#Beyond: Tia Louise

Tia Louise is the Amazon Bestselling author of the ONE TO HOLD series.

Her debut adult romance ONE TO HOLD was a 2014 "Lady Boner" award-winner, #1 in Military Romance, and a Top 20 Contemporary Romance novel for several months. ONE TO KEEP, #2 in the series of stand-alone novels, followed the same course, with the remaining performing equally well.

From being a "Readers' Choice" nominee two years running, to picking up USA Today "Happily Ever After" nods, nothing makes her happier than communicating with fans and weaving new tales into the Alexander-Knight world of stories.

A former journalist, Louise lives in the center of the U.S.A. with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations...

It's possible she has a slight truffle addiction.

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Who in your personal life was the biggest supporter of your writing?

My husband “Mr. TL” is by far my biggest supporter. We were both English majors when we met in college, and he’s an even more voracious reader than I am. So he thinks its amazing that I’m writing books. He’s also my best brainstorming partner. Being a lawyer, he helps me think through many of the situations the Alexander-Knight guys face.

Do you prefer quiet or background noise when writing? If background noise, what?

Quiet—unless it’s white noise. Otherwise, it distracts me.

What is one thing you wish your readers could understand about the writing process?

I guess how personal it is. Writers work very hard on these stories, developing these characters. They become like family to us, which is weird because they’re fictitious. For me, however, even the “bad guys” have some redeeming qualities. Well, except Sloan.

If your characters could come to life and be a real human, which one do you think you would get along with best and which one would drive you crazy first?

I’ve always thought I would be besties with Elaine—I’m sure I’d love Melissa and Kenny… heck, all the ladies are great friends. The one who would drive me crazy first is probably Nikki. LOL!

When did you start writing and what was your inspiration?

I’ve been writing all my life, starting with my first graphic novel when I was nine. (It was me and my ballpoint pen.) As I got older, I worked as a journalist, I taught high school English, I was an editor for a while. In my 30s I decided to start writing books, and it’s been fantastic. I guess my inspiration is all the great stories I’ve read or watched in my life.

Is there a genre or type of book that you love to read but could never write and if so why?

I don’t know. I pretty much read what I write. I don’t read much horror, but that might be hard. Just because I tend to get very emotionally invested when I’m writing. I have to keep going back to the “bad” scenes and layering in the emotions so I’m not overwhelmed… LOL!

Seeing more and more authors going the "self-pub' route. Thoughts?

Self publishing has really made it possible for more and more serious authors to make a living writing books. Before indie, only a handful—like five to ten—authors were able to make a living from their books. That is a great thing in itself.

How much thought do you as an author put into your cover, cover models etc. And has that changed since you started writing. If so, have you or will you go back and re-do covers you’re no longer pleased with?

I’ve always spent a lot of time on my covers, and I’ve always tried to work with some of the best cover designers available. I hope to one day earn enough to afford cover models and custom shoots. In the meantime, I’m pretty happy with what we’ve done.

What is the most intense scene you have ever written? Did you find it difficult writing that scene?

Probably *the scene* in One to Protect was the hardest. Mostly it was because I wanted to be sure I conveyed what was happening, how it unfolded, and I really wanted to build to it with Derek’s past and mental state. All of that will come into play in One to Save.

I stressed out the most about writing *the scene* in One to Love—but again, it was more of a build concern. I try to make these moments as emotional and believable as possible. I was actually really worried I wouldn’t do Kenny & Slayde’s love story justice.

If you could write in any genre that you've never tried, what would it be and why?

I’m pretty happy where I am! But I do think that Halloween idea for the One to Hold crew would be fun. (I.e., Derek as vampire, Melissa as Mina, the Knight brothers as shifters… Mariska and Elaine as witches… Kenny & Slayde as the Van Helsings… Sloan as a zombie. LOL!)

When writing, what comes first? The characters or the plot?

Since I have these characters pretty established in my head, I guess I’d have to say the plot. Throwing them in these situations and seeing how they’ll work their way out.

Do you ever write your own personal fantasies into your books?

Would I love to travel to a luxurious spa with my bestie and be swept off my feet by a tall, dark, and sexy billionaire who does amazing things with his mouth? Why sure! LOL!

How much if any of your story line comes from real life people or events?

Not much. I mean, I don’t try to write anyone I know. Occasionally I’ll use names of people I know. But that’s more because I suck at picking names.

