The character interview allows a hero or heroine to tell readers
about himself or herself. Today’s interview is with Gavin of Ashgrove.

Tell us about yourself,
please.

I am Lord Gavin of Ashgrove—or I was. I went to fight with the
Black Prince in England’s war against France and was captured in a battle where
we were far outnumbered. The French sent a ransom demand to my father. He refused
to pay it. I spent two years in a squalid prison until a sympathetic priest helped
me escape. I returned and confronted my father, wondering at his cruelty. He told
me my mother was dead, that I was a bastard, and I no longer could lay claim to
my good name or lands.

In the story world your
author created, explain what it is you fear most and why.

I fear that I have no place in this world. My entire identity
has been ripped from me. With my mother dead, I cannot ask her who my true sire
was. I have lost my name, my lands, my fortune—and now I have lost my heart to a
woman I can never marry. I do not know if this life is worth living if I cannot
have her by my side.

Tell us about your significant
other, that person who makes living worthwhile.

Elizabeth of Kentwood has claimed my heart. When my father banned
me from Ashgrove, I turned to Lord Aldred, whom I fostered with as a boy and who
has been England’s greatest warrior. I sought his sage advice. I came to Kentwood
to find Aldred now an old man, close to death, and his estate run by his much younger
wife, a famed and opinionated beauty. At first, Elizabeth and I butted heads like
rams. Then I came to know her, and it led to love. But with no children, Kentwood
will revert to King Edward, and he shall name a new husband for Elizabeth soon after
Aldred’s death. I know that Edward would never hear my suit, for I’ve become a penniless
knight and have no home to offer Elizabeth.

What would that person
say about you?

Ah, my sweet Elizabeth would say I was headstrong, honorable,
and yet tender of heart.

If someone from your past
showed up, who would you NOT want it to be, and why?

‘Tis already happened, and I cannot believe I feel such hatred
in my heart. My closest friend Robert was captured in battle with me, and he returned
to England once his family paid his ransom. His estate borders Kentwood, and I fear
the king will decide to join Robert and Elizabeth in marriage and combine the two
estates for defense purposes. To see my Elizabeth joined in marriage to Robert would
be my worst nightmare.

Why are you happy (or
not happy) with the way your story ended?

Suffice it to say that Mistress Linwood wove her magic and gave
Elizabeth and me a happy ending beyond our dreams. She made the impossible possible,
and we owe her a debt of gratitude that reaches from now till the end of time.

Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain
her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop
to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire
and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family.
An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga
with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest
and House Hunters addicts.

Why did you choose this
character for the interview today?

I decided to reveal a bit about the story from Gavin’s point
of view because most romance writers immediately think of how the woman feels. I
wanted readers to see that Gavin is every bit as romantic and heartbroken over the
possibility of losing his love as a woman would be. He might be a stoic warrior,
but he is as passionate in his love for Elizabeth as she is for him!

What genre(s) would you
like to write that you haven’t tried yet?

Actually, I’ve started on a new journey. I’ve released five historical
romances and have a sixth coming out in March. Although I love writing historicals,
I wanted to challenge myself a bit and push my creative limits. The result? Leave
Yesterday Behind, a romantic suspense, is coming out in June of 2015, and my editor
just bought a second romantic suspense entitled Illusions of Death. My goal is to
start alternating and publishing historicals and romantic suspense books each year.

What would your readers
be surprised to learn about you?

Believe it or not, as a reader, romance is not my favorite genre!
Don’t get me wrong—I read a ton of romances and love them—but my favorite book to
pick up is a thriller. I enjoy books by authors such as Steve Berry, David Baldacci,
and Jeff Abbott.

Why should readers who
haven’t picked up one of your books before give this one a try?

I’ve had readers tell me that this is their favorite book of
all the ones they’ve read of mine. They’ve said there’s just something about this
couple and storyline that touched them. It’s also the favorite of my critique partner.

Is there anything you’d
like to say to your readers?

I appreciate every book of mine that you purchase and every email
when you share how much you enjoyed my characters and their love story. It’s a thrill
each time to hear these words, and it makes me want to keep telling my stories for
many years to come.

Title: A Bit of Heaven on Earth

Genre: medieval historical romance

Author: Lauren Linwood

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

When Gavin of Ashgrove and his closest friend are captured in
a fierce battle during the Hundred Years’ War, their captors demand a hefty ransom
from their fathers for their return. Robert is quickly set free, but Gavin’s father
refuses to pay for his son’s release, leaving him to rot in a squalid French prison.
Aided by a sympathetic priest, he escapes and returns home to England, only to find
he has been proclaimed a bastard and disinherited.

With nowhere to turn Gavin journeys to Kentwood, where he fostered
as a boy, hoping Lord Aldred will take him on as a knight in his guard. The old
warrior is close to death, but he soon realizes Gavin is his son. Aldred plots to
have Gavin inherit Kentwood and marry his much younger wife, Elizabeth, a famed
and opinionated beauty who remains a virgin after a decade of marriage.

Will the king recognize Lord Aldred’s first request of a marriage
between Elizabeth and Robert, uniting Robert’s estate with Kentwood—or will the
temperamental Edward reward Aldred’s years of service and honor a dying man’s final
request?

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.SoulMatePublishing.com

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00QHMH0IU

Website: http://www.laurenlinwood.com

Blog: https://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091840.Lauren_Linwood
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Lauren-Linwood/e/B00CSSG8BC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406670019&sr=8-1