Love/Hate relationships by Sarah Mayberry ? RR@H Novel ...

She thinks he?s stuffy. He thinks she?s spoilt.
Then the gloves come off and so do their clothes!

For six years Violet Sutcliffe has known that Martin St Clair is the wrong man for her best friend. He?s stuffy, old before his time, conservative. He drives Violet nuts ? and the feeling is entirely mutual. Then, out of nowhere, her friend walks out just weeks before her wedding to Martin, flying to Australia on a mission of self-discovery. Back in London, Violet finds herself feeling sorry for suddenly-single Martin. At least, she tells herself it?s pity she feels. Then he comes calling one dark, stormy night and they discover that beneath their mutual dislike there lies a fiery sexual chemistry.

It?s crazy and all-consuming ? and utterly wrong. Because not only are they chalk and cheese, oil and water, but Martin once belonged to her best friend. A friend Violet is terrified of losing. What future can there be for a relationship with so many strikes against it?

~~~*~~~*~~~

I have always adored love/hate romances. Or, more accurately, hate/love romances. You know the ones ? where the hero and heroine think they hate each other at the start of the book, but then discover that under all that animosity is something else entirely. There is something so delicious about watching two people work out that they have been wrong about each other in the best possible way.

I think my love of this dynamic is what drew me to Moonlighting when it was on, as well as Remington Steele. It?s also why I love, love, love His Girl Friday with Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant. I love the banter, the zingers, the moments of vulnerability. I love the tension, and the inevitable explosion. Delicious!

Writing a hate/love relationship can be a bit of a challenge, though. Somehow, you need to create a believable conflict between the hero and heroine so that they dislike each other enough for their animosity to feel genuine. But they can?t hate each other too much, because then the turn around is too much. Equally, their conflict can?t be too flimsy, either, because then their conflict feels forced?

Like I said, it?s a tricky balancing act, but it was one that I very happily undertook when penning my latest release, Her Best Worst Mistake. This e-book is actually a spin off from a Blaze I wrote a couple of years ago, Hot Island Nights. I fully intended to include the plot of Her Best Worst Mistake in Hot Island Nights when I was writing it, but by the time I got to the two thirds mark I realised I didn?t have enough words left to tell the main story, let alone the subplot. So I pulled Martin and Violet?s story out of the story. I didn?t pull the ending, however, which revealed that Martin and Violet had sorted their differences, big time.

Not surprisingly, I got letters from readers asking if I was going to tell Martin and Violet?s story. I wanted to, but I wasn?t sure what form it would take. So I sat on it for a while. Plus I was busy with lots of contracted work. But Martin and Violet would not leave me alone, and I found myself thinking about scenes and ideas and themes for their story. And finally I sat down to write. The result is Her Best Worst Mistake.

I had so much fun writing this book. I loved the way Martin and Violet were so damned sure about each other. I loved peeling away their layers and getting them to reexamine themselves and their opinions. I loved that they were both like stunned bunnies in the face of their fierce sexual chemistry.

Publishing this book myself has been a whole other adventure. Before I wrote full time, I worked in magazine publishing, so some of the hoops I had to jump through were familiar. Others were a little scarier and confusing. And putting a book out without my usual team behind me feels a little like going to work in my pajamas.

So far, so good, though. I?d love to give away an e-copy of Her Best Worst Mistake today. Just comment to be in the running to win. I?d love to hear if you like oil and water, chalk and cheese romances as much as I do. Or is there some other dynamic that is guaranteed to get your attention every time?

Looking forward to talking with you.

~~~*~~~*~~~

For more information on Sarah Mayberry, visit www.sarahmayberry.com. Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win Her Best Worst Mistake. Three winners will be drawn on Sunday.

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