How many times do you read what you wrote and think "where the hell did that come from?!"

Quite a bit, actually. It’s more the sexy parts, though. I’m like, “Wow! Did I write THAT?” LOL!

Do you have to look at the keys when you type?

No.

How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Just enough, but not too much.

What are you two favorite 80’s movies?

Sixteen Candles and… jeez. This is hard b/c I was a kid in the 80s. I guess I have to say The Lost Boys because my best friend Dara and I saw that movie about 100 times in the theater. (She had a boyfriend who worked at the box office.)

Why are man-hole covers round?

A round manhole cover can’t fall in if inserted diagonally… also round covers don’t have to be precisely aligned.

Derek Alexander is a retired Marine, ex-cop, and the top investigator in his field. Melissa Jones is a small-town girl trying to escape her troubled past.

When the two intersect in a bar in Arizona, their sexual chemistry is off the charts. But what is revealed during their "one week stand" only complicates matters.

Because she'll do everything in her power to get away from the past, but he'll do everything he can to hold her.

A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (M/F)

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"Patrick Knight, single, retired Guard-turned private investigator. I was a closer. A deal maker. I looked clients in the eye and told them I'd get their shit done. And I did..."

Patrick doesn't do "nice."
At least, not anymore.

After his fiancée cheats, he follows up with a one-night stand and a disastrous office hook-up. His business partner (Derek Alexander) sends him to the desert to get his head straight--and clean up the mess.

While there, Patrick meets Elaine, and blistering sparks fly, but she's not looking for any guy. Or a long-distance relationship.

Patrick's ready to do anything to keep her, but just when it seems he's changed her mind, the skeletons from his past life start coming back.

A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (M/F, male POV)

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When Sloan Reynolds beats criminal charges, Melissa Jones stops believing her wealthy, connected ex-husband will ever pay for what he did to her. Derek Alexander can't accept that--a tiny silver scar won't let him forget, and as a leader in the security business, he is determined to get the man who hurt his fiancée.

Then the body of a former call girl turns up dead. She's the breakthrough Derek's been waiting for, the link to Sloan's sordid past he needs. But as usual, legal paths to justice have been covered up or erased.

Derek's ready to do whatever it takes to protect his family when his partner Patrick Knight devises a plan that changes everything. It's a plan that involves coloring outside the lines and taking a walk on the dark side. It goes against everything on which Alexander-Knight, LLC, is based. And it's a plan Derek's more than ready to follow.

A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (M/F, dual POV)

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Tattoos, bad boys, love...
Boxing, fame, fortune…
Loss.

It’s the one thing Kenny and Slayde have in common. Until the night Fate throws them together and everything changes.

Their chemistry is undeniable, their love blazing hot, but is history destined to repeat itself?

It’s a story about fighting. It’s about falling in love. It’s about losing everything only to find it again in the least likely place. And it's about the one hit you never see coming.

A STAND-ALONE, ONE TO HOLD NOVEL. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

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(Stuart & Mariska)

Some demons can't be shaken off.
Some wounds won't heal.

Until a pair of hazel eyes knocks you on your ass, and you realize it's time to stop running.

WARNING: Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and elements of erotic romance, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. (M/F) #SexyCowboys

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#Beyond: Selene Grace Silver

  

Selene believes in two true things: love and the power of stories. Everything else is up for debate. 

First and foremost, she's been an avid reader her entire life. In high school, her English teacher told Selene that she was also going to be a high school English teacher (probably because she actually read the assigned novels). Horrified by this prediction (think about it--eternity in high school?!), she fled home for university. She did her best to make it a permanent stay--changing majors back and forth multiple times, completing classes that had nothing to do with any of those majors, transferring to new colleges several times--eventually earning more than double the credits required for a BA in English. She promptly enrolled in grad school, where she managed to stretch a two-year masters program into a four-year MA in Creative Writing by teaching composition as a TA and dillydallying over her thesis. Then, her beloved university kicked her to the metaphorical street and told her to GET A REAL JOB! 

Selene currently teaches English to the brightest public high school honors students in the land. Mrs. Unkenholz was right. Oh yeah, and Selene writes. Romances to be specific.

Like the HEAs of her novels, her love life has a happy ending. She's married to a seriously romantic guy (he's Scottish, folks) and travels abroad every summer. The family cats keep the mice away. Life is simple, but good. 

