I found Lauren Dane's Brown family series by chance when I picked up Laid Bare one day and from then on, I was hooked. It had characters that I just fell in love with. Tattooed alpha males that had me drooling with each page, the strong, feisty women who fall in love with these bad boys and an attitude that whatever life throws at them they can handle.
With each book since Laid Bare, the story and characters grew and completely captured my heart each time. I laughed, cried and rooted for these wonderful characters to get their chance of happily ever after and Ms. Dane does it with aplomb each time. Are you ready for the heat, the love and the sex on two legs that are the Copeland and Browns? I highly recommend having a bucket of ice nearby to help cool you off at said sexy parts.
Now onto my review of Inside Out (Brown Family Book 3).
Ella Tipton survived a brutal attack from someone who she loved…once and now in the years since then, she has remade herself into a strong, independent woman that she used to be. Having day dreams about sexy, hunky Andrew Copeland was just the icing on the cake to Ella’s mind. Needless to say finding out he wants her-scars and all-has her ready to either throw up or to jump in with her eyes closed. Can Ella let her guard down long enough for
Andrew to sneak to steal her heart?
Andrew Copeland is the ultimate bad boy with a heart of gold. He has wanted Ella for years and when they are finally able to hook up; Andrew finds that this is the woman who is meant to be his in all ways. Andrew has his work cut out for him, though for Ella won’t be happy with just part of his heart-she wants the whole package. Can Andrew find a way to calm his fears and allow Ella to turn him Inside Out?
I fell in love with the Brown siblings from the moment they stepped on the pages of Laid Bare and I found a series that had me running the gauntlet of emotions. I smiled, laughed and cried with each book and believe me, the poor Kleenex box next to me always groaned when I started sniffling half way through Inside Out.
This is a series where you fall head over heels for all the characters. They are so well written and multi-dimensional that I felt if I met them in real life, I would immediately want to be friends with them. They were fun, laughed easily, loved hard and faced life head on with whatever it threw at them. For that was the biggest delight I could experience with a book.
The best part of this series, in my opinion, was the fact we see the characters grow and mature with each book. Life throw them curve balls and they find themselves falling for strong, independent women who know they deserve to be loved and respected. This is at the core of this series and in several of this author’s stories I have read. Inside Out is one of the best books this author has written and I cannot wait to see the final Brown Family book coming later this year is about. Lauren Dane writes interesting characters that deal with life head on, fall head over heels in love and sweep their woman off their feet. She is master at creating stories that hit every emotion a person can feel and then leave them wanting more in the end. If you haven’t picked up any of these series books or other ones by this author, I highly recommend you run to grab them. Ms. Dane is automatically on my auto-buy list now and I can not wait to see what she has up her sleeve next for her readers.
Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why? Well, I am a wife and mother of two. And in my previous life before children I was a costume designer.I write Contemporary Erotic Romance, but I am working on a LoTR fantasty romance at the moment.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
Tony's Haven is the second book in the Sherman Family Series and after writing Hunting JC I knew that the readers didn't get to know the real Tony. He wasn't very likable but I knew the real Tony and I knew the readers would like him once they saw who he really was. I also wanted to write a book with a real size woman that most women could relate to.
Did your book require a lot of research? I love research and although I place my stories in places that I know, I still research to make sure.
If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be? Food. I love food
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why? Hmmm good question, I think I would want to the maid for Jane Austin, she is my inspiration. To be able to see her as she worked on Pride and Prejudice...now that would have been something.
What do you see for the future of publishing and e-books? I think e-books are the future of publishing. I believe some books will still be printed but with everyone trying to go green it makes sense to buy e books.
Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why? Hunter will always have a place in my heart, because that was the first book I seriously thought about publishing.Hunter is also dark and mysterious so I enjoyed pulling the layers back to get to know him. But my true loves are Duncan and Rowena, from a historical I wrote that I am not sure anyone else will ever read :) Its the first novel I ever wrote and is awful. Really it would take more work to fix it then to rewrite it I think, but they are my first real romance.
Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you? Thalia... she is my muse. Unfortunately her sense of timing isn't mine, she likes to crack the whip when I have too much going on and disappears when I haven't a thing to do.But to get her to see my way I play music and just start to write even if she isn't there she tends to hate being left out and shows up eventually. She hates to be left out.
Do you have another book in the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects? I always seem to have ten stories on the burner at one time. I have started book three in the Sherman series. okay I have also started book four too. I though the next book would be about Spencer but Trenton seems to be screaming louder for his story to be told. And I am also finishing up a Fantasy Lord of the Rings/ Dungeon and Dragon story, I hope to have it done before summer. We shall see.
Have you ever experience weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind? Not that I can think of but My husband always knows when I am writing a love scene....TMI?
What is the most ridiculous thing that you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did? I always have chapters upon chapters of stories that never get written or I just cut out. But poor Tony did once get caught by his parents having sex, but I didn't include it in the book. I thought I would leave some of his pride in tact.
If you had to write yourself as a heroine/hero, what kind of heroine/hero would you be? What would you be named? Ellia and she would be strong and stand up for her rights. I think honestly there is a little of me in most of my heroines. Though I don't see any of me in JC now that I think of it, but then I really wrote her with a friend in mind.
If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?That I am a procrastinator and I like to play World of Warcraft when I should be writing.
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why? I think if they don't mind starting with the second book in the series then Tony's Haven is where to start. My writing is so much better in that one. then the first. I grew into my writing between novels.
If there was a soundtrack to your latest novel, what genre/songs would be included?
Jimmy Buffett is always the sound track to a Sherman Novel.
When you're not writing, what do you like to do to just kick back and have fun? I love to take photographs, its my passion.
If we peeked at your bookcase(s)/e-reader, what kind of books/authors would we find there?In my bookshelf you would find the dark hunter series by Sherrilynn Kenyon, as well as books by Julia Quinn and Stephanie Laurens.My E reader you will find books by Destiny Blaine, Valerie Mann, Stephanie Beck, Becca Dale, Olivia Starke, Kate Richards the list goes on and on....
Tony Sherman may be a modern day Adonis and a well-know ladies man, but hiding beneath his carefree, playboy persona is a man who knows how to be discrete. He keeps his desire to protect all those he loves from being seen by anyone, particularly his family. Fate intervenes when he uses his charm to beg a favor from a co-worker, a women who is unaffected by his charisma as she is by his looks.
Haven Pelletier is anything but the kind of woman usually found on Tony's arm or in his bed. She's mousy and rubenesque, and unmoved by his Adonis appearance. But when circumstances bring them together, she sees right through his tarnished armor—to the true man underneath.
As Haven learns more about Tony, she discovers secrets hidden deep in his past and a Man who might just steal her heart if she lets him. When life throws obstacles in their way, can Tony be the Knight in Shining Armor Haven needs both in and out of the bedroom?
Sneak Peek Excerpt: Her breath caught as Tony pushed her forward toward the glass window. A full moon lit the snow white landscape giving it an angelic feel. The white mountain shimmered dreamlike as if waiting for the sun to crest over them to awaken the skiers and bring it once more the joyful life. But at the moment nothing moved. No wind, animal, or person disturbed the quiet slumber of the mountain.
"It’s beautiful."
"I know. I come here, to this spot every time I come up here. My favorite time is now, like tonight, under a full moon. When a thousand crystals are sparkling at us. It's almost magical, isn’t it?"
"Magical," she agreed.
"May I ask you something?"
"I guess so."
"Would it be okay if ... That is, may I...can I kiss you?"
Haven took a step back. "Why are you asking?"
"What do you mean, why am I asking?"
"Why ask? Would you have asked any other girl you were with?"
Tony looked at her stunned, here he was trying to be a gentlemen and she wanted to know why. "I don’t know, because maybe I didn’t want to get slapped or worse have you accuse me of sexual harassment when we got back to the office on Tuesday. Or perhaps I was just trying to treat you like a lady. How the hell do I know? I just thought..."
Whatever he thought to say was thrown to the wind. Her lips met his and he couldn’t have formed a complete sentence even if he tried. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her into him, forcing her to rise up on tip toes. She was soft where a woman should be soft. She made him feel strong and masculine. His lips wanted to devour every full inch of her mouth. She tasted like the strawberries from her Daiquiri and smelled just as sweet.
His mouth demanded hers open, not that he was receiving any resistance. She opened for him and met his tongue eagerly welcoming and stroked him in. Her left hand moved over his shoulder, up his neck and now her long fingers intertwined into his locks. He didn’t know, didn’t care who was driving the kiss deeper. He just knew that he wanted it, needed it, like no other kiss in his life. He wanted this moment to last.
Welcome debut author Katie Alexander, who along with her writing partner Kelli Lee Mosley, will have their first book out in June from Rebel Press. I loved getting to know her better and hope you check this talented author out.
Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
I think it is something that I have always done.When everyone else groaned in English because we needed to write I was the one that got excited.I really started just a few years ago on a author web site and found others just like me.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
First, you need a good hero but instead of just having an alpha attitude I need to have him be somewhat beta too.He can be assertive but he also knows when to just listen when my heroine gets pissy.I like me heroines to be somewhat assertive but not to the point where she is carrying the hero on her shoulders.They need to complement each other.
Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?
