I’m waiting in the hall as we are all so psyched to have an awesome author with us today. Pearl was the first of the ROOB Posse to read a Breed novel and infected us with her enthusiasm. Read all her Breed reviews here We even shocked a small town village with Breed talk in a restaurant, but that a story for a different time. I take a final peek in the “naughty chick parlor” if all is set when the door bell rings, I open with a big grin on my face; Hello Lora Leigh, welcome in the ROOB mansion.

I take a deep breath, let the fan girl anxiety exit my body and guide Lora Leigh to the parlor, asking her if she want anything to drink or eat.

LL: Hello Leontine, thank you so much for the invitation and for allowing me to visit with you and yours for a while. And I would love a shot of Crown Royal and a Bud light if you have both on hand. 

I hope you’re comfy enough to get this interview kickin’:)

LL: (Settles back in an exquisitely comfortable parlor chair and smiles back) I’m perfectly comfortable, ask away.

ROOB Q 1: These are exciting times for you. First of all, last month was your annual RAW fundraiser. Where did you get the idea to hold a convention where authors bundle their forces to raise money for two causes: abused children and wildlife preserve? And perhaps you can share a funny or heartwarming anecdote with us?

LL: Yes, these are very exciting times, and I hope the readers are still sharing in the excitement. RAW, the Readers Appreciation Weekend has been an amazing venture for me. The idea came about after several years of traveling to other author events. I noticed I hadn’t heard of an event that was completely reader specific. In other words, one that focused entirely on the reader and the appreciation we as authors have for those readers. I wanted an event where I could socialize in a more relaxed atmosphere without stressing over appointments, workshops, etc.

From there, the Readers Appreciation Weekend was born. An event that caters to the readers, that gives us as authors the chance to show our readers how important they are to us, in a controlled number that gives us the chance and the time to focus on each one. To listen to their love of the books, discuss the plots and characters, and just have a damn good time.

The parties were something I had to research, because I’d never thrown or attended a party in my life.

That first year, I decided to have a slumber party on Friday night. I’d always wanted to go to or have a slumber party, but never had. I was always really shy when I was younger and didn’t have a lot of friends, so I hadn’t attended a slumber party myself. So this was my chance to not just attend one, but to host one as well.

That first weekend, on Saturday we had the 80’s dance night, the idea of a costume party came later. We dressed as though it were 1983 all over again, listened to our favorite music hits during a pig roast picnic and later danced to those favored tunes.

The raffle baskets from authors, I’m not certain when that came in. I believe the raffle baskets came in that first year as well as the idea of contributing in some way to a school or children.

ROOB Q 2: Second, October is the month of another BREED release titled; STYX’S STORM. Can you tell us what it’s like to write such an extensive, long-running series? What are the pros and cons and who are the characters most near and dear to you?

LL: Pros? Hmm, you always get to revisit favorite characters, locations and even in some cases, favorite villains. It’s comforting I think, like visiting with friends and sharing a good cup of coffee. It’s building a world, characters and relationships and sharing that world that once, only you saw. Now, I get to live in it with my readers as well, and that’s the most exciting thing I believe I’ve ever known.

The Cons? *sigh* You forget eye color sometimes, height, age, etc. The little details get mixed up and sometimes you mistake one friend for another. Or rather character. 

ROOB Q 3: In extension of the previous question. What are the essential ingredients to keep the Breed overall story arc going and to keep it intriguing without making it overwhelming?

LL: The love of the series, the characters and the world you’re building. If I didn’t love it, if I didn’t crave being a part of that world, then it would have definitely become overwhelming long ago. Not that certain books aren’t overwhelming on their own, because they are. Some of the books have had me screaming because the characters aren’t talking to me, or I can’t seem to get into their heads as I need to.

There’s a lot of components that go into series such as this, and sometimes, I forget things. Well, often I would forget things until I begin making cards for each series I’m doing. Now, I’ve found I have over 1200 characters in all the series, and that doesn’t count the characters I’ve killed off. LOL

ROOB Q 4: Do you do any research for your Breed novels?

LL: I’ve had to do tons of research, especially on genetic mutations and testing. I’ve had to do considerable research on certain types of military and guerrilla training as well as hours upon hours of research on test tube conception and all the risks and steps involved in it, just so I would kinda sorta understand as much as I could.

I’m not a science person, but when this series came to mind, I couldn’t put it aside. I had to write it.

ROOB Q 5: We book-addicts are curios as can be and the cover summary of STYX’S STORM is torturing short. Can you tell us a bit more about Storme Montague, Wolf Breed Styx and their story?

LL: Unfortunately, the story completely changed between the blurb being written and the book being written. I’m several months behind on deadlines, and trying desperately to catch up due to the past two years and the changes that have taken place in my life.

A divorce, a move. Learning to live as my own boss and to raise a teenage son who’s going through all that teenage angst that marks those years between fifteen and eighteen. I’ve become a grandmother, and I’m finally learning what being happy and being independent really means. I’m learning who I am, and as fun as it can be at times, it can also be painful, exhausting, and mind numbing.

And now back to your question. LOL Storme is having to learn lessons that mirror mine in some ways. She’s run for years from the breeds, hating them, wishing them all to disappear and even sometimes working in small ways with the purist societies that have risen up against them.

But what she’s never done is reveal the information her father gave her for safekeeping. Information that in the breeds hands could potentially save them. But in their enemies hands, it could destroy them.

Jonas has known she’s had this all along, and wanted her to have the opportunity to grow up, to realize on her own that the breeds that killed her family were everyone’s enemy, but the breed society would never be her enemy.

He can’t give her anymore time though. With the injection his daughter Amber was given, and the fear that one day it could endanger her life, Jonas sends Styx to capture her. The serum Amber was injected with was based on the work done by Storme’s father and brother. Jonas has to have that research, and Styx has to have the woman that’s haunted his fantasies for so many years.

Styx takes her back to Haven to convince her to give him that research as well to give her a chance to learn that the breeds aren’t the monsters she believes they are.

I like to think in Styx’s book that you see the depth of what the breeds and the mating heat can be. As in previous books, the mating heat is reacting differently, as it often will, on Styx and Storme versus other mates. It’s less violent in its intensity and less painful. But in slowing the heat down, two characters who had a lot of emotional growing to do, were given that chance. And I hope the reader sees that growth and perhaps in ways can identify with it.

Storme is learning who she is, and learning how wrong she was while Styx is realizing the pleasure, but most importantly the comfort from knowing that finally, he belongs.

ROOB Q 6: What surprised you most in writing STYX’S STORM and what did you do when you hit a rough patch?

LL: This was one of those books that can leave an author crying more nights than not. Styx fought me, Storme fought me and they fought each other. It was a book that I wondered if I would ever finish simply because the characters would become so difficult at times.

I think those rough patches surprised me the most, but running a close second to it, was seeing the changes in Haven, the Wolf Breed community. The sense of family that’s establishing, and how the wolf and coyote breeds are finally merging. I didn’t expect it this soon, and the advance has altered the future arcs in several small ways.

ROOB Q 7: Eroticism according to Lora Leigh is...?

love. More to the point, the sensual, physical expression of love. To me, it’s not erotic, its not even sensual if the love isn’t there. That is the ingredient that erotic can’t exist without for me. The love amplifies the pleasure and the eroticism that exists when two people, make love.

ROOB Q 8: I think this question may be one of the most frequent asked question asked but the children of the Breeds, will they ever receive a story of their own? Is that super secret Breed info not to be disclosed or can you speak up about certain details?

LL: I do have the breed children planned into upcoming arcs in the breeds.

Cassie, David, Amber, Sherra’s son, Tanner and Schemes children. I have stories in my head, but details rarely remain consistent when there’s more than a few months when the book is to be written, so I prefer not to give them. But the stories are planned, so hopefully the readers will continue to enjoy the books enough to ensure that the continued success of that world.

ROOB Q 9: What did you do to celebrate typing ‘The End’ for STYX’S STORM

LL: I began plotting my next book. LOL That’s how I celebrate the ending of most books. I go right into the next now, especially now with the deadlines on many of them having already passed.

Thank you so much for being here and answer all our questions!

For autographed books http://www.dreamsbynight.com/

my website http://www.loraleigh.com/

Readers Appreciation Weekend http://www.readerappreciationweekend.com/

Thanks Leontine for this opportunity to talk to you and your readers. I hope everyone enjoys Styx’s Storm, and the Breeds, and that you keep coming back to read more.


Giveaway: Three Lora Leigh sleep shirts (fits up to 2xl) :) Leave a comment and the winner will be announced on October 18th.

I’m a bit nervous as I step into the Pork Pit but the smell of grease and spices in the air makes my belly rumble in hunger. I have a lunch date with Gin “The Spider” Blanco and I did not want to pass up on such an opportunity. I mean, how many gals like me get to ask an assassin some questions?

I walk to the bar, take a seat and patiently await Gin’s arrival/acknowledgement of me.

Gin looks up from the paperback book that she’s reading. She uses a credit card receipt to mark her place, then gets to her feet and walks toward me.

“What’ll it be?” she says, pulling an order pad and pen out of the back pocket of her jeans.

I glance at the menu, “I would love one of those famous BBQ beef sandwiches.” And my stomach growls in agreement.

As the order is being processed I look at Gin, “let’s start this interview then!”

Q 1: What can we know about Gin Blanco that doesn’t get us in to trouble?

Gin: *Snorts.* Please. Trouble is my middle name, sweetheart. But since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you a little about myself.

Basically, I’ve spent most of my days walking through the shady side of life as the assassin known as the Spider. Yep, I was an assassin, someone who killed people for money – a lot of people for a lot of money. I did it to survive, mostly, and because it was something that I was good at.

A couple of months ago, though, I decided to retire from the life. So now, I spend my days running the Pork Pit and serving up the finest barbecue in Ashland and the rest of the South. That’s my day job.

At night, well, let’s just say that I haven’t put the Spider persona completely to rest just yet. I keep getting mixed up with these people – good, decent folks – who have problems that can only be solved by an assassin like the Spider.

So far, my retirement’s turning out to be just as dangerous as being an assassin full-time ever was. Helping folks who truly need it isn’t a bad way to pass the time, though – even if I usually end up bruised, broken, and bloody by the end of the night.

Q 2: The story of you so far, can you give us a brief overview “Gin style” for those who haven’t met you?

Gin: My name is Gin, and I kill people. That’s it in a nutshell. Oh, you want more info? Well, here’s the short version.

My family was brutually murdered by a Fire elemental when I was 13. I bummed around on the streets for a while before Fletcher Lane, the owner of the Pork Pit, took me in. Fletcher trained me to be an assassin and dubbed me the Spider. The old man was like the father that I never had, and I loved him dearly. But Fletcher was murdered not too long ago, right here in the Pork Pit. Of course, I took care of the Air elemental who killed him and the rest of her cronies – Spider style.

I also eliminated a greedy dwarven mine owner who was threatening one of Fletcher’s friends and his granddaughter.

More recently, I’ve learned who killed my family and the fact that my baby sister, Bria, is still alive. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do about either one of those situations, but one thing is for sure – someone’s going to die along the way.

Q 3: Gin Blanco on romance in her life? *Gin puts a plate in front of me with a hot, thick, juicy barbecue beef sandwich and a small bowl of baked beans. HHmmmm Gin, that’s a sneaky way to distract me from your love life. Jeez this food smells so good my mouth waters. I still need an answers though…

Gin: Let’s just say that I’m not as good at all the romantic stuff as I am at killing people. And I hate talking about my feelings.

Sometimes, I think about settling down – or at least finding a guy to have a little fun with. It’s hard to get serious with someone when you’re always coming over late at night with blood on your clothes.

I thought Detective Donovan Caine was a promising candidate, since we worked together and hooked up a few times, but the detective just couldn’t get over my past as an assassin. He let his morals and black-and-white code get in the way of what we could have had together. Yeah, I’m still pissed that he broke things off with me, especially since I was willing to give him a chance and he turned his back on me.

But there’s another guy circling around me – sexy businessman Owen Grayson. Owen’s made it clear that he wants me, but I’m not so sure that I want to start up something new with someone else. Even assassins need time to lick their wounds.

But Owen doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily ...

Q 4: What is the best and the worst of being a Stone and Ice elemental?

Gin: The best parts are the cool things that I can do with my magic, like using my Stone power to make my skin as hard as marble so nothing can hurt me. Or when I use my Ice magic to make small shapes, like lockpicks. Those come in real handy in my line of work.

The worst part is knowing that my magic isn’t full-proof and that it doesn’t make me invincible. That one day, I’m going to meet someone who’s elemental magic is stronger than mine – and that maybe she’ll get the best of me because of it.

Q 5: In extension of Q4, what other elementals are out there and what is it like to live in Ashland. I might one day think of moving here so inquiring minds want to know *smiles*

-I’m munching on a sandwich in the meantime and I need to control myself not to wolf it down. It’s that good *nom nom nom*-

Gin: Ashland is one of the dirtiest, violent, most corrupt cities that you could ever set foot in. Batman thinks he has it bad up there in Gotham. Heh. He needs to come down to Ashland sometime and get a gander at our criminals, yours truly included.

The city is divided into two sections – Northtown and Southtown. The poor, blue collar folks live in Southtown, along with the vampire hookers, their pimps, and junkies. Southtown is not the kind of place you want to visit – ever. As for Northtown, well, that’s where the rich folks live, but that doesn’t mean that part of Ashland is any less dangerous. In Northtown, people will call you sugar to your face before they stab you in the back.

Besides Stone and Ice, there are also Air and Fire elementals, as well as folks who can tap into offshoots of the four elements. For example, some people can manipulate metal, water, and electricity. Magic has many quirks, so there’s always someone with some new power popping up in town.

Q 6: Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Can you give us the 411 on Finnegan Lane, Owen Grayson and Detective Donavan Caine? I’m afraid us female readers have quite an interest in them *grin*

Gin: Well, Finn is the son of my handler Fletcher Lane. Finn is basically my foster brother. He also happens to be a greedy, womanizing investment banker who loves money and all the pretty things that he can buy with it. Naturally, the ladies all love Finn, and he loves them all right back.

Owen Grayson is a sexy businessman that I’ve recently become aquainted with. I don’t know too much about Owen yet, except that he has a strange interest in me – and that I’m attracted to him far more than I like.

As for Detective Donovan Caine, he was one of the few honest cops in Ashland. We worked together a few times, although our ideas of justice radically clashed. He liked putting people in jail, while I preferred burying them in the ground. Still, we had a few steamy encounters – before Donovan broke things off and left Ashland. Good riddance, I say. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself ...

Q 7: You were once an assassin freshman, what did your basic training entail? Was it a “wax on-wax off kind off” type of learning?

Gin: Fletcher Lane, the old man who was my handler, wasn’t much for wax-on, wax-off. Instead, I learned by doing. The old man taught me everything that he knew about being an assassin – how to fight, how to kill, and how to get away after the fact.

Q 8: What do you do to relax in your off time?

Gin: I like to cook, read, spend time with family and friends, and sharpen my silverstone knives when they need it. I’m a simple girl that way.

Q 9: I’m a total dessert girl in the kitchen but what is your favorite recipe to make?

Gin: I’m with you – I love a good dessert. One of my favorite recipes to make is a Chocolate Chip Pound Cake – it’s defiinitely a chocolate lover’s dream. One of my favorite recipes to eat is a Mountain Dew cake. It’s a sweet treat that uses Mountain Dew to give it even more of a sugar rush. You find both recipes here: http://www.jenniferestep.com/books-series/elemental-assassin-series/

Q 10: Do you think we can get a peek in to the super secret files of VENOM and have a small excerpt?

Gin: Sure.

Finn got to his feet, straightened his tie, smoothed down his walnut-colored hair, and stepped into the swirling crowd. He strutted toward the Ice bar, probably to ask the bartender about Xavier. His path took him close to the edge of the dance floor. The blond hooker he’d been eyeing blew Finn a kiss. He grinned and veered in her direction. Less than three minutes later, the two of them were ensconced at the bar, drinking martinis and making goo-goo eyes at each other.

I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. A pretty face and tight body could distract Finnegan Lane from his own funeral. I should just have told him I was leaving. I reached for my cell phone to text him that news flash, when a shadow fell over me.

“Why, Gin, what a lovely surprise,” a male voice murmured.

I looked up to find Owen Grayson standing in front of my booth. Like Finn, Grayson wore a rich suit, black in his case, with a charcoal gray shirt underneath. The fabric accentuated his compact, sturdy figure, which always reminded me of a dwarf’s stocky physique. But at six foot one, Grayson was far too tall to be a dwarf.

His glossy, blue-black hair gleamed under the club’s muted lights. So did his eyes, which were a light violet. A white, thin scar slashed down his chin. The faint mark would have ruined the look of another man’s face, but it added a hard, sexy, dangerous edge to Grayson’s features, giving him a roguish, rakish air. Or maybe that was just because I liked the rest of the package so much. Owen Grayson knew how to wear a suit very well, and I couldn’t help but speculate what lay beneath his designer duds. Somehow, I knew it would be as appealing as the rest of him.

Still, despite the slick, expensive threads, Grayson looked like the kind of guy who’d taken more than one punch in his time. A real fighter through and through. The strong, self-assured way he carried himself only made him more impressive to me. I’d always admired confidence—especially when the person actually had something to be confident about. Since Owen Grayson was one of the richest businessmen in Ashland, he had millions of reasons to smile.

I’d met Grayson a couple of weeks ago back in November. His younger sister, Eva, had been eating at the Pork Pit when Jake McAllister had tried to rob the restaurant. Grayson thought he owed me something since I’d saved Eva from getting dead.
“Hello, Owen,” I replied. “What brings you here tonight?”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders straining against the fabric of his suit. “Eva wanted to come dancing.”
My eyes flicked over to the dance floor. Sure enough, I spotted Eva Grayson grooving in between a guy and another girl. Eva had the same coloring that Owen did, which made her look like a real-life version of Snow White. Add her rocking figure on top of that, and Eva attracted plenty of attention. She whirled away from one guy to turn and smile at another waiting at the edge of the dance floor. Eva crooked her finger, and the young man eagerly stepped into the fray surrounding her.
I looked back at Owen. “And you came along to babysit her?”
“I like to watch out for her,” he rumbled in a low voice. “Besides, she said I needed a night out of the house. Evidently, running my various business interests and adding to her trust fund isn’t exciting enough for her tastes.”
I smiled. Like most college-age girls, Eva enjoyed flirting with the opposite sex. Dancing the night away at Northern Aggression would be right up her alley—even if big brother Owen would be watching her every move.
“Care if I join you?” Owen asked.
I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Grayson unbuttoned his jacket and settled on the opposite side of the booth so he was sitting across from me. He signaled one of the waiters and ordered an expensive scotch. I requested another gin on the rocks, with a twist of lime this time. Maybe that would cut the bitter taste in my mouth.
Our drinks came back, and I took a healthy pull off mine. Nope, still bitter. I sighed and rubbed my index finger down the side of the glass, leaving a trail in the condensation that had already formed there.
“Something the matter?” Grayson asked, taking a sip of his scotch.
I shrugged again. “Just not in the mood to party tonight, I suppose.”
Owen stared at me with his violet eyes. “Perhaps you and I could go somewhere else. Make our own party.”
“Let me guess where that party would end . . . your bedroom?”
Grayson smiled. “Actually, I was thinking the nearest hotel myself. Why drive that far?”
“Back to wanting to sleep with me again?”
Grayson’s smile widened. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot.”

