Category Archives: Writers with Sizzle

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

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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: 
Ellora’s Cave
Amazon

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!

Writer with Sizzle: M.L. Guida!

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Please welcome paranormal romance author M.L. Guida!! M.L. would like to give an e-copy of her upcoming release to one commenter, so be sure to leave your email address so she can get ahold of you!
Lia: Great to have you here, M.L.!! Please tell us about your upcoming release (available 11/15/2011).
ML: Finding Ms. Wright is anthology about three men, each on a crucial mission to save their way of life, seek their true mates – woman who unknowingly hold the key to their very survival. My story is Cassandra. Prince Eric Wyvern of the Dragon Demons kidnaps Cassandra and brings her to the Underworld. They must mate and then Cassandra must touch the Golden Tree to keep Eric’s people from going completely feral. If Cassandra refuses, then once the demons turn feral, they’ll enter our world and conquer us.

Lia: Exciting premise! What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

ML: I love creating my characters. When I write, I see a movie in my head and try to get it down on paper as fast as I can.

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

ML: His mouth and what he does with his mouth. Cassandra likes the feel of Eric’s mouth on her naked skin and all the wicked antics he can do with his mouth.

Lia: What does your heroine love most about your hero? Least?

ML: His arrogance. Eric does not like taking no for an answer – demon, prince. What a combination!

Lia: Sounds like the ultimate sexy alpha male. 🙂 Have you ever cried or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

ML: Yes, I have. Cassandra can be funny when she is poking fun at Eric. Sometimes she regrets it, because he does get even with her – usually in the bedroom. The torture scenes bring tears to my eyes. What happens to Eric’s nephew, Toby, is sad. I try to bring out how I would feel during those times and capture it on paper.

Lia: How would you describe your heroine?

ML: Cassandra is a champion. She wants to protect people because she knows what is like to be bullied all your life. As a child, she stuttered and could see ghosts, specifically the Wraith. She made the mistake of telling her classmates and they made fun of her. Calling her C-C-C-razy C-C-C-Cassandra. Unfortunately, Eric uses this to manipulate Cassandra into mating with him.

Lia: I’m cheering for her already. How would you describe the world you’ve built?

ML: Dark. My world is filled with dungeons, torture devices and demons. The Underworld can be a beautiful, but scary people. A feral demon is a dangerous one. However, my characters are able to overcome these obstacles. Their determination is what allows them to win. My tagline is “In a world of darkness, true love survives.”

Lia: Great tagline! What makes you want to write about things that go bump in the night?

ML: I have thought about this and came up with two conclusions: being a social worker and being Catholic. As a social worker, I have seen the worst kind of abuse and this is my outlet to release this. Catholicism is filled with mysticism and things that go bump in the night. I love supernatural shows. In fact, one of my favorite shows is Supernatural. Eric Klipke produced the show. I love the storylines, but more the relationship between the two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester.

Lia: Love your answer. Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

ML: Yes. I believe the most common theme is healing. Once again this reverts back to social work, but my characters need to learn to heal from their past and some of them need to learn to forgive before they can move forward.

Lia: What is your theme for Cassandra?

ML: Cassandra’s theme is self-sacrifice. Both Cassandra and Eric have to sacrifice themselves in order to reach their goals of saving their worlds and each other.

Lia: Intriguing theme! Does your hero have any scars or tattoos? Where are they? Is there a story behind them?

ML: Cassandra does not have any scars or tattoos, but when she gets nervous or scared, she reverts back to stuttering, which drives her crazy. Eric has a tiny tattooed black heart above his right breast. To be honest, the tattoo does not mean anything.

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

ML: The first time he convinces her to sleep with her. Cassandra is a virgin and thinks sleeping with a demon would be aligned to rape rather than a rapturous experience. She learns she is dead wrong. Come on – a sexy demon.
Lia: LOL! What’s your secret to writing a steamy scene?

ML: My favorite authors who write sex scenes are Christine Feehan and Marsha Canham, but it’s not insert slot A into slot B. What makes a great love scene is the emotional reaction to the physical touch. I try to capture my character’s emotional response and thoughts. I want the reader to identify with what they are experiencing.

