What the Groom Wants is about a sailor who has been in love with the seamstress forever and now wants to marry her. But on his way to begin their courtship, he finds out something bizarre has happened. He’s suddenly inherited a dukedom. Yes, I know it’s a stretch, but things like that did happen. Well, sort of. And in fiction, of course it can!

Of course it can. Tell us more.
Here’s the back cover copy:

An honest love…

Radley Lyncott has been in love with Wendy Drew as long as he can remember. When he went to sea, she was too young to court. Now that he’s returned to take up his Welsh title, he is appalled to find that debt has ruined the Drew family, and—even worse—Wendy is being courted by another man.

Or a dangerous attraction?

Family comes first for seamstress Wendy Drew, who is forced to settle her brother’s debt by working nights at a notorious gambling den. But her double-life hasn’t gone unnoticed—she has captivated none other than Demon Damon, a nefarious rake who understands Wendy’s darkest desires and is hell bent on luring her into his arms.

What genre is this novel?
Historical romance — regency era. SEXY

Sexy?
Years ago, I decided to write a sexy book just to see if I could. The market was moving hotter, so I thought, why not? Let’s see. I wrote Devil’s Bargain by Jade Lee and well… it turns out I have a talent for writing steamy. I’m not in the 50 Shades territory, but I’m on the spicier end of historical romance. And a lot of my fans come to me for well written steam.

We love that about your books too, but we think you’re selling them short; there’s a lot more to them than that, right?
I work hard to put humor into my books. Since my hero Radley is stepping into the most bizarre situation of suddenly becoming a Duke, there are lots of scenes of — I’m supposed to do what? Why? Really?

Tell us all about Radley. And about Wendy Drew too, of course.
Wendy Drew is a woman who lives by the idea of equitable exchange.

Equitable exchange? Did we fall asleep and wake up back in Economics class?
I know, sounds boring, but honestly, she works hard to see that everyone gets what they need. No one sacrifices, no one feels put upon. She makes sure things balance. Well, when a Duke shows up and wants to marry her, she knows it’s not going to work. Not unless she becomes more valuable — in society’s eyes–then it’s not an equitable exchange. Of course, she’s completely wrong. She has no real understanding of love, or that the hero Radley values her for how she makes him a better person. She has from the first moment when they were kids. He needs her at his side, especially if he’s going to be a duke.

We hear that Wendy is based on a real person. Tell us about that.
Wendy Drew was actually based on a bookseller I know. She runs Rose’s Bookhouse near St. Louis. But her core character comes from something my father once said: the best contracts are the ones that give both sides a reason to keep it going. That’s what Wendy does — she makes bargains where both sides need the bargain to work out.

We get it – equitable exchange. Is Radley based on anyone?
As for Radley — I have always adored a hero who is constant in his love. Who knows what he wants and goes for it steadily and with true purpose. And what Radley wants is Wendy by his side.

This novel has had a storied history, hasn’t it?
What the Groom Wants by Jade Lee started out as an indie project that was picked up by a major press. I had the idea of writing about 4 women who run a bridal salon in Regency England. The idea was to show women bonding, have hot romances, plus show a wedding in every story. That idea was picked up by Berkley publishing, but then I realized that I wanted to write the engaged couple’s story too. Those were indie published. So it was a combined effort, really.

Tell us about some of your other novels.
I’ve written over 40 books, some as Jade Lee, some as Kathy Lyons (my lighter, funnier, contemporary side).

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a USA Today Bestseller who has written a LOT. I’ll post my bio here, but honestly, I’m just a person who crafts love stories. They have humor, depth, and sexy stuff! Okay, here’s the bio:

A USA Today Bestseller, JADE LEE has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords caught her attention early (thank you Georgette Heyer), and her fascination with the Regency began. An author of more than 40 romance novels and winner of dozens of industry awards, she finally gets to play in the best girl-heaven place of all: a Bridal Salon! In her new series –  A Gentleman’s Gamble and What the Groom Wants – four women find love as they dress the most beautiful brides in England.

And don’t forget KATHY LYONS. She’s Jade’s lighter, contemporary half. Don’t you hate it when you share erotic dreams with a stranger? It happens in her new Kathy Lyons series. Dream Nights with the CEO is available now!

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
www.JadeLeeAuthor.com
Also: www.KathyLyons.com

Do you use social media?
Facebook: JadeLeeBooks
Twitter: @JadeLeeAuthor

What’s next?
I’m going to be continuing this series. The next Jade Lee book will be : The Duke’s Cunning Plan out next year. It’s going to be a lot funnier than What the Groom Wants. In that one, every character has a “cunning plan” which goes horribly awry.

And Kathy Lyons will have a contemporary out soon. Part of the problem? We haven’t figured out a title yet! Right now, I’m calling it Jake and Alea’s book. Not really a marketable title…

How easily do new storylines come to you? If we give you four random words 
– Man, Woman, Mexico, Future – can you give us a brief storyline?
Not without more coffee! Okay wait — that’s it.

A woman wakes and finds out that all coffee has disappeared from her cupboards and the local Coffee Shop has closed. Worse, the more desperate she gets to find caffeine, the more she realizes that all the coffee has disappeared! A man shows up and tells her that it’s a plot for world domination through coffee beans and the heinous villain is in Mexico.

Together, they fight bad guys, caffeine withdrawal, and their own attraction to one another as they fight to save the world’s coffee supply. It’s a raucous, wild adventure ride of love and lust in search of the most perfect cup o’ Joe. (Joe would be the hero’s name, of course)