The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell (McBride Family, #1)

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The Secret Passion of Simon Blackwell (McBride Family #1)

by Samantha James (Goodreads Author)

3.79 of 5 stars 3.79 · rating details · 757 ratings · 62 reviews

A cruel twist of fate changed Simon Blackwell's life irreparably. A man of intense passions, he resolved to deny his emotions and desires forever, taking refuge in the wilds of the moorlands and shutting himself off from the world. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, the unthinkable occurs. An intoxicatingly beautiful stranger stirs the sensuous hung

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published March 27th 2007 by Avon

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72nd out of 222 books — 166 voters

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Feb 18, 2009 Sonja rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading the story of Anne and Simon’s marriage based on one scandalous kiss. I like that they got caught right away and forced into marriage. So often that doesn’t happen in Regencies. I did like the characters in general, though their inner monologues started repeating about halfway through the book. It got just a bit old. Overall, an enjoyable read with a lot of really nice chemistry between the characters.

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Apr 16, 2013 Dancer rated it 4 of 5 stars

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Jan 21, 2012 Sena rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3½ stars

Onları duyabildiğime yemin ederim!Yemin ederim duyabiliyordum!Ama onlara ulaşamadım.Onları kurtaramadım.

Hikayemiz Simon ‘ın Leticia teyzenin doğum gününe gitmeye karar vermesi,daha doğrusu gitmesi gerekmesiyle başlıyor.Hyde park yakınlarında bir bakıyor küçük çocuğun teki at arabasının önüne doğru koşuyor.Tabii adam hemen kurtarıyor çocuğu.Çocuğun arkasından da bağırarak bir kadın geliyor bu sırada.Adam da kadını onun annesi sanarak bir güzel azarlıyor.Aslında kadın annesi değildir.Çocu...more 3½ stars

Onları duyabildiğime yemin ederim!Yemin ederim duyabiliyordum!Ama onlara ulaşamadım.Onları kurtaramadım.

Hikayemiz Simon ‘ın Leticia teyzenin doğum gününe gitmeye karar vermesi,daha doğrusu gitmesi gerekmesiyle başlıyor.Hyde park yakınlarında bir bakıyor küçük çocuğun teki at arabasının önüne doğru koşuyor.Tabii adam hemen kurtarıyor çocuğu.Çocuğun arkasından da bağırarak bir kadın geliyor bu sırada.Adam da kadını onun annesi sanarak bir güzel azarlıyor.Aslında kadın annesi değildir.Çocuğun annesi Caro kızımızın kuzeni olmaktadır.Sonra Caro gelir bunların yanına .Adama teşekkür eder ve onu akşam yemeğine davet eder.Kızımız yani Anne adamdan nefret etmektedir.Aynı zamanda da adamı çok çekici bulmuştur ama bu itiraf etmek istemez..

En başta söylediğim gibi adam taşra adamıdır ve leticia teyzesinin doğum günü için gelmiştir.Fakat bir hastalık dolayısıyla doğumgünü leticia nın evinde değilde Anne lerin evinde olacaktır.Annie miz de sırf annesinin hatrına adama iyi davranmaya karar vermiştir.Öhöm efenim işte bunlar bir gün uygunsuz bir durumda annie nin abisi alec e yakalanırlar.

Alec direk bunların ikisini evlendirmeye karar verir.Ahanda birbirlerinden nefret eden iki çiftimi böylelikle evlenmiş olurlar.Sonra adam kızı da alır Yorkshire a götürür.Yalnız adam cidden evlilik planları kurmuyordur.Burda kastetdğim gerçek bir evlilik.Kızla evlenmiştir ama kıza da asla karı ve koca olmayacaklarını baya kaba bir dille belirtmiştir.Ama böyle adamı odun gibi alattığıma bakmayın.Geçmişi acılarla dolu bir adamdır bu.Hem de öyle böyle değil.Eşini ve çocuklarını bir yangında kaybetmiş.Hem de gözünün önünde.Kapıyı açıp onları kurtarmayı denemiştir fakat kapı kilitli kaldığı için başaramamıştır.

