I am very happy to welcome back to BLI contemporary romance author Tamara Morgan, who has been busy since her last stop here: several novels published and even mo9re to come! I just love heist movies so when I heard her new release, Confidence Tricks, was a heist romance I got excited! Tamara stopped by to answer all my questions and you could even win! 

Stella: Hi Tamara, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! What have you been up to since your last stop here in April?

Tamara: Oh, you know. Writing books. Editing books. Reading books. 😀 Not much changes in an author’s world (at least not this author’s world). It’s been really fun to continue connecting with readers, bloggers, and other writers, and I’m looking forward to what 2013 has to offer.

Stella: Your latest novel Confidence Tricks will be released tomorrow, congratulations! Could you tell our readers what they can expect of this story?

Tamara: I’m calling this one my “heist romance novel.” It’s just as much of a rom-com caper as my first books, but with an additional layer of action and suspense. The hero is a rich playboy art thief, while the heroine is a con woman—and neither of whom exactly trusts each other. As you can imagine, this leads to plenty of hijinks.

Stella: What inspired Confidence Tricks? Was there a specific moment/event/movie/news piece that gave you the idea for the story?

Tamara: As a romance reader, I’ve spent the last few years kind of obsessed with traditional Regencies. You know, the old-skool type where highwaymen and spies run rampant? My current habit has me devouring one every couple of days. It’s becoming a real problem.

To try and wean myself off (which didn’t work, btw), I thought it might be fun to try and tell a modern-day highwayman story, and this is what it ended up as. Not quite the same thing as what you’ll find in an old Joan Smith or Georgette Heyer novel, but hopefully just as much fun.

Matt Bomer as Asprey Manchester Charles

Stella: Could you introduce the hero and heroine of Confidence Tricks to us?

Tamara: I’d love to!

Asprey Manchester Charles is our hero (don’t worry—he knows he has a stupid name). He’s a rich playboy, irresistibly charming, and kind of a screw up. In the heroine’s own words:

“Asprey, on the other hand, with his long, lean torso and well-tailored clothes, could only be described as languid—of movement, of meaning, of purpose. Except when he smiled, which he did often, revealing deep laugh lines.”

Poppy Donovan is our heroine (she also goes by Natalie Hall). She’s a con woman by trade and a fighter by nature—and she can also take the hero down in under five seconds flat. In his own words, she can be summed up as:

“Ninja legs. Pickpocket hands.”

Stella: LOL, I love that sum up 😀 If Confidence Tricks was made into a movie, who would be your dream cast?

Tamara: Oooh, this is a fun one.

• Asprey: The hero is definitely Matt Bomer, no question.
• Poppy: For the heroine, I’d pick Blake Lively. She walks a good line between tough and sultry.
• Graff: The hero’s older brother and co-thief would be Lee Pace. But he has to be grizzled and broody.
• Tiffany: The hero’s younger sister and the team hacker would be Zooey Deschanel.
• Todd Kennick: Our villainous bad guy will be Leonardo DiCaprio.

Stella: Oh I love your casting, I’d love to watch this film! 😀 Confidence Tricks is a heist story, I just love heist movies, so I have to ask: do you have a favourite heist movie?

Tamara: Ocean’s Eleven, no question. I love the dynamics of their team. Lots of humor, lots of backstory, lots of eye candy. Those are my three main heist movie requirements. 😉

Stella: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read Confidence Tricks?

Tamara:

1. People steal things! And break laws! And don’t care about pesky morality issues!
2. The heroine is a kick-ass ninja who meets the hero and immediately dislocates his arm.
3. The hero wears three-piece suits. Like all the time. And he looks GOOD in them.

Blake Lively as Poppy

Stella: Could you please summarize Confidence Tricks for us Twitter-style (in 140 characters or less)?

Tamara: A con woman with a criminal record meets her match in a millionaire playboy art thief in this high-intensity heist romance.

Stella: Can you tell us any behind the scenes secret about the novel?

Tamara: There’s a surprise twist at the end that even I didn’t see coming! Because I’m a panster rather than a plotter, there’s wiggle room for the characters to make their own way. They definitely took me up on that offer this time around.

Stella: Is Confidence Tricks a standalone story, or are you planning on writing a sequel/series? What is next on your schedule? Any future plans you’d like to share with us?

Tamara: I wrote Confidence Tricks to be a standalone story, but I’ve been feeling some pressure (the good kind!) to continue the series. So I can only say that nothing is set in stone, but things are in development.

My next release will be with Carina Press in May. I’ll be kicking off a new series with The Rebound Girl, a contemporary romance between a plastic surgeon heroine and a kindergarten teacher hero.

Stella: Good luck Tamara, I’ll await it impatiently! 😀

About Tamara:

Tamara Morgan is a romance writer and unabashed lover of historical reenactments—the more elaborate and geeky the costume requirements, the better. In her quest for modern-day history and intrigue, she has taken fencing classes, forced her child into Highland dancing, and, of course, journeyed annually to the local Renaissance Fair. These feats are matched by a universal love of men in tights, of both the superhero and codpiece variety.

Where to find Tamara:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About the Book:

Confidence Tricks by Tamara Morgan

Asprey Charles has always assumed he would one day take his place in the family art appraisal and insurance firm. “His place” meaning he plans to continue to enjoy his playboy lifestyle, lavish money on his Cessna, and shirk every responsibility that dares come his way.

But when a life of crime is thrust upon him, he is just as happy to slip on a mask and cape and play a highwayman rogue. After all, life is one big game—and he excels at playing.

Poppy Donovan vows that her recent release from jail will be her last—no more crime, no more cons. But when she learns that her grandmother lost her savings to a low-life financial advisor, she’s forced to do just one more job.

It’s all going smoothly until the necklace she intends to pawn to fund her con is stolen by a handsome, mocking, white-collar thief. A thief who, it turns out, could take a whole lot more than money. If she’s not careful, this blue blood with no business on her side of the tracks could run off with the last thing she can afford to lose. Her heart.

Warning: This book contains masked crusaders, a remorseless con woman, and plans to boost a ten-million-dollar painting. Expect high speeds and fast hands.

Read an excerpt

Buy at Amazon – B&N – Samhain

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Tamara has generously offered an ebook copy of Confidence Tricks to one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is tell us what is your favourite heist movie or thief character?

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, 23 February 2013; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

About Stella

Stella is a proud bookaholic and a self-taught multilinguist in training. Besides reading, her other great passions are travelling and baking. When she is not globetrotting she lives in sunny Budapest, where she loves to spend her free time preparing (and feasting on) delicious cookies or devouring equally yummy books. Her favourite genres are urban fantasy and romance and she couldn't live without her daily dose of sunshine. Besides being the Latin Lover on BLI Stella also blogs about books and a bookish life on Ex Libris.

• View all posts by Stella →
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook