Interview and Giveaway with Vonda Sinclair!

Well, well. Lookie at what we have here! For your dose of the Highlander, UTC has brought to you, Vonda Sinclair! Vonda writes fierce historical romances about hot Highlanders, so today we'll be talking about her two books and more!  For more information on Vonda, please check out her website here. She also has a fun Facebook page, so don't forget to check that out as well!

Welcome to UTC, Vonda! Let's talk about your road to publishing. My Fierce Highlander is your first book. Was it difficult to get published? How long did it take you to finish this book?

Thanks so much for allowing me to visit your blog today! Yes, My Fierce Highlander became published in a very roundabout way. Finishing the book took about seven or eight months. Getting it published took… longer. :)  I sent out queries to agents seeking representation for the manuscript. One agent said she loved it and signed me. She spent over three years trying to sell the book to NY publishers. We got several requests, even a revision request. Editors said they loved it and that it was publishable quality, but they simply couldn't publish it right now for various reasons. Move forward a few years and, with the proliferation of Kindles, Nooks and other ereaders, and Amazon's and B&N's brilliant idea of letting authors publish their own books, I took the plunge. The book is selling well and I have a second book in the series out, My Wild Highlander.

What would you say is the best quality about Laird Alasdair MacGrath? What is his worst quality? 

Alasdair is honor personified. Most everyone around him looks up to him with respect and admiration. He's a fierce, skilled warrior when necessary, but he also has a heart of gold with a lot of compassion and love to share. His worst quality is probably that he wants to believe people are basically good (like he is) but he finds out the hard way this isn't the case. So in that way perhaps he is too trusting at times. But he's also highly intelligent and quickly figures out people never change.

My Fierce Highlander has lots of historical details in it. How much research went into this book? Have you ever visited Scotland?

Yes, I've visited Scotland three times. It's my absolute favorite place to visit or go on vacation. You can't sunbathe on any of the chilly beaches or swim in the ocean (although I'm sure some tough and brave people do), but it is an amazing place. I love visiting castles, exploring abandoned castle ruins or prehistoric sites. The scenery and views are simply breathtaking, and the weather is always unpredictable. Exploring Scotland has allowed me to put much more realism into my books. The only way to accurately describe the violence of a gale, the atmospheric dampness of a moor, or the smell of peat smoke is to experience it first.

Alasdair's rakish younger brother Lachlan has his own book called, My Wild Highlander. What can we expect from the second book?

You can expect to catch him doing his favorite thing… seducing the ladies. LOL But that doesn't last long. Once he meets Angelique, the woman the king wants him to marry, Lachlan realizes he could be so much more than he ever imagined. More than his father or anyone expected of him. He can become an earl and a chief, just like his brother, but he has to marry a hellcat first. And she is the only woman he can't charm with a wink and a smile. It will take a lot more work to earn her trust because she knows exactly what he is and believes he could never be a faithful husband. Lachlan's warrior side also comes out as he has to protect her from the vultures circling, hoping to snatch up Angelique or her inheritance.

When you write do you have any rituals or habits? 

I like to drink flavored coffee, preferably chocolate or hazelnut. When I'm writing new material I like to listen to certain kinds of music, like Celtic New Age. I find it helps me think more creatively and get into the mood of the story.

What inspired you to start writing? Why did you choose to write historical romance? 

I've always loved reading historical romance. It's amazing to be able to escape to the past, explore a different world and fall in love along with the characters. Even as a child, I had a vivid imagination but I didn't write any of these stories down until later. Back then I had no idea I wanted to be a writer. But the more romance novels I read, the more I thought… why not create my own stories and my own hot heroes?

Who is your favourite author and what is it about their work that resonates with you?

My absolute favorite author would have to be Laura Kinsale, who writes historical romance. Her work is simply amazing and indescribable. She creates art when she creates stories. I'm in awe of her writing ability. Her heroes are flawed and imperfect and I can't help but fall in love with them. They're so real and multifaceted but at the same time every woman's fantasy. With her prose, she creates beautiful imagery and emotions. She makes you think hard and feel deeply. If you haven't read one of her books, give Flowers From the Storm or The Shadow and the Star a try. Those two are my absolute favorites but all her books are on my keeper shelf.

Fun questions! What is it about Scottish Highlanders that gets your heart racing? 

Oh wow! Everything! LOL The ones I like to read about (and write about) are tall, broad-shouldered, tough-as-nails, highly-skilled warriors. Their defined muscles say they can swing a sword all day if they have to, fighting for their rights or their freedom, or protecting those they love. With those muscular calves, they look hot in a kilt (or without.) LOL They're a bit untamed but also honorable.

If we snuck in your house (not that we would!) what book would we book would we find on your bedside table?