Bir daha böyle bir acıyı yaşamak istemediği içinde yeni bir evliliğe iyi gözle bakmamaktadır.Acısını içine gömmüş ve resmen hayata küsmüştür Simoncığımız.
Anne de bunun geçmişini geç de olsa öğrenir.Baya tartışırlar falan.Adam anne ile yatmayı da reddetmektedir.Ama anne de öyle bir azim varki anlatamam.Adama iyi bir eş olucam diye yapmadığı kalmadı.Benim fikrime göre şu ana kadar tanıdığım en güçlü kadın karakterlerden biriydi.Simon a gelince.Tamam oğlum anlıyorum seni.Geçmişin çok acı.Hem de öyle böyle değil ama yazık yahu bu kızcağıza da.Nedir bu eziyet.

Sonra bunlar içten içe birbirlerini sevmeye başlarlar ama adam odun kafalının biridir.Hiç göstermez sevgisini.Son 9 sayfa falan kala anca sevgisini itiraf etmiştir.O derece.Yalnız kitabın sonunu beğendim.Her zamanki gibi bize bir ‘’sonsuza kadar mutlu yaşadılar’’ daha yaşattılar:P
Kitap iyiydi hoştu.Duygu bakımından çok iyiydi.Ciddi anlamda duygusaldı.Yazar simon ın yaşadığı acıyı bize de hissettirdi.Ama aşkı için ben aynı şeyi diyemeyeceğim.Simon ın bu kadar korkak olmamasını isterdim.Hani şöyle derler ya kadın kaçar erkek kovalar.Biz burda tam tersini gördük.Evlendikten sonra erkek kaçtı kadın kovaladı.

‘’Bu akşam yemekte çok yakışıklı gözüküyordun.’’
Simon bakışlarını Anne’in yüzünde dolaştırdı.’’Sen de öyle.’’
Anne yumuşak bir kahkaha attı.’’Ah,teşekkür ederim.Kimsenin bana daha önce yakışıklı dediğini sanmıyorum.’’

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Mar 04, 2011 Zeek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, hist-rom

As a whole, I liked the story. Still, I felt like it seemed to be missing ... something. Something bogged the novel down. Some have suggested that Simon's secret took too long to reveal. My feeling was more that it took too long for him to give in to his lust for Anne. Believe me I love sexual tension being drawn out as much as the next person, but it didn't work for this one. I know too that after a couple gets together you need another conflict to keep the reader interested, so it could be the...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance-prior-to-wwll

Ordinary, somewhat predictable romance. Nothing too special.

Ok, but not worth buying. This was a typical regency-style romance novel. A couple meets, they kiss once. Her family forces them to marry due to the kiss. They grow to love each other, have a fight and separate and then get back together at the end. This is an ok formula. Sometimes it works well. Sometimes the conversations and characters make it interesting and entertaining. But this story wasn’t one of those. There were no major probl...more

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May 12, 2012 Janusz rated it 2 of 5 stars

A misleading title, probably chosen for its impact. A more accurate title might have been 'The Secret Agony of Simon Blackwell' or 'The Secret Torment of Simon Blackwell'.

Simon Blackwell is a tetchy recluse from Yorkshire who is forced to visit London for a relative's birthday. He rescues a small boy from the hooves of a spooked horse, then berates the woman he thinks is the child's mother. The object of his vicious tongue is Anne, the cousin of Caroline, the boy's mother, who was distracted by...more A misleading title, probably chosen for its impact. A more accurate title might have been 'The Secret Agony of Simon Blackwell' or 'The Secret Torment of Simon Blackwell'.

