Nona Raines's Blog, page 37

#SneakPeekSunday with Nona and her #Erotic #Menage!

Good morning, all, and welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday!


Today I'd like to share a tidbit from my most recent release His and Hers and Hers, an FFM menage romance.



This snippet takes place about half way through the novella and is in Jordan's (the hero's) point of view:


          When had he turned into a chest-thumping caveman? But just as he’d never share Ky with another man, he couldn’t stand the thought of sharing Cassie either.    “Wow,” Kyla said as his tongue swept Cassie’s mouth. “That is really hot.”     He pulled back and held out his hand. “Room for one more, baby. Come here.”     Kyla stood and pressed against him. He kissed her hungrily, still cradling Cassie in his other arm. When he broke the kiss with Ky, Cassie moved in to softly claim her lips.
Hope you enjoyed that! If you'd like to read more, His and Hers and Hers is available at these booksellers:
Loose Id       Amazon       All Romance ebooks         Barnes and Noble

And don't forget to check here for other yummy morsels this Sneak Peak Sunday!
Have a super Sunday, everyone!
Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.comFacebook, Twitter, Blog

#Author Barbara Barrett Cooks Up Great #Romance!

Photo by Leslie Sloan

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope your Valentine's Day was a happy one spent with someone you love. Today we have a special treat for you lovers of romance. Our guest today is author Barbara Barrett. Her debut book The Sleepover Clause was published by Crimson Romance. Her new title, And He Cooks, Too (from The Wild Rose Press) is currently available on Kindle and will be officially released March 22. Barbara's kindly agreed to let me ask her five nosy questions. So let's get started!
Your upcoming release from The Wild Rose Press, And He Cooks, Too, features a hero who's supposedlya television chef. Fess up—do you enjoy watching cooking shows?
“Enjoy” is a nice way of putting it, since I haven’t yet reached “addicted” stage and hopefully never will. I recently added “The Story Behind the Story” to my website where I explain where I got the inspirations for this book: both came from TV cooking shows. Although I’ve learned some interesting cooking techniques along the way, my main fascination has been with cooking show personalities, in particular, Rachael, Giada, Bobby, and Paula. I only have to mention their first names and you know who I mean. That’s how popular they’ve become. I got to wondering if off-camera they’re different people, more introverted, less nice, etc. The hero’s aunt, the self-involved executive producer of the show, is based on where that speculation took me. Not that my favorite cooking celebs are anything like that, but their on-screen personas were a great jumping off point. The other inspiration for the story, my heroine, comes in part from my impression of the numerous TV cooking competitions. To make them more interesting, the producers focus on small tiffs and major confrontations as chefs’ egos clash. Female chefs, in particular, have to develop thick skins and egos to survive in the culinary world, so I gave her an ego and added a tendency for impulsiveness, which is what gets her blacklisted at the start of the book and forces her to reinvent her career.  
That's such a fun concept for a romance.And He Cooks, Too, has received some very nice reviews from Amazon readers. Nick, the hero, has a secret that he's keeping not just from the heroine Reese, but from his viewers as well. How were you able to keep Nick a sympathetic character even though he's not the awesome cook he pretends to be?
Love those nice reviews, but can always use more. Though I love secrets and the revelation of secrets in stories, I chose to make the reader aware from the start that Nick can’t cook, so they could come along for the ride as he attempts, unsuccessfully, to free himself from the pressure of living a lie. I felt if they learned about his lack of cooking skills later in the book, they would feel duped. Next, I tried to incorporate Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat theory for Nick by almost immediately showing him in a favorable light, doing something for someone else. I have Nick counsel his aunt’s assistant after a dressing down she has received from his aunt. My heroine, Reese, overhears this session and is immediately struck by his compassion and sensitivity. Later, I introduce his friend, Dave, who, by serving as Nick’s sounding board, helps reveal more of Nick’s motivations and needs.
