WereSlave is FREEEEEE!

Ellora’s Cave has made WereSlave, Book One in the Were Legends Series, FREE for two weeks. If you haven’t picked it up yet, now is your chance to check it out.

WereSlave: An erotic paranormal romance.

Book One in the Were Legends Series.

As the Queen of Paqualette, Nayla is forbidden to have a husband or a human lover. Her life is a lonely and disciplined existence, so when she’s given the opportunity to choose a Were from her dungeon as her sex slave, she takes a chance. Werewolves, she knows, are nothing but senseless monsters, but after the one she selects to be her WereSlave turns out to be more of a man than she’s ever known, she must question her beliefs.

As the alpha leader, Mace is responsible for his pack. He’ll do anything to keep them alive, even give into the Queen’s sexual demands. But not unless he’s in control. Turning his enticing captor into the submissive is the only way to show her he’s more man than she realizes. Falling in love is out of the question, but so is leaving her behind.

Warning: This story contains a steamy m/f/m menage scene, mild bondage, graphic language, anal sex, and sizzling sex scenes.

Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/WereSlave-Were-Legends-Book-ebook/dp/B0034KC3RQ/
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wereslave-lia-slater/1020150234?ean=9781419924323
Ellora’s Cave: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8042-wereslave-free.aspx
All Romance eBooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-wereslavewerelegendsbookone-419559-140.html
Sony: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/slater-lia/wereslave/_/R-400000000000000197539

I hope you enjoy!

Lia

www.LiaSlater.com

Writer with Sizzle: Anh Leod (also writing as Heather Hiestand)

Please welcome author Anh Leod! Anh would like to give away a e-copy of “Christmas a Go-Go” to one lucky commenter, so please leave your email address in the comments so she can get a hold of you!

About Anh:
Heather Hiestand/Anh Leod is the author of seven novels as well as many novellas and short stories. Her most recent release, Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas, is an Amazon Romance Anthologies bestseller. Her imagination keeps her entertained with romance, mystery and futuristic/fantasy story ideas, many of which eventually become words on a page. She lives in Washington State with her husband and son. For more information, see her website at www.heatherhiestand.com. She is active on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
 
Lia: Great to have you here! Tell us about your story “Christmas a Go-Go”.
Anh: I went to England for the first and only time as a teenager, and picked up a pair of white leather go-go boots when I was there. When I returned, I wore them on a shopping trip to Nordstrom. I must have been really stylish for 1985, because a male shoe salesman came over and fell to his knees before me, fondling my boots. I’ve never forgotten that experience. All these years later, that became the idea behind “Christmas a Go-Go” my Anh Leod holiday release!
Blurb:
Lexie has a serious love for go-go boots and an heiress-sized fortune to build her collection. She has everything but a man who shares her fetish. When her new custom-made Christmas go-go boots capture the eye of Adrian, she wonders if she has finally found the one.
Adrian has always been turned on by a woman wearing sexy boots, and he’s immediately smitten with the lovely Lexie. Sparks fly and he leads her away to the VIP dressing room for a sultry tryst.
They both want more, and Lexie plans to have it. She wants Adrian at home, in front of her boot wall—naked, touching her body, touching her boots—while they have the best sex of their lives.
Buy links: 

Lia: Who doesn’t love a sexy pair of go-go boots? What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?
Anh: I love being able to work from my easy chair at home. It allows me to stay at home with my toddler.
Lia: Do you have a common theme in the books you write?
Anh: My theme seems to be “finding your place in the world,” or “your true home.” I suspect I keep revisiting that type of story because I’m adopted, though I don’t write adoption stories. Instead, my characters are trying to make sense of their identities in their setting, however they came to be there.
I also keep revisiting holiday stories, especially set at Christmas. It’s a time of year when most people want to revel in family traditions and celebrations, perfect for my “true home” theme.
In the case of “Christmas a Go-Go” both Lexie and Adrian are happy, successful people, but they are looking for someone to accept their special kink. How lucky they are to find each other!
Lia: Which scene in your book do you think will leave the reading squirming in their seat?
Anh: At the end of the first sex scene, something happens accidentally that could really destroy a relationship between two people that are so attached to fetish objects. If I set the scene up properly, the reader should totally feel Adrian’s horror!
Excerpt:
Her body was still throwing sparks and her mind was fuzzy but she’d definitely heard a pop. She glanced at the Christmas tree but nothing had changed there. The mini-lights still glowed and no ornaments were on the floor.
Adrian knelt before her, his head buried against her pubis. She could hear him panting and one of his arms was hidden. Had he come when she had? His other arm was wrapped completely around the booted leg she’d flung over his shoulder in that last heated moment.
Gently, she extricated herself. Something was wrong, but what was it?
Then Adrian opened his hand. His look of horror matched hers.
Lia: What’s your secret to writing a steamy scene?
Anh: I find that I need to devote an entire writing session just to writing the steamy scene. I can’t work my way into it. I do the first draft, then challenge myself when I go back to edit in intense sensual detail. Back when I first started writing erotic romance, I need a warm, quiet room with rose candles burning, but my life doesn’t permit such fussiness anymore!
Lia: Ah, the patience it takes to be a mom and a writer! Where can readers find your books?
Anh: My Anh Leod books are mostly at Ellora’s Cave, now available at general e-tailers. I also have one story with The Wild Rose Press. Heather Hiestand stories are available at a few small presses and I’ve recently ventured into self-publishing, but everything is available at e-tailers.
Lia: Thanks for being a “writer with sizzle”, Anh. Readers, don’t forget to leave your email addy for a chance to win!