Lia: Definitely. Those are my favorite sex scenes, as well. Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

ML: Marsha Canham. She writes historical, especially the ones during the Jacobite War in Scotland.

Lia: What was your hero’s (or heroine’s) lowest moment? His (or her) best moment?

ML: Eric’s worst moment is when his father arrests him and hands him over to Gryffin Drake the Torturer. His best moment is when he sacrifices himself for Cassandra and his nephew, Toby – I don’t want to give away what he does.

Lia: Have you ever lived out any of your scenes?

ML: I have lived out the ski scenes. Cassandra skis like I do. She’s an intermediate skier. I also have skied Copper Mountain many times and I stayed at the Galena Mountain Street Inn. I love to ski and I like the feeling of flying down a mountain with the wind running around you, snow flying in the air. It’s exhilarating. Unfortunately, I tore my ACL and MCL and was out of commission for one year. I hope to go back this year. I miss it.

Lia: Very cool that our local chapter, Colorado Romance Writers, had its fall retreat at that inn. I hope you feel good enough to ski again soon! Where do you get your inspiration?

ML: About a year ago on the internet, there was a huge sink hole in South America and I thought what if it went to hell or in this case, the Underworld. I picture something crawling out or flying out of the sinkhole. I let my imagination go and saw Eric flying out of the sink hole, but in South America, but in Frisco, Colorado. Frisco is my second home. My grandparents own a cabin there and have been going up there during the summers since I was a kid.

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

ML: Write, write, write. I encourage you to take writing classes. One of the best classes I ever took is with Lori Wilde through Savvy Authors. Lori propelled my writing. I landed a contract with Featherweight Press as a young adult writer under the pen name J.L. Bowen. I also received a contract with an independent press, 5 Prince Publishing, which will publish Cassandra and the sequel, Ravaged Soul which focuses on Eric’s nephew, Toby.

Lia: Great advice! Thanks so much for being a Writer with Sizzle, ML! I’m looking forward to reading Finding Ms. Wright, and especially your story Cassandra. Where can readers find your book?

ML: My books can be obtained through Amazon, Barnes and Noble or All Romance E books.

To find out more about M.L. Guida, visit her website: http://www.mlguida.com/

Writer with Sizzle Guest Blogger: Natalie Acres

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Where to Begin…
A woman’s life is hectic. Between family and career, it’s often difficult to juggle day-to-day activities much less squeeze in something extra. As a writer, I often find myself in a crunch for time. My muse pulls one way and readers guide me in another direction altogether. Lately, I’ve discovered my muse shouldn’t have a dog in the race. When readers ask for a certain book, the excitement and energy they have for a particular series is a great source of inspiration when I finally sit down to write a new book.

Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts is a prime example.
Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts kicked off the Cowboy Boots series in April of 2009. The book captured the #1 spot at Siren-Bookstrand and went on to become the #1 bestselling erotica and western title at Amazon. A bestselling title at All Romance Ebooks and Mobipocket, Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts was soon followed by Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business which was also received well by readers who supported the series.
I’m thrilled and excited about the new Cowboy Boots release, but must admit Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business remains my favorite book in the series due to the unusual bond formed between sisters as one woman courageously faces her death while asking another woman to take care of the men she’ll soon leave behind.
The reader support for the Cowboy Boots series is one I can’t describe. Readers write and ask about continuing the series and I can promise there’s more in store. While writing Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts, book three, the idea for the fourth installment materialized as well. Cowboy Boots and Undesirable Characters will soon be submitted for consideration.
In the meantime, more books are in the pipeline for the Cowboy Sex series. Sex Party was my first western ménage romance. If you enjoy family sagas, come on over to the ranch and meet the Cartwell family. While you’re there, stop by and say hello to the McKay brothers, too.
The Cowboy Sex books tend to write themselves. The stories unfold quicker than I can put them down on paper. The Cowboy Boots books were a little more difficult to write. Driven by the hot romance and fast action, the characters in the Cowboy Boots books tend to ‘get carried away’ with their toys and props.
With several series to complete and numerous manuscripts stored on my desktop, there’s the ever-present daily question—Where to begin?
As readers, we ask the same question. It’s not easy locating the order in which series books were written. Today, as we celebrate the release day of Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts, I invite you to check out the entire series.
Start with Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts and meet the Donovan brothers from Southwest Virginia. Then, meet the Remington men and the women they love in Cowboy Boots and Unfinished Business. As they cope with tremendous loss, they find strength and hope in the arms of a woman they never expected to love. Finally, I invite you to pick up your copy of Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts, on sale today at Siren-Bookstrand.  