Other authors I've interviewed have mentioned Save the Cat and I have it among my reference books. It's a great source for us writers. Your first book, The Sleepover Clause, features a city girl from L.A. who lands smack dab in the Midwest and hates it there. What attracted you to this "fish out of water" theme?
I wrote this book as a Valentine to my hometown of Burlington and my home state, Iowa. I wanted to present the town and the state and the people who live there as more than residents of the “flyover zone.” I wanted them to be seen by readers as the caring, hardworking, and intelligent people they are. So I introduced them through the eyes of the visitor, Aubrey, my heroine, a native of Los Angeles who has grown up hearing about the town through the jaundiced memory of her mother, who used to live there. Aubrey arrives with “attitude,” hating the weather, the scenery and the fact that she has to “hide out” from disgruntled clients back in California in this sleepy little burg. She even goes so far as to think to herself that “Iowa sucks.” But with time and help from some very resourceful residents, she changes her tune and is able to deal with the client situation she has been avoiding. It doesn’t hurt that she falls for the youngest brother of McKenna Custom Coaches as well.   
On your website, you describe how important your characters' careers are as part of their storyline. Why is that?
I spent over three decades as a human resources professional for Iowa state government. My job was learning about other people’s jobs – what they did, what competencies they needed to do them, and how well they did them. That experience is now an integral part of me. I don’t know how to describe my characters’ lives without going into their occupations and jobs, because those help define my characters’ motivations, aspirations and even limitations. For instance, in The Sleepover Clause , Aubrey trusts a client, a so-called friend of her mother, and foregoes her usual due diligence on a project, and on the client’s word, redecorates her mountain hideaway in Louis XIV style. She’s unaware that this is the client’s way of getting back at her estranged husband for straying. When the client and her husband get back together and he goes ballistic over the changes to his man cave, the client denies ever having given the okay to the project. Although it’s Aubrey’s internal conflict, her need to gain her mother’s approval, that provides the motivation for her actions, it’s her job as an interior decorator that provides the vehicle for the story.  What are you working on now? Tell us more about your current or upcoming releases. We're all ears!
I’m currently working on two projects while two others percolate in my brain. The first, Driven to Matrimony , is a shorter story than my others to date (approximately 50,000 words) about a forensic accountant who places her job in jeopardy to convince her over-fifty movie star mother to slow down her rush to the altar with a twenty-year-old film student only to find herself attracted to the young man’s father. The other is the sequel to The Sleepover Clause , currently titled The Travel Clause . The two that are currently gelling (already written and revised awaiting a final revision), are the first and second of what I’m calling “The Dances of Sullivan’s Creek” trilogy about the people who are part of building a residential development in Iowa – the developer, the architects and civil engineers, the general contractor, the sales manager and the interior designer. The first is titled Saved by the Salsa and the second is Tough Enough to Tango .
So you're writing about your beloved Iowa again. I'm intrigued by the titles of your Sullivan's Creek series. How does dancing relate to building a residential community? We'll definitely have to read your books to find out!

And He Cooks Too    Barbara Barrett 
Three men, three lies. Two made her doubt herself and the last nearly destroyed her career. And now, blacklisted by the city’s finest restaurants, Chef Reese Dunbar must put the resuscitation of her battered reputation in the hands of yet another man. The television experience Nick Coltrane’s cooking show offers is her best option. But after giving her heart to him, her trust is put to the test when she discovers that Nick has lied about the real reason he brought her on board – he wants her to replace him before his audience learns he is a fraud; the host of “And He Cooks Too” can’t cook. Reese must not only come to terms with Nick’s deception, she must also reconsider the unhealthy motivations behind her relentless drive for success. Before he can escape the charade he has allowed himself to be party to, Nick must stand up to his aunt, the only woman who has always stuck by him, and risk losing her support. Reese’s parting words, questioning whether the woman owns his soul, help him find the courage and self-knowledge to do that. In return, he helps Reese realize the folly of atoning for a teenager’s mistake through an adult’s misplaced ambitions. Only as they come to trust the other are they able to return the other’s love and pursue the careers that give their lives meaning.
Excerpt:  And He Cooks Too            The woman, her boss had called her Reese, angled her head, as if absorbing the man’s statement. It was the first real look Nick had gotten of her. Not bad. Not bad at all. “Patrice got the job because of Julian Parker, not because you and she got together?”            He glanced away. “Uh, well—”            “Both of you?” She started for the door again. “I am so out of here.”            Louis clamped a hand on her shoulder. “C’mon, Reese. Cut the drama. I thought if I explained the situation, you’d understand.”            “What I understand is that there is nothing here for me anymore.”            “You know the code, Reese. Chefs don’t leave their kitchens in the middle of service. You’re good, but not good enough to test it.”            She twisted around. “You can thank your new sous chef for the timing. Do you think her telling me just prior to the dinner hour was an accident?”            “Stick around. We’ll work out something,” he coaxed.            “Yeah, right.”            “Nobody leaves me high and dry. You’ll regret going out that door.”            “Let’s see who regrets what.” She ripped a net from her head, allowing a mass of raven black hair to escape, and pushed through the door to the outside world.
Purchase And He Cooks, Too here

Find Barbara Barrett here:
 Website:  http://www.barbarabarrettbooks.com
Email: barbarabarrett747@gmail.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/barbarabarrettbook?fref=ts
Twitter: bbarrettbooks
Thanks so much for being here today, Barbara. It's been fabulous!
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.comFacebook, Twitter, Blog


  

Blade Dance - March 1st release

I was finally given a release date for my new novella, BLADE DANCE for March 1st. In addition to being available at www.decadent.com , it will be available from:
 Amazon, B&N, ARe, BookStrand, CTR, Smashwords, and within a couple of weeks after release it will pop up on Sony, Kobo, Apple bookstore, iPad, Library Direct and Diesel.  Amazon is also usually before or on the release date, as is ARe; some of the others take a little time. Danica St. Como http://www.DanicaStComo.com
http://divasofdesire.blogspot.com
w/a Sophia Roslyn http://www.SophiaRoslyn.com

Rachell Nichole - Sneak Peek Sunday

Howdy,

And welcome back to Sneak Peek Sunday!

I have a few lines from my recent release, An Affair Across Times Square. This piece comes from Chapter Five.... Enjoy


Tylerthrummed his fingers against the railing in the elevator. He didn’t remember the ride to the eighteenth floor taking so long the day before, or any of the days before that. But the extra time gave him a moment to clamp down on his panic. He’d started having second thoughts on his subway ride through the city. What kind of idiot looked forward to gawking at a half-naked woman across the street?
So there you have it folks, your little teaser for today. :-) 
I hope you enjoyed it. 
An Affair Across Times Square is on sale now at these locations: 
All Romance Ebooks -  http://bit.ly/T6Drrh Amazon – http://amzn.to/ZURxhDBarnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/SM3DFWLoose Id  - http://bit.ly/OALcBV


Don't forget to check out the other authors this week! http://www.sneakpeeksunday.blogspot.c...

#Author Rachel Leigh, Sexy Settings and #Romance #Giveaway!

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm honored to have fellow Wild Rose Press author Rachel Leigh with me today! Rachel has written several erotic romances for the Scarlet Rose line and has hosted me on her blog a few times. I'm so happy she agreed to be with me here today and let me ask her five nosy questions. What's more, she's offering one of her books to a random commenter, so PLEASE be sure to leave a comment that includes your email address. Let's get started! 
        1.    Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for being here with us today. What made you decide to write contemporary erotic romance as opposed to paranormal, historical or sweet romance?
It was more a case of the heroine in my first novella, “Explicitly English” deciding for me! I started writing what I thought was a mainstream contemporary romance but whilst writing the “train scene” things heated up out of my control. I soon realized that this was not AT ALL suitable for mainstream… after that I was addicted J
2.   Some writers write for years and suffer many rejections before being published while others hit the jackpot on the first try. What was your road to publication like?
I’m from the UK and started out with the aim of getting published in British women’s magazines. After many rejections and feeling very low, an online friend suggested I try The Wild Rose Press. The first story I sent them was accepted––I was ecstatic! Since then, I have enjoyed working with my editor so much, I haven’t yet submitted to another publisher.
3.  In your book Explicitly English your heroine Laura leaves the city to try a new start in the countryside. Are you a city girl or a country girl at heart?
Definitely a country girl! I live in a small English town, which is perfectly located, and in easy access to a busy city in one direction and acres of countryside in the other. It’s my dream to one day own a huge farm with horses and lot of dogs running around as I write all day long. Ahhh…
4.  That sounds like an awesome dream, and I hope it comes true for you.Your book Hot Summer Sands is a sexy romance that's set in Greece. Where's the sexiest place you've ever been?
The sexiest place I’ve been is actually Zante where the book is set. It’s a beautiful place, where lots of rich people moor their yachts and spend time sitting at tables outside glamorous restaurants. The sea is crystal clear and the heat is always a huge aphrodisiac to me. Lord only knows why I live in England, lol! :D
5.    Sounds like a wonderful place to visit and it really must have provided a lot of inspiration! Your upcoming romance Teach Me to Ride takes place in the world of show jumping. Sounds like a fascinating setting for a story. Do you have any personal experience with with horses and show jumping? Please tell us more about this story!
I have hardly any experience with horses! I used to ride my friend’s horse as a child and loved it. I won a couple of gymkhana rosettes and learned the basics of riding and jumping before I was thirteen years old. After that, we lost contact and I haven’t rode since L. I would love to own a horse one day as I feel a special connection with them, but as far as the world of show jumping goes, everything in “Teach Me to Ride” is from my imagination. Oh, and a huge chunk of inspiration from one of my favorite writers, Jilly Cooper.           If you love horses, I highly recommended you read her Rutshire Chronicles, starting with book one, “Riders”. Fabulous ‘80s bonkbusters with lots of scandal, sex and intrigue…
Wow, thanks for the recommendation, Rachel. I've loved horse stories since I read Black Beauty as a girl, and I'm always looking for new books and authors to read. And thanks so much for stopping by today! It's been great!


Rachel’s latest release is Hot Summer Sands and available now from The Wild Rose Press. Here’s the blurb & buy links:
Chef Michelle Hutton flees her controlling mother in the UK for the sun and freedom of Greece, longing for a new beginning and maybe just a bit of Zante’s local heat. Sexy, pro-bono lawyer Sam Clarke might just be the one to teach her to let go. He's sexy, capable, and totally in control. And too damn hard to resist.
Sam Clarke and his best friend had once been the baddest boys to hit the local party scene— sex, booze, and more sex—until his friend is killed. Sam turned his back on the blatant sexuality of the island years ago, but can’t resist Michelle’s desire to bask in the sun and explore the need that grows between them.
Available at: The Wild Rose Press  Amazon   Barnes & Noble
Rachel’s Links:
Website Blog Facebook  Twitter
Giveaway:
Rachel is giving away a free download of any of her three novellas (reader’s choice), to one lucky commenter! You can tell us about your favorite vacation spot, whether you love horses, if you're a city or a country mouse, or a book you've recently enjoyed. Or just say hi!  Don't be shy--please leave a comment!
Have a wonderful weekend, all!


Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.com Facebook, Twitter, Blog

Sneak Peek Sunday with Rach

Hello all,

Welcome to our first Sneak Peek Sunday. A special thanks to Krystal Shannan for taking up the torch and continuing within the vein of Six Sentence Sunday! I'm so happy this is continuing.

