So, as promised, I popped over to
chat with Nina Croft this week and Rachel Lyndhurst is here today! Billionaires, Millionaires, men with money all round! Happy Billionaire Bundle everyone.
Are your heroes always billionaires?
Thus far they all have been! But I’ve
written a few heroes since that are mere millionaires, so keep your eyes peeled
for these guys in 2014 and beyond. I’m a
long way from offering up a man who isn’t seriously wealthy, though …
We all write about billionaires, but
just what makes rich men so sexy?
I think at the root of it is the fact
that money is power. Like it or not, it’s a fact – there aren’t too many broke
men at the top that I can think of. Well, may be the Dalai Lama is pretty
influential, but I’m not so sure about the ‘sexy’ there … Rich men have the
means to make things happen and protect the people they love and care about.
The chances are he can afford staff, so his woman can have the most ridiculous
manicure and high heels if she wants to because someone else cleans the loo and
puts the bins out. Public transport is out – chauffeured cars, jets and yachts
are his thing. And diamonds … if you want a biggie, the guy has got to be rich.
He also has the means to make the best of himself and look as sexy as he
possibly can: private gym, bespoke tailoring, a natural tan, top notch dental
and medical care – he’s got it all going for him. No toupees though …. We don’t
want those. In summary, his bank account is big enough to make genuine dreams
come true and help save lives whether that’s old Aunt Ida’s trip to Paris or a
cute spaniel’s life-or-death heart operation.
He rocks.
Do you write what you know? (as in how
many billionaires are you acquainted with, and can you introduce me to any?)
Ah … now this is where I have to confess
I make it all up as I go along. I’ve never met a billionaire, I don’t think. I
saw the Queen at distance once, but we never spoke. Now millionaires are a bit
easier; David Gandy would count as he must have a few million stashed away by
now – I’ve met him. I think your best chance of bumping into a billionaire is to
hang out in places that reek of money, marinas, motorsport events, rock
festivals, central London hotels on New Year’s Eve that kind of thing. I must
get out more!
So we all love men with money – but
what’s the next most important attribute you think a hero should have?
Well, he needs to be generous with all
that money, I say. Nobody likes a miser, but he mustn’t be too flash with the
cash either, that’s just vulgar. No diamond encrusted platinum watches. No gold taps. Or gold teeth! A nice
charitable foundation that he has a genuine connection to would be good. I hate
to say it, but, for me, he has also got to be drop-dead gorgeous as well.
Shallow? Moi? When it comes to
fantasy heroes the answer is yes!
Do you prefer your billionaires to be
self-made men or old money?
Personally, I prefer the guy to be a
self-made billionaire, but you’re pushing the realism sometimes if he’s under
thirty years old. It depends how realistic your editor wants you to be. Old
money is fine if it’s not tainted in some way and maybe gave him a head start
in getting to his own first billion. However I think it’s important to show
that your hero has grafted hard and made sacrifices to get where he is today
and he needs to be able to relate to ‘normal’ people. Unless that’s your source
of conflict, say with a sheikh or royalty of some kind.
What are you working on right now, a
billionaire or something else?
Right now, I’m going through final edits
for a book which will hopefully release in February 2014. The American hero in
this is not a billionaire, but he’s pretty wealthy and he’s built his millions
up from nothing. Along side that is edits for a southern European billionaire –
he’s stinking rich and will hopefully emerge in July 2014. Then there’s a bunch
of Greeks – no paupers there, and then a Northern European who definitely won’t
have billions, but enough to make dreams come true that’s for sure. And on the
back burner, but very much on my To Do list, is a hero with very soft brown
eyes who doesn’t appear to have a job or any money at all …
What was I saying about having to get
out more? It’s not going to be easy!
Thanks for having me, Michele!!
Blurb for The Spanish Billionaire’s
Hired Bride:
He
bought her with cold, hard cash, but can she stop him from stealing her heart?
Blackmailed
to marry against his will, Ricardo Almanza needs a wife before he’s thirty, and
time is running out. A notorious playboy, marriage is the last thing he wants,
but his stepmother’s sexy, debt-ridden personal assistant is the perfect
solution. He makes her a business deal she can’t refuse—one million euros for
three months as his wife. He might even enjoy being married to her … if she
doesn’t kick the crap out of him again.
Helen
Marshall can’t believe she’s considering Almanza’s outrageous proposal, but she
must help clear her parents’ debts or they face financial ruin. The small print
on the marriage contract changes to read three months as his wife in every
way—including in the bedroom. Has she gotten in too deep, or will she need a
new contract addendum, extending their marriage forever?
You can buy The Billionaire Bundle from
just about anywhere that sells digital books, but here are two major links:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Billionaire-Bundle-Entangled-Indulgence-ebook/dp/B00G1DBCBQ
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-billionaire-bundle-michele-de-winton/1117194508?ean=9781622663774
About Rachel Lyndhurst
I write full-time now my children are at
school, but I'm still a teeny bit proud of my law degree and accountancy
qualifications. I've also had a lot of fun in the past working in the space
industry, pharmaceuticals, insurance, a supermarket, a bus station, a railway
depot, and a lingerie department.
I live, and write, surrounded by laundry
and old newspapers most of the time with my daughter, son and The Exec in
Fareham, on the south coast of England. Sometimes I can smell the sea from my
back garden and I have grand designs on a luxurious garden office one day. Or a
castle, I'm not fussy.
When I'm not working, I do enjoy a good
rummage through a decent antique shop.
Oh, and wine and expensive lipstick are non-negotiable .
I love to hear from my readers
(especially the male supermodel ones), so please feel free to drop me a line or
leave a comment on my blog: http://www.rachellyndhurst.com/ .
Rachel’s social networking links:
http://www.rachellyndhurst.com/
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/rachel.lyndhurst.7
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/RachelLyndhurst
https://twitter.com/RachelLyndhurst Twitter: @RachelLyndhurst
http://www.goodreads.com/rachellyndhurst
To celebrate my awesome kiwi writing pal Talia Huntley and I are having a Facebook party - a release day party for her great book - How to Master a Millionaire, and mine - what do you get if you put the together? A Caught with a Millionaire party! I hope you can join in - as well as myself and Talia, Carmen Falcone, Christine Glover, Amy Andrews, Alison Bliss and Rachael Slate will be there with giveaways and Red Hot Man Candy. If you'd like to know how we get ready for release day - you can see some of the madness on our VLOG post here (spoiler alert, there is slight insanity)