With Another Chance I started off with Megan and used bits and pieces of myself at the time.Since then she has grown into who she is now.Ali’s character was the easiest because she was based on a friend of mine who has some serious road rage.The worst was Grayson.I wanted him to be kind but also have that back bone but my writing partner kept telling me that he was a wus.By the time we finished Grayson I decided that he would be my perfect man.Too bad he doesn’t exist. L
Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
Grayson kept coming off as a wus and I have to admit that he was, don’t tell Kelli because I will never be able to live that down. Lol By the time I was finished with Grayson he became the man that can show he loves his woman and not care what his friends think but he can also be assertive enough to fight for what is his.It is such a fine line between an all out alpha hero and a wus.Everything else fell into place.
If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
Just follow my instincts.I tried so hard to do everything in order but my mind and muse didn’t want to work that way.This time around I will write whatever scene they throw at me instead of trying to write them in order for the book.
Can you tell me a bit about your most recent/upcoming release?
*squee!*It is still so surreal.Basically Another Chance is about a young woman, Megan, that has just recently been divorced and has moved back home to be with her family.Grayson has loved her for years but she is his two best friend’s sister and she was married.Now that she is back, does he keep his friends or try for the woman of his dreams?
Is there a genre you haven’t done that you would like to explore in the future?
I would love to try historical but that would require a lot of research and I just don’t have the time to do it right now. I may try it in the future.
If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?
Kelli would have to be there because she is my writing partner and we could use the party for some material for the next book. Another would be Michael Buble but he can’t bring his wife.He just can’t! Julia Roberts is one of my favorite actresses so she would have to be there.My grandma because she never got to see the finished book and I think she would be proud. I would also like Mike Rowe because he would be funny and of course dirty. ;)
Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?
I do listen to music while I write.I think the music that I listen to makes a big difference because with Another Chance I used a lot of pop/alternative but with a vampire book that I have been writing I listen to a lot of alternative rock.Certain music can put you in just the right frame of mind.
What are your thoughts on love scenes in romance novels, do you find them difficult to write?
The first love scene is always the hardest to write.I love reading them but hate writing them.I think love scenes are important in romances because this is where the feelings and emotions come into play.The feelings of closeness that the two characters share can be one of the best parts of a romance.
What are some of your favorite things or hobbies to do?
My mom and I bought my daughter beads to keep her occupied while I went to school and I have to say that going through all the different colors and shapes can be very relaxing.I have yet to make anything though.
What do you have coming up next for you? Care to share any details with us?
Well, Kelli and I want to write Dylon’s story next but we have yet to sit and talk about it. I live on the west coast and she lives on the east coast so the time difference has been an issue along with family and well, just life in general. I do have a paranormal in the works but it isn’t finished or titled yet.
Who are some of your favorite authors, and if we were to visit your home, what books would we find on your bookshelf, end table, floor or e-reader?
Favorite authors for me would be Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Judith McNaught, Lorie O’Clare, Mya Banks, Cynthia Eden, Catherine Bybee, and many many more. Most of the books that I buy are romance and I have a mixture of all sub genres.
If you could be any character of any book or movie, who would you be?
I think I would want to be me right now.I am in a place in my life where I am happy so I am sticking to it. J
Another Chance By Katie Alexander and Kelli Lee Mosley Coming to Rebel Ink Press June 2011 Contemporary 2011
Megan Mason had a fabulous family, a wonderful husband, amazing friends, a great job and a beautiful home. All she needed was a baby to make her life complete. Little did she know, however, that asking her husband for a child would end her marriage. Suffering the ultimate betrayal, Megan returns to her childhood home to rebuild her life.
Grayson Burke had it all. His family’s construction company was financially sound business was booming. He loved his job and better yet, he worked with two of his best friends.To an outsider looking in, Grayson's life probably seemed perfect.But in reality, Grayson's dream woman wasn't only married to someone else, she was his buddies little sister which meant she was untouchable in every sense of the word.
When Grayson learns that Megan is headed home, everything in his world seems to flip upside down.There's no way he could ever approach a woman whose life has been destroyed.Right?And besides, his friends would kill him.Wouldn't they?
Can you tell me a bit about your most recent release?
LOVE TATTOO is a fun, sweet, sexy fast paced book.I got the idea one late night on the highway when I noticed that most of the other traffic consisted of big trucks.I thought that trucking would be a great occupation for a vampire and then little Texas girl Cara Riley got into my head.The combined result became LOVE TATTOO.
For any readers who may not have read any of your books, can you just give us a little sneak peak into world (i.e. the type of genre you write, type of stories you like to write....etc)?
I write romance.The first two novels are both paranormal but I have others upcoming that are romantic suspense, time travel, and contemporary romance.In short fiction, I write a lot of speculative stories, some that have appeared or will later this year in anthologies.
How much of yourself, if any, do you put into your characters?
I put a lot of myself into my characters but they’re all composites so none of them are completely based on me – or anyone else.Those closest to me can often pick out a memory or trait.