 You would find my iPod Touch containing my growing ebook collection. At the moment I'm reading Beyond a Highland Whisper by Maeve Greyson, and I'm loving it!

If you could drop your characters into another author’s world, whose world would you pick and why?

I'm going to choose the world of Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series. It's one of my favorites. I love the way she mixes history with myth and legend to create a fun read.

Thank you, Vonda for  chatting with us today! We really appreciate it!

Thank you so much for the awesome interview!

If your interested in Vonda's amazing Highlander books, you can find My Wild Highlander and My Fierce Highlander on Amazon. 

 

Vonda is generously giving away a ecopy of My Fierce Highlander! *squee* Open to everyone! Winner will be chosen using Random.org

Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

To enter, please:

1. Be a follower

2. Fill out the form below

 

Interview and Giveaway with Moira Rogers!

Under The Covers is happy to be participating in the 18 & Over Book Blogger Giveaway Hop from Sept 15 - 18.  This hop is hosted by Bitten by Paranormal Romance and Reading Between the Wines Book Club. Make sure you visit their site to hop on to other wonderful blogs during this event.  And now...

Moira Rogers is here at UTC! Everyone scream! Yup, we are all excited to have them here with us. In a time when paranormal is all the rage, Moira Rogers manages to make her books stand out of the pack! For more information on Moira Rogers, please visit their website here.


Let's get started, shall we? The anticipation is killing me! Your Southern Arcana series has shapeshifters, psychics and spell casters. What was the inspiration behind this series?

Bree: Honestly we wanted to take the bits of paranormal lore that interested us most and mix them up in a pressure cooker, where tensions were high between spell casters and shapeshifters, spell casters and psychics and even the shapeshifters who were born shifters and those who were turned.

Nick and Derek are a great couple who know they are destined to be together. How do you ensure that readers feel the chemistry between them?

Donna: Actually, the hardest part about their relationship was finding a way to convey that certainty to readers. Bree and I were so familiar with it, we just sort of took it for granted. Then we turned in our final manuscript to our editor and she basically told us to fix it. LOL We'd glossed over everything that showed them growing closer together. So we tried again, and were very careful to show those tiny moments where nothing really happened, per se, but they were still falling in love.

You have the best collection of covers! Which one is your personal favorite and do you have a say in what gets put on the cover of your books?

Bree: I think Deadlock is my favorite Southern Arcana cover. And we do get a fair bit of input. Our artists, our editor and Samhain have been really supportive of us in keeping a feel and theme for these covers. We want the Southern Arcana covers to look cohesive together, and I think they do!

What intrigues you about the paranormal enough to write about it?

Bree: Everything! I know that's not a very useful answer, but I love it all. I love the monsters, and the chance to part from human cultural norms and morality, and even the chance to explore themes like prejudice and sexism from an alien perspective.

What does a typical writing day look like for you?

Donna: I have two young children, so there is no typical day! Now that they're both in school, though, I've fallen into a bit more of a routine. I drive them to school, then call Bree on my way home so we can plan and strategize for the day. When I get home, I usually throw something into the CrockPot for dinner and then head to the corner of the kitchen that serves as my office to get to work.

Is there another genre out there that you wish you could try in the future?

Bree: Maybe psychological thrillers or suspense--but I'd still want the romance. Actually, if there's one thing I really want to try, it's writing in a serial format. But we haven't found a project and method that work for us with that yet.

Who is your favourite heroine ever? 

Bree: Hmmm. I think it's a toss up between Hope, from Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, and Savitri from Meljean Brook's Guardian series. Though I love so many of the heroines that those two authors write that it can be hard for me to pick one.

Who is your favorite author and what is it about your work that resonates with you?
Donna: Stephen King will always be my favorite author. In a way, I think what he does with horror is the same thing we do with the paranormal--he tries to find the common and mundane in it, because that's the part that makes it believable and scary, the things people can recognize from their own lives.

What makes a perfect alpha male?

Bree: Honestly, I don't know! I see so many different definitions of "alpha male" that I am never sure what it means in a general context. If you mean a perfect alpha werewolf male, I think it's someone who takes responsibility for the safety of others very seriously, who puts the welfare of others before their own wants and needs, and who never abuses their strength and power out of selfishness or blind arrogance.

Paranormal is all the rage! How do you make sure your supernatural creatures stand out among the crowd?

Bree: My main goal is to try to make my supernatural creatures fully developed characters, whether they're the hero or heroine of a book, or will only be appearing for a few paragraphs or even a single line. I don't know if it works as a strategy, but it's the one I've got. :)

If your life was a TV show, what channel would it be on and who would be cast as you?

Bree: I don't know if they have a TV station mundane enough for my life, but I think only Tina Fey could truly capture my immense awkwardness.

Thanks for the interview!