Simon Blackwell is a tetchy recluse from Yorkshire who is forced to visit London for a relative's birthday. He rescues a small boy from the hooves of a spooked horse, then berates the woman he thinks is the child's mother. The object of his vicious tongue is Anne, the cousin of Caroline, the boy's mother, who was distracted by her other child at the time of the near-accident. Grateful of the stranger's help and unaware of his tongue-lashing of Anne, Caroline invites Sebastian to dinner. The negative tension between Anne and Sebastian is palpable, but when they step out onto the terrace, they find themselves drawn into a passionate kiss, which is unfortunately witnessed by other members of Anne's family.

In this particular social mythology, a stolen kiss disgraces the woman and forces the man to wed her, which is what the pair do with great reluctance.

Whisked away to Sebastian's rambling but shabby and empty country home, Anne finds herself stranded with a morose and tight-lipped spouse who announces that he will not be availing himself of his marital privileges and will arrange a divorce at the earliest socially acceptable opportunity.

For most of the remainder of the book, Anne attempts to pierce the emotional wall surrounding Sebastian, discovering improbably late that he is a widower who lost his wife and children in a tragic fire for which he blames himself.

This part of the story, in which Anne gently slips under Sebastian's guard and even succeeds in arousing him sexually, is the best part of the book.

The author's attempt to bring the confrontation to a climax followed by a happy resolution is less than successful. As the end approaches, raw emotion is replaced with plodding prose and the sudden appearance of Caroline and her kids, symbols of the potential joys of marriage and parenthood, is convenient and facile.

By end of the book I was half-hoping that Anne would leave Sebastian to his self-inflicted misery, thus introducing a sour note to balance the cloying sweetness of the preceding pages.(less)

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Jun 03, 2012 Porsche rated it 2 of 5 stars

Romance isn't what I usually go for, but for a first stab at the genre it was't so bad. It was a bit cliche' in places. From what I've been told it played out the way all Victorian romances do - boy meets girl - girl and boy must keep up appearances, boy marries girl by force then refuses to ever sex with her, and unfortunate event leads their shotgun wedding, and boy abstains from loving girl because he feels guilty. And then, though a series of very wordy love scenes that could rival Lovecraf...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Jessi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: appealing-characteristic-story, historical, 2011

Okay, I've read a LOT of reviews from people who loved this book, so it might be worth a try.
Simon Blackwell has been hiding himself away since (from the back cover) a "cruel twist of fate changed [his] life irreperably." He came out of mourning only for his aunt's birthday and helped to save the life of Annabel's (honorary) nephew. Thinking that Annabel is the nephew's mother, he reams her a new one. When the boys actual mother, Annabel's best friend, shows up, he is seduced by her beauty. But...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Lover of Romance rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: avon, historical-romance, regency, victorian

Annabel McBride has always longed for the love and passion that she has seen within in her own family, and children of her own. When a almost accident puts Simon Blackwell in her path, she doesn't know if she should run away or draw closer. After sharing a passionate embrace and then having to be married when caught, Annabel hopes that she will be loved in this marriage, however all her hopes are dashed when it is more than obvious that Simon has no intention of sharing a bed with her let alone...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Leya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book

I'm a huge fan of the tortured hero theme, and that's mainly the reason I picked up this book. I enjoyed Simon, the hero, he suffered a major loss that plagues him, but he meets Annabel. It's hate at first sight for Annabel but Simon is curious about her... Let's just say that they marry hastily and soon Annabel discovers that Simon wants a marriage in name only, but she has other ideas on the matter.

I enjoy the setting, the characters but there were times where just wanted to yell WTF!!!! And...more

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May 13, 2012 Eli Yanti rated it 5 of 5 stars

i think this is the best book of samantha, really love this book :)