Launch of Short Story Seductions

Today is the launch of Short Story Seductions, where erotic romance authors write installments to sizzling short stories. Lynda Bailey starts us off with the Halloween themed story “Unmasked”. I’m writing the next installment so be sure to stop by next week, as well.

Readers, leave comments for a chance to win giveaways from contributing authors. 

shortstoryseduction.blogspot.com

And the authors are…

Lia Slater (That’s me!)
Hope you’ll join in on the fun.

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Lynne Roberts

Please welcome erotic romance author Lynne Roberts! Lynne would like to give away an e-book copy of her latest release HOOKING UP to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave your email address in the comments section so she can reach you. (Winner announced on Wednesday!)

About Lynne:

Lynne Roberts wrote her first story out of frustration at the age of 11 because Gone with the Wind just couldn’t end with Rhett and Scarlett not together.

She’s a hopeless romantic and a sucker for a happily ever after.

She’s been writing professionally since 2005 and, after reading some very talented authors, attempted her first erotic romance in 2009.

A hopeless coffee-addict, when she’s not writing, editing or on Twitter—which isn’t often—you can find her with her fiancé, in the garden, reading or with her five children. Sometimes all of the above.

Lynne currently lives in sunny California. You can learn more about her on her website and blog. She’d love to hear from you.

http://lynneroberts.net/

http://lynneroberts.blogspot.com/

Lia: Great to have you here, Lynne! Tell us about your latest release.

Lynne: Hooking Up takes place entirely in a bar. It started as a single scene and evolved into one of my favorite stories ever!

Trisha is tired of tame, tired of predictable. After years playing the supporting role, she longs for a night of unrestrained sensuality—even if that means stepping out of her comfort zone and into the arms of a stranger.

Excerpt:

One corner of the blond’s mouth turned up as his gaze roamed her body. He was checking her out.

She smiled. Let him. Two could play at that game.

She imagined licking those full lips, dipping her tongue into his mouth. Would he taste sweet?

Tangy? He’d taste strange, different. She needed something different.

In her mind’s eye, she watched her hands sliding under his shirt to explore the smooth muscles of his chest, seeking down the sculpted abdomen to his cock. It would feel heavy and hot. Oh, God, how she missed the weight of an erect shaft in her hand, the texture of the satiny skin, the musky smell of man at his most primal. She missed the salty taste in her mouth and the feminine power of bringing a strong man to his knees as he orgasmed.

Lia: Wow! Definitely sizzling. What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

Lynne: Hearing from people who have enjoyed my books. As a writer, you lose a little perspective after you’ve gone over each word and comma a hundred times. ; ) It’s wonderful to know readers enjoy your work!

Lia: So true! Have you ever cried or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

Lynne: Yes!!! I’m editing a book now I last worked on about a year ago. I still cried! I firmly believe if you don’t cry, laugh, root for the HEA, your readers won’t either.

Lia: I think you’re absolutely right. Which scene in your book do you think will leave the reading squirming in their seat?

Lynne: The love scene in the bathroom. At least it leaves me squirming. : )

Lia: What’s your secret to writing a steamy scene?

Lynne: I write it straight through without stopping and then go back and edit.

Lia: Is there anything special you do to get in the mood before writing a scene?

Lynne: Depends on the scene. Sometimes I’ll listen to specific music that either inspired the scene or reminds me of the characters. Other times I’ll close my eyes and picture every detail in my head until it flows onto the page.

