As a blog virgin, I'd like to thank Mandy Baggot for being my first interviewee, and taking time out from her busy schedule to answer a few questions - Mandy has recently been signed by Sapphire Star, and is currently promoting the launch of her novel Taking Charge - reviewed below.

Q) When did you start writing?
A) I started writing at school, writing about my friends and the latest popular pin ups of the time. I then took a long break from writing when life took over. I started again after the birth of my first daughter (2005) and wrote my first book, Excess All Areas. I haven't stopped since then!
 
Q) What, for you, makes the perfect hero?
A) Someone completely gorgeous both externally and internally! Strong Alpha males from the outset but usually with a flaw or vulnerability when you scratch beneath the surface.

Q) Do you have a remedy for writer's block?
A) Just keep writing - don't stop! If you're stuck on a scene just write your way through it because you can always go back later and alter it.

Q) How do you relax?
A) I like to read, I like to watch great dramas on television usually involving crime ( Body of Proof, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods etc.), I like to spend time with my family and I love to holiday - I am always on the look out for great bargain breaks!
 
 

Q) Do you have a favourite from your heroes/heroines?
A) Absolutely not! How could I do that to them? LOL. Well Quinn Blake was my favourite hero but now there's Cole Ryan...

Q) What tips would you give an aspiring writer.
A) If you have a passion for writing then keep doing what you love. If you want to get yourself published you need to work hard, be determined and never give up. There will be many ups and downs along the way but keep focussed, keep persistent and enjoy whatever the ride throws at you!

Taking Charge

On the way home to America after nine years away, Robyn meets Cole Ryan, and the two of them connect instantly. Robyn plans to take over her father's roadhouse, and his ice-hockey team, whilst he is in hospital recovering from a serious operation. She is delighted to find that Cole is a top class ice-hockey player, and recruits him into the team. Though attracted to Cole, Robyn has issues from her past that she has yet to deal with. It turns out that Cole does too, and together they eventually face these.
In Cole Ryan, Mandy has created the kind of man we all dream about! Solid, reliable, gorgeous, sense of humour, but with that touch of vulnerability. I want one...
 

Every character in Mandy Baggot's novels, is one you can relate to and empathise with. They are diverse, colourful, intriguing, and above all, real.  The pace of the stories never lets up, and the dialogue is crisp.  There is enough fiction for it to be escapism, but there's always realism too. 
 

If you would like to win a copy of Taking Charge, leave your email address and tell me what you look for in your fictional hero.