TheLibrarian Interviews…Karen Erickson and Giveaway

Earlier today I reviewed the yummiest Christmas novella:

To add to the Christmas-goodies I’ve asked Karen to answer a few Christmas-themed questions. The three wise men brought 3 gifts in the Christmas story…So today I’m asking Karen Erickson for 3 gifts of my own, in the form of answers to my holiday-themed questions…

1. Your characters in Her Christmas Pleasure blended a bit of Naughty and a bit of Nice…and, frankly, the size of the novella itself was Naughty (I wanted more!) and Nice (perfect size for a quick yummy read) Considering this, where do you land on Santa’s list for writing this title? Naughty or Nice?

Well, considering I’ve written MUCH hotter titles than Her Christmas Pleasure, I’d say I’m more on the Nice side on Santa’s list, LOL. My historicals, while sexy, aren’t as hot as my earlier contemporary titles (specifically from my Playing With Fire series). So hopefully I made the Nice list – though being on the Naughty list isn’t so bad….*grins*

2. We spend much of this novella attending Regency England Christmas celebrations…The mistletoe, the yule log, lots of mulled beverages and holly abound. Is there a reason why you were drawn to write a story set at Christmas time? and What are your favorite Christmas traditions? Pictures please, if appropriate. 

I love a good Christmas story. I’ve written a few in the past (contemporaries) and I can’t explain why, but when the idea came to me for Her Christmas Pleasure, it had to be set during Christmas. It might’ve helped that I started the novella right around Christmas last year and finished it in January.

There are still many Christmas traditions carried on today that were happening (and even established) during the Regency period – including mistletoe. I knew Damien and Celia had to kiss under the mistletoe – that’s how they came to me in the first place!

3. It’s easy to say that Damien and Celia receive the gift of Love this Christmas. What is the best gift you’ve found beneath the tree?

Years ago my husband went out with his friend and they bought last-minute gifts for the wives. I had no idea what he was up to but when I opened my gift Christmas morning, the first thing I thought was, “Why this?” It was an iPod. I believe this was in 2003 – we still had dial-up internet and let me tell you, downloading a song from iTunes was an impossibly long and trying process!

So it sat for a couple of months. We finally got rid of the dial-up, I started writing once more (it was something I’d always started and stopped since I was in my very early 20s) and I pulled out the iPod, making myself a playlist. It helped with the writing so much – one of the best gifts I’ve ever received (though that iPod died a few years ago, LOL)!

If we count gifts from when I was little, the Barbie Dream Townhouse. It had an elevator – it was AWESOME.

4. Bonus! (I’m much greedier than baby Jesus, lol) What can we expect from the next Merry Widow…Give us 3 hints…

Oooh, well I can tell you the title for the third Merry Widows novella is A Scandalous Affair. I cannot tell you the release date because I don’t know it, LOL. Here are a few hints though:

• The hero has an embarrassing impediment which makes him a bit shy (and gives him a bad reputation amongst society, those wretched, judgmental beasts!)
• The heroine is rather determined in her pursuit of the hero
• I love the heroine’s brother so much I think he deserves his own story
• There is a minor guest appearance by one of the other Merry Widows and her new husband.

And that’s all I’m telling you. *inserts evil laugh here*

Contest: I’ll give away a Kindle or Nook ebook gift of Her Christmas Pleasure to one lucky commenter!

This giveaway is now closed…Click Here to see the winner

Thanks Karen! How sweet is she spreading the Christmas Spirit via a giveaway…And very tempting with her teasers for Merry Widows #3. Can’t wait to pick it up!

Bio

Karen Erickson has always loved the written word. From being one of the best readers in her kindergarten class to penning romantic stories that never ended about her favorite band members (Duran Duran) in high school, she always wanted to write. It just took her a while to seriously pursue it.

With the birth of her third child came a realization – it’s one thing to talk about writing a book, another thing entirely to actually do it. First published in 2006, she’s gone on to write over 30 erotic and sensual romance titles for e-publishers including Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave and Carina Press.

On a personal note she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. Oh and the dog, the cats, the rooster and the chickens…

Where you can find Karen on the Web:

• Website: http://karenerickson.com
• Blog: http://karenerickson.blogspot.com
• Group Blog (The Smutketeers): http://smutketeers.com
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/karenericksonwritesromance
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/karenerickson

Thanks so much for having me, Sara! Happy Holidays everyone!

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TheLibrarian Interviews…Carla Kelly

Earlier today I reviewed a very special Christmas Romance:

And now I present even more Christmas-themed goodies. The three wise men brought 3 gifts in the Christmas story…So today I’m asking Carla Kelly for 3 gifts of my own, in the form of answers to my holiday-themed questions…

1. Marian gets herself into quite a few hijinks in this novel. Including shoving a morphine induced Lord Ingraham on to a mail coach…While I’m assuming you don’t have a whole lot of personal experiences with plots like this, What’s the wildest Christmas Story you have to tell? Personally?

Art does not imitate life, in this case. No wild Christmases in my life; just the usual kind. All I ever do when writing a book is write the story I want to read. I suppose I was in the mood for a Christmas tale with a bit of adventure to it.

2. The Regency world you create is so rich; full of tradition. Where did you find the inspiration for the family traditions in this story? Was it research? Or did some spring from your own family history?

It was research,  mostly looking in histories of British Christmases. They didn’t really start to turn into what we know today until Prince Albert married Queen Victoria and brought along his German traditions, and that was after the Regency era.

3. A peek at your website tells me that there are more regency era books in the works. Give us a few teasers about these new titles…Will they be naughty or nice?

A bit of both. The books I write for Harlequin Historicals are, I suppose, what you refer to as naughty, although not particularly naughty by Harlequin standards. Others coming out on ebook via Cedar Fort and Signet are those earlier Regencies I wrote for Signet. When I left Signet to write for Harlequin, I asked for and was granted a reversion of rights on my traditional Regencies – trads, as they are known in the business. Apparently Signet is relaunching that old trad Regency line in January with those older Regencies – mine, and other Regency writers who used to write for Signet. The old trad line was not graphic, relying instead on witty writing.

Bio:

Bio:

Carla Kelly is a veteran of romance fiction. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine, Inc., Signet and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times.

A scholar of the Indian Wars, Carla also writes what she calls “footnote projects.” These include a short history of Fort Buford, where Sitting Bull surrendered; and various monographs ranging from army hygiene, to the fur trade, to 1930s Indian education. She edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist, Rudolph F. Kurz for Oklahoma University Press.

In addition to mainstream fiction, Carla also writes fiction for an LDS (Mormon) audience. She lives in Wellington, Utah, in Carbon County, which is famous for coal mining. To find out what she’s up to, her blog is carlakellyauthor.blogspot.com. She blogs occasionally, unless she’s busy writing.

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TheLibrarian Interviews…J.D. Thompson

Meet J.D. Thompson

Author Bio:

J.D. Thompson is a photographer by day and closet writer by night. She views writing in much of the same manner in which she views art: it’s all about creation. J.D. has a love for words in general and is fascinated by the way a few simple sentences combined with one’s imagination can build a whole new universe on a single sheet of paper. In 2003 she attended the University of Moncton, where she majored in Visual Arts Studies and minored in English Literature. She is currently living a quaint rural town in the chilly northern peak of New-Brunswick, with her husband and young daughter. Silver and Stone is her first completed novel.

If you stopped by the blog yesterday you saw my take on Silver and Stone a debut novel by J.D. Thompson. You’ll also note that I sooo enjoyed the book! Seriously, the ending to that novel had my shaking my head…”This can’t be over yet! I just figured it all out!!!”

Of course I think it’s totally unfair that I have to wait any amount of time before continuing on with the story…I want my angels and werewolves now! And I thought asking J.D. some questions would be my sneaky way to gain a little insight on the next installment in the Bloodlines Series…Nope…her answers only served to make me more ravenous for the second book!

*sigh*

Guess I’ll have to wait for Blood and Champagne like everyone else…Here are J.D.’s answers though. To get you excited too!

Without Further Ado…The Questions

1. Describe Silver and Stone in 10 words or less:

A story of destined love, no matter the cost.

2. What is your writing process? Any quirky habits we should know about?

I drink coffee. Like, a hell of a lot of it. I’m sure it’s totally unhealthy and I should probably switch to decaf but it’s an addiction. I also prefer writing in the dark, which I blame adult ADHD for. It seems like when the lights are on there are too many distractions!

