Time Travel to the Sixties.... by Susan Stephens

When I was asked to write a book set in the 60's with a modern day heroine for Harlequin Presents, my first thought was, wow, how incredible. I love that era. The fashions and music were nothing short of revolutionary, while the 'so called' sexual revolution made possible by the pill before the shadow of aids had been identified, was said to liberate women. It was an era of compelling figures who would open our eyes and our hearts, and technical advances that were both fast and thrilling. And, most crucially for my purposes, women were fighting for equal pay and rights with men.

Women might have been moving forward, but there were some men who had not caught up with the times, and I found the idea of pitting a modern woman against a man like this irresistible. 

My second thought was - write a contemporary romance set in the 60's - how does that work?

That's up to you, I was told. 

Brilliant - A blank canvas with no rules. And so Gray Quinn was born. 

I must admit Steve McQueen was a huge influence as I wrote this book.

Totally gorgeous, and, being a motor bike fanatic he rode a 'monstrous throbbing machine' just like my hero, Gray Quinn!

I had my modern woman meet Gray Quinn in the current day. Magenta then falls asleep and dreams that they have both been transported back to the sixties.

The fun and games begin when Magenta starts to assert herself in this sixties dreamworld. Needless to say, Quinn is not amused. Nor is falling in love with chauvinist Quinn part of Magenta's plan, but fate has other ideas. 

Waking up from a deep sleep can be wonderful - Sleeping Beauty receiving that magic kiss, for instance. But when Magenta wakes up in the modern world without Quinn or the baby they were expecting she is thrown out of her beautiful dream into a nightmare.

Will fate be kind to Magenta just one more time?

Susan
www.susanstephens.net