She lives in sunny Southern California, but remains a snowy Midwestern girl at heart.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

LinkedIn | Goodreads | Amazon

Who in your personal life was the biggest supporter of your writing?

My husband, Alan. The first story I published, The Swing of Her Hips, is loosely based on how we met. He happens to be Scottish just like the hero of that story. Without his support and understanding, I’d never get anything written. If a writer also works a full-time job, like I do, that means lots of recreational family time gets subjugated to the writing time.

Do you prefer quiet or background noise when writing? If background noise, what?

I generally listen to music when I’m writing. I’m love music almost as much as I love books. I listen to a lot of alternative rock, rock and pop music, but I also like other genres including dance, country, rhythm and blues, even classical. But I admit that once I’m in the writing zone, I’m not really listening to anything but the words I’m composing in my head. I can’t write to the sound of people talking—too intrusive, so I don’t listen to the radio when writing.

What is one thing you wish your readers could understand about the writing process?

Sometimes the characters take over a story and wrench the events in a direction the writer hadn’t intended, or they become people even the writer isn’t sure she likes. If a writer honors a story or a character during the writing process, she gives up some control to the words on the page. There’s a saying—no surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader. So if a reader doesn’t always like the way a story unfolds, it might have been beyond the writer’s ken.

For example, in my first full-length novel, the heroine Adara is slow to understand herself and her situation, slow to act. At the start, she’s painfully young, naïve and inexperienced, but hopefully, readers give her the time she needs to come into her own sense of power. I found her journey worthwhile in the end. Not every heroine is born a kick-ass fighter. Adara eventually becomes powerful, but not until she’s been run-over a bit. It seems that in most romances, the heroine’s losses and lessons are in the backstory, but I find the progress of toughing up as interesting to watch as what the character does after she learns to act on her own behalf. I guess that’s why I wrote that part of her self-discovery into the novel, but I didn’t really understand what I was doing at the start.

If your characters could come to life and be a real human, which one do you think you would get along with best and which one would drive you crazy first?

I think I care for all of my characters, but, in real life, some of those overbearing heroes might get on my nerves on occasion. Probably Adrian from Crash Into My Heart would annoy me the most. He’s young, arrogant and over-confident. Still, he’s a good guy at heart and he falls head over heels for Janice, which redeems him for me. If a man cares for a woman enough to place her needs first, I can forgive a lot of other character flaws.

When did you start writing and what was your inspiration?

Born to read, I’ve been writing since my late teens. For me, writing is an extension of my reading. I studied writing at university, earning both a BA and MA in English and Creative Writing. During those years, I concentrated on writing literary fiction. I became a snob about books, but then I got bored with most of the contemporary literary fiction that was being published, and that I was taught to write. Focused heavily on style, it failed to deliver characters to care about or stories with compelling plots.

I’d read a lot of romance when I was in high school, and a few years ago, I gravitated back to the genre, discovered some amazing writers working in romance, and they inspired me to try my hand at it. Writing good romance is actually quite difficult. So many plots and character types are clichéd, which earns some scathing, and at times warranted, criticism. But writers like Kresley Cole (paranormal), Sabrina Jeffries (historical) and Joanna Wylde (contemporary), all who write as well as any top literary fiction author, manage to create fresh, exciting stories and characters in the genre. When I read their work, I get sucked in and want to stay there—which inspires me to write. As long as there are great writers in the genre to read, I’m going to stay inspired to write romance.

Is there a genre or type of book that you love to read but could never write and if so why?

I love to read regency romance. I might consider writing them someday, but it’s unlikely. You have to know so many historical facts like weddings always took place in the morning, never in the afternoon. I’ve read a lot of reviews on Amazon in which knowledgeable readers tongue-lash errant author for every perceived anachronism. If I tackled historical romance, I’d likely research American pioneer days in more depth and set stories there because I think I understand the mindset of  late 1800s immigrants and Western settings (my own ancestry and heritage) better than Regency aristocracy. Plus, I’m a sucker for mail-order bride stories. At the moment though, I’m overwhelmed with keeping straight the world building aspects of my paranormal and a futuristic novels I’m writing. Unlike contemporary novels, historical, futuristic and paranormal novels take more mental effort to write and keep consistent.

Since you've been writing how much has the genre changed? Good, bad?

