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Today, I have
the pleasure of a visit with Stephanie Cage, one of our Roses in the UK. She’s
talking about her latest release, a dance romance; PERFECT PARTNERS.
What did you see, hear or dream
that inspired your book?
‘Perfect
Partners’ was inspired by my experiences of dancing on a university ballroom
team, and then being an avid fan of ‘Strictly Come Dancing.’ I loved the idea of writing about the
glamorous side of dancing, the sequins and sparkle, but also keeping the story
grounded in the real world. For example,
Lisa struggles to balance her love of dance with a day job in marketing, and
agrees to take part in the ‘Couples’ show because the prize money would help to
keep her beloved dance studio open.
I have dearly loved the movies about dancing
and romance. I think there is something inherently sensual about dancing. It
brings out the sexy in people.
Which one of your main characters
came across strongest to you?
Lisa and Redmond
both came across very strongly to me, but I probably ‘see’ Redmond more in my
mind, and identify more with Lisa. Red’s
a bit larger than life, with his Florida tan and his single-minded
determination to win, both at the competition and at the game of love.
How long did it take you to fall
in love with your Hero/Heroine?
As soon as I saw
Lisa standing in the doorway of Elaine’s office, dangling her dance sandals by
their straps and fretting about the idea of being part of the TV show, my heart
went out to her. It took me longer to
warm to Redmond because of the way he treated Lisa when he was young and foolish,
but I soon realized that he’d grown up into a strong and generous man.
I think it’s quite interesting how our
characters become real people who live and breathe within us until we get them
on the page to do the same for our readers.
Did you borrow
certain traits for your characters from someone you know personally? Which ones?
I think Red is a
combination of every male dancer I’ve ever met, with a good dose of Anton du
Beke thrown in. Neither he nor Lisa is
based on any one specific person in my life, though – I’ve always found it
easier to invent a character than to try to make a real person fit within the
scope of the story I want to write.
Is this book a
single category or can we expect to see more of your characters in a series?
I’m working on
sequels to two books at the moment. ‘A
Step in the Right Direction’ is the working title of another dance story,
featuring two students from Lisa’s dance school. ‘Desperate Measures’ is the working title for
my sequel to ‘Desperate Bid’, my first contemporary romance novella, published
by The Wild Rose Press.
Congratulations on being a rose in the
garden! It sounds like you have the elusive time I lack to keep writing on
series projects. I keep saying “One day,” and it will happen.
What is your
most difficult “no-no” when you write? (Show vs. tell, dialogue, plot problems,
passive voice, etc.)
I have a bad
habit of spending too much time inside my characters’ heads and not enough
showing their external world. I’m
working really hard on including lots of good physical detail in my current
works in progress, and I’ve had very good feedback on them so far, so I guess
I’m improving.
That’s the other thing about our love. We
always improve. It’s a slow and constant process, but so worth it!
When you take
a break from writing, what do you do to allow your brain time to regroup?
I find walking
in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside a great way to unwind, and I also love
visiting the theatre. I love anything to
do with dance, so watching musicals is one of my biggest indulgences, and I
also go to Zumba classes to try to counteract the effect of spending so much
time at a keyboard.
Would you consider yourself a
plotter or a pantser?
I’ve always been
more of a pantser but I’m trying to change that a bit so that I don’t spend so
much time writing myself into corners.
Yeah, I’m looking into changing that up,
too. I’m hoping it will cut time in the revision process if things are planned
out a bit more.
In one sentence, tell us what
your book is about.
‘Perfect
Partners’ is the story of dancer Lisa and her ex-partner and teenage crush
Redmond, reunited to take part in a reality TV show with a twist.
What is your one “guilty”
pleasure?
Just one? Buying yet more books to add to the TBR
pile. If I could have two, it would be
books and chocolate!
Oh, yeah! You know you’re a writer when you’re
hooked on books and chocolate. Coffee seems to be the other thing, but I prefer
tea.
Title: ‘PERFECT PARTNERS’
BLURB:
“What’s he
doing back in London after all this time?”
Eight years ago, Lisa
Darby’s dancing partner and first love, Redmond Carrington, left London for a
fun summer on the cruise ships – and never came back. Lisa’s grown up a bit
since then, and she’d like to think she’s prepared for anything, but when Red
comes back from America with a proposal for her, she’s not sure she’s ready for
what he’s suggesting.
A TV studio is filming a
knockout competition of six of the world’s best couples – each of them partners
both on and off the dance floor. Redmond wants Lisa to pose as his girlfriend
so that they can compete. It’s an unbelievable opportunity for an aspiring
professional dancer, and the spectacular prize money would help save Lisa’s
beloved dance studio, which is in need of major renovation. Scooping the prize
is going to take the performance of a lifetime from Lisa and Redmond, but with
the sizzling tension between them, they might just pull it off.
It turns out that putting on
an act for the cameras is the least of Lisa’s worries. As time goes on and she
rediscovers her feelings for Redmond, she’s left questioning what’s really
behind his offer, and where their partnership is heading this time.
Sensuality Level: Sensual
EXCERPT:
She stood up, dropped her fleece onto the bench, and took his
hand, willing herself not to notice the way his strong fingers encircled hers,
making her feel safe and protected. Whatever his body told her, it was a lie,
she told herself. He’d never been anything but trouble, and he never would be.
Their partnership was a convenience, nothing more. But his hand on her back,
where her low-cut dress gave way to bare flesh, still felt warm and firm and
right. And when he shifted his hold, her body still responded, sending soft
shivers down her spine.
He pressed the play button on the CD player as he passed, and
after a moment’s pause the music began. Even though they were dancing a rapid
jive, skipping and spinning and dipping, she still had time to notice how his
eyes were fixed on her with almost frightening intensity. That was something
she’d forgotten about him. The way he did everything as if his life, or maybe
more than that—the fate of the world—depended on it. It was as if time
stretched when they were dancing. In between heartbeats he could move his feet
in perfect unison with hers, adjust his routine to avoid other couples on the
floor and fit around her occasional slips, and still favor her with a long,
lazy smile whenever she followed a particularly tricky move.
Finally, just as Lisa was becoming breathless the track began to
slow down. Redmond’s effervescent energy softened to an easy swing, and as the
music drifted to a halt, he swung her into a slow, languorous drop.
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Thanks so much for visiting with me today, Stephanie! Your book sounds terrific and it was a pleasure getting to know you better.
Thanks for having me Lisa. It's always so much fun talking about books and writing!
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