Moira Rogers is graciously giving away the first three books in her Southern Arcana series! This includes Crux, Crossroads and Deadlock! Open to everyone! Good luck, guys!

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

And the winners are...

New winner of the Back to Books giveaway is:

Shannon Patel

Eve Berlin's $10 Amazon gift card giveaway winner is:

Ilona Fenton

Winners have been contacted. Please check your spam folders. You have 72 hours ( 3 days) to claim your prize.

Congrats!!!

Interview and Giveaway with Julie James!

As you may have heard, Contemporary Author Julie James is our Author of the Month for September 2011! Julie writes the most hilarious, most entertaining contemporary romance I've read in a long time. Her books make me burst out laughing and thus get me some weird stares, but it's worth it! Each book is like it's own anti-depressant! So, Maidens, help me welcome the wonderful Julie James to Under the Covers! For more information on Julie and her books, please visit her website here.

Hi Julie! Thanks so much for chatting with us today! Let's get started, shall we? You were a lawyer before you started writing full-time. What made you decide to be a writer? Was it hard to make that transition from one occupation to another? 

 I have no writing background, have never taken any sort of creative writing class and, frankly, had never envisioned myself doing anything other than practicing law. But I love movies, and I love reading. I’d always had an idea for a romantic comedy film and one day, I just decided to sit down and write it. So I bought a book on how to write screenplays and got started.

Since I knew no one in Hollywood, after I finished the script I began cold querying agents and managers in L.A. There was some interest in the script, and I signed with a film agent. Shortly thereafter, a Hollywood producer optioned my script, but, unfortunately, the movie was never made. After the option expired, my film agent suggested that I turn the screenplay into a book, and I decided to give it a shot. When I’d finished the book, my film agent hooked me up with a literary agent, and shortly after I signed with her we got a two-book deal from Penguin/Berkley. And the rest, as they say, is history.

In terms of the transition from one occupation to another, sure, there are times when I miss practicing law, but I enjoy writing even more. It’s tough to beat a job you can do in sweatpants.

Do you have any must-have items while you are in the writing dungeon? 

 In the morning, I need something chocolate before I get started—usually Nestle’s Tollhouse chips right out of the bag, and at mid-day, I go out for a Starbucks run.

You write fantastic contemporary romance, but if you could dabble in another sub-genre, what would you pick and why? 

I’m very happy writing contemporary romance and don’t currently have any plans to explore another sub-genre. But if I did, I suppose I might try my hand at romantic suspense. Back in the day when I wrote screenplays, I wrote two suspense scripts so I have some experience with that.

For the most part, your books can be read as standalone novels. In the future, would you like to tackle the challenge of writing a series? 

While not a series, my third and fourth books, Something About You and A Lot Like Love, are linked by recurring characters. My upcoming release, About That Night, is also linked to those two books. I’ve created this criminal justice world with the Chicago FBI and U.S. Attorney’s offices, and I would like to write additional stories in that setting. In fact, this summer I went on private tours of both the U.S. Attorney and Chicago FBI offices, and I’m fascinated by what they do. That being said, I would never force a story just to get it into a certain setting—so if a standalone idea is what appeals to me most, then that’s the story I’ll write next.

I love all the heroes of your books! Jason Andrews is the sexiest man alive. Jack Pallas has that glowering thing going on and Nick McCall is my number one lover! How do you make sure that your heroes stand out?

What characteristic should all heroes have?  My approach is that I start with an awesome heroine, and then come up with a guy who deserves her. My heroes tend to be more sarcastic types, the kind who are far more likely to trade banter and quips with the heroine than be super-expressive about their feelings. But when they do fall in love, they fall hard.

Here's the sex question...Jason Andrews is the SEXIEST man alive. But there's no sex in his book! I personally think it works well. What was behind your decision to keep it this way? 

Actually, there is sex in the book, it’s just at the very end and it’s not graphically written. There are two reasons I did that: First, Just the Sexiest Man Alive was my first book, and as I mentioned earlier, the story was originally written as a romantic comedy screenplay. And with scripts, the writer doesn’t write detailed sex scenes—it’s up to the director to figure out the mechanics of the scene. So when Taylor and Jason do finally get together in the book, I wrote those scenes in a similarly non-explicit fashion because that’s what I was familiar with. (My books have since gotten steamier as I’ve become more familiar with the contemporary romance genre.)

As for why the characters wait until the end? Because, simply, that’s what fit with the story. Because Taylor (the heroine) had been cheated on in the past, she had major concerns about getting together with Jason, who is the biggest movie star in Hollywood and a notorious womanizer. It wouldn’t have made sense for her to sleep with him until she completely trusted him.

About that Night is Kyle's book! What can we expect from this upcoming release? More hysterics, I hope! 