Probably the introduction of the New Adult category is the most significant change. I don’t read a lot of contemporary NA romance. I prefer third-person narration over first-person narration, which is fairly standard in NA books. Also, I prefer humor over angst and melodrama. In NA, some of the violence that the hero directs towards the heroine, but is then forgiven for, is pretty hard for me to accept. Toni Morrison once said that if someone shows themselves to you, believe them the first time. If the male protagonist in a contemporary story coldly rapes or beats the female, for me, there are rarely plausible defenses. In a historical, a paranormal, or a futuristic story, I can understand it because the characters might be living in a different time and place with different values and rules, but in the modern Western world, there are few if any excuses or reasons to justify rape or violence, especially by a man against a woman he’s purportedly going to fall in love with.

Seeing more and more authors going the "self-pub' route. Thoughts?

Self-publishing was inevitable once books went digital. We’ve always had vanity presses, but going digital made publishing inexpensive, fast and easy. Add to that fact, big corporations have largely shafted established authors by refusing or being slow to modernize contracts to share in the cost savings of going digital. Also, traditional publishing had a strangle-hold on what and who got published. Some prolific authors were restrained in how much they could publish while other authors were creatively restricted in the stories they could tell because publishers refused to contract and market unusual stories that didn’t fit their designated categories.

The beauty of the self-publishing explosion is that readers get a wider variety of stories from more authors at lower prices. The downside—there’s a lot of really awful stuff being self-published and currently, there aren’t a lot of ways to distinguish between the good and bad stuff until you’ve spent your money and started reading. Unfortunately, many new indie authors don’t seem to understand that good writing is difficult, a skill that takes years of study and practice to become competent at, and that being a reader first and foremost is essential. I can’t tell you how many indie authors I’ve encountered online who don’t like to read, have never been readers, but want to be famous writers.

Currently, I tend to buy books by hybrid authors. They’ve had work traditionally published, suggesting their writing is good enough to warrant the investment of a publisher but they also wisely self-pub to boost their income. There are exceptions, of course. Although my first novella is traditionally published through a small press, when I realized I could completely control my published work myself, I jumped on board the self-pub train. I’m a bit of a control-freak. Also, most writers don’t make a living writing, so the appeal of keeping what little profit a book sale earns, especially for some of the mid-list and top writers, makes a lot of sense. I expect to see most skilled writers go hybrid, if they can, and to see a lot of current indie authors eventually disappear, once they realize they aren’t the next Stephen King or Nora Roberts, they aren’t going to become rich, and no one is buying their book(s).

How much thought do you as an author put into your cover, cover models etc. And has that changed since you started writing. If so, have you or will you go back and re-do covers you’re no longer pleased with?

I put a lot of thought into my covers. I do plan to up-date my covers with time, though. A benefit of digital publishing is the ease with which these things can be changed. As an indie author, I have been making my own covers and they are slowly improving with practice and experience. I buy my artwork from online image retailers and put them together with text in Photoshop. But, truly, if it ever became financially feasible to hire this work out, I’d probably do it. I have to say that I don’t like the current trend of covers in which the models’ heads are cut off the page. It’s a personal thing…I don’t know…it just creeps me out to see bodies so objectified. I like faces.

What is the most intense scene you have ever written? Did you find it difficult writing that scene?

The “rape” scene in The Binding of Adara was difficult to write. Although the characters are essentially taken over by the Goddess and her Consort during the act, in the end, Bo and Adara are still aware of what is happening. I think the difficulty in writing the scene is that Bo is not a rapist and I needed to show how he is compelled by a higher power and external circumstances to have intercourse with a drugged Adara. I fear it really complicates the reader’s ability to like him. The scene threatens the possibility of the relationship moving towards love. Fortunately, Adara is a pragmatist and not particularly self-pitying. She’s a survivor and knows how to turn the event into something positive. I worry that readers might not like her consequently though, because her quick acceptance and forgiveness could be interpreted as weakness rather than strength.