Lia: Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

Lynne: I read CS Lewis and Tolkien every 5 years or so. I love everything Ilona Andrews or Patricia Briggs writes. I know, they’re all fantasy. *sigh* I blame that on the fact I’m working on a fantasy at the moment. I’m reading Cari Quinn now. Every time I read one of her books, I sit back in amazement. She makes it look so easy! Nalini Singh, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole are a few of my favorite romance authors.

Lia: All wonderful authors! Have you ever lived out any of your scenes?

Lynne: No. ; ) My characters are quite a bit more adventurous than I am.

Lia: Sigh. Mine are too. LOL. Where do you get your inspiration?

Lynne: Walmart. No, kidding. Everywhere. I never know when it will strike. Writers should keep a pad and pen with them at all times.

Lia: Do you have any advice for the budding erotic romance writer?

Lynne: Read! It sounds simple, but it’s so important. The second thing I’d tell them is to finish the story. A bad story can be edited. A blank page can’t. Oh, I guess I’m full of advice today. Because I also think you should push your comfort zone just a little.

Lia: Great advice. Where is the wildest place your characters have had sex?

Lynne: My characters only have sex in wild places! I think the first time I wrote about sex in a bed was in Creative License and that came out early this year. Let’s see. A barn, stairwell, bathroom…take your pick. ; )

Lia: Love it! Have your characters ever been caught having sex in public? How did that go?

Lynne: As you can see by the previous question, they’ve all had sex in public, but they haven’t been caught. Come to think of it, that might be interesting.

Lia: Has anything in your real life ever inspired a scene for your book?

Lynne: Yes, but all mild things. My sisters had taken me out to dinner for my birthday a few years ago. Glenn’s first scene in Hooking Up was inspired by a man sitting at a bar staring into his drink as though it contained the answers to the world’s problems. Or at least his.

Lia: Thanks for a being a Writer with Sizzle, Lynne!

Where you can find Lynne’s books:
http://store.samhainpublishing.com/creative-license-p-6257.html

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=90

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Skhye Moncrief

Please welcome Skhye Moncrief! Skhye is running a contest to give away one of her sizzling books. See details below!

About Skhye:

Formally educated in hard and soft science (geology and bioarchaeology), Skhye pushes the envelope writing cross-genre romance classified as either paranormal or fantasy romance, and kick-arse romantica. She loves the challenge of building an entirely new world or resurrecting an old legend into a completely new animal.

Lia: It’s great to have you here, Skhye! Tell us about your latest release.

Skhye: FERAL FEVER, Book 3 in my Feral Series, releases on April 15th!!! It’s the next romantica episode in my were-wolf space opera. Psychic werewolves are saving the universe! And they’re recruiting…

FERAL FEVER’s blurb:

Sometimes it pays to just give into the darkness…

With the Blood Wars ended, were-assassin Marshals are called to serve throughout the universe in easing cultural tensions instigated by the transition of cultures from zombified to free-thinking societies…

Earthling archaeologist Aisling Bjorn never really considered juggling multiple husbands for were-assassin duty on planet Luvk—a world of tiger folk subjugated by winged aliens from another dimension. Learning the lost history of the tiger culture to understand how the winged species divided and conquered the tiger realms is more her cup of tea. But she’s in store for an even bigger challenge than helping the Luvks reclaim their independence. There’s a shortage of marriageable females for the large broods of gorgeous tiger princes. The friction caused by mating problems threatens her sanity as the warrior Lords vie for possession of not only a mate but a powerful political pawn—her, the Marshal whose beauty rivals that of the most marketable princess. And mates the Lords all wish to be.

Aisling must accept that with every turn in life, we sacrifice a bit of our souls for the greater good. Even to the darkness. Blessed are those who just give into the darkness of Luvk. Because a woman’s sanity is out of the question when surrounded by enormous muscled hunks cloaked in sexy leather pants. Their glorious bodies alone could incite riots on Earth. And they all want her. One thing’s for certain, love or lust, everyone eventually succumbs to Luvks’ FERAL FEVER.

Lia: What physical aspect does your heroine love most about your hero? Details, please!

Skhye: Well what’s not to love about males over six-feet tall with tiger stripes? Add to that some genius female had them wear black leather pants split down the outer leg seams where black tabs held the leather sides together—just enough to offer an excellent view of all their striped leg muscles! Then the males where a harness (yes, go there with your thoughts about a harness’ function) composed of a large O-ring and leather straps wrapping around the sides of the chest and shoulders to connect to the O-ring in the front/back. You can’t miss all the muscles. And everything is overly muscled. Everything. 😉 Did I mention the heroine winds up with 5 mates by the end of the book? So, she doesn’t have to be too choosy!

