Yesterday Totally Bound released my
newest story, Her Secret Ingredient, as part of their
What's Her Secret imprint. I'm celebrating all weekend! Today I have
an interview with the intrepid heroine of the tale, Mei Lee “Emily”
Wong. Tomorrow I'll be treating you to my 100th Sunday
Snog, excerpted from the same story. Leave a comment on either or
both posts and I'll enter you into a grand giveaway. You could win
one of the following prizes:
- >> Book pack of two autographed print books – Master Me anthology and Cream anthology
- >> Autographed print copy of the Switch anthology
- >> Ebook version of my classic first novel, Raw Silk
By the way, if you buy Her Secret
Ingredient directly from Totally Bound, you'll get my exclusive
bonus chapter – which is, in my opinion, the hottest part of the
story!
Anyway, let's get on with the
interview.
Lisabet Sarai: Welcome to Beyond
Romance, Ms. Wong.
Mei Lee Wong: Please, call me
Emily. All my friends do, and I should think you of all people would
count among that number. And feel free to ask me any questions you
like. After all, it's just us girls here, right?
LS: Thanks, Emily! To start
with, I'd like to know why you decided to come to the U.S. You had a
plum job as head chef at The Belvedere, which I understand is one of
the most famous French restaurants in Hong Kong. Why give that up?
MW: Well, I'm only on leave at
the moment. I'm not the sort to burn my bridges. Originally, I was
just invited to do a couple of guest spots with the Tastes of France
channel, a matter of four to six weeks. I didn't know I'd be offered
a season contract.
LS: But you must have had hopes.
MW: Going international had its
attractions. Hong Kong is a pretty small island (laughs). I figured
that appearing with the renowned Etienne Duvalier on American
television was pretty certain to help my career, regardless of the
long term possibilities. And once I got a look at Etienne...
LS: Yes?
MW: You've watched his show,
haven't you? Or at least seen him on YouTube? He's sophisticated,
charming and oh – so attractive! His accent melts me like butter on
a griddle, and his butt... Can I talk about his ass here?
LS: Sure. There are no heat
limits at Beyond Romance!
MW: He's got these round,
muscular buttocks – well, you get the picture. And he dresses
impeccably, in tailored slacks that make the most of his assets.
(Chuckles.) Sorry!
LS: So you had the hots for the
network head even before you arrived in San Francisco?
MW: Let's just say that his good
looks provided me with additional motivation to accept the network's
offer.
LS: Did he live up to your
expectations?
MW: He's just as gorgeous in
person as on the screen. But he's not the easiest person to please.
LS: I've heard he has a
reputation for being a bit arrogant and critical.
MW: He's a perfectionist about
everything, most especially food – and a diehard traditionalist.
According to Etienne, there's just one way to cook French dishes. He
actually called my fusion recipes “sacrilege”.
LS: I gather you managed to win
him over, though.
MW: With a little help from my
“secret”!
LS: And what about Harry
Sanborne?
MW: Ah, Harry! (looks dreamy for
a moment)
LS: Yes? What's going through
your mind, Emily?
MW: Sorry, just remembering the
first time Harry and I … well, you know.
LS: An accident, as I recall.
MW: A most fortuitous accident!
Sometimes I think my grandmother's Wise Ones are looking out for me –
even when I make dumb decisions, things work out. I'm very fortunate.
LS: It's not all luck. Don't
play down your talents.
MW: Oh, come on! I'm not the
type to be humble. I know I'm talented, in cooking and in other
areas. I'm the youngest person in Michelin's history to serve as head
chef at a three start restaurant - not to mention one of the only
women. But I don't always think things through... Sometimes I'm too
much swayed by my heart.
LS: And what does your heart
say now – about Etienne, and about Harry?
MW: My poor heart is very
confused. Harry saved my reputation and my career, and despite his
rather nerdy appearance, he's a fabulous lover. And there's
definitely something more than just sex between us. He says he loves
me, and I'm pretty sure I feel the same.
Still, there's something that draws me
to Etienne as well... a sort of vulnerability under his imperturbable
facade.
LS: Maybe you can have them
both.
MW: Do you think so? I suppose
that's up to you – you're the author.
LS: Just wait until the next
book, Emily!
Don't forget to leave a comment (with your email address, please!) and enter my grand giveaway!
8 comments:
Great premise. I could use a few secret ingredients. I enjoyed the interview as well.
Enjoyed the interview. Thanks for the giveaway. turtle6422@gmail.com
thanks for the awesome "interview"! This is the first I've come across this book/author and I'm definitely interested :) Congrast to Lisbet on the new release!
efender1(at)gmail
I truly enjoy character interviews! Congrats on this latest release Lisabet! Thanks for sharing with us!
greenshamrock AT cox DOT net
truly adorable character. one wishes to see what happens next. Carolyn
j-coverholser at sbcglobal dot net
I always love reading your posts. They are so original.
lringel(at)Comcast.net(dot)net
Oh, this sounds like one I'll love!
Trix, vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
A great premise for a story - I look forward to reading it
cheyenne at cheyenneblue dot com
Post a Comment
Let me know your thoughts! (And if you're having trouble commenting, try enabling third-party cookies in your browser...)