Interview with geek romance author Deana Dee

Author Deanna Dee is here today talking about her newest geek romance, Finish Him.

The book is only $.99 through November 24 on Amazon. Grab your copy now!

Bio:

Deanna Dee is strictly human and does not, to her knowledge, own a hyena. She lives by the sea, which she takes full advantage of in the summer time. People, reading, and pop culture make up the shameless downtime of her life. The rest of it is writing, and she’s okay with that.

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

Finish Him is the third book in my Games of Love series, romance novels about gamer geeks. This book follows the love story of Sonya (the group’s resident redhead) and Jaxon (her love interest). Here’s a blurb:

Round One, FLIRT

Sonya Black never expected a petty sibling quarrel could lead to her sister being drugged. Overcome with guilt, Sonya vows to bring the jerk to justice. When she dives into her own investigation, she lands belly up in the company of Jaxon Nyles, the security guard who may have all the answers.

But being a detective isn’t as easy as Sonya thinks. On top of that, Jaxon always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Is he a suspect, or is he falling for her? More important, is she falling for him?

The round has begun. Who will flirt? Who will win? Will hearts break in the process?

What inspired you to write this book?

To answer this, I need to answer what inspired the series. I’ve always been a bit of an odd ball geek. I used to read a lot of romance, but I got away from it when I realized I could relate more to the goofy sidekicks or brainiac sisters who didn’t really get their HEA. With The Games of Love, I wanted a series where the sidekick girls were the main characters. So I wrote the books that way.

Excerpt from Finish Him:

“Hey.” Jaxon takes my arm. His hand is warm, and it sends soothing energy coursing through me like syrup. He tugs me toward him, and because I’m exhibiting canine behavior, I follow. “Come on.”

We get halfway to the front of the store before I realize I’ve left my cart. “My food—”

“Forget it.” He tows me along. “They have people who will put it back, and you can get more later. Right now, you need some you-time, and I have just the place.”

Me-time? A thousand questions fly through my mind like projectile weapons. What makes him think I need me-time? What makes him think he knows me well enough to diagnose when I need me-time? I try to ask, but the words stick in my throat. Heat from Jaxon’s hand warms my skin, and his presence is comforting in a way I’ve never felt but really need. For the second time since I met him, I let my lower brain take control.

Jaxon leads me to the parking lot. Either he’s had some serious video game hand-eye coordination time or he practices walking around heavily trafficked areas at night while wearing dark clothing, because we don’t come close to being hit by a car. He moves like a panther, sleek and smooth, all the way to the other plaza in Walmart’s lot.

“Huh?” Why is he bringing me here? If I remember correctly, the only stuff in this plaza is a hair place, which is closed at this hour, and a burger place, which may or may not be a front for a bookie at this hour.

Jaxon responds by leading me around a corner to more stores and pointing to a lit sign. “Watch and learn.”

Twenty-Four Hour Arcade.

Be still, my heart. When did this move in? How did I not know this exists? “Awah—err-eeee?” The presence of this establishment has short circuited my brain.

Jaxon gives me a little push toward the red and blue lights of the arcade. “After you.”

Hell yeah. I skip the distance to the door and lead our two-person precession into the glory land beyond. Inside, a cacophony of sound crashes against my ears. The low rumble of driving games is drums to the bells and whistles of the token-taking slot machines. Shooting games with every type of gun from machine to Western-movie rifle line three walls of an alcove to my right, and ski ball, among other things, are off to the left.

“I think I’ve discovered Nerdvana,” I say in a dreamy voice.

Jaxon pats my back. “That’s exactly how I felt.” He herds me toward the token machines and, before I can say anything, gets me twenty dollars’ worth of game time, which apparently comes on a credit card now. “For you.”

For me? Whoa, back it up. I don’t need him to pay for my stuff. “I can buy my own.”

He places the card in my hand. “Don’t worry. You need it. You can buy lunch next time, and we’ll call it even. Okay?” He makes it sound so simple.

How can I disagree? “Okay.”

“Grand.” Jaxon gets his own card and tips my chin so I’m forced to make eye contact. His fingers are soft against my face. “You’re tensing again. Stop and have fun. We’re in an arcade. There’s nothing but fun to be had.”

Damn it, he’s right. How does he notice so much about me? I breathe and exhale slow, unclenching my jaw. My entire week has been stress. Between finals and Bethany, I’m wound tighter than barbed wire. One night on a freely given twenty dollars of arcade time won’t kill me. Jaxon’s right. It will be fun, and fun is absolutely what I need right now.

For the first time this week, I give a smile that isn’t forced. “Let the games begin.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

Next is Parker’s book (book four). I don’t have a title or blurb yet, but there will be theatre and super hero jokes.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always kind of wanted to write, but it wasn’t until my senior year of college (as a psychology major) when the bug bit. That’s when I became a writer. I was working on a really bad book at the time. So I learned a lot and became an author last year. I like the title, so I’ll keep it.

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 do write full-time. When I’m neck deep in a project, I’ll wake up, exercise and stuff, eat, work for a while, maybe eat lunch, work some more, and quit around five or six o’clock. My evenings are me-time. Even when I’m more focused on promo or editing, this is how my day runs. Sometimes, I might do me-time mid-day and work at night, but that’s pretty rare.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Not sure this is a quirk, but it’s a little interesting. When I’m home, I keep my phone near me while I’m writing. When I’m at my boyfriend’s house, I purposefully leave it in the other room so it won’t distract me (even though I’m in the presence of the person most likely to call or text).

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

I wanted to be a singer. At least I stayed in the arts.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Buy my book! (Kidding. Well, not kidding, but that’s not it.) Have a game night sometime, no matter what you play. They’re great fun and a wonderful way to spend time with people who matter.

Links:

Blog/website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon author page | Goodreads author page | Goodreads book page

Buy link: Amazon

Thanks, Deana! Happy writing.