Lia: Yowza! They sound amazing. What does your heroine love most about her hero?

Skhye: The hero(s) are princes born into a lovely system where Queens use their sons to make political ties through marriage with other Queens. Because of polyandrous relationships, Queens have 15-20 consorts. **Lucky Gals** My heroine loves the main hero the most because he is considered Low Caste of the Lords she meets. This makes him a considerate Lord. They meet when he’s sent to escort her across the Seven Realms because he is the fiercest and strongest warrior among the Lords. So, he’s gorgeous (see previous question’s answer) and kick-ass. The fact he considers himself unworthy of her because of his Low-Caste label helps her find his behavior toward everyone quite noble…

Lia: Yes, definitely a lucky gal!! Your world-building is phenomenal. How would you describe the world you’ve built?

Skhye: Medieval matriarchal society set on another planet with kick-butt Tiger Lords on huge shaggy war beasts. Everything else is really insignificant. (I smacked myself!)

Lia: Which scene in your book do you think will leave the reader squirming in their seat?

Skhye: Geesh. This one’s a tough one. I’ll have to go with sex of course!!! (They’re nude in a bathing pool.)

Excerpt:

My feet came off the pool’s floor with the pressure.

What was he doing? Maybe I’d made a mistake about him.

He stopped where I looked him in the eye and lowered my arms around his neck. “Forgive me,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to frighten or hurt you.”

If that plea didn’t deserve tears, nothing did. I wrapped my arms around his slick wet hair and clung to the strength in his broad shoulders.

He released me against his beating heart to trail his knuckles down my sides.

Help me, universe. I don’t ever want him to stop.

He watched his hands slide over my hips, down to my thighs where he pulled up my knees and wrapped my legs around his waist before locking his gaze back on me. “I’m always here for you, dear Aisling.”

His hips bent upward to me. Free-handedly, he slowly, purposefully, in one leisurely motion, slid the head of his cock into my core. I was so wet from deprivation that he had no problem with his measured penetration. His hard thickness felt so glorious I could only gape, holding my breath, watching my reaction mirrored in his handsomely rugged features. If angels sang somewhere in the heavens, their voices would have burst from our drugged expressions. But it is rumored only a few can hear angels sing. So, I waited for Lehd to growl a meaty song of possession.

His shaft’s soft root finally spooned my tender vagina.

We gasped for breath.

My pulse beat with his deep within my soul.

Dear creative force is in the universe, thank you for Lehd.

He growled and backed up until he slid my legs at his back atop the ledge and slowly withdrew his amazing firmness.

It wasn’t enough fast enough. “Lehd, on the furs.”

He didn’t argue. My back was on the skins before I could blink, his marvelous hardness still inside me. I slid my legs down, dropping my knees, and grabbing fistfuls of his iron ass.

If he’d only hurry.

His hot sucking lips fell to my neck, then he plowed into my spirit. Again and again. I matched his thrusting hips with the energy only blood lust could give me after a day with three different men. But something told me this day was unusual. Maybe it was Lehd. I grabbed two fistfuls of his harness and hung on.

He plunged his throbbing hardness into me faster and faster until we raced into the darkness of night. Until he drove away any fears I had of being alone while spanking me with the pat of his sac against my ass. Until I couldn’t stop crying out for breath. And I came like a screaming banshee with his overpowering roar of possession in our blue flash of healing light. We clenched together so tightly that his trembling rigid body made me want to cradle him forever.

Lia: Scorching excerpt!! Where can readers find your books?

Skhye:

Available in e-format at:

at New Concepts Publishing http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/skhyemoncriefbooks.html

at Fictionwise http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b115094/Feral-Fascinations/Skhye-Moncrief/?si=0

Skhye on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=659800548

Skhye’s website http://skhyemoncrief.com/

Skhye’s blog http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com/

Skhye’s newsletter yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skhyemoncrief/

Contest: I’m giving away a pdf of Book 1: FERAL FASCINATIONS to one lucky commenter. How to enter to win: leave me a comment here today by midnight Tuesday, 4/12. Make certain to leave your email addy so you can be contacted. And one lucky person will be chosen tomorrow to win!

Thanks for having me over, Lia! ~Skhye

Lia: Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Skhye! And good luck to the readers!

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Tricia Schneider!