And now on to the Sneak Peek.

This week's excerpt comes from my latest release, a lesbian erotic romance titled Queen of Hearts. This is when Maya spots Erica from across the club one night.

            Oh, God. It was the woman. The one she’d been thinking about for seven days. “Her.”“What?” Jake leaned closer. “Who?” “Her,” she said, nodding toward the woman as she bellied up to the bar. “Who, her?” Jake said. But Maya ignored him. As she walked away, she heard Jake say something else, but she waved him off. Maya had to talk to the mystery woman from the commercial. 

Queen of Hearts is on sale now! Amazon: http://amzn.to/VdWejF Smashwords: http://bit.ly/YftYl9Barnes & Noble : http://bit.ly/10cUqaU               All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/XYumAN


Thanks all for joining us today. Enjoy!

~Rach

#Author Jill James Does #Romance and #Zombies!

Happy Friday, all! Today at The Divas of Desire we're thrilled to welcome romance author Jill James. She's published with The Wild Rose Press and is self-published as well. She's also a great sport who's kindly agreed to let me ask her five nosy questions. So let's get started!
Hi, Jill! It's great to have you with us today. You've written across the genres from Contemporary Romance (Tempting Adam) to Paranormal shapeshifter romance (Dangerous Shift). Do you have a preference?
I love the whole make-your-own-world fun of writing paranormal. I’m a science fiction fan going back to Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galatica (the original), and Star Wars. The idea that there could be something else out there is enticing. There could be a veil between us and this Other world, a world of vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters. My daughter was just the right age to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer with me. I loved telling her that the show might seem like it was about demons and monsters, but it was more than that, deeper, just like excellent science fiction.
That must have been cool for your daughter, watching Buffy with her mom! You mention reading being very important to you—can you name a book that's had an important influence on you as a reader or writer?
The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The idea that you could just write about your life and someone would like to read it was eye-opening.
Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. I was able to meet him in person at RWA National before his death. I’ll never forget how he broke films (books) into manageable pieces. The idea that books were a product was so surprising. I think I put authors and books up on a pedestal and hadn’t understood that we need to think of them as art when we create them and something to market once they are done.
I love both those choices. Little House on the Prairie is still so popular with children all these years since it's first publication. And Save the Catis such a wonderful tool for writers.
You have another book, Love in the Time of Zombies coming soon—what made you decide to write about Zombies?
I’ve been on a zombie watching/reading kick for about 18 months now. The Walking Dead is my favorite show right now. I have this theory or idea about apocalypse books and movies. It comes down to finding someone to love, because if you don’t have someone to care for, what is the purpose of surviving? If you can do that in the middle of the world ending, renegades trying to seize what is left, and zombies wanting to eat you, how hard does it have to be in the ‘normal’ world. Don’t just sit around, go search for The One.
You have a three book series available—The Lake Willowbee Series. What is it about writing a series that appeals to you?
LOL Actually, I didn’t start out with the idea of writing a series. I had an idea of a divorced couple working their way back to each other but my publisher didn’t do married couples working out their problems or a divorced couple getting back together. But, I loved the idea of what would it take to forgive and forget infidelity if the love was still there. Now, I always get asked, would you forgive and forget? Ain’t no way and my husband knows it. So once I had one story in Lake Willowbee I wanted to stay there and put some other stories in my fictional town. I’m going to return to Lake Willowbee with The Single Mommies Clubseries this year.
Do you have a recent or upcoming release you'd like to tell us about? Please give us all the deets!
Lined up for this year is Love in the Time of Zombies, The Single Mommies Club (again in Lake Willowbee and a series), a sequel to Dangerous Shift, and a sequel to Tempting Adam.
I’m most looking forward to the zombie book. The characters are Emily Gray, a former neglected housewife who finds her strength with the apocalypse, along with the truck-driving, poetry-writing Seth Ripley. For zombie book lovers, be warned; there is sex and romance. For romance book lovers, be warned; there is ooey-gooey gore and scary zombies and evil renegades.
Whoa, sounds like an awesome story—sex and guts! LOL! Sounds like you've planned something for everyone in your upcoming books.
Thanks again for joining us today, Jill, and much success to you!


