICKED TO TAME, will be out in March 2007. It's a connected book to ONCE UPON A WEDDING NIGHT. I also recently signed on for three more historicals with them. And because I didn't have enought to write, How can readers get in touch with you?
I love to hear from readers! You can reach me at sophie@sophiejordan.net
Sophie, thank you for joining us, and best of luck with your future
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