Please welcome romance author Tricia Schneider! Tricia would like to give away a PDF copy of her latest paranormal romance release, Witch and the Vampire, to one lucky commenter, so be sure to leave your email address in the comments section so she can reach you.

About Tricia:

Tricia Schneider worked at a bookstore for 12 years, 6 of those years as Assistant Manager. Now she writes full-time while raising her three young children. She lives with her WWII re-enactor husband in the coal country of Pennsylvania.

Lia: Welcome, Tricia! Tell us about your latest release.

Tricia: My novella, The Witch and the Vampire, is the sequel to my 2010 debut, The Witch and the Wolf. These stories are connected but can be read out of order. Sisters, Lillian and Melora Merriweather are running from an evil uncle. The Witch and the Vampire is Melora’s story.

Here’s the blurb:

Melora Merriweather is searching for a fellow witch to protect her from a scheming uncle with plans of marriage. When her carriage overturns on her journey, she is rescued by a mysterious man whom she learns is the very person she seeks. But, he’s not the witch she thought he was…


Sebastian Collins should have left for London days ago. Now a snowstorm has trapped him with a woman who has come seeking protection, a woman who intrigues him like no other. And with each passing hour, his hunger for her grows…hunger for her kiss, her caress, and her blood.

Lia: Love the sound of this! (And gorgeous cover, by the way.) What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

Tricia: I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. Even when I was very young, I remember drawing pictures and creating stories about the images I drew. Being an author is just a natural step for me. Being a romance author is like adding icing to the cake. I am addicted to a happily-ever-after. I’m known among my friends and family for re-writing the sad endings to dramas and horror movies so that the main character gets a HEA. For me, leaving the story with that sense of peace and happiness, that sense of all is right in my character’s world, is a comforting experience.

Lia: I’m a sap for happy endings, as well. How would you describe the world you’ve built?

Tricia: The Merriweather Witches live in Regency England of the early 1800’s. In my world, paranormal creatures such as vampires and werewolves exist but are kept hidden from ordinary humans. Some humans are aware of the existence of these creatures and become vampire-hunters, witch-hunters, etc. The witches in my world have special magical powers that are passed down by their family members. The creatures that inhabit my world are on the darker side of romance. I’m in the process of writing more stories for this series and I’m exploring the possibility of many more paranormal creatures I can introduce to the Merriweather family.

Lia: As a writer of the paranormal, what makes you want to write about things that go bump in the night?

Tricia: I’ve been a fan of all things paranormal since I was a young child living in my grandmother’s haunted house. Yes, some very strange unexplainable things happened there. It fascinated me and I began reading all I could about ghosts and spirits. My mother also influenced me with her love of the 1960’s soap opera, Dark Shadows. As I became addicted to watching it with her, I became fascinated with vampires, werewolves, witches and all else paranormal. It’s fun for me to create my own world filled with vampires, werewolves and romance.

Lia: Very interesting about your grandmother’s house! I’d love to hear more about that. Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

Tricia: I can’t pick only one! I have so many favorite authors, though there’s only a few I re-read more than once to study and analyze their writing. Lynn Kurland, Gayle Wilson, and Daphne du Maurier are three of those authors. I love their writing style, the way they create scenes and the emotion that they weave with their carefully chosen words. I still cry every time I read This Is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland, and I think I’ve read it 5 times!

Lia: Where can readers find your books?

Tricia: The Wild Rose Press
http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=666

Lia: I’m on my way to pick it up! Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Tricia!

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Rachel Leigh

Please welcome romance author Rachel Leigh! Rachel would like to give away a PDF copy of her sizzling story Explicitly English, so be sure to leave your email address in the comments section so she can reach you.

About Rachel:

Rachel Leigh lives in the UK and is married to her own sexy hero. Even though this is Rachel’s first erotic romance novella, she enjoyed writing it so much, she has two more lined up and almost ready to go off to The Wild Rose Press. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, running around after her two daughters….or playing with her husband.
Lia: Great to have you here, Rachel! Tell us about your latest release.
Rachel: Explicitly English is my first erotic romance novella and published by The Wild Rose Press. I LOVED writing this story! Erotic romance has to be the ultimate escapism…

Here’s the blurb:

Laura Markham needs to forget – just for awhile. Be someone else for change – live as her parents will never have the chance to. And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…

British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he’s likely to surprise his contracted interior designer. And when he finds out she’s the woman who performed the solo masturbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss the outward bound train and stay with him forever…

Lia: Fantastic debut and what a gorgeous cover! What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

Rachel: The writing! When I was younger I wanted to be a writer but didn’t really write in earnest until six or seven years ago. Since then I have had success both in mainstream and erotic romance and now do not see myself doing anything else in the future.

