Interview with contemporary romance author Hilary Wynne

Contemporary romance author Hilary Wynne is here today. She’s talking about her new novel, Stay and sharing a wonderful excerpt.

Welcome, Hilary. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m originally from sunny Southern California and spent my summers in South Florida. I attended college at FSU and received my Masters in New Mexico. I finally settled in the Washington, DC area. My happy place has always been anywhere near the water.

When I’m not writing, I help run a business with my husband, watch an inordinate amount of sports (my kids play something 365 days a year), indulge my competitive spirit on the tennis court, and spend time with my awesome family and friends.

I am an avid reader, but find my characters feel neglected when I hang out with other author’s characters for too long. When I do read, historical fiction is my favorite genre. I love traveling and experiencing different cultures, places, and times.

Please tell us about your current release.

Stay is my debut novel. It's  contemporary romance set in South Florida. The story is about a couple, Alexa and Julian, who fall in love despite a reluctance on each part to really let go and believe in what they share. They are forced to navigate some intense situations dealing with love, loss, friendships and the rawness of everyday real life. Stay is their journey.

What inspired you to write this book?

I plowed through a ton of romance novels this time last year and saw an opportunity to add something different to the mix. I had never read a story set in Miami which spotlighted the very distinctive and diverse culture that exists there. I lived and worked in this community in my teens and twenties and wanted to bring it to life via a novel.

Excerpt from Stay:

I’m getting off my bar stool when I hear a sexy voice behind me. “Someone needs to stop putting baby in the corner,” Julian says playfully.

I’m glad he can’t see the huge smile plastered on my face. He runs his hand gently down my arm as he walks past me on his way behind the bar. Goosebumps pop up all over my body. He looks down at my glass, sees it’s almost empty, and goes about making me another drink. I’m not sure how he knows what I’m drinking but when I see him mixing a Vodka Cranberry with a splash of Sprite, I know he has been paying attention to what I like.

I flash him a smile. “So now you’ve moved onto old movie quotes, Julian? Did you use up all of your good pickup lines earlier this week?”

“Ouch, Alexa, that hurts. I only use that line on the special ladies. It’s a classic.” He is smiling back at me and I realize how happy I am to see him. I’m also flattered he remembers me. I hate that I’m feeling so insecure, but all of the Internet “research” I have done this week has only confirmed that there is no shortage of women vying for his attention.

“Thank you,” I say as he slides the drink over to me.

Julian leans down and places his forearms on the bar. All of the muscles in his chest and arms bulge out from under a tight khaki-colored t-shirt. He looks so sexy and something tells me he knows it. I’m taking it all in when I notice a small tattoo on his left wrist. It is barely peeking out from under his watch, but I can see it’s in a script font and appears to be a name. I’d love to know what it says, or whose name it says, but I don’t feel comfortable asking. He sees me looking at it but doesn’t offer any explanation. I wonder if it’s the name of a former, or current, love.

As I ponder this, Julian slowly reaches up with one hand and gently runs a finger through one of my curls. “Better,” he says quietly as he twirls it slowly. He doesn’t look away and neither do I.

“Better?” I pick up my drink and take a sip. I need something to cool me down. My whole body starts to overheat when he touches me.

“I prefer your hair this way. Es muy sexy.” He keeps twirling.

Hmm. Okay. This is seriously hot. I love when he speaks to me in Spanish.

“I’d rather take this woman to bed than the one with the ponytail. I can picture you straddling me, your beautiful hair floating across my chest as you make your way slowly down my naked body.”

I’m in the middle of taking another sip of my drink when he says this and his comment makes me choke. Holy shit! What a visual. And so quickly too. We’ve only been talking for a few minutes and he’s already talking about getting naked? Apparently he thinks my “discomfort” is funny and laughs out loud.

“Is something wrong with your drink?” he asks through a sexy smile.

I try to recover by putting my lips seductively on the straw and taking a slow sip. “Mmm, no, it’s perfect.”

He arches his brow at me, intrigued by my not so subtle reply. Hell, I can play this game too. This is fun.

“Good, because I always try to give it the way it’s wanted.”

“I bet you’re very giving, Julian.”

He pauses, narrows his eyes and looks serious for a moment. “You have no idea, Alexa.” I love the way my name rolls of his tongue. He caresses it when he says it.

His eyes are locked on mine and the way he is looking at me is making me squirm in my chair. I think we are both imagining “giving” something to each other. I try and break the tension with some more teasing.

“Do you give this hard of a sell to all the ladies, Julian?”

Julian chuckles and shakes his head slightly. “Alexa, you are the only lady I want to give anything hard to at the moment.”

Well, he’s definitely not shy or sexually repressed.