How do you keep sex scenes fresh and exciting so they don't become stale or repetitive? It can be challenging at times.I often worry about having the characters do the same things too often and I watch very close that I don’t repeat the same words or phrases.Writing my sex scenes probably take me the longest because I write slow with very careful consideration and thought.
If you could throw a party with any five people (living or dead) who would you pick and why?
I would love to meet Will Shakespeare so he would be on the list.So would country rockabilly singer Johnny Horton because I love his music.I would also include Elvis Presley,Tommy Makem (another favorite singer) and Padraic Pearse.The common denominator is that I love all their creative work and that they’re men.I really love men and most of my friends are men.
What are at least five things you have on your bucket list and have you done any of them?
Going to Ireland (which I have not yet done) is at the top of that list.
Standing on the stage of the Louisiana Hayride (which I have done!) in Shreveport, LA
Visit my cousin who now lives in Thailand
I would like to spend a week in some lovely remote spot with an ocean view – alone I would like to own a restaurant and work in it hands on
Do you listen to music when writing? Do you feel like some stories write themselves a soundtrack with specific music? If so, what book and what kind of music influenced it?
I love music so yes, I listen when I write.What I listen to is often geared to what I am working on at that time.I have a release out in May 2012 from Champagne that involves Elvis and so I listened to him all the time I wrote it so yeah, definite influence on that one.
What is coming up for you in 2011?
So far, I have three more releases lined up – romantic suspense title KINFOLKcoming in July from Champagne Books, LOVE NEVER FAILS, a contemporary romance in September from Rebel Ink Press, and A TIME TO LOVE (time travel) from Champagne in November.
I hope to have some more titles out from Evernight Publishing this year too.
Are any of your characters just like you or have personality quirks/traits of you or someone you know?
None are just like me but they all have a little bit of me somewhere.I draw on my own personal experience to create characters but they are all composites.
Where can readers find you on the web?
I’m on Facebook (Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy), on Twitter as “leeannwriter”, I have a website:
One kiss, once chance encounter detours Cara Riley from her last shot at a Nashville career when she meets sexy truck driver, Shakespeare quoting Will Brennan.
Shakespeare, quoted at a God-forsaken rest area along Interstate 40 somewhere in Arkansas before daybreak, had an immediate effect on my heart.Any man that could quote the Bard without cheating or peeking at a book impressed me and in this unexpected setting, he hadme.Romeo’s words, his aside as he watched Juliet dither around up on her balcony, had a heady and intoxicating quality but I was no Juliet, no thirteen year old virgin pining for love.
I had my big girl pants on so that I could get to Nashville and sing for my supper.I had been before and did nothing but turn around for home, beaten and defeated.This time should be different.I planned it, I saved up money from my nothing job, and I had studio demos.I had contacts in the business and even a room to rent in my best friend Sheena’s grandmother’s duplex.Everything was set for me to make one more run at stardom before I gave up, got married and fat, had three or four kids, and sang karaoke on my nights out on the town.
All my ambitionsshifted in that moment and dissolved like a pair of discount store shoes in a flash flood.
I tried to think of something to say, some quote of Juliet’s that might fit, or just something, that would sound sophisticated or at least cool.
What came out of my mouth was, “Who are you?”
He pulled hard at the cigarillo one more time and tossed it. His laughter sounded like church bells ringing or a steel guitar played by someone who knew how to make the thing sing.
“I am either your worst nightmare or your salvation.” That voice purred like a happy cat on a comfortable lap.“My name is Will Brennan and it is a pleasure to meet you.”
He told his name so it seemed like I had to give him mine.
“I’m Cara Riley.”I stuck my hand out to him to shake but instead he took it in his then bent down over it to kiss it.Both his fingers and his lips felt cold to me but I figured it was just that hot summer morning.No one ever kissed my hand before, ever, and I liked it.Will did it with graceful, suave moves more suitable to a nobleman at a royal court and not the truck driver I guessed he must be.
“So, Cara Riley, we have met,” Will said, “That’s the first step in getting acquainted.We should move onward to the second.”
“Which is?”
That question sounded dumb coming out of my mouth and I knew it when I said it.
“This.” Will Brennan told me in that lush voice that made me feel the same way that the best hot chocolate laden with real cream did down deep inside just before he kissed me.
The Remingtons are faced with tremendous loss. Their father is gunned down in front of them and after the smoke clears, the only thing left is their need for revenge and their desire to protect those they love.
Leaving their lover in Italy, the Remington brothers return to Missouri with a plan to lure their enemies to their familiar homestead. Once there, they meet up with Veronica Leigh, an intelligent operative who seeks more than retribution for Wilson Remington’s death.
Veronica is in Missouri to discover a life she was never meant to lead. In the process, she finds a family she’s ready to claim for her very own, but in doing so, shares in their grief and heartache before she finds her way home.
Rated PG 13:
Veronica reached for her gun and hit the small fluorescent lamp at the same time. “Good God, you scared me to death. Don’t you believe in knocking?”
