Tag: Author Interview

Author Interview: Julie James Dishes About the FBI and The Thing About Love!

Posted April 17, 2017 by Holly in Giveaways, Promotions | 10 Comments

Today we’re excited to have Julie James here to answer some questions about THE THING ABOUT LOVE (Berkley Romance, April 18, 2017). If you haven’t pre-ordered it, you must! It was such a wonderful read. Full of witty banter, with an exciting plot, it’s not to be missed.

Author Interview: Julie James Dishes About the FBI and The Thing About Love!The Thing About Love by Julie James
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 18th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 368
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Two undercover FBI agents can hide who they are from everyone but each other in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly One Summer.

FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.

For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation.

Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .

 

 

 

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Interview

Is it true that you were once interested in a career with the FBI?
Yes! I went to law school with the thought of possibly becoming an FBI agent. My first semester of law school, I met with an FBI recruiter, and he told me I was ineligible because I didn’t meet the vision requirements. (I’d planned to have Lasix surgery, but back then, that didn’t count—a rule that has since been changed.) While I was discouraged at the time, becoming a trial lawyer turned out to be a good fit for me. And, knowing what I do now, I’m not sure I would’ve made it through the PT part of the FBI Academy. 🙂

What research did you do for THE THING ABOUT LOVE?
I had to do research into the FBI Academy, and the Hostage Rescue Team. The FBI has some information about Selection and HRT on their website, but I also had to rely on news articles about the Team, and I read a memoir written by a former HRT operator.

I also had to do research on the specifics of the undercover investigation in the book, so that I knew what my heroine and hero would actually be doing. The case in the book is loosely based on a real-life case: the mayor of Charlotte, NC was arrested and convicted for accepting bribes in a manner similar to the mayor in my case. For research, I pulled news stories about the Charlotte mayor’s trial, court hearing transcripts, and press releases from the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office.

Your female characters always have the best quips and comebacks. What inspires your dialogue?
I’m a film buff, and I started my writing career with screenplays. I think my focus on dialogue stems from that. And I think all of my heroine/hero pairings have a dynamic that’s one part Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy and one-part Princess Leia/Han Solo.

Why do you enjoy about writing about talented, career-focused women who find love?
I write women who are like the women I know. The “finding love” part of those stories comes from being a longtime fan of romantic comedies.

 

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About the Author

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Julie James is the New York Times bestselling author of six previous novels. James graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law and clerked for the United States Court of Appeals in Jacksonville, FL. She lives in Chicago with her family. Learn more at juliejames.com, Facebook.com/JulieJamesFanPage, and Twitter.com/juljames.

 

Meet Julie

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Author Interview: 10 Questions with Thea Harrison

Posted December 14, 2016 by Holly in Promotions | 3 Comments

Thea Harrison’s latest Elder Races novel released yesterday. She graciously agreed to answer some questions about the book and where she’s headed from here.

Moonshadow by Thea Harrison
Series: Moonshadow, Elder Races
Also in this Series: Moonshadow (Moonshadow, #1) (Elder Races #12), Midnight’s Kiss (Elder Races #8), Night’s Honor (Elder Races #7), Pia Does Hollywood (Elder Races #8.6), Shadow’s End (Elder Races #9), Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1), Dragos Goes to Washington (Elder Races #8.5), Dragos Takes a Holiday (Elder Races #6.5), Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races #9.5), Lord’s Fall (Elder Races #5), Midnight’s Kiss (Elder Races #8), Night’s Honor (Elder Races #7), Pia Does Hollywood (Elder Races #8.6), Pia Saves the Day & Peanut Goes to School (Elder Races #6.6 & 6.7)
Release Date: December 13, 2016
Publisher: Teddy Harrison, LLC
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

From bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the first in an explosive new trilogy set in the Elder Races world.

Her past is a blank, her future uncertain..

Recovering from a shooting, LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross leaves her job and travels to the U.K. to search for answers about her childhood. When she encounters a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, she becomes entangled in an ancient hatred between two arcane forces.

He has given his body and soul to fight for his people..

Barred from his homeland along with his surviving brother knights, Nikolas Sevigny is embroiled in a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear. Only by uniting their resources can his people hope to prevail against Isabeau, the deadly Queen of the Light Court. He will do anything and use anyone to return home to Lyonesse.

When Nikolas encounters Sophie, he sees a tool to be used. The insouciant witch might be the key to unlocking every passageway that has been barred to the knights of the Dark Court, even as a fascination for her takes root in what’s left of his soul.

Sophie has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, yet the fierce Nikolas is so compelling, she can’t deny the temptation that endangers her guarded heart.

As magic threatens Lyonesse, Queen Isabeau unleashes her merciless Hounds, and Nikolas and Sophie become embroiled in a race for survival. Meanwhile, the passion that ignites between them burns too hot to be denied and quickly turns into obsession.

Thank goodness they both know better than to fall in love.

Q&A

Q&A with Thea Harrison – Book Binge

About Moonshadow

1. For any new readers out there, Moonshadow is the first book in the Elder Races series spin off and will focus on the UK demesnes. Can you tell our readers a little about what to expect from this series? Any key people we should keep our eye on?

The Moonshadow trilogy focuses on the people caught in an ancient fight between the Light and Dark Courts. I pull a few elements from Shakespeare and a few from Arthurian mythology, and I set the story in the Elder Races world.

Isabeau, the Queen of the Light Court, is obsessed with the total extermination of King Oberon and his Dark Court. At the beginning of Moonshadow, Oberon has fallen into an ensorcelled sleep in Lyonesse and his magic rages out of control. The land of Lyonesse has been cut off from earth, and the knights of the Dark Court who are caught earth side are being hunted to death.

Definitely Isabeau and Morgan, the Captain of her Hounds, are key people in the trilogy, along with Oberon and his people. Oberon’s commander Nikolas is the hero of Moonshadow. There is also a secondary character, Robin, who makes an appearance in all three stories.

2. How many books do you have planned for the Moonshadow series?

Currently I’ve made a commitment to a trilogy, but if readers respond positively to the original trilogy, I have a second trilogy planned—so there could be a total of six stories.

3. Can you tell us if we’ll be seeing any of our friends from the Elder Races world in the new series? If so, which ones?

Yes, there will be some character crossover from the original Elder Races books. Dr. Kathryn Shaw has already made an appearance. Isabeau’s twin sister Tatiana, Queen of the Light Fae in Los Angeles, is also going to factor in the stories, along with at least one of her daughters, perhaps both. There are a few others who may make an appearance, but their roles are a bit more nebulous, so I’d better not say more at this time!

Drool

4. I like to picture the characters in my head while reading books so can you tell us who your inspirations (celebrities, models, etc..) were for Sophie and Nikolas?

Nikolas definitely looks like Paul Marron, the model I hired for the cover. As for Sophie, I have been picturing her like a younger Ashley Judd, only with dark, curling hair.

5. Your writing schedule must be busy these days, will we be seeing more Elder Races books or have you moved on?

I have not moved on from the Elder Races. I’ve simply taken a break to tell these other stories. I’ve also got another spin-off trilogy planned, so yes, I’m very busy! 🙂 It’s a big world, and there’s so much story to tell in it.

Random Questions

6. What is the first book that made you cry?

The first one that I remember is Black Beauty. I cried my eyes out as a child, and I must have read that book eleven or twelve times.

7. What is your writing Kryptonite?

Illness. When I reach a certain point—such as contracting the flu—I can’t get the words to flow. All my characters want to stay in bed!

8. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I have been so blessed to have met and befriended so many talented authors, and not only do they help me become a better writer, I hope they have helped me become a better person. I feel like I could write a dedication to them for my life and add, “all mistakes are my own, of course.” A short (not comprehensive) list of authors who impacted my life in a positive way while I wrote Moonshadow are: Patricia Briggs, Ann Aguirre, Kristen Callihan, Eloisa James, Jeffe Kennedy, Elizabeth Hunter, Grace Draven, Carrie Ann Ryan, and Katie Reus. I’m so grateful to each and every one.

9. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Be more self-protective, and believe in yourself more.

10. How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

I have one unpublished book that is currently on submission. I don’t have any half-finished stories—for good or for ill, I finish them all.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today! Readers, if you want to get the latest news, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter for updates!