 
Releasing November 7th
Cowboy Boots and Unsettled Debts
Book Three in the Cowboy Boots Series

Blurb:


Seduction turns deadly when Abby Rose, an agent with the Underground Unit, decides to put a provocative spin on revenge. Her plan to sleep with a cartel leader backfires when fellow operatives refuse Abby the opportunity to face her enemy alone.
Abby’s fellow agents begin the fight of their lives. After discovering Abby will use her body to lure in the man who killed her father, and their command leader, seven highly trained operatives cope with high tensions as each man comes to terms with feelings never previously acknowledged.
This team isn’t fighting for another cause or plotting the best way to take out their mark. The stakes are much higher. These men will take up arms and meet their greatest challenge as they work together to protect the woman they admire and love.


Other books in the series available now:
Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts
Book One in the Cowboy Boots Series
Previous Milestones for Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts:

#1 Bestseller Bookstrand for Several Weeks
#1 Bestselling Erotica Amazon
#1 Bestselling Western Amazon
Bestselling Western ARE
Mobipocket Bestselling Title

Launch of Short Story Seductions

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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: Miranda Stowe

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Please welcome Miranda Stowe! Miranda would like to give away a free eBook copy of her sizzling story Caught in Heat. If you’d like to leave your email address in the comments, that would help her get a hold of you. Thanks!

About Miranda:

Miranda writes erotic romance of the contemporary, paranormal and suspense variety. She lives with her wonderful, Brad-Pitt-lookalike husband (hey, they’re both blond-haired and blue-eyed) and adorable still-needs-to-learn-the-meaning-of-NO toddler daughter on their spacious corn-field-and-cow-pasture-front property in Kansas. Librarian by day and author by night, she is also published in YA and contemporary mainstream romance under a different pen name.

You can find her at:

Website & Blog : http://mirandastowe.blogspot.com/

GoodReads : http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4741738.Miranda_Stowe

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Miranda-Stowe/100002055561651

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/mirandastowebks

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

Miranda: Caught in Heat came out in May from Cobblestone Press. It’s the beginning of my paranormal novella series called Half-breed Shifters.

The title pretty much says it all. When shapeshifter, Riley, is about to fall into her first mating heat, she frantically searches for a shifter refuge that’ll drug her up without feeling the need for sex.

But…Shaw Griffin, a human shifter hunter who is determined to wipe out the entire shapeshifting species after a pack of wolves slaughtered his family, catches her in one of his traps. As you can image, he just can’t kill Riley when he checks his trap because he’s a bit too turned on by the gorgeous, naked woman begging him to sex her up.

The second book in the series (Dreams of Wolf) just sold to Cobblestone. And its title tells you all you need to know there too!

Lia: Now that’s a hot premise! What is your favorite thing about being a romance writer?

Miranda: The happily ever after.

Lia: I definitely agree. What does your heroine love most about your hero? Least?

Miranda: In Caught in Heat, Riley admires Shaw’s back-down-from-nothing attitude, not even an obviously stronger shapeshifter (he’s human). He doesn’t fear anything.

Least? Well, she doesn’t necessarily appreciate the fact he wants to kill her when they first meet. Kind of a buzz kill!

Lia: LOL! That’s understandable. Have you ever cried or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

Miranda: I have no idea why, but every time I read this one line I wrote in Dreams of Wolf, I just can’t stop myself from cracking a smile. When the heroine finds out the hero is also part deer, she makes him change into his stag side and when she sees him in all his antlered glory, she says, “You probably get this a lot, but…nice rack.”

Lia: Hilarious line! Made me smile too. Do you have a favorite writer you’ve read over and over?

