Marion ended up teaching statistics and computing at her local university. She married, she had a couple of kids, she acquired dogs, cats, chooks, goldfish-the full domestic catastrophe-but her first love was always romance. She penned her first novel while on family leave with her second child. Dare To Love Again was published in 1990 and stands as a testament to a family’s ability to survive on spaghetti and toasted sandwiches.

Marion has now written more than fifty romance novels. For a while she wrote under the pseudonym Trisha David to separate her Tender Romance novels from her Medical Romance novels, so if you’re looking for older books try Trisha.

She’s given up teaching. She’s trying to give up housework-if only the animals would stop molting and the kids would learn to clean up. (So…she’s a dreamer.) She daydreams in the garden and calls it gardening. She daydreams while traveling and calls it research.

She indulges in her first love, romance.

Turn the page for our exclusive interview with Marion Lennox!


We chatted to Marion Lennox about the world ofTHE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES. Here are her insights!

Would you prefer to live on Aristo or Calista? What appeals to you most about either island?

They’re both fabulous islands and I can’t decide-so I solved the dilemma by creating another. My hero, Prince Andreas from Aristo, has been given his own smaller island by the old king. It’s his private retreat and it takes the best of both islands-he’s built a magnificent Bedouin-style pavilion in a coastal paradise, and it’s all his own. Though he’s willing to share-once he finds the right woman.

What did you enjoy about writing about the Royal House of Karedes?

The sheer opulence, the fantasy world of royalty, setting, intrigue…I read the synopses for the whole series and wanted to write them all!

How did you find writing part of a continuity?

I loved the pooling of imagination, the combined fantasy of so many talented authors and editors and the fun as we created our very own world. The book seemed to almost write itself.

When you are writing, what is your typical day?

Ooh, this is where fantasy stops. I’d love to say I lie back on my chaise lounge between the hours of two and maybe three-thirty on a hard day, I sip my champagne, I cuddle my poodle and I dictate a chapter or two to my dedicated secretaries.

The reality is I put my butt on chair at 9:00 a.m. and keep going until I’ve written two thousand words. I do have a dog, who requires me to open the windows and doors every so often, but where’s a good secretary when you need them? And I don’t even think about champagne.

Where do you get your inspiration for the characters you write?

I’m always on the lookout for my gorgeous characters. I try hard not to use Johnny Depp as inspiration all the time, but he’s pretty compelling. I generally do a collage so there are pictures in front of me as I write. For my book in progress I have an old picture of Paul Newman-mmmmmm.

What did you like most about your hero and heroine in this continuity?

They’re both so torn between what they know to be right and their almost irresistible attraction to each other. If I had to describe either of them I’d say they were morally magnificent-and sexy enough to curl your toes.

What would be the best and the worst thing about being part of a royal dynasty?

The best? Ooh, I’d have to say the bling. The sheer, over-the-top fantasy. Plus having your very own hairdresser on hand every morning. (Okay, this is my own personal little fantasy-it was the only thing I ever really begrudged Princess Di.)

The worst? Being born into a role and not being given a choice in your direction in life. That’s what my Prince Andreas is fighting.

Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend?

Sorry. Best friends are a girl’s best friend. Sisterhood-all power to women. Followed by a fabulous romance with the “best friend” to die for. Followed by your hairdresser (see above). Diamonds? Okay, they may be fourth on my list, but I wouldn’t be knocking back a tasteful little three-carat number.


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