Well, any book that’s about a guy who’s a billionaire heir/ex-con/computer genius nicknamed the “Twitter Terrorist” who went to prison for hacking into Twitter and shutting it down after his girlfriend broke up with him via a tweet has to have a few laughs, right? At least, I hope it does. What can I reveal about the book…? Hmm… well, the heroine is a woman from Kyle’s past, and the book picks up right after he has been released from prison. I would say, in terms of tone, that the book is most similar to Just the Sexiest Man Alive (meaning pure contemporary romance, no suspense subplot). But there is definitely sex in this book : )

 Fun questions! Let's say Kyle Rhoads, the infamous Twitter terrorist, got on Twitter again. What would be his first tweet? 

 LOL. Knowing Kyle, it would probably be: “I can’t believe these jokers let me back on.”

 I'm sure readers would agree that they drool over your sexy heroes. But who do YOU drool over? Who is your favourite literary hero?

 Oh, I’m a sucker for Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. He’s just so smitten, despite all his efforts to the contrary, and so intent on winning over Elizabeth. I read that book once a year.

Is there a book and/or series that you wished you have written? 

One of the screenplays I wrote back in the day is a romantic suspense about a woman (an attorney) who goes on safari in Africa and discovers that one of the people on that safari is a hitman hired to kill her. There’s a really hot ranger in the story—but the heroine doesn’t know if she can trust him because he could very well be the hitman. I came up with the idea after going on safari in South Africa—that was the most incredible trip I’ve ever taken and would love to set a book there. I’ve pitched the idea, but have been told that books set in exotic locations don’t sell well. But I haven’t given up hope—maybe some day!

Thanks so much for stopping by, Julie!

 

Author of the Month Julie James will be giving away TWO COPIES of A LOT LIKE LOVE! This contest is open to everyone! 

To enter, please:

1. Be a follower

2.In the comments, tell us who your favorite literary hero is! And leave a valid email address too!

Extra entries are acceptable. If you post or tweet this giveaway, we ask that you provide links. Thank you and good luck!

Interview and Giveaway with Eve Berlin!

Welcome back, Maidens! We've got erotica author, Eve Berlin with us today chatting about her hot new release, Desire's Edge! If you don't know, Eve also writes under another pen name called Eden Bradley. You can check out more information on Eve here on her website!

Thank so much Eve for taking the time out of your schedule to be with us today! Congratulations on your newest release, Desire's Edge! What can readers expect from your latest book with Berkley Heat?

DESIRE’S EDGE is my second Heat book, and it’s definitely hot! The hero, Dante De Matteo, is the best friend of Alec from PLEASURE’S EDGE, so readers may have had a small peek at him before. My ‘Edge’ books are a little dark, very kinky, and very romantic. Some people think kink and romance are mutually exclusive, but I don’t agree at all! A couple exploring their darkest desires together makes for an extremely intense relationship, and that intensity is there between Dante and Kara.

Some of my favorite things about this book are:

~Dante. Spanish and Italian. Tall, dark and handsome.  That flawless blend of naturally dominant alpha male with a touch of gentleness. *girlish sigh*

~The scenes where he bends Kara over his desk and spanks her. What is it about this classic spanking scenario that’s so sexy?

~Dante’s li’l water fetish. There’s always something hot about sex in the shower.

~The romance! This is an incredibly romantic, emotional story.

Kara and Dante have amazing, sizzling chemistry! What would you say is the easiest part of making a relationship work? What's the hardest?

The easiest part is, perhaps, that chemistry—that’s just nature. The hard part is the rest-lol! I think the biggest obstacle in any relationship is working past our fears to allow that intimate connection.

What are your must haves when writing?

 Chocolate is a writer’s best friend! I also have to have absolute silence (I used to write to music, let it set the mood, but that hasn’t worked for the last year or so), and I must be at home, at my desk—I can’t go to a cafe and write, as so many writers do. I’m too easily distracted. The last thing is my fuzzy slippers, winter or summer.


Out of Dylan Ivory, the heroine of Pleasure's Edge and Kara Crawford of Desire's Edge, who would you say is closest to you in personality? 

Probably Dylan. She’s an erotica author, for one thing, but also Kara has a much lighter personality. She tends to be an optimist, very logical, while Dylan is darker, more creative and more emotional, even though she doesn’t like to admit it. We creative types are always a bit neurotic.

What are your favorite kind of books to read?

I like almost everything. I’m a long-time sci-fi fan and have always loved a good vampire story. I also love erotica and erotic romance, of course, as well as dark women’s fiction and the occasional sweet romance, and I adore a good romantic comedy. I’ve also been reading a ton of YA the last two years. I don’t have a favorite type of book—I just love a good story.

What's the most rewarding thing about being an author?

