Q&A with Susan Mallery

Here a few questions I had for Susan Mallery, author of Only Mine

1. Did some combination of the Bachelor/Bachelorette inspire the book? Are you a fan of shows like that?   I’m not sure I would describe myself as a “fan” of the Bachelorette, but I find myself compelled to watch on occasion. It’s that proverbial train wreck from which you can’t look away. Dating competitions seem somehow wrong to me. Kind of icky. You have Hollywood producers who choose 20 guys for you, and the rules are that you’re supposed to fall in love with one of them? And get engaged? What are the chances? You with a different man every night – or a group of men – kissing them, embracing them… different guys, mind you… and that gives you enough information to commit your life to one of them? Really???

The reality show in ONLY MINE, “True Love or Fool’s Gold,” is a dating competition with a twist. The producers choose a number of couples, and each couple dates only each other. (Neither Dakota nor Finn, the heroine and hero of ONLY MINE, are on the show. They’re behind the scenes, and their romance is the man plot of the story.) Things don’t go as planned for the couples on the show. I think readers who do or don’t like reality TV will enjoy following along with the secondary relationships of hero Finn Andersson’s younger brothers. There are some surprises in store for the handsome Andersson twins.

2. The book is told from several points, is it difficult writing from the female and male perspective?   I don’t find it difficult to write from the male perspective. In some ways, it’s easier because men tend to cut to the chase more quickly than women. They think in straight lines, whereas we women take a circuitous route. One of the things I love best about writing is the freedom to slip into my characters’ heads and to look at the same event from different perspectives. I think it makes me more empathetic in real life, too.

3. Tell us about the origin of Fool's Gold and the next Fool's Gold adventure we can expect. We're going to hear from Dakota's sisters, right?   Yes! Montana and Nevada’s stories will come out over the next two months. ONLY YOURS is a beauty & the beast story, with Dr. Simon Bradley playing both roles. He is the most physically stunning man that Montana Hendrix has ever met… on one side of his face. The other side of his face is scarred. But the scars run deeper than that. It will take the love of a happy woman and a tiny dog to teach the good doctor to open his heart.

What can I say about ONLY HIS? Every time I think of this story, two words come to mind… but I can’t tell you what those two words are without revealing a big secret. I will tell you that the two words made my editor kind of nervous at the synopsis stage. When she finished reading the book, she called me, laughing so hard she was crying, and said I had pulled it off.
Next year, three wealthy cowboy brothers will return to Fool’s Gold to reclaim the ranch where they grew up.

4. In three words how would you describe ONLY MINE?
Oooh, good question! I’d say “funny, sexy, poignant.” I asked my fans at www.facebook.com/susanmallery the same question, and here are a few of my favorite from readers who have loved ONLY MINE:

“Nothing but romance” – Wanda

“Heart, Soul, Love” – Carol

“Sexy Alaskan pilot” – Christine

“FAN-TAS-TIC!” - Amber

P.S.: Check out Susan Mallery's web site for details on how to win a Fool's Gold Christmas ebook and Man Shortage T-Shirt!!!