I’m a feminist, but I think that contemporary women often see any form of submission or passivity as a flaw, as a sign of helplessness or stupidity. Yet, it’s a woman’s ability to submit during violent events that often allow her to survive and later thrive. So much of women’s emotional superiority is dependent on her ability to disconnect physical events from mental or emotional ones. A significant number of women have been raped at some time in their lives, yet we don’t live among a society of walking wounded women. Women are survivors; they move on, they don’t let these moments define them. Sure, we need heroines in fiction who fight back, who refuse to submit, but we also need to see heroines who submit to survive because that is closer to reality. If every single heroine in our books fights back every time, how to we show the way women really overcome these events. To fail to show both types of responses and their consequences is to condemn those who submit to criticism. It implies the damning question: why didn’t you fight back? Only weak women submit? I disagree. Submitting requires as much strength and intelligence as fighting back, sometimes.

If you could write in any genre that you've never tried, what would it be and why?

I am only interested in writing romance these days. I want happy endings and love. Even if I return to literary fiction, the stories and messages will still center on the idea of love as an enduring and essential part of human experience.

When thinking about writing any specific genre, what triggers your fears and insecurities the most?

I’m not sure what this question is asking. Are you asking about my fear as a writer approaching the writing itself? Because of my training and years of endless practice, because I teach writing as well, I’m fairly confident about my writing skills. No matter my level of expertise or what I write, I fear having the work misunderstood. In the end, though, I realize that I have no control over a reader’s response, so generally, I try to put it out of my mind. All writers seek acceptance and approval, like anyone, but writing (and publishing) is, at its core, an act of courage. Once a book is written and published, it’s out there, defenseless like a newborn babe. Readers can be excessively cruel or excessively kind in their responses. A reader’s response to a work of fiction is intensely personal and frequently says more about the reader than about the work. For the author, it’s important to keep her writing process separate from the public criticism, or the responses will cripple the work on the next book. Criticism and reviews are for readers, not for writers.

When writing, what comes first? The characters or the plot?

In romance, it’s generally about the characters. Plot is critical, because the genre has a lot of clichéd stories in publication. Therefore, original world-building and unusual plots can transform a romance from competent to memorable. But in the end, character reigns.

Do you find that you write what you love to read? Or a different genre?

I am currently writing what I love to read: romance. I am my first reader so I write to please myself first, others second. If I am not interested in the characters and what happens to them, it’s unlikely that any other reader will care either. That said, I know that readers have different tastes and expectations. I dislike certain kinds of stories and characters. A book can be well-written and simply not appeal to me. Fr example, I hate contemporary romances with a secret baby plot line. I avoid those stories like the plague. Meanwhile, other stories and characters are like catnip to my inner feline and I’ll read even mediocre, clichéd books with those elements and like them.

I think it’s important to read outside the genre one writes in, but that it’s much more essential to read in the genre one is writing. Art is not created in a cultural vacuum. Writers are not going to succeed writing in a genre that they don’t themselves read extensively. Awhile ago, I came across an online discussion in which new writers were claiming that it was ridiculous that romances had to have an HEA. They clearly didn’t understand genre classification or respect reader expectations. Calling one’s book a romance when it doesn’t deliver a romantic relationship with a happy ending is to attempt to redefine categories, thwarting the whole purpose of categories. What these writers really wanted was to write some other kind of story and then call it a romance so they could appeal to and capitalize on the largest book-buying audience in the world, romance readers. If an indie author is going to label their book a romance, there had better be a romantic relationship foregrounded in the story and the likelihood of that relationship lasting beyond the pages of the book or I’m returning the book for a refund. Mislabeling or mis-categorizing a book’s genre is a blatant sign that an indie author doesn’t read much, and therefore, probably isn’t a very good writer either.

Do you ever write your own personal fantasies into your books?

Hell, yeah. Of course, that’s why writing is an act of courage—it’s an act of public exposure.

How much if any of your story line comes from real life people or events?

Though my life experiences and the people I’ve met might inspire a scene or a character, I don’t base my characters on anyone completely, nor my plotlines on real events. The closest adaptation is probably my first published story, The Swing of Her Hips. The hero Duncan’s personality is very similar to my husband’s personality.

How many times do you read what you wrote and think "where the hell did that come from?!"

Occasionally, but not often. I can usually track it back to something stored away in the depths of my bottomless, disorganized brain. Just give me a day or two to locate and haul it up.

Do you have to look at the keys when you type?

No.

How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Can canny Crystal create countless creative critical critiques on countless chronicles of courtship and carnality?

What are you two favorite 80’s movies?

The Princess Bride

Ladyhawke

Why are man-hole covers round?

Aren’t all holes, and therefore their covers, round?