Getting feedback from readers, when they tell me something I’ve written has touched them in some way, whether I’ve made them cry, helped them process some issue they have in common with one of my characters, or helped them to feel that exploring their own desires is okay.

Temptation's Edge is your next book set to be released in 2012 with Berkley Heat. What can you tell us about this next installment?

TEMPTATION’S EDGE will be the most edgy of the Edge books. The heroine, Mischa, is a tattoo artist who owns a shop in San Francisco. She’s also Dylan’s best friend (she appeared in PLEASURE’S EDGE), and in this story she’s come to Seattle for a few weeks to help Dylan with wedding plans, and to look into opening another shop there. At Dylan and Alec’s engagement party she meets Connor, a friend of Alec’s from the Pleasure Dome, the BDSM club that appears in all of the Edge books. Connor is a big, gorgeous Irishman with a lovely accent and an even lovelier wicked streak. Mischa has experimented with some sensation and power play before, but she’s never met a man who can really make her want to submit—until Connor.

Things get complicated fast, and there’s a lot of tug-of-war—between the two of them, as well as for each of them individually as their growing feelings war with the baggage of their pasts. And in between there’s a lot of mind-blowing sex and sensual forays into extreme forms of kink.

Fun questions! Let's say Alec Walker (from Pleasure's Edge) and Dante De Matteo both asked you out on a date, which one out of the two would you say yes to and why?

No—don’t make me choose-lol! They’re both so damn sexy, and both those perfect doms—the kind who will spank you until you cry, then kiss your tears away. Of course, since I wrote them, they’re both different aspects of my fantasy man, so either would be perfect for me.  Can’t I have both?


If you could collaborate with another erotica author, who would you pick and why?

Tanith Lee. She writes the most gorgeous prose! I’d be star-struck into being totally mute (nearly impossible for me—I’m a talker!)  if she ever even spoke to me, since she’s my favorite author ever, but a girl can dream.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Eve is graciously giving away a Amazon gift card valued at $10! Open to everyone.

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out form below

And the winners are...

The winner of the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop is:

Antane A.

The winner of Bella Andre's Candy Store giveaway is:

Elena

Winners will be notified by email. Please check your spam folders. You have 72 hours (3 days) to claim your prize! Congrats! And thank you to all other entrants.

If you didn't win these last two giveaways, don't fret. Enter Sherrilyn Kenyon's Retribution audiobook giveaway here. US ONLY.

Audiobook Giveaway: Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

 

 Retribution

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

(Dark Hunter # 20)

Paranormal Romance

Harm no human...

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters and training for the day when she meets the man who killed her family: Jess Brady.

A gun in the hand is worth two in the holster...

Jess has been charged with finding and terminating the creature who’s assassinating Dark-Hunters. The last thing he expects to find is a human face behind the killings, but when that face bears a striking resemblance to the one who murdered him centuries ago, he knows something evil is going on. He also knows he’s not the one who killed her parents. But Abigail refuses to believe the truth and is determined to see him dead once and for all.

Brought together by an angry god and chased by ancient enemies out to kill them both, they must find a way to overcome their mutual hatred or watch as one of the darkest of powers rises and kills both the races they’ve sworn to protect.

(Blurb from Goodreads)

View our Guest Reviewer's (Angela) 4 starred review here! 

For you Dark Hunter fans, we've got a special surprise for you! McMillian Audio is graciously giving away an audiobook of Sherrilyn Kenyon's latest release, Retribution. This contest is US ONLY and will run from September 8 to 20.

To enter, please:

1. Be a follower

2. Fill out the form below

Interview and Giveaway with Bella Andre!

What up, Maidens! Today we are thrilled to have Bestselling author, Bella Andre with us today. Bella's books have appeared on Top 50 bestsellers lists and have been translated into several other languages. Not to mention that WILD HEAT won the Award of Excellence in 2011! For more information about Bella and her books, please check out her website here.

Hi Bella! Welcome to UTC and thank you for chatting with us today. Let's get started, shall we? What is it about the contemporary romance genre that has captured your attention and made you want to write for this genre?

I love to read contemporary romance ;) actually, I devour it at a pace of about one book a day when I can!), so that's probably where it comes from. I'd had characters talking in my head for a while, but after my college roommate, Jami Alden, who also writes romance, encouraged me to attend a Romance Writer's of America meeting nine years ago, I knew I had to sit down and write a romance!

The Look of Love is Chase and Chloe's book! For readers who haven't read this yet, can you tell us about this book and about the series in general?

THE LOOK OF LOVE launches my contemporary romance series - THE SULLIVANS - about a family of six hot, sexy brothers and two sassy, cool sisters. In the first book, Chase Sullivan is a successful photographer who rescues Chloe off the side of a road after her car crashes on a rainy night. He instantly falls for her and wants to protect her, but she won't let him. Because Chloe is on the run from a bad relationship and has vowed never to trust a man again. Of course their sexual chemistry sizzles and just as she's beginning to think he might be the one exception to too-good-to-be-true, he's wondering if letting her go might be the best way to show he loves her.

