Across the Beer Bar with...Silvia and her Bears

Welcome to my beer bar Silvia!  What can I pour you to start? Oh, hello my lovely....*strokes the fur*

How about a nice stout? Once the weather turns chilly I tend to go for Guinness more times than not.

Allrighty then a beer girl! FINALLY...here's a lovely Baltic Porter (we do lagers here but there are some nice rich, dark ones for winter time).  Let me pour you BOTH one!


So.....North Carolina AND LSU eh? hmmm..sports fan are we? (i'll riff with you all you want on this, if you are a sports fan--Louisville Cardinal and Michigan Wolverine here!)

I was raised on Carolina basketball, and it's probably some kind of crime to go to LSU and not be into football but I'll confess that I'm just not into sports. I found the LSU football crowds more a traffic nightmare than a source of excitement. I can work up a bit of interest in soccer on occasion but I'm just watching for the men. Soccer players have the best legs.

*Shudders*  Carolina Basketball......(GO CARDS)


You've had a lot of great success with your books, are published with some fabulous houses. What the was the first book you had published? Tell a little of the story when you got the news.

The first story I sold was Pilot's Bargain, book 1 of the Shifter's Station series. I'd thought of myself as a historical writer. I'd finished several Regencies and tried submitting them to print publishers and agents while studying up on the growing ebook market. Then I got this crazy idea for an m/m/f menage sci fi story. It was completely different from anything I'd imagined writing, but I decided to go for it and write it as a series of novellas. When I submitted the first one to Changeling, they accepted it and I was ecstatic. I kept reading the email over and over not really believing that I was actually going to have a story published. Once reality sank in, I called my husband and then started frantically trying to get a sitter for my toddler so we could go out and celebrate. 

You really write across the board from historical to Sci Fi.  What is your favorite and why?

My favorite is probably whatever I'm writing at the moment because that is what I'm deep into. I've written a lot of shifter stories this year, branching out from werewolves into deers, bears, horses, and even an otter who probably needs his own story. I've had a blast creating these unique characters and exploring how their animal characteristics affect their human side. 

Oh look--an empty glass! not in my bar!  what's next for you?

How about something a little lighter this time. Maybe an amber ale.

           I have an amber lager you will love--it's an award-winner!

Seems like you are an avid cook.  have you always been? what's your favorite meal of the day?

I've enjoyed cooking for as long as I can remember but I really got into it when I lived in Baton Rouge. The culture of food in south Louisiana is amazing and I couldn't help but be swept up by it. I started watching a lot of cooking shows and getting friends to teach me. Breakfast is my favorite meal. I could eat breakfast food every meal of the day. I'll often get up early just so we can have fresh scones or muffins or cinnamon rolls.

Tell us about your newest release.

My newest release is Paws on Me, it's part of the multi-author Protect and Serve series which is set in a near future world where vampires, shapeshifters and other creatures have "come out" to society after an economic collapse. Each story has a cop, a fireman or another uniformed service person as a main character. Paws on Me stars police lieutenant, Seth Morrison, a character from my other two Protect and Serve stories, Sex on the Hoof and Savage Wolf. Seth is a big bear of a man who doesn't think he needs romance in his life until he meets a bear shifter named Brandon. Sparks fly when the two men meet but Brandon is involved in a case Seth is working, and they both have to break some rules to get what they want from each other.
I've got two more books coming up this month. Stallion's Accord releases later this week. It's an m/f futuristic set on a planet with Regency-like customs and one hot as hell horse shifter. And One Kiss, an m/m Christmas story that showcases my love of baking, will be available from Silver Publishing on December 11. 

Now describe your perfect hero....in explicit detail....

Hmm...I spent my late teens reading every historical romance I could get my hands on and all those tall, strong, dominating dukes with powerful thighs and expert horse riding skills left a very big impression on me. So there's a lot of that classic alpha hero in my idea of perfection. Let's see....my perfect hero would be tall with black hair and blue eyes, muscular but not ripped. He'd be dominating, a man who knows what he wants and goes after it, but he'd also have a vulnerable side and be willing to let his partner take the lead on occasion. He's rough around the edges, somewhat of a bad boy but ultimately does what's right like Captain Mal from Firefly. 

Ummmm.....huh...oh, sorry, was just doing a little head-writing there...

Okay, whew.  now for a nightcap. what's your poison?

Is Irish coffee a possibility? No. Just beer huh? Well, then I've not gotten nearly enough pumpkin ale this fall.
       Good, here is some of the last of my Pumpkin Lager....cheers!

