Tag Archives: interview

Interview with Dare Barrons from Carly Phillips Karma +giveaway

Posted on May 10, 2012 by TBRG| 14 Comments

We have a fun treat for you today. Not only do we have Dare Barrons on today talking about himself but we have his brother’s Ethan and Nash. Dare wasn’t really excited about them joining him but they figured it’s their job as his older brothers to torment him.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

DB: Definitely my brother, Nash. He’s always been there for me, even when we went to separate foster homes. He brought me old clothes and food. He looked out for me in every way he could.

TBRG: What is the one thing your family would be the most surprised to know about you?

DB: You really want me to go there? I was responsible for someone’s death.

NB: No, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

DB: I should have done something.

EB: Get over yourself. I had to. You can’t live with regrets, they’ll eat you alive.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

DB: What’s a bucket list? Kidding. I don’t know. I’d say Vegas but I’m not much of a partier anymore. Learned my lesson there. Maybe some place with a beach.

NB: He’d bring Liza so he could watch her in a bikini.

EB: In that case make it a nude beach.

DB: Do you want me to regret forgiving you?

TBRG: Who’s your favorite author to read?

DB: I’m not much of a reader.

NB: John Grisham.

DB: You’re such a lawyer.

TBRG: What book are you reading now?

DB: Not reading.

EB: Snickers.

TBRG: If you weren’t a cop what would you be?

DB: Lost. Being a cop saved me.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

DB: Sex.

EB: Sex.

NB: Sex.

DB: And nothing guilty about it.

TBRG: Movies or tv and which movie or tv show is your favorite?

DB: Ocean’s Eleven

NB: Doesn’t that go against you being a cop and all?

DB: Shut up.

TBRG: If you had a day to do whatever you wanted what would you do?

DB: Sex.

EB: He has a one track mind.

NB: He means sex with Liza.

TBRG: How’s your relationship with your brothers now?

DB: They’re still pains in the ass as you can tell from this interview. But they’re my brothers. Ethan and I have come a long way. Nash and I have some things to work out – as I learned throughout the book – but we’ll get there. I have faith.

NB: So does Ethan.

EB: Very funny. Seriously I’m grateful for this second chance. We’re all doing pretty good.

NB: Definitely getting there.

TBRG: How did you feel about Carly telling your story?

DB: She liked telling my story best.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about you?

DB: Looks can be deceiving. I’m not the easy going brother everyone thinks I am. I have a lot of baggage and I’m still working through it. Nobody knows that though.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe yourself?

DB: Focused, determined, loyal (to those who’ve earned it), and Repentant.

NB: Like a puppy dog.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe your siblings?

DB: Ethan’s a miracle worker.

EB: That’s not an adjective.

DB: You turned your life around, you turned Tess around, I’m in awe.

NB: I may be sick.

DB: You’re not so bad either, when you stop taking yourself and everyone else so seriously.

TBRG: Using 5 adjectives how would you describe Liza?

DB: Beautiful, Independent, Brave, Feisty, Loving.

TBRG: What do you love most about Liza?

DB: Her ability to see the best in people, even her no good brother.

EB: Don’t let her hear you talking about him like that.

DB: I saved his ass and she knows it.

NB: Because you love her.

DB: Yeah. I do.

TBRG: Can you tell us which of your co-workers has agreed to let Carly tell their story first?

DB: You want that secret? The book is called PERFECT FIT and the first two up are Cara Hartley, a damn good cop and Sam Marsden’s brother, Mike. You haven’t met Mike yet but Cara has … turns out they share a past – make that a night – OK that’s it. I can’t talk about this anymore. You know, Blue Wall of Silence and all that.

TBRG: Ok this is a question for all three of you, if you each had to plan a romantic night out what would it be?

DB: Liza loves a night in doing nothing but drinking wine and making love. Works for me.

NB: Kelly would love it if we went back to the London Hotel in New York City where I proposed. Champagne on ice, room service, and just us. Perfect.

EB: I’d take Faith back to our honeymoon spot – a private villa in Turks and Caicos – complete privacy, skinny dipping, our own butler.

DB: Rub it in, why don’t you?

EB: Hey I offered to send both of you there – is it my fault you’ve all got too much pride to take me up on it?

DB: I can plan a romantic trip for my woman all on my own. But thanks, man.

Thank you to Ethan, Nash and Dare for joining us today. We have a fun treat as well. We are giving away a copy of either Ethan or Nash’s book plus some of Carly’s goodies, just tell leave a message for Carly. Contest is open to US only.

Police Officer Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with her is watching Liza regularly bail out her brother at the station.   Dare’s dark past with Liza’s brother, Brian, has always kept him from pursuing her. But suddenly Liza finds herself in need of protection and Dare appoints himself as the man for the job. And while the sizzling attraction between Dare and Liza draws them together, the past that Dare and Brian share threatens to keep the two apart forever.

Posted in Contemporary, fun, Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Carly Phillips, Giveaway, interview, Serendipity Series

Interview with Julie James

Posted on March 28, 2012 by TBRG| 12 Comments

On a random trip to the bookstore I picked up a book Something about You by Julie James, when I got home I read that book in 2 hours and was officially hooked on her. I then had to get to know her, which meant I followed her on FB and twitter and then I got to meet her at RomCon and it was settled she is one of my top contemporary authors, joining Nora Roberts, Carly Phillips and Shannon Stacey as auto-buys for me.

I’m super excited to have her on today to talk about her next book About that Night which is Kyle’s story from A Lot Like Love.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

JJ: I don’t know that there’s been any one influence. I began my writing career by writing screenplays—I had a good idea for a romantic comedy film and just decided to sit down and write it one day. (That script then went on to become the basis for my debut novel, Just the Sexiest Man Alive.) So in some senses, movies have probably had the greatest influence on my writing.

TBRG: What is one thing your readers would be surprised to know about you?

JJ: Maybe that I’m addicted to reality television, like The Bachelor and The Voice. Oh, and I’m a huge fan of Glee. We play the Glee soundtracks a lot in my house—which means my kids (who are four and sixteen months) sing songs like “Moves Like Jagger” and “Safety Dance.”

TBRG: For those that follow Julie on twitter she is the best way to watch the Bachelor as she tweets her thoughts about the show while watching.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

JJ: A few years ago, before we had kids, my husband and I went on safari in South Africa and it was absolutely amazing—a “life-impacting” trip, if you will. I would love to go back someday.

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

JJ: When we submitted the manuscript for my first book, Just the Sexiest Man Alive, to my editor, I called the book a “romantic comedy.” My editor told me that, in the literary world, they don’t use the term “romantic comedy” and that the book was a contemporary romance. I said, “But I’ve never read a romance.” To which my editor responded, “Well, you’ve written one.” So I guess you could say that the first romance I read was my own. : )

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

JJ: Shoes and chocolate.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

JJ: I don’t listen to music while actually writing because I find it distracting. But when I’m not at the computer working on the book, we play a lot of music in my house. The playlist changes from book-to-book. About That Night was a very Top 40 book: John Mayer’s “Say” and “Your Body is a Wonderland,” Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” and “Misery,” “Falling For You” by Colbie Caillat, “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones, “Just a Kiss” by Lady Antebellum, “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban—and of course, “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy in honor of Kyle, the billionaire-heir hero of the book. : )

TBRG: How did you come up with this series?

JJ: It happened rather organically. When I wrote Something About You (the first book in the FBI/US Attorney series), I assumed it would be a stand-alone novel, like my first two books. But when I was plotting the following book (A Lot Like Love), I decided that the hero would be an FBI agent, just like the hero in Something About You. I figured there was no reason to reinvent the wheel—I’d already created Chicago-based FBI and U.S. Attorney’s offices in Something About You and decided to simply return to that world.

One thing I want to mention: I use the term “series” in the sense that these books are set in a shared world and some characters make appearances in later books. They can, however, easily be standalones. So readers should feel free to jump in wherever they like.

Readers who want to know more about the series should check out the FBI/US Attorney page at my website: http://juliejames.com/books/series/

TBRG: Tell us about the book.

JJ: My upcoming release, About That Night, is a contemporary romance that hits bookstores on April 3rd. It’s about an ex-con, Kyle Rhodes, (who also happens to be a billionaire heir) who has just been released from prison after being convicted for hacking into Twitter. After being dubbed the “Twitter Terrorist,’” he wants to put the past–and his mistakes–behind him. He’s therefore quite irked when the U.S. Attorney’s office, the very prosecutors who threw him in prison, want his help in a high-profile homicide investigation involving a corrupt prison guard. But the Assistant U.S. Attorney assigned to the case just so happens to be a woman from Kyle’s past, and may be the one person Kyle can’t say no to…

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Kyle and Rylann?

JJ: About That Night is a reunion story, of sorts. It’s about missed opportunity and second chances. Kyle and Rylann originally meet when they’re both in grad school, and have an instant connection. But fate intervenes and separates them, and nine years later when they meet again they are in completely different places in their lives: Rylann is federal prosecutor, and Kyle is a famous convicted felon who’s just been released from prison. By all accounts, these are two people who probably shouldn’t get together. But that connection between them still exists, and despite a lot of quips and back-and-forth banter between them, they find that attraction hard to resist that . . .

TBRG: What are you working on now?

JJ: I’m working on the next book in the FBI/US Attorneys series. I haven’t said too much about the book, but here’s a hint: the hero is someone in About That Night. : )

TBRG: I want to thank Julie for coming on today and sharing with us. Tomorrow Mandi from Smexy Books and I will be talking about Julie’s new book About that Night.

***We are giving away a copy of A lot Like Love and About that Night to one commenter. Just comment on one of the three Julie James posts we have this week, this one, the book chat tomorrow or the review of About that Night on Friday. Open to Everyone***

Posted in fun, Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Giveaway, interview, Julie James

Interview with debut author Siobhan Muir

Posted on March 21, 2012 by TBRG| 1 Comment

One of the things I enjoy best about being a reviewer is introducing readers to new authors. Siobhan Muir is a brand new author and her debut book Her Devoted Vampire came out in February. I thought it would be fun to have her on and introduce her to you our readers.

TBRG: Thank Siobhan for coming on today to talk about your book.

SM: Thank you for having me today.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

SM: When I started writing, I loved fantasy and science fiction, so my first few stories were influenced by Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey. But as I’ve matured, my own voice and stories have come out and I’ve run with them.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

SM: I got my master’s degree in Paleontology.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

SM: New Zealand

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

SM: Oh dear, it has been so long. I think it was Penelope and Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley. It was the perfect blending of fantasy (magic) and romance.

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

SM: Go-to authors are Kate Pearce, Gaelen Foley, Monica McCarty, Cara Michaels. Right now I’m reading Make Me Sweat by Avril Ashton and the anthology SEAL of my Dreams.

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

SM: LOL reading, and studying dead things for paleo research.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

SM: Chocolate wine – two of the best things combined.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

SM: Anything that can get my heart pumping: Lady Gaga, Phil Collins, Sting, Annie Lennox, The Verve, and Five For Fighting.

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

SM: Mostly, they come from dreams, but sometimes they come from wondering what I’d do in a certain situation. I have a dragon shifter story coming where the heroine has to deal with being a virgin sacrifice and she is trying to find a way to get out of it.

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?

SM: A little bit of both. I often outline my dream or idea, and then see where the story goes as I write it.

TBRG: How did you come up with this story?

SM: I got this idea from my husband who told me he didn’t read romance because it was unrealistic. So I wrote him a vampire tale that would interest him. Now he likes it.

TBRG: Will this book be part of a series?

SM: Not a series per se, but it is the world-introduction to almost all my paranormal romance stories coming out. You might even see Fredrick and Bridget mentioned again in future stories.

TBRG: Tell us about Her Devoted Vampire.

SM: Bridget Shanahan is an ex-Catholic who doesn’t believe in anything mystical at all. So when she gets kidnapped (at least in her mind) by the sexiest man she’s ever met, and he claims he’s a vampire, she thinks he’s lost his mind. Especially when he tells her he thinks she’s the Avatar of the Goddess.

Fredrick MacGregor has never had to prove what he is to anyone before and he’d only brought Bridge home to protect her. When she isn’t impressed, he’s caught completely flatfooted, especially because it’s his job to protect the Avatars of the Goddess.

Match made in heaven, eh?

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Fredrick? About Bridget?

SM: Fredrick hates cilantro – I empathize. Bridget loves to read romance. Go figure.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives describe Fredrick and Bridget?

SM: Fredrick is predatory, determined, and devoted, if a little clumsy in his application of his protection.

Bridget is smart, strong-willed, and lonely, but she fights for what she believes in.

TBRG: What are you working on now?

SM: Actually, I have a new release coming out in May from Siren Publishing, tentatively titled Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack, a werewolf tale, and I’m editing the two dragon shifter stories and hope to have them out this year as well.

Thank you so much for having me here. It has been a pleasure.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/Official.Siobhan.Muir

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SiobhanMuir

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5760938.Siobhan_Muir

Website: http://siobhanmuir.com

Blog: http://siobhanmuir.blogspot.com

Her Devoted Vampire

Bridget doesn’t believe in vampires or werewolves, but that doesn’t stop one from kidnapping her.

BRIDGET SHANAHAN’S life seems bleak and boring until she gets mugged and abducted from her favorite coffee shop by the sexiest man she’s ever met. Unfortunately, he’s a lunatic who believes he’s some kind of vampire savior surrounded by a security force of werewolves and he’s determined to keep her.

FREDRICK MACGREGOR has been having visions of this woman in danger for the last six months, a woman he must protect because she’s the Avatar of the Goddess. However, when he brings her home, she doesn’t believe he’s a vampire or that she is the Avatar, and she definitely doesn’t want to stay. But the sense of danger persists and he’ll do anything to keep her safe, even if it means risking the loss of the only woman who brings light and color to his endless life.

Posted in FF&P, Interviews

Tagged interview, Siobhan Muir

Interview with Stephanie Tyler + giveaway

Posted on February 15, 2012 by TBRG| 8 Comments

A couple of months ago I was sent a book that I had no opinions of and no expectations. I read that book in one sitting. The author Stephanie Tyler, the book In the Air Tonight. I was officially hooked. Then I started talking to her on twitter and I liked her even more. Stephanie has a new series coming out so I thought it would be fun to have her on to talk about. Because this is her first visit here we dusted off the q&a. So grab your beverage of choice and meet Stephanie Tyler.

TBRG: Stephanie thank you so much for being her today.

ST: Thanks for having me! Love what you said about In The Air Tonight! I actually started writing that a long time ago, and then realized I had to go back and write other books first J

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

ST: I’d have to say my daughter. Because she’s such a fighter. And I always think to myself, if she can have all these operations and be so happy, what right to complain about living my dream do I have? It makes me ignore the negative and really just concentrate on enjoying myself – and thinking about how I can make people happy with the books.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

ST: OMG – I have no idea! But that’s a really good question…maybe that I would like to live in Africa.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

ST: I’ve been there (see above) so I guess living in Africa would be considered a bucket list – I love it there – it’s so peaceful.

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

ST: I know I snuck some when I was younger – my mom loved historical romance – but I can’t remember titles or authors. The first one I read that made me go, I want to write this, was Tami Hoag’s Lucky’s Lady. It had me at the first page.

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

ST: Go to authors – Suz Brockmann, JR Ward for sure. Always Larissa Ione and Maya Banks and Jaci Burton, because I adore their writing! Now I’m reading some of the very first Lora Leigh Breed Books (I missed them – started in the middle of the series), Lara Adrain’s newest (LOVE her).

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

ST: Maybe still teaching? Hard to say because I really love my job now, so I can’t imagine. I know I wouldn’t love anything as much.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

ST: Mob Wives. Aka bad reality TV J

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

ST: I make different soundtracks for each book, so it varies. There’s always some classic rock on there, because that’s my first love – Motley Crue / Def Lepard, etc. You can see all the soundtracks for my books on my website – and you can listen to samples as well!

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

ST: Ideas come from anywhere – a quote, a line someone says on TV, something I pass on the street. But typically the characters come first and they just arrive in my mind, named and everything J

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the sear author?

ST: Flying by the seat of my pants! If I plot too much, I don’t want to write the book. Life would probably be easier if I could plot – and I’ve tried. But after almost 23 books written, I’ve come to the realization that I can’t change my process.

TBRG: How did you come up with Eternal Wolf Clan Series?

ST: A few inspirations, mainly because I read Twilight and couldn’t understand why the wolf didn’t win Bella’s heart – I mean, come on! I like vamps as much as the next person, but wolves are warm. And strong. And…well, you get the idea…

TBRG: Tell us about the series.

ST: It’s about a pack of the last remaining Dire Wolves – they’re all alphas, all badasses and it’s their responsibility to save the world. While doing so, they’re going to finally find their mates and get their shot at happiness.

TBRG: Tell us about Dire Needs.

ST: In Dire Needs, you meet Rifter, who’s the reluctant king of his pack – he’s recently been captured and experimented on by the weretrappers, thanks to a witch who was once one of his best friends. So he’s not in the best place when the story opens. But once he meets Gwen, he’s pulled to her, and he realized he needs to help her. At heart, it’s a romance, but there’s a lot of suspense too.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Rifter and Gwen?

ST: They’re both kick-ass in their own way – I really like my heroes and heroines equally matches, not necessarily physically, but I love that they save each other, albeit in different ways.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives describe Rifter and Gwen.

ST: Fierce. Sexy. Lonely. Loyal.

TBRG: What are you working on now?

ST: I’m working on Reid & Grier’s book (which will probably be a long novella) and my 1^st new romantic suspense for the Section 8 series that starts next year. And a couple of other secret projects, because if I don’t have a million things to work on, nothing gets done. And I should be getting back some edits on Stray’s book (Dire Needs) soon too – I had the best time writing that one and can’t wait to dig back in!

To find our more about Stephanie Tyler and her amazing books visit her site

***Now for the really fun part Stephanie is giving away an ARC of Dire Needs and a swag bag, just leave a comment telling us why you love wolves as heroes. This is open world wide***

Posted in Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Giveaway, interview, Stephanie Tyler

Interview with Donna Grant + giveaway

Posted on February 10, 2012 by TBRG| 9 Comments

One of our favorite story lines is that of Highlanders, we all credit Julie Garwood with this love. So when we were asked about Donna Grant none of us had read her. We decided to correct this and Heather is currently reading Darkest Highlander. She is being extremely closed lip about this and saying we have to wait for the review. So while we are waiting to hear about the book from Heather we thought it would be fun to welcome Donna Grant to our site for the first time. We promise to not bring out the brass knuckles but all new to the blog authors do have to answer a few burning questions. If you are new to Donna then pull up a chair and get to know her with us, and if you are a fan we hope you discover something new about her.

TBRG: Thank you so much Donna for coming on.we have a just a few questions for you to answer ::wink wink::

DG: lol. Thanks so much for inviting me!

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

DG: Every author I’ve ever read. Seriously. Each author had shown me how to capture a reader’s attention, how to make a reader cry, how to make a reader care deeply enough that a character will stay with them forever, how to leave a reader gasping, and more importantly how to have a reader come back time and again for a book. Its my favorite authors that I’ve learned from. J

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

DG: That I’ve visited Scotland for the first time last year

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

DG: Too many to name! I love to travel, and there are so many places I want to visit like France, Greece, Italy, and even Spain!

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

DG: I don’t remember the title, but I do recall that it was Johanna Lindsey novel.

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

DG: I’m reading for a contest, so can’t way what I’m reading. My go to authors are Lisa Kleypas, Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, and Kresley Cole

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

DG: Probably still be an accoutant

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

DG: Movies/TV. I love watching movies with my hubby and family.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

DG: Mostly soundtracks from King Arthur, The Immortals, Troy, Three Musketeers (new one), Clash of the Titans (new one), Lord of the Rings, and even Harry Potter. To name a few.

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

DG: I wish I knew. They just spring up in my head at the oddest moments, like when I’m pulling weeds, mowing, or taking a shower. lol

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?

DG: Oh, definitely a fly by the seat of my pants. I can’t plot out a book, because when I do, to me its written, and then I can’t write it.

TBRG: How did you come up with this Highlander Series?

DG: I love all the series in contemporary paranormal, but there wasn’t anything like it in the historical genre. I’ve been combining historical and contemporary for years, and I wanted to do something even bigger. I knew I wanted it to be set in Scotland in the Medieval era, and I knew I wanted to create my own mythology.

I happened to be watching King Arthur and my daughter asked me if Rome really left Britain as it said in the movie. The next thing I knew, I was doing the “What if” thing and developing my series.

TBRG: Tell us about the series?

DG: The Dark Sword series about a group of Highlanders who have a primeval god within them that gives them immortality and powers, and women who are Druids and hold magic that can help – or hinder – the heroes.

The Warriors and Druids fight together to end the reign of an evil Druid, Deirdre, who wants to rule the world – and will stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

TBRG: Tell us about Darkest Highlander.

DG: DARKEST HIGHLANDER features Broc who has been spying on the villain, Deirdre, for centuries. Sonya, the heroine, can use her magic to heal, but even better than that, she has the ability to communicate with the trees.

Broc has been in love with Sonya for years, but he’s stayed away. Sonya wants Broc, but there’s too much in their past to move forward. Until Deirdre puts them in a position that gives them no choice. Sonya finds the inner strength she never thought she had, and Broc learns that though he might not deserve Sonya’s love, he’s not going to turn it away.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Broc and Sonya

DG: Readers might think they know them after reading about them in the other books, but DH has many surprises in store.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives describe Broc and Sonya

DG: Amazing, dedicated, daunting, loving.

TBRG: What are you working on now?

DG: I’m working on the third Dark Kings novella. The Dark Kings world is heavily connected to the Dark Sword/Dark Warriors world.

*** Now comes the fun part. Donna is giving away a copy of her book Shadow Highlander to one lucky commenter. Just tell us why you love Highlander books so much. Contest rules apply***

Darkest Highlander

In the acclaimed Dark Sword series, the darkest, fiercest warriors of Scottish legend finally meet their match—in the brave, fiery hearts of the women they cherish…

HE IS HER SALVATION

For years, Broc has watched over her, protected her—and hidden his love for her. But when his beautiful Sonya finds herself in a hopeless situation, the Highlander flies to her side to save her. Unfortunately, before the Druidess can thank him, Broc is captured by his enemy and destined for eternal pain…

SHE IS HIS DESTINY

Sonya vows to help her noble warrior, though he is imprisoned in a mountain of pure evil—bound in chains of the darkest magic. With Sonya’s own magic fading, she must summon the greatest power of all to save the man she loves. But even if these two hearts are united, will they be strong enough to defeat the heart of darkness? Or will their undying love doom them for all eternity…?

Posted in Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Donna Grant, Giveaway, interview

Interview with Nash Barrons from Carly Phillips Destiny + giveaway

Posted on January 4, 2012 by TBRG| 16 Comments

Today we are being joined by Nash Barron. In case you have missed who Nash is, he’s the brother of Ethan, Dare and Tess Barron, and the hero of the book Destiny by Carly Phillips. Nash agreed to come on today and answer our questions.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

NB: It galls me to admit this but my oldest brother Ethan. Everything I’ve done in my life, good or bad, has been either to be like him when we were younger or to be the opposite of him after he left home at 18. My life seems to be defined by Ethan’s behavior … which I think explains my anger towards him.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

NB: I’m not a bad guy just because I don’t worship at St Ethan’s feet. I’ve stepped up and I’ve been the adult since Ethan took off. I did everything I could for my younger brother Dare. I snuck him clothes in foster care, brought him extra food, and watched out for him.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

NB: I’ve never left Serendipity except for college. I think I’d like to see London, Big Ben, maybe travel Europe.

TBRG: Who’s your favorite author to read?

NB: John Grisham. I like lawyer stories.

TBRG: What book are you reading now?

NB: The Litigator by John Grisham

TBRG: If you weren’t a lawyer what would you be?

NB: I followed in my adopted father’s footsteps. They gave me so much I wanted them to be proud. I never let myself think beyond that so I really don’t know.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

NB: Sneaking around with Kelly behind Tess’ back. What kind of question is that?

TBRG: Who is on your playlist?

NB: No idea. Kelly put it together for me.

TBRG: If you had a day to do whatever you wanted what would you do?

NB: Really? Spend the day with Kelly. And not all of it in bed either. Maybe a good part of it. Then I’d take her for a romantic dinner. Or maybe I’d spirit her off to Manhattan for the day. A carriage ride and then a show and dinner, then the night at a luxurious hotel. She deserves that.

TBRG: How’s your relationship with your brothers now?

NB: As this story is told, not so great. I’m odd man out and it sucks. Dare’s come around and hangs out with Ethan and Faith, Tess still doesn’t want to like me, and I’m suffering. I can’t tell you how things progressed with my brothers after Destiny because I’ll ruin the story!

TBRG: How did you feel about Carly telling your story?

NB: She didn’t give me a choice. She pushed and prodded and invaded my privacy. She made me look at my emotions and feelings … and really what guy wants to do that?

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe yourself?

NB: Loyal, upstanding, … ok maybe a little uptight. Can’t think of more. What’s with these questions anyway?

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives how would you describe your siblings?

NB: Pains in the Ass – that’s four words. Good for you?

TBRG: Using 5 adjectives how would you describe Kelly?

NB: Hot; smart; gorgeous; understanding; and did I say hot?

TBRG: What do you love most about Kelly?

NB: She puts up with me. ‘Nuff said.

TBRG: What do you think is going to happen to Dare when his story is told?

NB: Since I know what happens and can’t tell … well here’s a hint. Dare has more secrets than I knew about – and after he blows my world apart in DESTINY – he’s got to pull his life together in KARMA. How he does that when faced with his past? You’ll have to wait until May to find out.

If you haven’t read Nash’s book then you need to rectify this immediately.

***Now for the really cool part Carly is giving away a copy of the book that started it all Serendipity (Nash’s brother Ethan’s story) all you have to do is leave a message for Carly telling her why you love her books (my idea not her’s). This is open to EVERYONE!***

Posted in fun, Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Carly Phillips, Giveaway, interview, Serendipity Series

Cindy Gerard and Tara Janzen interview + giveaway

Posted on October 18, 2011 by TBRG| 72 Comments

When it comes to writing black ops books and heroes there are two authors that in my opinion are the queens at writing them. Tara Janzen and Cindy Gerard. I have been in love with the Steele Street Boys and the guys from BOI ever since I discovered them. When I got to meet them last year I had a serious fan girl moment that lasted for most of the week-end.

Cindy and Tara are working on an amazing project with several talented authors to help our soldiers, and they both have agreed to come on and tell us about it, as well as a bit about themselves.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

TJ: Some real groundbreakers in the romance novel world: Laura Kinsale, Judy Cuevas (Judith Ivory), Suzanne Brockmann, and my beloved Cindy – she’s who I most try to emulate when I feel my stories are moving too fast and furious, with too much action, and realize they need more serious emotional interaction between the big bad boy and the woman of his dreams.

CG: LaVryle Spencer and Sandra Brown are at the top of my list. But I agree with Tara – Suzanne Brockmann totally rocks. And I was a fan of Tara’s when she was writing Loveswepts as Glenna McReynolds way back when. It’s a mutual admiration society, let me tell ya. I adore Tara and her work. And like her, when my plots bog down with too much emotion and relationship, I always look to her for inspiration on the big, bang plot points!

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

TJ: I can hit a ten-inch circle at a thousand meters with a .308 caliber rifle. That’s ten football fields away.

CG: I can eat a ten-inch pizza without a rifle or a football field in site! LOL. And I know not to tick Tara off. She’s kick ass with that rifle of hers.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

TJ: Ohmigsoh, just one??? The Amazon River and Machu Picchu, and back to Edinborough, and Italy, anywhere in Italy.

CG: I was fortunate enough to make that bucket list trip last March when the amazing women of the Australian Romance Readers Conference invited me over to be a keynote speaker. Getting to see Australia and New Zealand was nothing short of a miracle for me.

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

TJ: I LOVE this question!! It was SWEET SAVAGE LOVE by Rosemary Rogers. Wow!

CG: OMG – I didn’t know that, Tara. That was MY first romance novel too! I was hooked from that day forward … and ‘til death do us part ).

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

TJ: I am currently immersed in non-fiction research books and just finished THE REINDEER PEOPLE, Living with animals and spirits in Siberia, by Piers Vitebsky. One of my “go to” writers, besides the ones mentioned above, is Mary Jo Putney. I also love Stephen Hunter for thrillers, and George R.R. Martin for fantasy. All-time favorites: J.R.R. Tolkein and Frank Herbert, the author of DUNE, and James Clavell, author of TAI-PAN and SHOGUN.

CG: Oh, this is so hard because there are so many that I love to read. But right now, I’m reading a Lee Child novel. I seem to gravitate toward thrillers these days – they help keep me in the zone for writing my romantic suspense plots.

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

TJ: Shooting more and competing in more shooting matches

CG: I’d be traveling and reading more.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

TJ: Ethel M’s lemon satin cream chocolates!!!!!!! Okay, girls, you live in Vegas, you know where the Ethel M factory is – not too far off the Strip J

CG: Chocolate, Cheetos and ice cream. Yum yum.

TBRG: So Tara you probably don’t want to know that Mel and I live around the corner from the Ethel M Chocolate factory right? And Cindy my husband (Mel’s brother) introduced me to Cheetos and ice cream and its a family favorite around our house.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

TJ: everybody from Bob Dylan to The Silent Comedy, from the Kings of Leon to Cher, the Randy Rogers Band to Golden Earring, and if it was popular in the eighties, I probably bought it, Motown to Ramstein, Lita Ford to Leona Lewis, Eminem to Concrete Blonde, Rolling Stones to Roy Orbison, Jewel to Springsteen, David Gray to Dierks Bently, no music/no writing. Mostly rock-n-roll. I am deeply indebted to iTunes!!

CG: I’m so boring compared to Tara with my choices. I simply have some radio station on very soft in the background – generally country. I can’t listen too hard to the lyrics or I get distracted. Right now, however, I’m loving The Pistol Annies – a group that features Miranda Lambert. And speaking of Miranda, what’s not to love about her hunky hubby Blake Sheldon? ‘Footloose’ anyone??

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

TJ: The CRAZY series really started with the cars. I wanted to write books that moved as fast as classic American muscle from the ‘60s and early ‘70s – once I had that figured out, I just looked inside to see who was behind the wheel J

CG: Everyone asks me this and I don’t really have an answer. It could be a song lyric, a line from a movie, a news headline … I simply never know when or where inspiration is going to strike me. I will say, however, that both the Body Guard and the Black Ops series came to fruition as a result of 9-11 and the subsequent military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. I wanted to know what those specialized soldiers did when they separated from the military. And I admired them so for all they sacrifice.

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?

TJ: fly by the seat of my pants.

CG: I’m a little of both. I have to have an outline to get me started. But I look at my outline as a map. I have this central, main highway that I can follow if I want to but I am ever so aware of all the off road, blue highways that branch out from the main route. What would happen if I took THAT road instead of staying the course? The curiosity generally gets the best of me.

TBRG: Tell us about the book – SEAL OF MY DREAMS?

TJ: I think Robyn Carr says it best in the forward at www.sealofmydreams.com It was very inspirational to read her forward for the book.

CG: Tara is right. Robyn says it so well. But for the history, SEAL OF MY DREAMS came about as a result of some tweets that were initiated by Christie Ridgway and Allison Kent after seeing a photograph of a SEAL in the NYT following the Bin Laden raid. It snowballed from there.

TBRG: Who are the other authors that helped to contribute?

TJ: There are 17 fabulous romantic suspense writers who contributed stories. Christie Ridgeway and Alison Kent are the two who had the idea and got the whole thing rolling.

CG: Let me see if I can remember the others: Jamie Alden, Stephanie Tyler, Rocki St. Claire, Barbara Samuels, Kylie Brant, Helen Brenna, Stephanie Bond, Ell Kennedy, Helen Kay Dimon, Marliss Melton, Loreth Anne White, Leslie Kelly, Joe Leigh, Gennita Low – plus Tara and me. Quite the line up, huh?

TBRG: What made you want to be a part of this project?

TJ: I love being able to use my skills to help the soldiers who put themselves in the fight and serve our country.

CG: Same goes. It’s a privilege and an honor to be a part of a project that can guarantee that 100% of the profits are going to the Veteran’s Medical Research Foundation, an organization that specializes in brain injury and PTSD and helps our serve men and women from ALL branches of the military.

TBRG: Tell us about your story in the book?

TJ: PANAMA JACK is about a Navy SEAL on assignment with a CIA agent in Panama. She is very savvy, very skilled, and is trying to keep stolen missiles off the black market, and she is darn glad to have a SEAL watching her back when the bad guys end up on her tail.

CG: SEALed With A Kiss is an addendum to my most recent Black Ops, Inc. story. SWAK features Luke – Doc Holliday – Colter and Val – Valentina, the hero and heroine of With No Remorse. I wanted to give readers a little taste of the ‘after the story, story’ and sent them on their honeymoon, which, as you might guess, takes an unexpected turn and both of their lives end up on the line.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about your heroes?

TJ: Jack Corday is intelligent, irreverent, calm under pressure, calm when there is no pressure, and he’s built like a block of granite – just like a Navy SEAL

CG: Luke Colter is all of the above. He’s also a bit of a smart ass ) – loveably so – hopelessly in love with the woman of his dreams and has to come face to face with his own mortality.

TBRG: I can hardly wait to read them. Tara I love your hero’s and Cindy I think I told you that Luke was my favorite of the BOI guy’s.

TBRG: Using 3-5 adjectives describe your hero and heroine.

TJ:. Hmmmm, for Lani: 3 adjectives: tough, deadly, blonde. In more than 3 words: besides “savvy” and “skilled,” she’s a shooter and looks drop-dead gorgeous in a zebra-striped mini-dress. For Jack: confident, funny, warrior

CG: Oh, boy. Luke: Irreverent, masterful, hunky. Val: Loyal, brave, gorgeous.

TBRG: What are you working on now?

TJ: Still in the research stage and hoping it has something to do with all the reindeer books I’ve been reading J – also throw in some of the Sahara Desert, a crippled university professor who needs a bodyguard, a long-forgotten place, and a mystery that hasn’t been forgotten, long or otherwise, and some folks who have “been there, done that” and are ready to do it again. I’ve had the title for 5 years – just been waiting for the story.

CG: Oh, I’m so glad you asked ) I finished the 7^th and final Black Ops story – LAST MAN STANDING (Joe’s book) this past summer (which will be out in February, 2012 btw) and just started work on the first book in a new series featuring Mike – Primetime – Brown, an amazing character who showed up in With No Remorse and made another appearance in Last Man Standing. Mike was such a compelling character I decided he had to have his own book. Add in a couple of his buddies and a new series – One-Eyed Jacks – was born. Mike and two other former military heroes are in various stages of coping with an operation gone wrong eight years ago in Afghanistan. This series is edgy, sexy, action packed and explosive! I can’t wait to dig in deeper.

***One of the things that I am most passionate about is supporting our men and women in uniform. With that in mind we will be giving away a copy of this book to one commenter. Contest rules apply, you need to follow us on twitter and like us on fb. Open to International. ***

An interesting tidbit about the picture of the SEAL on the cover of this book. He isn’t model posing as soldier he is an actual SEAL who was stationed in Fallujah when this picture was taken as he got ready to go out on patrol.

America is in love with the Navy SEALs.

We stood witness as a nation, as a world, to acts of bravery and mastery driven by patriotism as they took down one of the world’s most dangerous villains. When the highest level of competence and fealty was required, the SEALs were called. And they did not take a bow.

Here’s what they are not – they are not celebrities, movie stars or sports idols. They are flesh and blood men who have volunteered for the highest level of military training available and taken an oath to perform heroic acts at great personal risk in the defense of a country that will not put their pictures on magazine covers or pay them a multi-million dollar contract. Indeed, their ‘bonus’ will come in the form of hazardous duty pay. They are compensated by their rank and could choose far less dangerous or frightening roles. And their success as SEALs depends, at least as long as they serve in this capacity, on anonymity.

Who better equipped to honor the image of our greatest warrior heroes than the gifted pens of some of the romance industry’s finest authors of romantic fiction. In this volume the visage of some of the world’s most revered heroes is captured in scenes of love, bravery, laughter and passion, all created to bring into focus the SEALs of our dreams, those men we hold in such high esteem.

Posted in Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Cindy Gerard, Giveaway, interview, Tara Janzen

Elisabeth Naughton interview + giveaway

Posted on September 22, 2011 by TBRG| 21 Comments

One of our favorite authors is on the blog today Elisabeth Naughton and I for one am super excited to have her here. Both Angela and I have read her books and loved every page of them.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
EN: Thanks so much for having me here during the Tempted blog tour!

Gosh, you throw out the hard questions right at the start! Okay, the biggest influence on my writing is probably my critique partner, author Joan Swan. Joan and I have been CPs for over 5 years and I trust her implicitly with every aspect of my writing—from brainstorming, to character development, to advice about plot and even promo. Joan always, ALWAYS sees things I don’t in my books, and she’s a genius at pushing me to make every story better than the last.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?
EN: Probably that I don’t read a lot of paranormals and didn’t before I started writing them. I began my writing career writing (and reading) romantic suspense (and still do), so when I started writing paranormals, I had no idea if I was doing it right or not. These days I still don’t read a ton of paranormals (especially when writing) so I’m not influenced by other authors’ ideas. But I love reading them when I’m working on something else. I think it’s important to see what others’ in your genre are doing.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?
EN: Crete. Haven’t gotten there yet but I will. Someday soon!

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?
EN: Right now I’m reading Cover Me by Catherine Mann. I also have Tawna Fenske’s Making Waves on my nightstand. My comfort reads include older books by Judith McNaught, Elizabeth Lowell and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?
EN: Hmm…that’s a tough question! I love a good party so I might be doing some form of party planning or even interior design (another hobby of mine…since I don’t have a white wall in my house and my husband has told me there’s nothing left to decorate, I’d likely be doing that for others.)

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?
EN: The EG books tend to be dark and violent and to get into the mindset of my guys, I’ve got a lot of Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park, Staind and Skillet on my ipod. But I’m also fairly eclectic in my listening habits so I also have Emmy Rossum, Kenny Chesney, even a little Enya mixed in. When I’m actually WRITING though, I can’t listen to anything with words so I gravitate toward film scores. Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Spirit and Transformers tend to be my favs.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?
EN: Champagne. I love a good mimosa in the morning. But I save those for special occasions.

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?
EN: My characters live inside my head. I know character long before plot, and let the stories grow organically from there. At times I feel like I have multiple personalities, but that goes hand in hand with the writing career (at least for me!) at times.

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?
EN: A little of both. My critique partner calls it “plotting into the mist”. I can see about 3 chapters ahead in every book. Often I can see the ending, but not the path to get there. Figuring it all out is the fun part of writing to me.

TBRG: How did you come up with this series?

EN: I have loved Greek mythology from the time I was a kid. I love reading about the different stories, the tragedies, the romances, the lies and betrayals. I mean, today’s soap operas can’t even compare to the ancient myths! When I was researching Stolen Fury—my debut book—I spent a lot of time studying different myths as there was a Greek artifact in that book that all the major players were searching for. Midway through that research I knew I wanted to write a series linked to that mythology, and I had a really cool idea about this otherworldly warrior who has to find a human woman who will complete a prophecy to save his world but who will die in the process. The problem? I was writing romantic suspense at the time and I wasn’t quite sure how to make that awesome idea work.

Then one day I was perusing blogs, and an author asked what type of paranormal creatures readers would like to read more of. Someone suggested the heroes from Greek mythology and suddenly…everything clicked. The idea for the Eternal Guardians hit me and made perfect sense. So I wrote the book, sent it to my agent, and it eventually became MARKED, book one in the Eternal Guardians Series.

TBRG: I for one am glad that everything clicked for you… I love this series and the book covers are very eye catching.

TBRG: Tell us about this new book?

EN: Tempted is the third book in the Eternal Guardians series but if you’re new to the series you don’t have to read the other two to figure out what’s going on. The Eternal Guardians are seven warriors descended from the seven greatest heroes in all of Ancient Greece. They were slated—by Zeus—to protect the mortal realm from one vengeful goddess intent on annihilation. Tempted is Demetrius’s book. He’s a descendent of Jason, the famed hero who gathered the Argonauts on the Argos and sailed in search of the Golden Fleece. During that voyage, Jason fell in love with a sorceress—Medea—and Demetrius can trace his roots back to both. In Tempted, the princess of Argolea is kidnapped and Demetrius is sent to save her. But he’s not what everyone thinks he is and things do not go as planned. There’s witchcraft, daemons, mythological monsters, deadly secrets and a smokin’ hot romance in this book. A little of something for everyone!

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Demetrius and Isa?
EN: They both go through significant character changes in this book. Neither is what readers expect when they start the book, and they’re different people when it ends. Watching them each transform—and those barriers they’ve each built around themselves so long crumble—is one of my favorite things about the book.

TBRG: If you had to describe Demetrius and Isa using 3-5 adjectives what would they be?
EN: Demetrius – dark, brooding, alpha, loyal and secretive. Isadora – petite, timid, unappreciated, compassionate and fierce.

TBRG: If I send you a box of Jean Phillipe chocolate covered strawberries will you PLEASE tell us whose story you are working on right now? Angela thinks it is Orpheous, and I’m hoping for Nick.
EN: LOL…I can always be bribed!

Book four is Orpheus’s book. Though Orpheus technically isn’t one of the Eternal Guardians, he plays a big role in Tempted and his book—Enraptured—picks up where Tempted left off. Don’t worry though, I have plans for Nick and his book is going to be really good.

TBRG: DH ordered the strawberries and they will soon be on their way to you!

*** Time for the fun part, we have 2 copies of Tempted to give away, just tell us what Myth, Hero, Legend you love to see in books. Contest rules apply, you need follow us on twitter, like us on FB, then go and follow Elisabeth on twitter and like her on FB. Contest open to US and Canada only.***

TEMPTED BY ELISABETH NAUGHTON – IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2011

DEMETRIUS—He’s the hulking, brooding warrior even his fellow Guardians avoid. Too dark. Too damaged. And given his heritage, he knows it’s best to keep everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora is missing. The words pound through his head like a frantic drumbeat. For her own protection, Demetrius did all he could to avoid the fragile princess, his soul mate. And now she’s gone—kidnapped. To get her back, he’ll have to go to the black place in his soul he’s always shunned.

As daemons ravage the human realm and his loyalty to the Guardians is put to the ultimate test, Demetrius realizes that Isadora is stronger than anyone thought.

And finally letting her into his heart may be the only way to save them both.

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test-tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full-time from her home in western Oregon, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards, including the prestigious RITA Awards of Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, the Golden Leaf, and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ball park, or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.elisabethnaughton.com to learn more about her and her books. Her next book in the Eternal Guardians series, Enraptured, will be in stores in April 2012.

Like Elisabeth on facebook follow her on twitter

Posted in Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Elisabeth Naughton, Giveaway, interview

Erin Quinn interview + giveaway

Posted on September 19, 2011 by TBRG| 14 Comments

When we were at RomCon this year we meet another new to us author Erin Quinn. We had a blast getting to know her over the course of the week-end. We even discovered that we had brought a copy of her book with us to give away. Melanie decided to pick it up and read it and then proceeded to make everyone we met read a paragraph on page 4.

Erin has lots of goodness coming out this month and next month and we wanted her to come on so that you guys can get to know her and her very amazing books. The first book in her Mists of Ireland Haunting Beauty was re-released this month, and the fourth book Haunting Embrace comes out on Oct 4^th. She also re-released her book Echoes this month.

EQ: Heather and Melanie, I met so many fabulous people over that weekend, but you two were the absolute frosting on the cake of the conference. I love (love, love, LOVE) meeting readers (and not just of my books, lol) and talking about what’s good and what’s not and you both are “in the know.”

Anyway, thank you for inviting me to come be a guest on your blog!

But of course we would invite you on, we love you

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

EQ: You’ll laugh, but here it is: EB White and Stephen King. I learned from both of them that a story can be about anything. (A pig and a spider… A rabid dog…). EB taught me that emotion is the heart of any good tale. Stephen King—well, I personally think he’s one of the most brilliant writers to ever breathe. If you look at the diverse tales he’s penned (The Shawshank Redemption, The Stand, The Green Mile, Salem’s Lot and on and on and on). His characterizations are legend, IMHO.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

EQ: I’ve sat in the gas chamber at Florence Penitentiary and lived to tell about. J

TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?

EQ: Oh hell, I can’t remember! I can tell you that I became addicted to Harlequin Presents at a young age, devoured every one of them in the library and then ordered them by subscription when they didn’t come fast enough. Anne Mather was my favorite because once—(and remember this was a LONG time ago—so long, that I’m not going to tell you how long, ha ha)—her hero used tongue when he kissed the heroine and it was the first time I’d ever read such a thing. Since I hadn’t, myself, been kissed with or without tongue, I was quite titillated by it.

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

EQ: Right now, I’m reading my friend Sylvia Day’s Seven Years to Sin. Love Sylvia and her books. I can’t tell you who my go-to authors are because the list is so long that it boggles the mind. I was recently scanning my Kindle account and I read an average of 8 books a month—that’s on top of a full time job, a writing career, husband, kids and school (yes, I’m in school, still slogging through for that piece of paper that says I’m as smart as I think I am.)

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

EQ: I honestly can’t answer that question. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid.

TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?

EQ: Reading in the bathtub. My kids call it marinating because I’m in there so long.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

EQ: I don’t listen to music while I write—it distracts me. I tell myself my story as I write it, so I’m talking out loud during the process. However, my latest’s favs: Save Me San Francisco (Train), Mockingbird (Rob Thomas), Edge of Glory (Lady Gaga) and Remind Me (Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood)

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

EQ: Outerspace. There’s no other possible explanation

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?

EQ: Total pantser. I wish I was a plotter.

TBRG: How did you come up with Mists of Ireland Series?

EQ: I really don’t even know where to begin on that one. When I’m writing, I sometimes feel like there’s a direct link from my creativity to my fingertips and I’m channeling something outside myself. It’s when my brain gets involved that the writing is difficult, ha ha.

TBRG: Tell us about the series?

EQ: The Mists of Ireland series takes readers to Ireland to meet the families MacGrath and Ballagh. For centuries these two families have been entwined in love, jealousy and the mysticism surrounding an ancient tome called the Book of Fennore. Surrounded by lore and superstition, this ancient Book wreaks havoc on humanity—but when it falls into the hands of the MacGraths and Ballaghs, it ignites powers within them that make them its most formidable enemy.

TBRG: okay I have to put this in here, aren’t these cover absolutely gorgeous.

TBRG: Tell us about the Haunting Beauty and Haunting Embrace?

EQ: Haunting Beauty is the first book in the series and Haunting Embrace is the last. In Haunting Beauty, readers’ meet Danni Jones, who doesn’t believe in destiny until the seductive Sean Ballagh shows up at her door and the two travel through time back to Ireland, to a moment in her own past when her life was destroyed, giving her the chance to change everything and rewrite history.

Each book was written to stand alone and if you haven’t read the others, you should be able to jump in anywhere. (I think you started with the third book Melanie). That said, in Haunting Embrace, readers’ discover the answers to questions posed throughout the series. Meaghan Ballagh meets Áedán Brady in the world of Fennore and together they time travel to small town where Meaghan grew up, in the era of her grandparents. What she doesn’t know is that within her surges the blood of a sorceress whose ancient love for a druid ended in treachery—a druid who just happens to be Áedán. To survive, she must piece together the history of the woman who haunts her and the man who needs her—while not destroying her own future and his.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about Danni and Sean and Meaghan and Áedán?

EQ: When I finished Haunting Beauty, I thought I’d wrecked myself for any other man. I loved Sean so much that I had a hard time moving on. And then I started the second book, Haunting Warrior and OMG—Rory became the man of my dreams….until I started Haunting Desire and then it was Tiarnan who I’d tortured to no end in Haunting Warrior. When I got to Áedán, I wasn’t sure how he could compete with the others but I sooo underestimated him. I finished Haunting Embrace months ago, and I’m still thinking of Áedán, of the hard road he had to traverse, of the wonderful hero he became. As for Danni and Meaghan (and Saraid and Shealy)—I had to write the perfect women for all of these men—women who had inner strength and fortitude, but who also had vulnerability and a capacity for love and forgiveness.

TBRG: What are you working on now?

EQ: I’m working on something totally new that I’m very excited about—but it’s too soon for me to talk about it. I haven’t yet proposed it to my publisher and I’m still in that gooey stage where all the ideas are in my head and slowly coming together on paper. BUT I also have a novella coming out with wonderful authors Calista Fox and Mary Leo next month. It’s called Touch of Twilight and will be released in the next few weeks! Hope you’ll look for it!

***Thanks again for having me as guest! I’d love to give away a copy of Haunting Warrior to one lucky commenter, so talk to me! Contest rules apply, you need to leave a comment here, follow us and Erin on twitter and FB. If you don’t have a twitter or FB account that is okay you can still follow Erin on her blog. ***

Erin Quinn (also known as Erin Grady) is an award winning author. Writing as Quinn, her titles include the Berkley Mists of Irelandseries HAUNTING BEAUTY, HAUNTING WARRIOR, HAUNTING DESIRE and HAUNTING EMBRACE (Oct 2011.). Writing as Erin Grady, she has three stand alone titles, also by Berkley, the most recent of which are WHISPERS and ECHOES. Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Golden Quill, Best Books, Book Buyers Best, Booksellers Best, Award of Excellence, and Readers Crown.