Your newest release is the second book in the Sullivan series, From This Moment On. This is Marcus and Nicola's book. Can you tell us a bit about what readers can expect from this upcoming release?

Chase's brother, Marcus, is the responsible, family patriarch. Nicola is a rising pop star with a bad reputation that she doesn't actually deserve. Both of them have their reasons for wanting one reckless night together, but even though they both know they're all wrong for each other, growing emotions - and sizzling attraction - keep drawing them closer together. Close enough for them to wonder if stealing one more secret moment together can ever be enough? My wonderful readers really seem to be loving my Sullivan boys and I'm so excited about everyone reading Marcus and Nicola's book!

In Ecstasy, two erotica writers get together to do some "research". I loved this idea! What was the inspiration behind this?

Thank you! I was actually fairly new to the erotic genre at the time I wrote ECSTASY and I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if a new erotic writer asked an established erotic writer for "lessons". I had a fantastic time writing this book - especially the story within the story.

What are you currently working on and can you tell us a bit about it?

I've recently finished Marcus' book and am already working on the story for Gabe called CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE. Gabe is daring firefighter and let me assure you it's already as hot as it promises!

Who is your favourite author and what is it about their work that resonates with you?

I have several favorite authors, of course, but two of my absolute favorites are Jennifer Crusie and Lora Leigh. I love the humor and wit and emotion (and surprisingly hot sex) in Crusie's books. And Lora's books just sweep me up in emotion from the first sentence.

Would you consider yourself a plotter or pantster?

A little bit of both. With THE SULLIVANS, I know the Sullivan family. I know the brothers and sisters, I know their family dynamic, and I have a pretty good idea who they're going to fall in love with (well, for most of them, anyway). I do like to be surprised by how it all works out, though! And I love laughing and crying along with my characters as I write each of their love stories.

Fun questions! If you weren't a writer, would you rather be....

a) A top image consultant like Julie Spencer from Game for Anything
b)A first grade teacher like Anna Davis from Game for Love
or
c)An outspoken fashion designer like Janica Ellis from Love Me

I like to gab and I like clothes so I'd have to go with C. Plus having a surgeon like Luke hot for me wouldn't be so bad. :)

If you could collaborate with another contemporary romance author, who would like to work with and why?

I'm extremely lucky to have many fantastic contemporary writers as good friends. Tina Folsom (who also writes vampires), Barbara Freethy, Jami Alden, Carol Grace / Culver, Cecilia Gray, Jasmine Haynes, Shannon Hollis, Karin Tabke....the list could go on and on! I get together with these amazing women on a regular basis and we often brainstorm stories and ideas with each other.

Thank you so much for the amazing interview! 

Bella has graciously offered to give away a digital copy of CANDY STORE, her sexy contemporary romance!!! Open to everyone!

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

Back to the Books Giveaway! September 1 thru Sept 7

Under The Covers is excited to participate in the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Buried in Books.  This giveaway hop will run September 1st to 7th.

So what have we planned for you?  Well, there are soooo many good new books out now that we thought we'd let YOU chose which one you want.  Pick from the books below!  (If you chose The Darkest Surrender it'll be pre-ordered for you). Books will be shipped through Book Depository so make sure that eligible.

To enter:

1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

Now keep on hopping thru...

Interview and Giveaway with Brenda Novak!

Brenda Novak is a New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author and we are absolutely thrilled to have her today to speak about her new Romantic Suspense series called Bulletproof! As many of you know, I have been on a Romantic Suspense rampage, devouring several books in this sub-genre. And let me tell you, Ms. Novak’s Bulletproof series is one of the best! If you’d like more information on Brenda Novak, please visit her website here.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff! Thank you so much Brenda for taking the time out of your schedule to chat with us. Let’s talk about your books first. You have a new romantic suspense series called Bulletproof. What sparked the idea for this series? How did the Bulletproof series come to be?


INSIDE, the first book in the series, was inspired by Prison Break. Although I rarely watch TV, my daughter she insisted on showing me Prison Break (it was over at the time so we watched it on DVD). “You’ll love it,” she said, and she was right. I found the characterization, plotting, acting and dialogue to be fantastic. I was so captivated, in fact, that I rented every season and watched the whole thing. But, when it was all over, I decided that there was one thing about Prison Break I would’ve done differently, and that was the romance between the two lead characters. The writers took a very minimalist approach and yet, for me, it was the most interesting part of the whole show. So I decided to write my own story set against the gritty back-drop and high stakes of prison life.