His eyes held hers to a challenge. Then, his gaze lowered, settling on her breasts. She’d slipped on the first thing she found and unfortunately, Dusty probably thought she chose the selection for him since he found his way to her room.
The lavender gown dipped low, and the cut of lace outlined the shape of her breasts. The material was so thin that if she stood up he would see her nipples and her pussy.
She lowered her weapon. “Is something wrong with Kelsie?”
“No,” he said, stripping his T-shirt over his head. “Something is wrong with me.”
“I could’ve told you that when I first met you,” she teased.
He knelt down on the bed and as he did, he grabbed her calves and then her hips, flipping her over on her stomach.
“What the hell are you doing?” she asked, wiggling.
With his palm to her lower back, he replied, “I’m giving you what you deserve.” Then he raised his hand and gave her a light smack, a playful swat across her backside.
“Like hell you are,” she said, kicking once and trying to roll over again.
“Don’t get all excited. You wanted a backrub. I’m here to rub.”
She felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She didn’t need her body to help out with warnings. This wasn’t a good idea.
Dusty’s hands propelled over her shoulders. The balls of his hands massaged the area below the blades, and his fingers pressed into her flesh, crawling toward her neck.
“God, that feels good,” she purred. Now, she couldn’t send him away.
“I bet.” He maneuvered his hands to her nape and then squeezed and released her shoulders.
“What did you do, take lessons from a massage therapist?”
“When are you going to learn? Honey, I don’t need lessons in anything. I’m a trained professional in everything I do.”
“Don’t tempt me,” she said, closing her eyes. God help her, his hands spun pure magic.
He stopped abruptly and straddled her hips. “Are you?”
“Hmm?” she asked dreamily. “Am I what?” Her eyes popped open and she stared at the dim light barely visible under the door.
His palms skimmed across her body, and he kneaded the skin right above her hips. “Do I tempt you?”
God, yes, he was the most enticing man she’d ever encountered in her life, but she didn’t want him to betray Kelsie, and most of all, she never wanted to do anything to hurt either of them. “You’re all right on a rainy day,” she finally admitted.
He stopped again, lowering his lips to her nape. He didn’t kiss her but instead whispered against her skin. “I’m better than all right especially during a violent storm, and you should see how I heat up those hot summer nights.”
“Damn, my sister must’ve stroked that ego a whole lot through the years.”
He snickered. “Her and a few other ladies I’ve encountered along the way.”
“Bragging?”
He gripped the sides of her waist and ran his hands up and down her sides, stopping before he clutched more than skin and bones. God help her, she’d love for him to try just so she could know what one touch from him felt like. As the guilt consumed her for wishing such a thing, she whispered, “Dusty, I think you need to go.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
He kissed her back and smoothed his hands over her gown. “I don’t want to leave you, but you’re probably right. If I don’t go now, I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”
“Then you should go,” she said, turning to her side so she could study his face.
“I—”
“You what?”
“I want you.” He ran his hand through his dark hair. “God help me, I can’t sleep for thinking about you. When Bob left here with you, I was so fucking angry. I wanted to kill someone, fight like hell to get you back, and I couldn’t breathe. God, Veronica, I couldn’t fucking breathe until I saw you again.”
She stared into his hooded eyes and, sure enough, saw the heavy weight of lust and guilt, a fine mixture of the pleasure he wanted and the pain having anything to do with another woman would potentially bring. “Dusty, you should leave.”
Find out more on Natalie Acres's books at Siren-Bookstrand, Click HERE
I found a new M/M author to enjoy. If you haven't read any of this author's books, then I must ask.....WHY NOT????!!!!! Shawn Lane is an author that had me crying, laughing and giggling within a space of a few hours. DH thought I was indeed cracking under it all but alas, it was this wonderful book that hit me in the heart. The following is my review for TWICE IN A LIFETIME, a Sutter Bay story.
Twice in a Lifetime A Sutter Bay Story Amber Quill Press Available NOW M/M Contemporary
Five years before, Jude thought he had everything he ever wanted-a nice life with a wonderful man to love until it all crashed down around him. Leaving San Francisco for Sutter Bay, Jude has tried to rebuild his life with a new career-owning & running a flower shop-and trying to live each day without Martin. Jude doesn’t believe love comes twice around and when the new vet doctor in town sets his sights on Jude, Jude is about to find out that love indeed can be twice as nice the second time around. He just has to believe in love again with Rex and in himself. Can Jude find the strength to let go of a past in order to have a future?
