The Wednesday Interview

This week brilliant author is Anh Leod. Her latest book Bijou’s Bonds is released today through Ellora’s Cave. Next week Ashlyn Chase drops in with her book Demolishing Mr Perfect.

Bijou's Bonds – The Blurb

From the first moment shape-shifter Bijou saw Magnus Pompey she knew he was going to be big trouble. Even though he was tied to a cross at the time she could see the alpha male was far from helpless. She should have known her unnerving tarot reading earlier in the evening had pointed correctly to the disaster about to overtake her life but Pompey just couldn’t be the true mate of her scholar’s heart. Granted, he was the hottest werewolf she’d ever seen, but she had a purpose within her Brotherhood clan and none with Pompey.

Could incendiary sex make up for the death of her dreams or would it be better to escape her mate? She needed a solution to her magical dilemma. Maybe ancient scrolls would lead her to the truth…

*** Amarinda – I love this line – Even though he was tied to a cross at the time she could see the apha male was far from helpless – it makes me instantly want to read this story.

The Interview

1. You have some sizzling sex scenes in your book. How hard is it to write sex and make it convincing?

I try to put myself in the moment, almost like going into an altered state so I’m really feeling the heat. Sometimes I run them by my husband to make sure the scene sounds sexy to a man too. He tries to make me promise that I won’t write a sex scene we haven’t acted out first, but considering I write about werewolves etc. I haven’t agreed to that one yet! Back when I was a beginning writer, I used to delete any parts of my sex scenes that made me laugh when I reread them…

2. Romance and the condom. How hard do you find to slip it in or on when the action is hot between characters?

I always use them in my Heather Hiestand novels. It’s just part of the action in a contemporary novel. Otherwise you end up with a possible pregnancy subplot, which doesn’t sell well at my publisher. My Anh Leod erotic romance novels are pure fantasy, with paranormal creatures or futuristic people so I don’t use them there, though I might throw in some oddball anti-conception/anti-disease device. My upcoming 2008 novel, Recreating John Doe, has one of those.

3. Do you think romance just happens or do you make your characters work for it?

Work for it, definitely. If it just happened there wouldn’t be much of a novel. There’s always the challenge of a balance between keeping the characters together long enough to fall in love but also in active conflict. In Bijou’s Bonds there is a forced marriage situation that keeps them together.

4. What is it about your hero that makes him irresistible to women?

Magnus is the alpha werewolf of his pack. When he’s in werewolf form he’s literally unbeatable and therefore highly dangerous. He’s pure alpha male, furry style!

5. Do you think readers want to escape or do they want to identify with a character?

In “regular” romance, I think they want to identify with the heroine and love the hero. With erotic romance, I have to think they want escapism. So many popular scenarios in erotic romance are forbidden fantasy-type situations.

6. What do you think is the most important thing to remember when writing romance?

There has to be real conflict, with a connection and respect the hero and heroine feel at a subterranean level no matter what they go through.

7. What are you working on now?

I’m working on a proposal for a non-fiction book about an aspect of natural medicine. Wish me luck!

***Click on the cover and buy the book! Released today!!****

Last weeks brilliant author – Solange Ayre and One Thousand Brides

Breaking news – Anny Cook's latest release Everything Lover’s Can Know is released today. Rush to http://www.ellorascave.com/AuthorsBooks.asp?AuthorCode=ACoo and buy all three books because you deserve hot sex and a great story.

Speaking of Ms Cook, once you have wisely snapped up her books, check out www.annycook.blogspot.com. She has brought bloody Sam back to the blog serial. Kelly, as always, will have me gnashing my teeth and wasting work time writing a response after I read her installment on www.kkirch.blogspot.com on Thursday. The girl is trying to drive nuts. Ha! Been there, am that.

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Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?