USA bestselling Regency Romance author Deb Marlowe is here today. Welcome to the blog, Deb, and thanks for answering these five questions…

1) Do you celebrate when you finish a book and what you do?

I know this is going to sound weird, but the first thing I do when I finish a book . . . I clean the refrigerator. What fun, right? But people—I live with boys! Most days I am the only thing standing between them and a microbial war zone. And when I’m in the last throes of a book, I abandon the fight. There’s just something about the end of a book, you have to surrender yourself to it—and that means letting the men in my life handle the home front. I usually write The End and look up to find chaos. So I pick up my trusty spray bottles and enter the fray… and I start with the fridge, move on to the kitchen and the rest of the house. Shrug. It’s not the champagne and chocolate most people expect, but it’s become my ritual.

2) What is the most embarrassing song/app on your iPod?

Most embarrassing song—Pikagirl. I shamefacedly admit that I’ve heard this enough times in the car with Youngest that I know most of the words. I even get most of the Pokemon references. Hangs head.

3) If you could choose any 3 people in history to meet, who would they be?

Ooh! First—my historical figure man crush—Giovanni Batista Belzoni—fascinating man! Second—Jane Austen. I think I’d like to bask in all that wit for a day. And third…? Today I think I’ll say Genghis Khan.

4) Where is the strangest place a story idea came to you from?

An invitation to my High School Reunion. It immediately dragged forth thoughts of my unrequited high school crush. I then started thinking about how a Regency heroine would handle a similar situation. That started me off on a friends-to-lovers second chance romance that became my first book.

5) What is the very first romance novel that you read?

The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was instantly hooked. I went on to read lots of historical romance, sharing them with my mom and my grandma. We devoured Jude Devereaux, Dorothy Garlock, Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood. For me, Romance has always been about female bonding.

You can find Deb on her website, Facebook page, or Twitter. Have a great Tuesday!