Shawn Lane does a fabulous job in creating stories that hit you straight in the heart. I fell in love with Jude, with his madcap hair colors to his kohl lined eyes, this was a man I would love to be friends with and have him lean on me in trying times. This was the first Sutter Bay story I read and when I finished this, I had to check the author website to see if there were any more available. I was thrilled to see there was with another planned. Jude and Rex had sparks from the start yet Jude was a broken man....one who had his life changed in the years before and he is still trying to find that peace again in Sutter Bay. The characters are multi-dimensional, the storyline quick and I have to admit...keep a box of tissues close by...you will need it! Shawn Lane is now on my auto buy list and I am working her back list of M/M titles to enjoy.
If you haven't experienced Sutter's Bay yet, I highly suggest you grab TWICE IN A LIFETIME and settle in for an afternoon of tears, heartbreak, healing and the power of love. I just hope I have more tissues in the cupboard for the next book.
NOTE: This is not an endorsement nor has money changed hands for this review. It's just my opinion on a book I enjoyed and the author has not paid me for this.
Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?
Mine was probably an unconventional start to writing. It was the end of 2008 and I decided I’d done the corporate executive thing for long enough. I really wanted to spend more time with my kids. I had this very romantic (and completely unrealistic LOL) idea of what it would be like to be a stay at home Mom. I thought I would get more involved at the kid’s school, I’d take pottery classes and I’d finally get fit. Yeah, right. Well, it wasn’t long before I realized I needed something more, something more mentally challenging. I’d always read romance and I decided I would write one. I think I uncovered the thing I was meant to do with that first book. I loved it! Now, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer?
I can’t pinpoint anything specifically apart from those wonderful writers who make me think and feel with their writing. I aspire to be able to do that for my readers.
What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?
When I read a book, do I think about the story or the characters long after I’ve finished it? That’s the criteria I use to determine if a story has been great or not. I think there’s probably many things that have to be present for a great story, but for me it’s as simple as - has the book left some kind of impression beyond ‘the end’?
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
How many people make decisions every day, never thinking about the consequences years in the future or how they could change their lives? Picture This is about a hero (a rude, crude, demanding hero who’s used to getting his way, especially when it comes to women) and a heroine whose choice many years earlier has come back to her in the most unexpected of ways.
How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?
I have a bit of a convoluted writing approach. I kinda hope it becomes more efficient over time, but for right now it seems to work. I spend a great deal of time on the characters, going so far as to fill out what I call a ‘character map’. Many of the details I add to create the character profiles never make it to the book explicitly, but I know them inside and out at the end of the process. I usually start the story with the start and end in mind. I usually have an idea about what happens during the book. I guess you could call it a rough outline, but it’s certainly not a plot at all. I also write ‘all over the book’, which means I write the chapters or scenes completely out of sequence depending on what I feel I could write on any given day.
Did your book require a lot of research?
No. It’s a contemporary story and didn’t require much research at all.
If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?
Well, I’d love to be able to eat anything I wanted and not put on any weight! Does that count?
Out of all your books, do you have a favorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart? Actually, my favorite book is usually the one I’m currently working on. I totally bond with the heroine and fall madly in love with the hero, each and every time. If I didn’t, I don’t think the book would be any good. The book I’m currently working on has a hero who’s very soul has been wounded. He’s such a hard case, but incredibly vulnerable and I find it hard to resist a hero like that. I’m finding it very satisfying to give him his Happy Ever After.
What character out of all your books is the closest to your personality? While I don’t base any of my characters on myself, each of them must have something of me in them, even if I can’t pinpoint it.
What do you feel is the most important aspect a new author should remember when writing/creating their own stories? Any advice for aspiring authors?
I think aspiring authors need to just write. Recently at the RWA Nationals conference in Orlando, I was shocked to hear the statistic that only 3% of people who say they’re going to write a book actually do. If you’ve written a book, regardless of how good/bad it is, you’ve accomplished a tremendous milestone. The only thing that will make you a better writer is writing and writing complete stories. My advice? Don’t give up. If you really want it, you have to keep at it and expect rejection to be part of the journey.
You come back from the dead as a spirit, what message are you trying to get across?
It probably depends what being dead was like, but hopefully it was a pleasant experience and I’d want to reassure everyone about it J.
If you were a world ruler and you were given a choice of 3 laws to enact, what would they be?
Mmm, well, if I really had the power, I would eradicate poverty and war. Oh, and husbands have to rub their wives feet daily,
If your muse were to talk behind your back, what secrets would he/she tell?
Oh gosh, that’s a scary thought. Probably that I mess around too much on the internet!
If you were a Super heroine/hero, would you wear tights and a cape?
LOL. No, I’m not the exhibitionist type.
Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on; what can readers expect to see in the coming months?
I have my next book about to go through final edits and am currently finishing up another one. I don’t have release dates for these, as yet. They’re both hot and steamy contemporaries with the same feel as Picture This. I also have a couple of paranormal series outlined. No vampires or werewolves, though. I’ve developed what I hope will be a unique idea. I also have a couple of full length novels I’m pursuing and outlines for about three other contemporary romances.
Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?
I have a website and a blog. I keep the blog updated and readers can find out what I’m up to and what I’m working on from that. I’m also on Facebook and Twitter and I love people to reach out to me!
Oh my God, Samuel Steele was a walking, talking wet dream.
She’d drooled from afar plenty, but up close he was downright gorgeous. Every woman in the place, and even some of the guys, had checked out his tight butt, flat abs and broad shoulders, and although he’d never worn anything but a suit to the office, that didn’t stop imaginations from running riot. His hair was dark and thick, his skin tanned, and regardless of the time of day, his jaw always seemed darkened with at least a day’s beard growth. And his eyes. She’d never been close enough to make out their color before, but they were a dark, piercing gray. They should have looked cold, but the way he was looking at her made her wonder if someone had turned off the air-conditioning.
Why don't you start with telling us a little about yourself? What genre do you write in and why?
There's not much to tell. I'm a person whose fantasy life is a lot more interesting than their real life, thank goodness! I have several genres that I enjoy – Historical, Fantasy and Mystery. I've also written a contemporary and a ghost story. In fact, other than Horror and Western, I don't think there's a genre I wouldn't attempt if you asked me to.
What comes first for you when you sit down to write a book? Plot or Characters?
Characters, definitely. I often take the first five chapters or so to find out who my characters are and what they want, and only then do I sit down and figure out what the plot is. The characters have to be alive and kicking before they can start making the decisions which lead to the plot. This method often means that I have to go back and re-write the first five chapters once I know what I'm doing, but it's worth the extra effort.
Do you "cast" your characters using pictures or actors to help inspire you when you're writing?
Yes. I'm not a very visual writer. I don't see pictures in my head when I write, so if I didn't find a photo to use as a visual reference, I would probably not know, myself, what my characters looked like. I usually start off by "casting" actors to play my characters. Peter Kenyon from Captain's Surrender, for example, is played by James D'Arcy and John Cavendish from False Colors by Simon Woods.
How long does it take you to finish a book from start to finish?
It depends on the length and complexity of the book. I would say that a novel length book, 80,000 words or more, takes me not less than nine months and sometimes a year. I do three drafts and a final polish, and an awful lot can change between drafts. Usually the more I think about the book, the more ideas I get for how all the different pieces can be tied together. My first drafts are terrible! Almost all the good stuff gets added in during my revisions.
Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.
My latest book is called Shining in the Sun. It's a holiday romance between a rich yachtsman and a poor surfer. They both have terrible lives (in very different ways) and react by running away from them for one month of freedom every year, but this year they run into each other and discover that together they're strong enough to turn around and start facing their problems.
I was inspired by my own summer holidays, which I spend in the same village that I write about in the book. It's such a lovely place that I wanted to wrap it up with a bow and give it to everyone, so that they could have a Cornish summer holiday too.
How much does reader reaction mean to you as an author? Do you read your own reviews?
Reader reaction is hugely important to me. I read all the reviews I can find, and when they're good I feel that this slaving over a hot typewriter is all worth while. Good reviews definitely make me want to write more. Bad ones do make me want to give up, but – fortunately for me – the impulse rarely lasts more than a week before I pick myself up again and go on regardless. But I treasure all my positive reviews, and keep them to re-read when I'm feeling down and depressed. They always cheer me up.
What are you working on now? Anything you want to tell us about?
At the moment I'm writing a very long Fantasy novel called Under the Hill. It may even end up being two volumes. It's a quirky tale of a group of amateur ghostbusters and how they bite off more than they can chew when they find themselves going up against the Faerie Queen. It was inspired in part by the ending of Torchwood. I had enjoyed Torchwood when it was fun and slightly silly, rather than when it became very slick but dreadfully depressing. So I wanted to do a story about a paranormal investigation agency myself, but to keep it fairly lighthearted and romantic and avoid laying on too much angst.
What books are currently on your nightstand/bedside? Anything coming you are dying to read?
At the moment I'm absolutely swamped in research. I'm reading all about World War Two for a historical romance I mean to do after I've finished Under the Hill. So I'm enthralled by Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson, and Bomber Boys by Patrick Bishop. And for light relief I'm reading the Inspector Barnaby books by Caroline Graham. I can't wait for my copy of Counterpoint by Ruth Sims to arrive from America, though. That will trump everything, when it gets here.
If someone hasn't read any of your work, what book would you recommend that they start with and why?
I would say False Colors because it's the book I'm best known for. It's also more representative of what my writing is normally about than Shining in the Sun. I am very proud of Shining in the Sun, but partly I'm proud of it because it's the sort of book I didn't think I could write – I'm not a contemporary fan in general – and I don't know that I would be able to do it again.
If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?
Because there is a straightforward example of a man whose life made the world a better place.
What so you see for the future of publishing and e-books?
