Interview with Natasha Anders

June 11, 2019
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Interview with Author Natasha Anders, author of More Than Anything.

More Than Anything. Tina Jenson belongs to the same social stratum as Harris Chapman, but he’s out of her league—at least that’s what she thinks before they jump in bed together. It’s the perfect night, but when she overhears crude, hurtful comments the next morning, she can’t get away fast enough.

Ten years later, Tina’s life is a mess. That night with Harris didn’t just hurt her feelings; it started a cascade of disappointment and heartbreak. Every time she bumps into Harris, her heart twists inside out. She still wants him, but she’s harboring a painful secret from their night together that she’s not ready to reveal…

Q & A

Thanks for being here today! To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about your current project? Thank you so much for having me. I’m absolutely thrilled to chat with you about my new book.

More Than Anything is the story of Tina and Harris. They have known each other forever. Ten years ago, their young romance derailed spectacularly when Tina learns of a hurtful bet involving her and Harris. She’s understandably humiliated by this discovery and feels betrayed by Harris. Because there are painful consequences to what had happened between her and Harris, Tina’s whole life takes a drastic wrong turn and no matter what she tries, she’s not emotionally equipped to get it back on track again. Harris, in the meantime, has spent years trying to mend fences. And he finally gets his opportunity at the beginning of this book. What follows is the story of two people slowly and painfully finding their way back to each other.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

I think this book is a return my original, angsty writing style. My last three books were all lighter in tone, this one is darker and more serious.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

They lived in my head for ages, very helpfully acting out random little scenes that I eventually had to string together to make a coherent story. It would have been nice if these scenes had actually popped up in chronological order, but nope… they had their arguments and emotionally revealing conversations completely out of context. Luckily, I always had a trusty notebook handy to write these moments down whenever they came to mind.

I have to say, Harris surprised me more than Tina. I was expecting a big, angry, bossy alpha male who demanded things and expected everything to go his way. Instead I got a loving, patient, concerned man who was desperate to understand his heroine. Close to the end I was telling a very stubborn Tina that if she wouldn’t have him, I’d take him!

What was the most difficult scene to write?

Definitely the scene when Tina finally tells Harris the secret she’s been keeping from him for so many years. It was an emotionally charged scene, dealing with some extremely sensitive issues and I had to write it with care and concern for others who have gone through similar experiences.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I have a few but I think my favorite is when Harris tells Tina why he calls her Bean. Harris is super cute in that scene and that’s the first time we discover one of his more peculiar quirks. A quirk I enjoyed playing with throughout the story.

What inspired this book?

I was actually inspired to write this while writing Nothing But This – the companion book to this one. Tina and Harris were supporting characters in that book but I got completely wrapped up in their story and curious about why they were so antagonistic toward each other. At that time, I had only a vague idea about what motivated them, but I was so intrigued by them, I switched focus and decided that I wanted to flesh them out a bit and tell their story first.

What project are you working on next?

I am currently working on two completely different projects. One is light and sweet and funny and the other is dark and intense and almost gothic. I like switching between the two because the dark one can be a bit overwhelming at times, since it deals with some very heavy issues. I’m quite excited about both stories.

More Than Anything

by Natasha Anders

Release Date: June 11, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Tina Jenson belongs to the same social stratum as Harris Chapman, but he’s out of her league—at least that’s what she thinks before they jump in bed together. It’s the perfect night, but when she overhears crude, hurtful comments the next morning, she can’t get away fast enough.

Crossed signals, high-society whispers, and shame have kept Tina and Harris apart for years, but deep down, they’re hungry for each other and eager to write their own rules. Can they let go of the past and find their way back to each other, or are the barriers between them too high and too strong?

Natasha Anders was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She spent the last nine years working as an assistant English teacher in Niigata, Japan, where she became a legendary karaoke diva. Natasha is currently living in Cape Town with her temperamental and opinionated budgie, Sir Oliver Spencer, who has kindly deigned to share his apartment with her. Please feel free to contact her (or Oliver) on Twitter @satyne1.

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