Gin, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my inquisitive questions. I enjoyed the lunch and I had fabulous company!

Gin: Thanks for stopping by the Pork Pit. I’m glad you enjoyed your meal. Y’all come back now, ya hear? ;-)

You can find the muse of Gin, aka Jennifer Estep at:
Website - Twitter - Facebook

The Giveaway: Jennifer Estep has generously provided one copy of VENOM which is for US/Canada only. BUT since we at ROOB love this series so much we also have one luck commenter win his or her choice in a copy of the Elemental Assassin series; Spider's Bite - Web Of Lies or Venom. Our giveaway is international or where the Book Depository Store ships. So there are two chances to win a copy YAY

All you have to do is leave a comment and if you have a question for Gin or Jennifer, please feel free to ask !!

Hi Kathryne :) Welcome here at the ROOB mansion! I would say; get yourself comfy, I’ll fix us something to drink and nibble on and let’s get talking about this new exciting series of yours!

Q: First of all, could you divulge a bit about the concept of THE ELVEN LORDS series?

It revolves around seven mad elven who opened the doorway into the human world, and took over England, carving it into seven sovereignties, each rich with their own magical power: fire, sea & sky, illusion, gemstone, earth, metal, and forest. They use human slaves to fight their wars for possession of the king, who has become nothing more than a trophy. They breed with humans to create champions for their games, and these half-breeds have formed a secret Rebellion with the humans to regain England’s freedom. Each book is the love story of a couple that significantly manages to attain that goal.

Q: How did you prepare yourself for setting up a new fantasy series, is it pure imagination or is there a lot of research involved too?

A bit of both. I had to do a lot of research into the eighteenth century, so I had it fixed in my head before I started writing.

Q: I’ve read on various occasions that this new series is darker and more sexy then your Relic Of Merlin series, if so, what do you consider to be more dark and sexy? What can the readers expect?

There are concepts in THE ELVEN LORDS that are difficult for me to write about. A sadistic father who tortures his son. A heroine who is a killer. A secret so evil that my hero has difficulty accepting it, even knowing the evil of the elven lords. So I was concerned that these elements might prove too dark for readers of the RELICS series. Thankfully, I think readers realize that it’s part of the characters and this new world. As far as more sexy, I think THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER has a lot of sensual scenes, more than I’ve ever written before, but I don’t believe the entire series is any more so. That said, the magic within this world allows me to create some unusual love scenes.

Q: I don’t know yet about other readers but Dominic Raikes was the jackpot for me as a leading male. Have you had many comments about him and what are his strengths and weaknesses?

As I had hoped, readers seem to have fallen as much in love with him as I did. He’s the most tortured hero I’ve written to date…literally. His strengths and weaknesses are many, but I think his greatest strength is his strong heart…which proves to be his greatest weakness, as well.

Q: There are many romantic and sexy moments in The Fire Lord’s Lover, which one is your favorite and can you give us a quote of it?

When I read this question, I wondered if we had the same scene in mind. I wrote an entire blog post about it for my virtual tour, and here’s a bit of the quote I used (I should mention for those who haven’t read the book that Dominic has the magical gift of fire, and there are varying degrees of heat, the yellow being gentle and warm):

Dominic called down one yellow flame, his eagerness making it dance and swirl. It touched her shoulder, made a circling motion, and her arm twitched at the gentle tickling heat. He called down another, sweeping the flame against the curve of her back. The next one he brought to her neck, made it curve beneath the fall of her hair and weave its way through the satiny strands of golden brown.
He envied his fire, for he wanted nothing more than to trace his own fingers across the paths on which he sent them. But he could touch her in a thousand places at once with the myriad flames, and it brought him pleasure to imagine her own. So he sent the tiny flickers to her more quickly. Some to warm her back.
More to weave within her hair. Yellow flames wove between her fingers, lightly moving her hands as they spun within her palms.
She pretended to ignore them.
Dominic traced her cheek with flame, eased more across her lips, and imagined his own mouth upon them when she sighed. He made the flames catch thcovers and lift them up, draw them down her body until he could see the curve of her hip, the long length of her legs, the small soles of her feet. A small shiver went through her from the chill air, and he quickly sent more whorls of yellow to caress her legs, play with her toes, flick over her hips.
He narrowed his eyes in concentration as she continued to ignore his magic, ruthlessly skimming her bottom with tendrils of flame, finally sending some to tickle the crease between her buttocks.
Cassandra let out a startled yelp and flipped onto her back.
Dominic continued to play with his fire as if he stroked the keys of some erotic instrument, his entire being caught up in bringing pleasure to his wife.
He hadn’t realized what intense satisfaction it would bring him.