You pay a great amount of attention to detail, making INSIDE as realistic as possible. How much research went into the making of INSIDE?


A great deal of research went into the story because I really wanted it to feel authentic. For those who don’t know, I run an annual online auction for diabetes research at my web site every May. In that auction, I offer everything from jewelry, to Coach purses to trips and stays to meetings with your favorite author. I also offer a great many things for writers, and some of those involve the opportunity to do research with a professional in various fields. I purchased the opportunity to talk with Sergeant David Doglietti, an investigative officer at Soledad Prison from my annual online auction, and that turned out to be so fortuitous. “Dog,” as he is called, is an amazing and generous person. Not only did he answer my endless questions about the inner workings of a prison and gang life, he gave me a day-long tour through the prison and read my manuscript to check it for accuracy. How cool is that?

Virgil is my favourite character of Inside! To you, what makes a hero desirable?


I love Virgil, too. He’s so wounded and yet so admirable. I think a hero who has really been tried and tested and yet rebounds and refuses to knuckle under to loss or discouragement is desirable. Of course, Virgil’s hot, too, so that helps. LOL


What can readers expect in your newest release, IN SECONDS?

IN SECONDS is Virgil’s sister’s story. She’s gone into the witness protection program and has started over in a quiet little town in Montana—only to have the gang they escaped in INSIDE find her.

How about we chat about your writing process a little bit? When writing an ongoing series, do you plot before hand or just follow where the story takes you?


I’m definitely a pantser. I can’t plot too much ahead of time or I get bored with the story. It makes me feel as if I’ve already told it. Or I march down the list of things I want to have happen without really bringing them to life. It’s tough to explain all the ways an outline gets me into trouble. It’s probably easiest to say that I need to be as surprised by what happens as my reader. That’s what keeps me interested and turning out my best stories.

How do you maintain a balance between the suspense aspect of the story and the romance?


This is always a struggle. One aspect sometimes wants to overwhelm the other, but if you give yourself a great romantic conflict to work with AND a great suspense conflict, it helps keep things going and pretty evenly balanced.

Fun questions! If you could collaborate with another author(s), who would you choose and why?


I would love to work with Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She’s so great at creating appealing characters—is one of my favorite authors.

You’ve got about five seconds to grab TWO books from your bookshelf to read, what two books do you snatch?


Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ HEAVEN, TEXAS and Ken Follett’s EYE OF THE NEEDLE.

Complete this sentence: One fun thing about me that people might not know is...

I’m shy. I don’t come off that way, but…it’s true! LOL


Thank you so much for chatting with us today! We really appreciate it!  And Maidens, be sure to check out In Seconds, which comes out tomorrow (August 30)!

 

Brenda will be giving away a copy of INSIDE! Open to US and Canada.

To enter, please:

1. Be a follower

2. Fill out the form below

Interview and Giveaway with J.K. Coi!

Hello Maidens!!!  We are excited to have today with us J. K. Coi.  I started reading her Immortal Warriors series a few years back, and most recently her new book Falling Hard, which brings us a sexy rock star who finds himself in the middle of angelic business.  Read our review of Falling Hard here.  Now please help us welcome J.K. Coi and get to know her a little better!

How do you manage to find time and balance to have a "regular" day job and write at night?

It’s definitely tough, and sometimes it’s not a balance at all and more of a teeter-totter going up and down making me dizzy and nauseous. But usually it works out okay. It means I write a lot slower than I would like to because I can’t give as much time to it, and it means a pretty pathetic social life, too, but all of that is something I’ve learned to accept because I’m doing something I love.

Your new release Falling Hard takes on angels, Lucifer's return, and a sexy rock star. How did you manage to come up with this original story and have the damaged bad boy end up with his very own angel?

The idea for this book started with one scene (a scene that was later deleted from the book, but can be found in the Extras page on my website: www.jkcoi.com) And after I’d been introduced to Amelia I realized how important music was to the angels, and knew it would only make sense for Gabriel (with the dark angel’s soul) to be a bad-boy rock star. The rest of the book developed from there. It grew and changed directions a few times as I wrote, but I always knew how it was going to end.

I'm heading to your site now to get the deleted scene!  Are you planning on starting a series after Falling Hard?

I always hoped to be able to write a sequel, although this year some of my other projects were higher up on that list and I haven’t gotten the chance until now (have I mentioned I write so damn slow it’s killing me???) Anyway, some of the secondary characters from Falling Hard became so intriguing to me that I knew I had to dig deeper and see what the future might hold for them, not to mention Gabriel and Amelia’s story is far from over…

That's exciting, we'll be looking forward to them.  Do you plan on writing any more books in your Immortal Warriors series?

I’ve always wanted to write more of those books as well, but for now they are content to wait a while longer. This just isn’t the right time for them. However, I am working on bringing the original four books (My Immortal, Immortal Kiss, Dark Immortal and Forever Immortal) back to print, and they should be available early 2012.

