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Guest Post by Author Courtney Milan + Giveaway
Filed in Courtney Milan , Guest Post , The HEA Lover Posted on October 4, 2010 @ 6:00 am
30 comments
Today, I’m very happy to welcome Courtney Milan on Book Lovers Inc. Courtney is the author of fascinating historical romances, her latest book Trial By Desire was released in September. It was a 5 Stars read for me (my review here). Let’s give a warm welcome to Courtney who will be telling us everything about HEAs.
If I were to pick a single defining characteristic for my books, I would say they’re emotionally serious mixed with a healthy dose of funny. (Which tells you that I’m a total cheater; that’s TWO defining characteristics, not one.)
For my first book, the funny was easy to find–my heroine told fortunes, and my hero was a scientist, and in the clash between right and wrong lent itself to some inherently amusing situations. In the case of Trial by Desire, the serious was easy to find: Kate, the heroine of my book, hid abused women from their husbands. Ned, the hero, suffered from occasional depressions in a time period where there were no clinics who could even diagnose the condition, let alone suggest any sort of treatment. Neither of these are light subjects.
But I also know that if I wanted my readers to believe that Ned and Kate would live happily ever after, that I would need to find those light moments. I firmly believe that a couple who laughs together–and who can laugh at themselves–can solve almost any problem, and do so happily. And so the hardest part of writing this book was finding the funny moments–the parts where the two of them could step away from a world that demanded their attention, and just smile.
In many ways, light-heartedness isn’t taken seriously. If you see a cup as half-full, people call you a Pollyanna, and accuse you of wearing rose-colored glasses. But optimism isn’t about wearing blinders. It’s about choosing to find joy in things, about actively striving to be happy. It’s about being strong in the face of adversity, and not succumbing. One of the things I love about romance is that it shows that happy endings aren’t pat. They aren’t a foolish rose-colored fantasy of a grim and uncaring world. Happy endings are HARD: they’re hard to reach, and hard to maintain, but always worth it if you make the effort to reach for it. And a book that pulls off a triumphant ending is one that lives on in readers’ minds.
I am firmly in love with happy endings, both for my characters as well as myself, my dog, and my readers. In honor of that, I’d like to give away a copy of Trial by Desire to one commenter. To get the discussion rolling, let’s try this question: What’s your favorite happy ending, and why does it work for you?
About the author:
Courtney Milan lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, a marginally-trained dog, and an attack cat.
Before she started writing books, Courtney experimented with numerous occupations. She has trained dogs, written legal briefs, sold newspaper subscriptions, and written computer programs. Having given up on actually being able to do any actual things, she’s taken to heart the axiom that “those who can’t, teach.” When she isn’t reading, writing, or sleeping, she can be found in the vicinity of a classroom.
Courtney loves hearing from readers. You can visit her on the web and find out more about her and her newest releases at http://www.courtneymilan.com/.
About the Book:
She cannot forget the fire he ignited…
In the three years since her husband left her, Lady Kathleen Carhart has managed to forge a fulfilling life for herself. But when Ned Carhart unexpectedly returns, she finds her tranquility uprooted—and her deepest secrets threatened. Though she has no intention of falling for Ned’s charms, Kate can no longer deny the desire that still burns in her heart.
Or the promise of his love…
Ned is determined to regain his wife’s trust by using unbridled seduction. But just as Kate surrenders to Ned’s passion, her carefully guarded past threatens to destroy her. Now Kate must place her faith in the only man she’s ever loved, and the only one who has ever betrayed her…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Giveaway
Courtney Milan is offering a copy of Trial By Desire to one (1) lucky commenter.
All you have to do is answer Courtney’s question
or just leave a meaningful comment about the post.
Please leave us a way to contact you
(email in blogger profile or twitter name is okay-
no way to contact you – no entry).
This giveaway is open Internationally!
Giveaway ends on Saturday, October 17th and
we will announce the winners on Sunday.
Bonne Chance everyone!
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Hi Courtney!
Thank you for the great post on Happily Ever Afters. My favorite HEA is Lymond & Phillipa from Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series. It took 6 books but at last they connected!
All the best,
Rob
Hi there,
New Author for me, I look forward to reading these books though!
My favourite endings are the ones where the characters that I've personally had an emotional attachment to gets out alive and in love with their perfect match after they've been though so much and have proven themselves to each other.
It works for me, because I'm the type of person who believes that nothing is given without a sacrifice, whether its time, heart-ache or life. I also like characters to be the type of person that no matter what happens, he's trying to take care of his own (people, kin) before himself. Even if they have wronged him, he remembers his morals and always has a forgiving heart. To me that's the kind of person who deserves happiness of the purest kind.
Okay, I clearly watch wayyyy too much movies with hero's born in the era of Knights/Samurais. Lol.
Great interview though, I forgot to say before. Good luck to all (:
elriic(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hi
The book seems interesting! I would love to read it.
I am not a happy endings sort of person. That's weird, I know! But if I had to choose I would say endings where all characters come to terms with their lives and relationships – acceptance basically.
Misha
mishamary@gmail.com
I love happy endings! When the male get his female, or the female gets her male, just love it!
lucybeugelingramos@gmail.com
A happy ending would have to be when I've read a book about a character I feel an emotional attachment to, go through all the pain with them and then allowing them to come to terms with whatever has happened. Also, I liked closed ending, where all my questions about the character have been answered. I don't like to be left wondering, especially if it's the last book.
k_anon[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk
Thank again for agreeing to guest post Courtney!