We are talking pretty quietly but I still look around to see if anybody else heard him. This conversation has taken an X-rated turn. The couple sitting next to us at the bar are totally engrossed in the beginning stages of a hook-up and seem oblivious to anything around them. Nobody else is paying any attention to us either. I look down towards the other end of the bar and catch Luke staring intensely at me. He is shaking his head. I’m not sure if Julian sees him do it, but I don’t want Luke to come down to where we are. His presence last time caused Julian to walk away and I don’t want that happening again. I nod and smile at Luke and give him a little wave to say, I’ve got this. He scowls at me but doesn’t come closer. I turn my focus back to Julian and take another sip.

“Okay, Julian, I’ll play this game with you.”

“I assure you, corazón, this isn’t a game.”

“Really? You’re not just trying to see how much you can shock me?”

That makes him smile. “Well, unless you have a really good poker face I haven’t shocked you very much yet.”

The truth is that I do have a pretty good poker face. I am a little shocked by how “descriptively” he talks to me. I have never met a man who is more overtly sexual. It just oozes through his pores. He is incredibly sexy and confident without being creepy. No doubt he has been perfecting his craft over the years.

I’m doing my best to play it cool because I like how he is talking to me and I don’t want him to stop. But, I also don’t want him to think I’m “that girl”; the one who makes a habit of picking up men in bars. I don’t want him to think I’m a prude either. I tell myself to get a grip. I can’t believe I am so concerned with what a guy I don’t even really know, thinks about me. How did this happen? I try to play it all off and give him a fake, shy little smile.

“Oh, I’m a little shocked...and kind of scandalized.”

“Only a little?” Julian shakes his head. “I guess I need to up my game.”

His comment makes me laugh. If he ups his game I’m in serious trouble.

I look down at my drink for a moment and swirl my straw. When I look up, Julian is staring so intently at me that it sends shivers through my body. “I thought this wasn’t a game.”

Julian has been leaning up against the bar the whole time we have been talking. He straightens up and takes a step backward. I can feel my eyes widen. Wow. It is impossible to miss the erection straining through his jeans. I can’t help but stare. I bring my straw up to my lips to take a sip. I’m suddenly feeling very hot all over again.

With a tone that is serious rather than cocky he asks, “Still look like I’m playing?” Oh my God. He is shameless.

I continue to look at his crotch and shake my head, “Nope, looks like the real deal to me.”

“Oh, Alexa, It’s very real. Let me know if you need any more proof.”

I’m seriously so flustered right now that I don’t know what to say. So, I do the only thing a respectable girl can do in a situation like this. I thank him for my drink and turn to walk away. I can feel his eyes on my body and I hear the laughter under his breath. Damn. Round two definitely goes to Julian in a knockout.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I just finished Hold On, the second novel in the Alexa Reed Series. Hopefully it's out in early spring! There is at least one more book for sure in this series so that's up next. I've been asked quite a few times lately if I'd think about writing from different character's POVs or just their back stories. I'm considering that as well. I am thrilled that readers are wanting to really get to know these characters.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I still struggle with that. When someone refers to the author I look around to see who they're talking about. I guess publishing two books and blogging qualifies me, but it's still a little surreal.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I don't think I write full time but my family might disagree. I run a business and am a mom to very busy kids so my days are pretty full.  I usually get up early to write and then stay up late writing. I have the dark circles under my eyes to prove it. It's all worth it though and when I'm not writing everything feels a little off.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I listen to music when I write. It helps me concentrate, which everyone finds strange. It also sets the tone for my writing.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I have a book titled "My Book About Me." When I was five I wrote I wanted to be a veterinarian.  I can't remember ever having that dream, but I do remember always loving to write.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thank you... This is an incredible journey I'm on and it truly wouldn't be the same without all of the support I'm getting. I'm being allowed to follow a dream and it's amazing.

Social media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest 

Amazon

Thanks for stopping by today, Hilary!

Interview with the sci-fi author team known as Casey Lea

Today I have the writing team known as Casey Lea here to talk about their first two books IceFlight and its sequel Frostbite, and also give us a glimpse into future books.

Casey Lea is offering five gift pack giveaways during the virtual book tour. Each includes: (1) signed IceFlight paperback, (1) signed Frostbite paperback, and (1) $20 Amazon gift card. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below.

Bio:

Casey Lea is a mother and daughter writing team with a strong interest in science fantasy. The Casey Lea partnership began in 1990, with the arrival of Emma Casey Frost, first daughter of Shelley Lea and Gary. Although Emma was a very precocious child, it took another fifteen years before she began working with her mother.

Shelley Lea (pronounced ‘lee’) was born on a snowy June day, near the bottom of the world, in Invercargill, New Zealand. Reluctant to supply a date of birth, she would rather claim several decades of maturity, but only a few days of actual wisdom. Those decades have covered a range of jobs, a couple of degrees (including English Lit), one great husband, plenty of travel, two gorgeous daughters, several scatty cats and one charmingly dumb dog. They’ve also included an on-going struggle to put pen to paper in any spare second. This has led to some dire poetry, some eyebrow raising children’s stories and finally to something resembling a novel. This languished in a sadly disjointed and hand written form until…

Emma Casey inherited her mother’s love of books and the ability to string two sentences together (sometimes three). She proved to be the missing link in trying to actually finish a manuscript. Younger, savvier and able to turn on a computer without causing it to explode, she picked up the book and ran with it. Emma is also studying graphic design and happily provides Casey Lea’s cover artwork.

Welcome, ladies. Please tell us about your current release.

We’re delighted to be releasing Frostbite, the second book in our Iron Altar trilogy. Our favourite lost-in-space-and-kicking-alien-butt slave Darsey is back, but now she’s a mother and learning to be brave in an entirely different way.

What inspired you to write this book?

All the stories we’ve loved that have brought joy to our lives.

An excerpt from Frostbite…

Zak broke off when his words were lost in a thud and a grunt. Misty ducked her head further from cover to see what was happening. Ace. He'd finally managed to slither from his party burrow and do some work. Impressive work too. He must have taken Zak down with a diving tackle, but the nearest cover was meters away. Not a bad leap.

Unfortunately, Zak arched hard enough to throw Ace off and they came to their feet together. Two swords appeared and they attacked each other instantly. Their blades clashed repeatedly, without pause or hesitation.

Misty stopped and stared. She had never seen such a fight. Every blow was countered and each riposte was blocked. It was like watching someone fence with a mirror. There were no advances and no retreats. The fighters stood toe-to-toe, perfectly matched. The pace increased, until their swords were a blur, but still no one broke through with a blade.

Zak decompressed a second sword and slashed at Ace recklessly, driving him toward the cliff. The clash of blades was constant as the Beserk pushed forward. Misty took half a step toward them, but Ace spun around Zak, away from the drop. He swung his sword over his shoulders to guard his back and caught the blades trying to cut him down from behind. He twisted his arms while crouching, to turn and sweep one of the weapons from Zak’s hand.

Ace leapt high, while Zak jumped too. Their swords collided and they both swung a fist as well. Ace smashed his opponent in the mouth, but a punch like an anvil glanced from his chin and he staggered. He fell to a knee, before surging upright to back away and look for the Beserk. He attacked as soon as he saw the stranger - still on his back in the dirt.

Zak sprang to his feet just in time to counter the blow, then took an unsteady step and Ace paused too, breathing heavily despite com support. The stranger used the back of his hand to wipe blood from his lips and frowned when he saw Ace wiping his own bloody mouth.

“Get out of my head, snot balls.”

“Glad to,” Ace sneered. “I don't usually play in garbage.”

Zak sprang forward, but this time he put his full weight behind his swing. The wild blow was a risk, but Ace was too surprised to take advantage of it. He belatedly tried to block Zak’s sword, but its momentum was too great. Both swords flew through the air and Misty jumped aside when they clattered past. Ace reached to his wrist for another blade, but was too slow. This time Zak tackled him and they went down together. They grappled with each other and rolled across the plateau toward the cliff.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Sacrifice, which is the last book in our trilogy. The Devourer returns to feed and either Darsey or Amber will lie on the iron altar. Someone has to die, but who?

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Still working on that, particularly since we self-published. However, every book sold and every new review makes it more real.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

We work as often as we can and don’t have formal jobs to distract us. Fortunately, because we don’t know how we’d manage.

Shelley has a seven-year old, who seems to have boundless energy. She’s a lovely little girl and hubby Gary is a great dad, so it’s not too bad. His help and that wonderful innovation called school make a writing life possible. It’s early Sunday morning and Shelley’s still in her dressing gown, sitting beside daughter number two, who has a nasty virus. However, her temperature has dropped (still above normal) and she slept last night, so seems to be on the mend. She’s presently hatching furblings, so this is a good time to write. Grab every moment…

Emma helps her husband Mike with graphics for his website design business and spends most of her time in front of her two computer screens in the dining room. However, all that is about to change. Emma and Mike are expecting their first child on April 26, which is Emma’s birthday. So life is about to become much more distracting. How that will affect Sacrifice remains to be seen…

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Jumping up in the middle of the night when inspiration strikes. We also have some quirks as a writing team. We often play tag with phone calls and emails. We exchange bits of text and take turns with it, conferring by phone as required.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When Shelley was young she always wanted to be an astronaut. Which was insane. Math was a foreign world, she was careful to the point of timidity, not particularly athletic and not American. It was never a runner, yet still it appealed.

Emma has had two childhood dreams, the first of which she’s been pursuing for the past few years in the form of graphic design. She is about to fulfil her second dream of becoming a mother!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Our bank account number. Please feel free to deposit.

Ways to connect with us and learn more about our books:

Web site | Facebook | Twitter | IceFlight on Amazon | Frostbite on Amazon

Thanks Casey Lea!

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