Author's Message

When Vanguard Press asked me to write a romantic novel for Valentine's Day, I was thrilled to comply. Almost immediately, I came up with the premise of the book which became Nocturne: a woman would be snowbound for four days with a brilliant, gorgeous, fascinating, mysterious man who was hiding a dark secret. They would fall deeply in love—a profoundly meaningful experience that would change them both forever. Then the fun of researching and writing the novel began.

The situation I'd imagined—snowbound miles from anywhere, at the beautiful mountain home of a very reclusive man—meant there could only be two characters in the entire novel. Although that concept seemed a bit unusual, it excited me. Whenever I read a romantic novel or love story, I become so invested in the protagonists and their burgeoning relationship that I often find myself skimming or even skipping many of the scenes with minor characters, so that I can jump ahead to see what's happening with the main characters.

I wondered: what would it be like to have a book that featured only the two love interests? With only two characters, could I maintain suspense and interest, and keep the reader turning pages? I accepted the challenge and committed myself to making it work. The trick, I decided, was to create two characters who were complex and deeply layered, each of them a wounded soul who is hiding secrets, and to peel away their hidden layers and secrets one revelation at a time, while keeping up the sexual tension as they fall in love.

The timeline in Nocturne gave me a specific ticking clock: Michael and Nicole had just four days to fall madly in love. I wanted it to feel totally realistic. Writing about such a whirlwind courtship seemed to come naturally to me, perhaps because my own love affair with my husband occurred at lightning speed. (We were engaged 3 weeks after we met, married soon after, and just celebrated our 35th anniversary!)

I always write a complete analysis of the main characters in my books before I begin. The first character I developed was Michael, which was necessary given his particular, dark secret and his reasons for choosing to live alone in such a secluded location. Having written three historical fiction novels in a row that took place in England (The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, and Dracula, My Love) I have fallen in love with dashing, charismatic men with luscious accents, and I knew at once that Michael had to be British. I loved inventing his tumultuous back story and the scenario that ultimately brought him to Colorado. It was fun coming up with his interests, accomplishments, and skills—all the ways he's chosen to occupy his time and better himself during his many years alone. (Note: Michael is just the kind of man I'd love to be trapped with for four days during a blizzard. But please don't tell my husband!)

Next, I worked on Nicole. Like Michael, she is haunted by a traumatic mistake from her past, which I had to carefully research. Since the story required them to fall in love quickly, I gave them many shared interests—a way, I felt, for them to connect instantly—while maintaining enough differences that each can learn something from the other. To make their newfound love even more potent, meaningful, and believable, I created a way for Nicole to immediately bond with Michael on a very deep level through something shared, even though they've never met before (but to explain that further would be to reveal one of the character's secrets!)

I know from personal experience that deep, profound love can blossom in a short span of time, as long as the couple really talk to each other. That period of initial communication and discovery between new lovers is something I find thrilling—I call it "falling in love through conversation"—and I put great emphasis on it in Nocturne and in all my novels. Click here to read my list of my "10 Ways To Know You've Found True Love."

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to make music a major theme of the story in Nocturne. For a brilliant man like Michael, who's lived so many years in solitude, it made sense to me that he'd become an accomplished pianist, among other things. Giving similar skills to Nicole was another way for them to bond, and it was exciting to use music as a way for both characters to express their emotions.

The setting was so important in Nocturne that it almost felt like a third character. For some reason, I just knew that it had to take place on a mountaintop in Colorado. I contacted an expert in all things Colorado who pointed out a very specific spot in that state where it was possible for a person to be returning from a ski resort and get snowed in for four days. Another friend who lives and trains horses in Colorado helped me design Michael's fabulous mountain sanctuary, which is so real to me now, I almost believe it exists!

I hope you will find Nocturne thrilling, heart-rending, sexy, and romantic. You can read reviews here. Click here to read an exclusive excerpt.

Please visit me at www.syriejames.com, where I invite you to leave me a message and sign up for my newsletter. Happy reading—and writing!

- Syrie James