HEAs are very important for me! I'm not The HEA Lover for nothing 😉
I love it when there's an epilogue in the book. We see the heroes a few years later or something like that. I know it sounds cheesy but I love knowing if they'll get children or something. 😉
My favorite HEA is when the hero and heroine are happily together at the end after the issues have been resolved.
lilazncutie1215[at]yahoo[dot]com
I think I'm hooked on the happy ending and that true love conquers all. To me, I want the love to go to the core — lust just doesn't cut it. I think that matters more to me than the happy ending.
I just love a story where everything starts weird or even bad…
With sad incidents, misconceptions…But then in the end the two lovebirds, finally realizing they are in love and that nothing else matters and ,of course, that even through hardships, real love can bloom…
Kinda lime in Pride and Prejudice! XD
Thanks so much for this giveaway!!
yvantis@hotmail[dot]com
In general, my favorite HEA is when the hero and heroine are together in some permanent way. They don't need to already be married or have a baby, but I want to know it's truly an HEA for each of them. I don't have a specific one in mind. Really, I love the creativity authors employ to keep readers like me entertained by making so many different HEAs work.
My favorite HEA is when the main characters have a family. I also like it when a series has developed a relationship and the couple has actually gone through a lot of obstacles to get to their HEA.
Thanks for the giveaway.
smccar1 at hotmail dot com
My favorite happy endings are ones that do not end too abruptly. It is so disappointing to read an entire book and have the happy ending consist on one page at the end. Let me see the romance and the delight.
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
I loved the happy ending in Eloisa James' A Duke of Her Own. I was so ready for the Duke of Villiers to get his HEA after reading the whole series of Desperate Duchesses.
I enjoyed Proof by Seduction and I'm looking forward to reading Ned's story.
Barbed1951(at)aol(dot)com
I think my favorite HEAs are where the characters have gone through so much to be with each other and you know they have finally made it work. I really love the HEAs in Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series as well as the ones in Kleypas's Hathaway series.
apk1princess@live.com
Hi, Courtney! Congrats on your release!
I like HEAs in general. Of course, the HEA of the couple in the last of a series is the most meaningful as all the other characters won't show up ever again. *sniff*
Sometimes, though, when the main characters have been at loggerheads for way too long, their HEA may seem a bit rushed, but it still counts for me!
ironss[at]gmail.com
I like a happy ending that makes sense for the characters. If I have just read a book about a character who is miserable, and all of a sudden finds love. Then, rides off into the sunset, I don't like it. A happy ending to me would be one, where a character finds what they are looking for, whatever that is.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I love happy endings that include an epilogue or where the couple appears in a later book. I alway want to know that the couple is still doing okay after some time has passed, that once the first blush of passion wears off, they are still in love.
jen at delux dot com
My favorite ending (in historicals) is when the hero and heroine get married. I've tried to convince myself the contrary but once this almost happened in a book I was reading, and I almost went nuts! If the couple was already married before the end, then I want them to live happilly ever after. There's really no other way! they just have to! Especially after all the trials these couples usually go through.
jen7waters(at)gmail(dot)com
I'm actually obsessed with happy endings 😀
Never reaf a book without knowing it ends with a HEA.
Doesn't matter ..If the book ends well..that's fine by me .
raluk.93 at gmail (dot) com
I generally don't read books without a HEA. I just can't get myself to read anything else. I simply need it! Most of the time I don't really care how the h/h are getting there. 🙂
claudigc at msn dot com
I'm definitely a HEA seeker. But they have to be realistic HEA or I can't buy into it. It can't be all sunshine, rainbows, and roses or it's not believable to me. There has to be some silver-lined clouds and thorns for it to be believable.
akbabcock at gmail dot com
My favorite happy endings involve a couple deciding that they love each other and that they want to be together. I want to know that the couple has a future together and that they have what it takes to make it work in the long term. I like when the obstacles throughout the story have been resolved and solutions have been reached.
Hello, I always love finding new authors and your books sound interesting. I would love to read them both. As for the perfect HEA? I love characters, if I fall in love with both of the main characters as individuals, then I want them to be happy with each other.
E-mail: ca4ac@yahoo.com
Of course I love HEA endings (otherwise I would be watching the news). My favs are when there is emotional growth and/or they overcome something because they are a couple, ie more together then just individual skills. Also I love it when there is an epilogue tie-ing everything together or with the marrage/honeymoon. Something to leave us with that extra smile…
vickykerr@sbcglobal.net
My favorite HEA is when the two characters I really love have resolved their problems and can have a future together. I like when the road is hard and long, but by the end they can be happy. I always love an HEA, but when it involves characters I REALLY adore, it makes the ending that much sweeter.
Res498(AT)aol.com
I enjoy HEA's in which some type of adversity has been overcome.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
wow this book looks amazing! i love that your characters face real issues, like abuse and depression. Overcoming that will be a real HEA for sure!! I looooved your first book, and I can't wait to read this one. Thank you for the contest!
inthehammockblog at gmail dot com
This book sounds amazing and I've heard so much about it over the last week or so. Can't wait to get my hands on it and am crossing my fingers 🙂
june111@att.net
I like the happy endings where the gal gets her guy, and they have plans to live happily ever after, with supportive friends and family.
meredithfl at gmail dot com
I love happy Endings!! Those are the only books i read…sometimes i even read the last couple pages first to make sure its a good ending… !
danav27 at gmail dot com