The XO Interview: Eva Leigh

From The Pirate Princess to A Rogue's Rules for Seduction

Eva Leigh writes incredibly hot and fun Regency romance novels—including one that lives on my keeper shelf. We talked about her lost manuscript, The Pirate Princess, which I hope she rewrites because that title is an auto-buy for me, as well as older heroines (or shall I say “older” heroines?), and what makes for a great sex scene in a romance novel. And, of course, how romance novels bring her joy.

How did you discover romance novels? Which book was The One for you?

In high school, a friend of mine started lending me her mother’s romance novels. This was the mid Eighties, so the authors I read included Judith McNaught, Jude Devereaux, Johanna Lindsey, Iris Johansen, LaVyrle Spencer, and Constance O’Banyon. I was already a reader, but with romance novels, I became immediately smitten with the genre. I started reading romance novels all night (giving myself major eye strain headaches), and snuck them into school. I have a vivid memory of reading during Physical Science class, thinking I was clever because I had the book on my lap, under the desk, as if the teacher couldn’t see that I was absolutely not paying attention to him. And I’d go to my friend’s house and we’d both just lie on the floor of her bedroom, reading, pausing long enough to eat Pillsbury Orange Cinnamon Rolls for lunch. Historical romances were my favorite, and I think Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught was the one book that just hooked right into my imagination. I’d been writing ever since I was a little kid, but as soon as I read those historical romance novels, I started writing my own book. (Fortunately, that early effort, entitled The Pirate Princess, has been lost to time.)

Later, I became a huge Mary Jo Putney fan, but it wasn’t until I read Judith Ivory/Judy Cuevas that I realized how incredibly artful and nuanced romance novels were. I remember being absolutely blown away by Bliss and Dance—both of which are set in fin de siècle France, the first is about a sculptor addicted to drinking ether, and the FMC of the latter is a pioneer in filmmaking. Just astonishing and so beautifully written.

You’re the author of one of my favorite romance novels—Waiting for a Scot Like You. I love the older woman on her way to an orgy. I love the grumpy hunky hero “chaperoning” her. It’s a classic, fun sexy Regency road-trip romance but it really moves the genre forward by giving an older heroine such a fun, sexy story. But can you talk more about writing an older heroine? What inspired you, how is her story different, what was hard and/or fun about it?

Thank you! When I started writing Waiting for a Scot Like You, I was forty-six, the same age as the FMC. While there are older FMCs in historical, I think they’re not as frequently represented as younger debutantes, and I wanted to explore what it was like to be a woman when society has written you off as no longer desirable or viable (cough, like now, cough). WFASLY is also part of the Union of the Rakes series, which takes its inspiration from films from the 1980s. (The 1980s are a recurring theme for in my life—I think I listen to Duran Duran every day.) For WFASLY, I was inspired by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Sure Thing, plus there are nods to many, many other Eighties films in the book. I made Beatrice, the Dowager Countess of Farris, our older widow, the Ferris Bueller-inspired character, and Maj. Duncan McCameron is inspired by, of course, Cameron Frye. Writing it was an absolute blast, but I did learn an important lesson about writing grumpy/sunshine books, namely, that the grumpy one can’t constantly berate the sunshine one, and the sunshine one shouldn’t be browbeaten by the grumpy one. The first draft was a total mess, but after laboring over it for several more drafts, I think I got the balance right. (Hey—an inadvertent Depeche Mode reference.)

Your new book is A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction. It’s a second chance at love story set at a house party in a remote corner of Scotland. Sounds like it will be hot! In fact, a lot of your books are very steamy. What do you think makes for a great sex scene in a romance novel?

I think it might be one of my hottest yet! My editor for that book is also Tessa Bailey’s editor, so I know I’m doing something right when I get a sweaty-face emoji in the editorial comments. When I write a sex scene, I definitely want it to be about the connection between the MCs, and then I also use unusual settings or positions to make it zesty and memorable. Also, a dirty-talking MMC is one of the keystones of my books’ sex scenes. I especially like it if he’s not normally the type who talks dirty, but can’t help himself when he’s with the FMC.

Also, please tell us more about the new book!

As you said, it’s a second chance romance. The Last Chance Scoundrels series concept is predicated on this MMC, Dominic, leaving the FMC, Willa, at the altar. From that, the whole series launches, and Dom and Willa’s broken romance is a recurring theme throughout. We see Dom being miserable in the first two books in the series, because he still loves Willa, but thought that by jilting her, he was actually doing her a favor. (The old White Fang syndrome.) So, he misses her and wants her, but doesn’t think he can have her. In A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction, he and Willa wind up stuck at the same house party, so they can’t avoid each other any longer. They have to confront their past, as well as their misconceptions about who they believed the other person to be, in order to move forward. And, as noted in the question above, when they finally do yield to the explosive attraction between them, the results are epic.

How do romance novels bring you joy?

At their best, romance novels reaffirm the human need and capacity for love. They’re about centering emotional journeys, when our capitalist culture prioritizes acquisition and “upward mobility” at the cost of community and relationships. One of the recurring themes in my books is finding someone who truly sees you as you are, away from family and society’s preconceived ideas about you. I hope that, in some small way, if a reader sees a character advocating for that kind of connection and validation, then perhaps the reader can bring that same advocacy into their own lives, and never settle for anything less than the fulfillment of their heart’s dream.