What supernatural creatures do you prefer to write about?

I will write about anything and anyone (except maybe some creepy kinds of insect shifters). Right now, I’m enjoying the angels, and I am also writing some werewolves. Although it seems it should be the same because it’s all paranormal, they’re VERY different, but I’m having lots of fun with each.

Wait, there's books about insect shifters?  That's just wrong!  When did you figure out you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing since I could read. I remember writing a short story in high school about a girl whose radio was possessed by the spirit of her dead boyfriend. It was lots of fun (and scary gory), but I never thought I would write professionally until I finished my first full length novel. When I told my husband it was done, he said “Cool. Now what?” (He’s soooo helpful.) Of course, I had NO idea, but I had been hanging around a couple of reader forums online and ran into some other aspiring writers would told me about a group in my home town that I might find interesting. It was the local chapter of the Romance Writers of America. After I went to a meeting to check things out and was floored by the talent, support and sheer magnitude of the valuable tips and information I found there, I joined the group and haven’t looked back since!

That sounds like excellent advice for aspiring authors!  But now let's do some fun questions... Of ANY book character, who would you want to have a date with?

OMG. It would have to be Clay from Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten. Don’t tell my husband, but I think I would kill to have the chance to go on a date with him. A naked date.
Oh yeah. Where were we? What was the next question?

Can't say I blame you AT ALL, Clay is very hot, excellent choice!  And we're not telling anyone, don't worry, your secret is safe with us!  And which female character in ANY book would you take out for a drink?

Hmm. I’ve recently been reading Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. She’s totally kick-ass and I would love to chat with her over a drink or two. Since I’m only on the second book (shh. No spoilers!) I would love to ask her about the different men in her life (Adam and Sam in particular). And yeah, if you haven’t read this series yet? Whoa. The first book hooked me so that I had to go out right away for the next four. It’s too bad I’m in the middle of a writing project and I’m trying to be strict with myself, or I would be reading 24 hours a day.

Mercy is such a cool chick!  Hope you enjoy the rest of the series, big surprises in store for you!  OK, I'm zipping my lips now.  What authors are on your must buy list?

If I was going to buy an author (and keep him locked up in the basement), it would probably be someone like Chris D’Lacey (who writes cool dragon books for middle grades) because he could totally keep my kid occupied while I’m trying to write, and maybe afterward I could ransom him off for BIG BIG bucks! LOL, but you can probably already guess that I’m a fan of Armstrong and Briggs. I also love Nalini Singh and Kresley Cole, and KM Moning’s Fever series too! (It’s not too obvious that para and urban fantasy are my reading drug of choice, right?)

Couldn't tell.  Those are great choices.  Now tell us the first thing that comes to mind with each of the following words:

* Shifter: Hawke from Nalini Singh’s Kiss of Snow
* Vampire: Rhage from JR Ward’s Lover Eternal
* Tattoos: Of course, Mercy Thompson – Those book covers are awesome! (even though I think in the actual books, she doesn’t really have so many tattoos LOL)

Great choices!  Are you working on a new project? Anything you can tell us about it?

It’s SUPER SEKRET! If I tell you I have to kill you! Just kidding. I’m a bit melodramatic. It turns out that I’ll be working on edits for an erotic romance coming out later this year from Ellora’s Cave, and I just finished getting everything ready for my next Carina Press release, a holiday themed steampunk novella. But as for writing projects, I’m working on the next Warring Angels book, which will most prominently be featuring Cassiel from book one.

And hey, before I get pre-empted let me just send out hugs and big thank yous to the wonderful ladies here at Under the Covers for the opportunity to be here! I really appreciate it!

Thank you for stopping by, we had a blast and loved having you here!

 

After a life filled with tragedy, rocker Gabriel Gunn thinks he's finally getting the better of his personal demons. Then he's attacked after a concert—and rescued by a warrior goddess brandishing a sword and white wings. As hard as it is to believe in an angelic bodyguard, Gabriel must face an even more impossible truth: he carries the devil's soul within him.
Amelia has been watching over Gabriel for years, using her angelic powers to prevent Lucifer's return. Now she must also protect him from warring angel factions with their own agendas. Amelia would do anything to avert another angelic war, even sacrifice her own emotions to avoid temptation. Yet with Gabriel she feels things she no longer wants to deny, and pleasure she never imagined.
But the closer Gabriel and Amelia get, the stronger Lucifer becomes. Will Amelia be forced to kill the man she's come to love to stop the war she's always feared?

Listen up maidens!! J.K. Coi is giving away a digital copy of the book, Falling Hard to one lucky follower and two sets of her romance trading cards for two additional winners!

All you have to do is:

1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below