3. Does music play a big part in the writing of your books? If so did you have a playlist for Silver and Stone?

Music plays a huge part in my writing. Much to my husband’s annoyance, I often replay the same track list over and over while writing a particular chapter or section. My playlist varied with Silver and Stone, though I will say that from chapter 21 on a few recurring songs were Gravity by Sara Bareilles and Stay by Hurts. Also, any time that I think of Theo, the song If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz comes to mind. *Check out the bottom of the post for videos of all songs mentioned!

4. This book seemed to take a lot of different paranormal characters and place them together in a whole new way…Where did you find your inspiration for these legends?

I had been thinking of Lucas’s kind for some time now and how interesting it would be to see them take the limelight. I remember years ago seeing the X-Men 3 trailer when a very shirtless Angel spreads his wings and jumps out a window. I guess there was something in that clip that resonated with me, because that image just kept creeping into my mind when I was thinking of Silver and Stone. As for Alexis, I knew I needed to have her be forbidden to Lucas. So I found a way to use her kind in a new way to my advantage.

5. If you had to be a paranormal being which would you be?

For the simple reason that I need a very limited amount of sleep, I will say vampire. The similarities stop there though. I assure you, I don’t drink blood or sparkle or sleep in a coffin or anything.

6. You leave the reader (and Lexi!) in the dark for so much of this novel…Was that a conscious decision? Or is that just how the story played out?

It was a very conscious decision. Since it’s a three book series, I knew early on that I wanted the suspense and mystery to last. I also wanted the reader to discover information as Alexis did, and not before. Even at the end of Silver and Stone, many questions are left unanswered. Some secrets will remain hidden until the very end of the last instalment Feathers and Lace.

7. Ultimately this is a story about love…Do you have a love story yourself? If so, do tell…If not give us the dream man 😉

I do have a love story, though it’s not nearly as romantic as Alexis and Lucas. I met my husband on Facebook, a detail I hate to fess up to since I’m an avid non-believer in online dating. The worst part is we lived in the same microscopic town our whole lives and had never run into each other until our late 20s!

8. I LOVED the best friends in this story…do they stay on for other novels? Or will they fade into the background as more ‘heavenly’ pursuits are explored?

The best friends are there to stay. One in particular will be playing a key role in the next two novels which will send Alexis on an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.

9. Fashion was such a big part of Weatherford Prep…What’s your go to style? And now…the fantasy outfit, what would you have worn to the ball? {inspiration pictures please!}

My go to style is black. Yes, I know – black is not a style. But 90% of my wardrobe is black, and what is not is mostly grey. Just to clarify, I’m not gothic or depressed. I just tend to navigate to darker palettes. I’m big on accessories though, and that’s usually where I will bring in color. I have a deep love for purses and shoes, and own more than I like to admit. Also, since I live in an area where winter dominates all, I have becoming an expert at layering. As for the ball, I have to say that the angel gown is right up my alley. The costume was loosely based on Drew Barrymoore’s gown worn in Ever After.

10. Give me one teaser for Blood and Champagne…Pretty Please!

I can’t give too much away, but I will say that Blood and Champagne is a game changer. Alexis will be forced to make major decisions that will not only impact her life but the life of others around her. I also must confess that not everyone will make it out of the Bloodlines Series alive, though I won’t be too specific on the who and when.

The Playlist…Video Style

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The Librarian Interviews…Shannon Stacey

It’s The Kowalski Family Finale (of Doom! lol)

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the week with the Kowalski family. And that I’ve peaked your interest in their love stories. As a finale to all the fun, or “Doom” as the Kowalski’s like to say, author Shannon Stacey is stopping by to give some insight on the series as well as a little sneak peak at her next project: A Christmas novella Margaritas and Mistletoe coming out this December. So read on to learn a little more about Shannon and her Kowalski’s…

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up. You can contact Shannon through her website, where she has maintains an almost daily blog, or visit her on Twitter, her Facebook page, or email her at shannon@shannonstacey.com.

The Questions:

1. The Bio on your blog starts with your marriage to Prince Charming…Can you give us a little synopsis of your own love story?

I was a waitress and he was a coffee counter regular, but it wasn’t love at first sight. Or second. (He learned fairly quickly to lower his newspaper and make eye contact with a waitress offering him more coffee, though.) But I’m a sucker for hardworking, smart guys with a wicked sense of humor and we’ve been married eighteen years now.