Protect and Serve: Paws on Me by Silvia VioletBuy Link: http://changelingpress.com/product.ph... Seth Morrison. I'm a cop, a police lieutenant to be precise. I've been on the force more years than I want to think about. I've seen good men get killed, turn dirty, lose themselves in the bottle, lose their fucking minds, but I'm still here doing what I do. I don't know any other life. People tell me I need a break, a vacation, to relax. I don't want to fucking relax. I just want to do my job and keep this city from falling apart.I park my car, grab my coffee from the cup holder, and charge up the front steps of the station. I could take the side door, it's closer to my office, but I love the chaos of the bullpen. When I open the door, I breathe deeply, enjoying the variety of smells: coffee that's been on the warmer far too long, the sickeningly sweet smell of candy and doughnuts, pine-scented cleaner from the scrubbing the janitors gave the floors last night, and something unnamable that simply smells like cops and hard work. I shake my head as I try to imagine not being here nearly 24/7. This is where I belong.My stomach rumbles. I should've had dinner, but after pretending an afternoon nap was a night's sleep, I'm running late. I'll grab something from the vending machine while I dream about a juicy burger and thick home fries. It sure would be nice to have someone cook for me. I don't seem to get along with stoves. Years ago, I tried being married. That worked for about 30 seconds. My wife wanted me to work shorter hours. I wanted her to talk less, or maybe never.Friends tell me I should make an effort to date, but I'm more comfortable at a gruesome homicide scene than making small talk at dinner with a woman or a man. Yeah, I like both. I stopped going out with men when I entered the academy. I just couldn't deal with the shit the guys would give me. Now, I don't advertise what I like, but I pick up a guy now and then. I'm discreet, but if somebody finds out, I'll deal.One-night stands I can handle, but relationships are beyond me. People think police work is draining, but I'd rather spend all day in the field and all night at my desk filling out fucking paperwork — and often I do — than try to decode relationship signals. I inevitably screw things up and never understand why.Sex I need. Romance I don't.My phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket hoping the call will save me from the mountain of paperwork on my desk. It's Drew Danvers, detective and vampire. That's right, a vampire who works for the good guys. We've got a werewolf in homicide too. And he's a damn fine cop.I remember when the shifters came out of the closet, scaring the hell out of us humans. One by one other monsters made themselves known. Most people assumed they were all assholes who wanted to eat us, but I quickly learned not to judge a man because he sucked blood or turned into a wolf. I judge men based on how they treat others.I answer the call. "What's up, Detective?""Two dead werewolves found in a closet at Shift. Hacked up pretty bad. The scene's a circus. Jenkins called in sick. I'm on my own, and –""I'll be there in ten.""Thanks, sir.""No problem. Murder scene or paperwork, which would you choose?"* * *I step inside the club. A crime lab team is there and several uniformed officers are talking with employees. I spot Drew in the entryway of an office. He's frowning as he questions a tall hairy hunk of a man. I've seen this man around the area several times, and just like every other time, he makes my cock sit up and take notice.Our most recent encounter was a week ago. When I want to grab a beer and be left the fuck alone, I go to Mitch's, a dive just down the street from Shift. Last time I spent the evening there, he sat next to me at the bar and came on strong. I was in a shitty mood. I wanted him, and it pissed me off. He's not my type. He's young, hip, and outrageously flirtatious. I walked away, but I regretted it later that night when I couldn't stop fantasizing about him.The man looks my way and catches me staring. His grin says he knows the direction my thoughts are going. Fucking bastard winks at me. Drew scowls.I turn to face him. He grins down at me, that same cocky-as-fuck little smile he'd given me earlier, making me even more aware of how close we are and how big he is. At 6'2″, I'm hardly small, but he's got several inches on me. And while I've got a rather thick pelt, the fur visible above the vee of his t-shirt is astounding.He smiles mischievously. "You gonna cuff me if you take me in?""Impeding a murder investigation will get you thrown in jail."He rolls his eyes. "I found two dead guys in my closet when I came to work tonight. My business is shut down, and I'll be losing money every minute that you're here. But at least I have a sense of humor.""Well, I don't."He shakes his head. "Are you taken too?"I take another step back. "You're making a lot of assumptions."I look over at Drew and realize he and Jason are grinning like loons. Fuck. All I need is the two of them ragging me.I glare at Drew. "Detective, do you think you can question this man without killing him?""Probably.""Fine. Fleetfoot, head back to the lab. Take my car. I'll get a ride with Danvers." I throw him my keys, and he snatches them out of the air as he gives Drew's hand a final squeeze. Jason is better in the lab than any tech we have. We only send him into the field when we're desperately short-handed. I run a hand through my hair, wishing I knew how I'm going to hold the homicide division together if we don't get more funds.He holds out his hand. "I'm Brandon Lord. I own Shift.""Lieutenant Morrison." I shake his hand. His skin is surprisingly smooth, his grip tight and warm. I want to feel those big hands running over me. I want to rub his furry body with my own. Fuck! I should assign someone else to this case right now and get the hell away from him. But some crazy restlessness he's dredged up in me makes me fight my instincts."Nice to meet you, Lieutenant." His voice is low and rich. And his grin lets me know he's well aware of my body's reaction to him.I need to get away. His smell alone is making me hard. "I'm not here to play games. Drop the act and treat this case seriously, or I'll find an excuse to throw your ass in jail."He grins. Fuck, he knows he's got me rattled. "I'd never kill anyone, Lieutenant. I'm just a cuddly teddy bear."The bear shifter and the bear. Ridiculous. I need to leave now. This man is no cuddly toy. I don't think he's our murderer, but he's far smarter than he wants me to believe and likely far more dangerous. "I know what cuddling leads to."Brandon laughs, a deep, infectious sound. I can't help but respond. Now I want him more than ever. Taking this case was a supremely stupid idea, staying on it now is unprofessional.But I won't walk away.
Silvia's Website: http://silviaviolet.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violetTwit... http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet