USA Today bestselling author Liz Carlyle admires her husband, is obsessed with her hero, and likes her bad boys really bad. Read on ...

MB: What or who inspired your novel?

LC: I think the character of Merrick MacLachlan inspired it. He was just a secondary character in one of my earlier books, "The Devil to Pay" -- actually, he was merely mentioned in passing -- but for some reason, I became curious about him.

There was an obvious conflict between Merrick and his brother, Sir Alasdair and I became obsessed with delving into Merrick's past.

MB: What do you like most about your novel?

LC: I like the fact that Merrick is an honorable man at heart. He felt that Madeleine had abandoned him all those years ago, and yet he never complained, nor did he besmirch her name in any way.

MB: Who is the most heroic person you know?

LC: That would be my husband. To me, he is definitely a romance hero!

MB: Who's your romance hero: dark brooding bad boy or white knight in shining armor?

LC: It really depends on the book. I do like white knights. If someone serves up a dark, brooding bad boy, I love that, too.

But they need to make sure he really is bad, or I have trouble buying into the story.

MB: Answer the question you wish an interviewer would ask.

LC: Hmm. I don't think there is any question I haven't been asked.