'Overruled' narrators interview author Emma Chase

HEA hosts audiobook narrators Charlotte Penfield and Jason Carpenter asking author Emma Chase about her latest romance and their latest project, Overruled, book one in Emma's Legal Briefs series. Plus, Emma shares a snippet from book two, Sustained, coming Aug. 25. Oh, and we also have an audio excerpt from Overruled. So much fun!

Here's the blurb about Overruled (courtesy of Gallery Books):

Emma Chase, New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled series, returns with the first installment of the Legal Briefs series!

A Washington, D.C., defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don't call him the Jury Charmer for nothing—with his Southern drawl, disarming smile, and captivating green eyes, he's a hard man to say no to. Men want to be him, and women want to be thoroughly cross examined by him.

Stanton's a man with a plan. And for a while, life was going according to that plan.

Until the day he receives an invitation to the wedding of his high school sweetheart, the mother of his beloved ten-year-old daughter. Jenny is getting married—to someone who isn't him.

That's definitely not part of the plan.

CHARLOTTE INTERVIEWS EMMA

Charlotte: A fan-favorite character pops up briefly in Overruled. Any plans for other characters from the Tangled series to make appearances in the Legal Briefs series?

Emma: It's definitely a possibility! As a reader, I love it when characters show up in each other's books — and the Tangled characters are a rowdy bunch who always have something interesting to say.

Charlotte: Family seems an essential part of all of the main characters. Can you talk about the importance of family as a theme in Overruled?

Emma: Yes, family is a huge theme in Overruled, and I think readers will really enjoy and relate to all the ways it's explored. Right from the beginning we can see how Stanton and Jenny's families have instilled in them strong, honorable values and that they can depend on the support of their families, no matter the situation. That continues after Stanton moves away from Mississippi but still has a close relationship with his daughter and Jenny — he's a solid, strong, constant presence in both their lives that transcends the physical distance between them.

Also, there's the bond Stanton, Sofia, Jake and Brent have in Washington D.C. They have each other's backs, tease each other — I loved exploring the idea that good friends can be every bit as much of a family as those we're related to.

And later, when Stanton and Sofia return to Mississippi, we get to know Stanton's parents and siblings, as well as Jenny's family and we see all the tender, often hilarious interactions they have. This was so much fun, because doesn't everyone have an aunt or uncle or grandparent who says whatever they want and doesn't care who's around to hear it? Or the crazy brother or sister that you can't believe you're actually related to because they're nothing like you?

Some of my favorite scenes in Overruled revolve around the idea that families change and expand, but the respect and deep affection the characters have for each other only grows. It made for some really wonderful, sweet and heartfelt moments that give a great emotional depth to the story.

Charlotte: The romance community is a strong one. What does being a romance writer mean to you? How has it impacted your life and friendships?

Emma: The romance community is so vibrant — there's a terrific energy in our shared admiration for great characters, amazing stories and the idea that love truly can conquer all.

It's an honor for me to be able to share the stories and beloved characters that live in my head with that community. I always strive to give readers something new — refreshing — quality work that will take them through a range of emotions, but that will always leave them smiling in the end. I've made many wonderful friends — writers, readers and industry professionals — whose work and opinions I value more than I can say. Often writing can be very isolating and reading can be quite subjective depending on our individual tastes and experiences, so to be a part of a community where we can exchange thoughts, perspectives and ideas, where we discuss, laugh, cry and swoon together is a fantastic gift.

Charlotte: If you could be the heroine in any story — romance or otherwise — who would you be and why?

Emma: That's such a hard one!

If I'm only allowed to pick one, I'm going to have to say Jamie Kincaid from The Bride by Julie Garwood. It's one of my all-time favorite historical romances and there's a beautiful strength and spirit to Jamie. She's resourceful, poised, kind and has a wonderful sense of humor. Jamie can sew, hunt, dance, ride a horse, shoot a bow and run a castle. Obviously, she's organized and a great multitasker, which is something I'm always — always — working on. : )

JASON INTERVIEWS EMMA

Jason: Your fans seem to love your writing in audiobook form, so I'm wondering what your personal experience with audiobooks has been. Had you ever listened to an audiobook before Tangled? What's it like to listen to your own writing? Does how a scene will sound in the audiobook version ever influence how you write that scene?

Emma: Before I started writing full time, I had a very long commute in the car to work, so I listened to all The Lord of the Rings novels on audiobook. I really enjoyed them! So much so that when there was a lot of traffic, I was thrilled because it meant I got to hear another chapter! More recently I've been both reading and listening to the audiobooks of some of my favorites — which is great. Often, I'll hear details in the audiobooks that I missed while reading that make the book even better.

It's exciting to hear my own writing, all the narrators who've voiced my books are very talented (present company included) — it's wonderful to hear the characters come alive. But, for me, the books sound much … naughtier … outside of my head. I giggle a lot and I can't listen to my own books in the car — much too distracting!

How a scene will sound on the audiobook doesn't influence what I write. But there have been many scenes that I've been super excited to hear on the audiobooks after they're written because they sound hilarious in my head, so I just know they're going to be even funnier to hear out loud.

Jason: Your books often include both a male and female POV — do you find it easier to write one or the other? More fun? Why?

Emma: I actually find it easier to write from the male POV. It's entertaining and endlessly interesting to slip into a man's head. How they see the world, relationships and emotional situations can be different from how a woman sees them, and I enjoy playing with that. Also, my male characters are very uninhibited, so it's great when a particularly outrageous or dirty line pops into my head that I would never say in real life.

Jason: What was the inspiration for the world of the Legal Briefs series? I hear the next book — Sustained — is being published this summer. Any teasers? (Oh please, oh please.)

Emma: I was in Washington, D.C., for a signing and it was a beautiful, sunny, warm weekend. While I was visiting the monuments I noticed a lot of people — attractive people — out jogging all around. It gave me the feeling that D.C. is a vibrant, young city, filled with ambitious, driven individuals (who are most likely lawyers — most per capita in the U.S.).

After that, the idea of doing a series about a group of good-looking, twentysomething lawyers working and playing together just stuck with me. And although the legal aspect is there — their careers are a big part of their lives — the stories go beyond the courtroom. They explore the characters' families and friendships, their pasts and personalities in a sexy, heartwarming way that I think readers will love.

And since you said please … here's a teaser from Sustained!!

The kids do as they're told and follow my mother with her cookie bags like she's the Pied Piper. All except Rosaleen, who stays in the foyer with me. I move to the bottom of the staircase, one arm resting on the oak railing. Waiting.

Then Chelsea appears on the landing. And it's—boom—instant slow motion. Like every cheesy teen movie from the eighties that I never watched. Her royal-blue dress swishes as she descends, giving teasing glimpses of creamy thigh. The soft fabric cinches at her waist and the deep V of her neckline exposes a tantalizing hint of perfect, pale cleavage. Her curled, glossy hair bounces with each step.

Rosaleen's little blond head swivels from me to her aunt, then back to me. "Are you gonna kiss her?" she asks curiously.

My eyes continue their travels. And I breathe out, "Oh, yeah."

Rosaleen scrunches her nose like a bunny that ate a bad carrot. "That's disgusting, Jake."

Thank you, Jason and Charlotte, for your questions! And thank you so much for your fabulous performances on the Overruled audiobook — I can't wait for listeners to hear the superb voices you have given to these characters!

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Check out an audio excerpt from Overruled by Emma Chase, narrated by Charlotte Penfield and Jason Carpenter:

(If you can't see the video here, you can watch it on YouTube).

Find out more about Emma and her books at authoremmachase.com.