Danita Minnis

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Alix Nichols will be awarding a digital box set of her bestselling series The Darcy Brothers to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For sixteen years, they’ve hated each other…
and craved each other.

Widowed and betrayed, Eva Castellane will do anything to protect her daughter’s inheritance.
Standing in her way?
Alex Castellane—her late husband’s steely, magnetic half brother.
The man poised to take it all.
Her worst enemy.
Her forbidden temptation.

Stuck together in the family castle, their legal fight spirals into war…
until a common threat forces a reluctant alliance.
Desire blurs the lines.
Chemistry sizzles.
Rules get broken.

But as the verdict nears, one slip could unravel Eva’s explosive secret…

A Duchess with a Secret stands alone within the Montevor Royals Saga. It is a spicy contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity, family secrets, and a hard-won HEA.

 

Author Interview: Alix Nichols

Thank you so much for having me!

1. How did you choose your genre? What made you write this book?

I’ve always loved romance in pretty much every flavor, but especially historical, romcom, contemporary, and paranormal. With A Duchess with a Secret, I wanted to blend the things I enjoy most about all four into one story: the suppressed yearning of historical romance, the banter and spark of romcom, the emotional depth of contemporary, and a touch of the mysterious and unexpected.

2. Writers write what they know, and must observe the world. Are you a first born, middle or last child and how does this shape your view of the world?

I’m a firstborn, and I definitely know what it’s like to be handed responsibility before you feel ready for it — and then just having to figure it out as you go. That “fake it till you make it” energy shows up in a lot of my characters. They often find themselves in situations where they’re suddenly in charge, whether they want to be or not.

3. Where is your favorite place to write?

A cozy local coffee shop. One of the best things about living in France is that there’s never a shortage of charming cafés nearby. Give me good coffee, a little background buzz, and I’m in the zone.

4. How do you feel about killing your darlings, and what do you do with the remains?

I hate it every single time. It always hurts a little! Sometimes I can’t bring myself to delete them completely, so I keep them tucked away in a document, just in case I get the chance to bring them back to life in a future book.

5. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?

JK Rowling. And my burning question would be: Why didn’t you let Harry and Hermione fall in love? The universe was clearly pointing that way… Why? Why???

6. Inquiring minds want to know… tell readers something about you that no one knows.

I’m dyslexic, but I’m pretty good at hiding it.

7. You are stranded on a deserted island with only a back pack for company. What three items are in your survival pack?

A phone, a Starlink antenna, and a solar charger. I’m very practical like that.

8. If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be?

I’d make writing count as interval training. Imagine how fit I’d be!

9. Favorite snack?

70% dark chocolate. Always.

10. Indy 500 – Do you know how to get where you’re going or do you drive the speed limit?

Once I figure out where I want to go, I’ll work out the best route… and then decide how fast I should get there.

Read an Excerpt

Eva

“He’s here,” Millie whispers.

I don’t look. I don’t need to.

The man she’s warning me about radiates a chill so palpable I can sense which door he entered through. The air in Fort Vauclairt’s reception hall, warmed by hundreds of flickering candles and the breath of mourners grows colder by the second.

Of course, Alex would show up! Nothing like a funeral to size up how much of the estate he can have, just because he happens to share the same father as Geoffroy.

I’m being unfair, I know.

After all, Alex is the old duke’s second son. In neighboring France, the math prodigy would’ve inherited half of the duchy when Rodolphe passed.

Then again, there are no dukes or duchies in the Republic of France, nor are we subject to its laws. We’re old school in Mount Evor. Here, the principles of primogeniture and representation still reign supreme. The firstborn takes it all. The child comes before the sibling. With both Geoffroy and Julian gone, Millie’s birthright ensures that she inherits everything.

The only way Alex Castellane gets a chunk of the estate is if Geoffroy named him in his will. Which I know he didn’t. My late husband and his younger half brother had been estranged long before I met and married Geoffroy Castellane, a dashing widower twice my age.

Alex will get nothing or next to nothing. And Millie will be the next Duchess of Rohinn.

He knows this, of course he does. Yet he carries his tall, infuriatingly well-proportioned form with confidence, which lends an air of legitimacy to his potential claims.

About the Author:

Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy. She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantasy. Her books have been described as “pure pleasure” (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of their seat” (Romantic Times).

At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.

Decades later, she lives in France and still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), she has become a Kindle Scout winner, Chanticleer First Place winner, USA Today bestseller, Book Riot’s Top 100 Must-Read International Romance author, and Amazon All-Star for being one of the 100 most-read authors in Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/alixnichols
Website: http://www.alixnichols.com
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/alixnichols
Facebook: http://facebook.com/AuthorAlixNichols
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alix-nichols
Newsletter Signup (and a free bundle!): http://bit.ly/alix-freebook