Modern Tempted author, Heidi Rice, adores working as a romance writer because “it involves sitting down at my computer each day and getting swept up in a world of high emotions, sensual excitement, funny feisty women, sexy tortured men and glamorous locations where laundry doesn’t exist…”

We sat down with her for coffee and cake to get to know a little bit more about the lady behind the lines…

Name?
Heidi Rice

Star sign?
Aries (I think!)

What coffee would you like?
Skinny latte on a good day, not-at-all-skinny mocha on an even better day.

And which cake can we get you?
Just one? Wow, tough choice… I ‘m thinking something with dark chocolate and pecans, served by a shirtless Zac Efron. (Zac totally missed his calling as a nekkid tea shop waiter IMHO)

What’s your earliest childhood memory?
Being lavishly praised by my Dad, out of all proportion to my achievements, when I demonstrated to him that I could now tie my own shoelaces. Age 4.

What was your favourite lesson at school?
Drama – because I could talk complete nonsense very loudly without anyone telling me off. Well, only occasionally telling me off.

If you could invite 3 people, dead or alive, to a dinner party…
Linda Howard (because I once had lunch with her courtesy of my good friend Kimberly Lang – and she was a really classy lady and an awesome raconteur), Pierce Brosnan (because I have had a not-so-secret crush on him, like, forever) and my Dad (because I still miss him and I’ve got so many things I have to tell him).

What’s your favourite quote?
“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… get on your way!”
– Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

[Quite apart from the empowering message, I love an author who is not afraid to use exclamation marks at every available opportunity]

Do you prefer sunrise or sunset?
Sunset, preferably over Big Sur with an icy cold beer in my hand. Although Sunrise, if you’ve been out all night doing something exciting, can have it moments!

Love is…
The most valuable thing in your life – and completely free.

What achievement are you most proud of?
Getting published – and surviving my sons’ teenage years without anyone getting murdered (although I haven’t quite achieved that one yet!)

Who’s your favourite writer?
It’s a toss up between Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Queen Nora, Linda Howard, Victoria Dahl, Diana Gabaldon and Kresley Cole at this particular moment in time… But ask me again next week and the list could be different.

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you change?
I wish I’d snogged Brad Pitt when I had the chance…. Just kidding! Seriously, I wish I’d stopped pratting about pretending to be a film reviewer and finished my first full-length manuscript a lot sooner… If I’d known I actually had a chance of getting published I think I would have… Then again, I did enjoy pratting about and I was very good at it, so maybe not?

What’s your favourite flower?
Oh dear, this is where I have to admit I’m somewhat horticulturally challenged. I’m not very good at identifying flowers, but I love the sound of oleander (what exactly does that look like, btw?)

Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Angelina Jolie, because we’re practically identical twins as it happens.

And finally, the perfect man must have…
An exceptionally sexy smile that he uses on a regular basis (excellent cooking skills are also much appreciated but not essential).

Heidi’s latest story can be found in Truly, Madly, Deeply – a collection of warm and uplifting short stories from a long list of fabulous authors! 

Read more from our Coffee & Cake series here
 

By The Mills & Boon team