As far as the writing process goes – my favourite part is the second draft. I love having the words on the paper and then taking the time to play and polish and make the story the best it can be.

Lia: That’s my favorite part too—taking the time to make the story rich. What physical aspect does your heroine love most about your hero? Details, please!

Rachel: His eyes and his shoulders, definitely! His eyes are seduction personified…deep dark brown, almost black and when he looks at her, his gaze is filled with unashamed desire and lust. She tingles just thinking about it. And his shoulders? Wide, muscular and strong – nothing turns Laura on more than digging her nails deeper into them when they make love standing up, with his rock-hard penis thrusting… you get the picture!

Lia: Yep, and what a lovely vivid picture it is. 😉 Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

Rachel: Trust seems to be my favoured issue – I love watching a hurt heroine or hero regain that trust in human nature and love. I don’t think there is anything more romantic as watching someone who has known heartbreak open themselves fully to another person, willing to risk further hurt because the prize seems so worthy.

Lia: Do you have any advice for the budding romance writer?

Rachel: Really believe in what you are writing. Put yourself in the heroine’s mind when you’re in her point of view and vice versa for the hero. Feel what they’re feeling both emotionally and sexually. Be there with them, smell and see, touch and taste what they are.

‘Show’ the reader what they are feeling, don’t ‘tell’ them!

Lia: Excellent advice! Where can readers find your books?

Rachel: Explicitly English Buy Link:

http://thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86&products_id=790

Lia: Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Rachel! Readers, remember to leave your email address if you’d like a chance to win Explicitly English.

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Jennifer Jakes

Please welcome romance author Jennifer Jakes! Jennifer would like to give away a PDF copy of her sizzling story Rafe’s Redemption, so be sure to leave your email address in the comments section so she can reach you.

About Jennifer:

After trying several careers—everything from a beautician to a dump truck driver—Jennifer finally returned to her first love, writing. Maybe it was all those Clint Eastwood movies she watched growing up, but in her opinion there is no better read than a steamy western historical.

Married to her very own hero, she lives on fifteen acres along with two beautiful daughters, two elderly horses, two spoiled cats and two hyper dogs.


During the summer she does Civil War re-enacting and has found it a great research tool, not to mention she has continued appreciation for her microwave and hot water heater.

Visit Jennifer Jakes at http://www.jenniferjakes.com/

Lia: Great to have you here, Jennifer! Tell us about your latest release.

Jennifer: Rafe’s Redemption takes place in Colorado, 1866. Rafe is a former Civil War captain trying to stay one step ahead of his vengeful stepbrother.

Maggie is an artist, traveling to San Francisco. But when her devious, gambling cousin loses all their valuables in a poker game, Maggie is sold to pay off the debt.

The blurb describes it much better than I can.

He rode into town to buy supplies, not a woman.

For hunted recluse Rafe McBride, the raven-haired beauty on the auction block is exactly what he doesn’t need. A dependent woman will be another clue his vengeful stepbrother can use to find and kill him. But Rafe’s conscience won’t let him leave another innocent’s virginity to the riff-raff bidding. He buys her, promising to return her to St. Louis untouched. He only prays the impending blizzard holds off before her sultry beauty breaks his willpower.

She wanted freedom, not a lover.

Whisked to the auction block by her devious, gambling cousin, and then sold into the arms of a gorgeous stranger, outspoken artist Maggie Monroe isn’t about to go meekly. Especially when the rugged mountain man looks like sin and danger rolled into one. But a blizzard and temptation thrust them together, and Maggie yearns to explore her smoldering passion for Rafe.

But when the snow clears, will the danger and secrets that surround Rafe and Maggie tear them apart?

Lia: Ooh, I’m cheering for their happy ending already. Have you ever cried or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

Jennifer: Yes, when I wrote the end scene where Rafe tries to reconcile his past. I cried.

Lia: Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

Jennifer: They all take place in 1850-1899. I’m not sure my stories are what you’d call traditional western – there are no gunfights in the middle of a dusty Texas street – but they are still classified as western historical. Plus I like to have some suspense thrown in there.

And my stories all have at least one really bad guy. Someone the reader can hate.

Lia: Which scene in your book do you think will leave the reading squirming in their seat?

Jennifer: I think it would be the bath tub sex scene;)

Lia: I’m intrigued! Where is the wildest place your characters have had sex?