The Witches and Warlocks of Los Angeles series is a blend of paranormal and contemporary romance, with a twist of science fiction.

What’s real?

Imagine witches and warlocks walk among us. They look and act like regular humans, while they hide their special abilities. Unlike humans, who live a continuous life in which things done cannot afterwards be undone, these special individuals can tap into adjacent realities and shift the present to a new reality with a single thought. Their powers, inherited from ancestors dating back to the medieval era, have the potential for good equal to the potential for evil. A strong leadership and a supportive community is essential in maintaining their secrets and keeping their most talented on the side of the good. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles community is on the verge of a serious split between those who only want the best for everyone and those who only want power.

For better or worse, when these special individuals shift their life trajectories in new directions…they sweep everyone else along with them.

***
It’s 1977 and Brianna Marston is a feminist finishing up her final university courses. She’s a little bit wild, but isn’t that what being young and free is all about? It’s a new age for women and she intends to reap the benefits that new status provides her. She’s focused on developing a rewarding career and finding an adventurous lover. She’s also a witch. Her inherited powers are growing faster than her ability to control them though. In fact, she’s not sure whether one of her reality shifting spells is the reason she’s become the love interest of one LAPD officer.

Jack Ross never does anything without a well-thought out plan. On track to make detective within the year, he’s lined up a perfect woman to be his wife and raise their children. She’s thoughtful, gracious, and lovely to look at, and best of all, she’s not one of those radical bra burning feminists. She desires a traditional life as a wife and mother. If he doesn’t exactly love her yet, he’s sure that he will once they marry. He’s never been in love and it seems to him that it’s as easy to love one attractive woman as another. Then one unruly, mouthy blonde lands in his arms, disrupting all his carefully-laid plans.

Goodreads | Amazon

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    A smart, professional, self-sufficient single mom, Janice has learned never to depend on anyone but herself. But when her tire blows out and her car lands in the ditch, stranding her on a lonely desert highway, the help she gets from a sensual, dark stranger driving a sexy sports car makes her reconsider her fierce independence.

An aggressive executive, dedicated to running his successful company in a competitive industry, Adrian doesn't have time for anything—or anyone—else. Until he comes upon a beautiful woman in need of rescuing. Maybe he does have time for more than business.

Can Adrian make time for love?

Can Janice trust enough to love?

"Crash Into My Heart" is a sensual, romantic short story. It is meant for mature readers.

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The holidays are a time for family. So what if Darla doesn’t have one. She’s a trained psychologist and well-versed in all the dangers of inflating the importance of one week of the year. Besides, she has her clients who need her. Unfortunately, one of them seems to have a dangerous obsession for her. She doesn't need Santa to bring her a family. What she really needs to find under the tree is a strong protector.

This novella runs 110 pages. It contains explicit descriptions of sex. Recommended for mature (17+) readers only.

 Goodreads | Amazon

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    Cursed to bear 12 sets of twins in 12 years by 12 different men? That is twenty-year-old innocent Adara Lane’s terrible fate until a reluctant warlock steps in, altering one significant part of the spell, thus creating a new destiny for both of them. Like the heroic knight from her childhood fairy tales, he rescues her at the moment the spell is manifested. While she’s grateful for his help, being bound to an overbearing, controlling, potentially violent man who may never love her, who despises what she is? Well...forgive Adara if she believes she would be better off had he just minded his own business and left the rescuing to someone else. But, this troubled knight-in-tarnished armor seems to need Adara as much as she needs him.

Bowie Marston knows he’s damaged goods. Home from a tour of duty in Vietnam, suffering shell shock, the young man discovers his family destroyed because he wasn’t in L.A. to protect them. After witnessing the senseless deaths of his comrades overseas, the death of his parents only deepens his disenchantment with the world. Blaming his parents’ murder-suicide on their involvement in magick, Bo vows to never use his own latent powers. It’s too late to rescue his family. On the other hand, it’s not too late to rescue a beautiful, young woman caught up in a web of danger. Knowing what he does about witchcraft, can he involve himself in a spell that spans a lifetime, a spell that ties him evermore to a powerful witch...and all her bless’ed offspring? Can he resist?

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

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A Scotsman and an American woman. He swore he’d never fall in love. She swore she’d never fall in love again. Then they met.   

Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

#Beyond: Red Phoenix

USA Today Bestselling Author

Red Phoenix is an award-winning erotica author who gained popularity with her novel, Brie Learns the Art of Submission. She has won 5 reader choice awards for her various novels. When she is not writing, you can find her on Facebook or Twitter interacting with fans.

"I heart my fans!" ~Red

Twitter: @redphoenix69

Website: RedPhoenix69.com

NewsLetter Sign-up: eepurl.com/VFxFL 

Facebook: Red Phoenix69

Who in your personal life was the biggest supporter of your writing?

MrRed has always been my biggest supporter. He is the one who encouraged me to start writing and he stands proudly beside me now. He is also the one who reminds me to enjoy my writing when the business side of things gets overwhelming. He grounds me.

Do you prefer quiet or background noise when writing? If background noise, what?

I love dubstep! ’Nuff said.

If your characters could come to life and be a real human, which one do you think you would get along with best and which one would drive you crazy first?

Lea and Tono would be easy to hang with. Mary and Ms. Clark would be a struggle for me…but Marquis Gray would be intimidatingly fun to get to know better.

When did you start writing and what was your inspiration?

I have always written stories for my own enjoyment since I was a child, but I didn’t write a novel until my first son was born. I put it away for 15 years, revised it a few years ago and then started writing erotic short stories so I could learn how to self-publish.

As far as inspiration, hubby has always been my #1 inspiration—from that very first book.

Since you've been writing how much has the genre changed? Good, bad?

The climate has changed and it is much more difficult to make a living being an indie writer, but I also think it is a good thing. It challenges all of us to work harder and smarter.

Seeing more and more authors going the "self-pub' route. Thoughts?

It makes sense, we can control so much more and see the financial benefits of it. However, an author must be committed to creating professional work and dealing with the business side of writing. It isn’t for everyone.

How much thought do you as an author put into your cover, cover models etc. And has that changed since you started writing. If so, have you or will you go back and re-do covers you’re no longer pleased with?

When I started, I made all my own covers. It helps me now when I have them created by a professional. I know what is and isn’t possible, and I have a clear idea what I want. I start with a basic idea, but my designers make it look so much better than I ever could. There are three things I take seriously with every book: The Cover, The Title, and the Ending.

I have changed covers before—in fact, I did so very recently with my first serial, Sensual Erotica. I am very pleased with the results because the books now represent the stories so much better. 

What is the most intense scene you have ever written? Did you find it difficult writing that scene?

Varick: The Reluctant and Blissfully Undone were books that were difficult for me to write because they hit too close to home, but I can’t think of a scene in particular that was so intense that I struggled with it. Of course, I write erotica which makes it a delight to pen! Growl…

When writing, what comes first? The characters or the plot?

The characters normally carry the plot, I just sit back and write what I see and hear in my head.

Do you find that you write what you love to read? Or a different genre?

I used to be an avid reader. These days I figure if I have time to read, I have time to write. I also don’t want my work to sound like other writers. It’s easy to be one of the crowd, but I have been an original since I was a kid and I want to remain that way.

Do you ever write your own personal fantasies into your books?

Naturally…

How much if any of your story line comes from real life people or events.

More than you know. If I haven’t experienced something myself, I research it because it is important to me that my readers feel like they experienced themselves.

How many times do you read what you wrote and think "where the hell did that come from?!"

My muses do that to me all the time. That’s why I find writing magical!

Do you have to look at the keys when you type?

Yep, sometimes.

How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

They get woodies when they work, so probably not much. Hard to chuck with a woodie…

What are you two favorite 80’s movies?

The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally

I will give away a sign copy of Brie Learns the Art of Submission to one lucky commenter!  Let us know what’s the first Red Phoenix book you read!

Join Brie as she discovers the erotic world of submission... 

Brie Bennett’s life changes the day Sir comes to her tiny tobacco shop. His invitation to the Submissive Training Center is about to rock this young woman’s world. The renowned school is famous for its elite submissive instruction. She has no idea what will be asked of her or the boundaries that will be pushed. One thing is certain: Brie is about to learn more about herself in six weeks than she has over the previous twenty-two years. 

From formal classes, hands-on practicums and weekly auctions, Brie will confront her deepest fears and desires. In the process, she will also forge lifelong friendships with fellow submissives and fall for several of the Center’s skilled Doms. 

Goodreads | Amazon

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A warm cabin during a blizzard invites hidden love to flourish...