Miranda: I can’t count the number of times I’ve read “London’s Perfect Scoundrel” by Suzanne Enoch. LOVE IT!

Lia: I’ll have to check it out. Where is the wildest place your characters have had sex?

Miranda: In a truck…while the hero is driving home from a funeral (in Taken by a Killer). Or there’s that scene (in Mile High Service) where the h/h get in on in an airplane bathroom on a commercial flight. Or are those places even considered wild? I dunno.

Lia: Oh yeah. I think so. Where can readers find your books?

Miranda:

Whispers Publishing, Cobblestone Press, LLC. Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Fictionwise, Mobipocket. And one is coming soon to Liquid Silver Books!

Caught in Heat Buy Link : http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/caughtinheat.htm

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

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Lynne Roberts

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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: Nana Malone!

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Please welcome contemporary romance author Nana Malone!

About Nana:

Nana’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, Nana, meantime works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is. Though, until that ninja job comes through, you’ll find her acting out scenes for hubby and puppy while catching up on her favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.

Her debut novel GAME, SET, MATCH is available from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Lia: Welcome, Nana! Please tell us about your latest release, Game, Set, Match.

Nana: Game, Set, Match is a contemporary romance set in Los Angeles. It’s a story of lost and reacquainted love. In a world of flash and not much substance, Jason is looking to find meaning in his life again, while Izzy is struggling to keep her family together while building her career. Both characters need to overcome their self doubt, trust barriers and the pains of the past to find their way back to each other.

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

Nana: Oh absolutely! The scene I laughed about most in this book was where Izzy sent a, erm, scandalous picture of herself to the wrong man. While I haven’t done that before myself, I can just imagine. Holy red faced. I laughed the whole time I wrote it.

Lia: That’s hilarious! I bet she was mortified. Which scene do you think will leave the reading squirming in their seat?

Nana: Ha! I warn you now, I write hot. Not quite erotica, but everyone who reads GSM, should be running for their significant other. Start with the first love scene through the last.

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

Nana: Funny you should ask. Lol. Two characters in GSM do get busted, but they don’t know it until later. In the book I’m writing right now, I have my main characters get caught. Don’t want to spoil it for you, but you know how you get past that point of no return where you just can’t stop… *flutter of eyelashes.”

Lia: *Fanning* Yeah, I think I might know what you’re talking about. Wink-wink. Thanks so much for being here today, Nana!

Nana: Thank you so much for having me for this interview. I really enjoyed myself.

Other places to find Nana:

http://www.nanamalone.com/

http://www.thepopculturedivas.com/

Facebook

Twitter

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Skhye Moncrief

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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: Rhonda Carver

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Please welcome Rhonda Carver!

About Rhonda:

Rhonda is a full-time romance author and a freelance editor. She enjoys writing contemporary, paranormal, suspense, and erotica. Her specialty is bad-ass heroes (charcoal hair, copper eyes, and heart of gold) and smart and sassy heroines. And her favorite subject is…men in military uniform. They make the perfect hero.

Reading her first romance novel at age thirteen, Rhonda was hooked. Her talent of bringing interesting characters to print and shaping happy endings are not only a passion of hers, but a dream career. She thinks the love between hero and heroine should be so steamy that it melts the ink off the pages.

If she’s not at her computer crafting a story, Rhonda enjoys reading romance, hanging out with her loved ones, or watching a movie that either pushes her to tears or has her rolling with laughter…and preferably both.

She lives in Ohio where she is a mother by day and a sensual writer by night. She has too many pets to name but has a place in her heart for each of them.

She believes everyone deserves romance in their life—one page at a time.

Lia: It’s great to have you here, Rhonda! Have you ever cried or laughed out loud while writing a scene?

Rhonda: Writing Second Chance Cowboy was an emotional roller coaster. Packed with tragedy, from the death of loved ones, the introduction of a villain and divorce, there was many times I found myself sniffling and wiping tears. I think one of the greatest fears a parent has is the loss of a child. Carly and Chance suffered this loss and the pain drove a wall between them. But at the hands of fate, they are given a second chance.

Second Chance Cowboy excerpt:

Carly squeezed her hands into fists. “My poor husband. How difficult it is for him to manage his inflated ego and keep his zipper closed.”