Jennifer: Outside. Rafe has Maggie face a tree (they were having a picnic) and…….;)

Lia: Sounds like a sizzling scene. I can’t wait to read it! Where can we find Rafe’s Redemption?

Jennifer: At the Wild Rose Press – Wilder Roses – http://tinyurl.com/4oh5387

Lia: I’m on way to buy it. Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Jennifer! Readers, remember to leave your email address in the comments section for a chance to win Rafe’s Redemption. Or leave a question for Jennifer to answer.

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Emma Lai

Please welcome author Emma Lai! Emma would like to give away an e-book copy of Twice is Not Enough to one lucky reader. Please leave your email in the comments section so she can get a hold of you. Thanks!

About Emma Lai:

Emma likes nothing more than a challenge. First,she tackled the male-dominated field of engineering. Next, she expanded her understanding of the world by studying international relations. Finally, her husband dared her to use her experience and knowledge and devote herself to writing. She accepted his challenge and has been writing ever since.
Writing keeps Emma sane. Her characters demand their stories be told and nag her incessantly until she complies. The characters are very insistent about her remaining faithful to their individual adventures. As a result, Emma writes a range of genres and levels of heat. She never knows what the next set of characters will demand!
Lia: It’s great to have you here, Emma. Tell us about Twice is Not Enough?

 

Emma: After several disastrous engagements, Lady Minerva Peters is an expert at suppressing her own needs. Only in the darkness of night does she give in to her wanton desires with a fantasy lover. 

In the middle of a crowded ballroom, she learns her father is not yet ready to let her fade into spinsterhood. Humiliated, she ducks into a dark alcove only to find out she’s not alone. Her hiding spot is occupied by a captivating stranger. Before she can escape, the two become voyeurs to another couple’s sexual rendezvous. The atmosphere heats up and so does her body, especially with the tempting offers whispered in her ear. 

Will Minerva deny her needs once again or will she embrace the anonymity of their seclusion and finally explore her basic impulses and the startling attraction to the compelling mystery man?

Lia: What a scintillating premise! What physical aspect does your heroine love most about your hero? Details, please!
Emma: Lady Minerva Peters is no stranger to pleasure. A natural curiosity coupled with her strong personality encourages her to explore her own sensuality. However, being the well-behaved Regency lady she is, she has to rely solely on her imagination. She conjures up a fantasy lover, who is, of course, tall, dark and handsome with thick, wavy hair the color of chocolate, and a tanned, toned muscular body from a love of the outdoors.
Imagine Minerva’s surprise when she sees a man resembling her lover speaking with her father in a crowded ballroom. When she finally gets up close and personal with the man, she finds out his eyes are icy blue instead the warm, rich chocolate of her lover’s. She also discovers his lips aren’t full and sensuous like her lover’s, but William quickly convinces her full lips aren’t a prerequisite for pleasure.
So, I’d have to say she loves his lips.
Lia: He sounds delicious. Which scene in your book do you think will leave the reading squirming in their seat?
Emma: Definitely the library scene.
While Minerva’s no stranger to pleasure, aside from farm animals, she’s never seen the dirty deed done, especially at such a close proximity. Imagine all the squirmy feelings a woman who knows about pleasure, has experienced it alone, would experience when confronted with the sights and sounds of a couple in the throes of passion.
It’s a good thing William’s around to help her deal with the sensations overwhelming Minerva’s senses. Then after the spied on couple leave…Well, you have to read the story to find out what happens.
Lia: Love it! How would you describe your heroine?
Emma: Minerva could be a modern woman. She doesn’t really fit any one stereotype. She has a strength of character, but not one that demands she be the center of attention. In fact, she often puts the needs of those she loves above her own, which has led to her current predicament of being single with the reputation of a jilt.
Imagine how flattered I was when a reviewer reinforced my own idea of Minerva. Vicky from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews started the review with “Minerva is strong enough that I wouldn’t be surprised to meet her one day.” She goes on to say “Minerva doesn’t fit any of the usual molds. She is not the chunky, chubby smart one, not is she the beautiful spitfire, nor is she any of the other typical models used when writing. She is just a normal person caught in everyday life.”
You can read the full review here.

Lia: She sounds like someone I’d love to meet. What’s your secret to writing a steamy scene?

