Susan Mac Nicol’s contemporary romance set in London has been incredibly well-received and has garnered some wonderful reviews: “Cassandra by Starlight” is a beautifully written romance novel that will keep you reading until the end. Between the twists, turns, ups and downs of the well written plot, Susan Mac Nicol keeps her characters realistic in her debut novel. I fell in love with this story and recommend it to all romance fans.” My Cozie Corner.
If you love romance, then you won’t want to miss it.
About the Book
Title: Cassandra by Starlight 
Author: Susan Mac Nicol
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Excerpt: Chapter One
A London woman is swept off her feet into the glamorous yet surprisingly dangerous world of an up-and-coming star of stage and screen.
TO CATCH A RISING STAR
Unconventional though she may be, Cassandra Wallace leads the life of an average Londoner, from blind dates to rush hour traffic. Then, along comes Bennett Saville. Charming, erudite, the up-and-coming actor is like the hero of a romantic movie. He sets Cassie afire like he has the stage and screen, and defies the tragedy that brought them together. From the tips of his Armani loafers to their scorching hot first kiss, he’s perfect. Only, he’s ten years younger and from the upper class, and those emerald eyes invite dangerous secrets. The world is full of hungry leading ladies, and every show must have its villain. Yet a true romance will always find its happy ending.
Author Interview
What are the main themes of your book?
I have a few, the most prevalent being the relationship dynamics between an older woman and a younger man; the management and psychology of someone with schizophrenia; the danger, as a celebrity, of being stalked; and the rather controversial topic of female on male rape. All of these topics are intricately wound into the story along with the usual romantic relationship of the two main protagonists, Bennett Saville and Cassie Wallace.
The one that seems to have been the talking point has definitely been the female on male rape subject. This book has appeared on various blogs and male rape survivor sites, including the well-known civil liberties and sexual violence activist, James Landrith, who is himself a male rape survivor. It’s been a humbling experience being able to have a romance story showcased in such a fashion about a really serious topic.
Who or what inspired your story?
I got the inspiration for the Starlight series of books when I read about a nasty incident in my local newspaper. Some idiot – one can only call him or her that – threw a concrete block off a motorway bridge which landed on a woman’s car below. She ended up badly hurt in hospital. I started thinking ‘What if that had been someone jumping off the bridge?’ And what if the suicide jumper had an older brother, who wanted to find out how the injured woman was doing? Then of course, the two would meet, the sparks would fly and BANG! Romance is the name of the game.
And ‘Cassandra by Starlight’ was born. Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Wallace is the unfortunate lady in the car and Bennett Saville, actor and theatre owner extraordinaire, is the concerned older brother of the now unfortunately deceased jumper.
What do you like best about your primary characters?
Cassie is a woman after my own heart. I put a lot of myself into developing Cassie, her character, her emotional state and her outlook on life. There are a lot of my own personal experiences in Cassie’s story. She’s strong, independent, loving and giving. And she adores Bennett. I mean who, wouldn’t, but when this lady finds someone to love, there’s no holding back.
Bennett is modelled on an actor I truly admire and have a bit of a fan girl thing for. Benedict Cumberbatch is a British actor who’s rocketing to stardom and is an incredible talent. So when I decided to use him as the inspiration for Bennett Saville, Bennett turned out debonair, strong, talented, charismatic and a real heart breaker. But best of all- he adores Cassie and will go to any lengths to protect and sustain their relationship.
What are their worst peculiarities?
Hmm. Cassie is rather ‘emotionally challenged’ to use a polite word. She had a childhood trauma that made her shut off to showing emotions. She tends to keep things bottled up inside her and private, which is a great cause of frustration to Bennett who wears his heart on his sleeve most of the time.
Bennett has a very nasty temper, one that he needs to keep under control. He’s like his father in that respect and having a dad like that didn’t make for a very happy childhood for him. He can also be fairly arrogant, something which annoys Cassie no end.
How does your main character evolve?
I couldn’t really pick either of them as the main character, as they are both so entwined in the story- this tale has two.
Cassie evolves from being an emotionally closed woman and a little insecure about both her personality and her looks into a woman who realises her worth in both and learns to share more of her feelings with someone she trusts.
Bennett is a bit of a lad, having the ability to make women swoon with just a glance of his green eyes. He’s been used to getting his own way and being independent most of the time, and when he meets Cassie he realises he needs someone to count on, to be there when his life gets out of control. He likes having someone to come home to.
What’s the principal message you want to send to your audience?
My book is a story about two people who meet and make a life together despite a lot of adversity and challenges. It’s a love story, pure and simple, about a man and a woman tackling life head on, relying on each other for strength and support and not faltering when things get tough. I think it’s a message we can all use to aspire to.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has said about your book?
I love all the reviews I’ve got for my book. People, reviewers and readers alike, have said some wonderful things about it and I’m really glad they enjoyed it. But I think the most rewarding review has to be from James Landrith himself. When a serious topic that took me a lot of time to research is validated by someone who’s actually ‘been there and done that’ in such a way as he does, it’s heartening. And the fact that he really enjoyed the book and is reading the second one doesn’t hurt either!
Where can we purchase it?
About Susan Mac Nicol
Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel “Cassandra by Starlight”, the first in a trilogy, has recently been published by Boroughs Group Publishing in the US.
Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself being a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.
To learn more, visit Susan on her website and blog on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
I’m one of the lucky people who have already read Cassandra by Starlight. Like Cassie, the story is unconventional – there’s so much to it! I love how the (very sexy) romance is skilfully wound through all the aspects of the book. Good luck with the tour Susan! 🙂
Thanks for showcasing my interview! It was lovely to be here and to be able to tell people a little more about my books and how they came to be written. This has certainly been an exciting tour so far 🙂
Lovely to have you with us, Susan! Serena, she really is a super writer, isn’t she?
Susan, you touch on a very serious concern in Cassandra by Starlight. How did you go about researching the subject and what response have you received since publication?
It’s horrific to think that, in addition to watching out for other drivers, we need to watch out for concrete blocks and people falling off the overpass. Geez. I will never pass under a bridge without thinking of your excerpt, now…
But what a startling way to open a novel. Very intriguing – and you have definitely succeeded in piquing my curiosity.
Holly, the real life incident was horrific. The poor woman who was actually injured in not far from where I live spent a lot of time in hospital. She was lucky she wasn’t killed. One of my good Facebook friends works with our Highways Agency here in the UK and she is actually part of a task force that is looking at this ‘phenomenon’ to see what can be done to reduce the incidents. It’s a bit of a thing over here. Mostly kids who are bored and doing stupid things. So I’m glad you like the opening just sorry it had to be something so tragic that sparked the imagination.
i have never been a big romance reader, however several people have been injured and killed in florida with the concrete block off highway overpass trick. several attacks were considered gang initiations. this has piqued my curiosity a bit.
Hi Doyle. Glad to have you here. As I said earlier, it’s been a bit of an issue over here in the UK. I’m glad it inspired my fictional story but not happy that the poor woman, Carol Manley, was injured. If you want to take a look at the actual article, you can find it here. Warning – it does contain some disturbing images though of her injuries. Luckily she has recovered now. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-16089062
It’s definitely not your typical romance novel, Doyle – nail-biting stuff! Might need a sofa to hide behind. 😉
Shocking, Sue!
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