Biography My hometown will always be New Orleans. I love the culture of Louisiana and it permeates everything I do. Now, I live in the big state of Texas and like most southern women, I love to cook southern food – especially Cajun and Tex-Mex. I also love to research the supernatural, but don’t tell anyone.
I love intimacy and my favorite erogenous zones are my nipples and the nape of my neck. One of my fantasies is to have my beloved rub an orchid lightly over every part of my body. Hope that’s not too much information – although, I do enjoy giving you ideas. . . . .
About my writing – As most of you know, I write erotic romance. I write what I like to read and enjoy putting my fantasies on paper. My stories are emotional reads where the heroine is faced with challenges; like one of my favorite songs – she’s holding out for a hero – and boy, can I deliver a hero. One of the best compliments that I ever received from a reader was that I write ‘luscious sex’ – my aim is to write a story that will make you laugh, cry and sweat. If I can wring those emotions out of a reader, then I have done my job.
So, please join me in my world of magic, alpha heroes, sexy cowboys and hot, steamy, to-die-for sex. Step into the shoes of my heroines and escape to places where dreams can come true and orgasms only come in multiples.
Five facts about me you don’t know
I am deathly afraid of snakes but not spiders.
I wear hair extensions.
I love to nap after lunch with my two dogs.
My best friend is a man.
I like to drive fast foreign cars.
Interests and hobbies:
Ghost hunting, cooking, travel, and researching esoteric topics
Books
My favourite books by other authors are: anything by Lorelei James, Maya Banks, or Sarah McCarty
If I could write with anyone it would be Lorelei James.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I realized I wanted to be a writer when my hormones perked up in Junior High. I entertained myself by writing romantic scenes about me and my latest crush and I would hand them out to my friends. It was fun. They began requesting scenes of their own. I did not consider writing as a career, although I did think it was fun. At the request of my mom, I became an accountant. I hated it. About 4 years ago, I read a book called “Slow Hands” by Leslie Kelly. I began talking to my brother about a writing career. Actually, I was trying to push him into it because I realized what a talented writer he would be. We bandied ideas together and I decided to try my luck – and here I am. He is writing also, so it was a process.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on how happy I am, how my family life is going, how my company is faring. I can write a book in about a month without a lot of distractions. Sometimes life gets in the way, or a project can be particularly meaningful and it will take longer. Other times, I will get a little intimidated by the expectations. I enjoy it though, so I can’t stay away from it for too long. I always come back and finish.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
7am to 11pm, minus coffee breaks, communing with my dogs and raiding the refrigerator. There are a lot of other projects I work on during the day. I work on editing, publishing, marketing, a million other things. I need to spend time with Jess when he is in. I love to cook sometime during the day. I make it work by giving myself a minimum word requirement for the day. That way, regardless of anything I have to do, I will stay up until the writing gets done.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write in my recliner surrounded by tables loaded with coffee cups. I have been told that I overuse hyphens (incorrectly, darn it Jess) Hmmm what else? Sometimes I wear my jammies all day and not change because most of my work is done out of my house. Also, I have been told there is an interesting formula to my work. I haven’t noticed it, but I suppose that is pretty quirky.
How do you plan to publish? (self or publisher)
Both. I started really wanting to feel like a published writer, so I pursued having a publishing company pick me up. After I was successful there (7 novels), I went out on my own, and the vast majority of my creative (and financial) reward comes from publishing my books on my own. I enjoyed it so much that I have started a publishing company on my own with the freedoms and control of self-publishing, (hopefully) the satisfaction of being published by a company, and many, many advantages that no other form of publishing can offer. It’s still in its infancy now, but its growing quickly and I am very excited about it.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
I can get them from a million places, country songs, dreams and fantasies, a particularly inspirational conversation, a picture in a newspaper that tugs on my heart, memories from days long past. I also do a lot of research online, in books and in person. I really want my readers to feel like they learned something, or changed for the better after reading one of my books.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I was in Junior High, only 13. It was quite a wonderful story. Ask me about it sometime – I married my crush and killed off everyone I didn’t like – ha! My first book was published/released in 2010. It’s the publishing that makes all the difference. This was my goal. I tried several times in the months/years leading up to my first release. It just never seemed to congeal until I just had a good idea about a cowboy one day.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I love my cooking time. I adore being in my kitchen. When I can, and it’s the perfect time of year for it now, I steal moments in the evenings to go ghost hunting. I have a billion stories to tell about that. My family has been dragged all over the South, (and even a place or two in the North) chasing spooks. And speaking of family, my number one hobby is being an irritant to them. Time with them is delicious, even if they roll their eyes sometimes.
What does your family think of your writing? My family is very supportive, they are behind me one hundred percent. It has been an arduous, beautiful, eventful journey, and my family hasn’t - not for one second – been unsupportive. They always make me feel like I am doing the right thing by following my passion and doing what I love. On days when it feels too big, and too scary and too stressful, they sit down with me and reassure me I am doing a good job, and that everything will be fine and that I should never give up. I am grateful for their involvement. They are very involved in the actual work also. In fact, they are playing big roles in the publishing business.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
The most surprising thing I learned was that the characters can take a life of their own and become so real to the readers. A few of my creations have sprung into 3D people that I have no control over anymore. Sometimes, the book will write itself because I don’t need to create what the character will do in this situation. He will do exactly what he would do. That means a lot of things. First of all, it makes my job easier, and I love that. Secondly, it makes me feel important for being a part in creating something powerful like that, and lastly, it touches me, because when the characters are real, readers form real relationships with them and that is just the most beautiful, sweet feeling I get when I hear back from them. You just have no idea how big I smile.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
Officially, the number is 20. Bear in mind there are also additional books in multiple languages and at multiple levels of spice. Also, there are multiple books in development. It’s very difficult to give you an exact number. It’s much more fluid than most people think. My favorite is probably “Her Magic Touch.” There is a lot of me in that one. Very personal.
Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Your book should make you feel better about yourself. It should be a journey for you. Whatever that journey is, coming to terms with a loss, riding the roller coaster of a new love, learning something intimate about yourself that you didn’t know existed, it needs to be captured by your creations in your story. The best thing a reader can find is real growth and emotion. If your story causes you to cry and laugh and sweat and feel deep, vivid emotions, then your reader will feel them too.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Yes, I hear from my readers all the time, and I love hearing from them. Everyone is different so all of their stories are different. One of my favorite things I have heard was that my stories helped the sex life and marriages of couples that had gotten too busy with life to remember how passionate their love was together. It brought a tear to my eye to imagine that I did that for them while doing something as self-pleasing as doing what I love. Isn’t that incredible? To touch someone so? It makes me tear up a little thinking about it. I’ve also been told that readers would go visit the places I mention in my books and see some of the sights and settings. I enjoy that also.
Do you like to create books for adults?
Hahahahahaha yes. I do like to create books for adults. The company is stretching from where I am in erotica to youth novels and even children’s stories. I enjoy creating books, period. But right now, my passion is writing books for adults. I love to go behind the bedroom door – in fact, I don’t like closed doors – period.
What do you think makes a good story?
To me, a good story will take the reader’s heart and mind on a trip away from where they are. They will feel things powerfully, and their mind’s eye will see things they’ve never seen. Their heart will fill, and burst and break because of the words on paper. They will sweat, and their body will burn with desire. Their eyes will glisten with tears. A great story makes you forget you are reading a story.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a United Nations Diplomat. I have loved history and government and politics since I was a little kid. My parents wanted me to take a job with less risk, more security and dependable income, so I became an accountant. Thank god I am not an accountant anymore. Overall, I think ‘baby me’ would be pleased that she would grow up to be a writer.
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