2. As a Romance writer when did you first fall in love with the genre?

As with many romance readers, I fell in love with romance novels snuck from my mother’s collection during my teen years. Before that were Louis L’Amour’s westerns, which quite often featured swoon-worthy love stories. But the first romance I ever fell in love with was between Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder in the “Little House” series.

3. Where did the idea for the Kowalski family come from? And are any of the Kowalski characters based on people in your own life?

The first story, Exclusively Yours, grew from my own family’s enjoyment of four-wheeling and the campground we stay at. The characters aren’t based on people I know but rather grown from the story, although some have traits “borrowed” from reality. For example, my husband can’t do dishes because I can’t stand that he washes them in the “wrong” order. And he never lets me drive.

4. Ok, there are a lot of Kowalski events that end with the threat of “Doom”…Does your own family practice these hilarious Doomsday events or do they only exist for the Kowalski’s?

“Of Doom” is an expression that’s always been used in my house, though I’m not sure where we picked it up. My boys don’t have Nerf gun battles. They have Epic Nerf Gun Battles of Doom! It just seemed to work for the Kowalskis, too.

5. Of all your books is there one that holds a special spot in your heart? One that was the most fun to write?

I think Exclusively Yours will always be a little special to me because of how it came to be written. I didn’t think it would be very marketable, so most of it was written just for fun. I wrote the romance I wanted to read. But Yours To Keep is always going to be the first (though hopefully not last) of my books to land on the NYT list, so that’s pretty special, too!

6. Each book has two separate romances running through it. And these romances run the gamut from traditional leading man/woman to mid-marriage rough patches to the spark of love between grandparents! What is it about the quirky love that you love so much?

The secondary romances weren’t storylines I planned before I sat to write the books. They just kind of grew out of the story as I went along. I have a big family with lots of interesting twists and turns in the family tree, so I’ve seen my share of rough patches and second chances at love.

7. I have to ask…The couples…I’m personally a Sean & Emma fan…but Terry & Evan had me laughing out loud during their make-up sex!…As a reader I have a hard time picking a favorite…do you have one?

If I tried to pick a favorite couple, I’d be talking in circles for days. I loved writing Sean and Emma…but Joe and Keri were so much fun and made me laugh out loud…but Kevin’s so sweet…but… See? I can’t pick a favorite!

8. Heroines be damned…Is there one leading man from your books who you’d want to end up with?

I’ve got my leading man, but there are little bits and pieces of him to be found in the Kowalski guys. Sean’s reluctance to let Emma drive. Kevin’s love of snowmobiling. Joe’s way with kids. And overall, their sense of humor and devotion to family. My husband could’ve been a Kowalski!

9. I was so happy to see in Yours To Keep that the Kowalski Family is going to provide more romance in the books to come…Can you describe your next hero or heroine in 5 words or less…

Can I describe Mitch Kowalski in five words or less? No. But his heroine, Paige: “Immune to Kowalski charm…maybe.”

10. Any last Kowalski tidbits to whet our appetite for the next title? Christmas is months away…Secrets Please!

Christmas won’t bring a Kowalski this year. The next Kowalski book will release in September of 2012, though I’m working on a Super Secret Kowalski Project of Doom I hope to share with readers this fall. My Christmas novella from Carina Press is a stand alone story titled Mistletoe & Margaritas. Justin McCormick may not be a Kowalski, but he’s not too shabby in the hero department, either! And to whet your appetite, the first line:

When Justin McCormick was fourteen, a dirt bike crash had put him in the hospital for two weeks, but even three broken bones and a concussion hadn’t hurt as much as loving his best friend’s widow did now.

Thank you so much, Sara, for having me and for your enthusiasm for the Kowalski family!

* * *

Thank you Shannon for taking the time to answer my questions! I love the five words used to define Paige…something tells me Paige won’t hold out for long (maybe my lifetime love of romance plots? someone always has to give in to love right? lol). Boo, to waiting a year for more Kowalski…But I know what I’ll be looking for in my stocking this year…Mistletoe & Margaritas 😉 I do live on the beach so a margarita in December it is…no need to ask me twice. I’ll take it on the rocks, with salt, and a little romance please!

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