Behind The Book – Betrayal – Anne-Marie Ormsby

BETRAYAL PHOTO

This week I have the pleasure of welcoming fellow Cat Lesley Field to my blog to discuss her latest book Betrayal. I recently discovered that I have very few romance novels on my read list – Wuthering Heights seems to be the only one! So in an attempt to remedy this I am having a chat with Lesley about her ‘contemporary romance.’

Tell us the basic premise of your novel?

I’m never really sure where my ideas come from, which is probably a bit scary.

However, Betrayal, is about a lawyer, Jessica, who thought her life was settled and she knew where she was going. Then suddenly it was all gone and she was faced with starting again in a new city and in a new job. But a chance meeting forced her to face her own inhibitions and she ended up having a one night stand with someone she felt an instant connection with. But inhibitions returned in the cold light of day and she fled, never expecting to see him again. But life has a way of taking charge and her one night stand appeared again. Sadly things were not as she thought and she was not prepared to be betrayed again. Fighting the attraction between them she then found herself caught up in a plot to frame someone. But is she in time to save them? And will she get her happy ever after? You will have to read the book to find out.

Did you take any inspiration for your story from real life?

Partly. Before I retired I was a Personal Injury Lawyer so I gave my heroine the same profession. She became disillusioned with the law, and to some extent I did towards the end of my career. So I guess I took that from my own personal experiences. There is a horse in the story and again that is taken from my own love of horses.

Why did you choose the locations you use and did it take a lot of research? Do the locations hold personal significance?

I set my contemporary romances in Canada, as it is the home of my heart. My parents were going to emigrate before I was born, but then changed their minds, so I really should have been born Canadian. I love the country and my husband and I have family and friends there so visit as often as we can. The location just outside Calgary is based on personal knowledge. The town where my heroine moves to is loosely based on a town we visited. For research I use the internet, or just go back into my head and remember visits and what I did, what I saw and how I felt at the time. There is a section in Betrayal which is set in The Core shopping mall in Calgary. I went there with my husband for research and we had lunch and listened to the grand piano being played. So that scene is taken from our visit.

What is you ideal writing environment?

My ideal writing environment would be to have my own writing room where I had a computer set up permanently, with all my research folders to hand. That is my dream. Reality is, I write on my laptop which is on the dining table. So I have to clear everything away when we need to eat in the evening. But I have a wonderful view of the garden so I can’t really complain.

If you could have an evening in a hotel restaurant with any famous character/person alive or dead, who would you choose?

I think I would love to meet with Sarah Maclean who writes historical novels. I write historical as well as contemporary and I love her style of writing.

What are you working on next?

At the moment I am working on an historical series called, Lords in Love. There will be 4 books in the series. I have books 1 and 2 completed. I have just finished the first draft of book 3 and book 4 is still in my head.

Betrayal is available now on Amazon through Crooked Cat Books!