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Elder Races

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover

About the Author

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New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Thea Harrison resides in Colorado. She wrote her first book, a romance, when she was nineteen, and had sixteen romances published under the name Amanda Carpenter. She took a break from writing to collect a couple of graduate degrees and a grown child.

Thea writes in a variety of genres, including the award-winning paranormal Elder Races series and the Game of Shadows novels, and is currently at work on various new projects in sci-fi fantasy, paranormal and contemporary romance.

She adores animals and currently resides with two small dogs that have very large personalities.

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Author Interview: Theresa Rizzo

Posted June 14, 2013 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Thanks so much for making the time to read and review He Belongs to Me and for having me on your blog!

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your road to becoming an author.  

I married my high school sweetheart thirty years ago and I have four great kids– 19-26yrs old. Though being a stay-at-home mom is a laudable profession, I found it a thankless job (at the time) and living for my kids and husband was sucking the life out of me—all my fault by the way. Writing was a wonderful creative intelligent outlet and it fed my soul and made me a much happier person and better mother and wife. So I joined writers groups, went to several conferences every year, entered writing contests, and invested in learning to write.
 
It must be so exciting to have your first book being published! Tell us a little about the decision to self publish.  

It is exciting having my first book out there. I’ve been writing and learning the craft for about 16yrs and in the past 5 years had 2 very good agents who could not sell 2 other women’s fiction books—because the stories were hybrid books and didn’t firmly fit in a genre.

So after I got some great feedback and another rejection from Entangled Publishing on He Belongs to Me, I decided to self publish my works starting with this story. I figured I’d let readers determine if it’s a story worth reading.

So I hired an editor to check the grammar and spelling, and a professional cover designer to give me a great, marketable cover. It was very important to me to offer my readers the best product I could.

What do you like most about being a writer?

I love that I can create characters that each have a piece of me in them. I can express the meanness and cattiness in me through some characters like Shelly and the grandparents, and then I can be sweet and loving and smart and witty through my hero and heroine. I can kill people without going to jail (in other books) and I can have hot passionate sex with a young thing without being labeled a cougar or without being unfaithful to my husband.

That’s pretty sweet if you ask me.

Did you always know that you’d like to write contemporary romance? Did you try other romance genres?

I write romantic suspense as well as women’s fiction. I write the stories that fascinate me. I enjoy paranormals and historicals, yet I simply don’t have the interest in history and voice to write those genres.

If you have time to read what are some of your favorite books?

Of course I make time to read. I love reading and the publishing industry is constantly changing and I think it’s important for an author to keep up to date with reader expectations. Also, I believe that reading really good writers helps elevate my writing. Some of my favorite books include the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Game series, Harlan Coben books, Christine Feehan Game series and Lisa Kleypas contemporary books and I could go on and on.

If you could be in any book/series/world which would you pick and why?

No idea. I write contemporary stories, so I guess that’s where I enjoy being.

 

Short Bio-Theresa Rizzo is an award-winning author who writes emotional stories that explore the complexity of relationships and families through real-life trials. 

Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, she currently lives outside of Boulder, Colorado with her husband of thirty years. She’s raised four wonderful children who are now scattered across the country.

Find Theresa On the Web:

Book Buy Links:

Theresa, thank you so much for joining me today and great luck to you on your novel!

 

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Sinful Seduction Blog Tour (+ a Giveaway!) with Isobel Carr & Laurel McKee

Posted December 5, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 10 Comments

I’m more than happy to welcome both Isobel Carr and Laurel McKee to the blog! They are currently on their Sinful Seduction Blog Tour promoting their new releases, Ripe for Seduction (The League of Second Sons #3) & Two Sinful Secrets (The Scandalous St. Claires #2).


1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your road to becoming an author.

Isobel: I come from the snooty white tower of academia. I got my MFA in poetry (and won a very prestigious national poetry award, the Intro Journals) before turning my hand to genre fiction. Writing romance is a LOT more fun!!!

Laurel: My road to becoming an author is probably a lot like other writers—I started as a big reader!! And I started young too. My grandmother was a voracious reader, and was always bringing home huge boxes of books from garage sales and used bookstores. When we visited her house in the summers, I would drag those boxes into a closet and hide in there reading. I found all kinds of things there—Barbara Cartlands and Georgette Heyers (my “starter” romances, that also got me hooked on history!), some Austen and Bronte, some random old-school Westerns, a few old Harlequins. I loved them all, and started making up my own stories when I ran out of reading materials and had to wait for the next garage sale run.