“We’re divorced, remember?” His voice reeked of sarcasm.

She groaned in irritation. Her pulse pounded in her ears like the beating of a drum. Her claws were showing.

Chance didn’t blink an eye as he gazed at her across the room. “Honey, I can keep my pants zipped just fine. Problem is, you can’t keep your fingers off my zipper.”

Carly’s palm itched to slap him. “We live in a small town, Chance. How do you think it’s possible we haven’t run into each other more than three times in the last two years?” She cocked her chin. “Let me fill you in. I’ve done everything in my power to keep from bumping into you. Do you realize how difficult it is to plan my schedule weeks in advance so I don’t have to see you? Is that a description of a woman who can’t keep her fingers off your zipper?”

“No, more like a woman who’s afraid she’ll forget what screwed up our marriage in the first place, realize she’s made a huge mistake and get her ass back home.”

“Humph, fat chance that’ll ever happen.” She fumbled with the sheet in irritation and gave her hair a toss over one shoulder.

Damn, he did have a point, although she’d never admit it to him.

“Yeah, right, Carly, because you can’t ever forgive and forget, can you? You think you’re the only one who has lost, don’t you?” His eyes became steely pools of green. His voice turned low and controlled. “I lost Devon, too. He was my son–our son. How long are you going to keep blaming me for his death?”

Carly swallowed the painful lump in her constricted throat. “I don’t blame you.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“We both know why I left.”

“We do?” His bitter laugh split the air with its razor-sharp intensity. “I know you want to hold on to the belief that I am the bad guy who drove you away, but isn’t it time you took half the responsibility for the failure of our marriage?” A trace of compassion softened his expression. He tugged on his shirt and finger-combed his hair.

“It wasn’t my fault you cheated.” Once she said it, she wanted to yank the words back. Too late, just like their relationship.

“You’re a broken record, sweetheart. It’s not worth denying the accusation any longer. Maybe eventually you’ll believe your words and feel justified in leaving. Devon died, Carly. He’s gone and we can’t change the truth. One of us needed to make the decision to let him go and I made it. I held out hope you’d eventually find a sliver of forgiveness in your cold heart. I guess I was wrong.”

The old wound broke open and her lungs emptied of oxygen. She wanted to lash out at him, tell him to go to hell, but the words didn’t come. Instead, she whispered, “I’m going to the bathroom. When I get back I want you gone.”

“Carly, you’ve become an expert at sucking all the joy out of your life and pushing away anyone who reaches out to you. You’re living in a self-made prison, founded on guilt and pain, and there is no key to unlock the cell door.”

Lia: My heart is breaking for them. I’m glad they were given a second chance at happiness. Do you have a common theme in the books you write?

Rhonda: I like bad-ass heroes. The tougher the better. My hero starts out with an icy edge but along comes the heroine who melts him like a blow torch to butter. I like creating a hero who has been emotionally and/or physically wounded and then transform him into a better man at the hands of a strong, intelligent, sassy heroine. Chance, in Second Chance Cowboy, is a perfect example of what I like about a hero. He’s as tough as nails, borderline bitter, and is a hard headed man who steam rolls his way through life. But when it comes to Carly, he’s protective, kind and gentle. These two combinations, tough and sweet, enlighten the reader’s brain taste buds. I call it my ‘sweet and sour’ hero.

Lia: I love him already. One question that I love to ask is have your characters ever been caught having sex in public? How did that go?

Rhonda: In Second Chance Cowboy Chance and Carly made love by the pond, and although at the time they didn’t realize it, but they were being watched by the villain. I don’t exactly come out an say that the villain was a ‘peeper’ but I give reference to how he would know Carly has a birthmark on a very unusual part of her body.

Lia: Thanks for being a Writer with Sizzle, Rhonda! Where can readers find your books?

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=370

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4080

Other places to find Rhonda:

http://www.rhondaleecarver.com/

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000265604936

Facebook/Author Page
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000265604936#!/pages/Rhonda-Lee-Carver-Author/155568577811615

TWITTER
http://twitter.com/RLCarver

Writer with Sizzle Interview: Tricia Schneider!

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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!