Jill refers to these little cuties as her "muses"!

Dangerous Shift by Jill James:HE IS MR. BY-THE-BOOK, WITH A SECRET...Shapeshifters live among us but remain unknown to most people except for the highest echelons of law enforcement, the military, science, and medical fields—until now.
SHE IS A LOOSE CANNON WITH AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM...When a fatal virus strikes Shapeshifters all over the West coast, including members of the Shapeshifter Task Force in San Laura, California, reinforcements are called in from around the United States.
TOGETHER, THEY JUST MIGHT CATCH A KILLER.Lt. Nikki Hill of Missouri comes to San Laura and is partnered up with Lt. Sean Evans. They quickly butt heads on everything from proper police procedures to the moral ethics of euthanasia. They can’t seem to get a lead on the serial killer even as members of their own families are stricken with the virus. In their grief they turn to each other and hope they have time to discover if their relationship stands a chance or if they might just be the next victims of the species extinction disease.
Dangerous Shift is available at: Available at Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, iTunesand available in print at Amazon and BN.com


About Jill:Jill James didn't start out wanting to be an author. Along the way she wanted to be an astronaut, President of the United States, a lawyer, and a doctor. Once married with children she realized she could be all those things in the pages of the stories she wrote.

She lives in Northern California with her husband, who is the inspiration for all her romance novel heroes.
Find Jill here:

Website: http://www.jilljameswrites.comBlog: http://www.jilljameswrites.com/blogFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jill.James-authorTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/jill_jamesGroup Blog: http://authorsofmainstreet.wordpress.com  Co-Blog:   http://twoindieladies.wordpress.com  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jill_james
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Nona Raines
Hot Contemporary Romance
Edgy ~ Emotional ~ Erotic
www.nonaraines.comFacebook, Twitter, Blog

Revenge of the Mad Scientist by Lara Nance

Hi folks,

We have a special treat for you today. A spotlight, review, and excerpt of Revenge of the Mad Scientist by Lara Nance.


When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval.
Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war.
But airship pirates, secret assassins and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter, the man who left her at the altar. For eight years she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope.  




And just a little excerpt from the book:


Another scream sounded and then another. A group of people blocked her view and she didn’t hesitate in pushing them aside. She gasped when she reached a body sprawled on the floor and noted a trail of red blood tracking from a side room. She recognized the injured man as Conrad Bellows, her father’s assistant. Horrified, her champagne glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the marble.
She pushed another man out of her way. What the hell was wrong with everyone standing around like statues while a man needed help? She knelt at Conrad's side. A knife protruded from his back but when she put her fingers on his neck she found him still alive, thank God. He struggled to his side and blinked as he looked up at her.
“Gone,” he whispered. “So…sorry, My Lady…gone.”“Who is gone, Conrad?” She put a hand on his shoulder as panic shot through her.
“You’re, fa, fa, father…they took him.”
“What? Who took him?”
“Ahh, all in black, don’t know…” He closed his eyes and then slumped on the floor, unconscious.
Belle sucked in a sharp breath. She jumped to her feet and spun around. “Someone call for a doctor and help Mr. Bellows. Where’s my father?”



Rach's Review: Five out of Five Divas!
                        I loved this book. It was go from page one. Packed with adventure and charming characters, it was a fast and enjoyable read. I particularly loved how many fun people Lady Arabella encounters on her adventures. There's a romance between Belle and Rett, pirates, espionage, kidnapping. This book is chock full of excitement and enjoyable from start to finish. Belle is a relatable, strong heroine who kicks butt and never backs down. I also really love her charge Benji. He's a great secondary character and sometimes steals the show when he's on the page. This is the first book in Nance's Steampunk series and I for one, can't wait for book two.