2. You write historical romance novels. What is it about history that draws you to write it?

Isobel: I like the challenge of crafting a historically feasible story that is still interesting, unique, and exciting.

Laurel: I’ve been a history nut ever since those long-ago novels! I also got hooked on a series I found in my elementary school library, about famous women in history as children (the childhood of Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria, Abigail Adams, stuff like that). I was fascinated by a world so very different from my own, where people dressed and spoke and ate so differently from me and yet were also so similar. I love being immersed in those worlds.

3. How much time do you spend doing research for each book/series?

Isobel: I’m never not doing research, so that’s a hard question to answer. I’m constantly buying new books and expanding my knowledge about the period. I rarely need to do intensive research for my books though, as I’ve been studying the period for twenty something years now. Mostly I have to look up small, fiddly bits like who was the ambassador to France in X year or double check a word in the OED.

Laurel: It depends on the book! A straightforward Regency story, which doesn’t involve plot points of politics or real historical events, doesn’t take a great deal of time, while a story set in a time period I don’t know as much about can take longer. I’m always reading history books and biographies, even when I’m not actively researching a certain story, so the atmosphere is always there in my mind. I loved The Scandalous St. Claires book since I got to dive into the Victorian period for the first time!

4. If you have time to read what are some of your favorite books?

Isobel: I read everything. Right now my favorite authors are Miranda Neville, Carolyn Jewel (both her historicals and her paranaomals), Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, C.S. Harris, Tracy/Teresa Grant, Julia James, Victoria Dahl, P.G. Hodgell, and Alison Sinclair.

Laurel: I will read anything and everything that catches my attention! Romance and mysteries, literary fiction (I just finished “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” and have been running around raving about it to everyone!), history and biography, fashion magazines. I like to re-read Austen, the Brontes, and George Elliott when I have the time. Right now I’m re-reading “Anna Karenina” before I go see the new movie version.

When I was helping to run the Desert Island Keeper blog we had some “About Me” random questions we asked. I’m going to borrow a few today.

5. If you could be in any book/series/world which would you pick and why?

Isobel: Pern. I want a dragon!!!

Laurel: This might sound weird, but when I was a very little girl I loved the “Eloise” books! I’ve always thought it would be wonderful to live at the Plaza hotel and run wild there. But if I have to be grown-up about it, I wouldn’t mind living at Austen’s Pemberley, or maybe be an intellectual aristocrat in mid-18th century France.

6. What fictional hero would you like to be your significant other?

Isobel: That is so hard. At the moment though, Sebastian St. Cyr would win out (though I might elope on him with Curran or Damerel or F’lar).

Laurel: I’ve loved Mr. Rochester ever since I read “Jane Eyre” when I was about 10! (I stayed up all night reading it, and was shocked—shocked–by the wife in the attic!) He’s so complex and broody, and so in love with Jane, though in real-life I might not be quite as understanding as she was. It was fun to bring something of their Victorian world into the St. Claires stories.

7. Best love song?

Isobel: When it comes to music, I like the broken hearted stuff more, Gotye’s Somebody That I Used to Know, everything by Adele and Depeche Mode.

Laurel: I really love “La Vie En Rose”! But maybe that comes from my love of all things Parisian.

8. Favorite sex song? (I have to ask as this is the Sinful Seduction blog tour!)

Isobel: Anything by Barry White (I’m a traditionalist).

Laurel: Hmmm, that is a tough one. 🙂 I really like the Black Keys’ “Next Girl”…very sexy.

9. Favorite Heroine?

Isobel: Of mine? Beau. She gets what she wants by whatever means necessary and she’s a fighter.

Laurel: Jane Eyre! Or if you mean my own heroines, I really found myself liking Sophia Huntington from “Two Sinful Secrets” more and more as I wrote the book. She was a character who just sort of ran away from me and made her own personality…I just followed along.

10. What heroine is most like you?

Isobel: Probably Margo, the secondary heroine of RIPE FOR SEDUCTION.

