"Reading with Ripa" sensation Carly Phillips adores her folks, loves a happy ending, and wonders why everyone doesn't feel the same. Read on …

MB: What or who inspired your novel?

CP: The "Hot Zone" series came about because I have always wanted to write a sports hero novel, but there is a more personal element to the books as well.

My grandfather, Jack Miller's nickname was Yank. He passed away when I was 16 but he was a larger-than-life figure to me, like Uncle Yank who raised the three heroines in the stories. In a way the series is a tribute to him.

"Hot Item" in particular was fun to write because it was the last story in the series and I was able to take the history in the other two books and let it culminate in a story that used all the characters histories. That doesn't mean the books don't stand alone -- they do -- but for readers who have followed the other stories, "Hot Stuff" and "Hot Number," I hope it's even more of a treat.

MB: What do you like most about your novel?

CP: I like exploring family relationships and this book gave me the chance to look into why a parent would turn his back on a child and how life can be defined by that kind of choice. But I also love the fact that the hero, Riley, has a daughter, and how that has to change who he is and how he acts and the choices he makes.

I also love to explore the smart mouthed teenager. Anyone who has raised one knows those challenges.

MB: Who is the most heroic person you know?

CP: Without a doubt, my father and mother. My dad had quintuple bypass when he was in his 30s and has tackled heart-related challenges his whole life. But through sheer force of determination and love of life, he's still here. And also my mom who takes him in hand and makes sure he follows all rules.

I admire their marriage and their happily ever after. I adore them and they are my role models.

MB: Who's your romance hero: dark, brooding bad boy or white knight in shining armor?

CP: Isn't every hero a mixture of both? I think mine are. They have issues and pasts that define them and that can put the dark brooding part of their personality in place, even if they enjoy life. But when they meet the heroine, somehow they become the white knight.

To me, that's romance.

MB: Answer the question you wish an interviewer would ask.

CP: Wow … that's a tough one.

Why do you write romance? For the same reason I read romance. Because it makes me happy. Because it lets me visit worlds and places that may not be perfect and twist the stories until they come out the way I want them to.

I love the guaranteed happy ending and the escape from reality, but I love the life lessons and the challenges inherent in a good romance novel.

I wish everyone would see the value of the stories the way I do. We watch television because we enjoy it. We like comedy because we laugh. Romance takes us to a good, happy place. Who doesn't want to go there?