June 6, 2008
Jaunty Interviews Margaret Moore
Written by Jaunty Quills in Jaunty Post
Jaunty: I’m back again - and in less than a week! Aren’t you all lucky? Well, we’re all lucky because Margaret Moore is with us today and willing to answer any question I ask. Right, Margaret?
Margaret: Fire away, oh prickly one.
Jaunty: I am so excited about A Lover’s Kiss - it’s a story about a porcupine spy in Regency London, right? We look so dashing in our disguises, don’t we? And I meet a sweet girl porcu–
Margaret: Oh, Jaunty, Jaunty, where were you when I was writing the prequels, KISS ME QUICK and KISS ME AGAIN, and first introduced Sir Douglas Drury? If only I had thought of the brilliant idea of porcupine love! But alas, I didn’t, and went instead with a baronet who’s also a barrister and a lowly French seamstress who saves his life one dark night. On the other hand, my man Drury certainly has his prickly moments … especially when he realizes the woman who helped him is French. So if there are any sweet girl porcupines looking for a romance to read, they might consider A LOVER’S KISS and they can imagine you as Sir Douglas. I’m sure you look dashing in Regency evening clothes.
Jaunty: You bet I do! I have an appropriate costume for every occasion. But back to Drury. What’s he got against the French? I have plenty of French friends. Have you never heard of my dear friend, Monsieur Jean-Pierre Cannette? They are goo, solid porcup … er, people!
Margaret: Being Canadian, I have great respect for the French. However, none of them have ever taken me prisoner and assumed I had information they wanted, so did what they felt necessary to make me reveal it. He has other enemies who aren’t French, though. Equally well known for his prowess in the courtroom and in the bedroom, he’s upset a few people over the years.
But he has good friends, too - the famous naturalist, Lord Justinian “Buggy” Bromwell, author of The Spider’s Web, Lady Diana Westover, author of The Castle of Count Korlovsky and her equally literary husband, Viscount Adderley, as well as the Honorable Brixton Smythe-Medway and his charming wife, Lady Francesca (aka Fanny).
Jaunty: He has a friend named Buggy? I can’t wait to meet this guy. But more about you … You say you’re Canadian? Canada is my home town! What do you do up there in the Great White North?
Margaret: When I’m not writing books, I’m trying to meet fascinating porcupines like yourself. When that doesn’t happen, I pretty much seek solace from the family, read, travel, watch TV and converse with the cats.
Jaunty: Are you an Idol fan? Or Lost? Do you get into those Bachelor shows? I personally do not understand why there is nothing on TV about my breed. Something about rodents not being popular. I can’t believe it!
Margaret: I watch The Amazing Race, Survivor, Chuck, The Office, Battlestar Galactica and reruns of Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU. Oh, and America’s Next Top Model and Project: Runway, although I don’t think I’d be watching those if I didn’t watch with my daughter.
Speaking of my daughter, we’ve been ”Philiminated” by the host of the Amazing Race himself (at a TARCon - a gathering of TAR fans in NYC watching the last episode of a season). I don’t know what aftershave the man wears, but let me just say … it’s nice!
Margaret’s daughter and Margaret “Philiminated”
I liked the first season of Lost, but then it got too weird for me, and not even the scruffy Sawyer was enough to keep me watching. I can’t watch medical shows because I start worying I’m coming down with some dread disease. And the forensics shows kinda squick me out. I’ve seen an episode or two of the Bachelor/Bachelorette shows, but I think they focus too much on what I call the props of romance - candles, rose petals, walks on the beach. Show me the couples wallpapering a room or dealing with other stress (other than elimination and competition for a person’s attention) and I’d be way more interested.
Jaunty: The Jaunties tell me you’ve written many books. I was thinking about asking you to name them, but Anne pinched me and said I couldn’t. So maybe you can tell us if you have a favorite kind of hero. Someone prickly, no doubt, with a wardrobe to die for. Right?
Margaret: I hate to disappoint you, Jaunty, but most of my heroes are not snappy dressers. Generally, they couldn’t care less what they have on, as long as it’s appropriate. Of course, they look good in whatever they do wear. Or … ahem … nothing at all.
My heroes generally fall into two categories (and no - not dressed or undressed): the strong, silent type, or the merry gadabout who hides deeper issues. Drury’s definitely the former. And you sure don’t want him cross-examining you in the courtroom.
My next medieval hero, Madoc ap Gruffydd, is a bit of both, depending on the circumstances. When he first meets the heroine, she would say a porcupine would probably be a lot more cuddly.
Jaunty: Darned right.
Margaret: Then Buggy gets his own book, and he doesn’t fit either category, really. He’s a sort of Regency geek who thinks spiders are the most fascinating creatures (until he meets his heroine, of course). I should have had him admire porcupines, but I first wrote about him six years ago when I had no idea how interesting porcupines could be.
Jaunty: I’m not really that fond of spiders, Margaret. [Gulp]. But tell us where we can find you on the web 
(nice segue, eh?).
Margaret: If people want to know more about my previous books (and yes, there have been many!), or my upcoming books, they can visit my website at http://www.margaretmoore.com. I also blog about writing and life in general at http://margaretmoore.blogspot.com.
Thanks so much, Jaunty. You’re one heck of a porcupine!
Jaunty: Tell that to the Jaunties, please! I am SO under-appreciated! They are always making me keep my mouth shut!
7:18 am | Share This
Dorothy Says:
Margaret, I love your books! I am slowly getting your backlist. I am such a fan of medieval books and yours are very good!
Margaret Moore Says:
Thank you, Dorothy!
Fedora Says:
Wow, Margaret–great interview! And you’ve been Philiminated?! I’m envious!
I just finished The Welshman’s Bride, and now want to find the related stories 
Helen Says:
Great interview these books sound just right for me I will be adding them to my to be bought list I checked the web page out Margaret and printed the list hopefully I can find them here in Australia
Have Fun
Helen
Margaret Moore Says:
Hi Helen — they’ve just reissued some of my Warrior books in a special Warrior Collection in Australia. There are two books in one, and the covers are gorgeous.
One of the biggest thrills in my writing career was finding my books at the gift shop at Uluru.