BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR MONA RISK

Mona Risk traveled to more than fifty countries on business or vacation. Eventually she left a scientific career to share with readers the many stories brewing in her head. She writes contemporary romances, sweet and not so sweet, with suspense elements or medical themes. Sprinkled with a good dose of humor, her award-winning stories are set in the fascinating places she visited. Learn more about her and her books at her website.

A Writer’s Inspiration

Of all the countries I visited, France has always been my favorite. Its rich culture and history appeal to me. I spent days and weeks touring the countryside, visiting chateaux, monuments, churches and museums. Being fluent in French, I feel comfortable in Paris and love strolling along the streets of Paris where several friends always welcome me.

A few years ago, my husband rented a car and we toured the Loire Valley. I was impressed by the magnificence of the chateaux. I visualized gallant aristocrats entertaining beautiful women in lavishly decorated galleries and plush gardens. Stories played in my mind. I don’t write historical romances but kept thinking about the settings.

A year later, while spending Christmas with my sister, my niece enthusiastically related her summer training in a French chateau. As an American student in Architecture from Harvard University, she was offered the unique opportunity to work on the restoration of a chapel in France. When I asked jokingly, “Was the owner a haughty old man?” My niece answered: “He was a young, handsome count and the five girls in my team had a crush on him. He dated my friend.”

Oh, oh. Chateau. Handsome count. Training on a historical chapel. Maybe looking for a historical statue. I had an epiphany. Here was my story premise. My muse supplied a budding romance. I could imagine my heroine, a pretty American architect, just like my niece. As for the hero, of course, he would be a gorgeous French count.

When I pitched my blurb to an agent at the RWA conference, she suggested I change the plot to make it a romantic suspense. I took her suggestion to heart and upped the stakes with a missing statue and the murder of a professor.

French Peril was born. It was first published in 2008. Recently, the title was changed to Her French Count and the novel became part of the box set, Foreign Lovers, that encompasses four novels: Her Greek Tycoon, Her French Count, Her Russian Hero, and Neighbors and More.

Foreign Lovers

Set in romantic or exotic international places, the romance novels in this box set are sizzling with passion, emotion, and sensual tension and sprinkled with humor.

Her Greek Tycoon (Her Greek Romance): A sexy and humorous Romeo and Juliette Greek style, set in Mykonos Island. Will Stefano be able to convince Ashley he's not the enemy anymore?

Her French Count (French Peril): A Da Vinci Code in a French Chateau. Count François has his hand full trying to protect the pretty American architect who's turned his life upside down.

Her Russian Hero (To Love A Hero): Clash of cultures and intrigues. On her first business trip to a Russian country dominated by male chauvinism, the beautiful American scientist finds more chemistry than she bargains for. But the man she's attracted to is a national hero admired by men and adored by women, the Major General of Belarus.

Neighbors and More: A contemporary romance novel with elements of suspense and humor. In a High Rise where so many neighbors live too close for comfort, the handsome Sicilian lawyer, and wealthy young divorcée, try to hide their idyllic romance. When a neighbor drowns in the Jacuzzi, life will forever change in the Blue Waves Building.

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