Ini crita tentang Annable McBride (adik dr Alec and Aidan Mcbride) dengan Simon Blackwell, yg tidak sengaja bertemu pada saat si Anne (singkatan nama annable) sdg berjalan2 dengan sepupunya – caro dan kedua anaknya jack dan izzie di Hyde Park dan terjadi satu insiden dimana si jack hampir celaka oleh terjangan kuda kalau saja si Simon g gesit menangkap jack dan krn pertolongannya Caro merasa berhutang budi bahkan mengundang Simon...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Lelyana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Salah satu buku yang bisa membuat ku nangis seperti habis di tinggal pacar .... pengen banget kasih 6 bintang ..suka banget dengan cara bercerita Samantha James, yang bisa membuat terhanyau sampai selesai dalam waktu kurang dari 24 jam membaca nya

Simon Blackwell agak kesal melihat Annabele (Anne, Annie) yang dikiranya tidak mempu menyelamat kan Jack, keponakannya. Anne juga sama sekali tidak tertarik pada si duda satu ini selain berterimakasih karena menyelamatkan Jack keponakannya dari tendan...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Hanife rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, own-a-copy, 2011, marriage-mated-bonded, 1700s-1800s-h-romance, reading-turkish, pregnant-or-children, series-i-haven-t-finished

Bu yorum aynı zamanda Romancekolikte yayınlanmıştır.

Kitap güzeldi. Yer yer duygulanıpta ağlamamaya çalıştığım zamanlar oldu. Tabi bu şu anki psikolojik durum yüzünden de olmuş olabilir. O yüzden çok acıklı bir roman olarak algılanmasını istemem. Tam sevdiğim kriterlerdeydi. Kavgalı çiftler, uygunsuz durumda yakalanıp jet hızıyla düğün, evliliğin ilk günlerinin bol kavgalı olması vs derken sıkılmadan okuduğum bir kitaptı.

Konusuna gelirsek Anne 20'li yaşların başında maceraperest bir kız ve ay...more

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Jan 28, 2008 D.L. rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one. Not even my worst enemy.

My Take:

This book caused me physical pain. I wasn’t even through the first page when I severely regretted the purchase of this novel. I spent the few hours it took me to read it alternately crying from the headache and laughing from just how bad it could get. She managed to use parallel structure in every... single... paragraph.

It’s difficult to call Simon Blackwell the hero of the story, because in no way does he act like a hero throughout the 300-pages of this drivel. His biggest accomplishm...more My Take:

This book caused me physical pain. I wasn’t even through the first page when I severely regretted the purchase of this novel. I spent the few hours it took me to read it alternately crying from the headache and laughing from just how bad it could get. She managed to use parallel structure in every... single... paragraph.

It’s difficult to call Simon Blackwell the hero of the story, because in no way does he act like a hero throughout the 300-pages of this drivel. His biggest accomplishment is coming out of his world of self pity and realizing he loves his wife. He spends the majority of the novel drunk or wallowing in his misery, or both. His lamentations come off more as angst than any real sorrow. His character lacked a certain amount of dimension. It was if he had a switch which flipped between his unending sadness and his desire to have sex with Annabel. The fury with which he attempts to deny his attraction to her almost becomes laughable as Samantha James fails to reveal his logic in the denial. Also, she doesn’t develop the growing love that Simon supposedly feels for Annabel, making his final confession seem somewhat arbitrary.

The character I could not stand was Annabel. Yes, she was described as independent and courageous, but I thought she was a bit of an idiot. Definitly TSTL. This is your typical romance plot where the heroine loves a troubled man and therefore endures the neglect he heaps upon her in the hopes that one day her kindness will cause him to love her back. Not my cup of tea, but if it’s yours and you can withstand severe abuse of the English language, you may find this novel acceptable.

And what was the secret passion of Simon Blackwell!? I never actually figured it out. That he loved Annabel? It wasn’t that secret… When you have a title that obvious and you still don’t know the answer by the end, you know something’s wrong.