Lara will be awarding an autographed original map of Arabella's steampunk world to a randomly drawn commenter, and a $50 Amazon gift card and an original steampunk necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during her tour.  



If you sign up for her newsletter on her website from Jan 29 - Feb 3, you will also be entered for an autographed copy of her book as well as an original steampunk necklace. 
Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination.
If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance.
Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished.
Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio.
You can visit Lara here: www.laranance.com 
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Lara_Nance
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lara-Nance-Author/164262596944196?ref=hl
Buy link at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Mad-Scientist-Book-ebook/dp/B008XJ8LJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353853847&sr=1-1&keywords=revenge+of+the+mad+scientist+by+lara+nance

Blade Dance - Official Cover!

 Why does a killer want to disturb our heroine's hot and sexy menage a trois?

BLADE DANCE -- coming soon from Decadent Publishing -- stay tuned for the official release date!
Danica St. Comowww.DanicaStComo.comDanica@DanicaStComo.com

#Interview with #Paranormal #Romance #Author Lisa Hannah Wells!

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm honored to have author Lisa Hannah Wells with me today. Lisa has a new book out with The Wild Rose Press, Be Still My Lover's Heart, the first in the Memory Makers series. Just check out the gorgeous cover! 

Hi, Lisa! Thanks so much for being here at the Divas of Desire today. And thanks for agreeing to let me ask you five nosy questions. Let's get started!

1. You have a book that's available for free download at Goodreads—Queen of Hearts, a paranormal romance featuring vampires. Why do you think vampires fascinate people and what is it about them that appeals to you? 
I think vampires fascinate people because of what they can do. They are generally faster and stronger many times over than ordinary people, immortal, can give or take life by blood and most are very erotic due to the ability to control another’s mind. In the world of my vampires, there are certain rules, a treaty that allows them to live in the world of humans. In Queen of Hearts, Lucius learns how to love and has to make critical choices because of that. All my vampires can fly and this is what, to most of them, is their most favorite part of being what they are. I hope you’ll get to check out this book, since it is a free download and catch a glimpse into my vampires.
***Note to readers--you can download Lisa's free book here.

2. Your recent work from The Wild Rose Press, Be Still My Lover's Heart, is set in space and you describe it as a paranormal romance with futuristic and Science Fiction elements. Do you enjoy blending genres? 
Absolutely! I’ve always loved paranormal romance above any other romance genre. However, I love what Science Fiction allows in the development of technology and as to the other, I enjoy creating the worlds in which my characters live, setting the history for future books and/or series.
3. Whether a romance is set in outer space, New York City, or the Old West, the most important element is the connection between the hero and heroine. What characteristics do you think are important for a hero and heroine to possess?   
I think being able to take chances, to want to change whether for themselves, family or someone else, strength deep within themselves even if they are unaware of it and the willingness to make sacrifices. Finally, the willingness to overcome past hurts even if they are afraid to love and try anyway.

4. In your biography on your blog, you mention having a Barbie Doll collection. I love Barbie! Can you tell us more about your collection? 

Some of Lisa's Barbies--I'm jealous!
I always loved Barbie when growing up and could hardly wait to play with my little girls. Wouldn’t you know it that neither of them was interested? LOL! Just my luck! I began collecting in 1990 and had kept many of my own from when I was a little girl. Every year, I add to the collection, including dolls from Disney Movies, Popular fads like Twilight, and the more expensive (only once in a while) from Bob Mackie and other famous designers. I don’t like to collect dolls that resemble one another, so my collection fascinates those who come to see it.









These must be from "The King and I", right?
What an awesome collection! I could spend hours admiring them all!

Ahem...okay, back to the interview...