Q: The Elven Lords themselves are highly intriguing creatures, can you tell a bit more about them?

The elven are beautiful beings (inspired by Legolas in Lord of the Rings) with grace, strength and natural talents unequaled in humans. And they have powerful magic, enhanced on earth by the seven scepters that they stole from their homeland. The seven are considered mad by their own people. They were bored with the peaceful land of Elfhame, longing for the challenge and excitement of a world constantly filled with strife, and looked to the human world. In many ways the elven are an exploration for me into the concept of peace, and whether it is truly attainable.

Q: What are the pros and cons of writing fantasy romance?

There are truly no cons for me…I love fantasy! But there are challenges to writing it. I can find myself overwhelmed by the limitless possibilities. My world has to be logical enough to make sense to my reader. I have to watch for small mistakes in the rules that I have established. I have to make a fantastical world feel truly real.

Q: What did you do to unwind from writing The Fire Lord’s Lover?

I’ll let you know as soon as that happens. :}

Q: What’s in store for us readers from Kathryne Kennedy in the near future?

Book two in THE ELVEN LORDS series, titled THE LADY OF THE STORM. I think you can guess whose story it is, after reading book one. :} My hero is cursed with a magic sword and my heroine with a power that she fears. In THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER, my h/h discover a clue to defeat the elven lords. In THE LADY OF THE STORM, my h/h brings you to the source of magic. And for book three (currently untitled) my h/h discover the true key to Elfhame.

Kathryne, thank for letting me pick your brain for a moment and talk about this awesome new series!!

It was my pleasure, Leontine. Thank you so much for having me!
General info:

THE FIRE LORD’S LOVER BY KATHRYNE KENNEDY—IN STORES JULY 2010

Kathryne Kennedy's historical fantasy romances have garnered awards and a growing readership. This exciting new series, set against the lavish backdrops of Georgian and Victorian England so beloved by romance readers, is deliciously dark and exciting.

Fighting for control of a kingdom that is split into seven domains, Elven warlords use their human slaves to breed an endless supply of soldiers for their armies. Dominic Raikes, the half-blood son of the Elven Lord himself is one such warrior. Betrothed to Lady Cassandra, who has been raised in a convent to keep her pure, he little suspects that she's been secretly trained as an assassin to murder his father. Dominic and Cassandra soon discover that each one is not what they seem, but the price of trust may be their very lives, and the destruction of the magical realm each is desperately trying to save…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathryne Kennedy is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: http://www.kathrynekennedy.com/

Amazon
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BooksAMillion
Chapters/Indigo
Kathryne’s Bookseller Directory

Leontine's review of THE FIRE LORD'S LOVER

 

Hi everyone,
I’d like to welcome Nancy Gideon to the ROOB blog who has three back-to-back releases coming; Masked by Moonlight (May 25, 2010) – Chased By Moonlight (Jun 29 2010) and Captured By Moonlight (July 27 2010).


Hello Nancy, welcome to Realms On Our Bookshelves, we’re so excited to have you here. Make yourself comfortable, grab something to drink and nibble on so we can get the 411 on these exciting upcoming releases.

Q ROOB: Can you give us a glimpse about yourself? When is your favorite time to write, what do you have at arm’s length from your computer? Do you have a favorite food (group) while writing? Are you a structured writer who needs to outline the whole story or one that just starts from an idea and goes from there? Do you do character profiling…in short, give it all to us!

A: I’ve been in the biz for a long, long time, back before writers had computers and when research was done in the library because there was no Internet. I’ve written around diapers, divorce, and full time employment, survived the collapse of the mid-list in the ‘90s and still LOVE what I do. With my six book contract for Pocket, I’m over the 50 romance novels sold mark and the only constant I’ve discovered is you have to be flexible to survive as a writer (able to adjust, not be a contortionist, thank goodness!). I’ve always picked my writing time around the path of least resistance: in the old days when my boys were napping, on the bleachers at Little League, after meals were made and dishes put away, or at 4:30 in the morning while everyone was sleeping. I’m a morning person, so the second the computer goes on, I’m working (as long as there’s coffee!). I’ve got a nice loft office in my apartment now where my laptop, works-in-progress, stacks of notes, poster of foreign book covers, and piles of ‘To Be Read’s keep me company.

I work a 40-hour week at a law office, but my home hours are my own so I can get up early or burn the midnight oil. I like it quiet when I work, no music for ambiance. I’m ADD and OCD so I have the ability to really focus on what I’m doing and the rest of the world falls away. When in need of a muse, I do sporadic housecleaning or jigsaw puzzles to channel my creativity.

