Mia Marlowe asks fellow authors to fess up — and they do

Mia Marlowe lets art imitate life in her latest release, Waking Up With a Rake, co-written with Connie Mason. She's not the only romance author to get swept off her feet by one guy while dating another. So she asked her fellow authors to share …

Mia: In my newest release, Waking Up With a Rake, my heroine, Olivia Symon, is as good as betrothed to the Duke of Clarence when she's swept off balance by Lord Rhys Warrington, a notorious rake.

I have a confession to make. I was once in Olivia's shoes.

No, of course, I wasn't engaged to a royal duke or anything, but I had been with the young man I was dating in college for a couple of years. We were comfortable with each other. Our families approved. But then along came this other guy. He was in a couple of my classes, including college chorale. We started talking. I loved to hear him sing. Deep Bass and I started singing to each other across the room. Then he started asking me out.

Of course, I said no. I already had a boyfriend. I was not that kind of girl!

But I was acutely aware of Deep Bass and found myself watching him from the corner of my eye whenever he was around. And he kept asking me out.

I kept saying no, but he wasn't easily discouraged. Finally, I broke things off with my boyfriend and, shredding my personal rule about not calling guys, I phoned Deep Bass and asked him// out. We were married two years later and we still sing across the room to each other.

I figured I wasn't the only romance writer who's been swept off her feet by a guy while she was supposed to be with another one. So I asked some of my author friends for their true life seduction stories:

• Kristan Higgins. No! Of course not! Oh, hang on a sec, yes, actually… I was a senior in college; my boyfriend was in law school. But I fell for a boy I met whilst grocery shopping, that most romantic of all activities, second only to scooping up dog poop … Anyway, this second guy was going into the Peace Corps, and he had the most appealing gap between his two front teeth, which sounds unappealing but trust me, was wicked cute, and er … yes, I broke up with Law School Boy, only to be dumped by Peace Corps Boy a couple of months later. Le sigh.

• Maggie Robinson. I was engaged, and my best friend kept saying, "There's someone I want you to meet." And I kept saying. "Hello. I'm engaged. Not dating anyone else because ... I'm engaged." And the ring was pretty spectacular — almost 3 carats, not counting the baguettes. Well, despite the ring being spectacular, I eventually returned it, and within a week of breaking it off my friend introduced me to this guy, even though I was not at all ready to get back into a relationship. Forty-two years later I'm still married to him.

• Laurie London. I guess you could say a rake swept me off my feet and another guy was involved, but in my case, I totally orchestrated it. I was head over heels for this boy I met my freshman year in college. He was confident, cute, smart and, oh man, was he bad. We hung out and had fun together, but he was non-committal, even distant at times, and we never considered it dating. Remembering the advice my aunt gave me in high school, I accepted an invitation from another boy to go to a concert in Seattle — three hours away. When I came back, the first boy pushed me up against the wall in the stairwell, kissed me, and actually said, "I want you to be mine." My evil plan had worked! This summer, we'll celebrate our 25th anniversary.

• Colleen Gleason. I wasn't interested in anything serious or anything long-term, having just ended a relationship. Well, about two weeks after I started seeing "Fun & Games Guy," I met the man I would eventually marry (aka MusicMan). Even though I was completely and utterly not// interested in a relationship, he totally swept me off my feet. One minute I was playing the field, having a great time dating a couple of guys with no commitment ... and the next thing I knew, MusicMan had swept me away by chopping firewood for me (I love a real fire in a fireplace), taking me to the Renaissance Faire, and playing the most lovely, romantic song for me on the piano at a karaoke/open mic night ... and that was the end of that. Twenty-two years later, we're still together. Happily married with three children.

• Macy Beckett. When I was much younger, I was involved in an emotionally abusive relationship but couldn't see it ... until I spent a few days in the company of "Jake." (Name changed to protect the innocent.) Right away, Jake and I had a natural connection. We spent hours laughing and talking, which was a refreshing contrast to the put-downs I'd come to expect from the other man in my life. Nothing happened between Jake and myself, but the experience made me understand what I want — and what I deserve — from a man. I broke off my other relationship and never looked back. Since then, I've found someone who treats me with love and respect, and in a way, I have Jake to thank for that. Thanks, Jake, wherever you are!

• Ashlyn Chase. I was 36 and a self-proclaimed cougar. I had finally become so jaded that I was dating three guys at once — ironically, all named Larry! A friend fixed me up with a guy she knew would be perfect for me. We got into a "mind-locked" conversation. By that I mean, the whole room might as well have disappeared. We told each other everything — even the not-so-good parts. It was an incredible relief to find a guy so open and honest. About three hours into this conversation, I realized I didn't even know his name! Sheesh! I knew everything about him except his name. (Please don't be Larry. Please don't be Larry ... LOL) Anyway, I asked his name and when he told me I had this moment of "I know that name. I recognize it from somewhere." However, I couldn't come up with anyone I knew by that name — ever. It was as if the angels, higher power, ancestors, or whatever arranges fate had whispered that name in my ear long ago. That night I "just knew" I had found the one. The next day I proceeded to break up with the Larrys. We're looking forward to our 19th anniversary next week, and we're still extremely happy and very much in love. :-)

Many thanks to my writer buddies for sharing their true life seduction tales.

So now it's your turn, dear reader. Were you ever involved with one guy when another one came by and stood your world on its head?

Here's the blurb about Waking Up With a Rake (courtesy of Sourcebooks):

The fate of England's monarchy is in the hands of three notorious rakes.

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched ... to seduce the dukes' intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap ...

After he's blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender ...

To find out more about Mia and her books, you can visit her website, MiaMarlowe.com.