I'm sure that ebooks will go from strength to strength. Once I got my ebook reader I became a firm convert to the idea of having a library in my pocket. As far as publishing goes, however, I hesitate to guess. It seems clear, though, that reading is not going to go away for a long time, so I don't think that writers are going to become obsolete quite yet.
Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?
It's as hard to choose which character you love most as it is to choose which of your children you love most. You love them all equally, though sometimes for different reasons. I love John Cavendish from False Colors because of his delicacy, and Garnet Littleton from Blessed Isle because nothing phases him at all. I love Darren (also known as Ryan) from Shining in the Sun because he's such a foul-mouthed vulnerable mess, and Jasper from The Wages of Sin because he has suffered and been made stronger and more compassionate by it.
I don't hate any of them, but I pity Captain Edwards in Captain's Surrender and Darren's father in Shining in the Sun because they are so self-centered and self-righteous that they will probably never understand how hateful they've allowed themselves to become.
Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her/it/him when she/he/it refuses to inspire you?
I don't think I actually have one. I have a strangely personal relationship with my characters, who come to life and often refuse to do what I think they should. I'm always very happy when they surprise me, because it means they have become their own people. But I don't think I have a muse in addition to them.
When I'm feeling uninspired I just wait until something comes along that interests me, and I go with that. Sometimes the interest fizzles out, and sometimes it gets stronger for feeding – the way the WW2 idea has. When it carries on getting stronger and starts becoming an obsession, I know I have my next idea/setting for a book.
If there was a soundtrack to your latest novel, what genre/songs would be included?
For Shining in the Sun, The Boys of Summer by Don Henley, definitely. Also lots of Trance music – Sunset on Ibiza, God is a DJ, Southern Sun, Rapture by Armin van Buren, that sort of thing.
Which of your characters would you most likely fall for if they were real?
Either Jasper or Alfie (from False Colors), I think. They are both uncomplicated, sensual, sunny characters who enjoy life and are well able to cope with anxious, nervous, self-sabotaging partners like me. Jasper would be better for me because he doesn't have Alfie's temper and would stay calm when I yelled and threw plates.
Having said that, though, I would have to be a gay man first, because falling for any of them would not do me any good in my present state.
Besides the bedroom, what's the sexiest part of your home in your opinion and why?
The garden – it's enclosed and surrounded on all sides by climbing roses, honeysuckle and jasmine, so that in the evening it's cool and full of scent, and none of the neighbors can see in.
Where can readers find you on the ‘net for more information on you, your books and other fun stuff?
Or, if you are in the UK, come along to the m/m meetup in Ely this September and meet me in person:
http://community.livejournal.com/ely_meet/profile
Sneak Peek into Shining In The Sun:
Footfalls gently whispered across sandy soil and grass. He was turning when Ryan's arms slipped about him. His shoulder collided with the yellow skeletal fish on the front of Ryan's T-shirt, which gave him a quizzical look.
The kiss that must have been intended for the crown of his head landed on his temple. It might have been the clapper and he the bell, the way he rang with it. A sweet shock vibrated through every particle of him, echoed in his chest and trembled into silence at his finger ends.
"Ah!" he said, thought whiting out in sensation as Ryan shifted behind him to align himself better, chest to Alec's back. Alec's buttocks nestled into the curve of Ryan's groin. He could feel the press of his own thin linen slacks and Ryan's numerous pockets and zips, keys and change and the hot, smooth bulge of his swelling prick.
"S'OK," Ryan murmured into the nape of his neck, breath stirring the little hairs there, making him shiver all over. "You don't have to do that." His hands burrowed under the blazer's rough wool, stroking over Alec's stomach. Splaying out wide, they pulled Alec gently but inexorably back against him. There must be electricity in the palms of them: the fingertips poured out gentle sparks of need into each millimetre of skin over which they slid. Ryan touched his lips and then his tongue to the back of Alec's neck, and harbour path, sea and sundial swam into steel before him as his eyes unfocussed and slid shut. "You don't have to do anything."
Oh God! Alec's life unravelled under Ryan's hands. His own cock stiffened, needy and demanding, and Ryan's hand slid slowly down his belly to cup it, heat welling through his palm. The firm slow press filled Alec's backbone and belly with writhing prickly pleasure. Summer was here, beating on his back, boiling in his veins and balls.
All at once, he thought of his father, his share portfolio. Whist foursomes, wedding plans, his mother's tears and hopes for grandchildren rose up to blot out the sun. He thought he stiffened with realization, but instead found himself pushing into the hard encircling fingers.
"The car! Oh, God, I… oh… I never called back for the car! And they'll be…" A kiss just beneath his ear, the laving press of Ryan's tongue down the side of his neck and the words skittered away. He groped for them as if they could shield him from this – oh – this glory. "Shut. They'll be shut now."