What to Watch Out For:

Simon is haunted by his past. Simon is haunted by his dreams. Simon is haunted by thunderstorms. I am haunted by the excessive use of parallel structure in this novel. And the use of broken sentences. Incomplete sentences. To show emotion! Exclamations seem to be a favorite. Descriptions are dull, repetitive, and by page thirty you could probably recite along. Do not read this if you have any appreciation of prose and the English language. Also, you can still see the formula etched onto the pages. Someone really should call the publishers about that. The novel is not only predictable, there is little transition between the stages of there relationship. Simon and Annabel move from sparring, to denied attraction, to accepted attraction without love, to one-true-love at a jarring pace, with long plateaus followed by sudden changes in the status quo. The entire novel is resolved in the final ten pages, with a fairly unsatisfying climax for anyone who enjoys any sense of suspense- or any use of their senses.

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Jun 29, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Rather boring. There was a few tear jerker moments, but still not enough to make it worth reading again. Not even enough to justify the cost. Hero lost his family to a fire. He cut hisseof off from the world. Then he kissed a girl, forced to marry her, and was very angry. He tried to push the girl away. She tried to pull him in. Same old story. Just not written as well as the others.

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Nov 11, 2011 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Cliche after cliche, interspersed with set pieces so ridiculously contrived as to be laughable, all presented flip-book style, with nothing even remotely resembling a segue between scenes. But maybe I'm just being picky. After all, the high hilarity caused by the author's amazingly overwrought euphemisms is at least worth the price of admission. Check, please.

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Jan 22, 2010 Georgiann Hennelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

A cruel twist of fate took Simons one true love away. A nd he decided to close himself away forever. But on one extraordinary night, on a rare trip to London, He meets Annabelle Mcbride. They kiss at a party and they are seen. So as a result they are forced to marry. Now its up to Annabel to get Simon to open his heart to love. Once again.

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Feb 12, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: part-of-series, traded-sold

I liked this book. There was no real storyline other than the conflict between Simon and Anne, but it was very well done. Simon was the perfect tortured hero, with very good reason. Anne was delightful - giving back as good as she got from him and eventually giving him her heart.

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Dec 11, 2011 Lynne Tull rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: regency-romance

I haven't read anything by Samantha James in a while. I like her style. While there was conflict between the H/H there was also an under current of hope for love everlasting. Any argument/angst was directly related to the situation. The story is about a forced wedding because of a compromising act between the H/H. I don't remember reading but one or two stories with that theme. There is no fighting between the two...just an acceptance and how can we make this work. There was one point in the sto...more

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Oct 14, 2007 Sara ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

WOW. Like I said before, Simon has ISSUES with a CAPITAL I. Seriously. But of course, it all works out in the end--Annie wins him over with her undying devotion... or it may possibly have been her undying attempts to seduce him.... *hmmmm* I can't QUITE remember... hahaha! Men can be SO STUBBORN, can't they? All-in-all, a good read. I'll have to try Samantha's other books... minus the Scottish ones. I don't do skirts....

Excuse me ladies, my husband is trying to seduce ME.... *laughs at the sad a...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Lady Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epub, historical-romance, pick-it-for-me

I absolutely devoured this book.

James spins a tale about the young, Lady Anne who gets caught in a passionate kiss with the dashing yet tortured Simon Blackwell. As goes with most ladies caught in compromising situations, they must marry - but it's not so unfortunate. As Anne discovers Simon's dark secrets, she falls deeper in love with him...but can he return her love after everything he's been through?

Simon is one of the best tortured heroes I've read since Kenyon's Dark Hunters. No, seriousl...more

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May 19, 2009 Rachel Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars

A quick, fairly light read. The characters were likeable and believable. Despite the cover art, the steaminess didn't start until into the 200s of page count - that was a surprise. My first read of Samantha James's and I guess it will lead me to read more.

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Jan 02, 2012 Jenny E rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: england, have-kleenex-handy, own-book-form, romance

Nothing too spectacular, but an enjoyable read nonetheless. A little melodramatic in parts, but I was invested enough in the characters that I teared up at the end a little. All in all an enjoyable read!