You can find Erin around the web at the following places

her blog Quinn Essentials

her website Erin Quinn

on twitter ErinQuinnAuthor

and on facebook

Posted in Giveaway, Interviews

Tagged Erin Quinn, Giveaway, interview

Katharine Ashe Interview + giveaway

Posted on September 13, 2011 by TBRG| 56 Comments

We are excited to welcome Katharine Ashe to our site today. This is Katharine’s first visit to our little spot in cyber space, and want to make her feel welcome, and want to come back. She is here to talk about her brand new book, In the Arms of a Marquess, out this month, and let us get to know her a bit better as well. This book is also part of the K.I.S.S and Teal program.

TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?

KA: Other novelists. Reading my favorite authors’ books I’ve learned what moves me, delights me, makes me weep and laugh out loud and feel intensely. My favorite authors include romance novelists, historical novelists, essayists, and writers from ages long gone by.

TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?

KA: I love professional and college ice hockey. Love. But maybe that wouldn’t come as a surprise to my readers. Hockey has all the danger, drama, and unpredictability I like to fill my books with. And strong, handsome men battling for their lives. Naturally.

TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?

KA: St. Petersburg, Russia. Romantic, grand, full of spectacular, epic legends.

TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?

KA: There are so many fabulous authors it’s hard to name just a few! I’m about to read Rachel Gibson’s latest, with Melissa Marr’s DARKEST MERCY next in line, and Tim Tyson’s BLOOD DONE SIGN MY NAME after that. For historical romance I go straight to Liz Carlyle, Eloisa James, and Lisa Kleypas.

TBRG: I loved the last Rachel Gibson book..what a great hero Sam made.

TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?

KA: Nothing! (Scandalous question!) Actually, I’m a professor of history. But I think I’d like to be a dog walker. Or maybe a gardener. Or a meteorologist. Or a test driver for Mustang convertibles. Or a researcher on Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso. Or a professional champagne taster.

TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?

KA: The playlist for my new novel, IN THE ARMS OF A MARQUESS, helped me shape the romantic journey of the hero and heroine, Ben and Octavia. And an intensely emotional journey theirs is! Here are a few songs from that playlist:

“You’ll Ask for Me” – Tyler Hilton

“Replace You” – Samantha Moore

“Vulnerable” – Secondhand Serenade

“Animals on Fire” – Kate Walsh

“Fear” – Sarah Mclachlan

“New Divide” – Linkin Park

“Here With Me” – Dido

“You and Me” – Lifehouse

“Shine” – Rosi Golan

TBRG: What a great play list New Divide is one of my personal favorite songs.

TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?

KA: They present themselves to me. For instance, I first met Miss Octavia Pierce on the verge of sixteen sprawled in a chair with her coltishly long legs thrown over the arm like a thorough hoyden, reading an Atlas of the World. She was a minor character in the book I was writing at the time (her sister’s story). Still, instantly I knew Octavia would have a grand adventure.

Shortly thereafter I met Lord Ben Doreé on a snowy night in the corridor of a country greathouse that I was writing. In that scene in the first book of my Rogues of the Sea trilogy (SWEPT AWAY BY A KISS), that hero told his lady that the work he did upon the sea saving others — noble, honorable, perilous work — had a wealthy patron. And (here’s where it gets weird) there was Ben standing behind me while I wrote, telling me he was that patron, he the powerful man of mystery behind that noble work. I’d never met him before. But there he was, all tall and lordly and deliciously gorgeous, and quite confident of himself. And he said he wanted Octavia — a girl whose heart matched his perfectly — to be his heroine.

Yes, it’s nuts. But I swear to you that is how it happened. That is how it happens every time. A minor character — usually a woman — lifts off the page while I’m writing, and almost immediately her hero makes himself present to me.

TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?

KA: I begin with the couple — the hero and heroine — and their romantic dynamic. They tell me who they are (as I noted above), I throw them together (which makes them happy) and they tell me what they think of each other (honestly), then I torment them. I make it impossible for them to be in love easily. But since I care about them a lot I also give them a taste of bliss and satisfaction. Then I torment them again. Then more bliss, more torment, and so on until the ultimate bliss of Happily Ever After. At some point during the first few chapters of this I plot out their whole story. So yes I do plan, guided by the lovers’ needs and fears and dreams and by my own addiction to deeply emotional roller-coaster romance.

TBRG: How are the books in your Rogues of the Sea series connected?

KA: Loosely. The Prologue of my novella, A LADY’S WISH, actually best explains the connection between the heroes of the three novels of the series. (That Prologue is on my Yahoo Free Reads group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/katharineashenews/ ) The novels in the trilogy can easily be read stand-alone.

TBRG: Tell us about In the Arms of a Marquess?

KA: Seven years ago in the exotic heat of the East, a girl about to enter society and a wild young lord tumbled into first love… passionate love… forbidden love. Then they were torn apart. Now Octavia has returned to England, but Ben is no longer the man she lost her heart to. Instead he is a powerful, wealthy lord. He has never forgotten her, the taste of her lips or the touch of her hand. This time danger threatens, and he will do anything to protect her… and to have her again.

TBRG: What do you love most about Ben and Tavy?

KA: That they’re perfect for each other. That they’ve been in love for years despite forces that have kept them apart, including their own fears and misperceptions. That they cannot get enough of each other. That ultimately they will do anything — anything — to be together.

TBRG: Where did this story come from?

KA: Since reading M.M. Kaye’s The Far Pavilions as a teenager, I’ve adored the history of British India — the dangers and adventures and beauty and passions of that time and place. Octavia and Ben’s romance, settled firmly in Regency England, nevertheless allowed me to write the sort of epic love story that defies society’s rules and expectations.

TBRG: What do you want us to know about this book?

KA: In her Barnes & Noble column on romance fiction last week, New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James said, “Every woman who ever dreamed of having a titled lord at her feet will love this novel.”

TBRG: What are you working on now?

KA: My Falcon Club Series debuts in February 2012. One night, behind the façade of a townhouse that looks like a mere gentleman’s club, five British secret agents abruptly quit! But what’s an ex-secret agent to do now with all the spare time? In Book #1, WHEN A SCOT LOVES A LADY, a snowstorm throws a scandal-plagued London spinster into the arms of a roguish lord. The beauty suspects that succumbing to the beast’s seduction may be the only way to tame him, until she discovers the beast is in fact no beast at all…

TBRG: This book is a part of Harper Collins/Avon’s K.I.S.S and Teal program, what made you want to participate in it?

KA: As a writer and historian I’m all about spreading the word, especially when the word whispers but needs to be shouted out instead. Knowledge is empowering, and I love helping other women feel empowered. I also have friends who have suffered from Ovarian Cancer and wish they’d known earlier what signs to look for. I’m excited and honored to be part of Avon’s K.I.S.S and Teal campaign to spread awareness of the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer. Let’s all SHOUT against the whisper!

TBRG: One a side note when I putting together this post I saw that Katharine has been inside the hallow halls of the Vatican Library..can I say JEALOUS!! Course I loved the fact that instead of looking at all the amazing works there she instead wrote a romance story.

***We have 4 copies of this book to giveaway, all you have to do follow us on twitter (if you aren’t already) like us on fb, oh and ask Katharine a question***

Katharine writes lush, sexy historical romances. A professor of European History, she lives with her husband, son, two dogs, and a whole bunch of plants about two hours from the Atlantic Ocean.