I’ve always been a very regimented writer (that OCD thing), producing a set number of pages a day, giving myself strict deadlines, doing a 20-page outline that I’d stick to like MapQuest. But a funny thing happen with the first book of my BY MOONLIGHT series. I just started writing. No synopsis, no character sketches, no outline. Just typed while the story unfolded as if I was watching a mini-series on cable. I used to scoff at the idea of ‘Book of the Heart’ but now I’m a believer. These books just poured out in Technicolor with me along for the ride. They weren’t under contract, so I wrote them just for myself. I didn’t have to worry about pleasing anyone else or following any house rules. And I enjoyed every paragraph.

Q ROOB: First of all what I noticed while reading the blurbs is that all three books revolve around two main characters: detective Charlotte Caissie and Max Savoie. Can you give us a character description and a bit of their back-story?

A: Charlotte Caissie is a kick-butt New Orleans detective hiding a painful past. She’s on a mission to convict mobster Jimmy Legere who she believes responsible for her cop father’s murder. She’s all about the job, even when it requires her to use Jimmy’s right hand man to get close to him. But using Max Savoie isn’t without its own unique dangers, because there’s always been something different about Max, something that makes her trust him when she shies away from any other man. Maybe it’s because he isn’t one.

Max Savoie is a mystery, with no past, no ties to anyone except the crime boss who rescued him in the swamps as a child and now owns him heart and soul. But when Max risks his life to save Charlotte, he finds those fierce loyalties challenged, first by his feelings for the woman determined to destroy his world and then by an inheritance that comes with a price, as heir to a criminal empire and guardian over a group of shadowy shape-shifters.

Q ROOB: Which characters, main or secondary, took your heart instantly and can you tell us why?

A: Max. No question. I have a thing for dark, dangerous, tormented heroes. With his tragic past, haunting secrets, and the fact that he’s not human, the possibilities were endless and unpredictable. The fact that he loves Charlotte unconditionally is sigh-inducing. The fact that he’s willing to sacrifice everything for her, well, that’s the stuff of romance. I’ve enjoyed watching him evolve from obedient attack dog to clever and ferocious leader of his clan.

Q ROOB: Another thing what I wondered about is if this is going to be a trilogy with a conclusive romance for Charlotte and Max or is this just the beginning of a new series?

A: There are six contracted books so far in my By Moonlight series. The first four contain Max and Charlotte’s romance arc (those are finished) and the next two will feature different heroes and heroines, though the same cast of characters will continue as secondaries.

Q ROOB: The thing we never get enough of is the romance and passion in a novel. Can you give us a brief taste (quote) of the sizzling tension between Charlotte and Max?

Excerpt from CHASED BY MOONLIGHT:

“Don’t go. Please.”

Charlotte brushed her fingertips over the sharp angles of his face, adoring the strong, compelling lines. How easily she’d become addicted to him, to this. Once she’d surrendered to the drugging pleasures of his touch, she found it difficult to remember why she’d resisted him for so long.

She did a mental balancing now. Sex or murder? How was a girl to choose? He wasn’t making it any easier with that slow drag of his fingertips over the curve of her torso. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” was her shaky warning.

His eyes crinkled with wicked amusement. “It couldn’t be much harder than it already is. Are you sure you can’t show pity for my unfortunate state and spare a few more minutes?”

“I’m surprised you can still muster up a . . . complaint, let alone move.” She grinned. “You are an insatiable beast.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She pressed a quick kiss on the tip of his nose and rolled out of bed while she still had the will power. She heard his heavy moan of resignation as she said, “I’ve got to swing by my apartment to feed the pigs, shower and grab some clean clothes.”

“You can shower here.”

The temptation of that was almost irresistible, just as he had intended. Picturing suds and steam and more hot sex, she smiled wryly. “I’m afraid that would be counterproductive.”

“It would save time if you’d leave some clothes here.” At her sudden look of panic, he added silkily, “I promise not to wear them.”

They hadn’t discussed that step. Actually, they hadn’t had time to discuss much of anything. They’d only ventured from their den of lustful pleasures to forage for food. Caught up in the right now instead of the week later where the rest of the world waited, a lot of words hadn’t been important. Not when he possessed so many other delectable non-verbal communication skills.

Bringing clothes over sounded suspiciously like setting up housekeeping. Alarms and whistles protecting her personal

space rang. She said carefully, “We’ll talk about that later.”

“Whenever you have the time, Detective. What happened to your week’s vacation? I had plans for every minute of it.”

A warm tingle spread through some very well satisfied places as she imagined what else he might have had in mind. A long, X-rated, clothing unnecessary week of sensation and relaxation with the only one she’d ever wanted to share such things with. Didn’t he realize she was as angry about losing any of that precious time together as he was? But one of them had to be reasonable.