Emma: Hold on to your seat. First, I light some scented candles…nothing too overwhelming though. Then, I dim the lights and put on some music. Next, a nice glass of an Australian shiraz and a piece of lavender-infused dark chocolate. Then I slip on a pair of pearl g-string, black lace panties…

Seriously though, I do need music, which depends on the type of love scene—hard rock for a quickie or something hard and fast, love songs for a slow, thorough love-making.
Lia: LOL! You had me going for a second. Where can readers find your books?
Emma: My stories are available at The Wild Rose Press using the following links…
His Ship, Her Fantasy and His Hope, Her Salvation are available at The Wild Rose Press.
Twice is Not Enough is available at The Wild Rose Press and at Amazon.com.
Slave to Innocence from Sybarite Press is available in Kindle format at Amazon.com
Lia: Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Emma! Readers, remember to comment and leave your email address for a chance to win Emma’s Twice is Not Enough.

Interview with mystery author Kate George!


Congrats to June! You are the winner of California Schemin. Please look in the comments section for Kate’s email so she can send the e-book to you.

Please welcome mystery author Kate George! Kate would like to give away an e-book copy of her book so be sure to leave your email in the comments section so she can get a hold of one lucky visitor.

Lia: Hi Kate! It’s great to have you here. Tell us about your latest release.

Kate: First I want to thank you, Lia, for hosting me here. It’s very kind of you to agree to interview me.

My latest release is a mystery called California Schemin’. It’s much tamer than your usual books, in that it’s not erotica, but it’s still a fun read. Here’s a short synopsis:

Bree MacGowan is pretty sure she knows who killed the senator’s wife; she just doesn’t know how to prove it. On top of that, a federal agent has her under wraps in the enemy’s camp. He doesn’t want, or need, Bree’s input. What he wants if for her to stay put. In fact, undercover agent, Richard Hambecker, is the kind of guy that makes Bree MacGowan crazy. He’s an arrogant, pigheaded, can-do guy that thinks he knows everything and doesn’t have to tell anything. And he’s trying to keep her alive. Not that she doesn’t want to be alive, it’s just that she’s perfectly capable of keeping herself alive, thank you.

Being a self-sufficient, problem solving Vermont girl, Bree’s used to taking care of her own problems. Just because some Ex-Army Ranger has gotten her mixed up in murder doesn’t mean she’s obligated to behave herself. Bree figures it’s her job to get as far away from Mr. Hambecker as possible, turn in the murderer and reclaim her boyfriend and her life. But the murderer isn’t going to be easy to catch, her life is in a shambles and the boyfriend isn’t sure he wants to be reclaimed. It’s mystery with a side of laughter.

Lia: Sounds fantastic. How would you describe your heroine?

Kate: Bree MacGowan is attractive but has trouble keeping boyfriends. Her animals tend to come first and chaos has a way of following her. But she is full of Spunk, likes men more than she should and is never short on companionship. When trouble finds her, as it always does, uses her brains and audacity to give trouble a run for its money.

Lia: I like her already. Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

Kate: I don’t have a common theme, per se, but I do write to make people laugh. So my books tend to be on the humorous side, and full of the vicissitudes of life.

Lia: I love a story with humor. Tell me something about your hero. Does he have any scars or tattoos? Where are they? Is there a story behind them?

Kate: Beau Maverick has a tattoo on his forearm; it’s a picture of his high school girlfriend. He tells people it’s a picture of his mother when she was young.

Richard Hambecker is a former Navy Seal. He has the Navy Crest tattooed on his chest and a number of other tattoos on his body that represent successful missions. He won’t say what those missions were.

Lia: Ooh, interesting. I can tell a lot about the characters just from those descriptions. Is there anything special you do to get in the mood before writing a scene?

Kate: I often will play a set of music to put me back in the story if I haven’t written for a while.

Lia: Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

Kate: Jennifer Crusie. She’s the queen of snark and one of the best writers I know of.

Lia: Jennifer Crusie is one of my faves, too. So funny. Have you ever lived out any of your scenes?

Kate: Unfortunately trouble has a way of following me too. So whenever Bree is in trouble you can bet that I’ve had that problem too. Not the dead bodies, I’ve been fortunate to avoid those. But tickets, and cars sliding off the road – stuff like that happens to me all the time.

Lia: Well, I’m even more intrigued. Can’t wait to find out just what trouble Bree gets in to. Here’s Kate’s bio and directions to find her books. Hope you’ll all check them out!


Award winning writer, Kate George, is the author of Moonlighting in Vermont and California Schemin’ (due out March 1, 2011). She lives in Vermont with Dogs, kids, and currently, snow. You can reach her at http://www.kategeorge.com/. Her books are available at http://www.mainlymurderpress.com/, www.amazon.com or can be ordered from any bookstore.