Two couples plan a mountain getaway, but only Dan Hayes and Jenny Cole make it before the blizzard strikes. With tons of time on their hands and a natural attraction for one another, things start to heat up. Dan is an unusually creative lover. By the time the two are rescued, Jenny must make a choice--either way, hearts will suffer.

Goodreads | Amazon

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A badly placed mistletoe can ruin lives--or enhance them.

Amy Gardner and Troy Dawson suffer from an ill-fated love affair. True love reigns, but life seems to continually throw the young couple into the arms of others. Spicy erotic encounters take Amy and Troy to places they never imagined, but their love for each other remains strong--until the accident. How can love survive the day Amy loses all her memories of Troy Dawson? 

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Red Phoenix's Passion is for Lovers 

Four steamy & inspirational novellas centered on the saving power of LOVE

In 9 Days

A sweet romance about a young woman who falls in love
with the new student in school, nicknamed 'the Freak'

9 Days and Counting

A tale about sacrificial love
This sequel to In 9 Days is an emotional reunion
of the two long-lost lovers

And Then He Saved Me

A story of saving tenderness
When a young woman tries to kill herself,
a man of great character intervenes with love that heals

Play With Me at Noon

An inspiring story for couples about creating intimate connections
(With an ending that may surprise you)

Goodreads | Amazon

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In the 1400’s Ryce Leon moves to Scotland to escape the horrors of his past. The lusty Englishman is content to wear kilts and share his unique talents with the satisfied lasses of Rannoch. However, fate brings a forsaken young waif into his life, Chrisselle Buchanan. What begins as a simple pairing of Master and pet evolves into something powerful, with the potential to free Ryce from his unbearable curse.

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Only married women act as the Keeper, but the honor falls on Layla due to a tragedy. The mysterious Bonding Ritual, which takes place every full moon, keeps the four Alpha males unified. If Layla fails to complete her duty, the clan will erupt into civil war. Layla is about to find out the forbidden act that is responsible for the Daric Clan's dominance in the empire.

Warning: This book contains scenes that some readers may find objectionable

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Sometimes lives change with a single post...

Kathryn is known as Cherry Blossom by her online friends. Curvaceous and fiercely loyal, the forty-something finds herself in a unique place in her life... Enter Socrates, the online Dom.

His devotion to educating people new to the world of BDSM is something Kathryn greatly admires. Although she isn't into kink, curiosity gets the best of her and she begins to correspond with the Spanish Dom.

One simple comment leads Kathryn into the passionate world of Dominance and submission where she uncovers truths about herself, and the incredible man she's come to know and trust. 

"It's been my honor to introduce you to the woman you were meant to be." ~Socrates

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** Winner of the Indie Romance's Readers Choice Award - Best Indie Paranormal Romance **

Be forewarned, this is not a vampire world of sweetness and light. If sparkly 'vamps' are your desire, this is not the book for you.

The dark, sexy world Varick Roth is born into is ruthless and harsh - vampires are lethal creatures. He resists the violent culture, but his is a lonely existence until Aleshia enters the darkness. Theirs is a tumultuous love affair rife with pain, revenge, & passionate sex. In desperation, they share their blood to escape hell, transforming Varick into a new creation. One with terrible and colossal powers..

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Two lost souls, the Moon and a death wish... 

Bryn, the leader of his wolf pack, is so lost in his own pain he cannot see beyond it. Freya is dying and has come home to Scotland to say goodbye. A chance encounter on the moors of Scotland brings these two lost souls together. Freya’s fate lies in Bryn’s loving hands, but he knows that to save her he must kill her. 

Goodreads | Amazon

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Phoenix of the Heart (written under my pen name Michelle Stevens)

Warning: This humorous–but tragic–love story set in the 1980s is guaranteed to please and tease all your emotions. 

Devoted teacher, Beth Lynn, falls hard for Scott Reiner, also known as The Keeper of the Lighthouse. He enters her world through the most unlikely of places–her computer. The handsome stranger rescues her from total humiliation, and his unconditional love becomes the catalyst for Beth's incredible journey. 

Phoenix of the Heart is a powerful story about the transforming power of love. 

Goodreads | Amazon

I will give away a sign copy of Brie Learns the Art of Submission to one lucky commenter!  Let us know what’s the first Red Phoenix book you read!