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Feb 18, 2010 Leigh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

I 'liked' DL's review...so scroll down and read it. She says it all, and so much better than I ever will. The only difference in our star ratings is because I actually enjoy the occasional cheesy snack. I never go into a romance novel expecting too much (in fact, the whole point, for me, is to give my brain a rest), and therefore generally enjoy a good, fluffy romp. The few times I got annoyed - did anyone else notice the plot issues? Like when she's needling Simon about something at breakfast a...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Fani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-historical, marriage-forced-or-convenience, best-of-2009, angsty, hero-is-tortured, 2009-purchase, hero-is-brooding, heartwrenching, secrets-and-misunderstandings, paperbacks-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 17, 2009 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very sweet! A touching bit of fluff with all the predictable misunderstandings for the protaganists to work through!

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May 27, 2009 Lady rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved it! The 1st book I have read by Samantha James. Definitely going to pick up another! :) For true fans of romance!

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Jun 28, 2012 Lisa added it

the first historical romance book that i read and this one is one of my favorites!

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May 22, 2011 Juliana added it

Shelves: 2007-reads, 2007-jul-reads, historical-romance, unrated

Didn't mark down a rating on my Read list, but I remember that I didn't like it.

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Jan 03, 2010 Pamela(AllHoney) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: married-couple, tortured-hero, hr-georgian-regency, 1st-in-series, my-4-star-romances

Wasn't sure if I'd like this since I'm getting tired of the whole tortured hero theme but I did.

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About Samantha James

Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before...more Growing up in Joliet, Illinois, Samantha James had many childhood aspirations--being a writer was never one of them. When she was ten, she was certain she was destined to be an astronomer. That soon changed (happened a lot during those pre-teen years!) when she decided archaeology was in her future. Detective work was her next goal, thanks to the Trixie Belden mysteries she was reading, and before long, nursing beckoned (courtesy of the Cherry Ames series). In college, she set her sights on teaching history, then briefly entertained the notion of becoming a flight attendant, only to discover she did not like to fly.

Having been raised in a family of avid readers, she was rarely without a book in hand. Her tastes were rather eclectic. She got hooked on the Doc Savage series and Edgar Rice Burroughs after her older brother finished them, in her teen years, moved on to Agatha Christie, Daphne DuMaurier, and Phyllis A. Whitney.

In the meantime, the right guy came along. They met on a semi-blind date at an office Christmas party. She was told he wanted to go out with her, and he was told she wanted to go out with him. Six months later, the U.S. Army shipped him off to Germany--and she wrote faithfully at least three times a week--she often jokes this was the start of her writing career!

Marriage followed, as well as three daughters. Samantha left the detective work to her husband and turned her attention to raising their girls. When her youngest was six months old, two things happened: 1) she read Moonstruck Madness by Laurie McBain and scrambled to find every historical romance she could lay her hands on; 2) her older brother revealed he was writing and submitting his short stories to big-name magazines. As he put it, "I've been rejected by the best of 'em."

The seed was planted. Rejection was a dreaded word, but Samantha figured, "Well, if he can take it, so can I."

That summer, she wrote not one book, but three--longhand, in a notebook, during naptime. Bedtime. Any time she could. The burning desire to write was a long time in coming--she was nearing thirty by then--but she discovered that once she set pen to paper, she couldn't stop.

Those three manuscripts did get the dreaded rejection letter (they're still languishing somewhere in her attic), but she finally hit pay dirt with her fourth. Samantha's brother promptly proposed collaborating on a fantasy together--alas, still unwritten... Nowadays, she's firmly convinced she's the queen of rejected titles for her books. She's only managed to retain two original titles thus far, but writing is indeed a dream come true...

To date, her books have been published in numerous foreign countries (her daughters' number one choice for show-and-tell were always the foreign editions of Mom's books). Known for her heartfelt, emotionally charged "three-hanky reads", her books have been nominated for numerous awards, and have consistently hit the bestseller lists.

Maybe someday she'll do that fantasy-romance collaboration with her brother. For now, she's having a great time spinning dramatic, passionate tales of old...
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