“Apparently the department cannot continue without me for more than one day.” She started pulling on her crumpled clothes with a rapid efficiency under his brooding regard.

“Neither can I.”

Q ROOB: A mystery or plot infuses the story with a different kind of tension so how do you work out a plot/mystery, what are they key essentials you need to get started?

A: My sister has a big loom and I think of my series like a large tapestry, woven together strand by strand with different elements. The full pattern won’t be apparent until the work is complete. I had to have story elements large enough to stretch over the entire frame of the series. I put Max and Cee Cee at opposites: he’s supernatural/she’s human, he’s involved in organized crime/she’s a cop, he’s searching for family and acceptance /she’s terrified of commitment. Big problems, seemingly impossible to span. Then there’s the paranormal mystery concerning Max’s past and his relationship to the clan of New Orleans shape-shifters but it’s also tied to how Max came to live with crime boss Jimmy Legere. Everything is related, woven together in sometimes surprising ways. Each book also has its own central crime mystery to solve that puts Max, Cee Cee and their very different worlds at odds while the ongoing main storylines continue to develop. That’s the fun in plotting!

Q ROOB: The stories take place in New Orleans. I personally love New Orleans with its old magic, chicory coffee and easygoing mentality but what did it contain for you as an author to chose this particular part of the world as the backdrop?

A: New Orleans is my favorite city. I fell in love with my first step into the Quarter. It’s like entering another world. Ambiance oozes all around in the sights and smells and tastes. It’s exotic and dark and still a very modern city. I spent a week there in April in a historic condo in the Quarter and got to soak up the atmosphere: the fog rolling off the river, the bayou from an airboat, the voodoo shops and ghost tours, snacking on Cajun food on a Bourbon Street balcony while jazz and zydeco music wafted out of doorways, strolling along the majestic Garden District streets and through the eerie cemeteries. I can’t wait to go back. It’s a place that’s hard to describe without being there. It’s kind of like a grand dame fallen on questionable times, elegant and slightly tawdry at the same time.

Q ROOB: Was there ever a moment when you hit a rough patch while writing these novels and what do you do to get out of it? A long walk at the beach, a powwow with friends or perhaps some comfort food?

A: My critique group pulled me up by the bootstraps more than once. I’d gotten an offer on the first book from another publisher but they insisted on changes I wouldn’t make, so I had to say no to a contract at a time when I was really struggling financially. That was scary. I had an agent get all excited about the project and then pass on it at the last minute. I had to convince TPTB that a series featuring the same hero and heroine in three, now four books was salable in paranormal. Stress, stress and more stress. What great friends to listen to me whine and grumble and vent, then deliver the necessary kick in the rump to keep me going. And an absolutely fabulous team at Pocket is the icing on the cake!

Q ROOB: Authors are also readers. Do you have time to read and if so, what are you reading at the moment?

A: I just got an IPad and couldn’t wait to download a few books I’d been dying to get into: Shanna Abe’s The Smoke Thief, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Passage, Lisa Gardner’s The Killing Hour, and an older Dean Koontz I was missing. J.D. Robb’s latest is on my dresser in paperback. I make it a point to read a chapter or two every night before bed and always take a Dean Koontz on the plane with me when I travel. My dream vacation is a lounge chair, the sound of the surf, and a stack of TBRs.

Now we here at ROOB always like to hear a little bit from the characters themselves and I was wondering if Charlotte and Max could answer just this one question.

ROOB character question: Charlotte, your perfect night off would look like…?

A: Night off? You mean like not working? Huh. I guess it would be going through case files over cold take out food with a certain sexy shape-shifter helping me look for clues. Or dancing. Yes, dancing.

ROOB character question: Max, you would romance a woman with…?

A: Breakfast in bed. Hot coffee, hot beignets, then under the covers for some hot, hot . . . well, you get the idea.

Ms Nancy Gideon, thank you so much for your time doing this interview. I had a blast coming up with the questions and look forward to cracking the spine of Masked By Moonlight.

Author bio:
Nancy Gideon is the author of over fifty romance novels spanning genres from historical and series suspense to paranormal, as well as several horror movie screen plays. She’s also written under the pseudonyms Dana Ransom and Rosalyn West and is a “Career Achievement for Historical Adventure” winner. She works full time as a legal assistant and has a secret addiction to Net Flix and sushi.

To learn more about Nancy and her BY MOONLIGHT series visit: http://nancygideon.com/

For a taste of romance by moonlight, check out her book trailer.

~~~~GIVEAWAY~~~~
A winner will be chosen at random from those who comment below to receive a signed copy of CHASED BY MOONLIGHT.

You can enter by leaving a [meanigful] comment or question for Nancy Gideon. A winner will be e-mailed on July 6th, so leave a way for us to contact you! Either via your profile, you can e-mail us your addy or leave a way for us to contact in your comment.