The Reading Frenzy: Interview with award winning author Zoe Archer

Sweet Revenge is book one in Zoe's Nemesis Unlimited Trilogy. Enjoy the interview and find out why she likes heroines of the "kick-butt" variety ––" You can still find heroines that fall into the more “traditional” roles, but I do think that, nowadays, we’re finding heroines that are stronger and more empowered than they had been in the romances from even a decade ago. "

Overview
Sweet Revenge Zoë Archer
When Jack Dalton escapes from Dunmoor Prison, he has only one thing in mind—finding the nobleman who murdered his sister and making him pay. But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head …

Joining Nemesis, Unlimited has made Eva Warrick much more than the well-mannered lady she appears to be—one who can shoot, fight, and outsmart any man in the quest to right the injustices so often suffered by the innocent. She’s not afraid of the burly escaped convict, but she is startled by their shared attraction. She and her partners need Jack’s help to get to Rockley, but Eva finds she wants Jack for scandalous reasons all her own…

Here’s what’s being said about Sweet Revenge:
"Revenge can be sweet, smart, sexy and make for a fast-paced, non-stop read when Archer's the storyteller. Creating heroes to die for and empowered women and bringing them together in powerful action/adventures with depth of emotion and sensuality is her forte. To readers' pleasure, she brings an amazing cast of characters, a strong plot and romance to the first in her Nemesis, Unlimited series."—Romantic Times on Sweet Revenge
“Sweet Revenge is an intense, fast-paced read. A strong plot, memorable characters, genuine emotions--not to mention plenty of heat. What more can a reader want?” —Sherry Thomas, author of Tempting the Bride
“Sweet Revenge is a sexy, action-packed romance with a to-die for hero and a true love that will make you swoon.”—New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan
"A dark, riveting tale from beginning to end. Zoë Archer's books are not to be missed!"—USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Hawkins

Zoe welcome to The Reading Frenzy

Thanks for having me!

Tell us a little about your new novel Sweet Revenge.

Victorian England is a highly stratified society. The elite and wealthy have all the power, while the middle class and poor have next to none. When a wrong is committed against someone without power, and the law has failed them, the shadowy organization Nemesis, Unlimited steps in to ensure that justice is served—by any means necessary.

Sweet Revenge is the first novel in the Nemesis, Unlimited series. Jack Dalton has grown up in the rough world of East London, and has been a thief and bare-knuckle brawler in underground boxing matches. He later became a bodyguard for a corrupt nobleman, Lord Rockley. But when Rockley murdered Jack’s sister, Jack tried to kill him—unsuccessfully. He’s spent five years in prison, burning for vengeance. The novel opens with Jack breaking out of prison so he can finally get his chance to make Rockley pay.

But things don’t quite turn out the way Jack plans. He meets the steely, headstrong Eva Warrick, a Nemesis operative, and she and her colleagues blackmail Jack into helping them ruin Rockley’s reputation and put him behind bars. It’s not the kind of bloody revenge that Jack wants, but as he and Eva work closely together to take down Rockley—from London’s seedy underbelly to its glittering ballrooms—they discover an attraction between them as unexpected as it is dangerous.

This is a new series.
Where did the idea come from?

I’ve always been interested in the disparity between the classes, especially in a world as layered as Victorian England, where there could be dire poverty right beside unfathomable wealth. Even today, our justice system doesn’t necessarily protect the rights of the poor. And, honestly, I was influenced a lot by the television shows I grew up with, like The A-Team (not the movie with Bradley Cooper) and Knight Rider, where a person or group steps in to help the underdog. Shows today like Leverage and Burn Notice operate on a similar principal. So I thought about how well that would work as a historical romance series. Something dark and gritty, but also romantic.

How many will there be in the series?

Right now, I’m contracted to write three books in the series (Dangerous Seduction, the second novel, will be out at the end of November), plus a novella, Winter’s Heat, which will come out around Christmas.

You received a starred review from PW for Sweet Revenge. (congratulations!)
How much stock do you put in editorial reviews?

Thanks! Obviously, I love getting good editorial reviews, and having such a great one from Publishers Weekly feels like a feather in my cap. But the most important thing is how readers respond to a book. Their opinion is the one that most matters.

You write in multiple romance genres, paranormal, steampunk, historical and science fiction.
Do you have a favorite to write?
To read?

I really do like writing in all of them! But I’m always drawn to historical, because my academic background is in pre-20^th century literature. It’s definitely fun to integrate paranormal elements into historical settings, like I did with the Blades of the Rose series, and the Hellraisers series. And the steampunk is awesome because I could create a alternative historical timeline where women have more power than they might have in the actual time period. It does feel great to return to straight historical, though. The period is so rich with detail and facts, it’s impossible not to find stories there.

As for what I like to read, I mostly read historical romance. Some of my favorite authors include Meredith Duran, Julie Anne Long, Tessa Dare, Sherry Thomas, Courtney Milan, and Joanna Bourne. And when I want to read sci-fi, steampunk, or paranormal, I read Nico Rosso!

You have several novels in different genres releasing close together.
Is it hard for you to go from writing one genre to another?

Honestly, not that difficult. I guess my brain is a little splintered that way! My writing voice changes slightly depending on what genre I’m working on, but it’s almost become natural for me to segue from one to the other. I like moving around from world to world.

In your bio you said that you loved reading romance, but you didn’t like how most of the women were depicted, you said they had a nasty habit of “screaming, fainting, being kidnapped….” So you chose to write yours as kick-butt as your heroes.
In your opinion has the role of heroine changed enough with the times?

There’s a huge variety of romance novels out there, which means that there’s a huge variety of romance heroines. You can still find heroines that fall into the more “traditional” roles, but I do think that, nowadays, we’re finding heroines that are stronger and more empowered than they had been in the romances from even a decade ago. I certainly won’t argue that heroines have to behave in a certain way. Reading preferences are highly personal. I only know what I enjoy reading, and that translates into what I enjoy writing.

Your husband, Nico Rosso is also a romance author.
Have you ever considered co-authoring a novel together?

Nico and I work very closely together on the plotting of all my novels, and he’s also my beta reader/critique partner, so he’s quite involved in the writing of my books. Plus, he and I created the steampunk romance world of the Ether Chronicles together. As we were working on it, we realized that the world was so expansive, it could contain multiple stories. So Nico writes the steampunk Westerns and I write the steampunk everywhere else. We don’t write the novels together—we switch off between books. Honestly, our process works so well, I don’t think either of us feel the need to actually write the same book together. Plus, we have very different voices, so for now, I think we’ll stick to the arrangement we have. Keeps things harmonious. *wink*

Okay from one boot bunny to another you must tell us about this passion of owning as many pairs as possible. (please)

It’s a sickness! I have to join Boots Anonymous! Seriously, though, I’ve always loved boots—how they look, their promise of adventure, and how a woman can actually run in them (unless they’re stiletto boots, of course, and I don’t own any of those) and kick some butt. And I particularly love boots with buckles, which also gives them a historical and adventure vibe. People have asked me to count how many boots I own, and there are too many! Plus, that would entail me going into my closet and trying to sort through all the shoe boxes, which could result in an avalanche. How embarrassing would it be to call the fire department because I was trapped beneath a pile of boots?

When you have some downtime what’s your favorite place to get away to?

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities, but for quick jaunts, Nico and I usually head up to the Santa Ynez area, which is about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara. (In Los Angeles, we tell distance by time it takes to get there, not actual miles.) It’s wine and horse country, with lots of rolling hills straight from a Thomas Hart Benton painting. Very beautiful and relaxing. It’s such a pleasure not to hear leaf blowers and street traffic, and just listen to the wind in trees.

Zoe, thanks for stopping by and chatting with us and good luck with the new novel.
Will there be any signings or events with this release?

I’ll be doing some stock signings at local L.A.-area bookstores, but I’ll be doing quite a bit of blogging, so stay tuned to the internet.

Thanks again for having me!

Visit Zoe's website here

Sweet Revenge: A Nemesis, Unlimited Novel

Book 1

The first in a breathtaking new series about the dangerous business of undercover revenge—and the undeniable pleasure of passion…

In the business of vengeance

When Jack Dalton escapes from Dunmoor Prison, he has only one thing in mind—finding the nobleman who murdered his sister and making him pay. But when he reaches the inn where the Lord Rockley is rumored to be staying, three well-dressed strangers are there to meet him instead. And the pretty blonde is aiming a pistol right at his head …

Desire is always dangerous

Zoë Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master's degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. She is the author of the acclaimed BLADES OF THE ROSE series and the paranormal historical romance series, THE HELLRAISERS. She and her husband, fellow romance author Nico Rosso, created the steampunk world of THE ETHER CHRONICLES together. Her new gritty Victorian romance series, NEMESIS, UNLIMITED, launches this Spring. Zoë and Nico live in Los Angeles.

Excerpt

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