Laurel: From my own heroines, I think Lady Caroline from “Lady of Seduction” is most like me—bookish and studious, having to be pushed out into the world! When I was younger I felt a lot like Marianne Dashwood, sort of romantic and idealistic and not very realistic in many ways.

11. What heroine would you like to be?

Isobel: Oh, Margo. Definitely Margo. Once you see Philip, his house, and his dogs you’ll understand why. *grin* I love her so much I even wrote their reconciliation scene, even though it’s not in the book. It’s up on my website though, so that anyone who feels like they missed out can go read it.

Laurel: I’d like to be Elizabeth Bennet (like so many other romance authors!)

12. How old is your inside voice?

Isobel: I think she’s perpetually somewhere between 27-33.

Laurel: About 17, I think. See Marianne Dashwood above 🙂

13. What do you like best about being a writer?

Isobel: There’s really something amazing about knowing that something you created from nothing provided joy and entertainment to people. It’s like being able to perform magic.

Laurel: A lot of writers say this, but it’s very true—working in my pajamas! I love just getting up, having a cup of tea, and diving right into a story without worrying about putting on my makeup. It’s nice being able to work with my pets taking naps around me and some classical music on the stereo. But I also like all the friendships I’ve made, both the imaginary ones with the characters inside my head and the real ones with other writers. It’s a wonderfully supportive field to be in. Plus I get to put my English lit degree to work, which my dad said would never happen! 🙂

Ladies, thank you so much for stopping by and letting us get to know you a bit better.

Giveaway:  I have print copies of both Ripe for Seduction and Two Sinful Secrets to give away to one lucky winner.  Leave a comment on this post, along with your email address, no later than 12/12/12 (hey, look at that!!) at 7:00pm to enter to win.

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Interview with author Jessica Scott + a giveaway!

Posted October 19, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 5 Comments

Please welcome Jessica Scott to the blog!  Jessica had a new release come out recently.  Until There Was You was released from Loveswept on Oct. 8th.  It’s the second book in the Coming Home series and it’s not to be missed!  


Today I’m asking Jessica a few questions that inquiring minds want to know…ok I wanted to know but I figured you’d like to know the answers as well!


* I’m amazed that you have a military career, children and a husband (and lots of other stuff going on, I’m sure) and still find time to put a great story together. When do you find time to write?

I’m a chronic insomniac. Plus I don’t typically watch a lot of TV so when you add not sleeping plus no TV, you end up with a lot of time on your hands.

* When you DO find time is it a “omg I have to get this done so I can get back to ____” moment? Or is it a more soothing time for you?

I get a great sense of accomplishment from getting things done and for me, that soothing moment is writing the end on a book I’ve enjoyed writing. Writing, spending time with my characters, that’s my me time, you know?

* When I met you at RWA you mentioned that Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter series spurred you to write your own book. What exactly was the impetus and are there any other authors that inspired you?

I remember reading Sam and Alyssa’s book back in OCS and thinking wow, I really want to write a story like that. I mean, people were raving about it when it finally came out. For me, my Troubleshooters book was Cosmo’s book. He’s stuck with me for years since I first read it and ultimately, I want to write the kind of book that sticks with people, you know?

* Do you already know how many books will be in the Coming Home series or are you playing it by ear?

I have no plan, lol! The series will go where it takes me. I’m currently working on the third book in my contract, which is Laura & Trent’s story Back to You and I’ve already started work on my 4th Coming Home novel which will feature Reza’s story (you meet him in UNTIL THERE WAS YOU and he is, to put it gently, a hot mess). After that, there are a ton of other ideas bouncing around my head. We shall see where they take me!

I first started writing this series way back in 2007 when I was away from my family for the first time. The series has molded and grown and changed but the characters of Evan & Claire are still the same characters that I first started writing when they were originally the 3rd book I ever wrote. They’ve grown a lot, as I have as a writer, but they’ve stuck with me. Laura & Trent are the same way. So these characters in the Coming Home series have gone through a lot to get their time on the page, if that makes sense?

It makes perfect sense and I can’t wait to read more in this series.  Great information, Jessica, thank you!  Also, thanks for taking the time to visit today!

Giveaway: Jessica is offering up a copy of Until There Was You to one lucky winner.  Go ahead and leave a comment on this blog no later than 7:00pm on 10/26/12 to enter to win.

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