5. What are you currently working on or planning for the future? Please share! We can't wait to hear.   
I currently have three works in progress. One is for this upcoming Holiday Season and is my first contemporary romance. The second is another Vampire story, but everyone is going to love this one. He’s so full of character, humorous, loving and claustrophobic. The heroine is the world’s top Cardiologist so the mix is very funny. It is very sensuous, too.  The third is the second book in The Memory Maker’s Series.     I have complete books I’ve written years ago that I’m working on getting into shape, including Time Travel with Ghosts and Witches and a Werewolf story that will steal your heart.  Every one filled to the brim with romance!
I want to thank you for having me on your Five for Friday today and I had a lot of fun.
Thanks so much for being with us today, Lisa. It's been great!
TITLE: BE STILL MY LOVER’S HEART
Blurb:Ethereal beauty Shea, a Lieutenant in a Universal military, has spent the last four years protecting Colony supply freighters on a small space station. If not for her partner and the hopes of a better assignment, the loss of her husband and a devastating illness would leave her little desire to live.

That is until she meets Tempest, an alien whose species is rumored to be the origin of the vampires,  a man who makes her feel alive in ways she's never felt before.

Tempest has prayed to the Divine One for countless years for his bondmate.  Shea is his long-awaited answer and so much more.  One night will not be enough for a man who has waited a lifetime, but he is determined to make Shea his forever.

With a madman out to destroy them and certain death nipping at their heels, will Tempest and Shea outwit Remi and survive to share a future together, or die protecting all they hold dear?


Excerpt:
“Who is the dark-haired young woman in the red dress?”“Sir, she is the one who started the entire mess.”Fierce pride welled up within Tempest, and he grinned. Teo looked at him, his head cocked to the side, puzzlement in his eyes.“Do you know her name?”“I believe I heard the other one call her Shea. Is there anything else, sir? If not, I have a few others to round up and toss out.”“No, but do not throw her or her friend out.”Teo nodded and hurried to get the remaining people to be escorted to the door. In the last group, among those to be tossed out, a man with blood crusted on his face was yelling loudly about something being unfair. Teo dragged the man to the door then slammed it shut after pushing him outside. Rivera said something to the two females then joined Tempest across the room.“The two ladies argue that they be allowed to stay, my lord. Aveal is interested in the blonde woman, and the two came together. If I let one stay, the other would also have to stay. What should I do?” Rivera grinned.“Since you have decided to include me in this decision, I believe you should allow them to stay. I will be in the bar having my third meal. Please have Teo bring the tall one to me there, telfaro.”Rivera studied his face for a moment then nodded. “Very well, my lord.” He gave a curt bow and went back to the women.Tempest grinned as Rivera drew out the tease then went to his favorite table in the empty bar and sat down. Sergio, their part-time bartender, brought his meal and a glass of Sacri.“Thank you, Sergio, you may go now.” Tempest watched the small human male leave his apron on the bar and hurry to the door where Teo still stood in case anyone he tossed out attempted to get back in.Although it was difficult to concentrate on his third meal, that, for the first time, disinterested him, he had to prepare, to make sure when Teo brought her into the bar that she was who he thought she was. Tempest had just taken the last bite of his meal when Teo escorted the tall human female into the bar. Teo pointed to the table he occupied before leaving. The young woman looked around as if nervous. Tempest stood, took his empty dishes to the bar, and approached her. She appeared fearless as she looked up into his eyes with glittering emerald green ones. Taking her elbow, he led her to the table and seated her on the bench opposite him. Her eyes followed him as he sat down and drained the remainder of his Sacri.This was the moment of truth. Tempest pitched his voice to a frequency his bondmate would instinctively know. Either she would respond, or she wouldn’t.“You must be Shea,” he purred, deep in his chest.
BUY LINKS: Be Still My Lover's Heart Amazon
Barnes&Noble
http://www.bookstrand.com/be-still-my-lovers-heart
Check out Lisa's blog here and her Facebook page here.