Jacquéline Roth
www.jacquelineroth.com
Access Denied

Tell us about your most erotic romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
     Start with a cabin on a snowy mountain, a roaring fire filling the house with the scent of cedar wood. Add a soft, thick pallet of furs before the fire (hey, this is a no-guilt fantasy, remember) and the feel of strong arms wrapped around me as I lie back against a powerful chest. A soft voice whispering to me in a delightful Scottish brogue as sweet lips caress my neck. And hey, if those arms, lips and brogue belonged to Gerard Butler, I wouldn’t complain. It’s only fair after all; the man has inspired a romantic hero or two of mine over the past few years.

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
     ACCESS DENIED came from a dream. I was stuck in this gray room and being given form after form to fill out asking me all sorts of personal and not so personal questions so that the nameless, faceless interviewers could plan out my life: job, home, partner. The dream stuck with me and before long there was this voice inside me asking me to tell his story. James was born and began to dictate.

     In ACCESS DENIED, the human race is waiting out the effects of an environmental catastrophe. Everything in this underground refuge is controlled, including with whom you are and are not supposed to fall in love. Leah Bradley is a sweet, wonderful woman who has failed at six previous assignments and you only get 10 tries to find your life partner. James Edwards grants no one access to his life or his heart. The pain that haunts his past is so deep that it swallows another piece of him every day and he isn’t interested in salvation. The last thing he wants is anything to do with life partners and that includes Leah. Especially Leah. But just as Leah finally seems to be breaking through, making some headway, you have to start to wonder if the powers that be intend for this assignment to succeed.

     There are moments when we all need to look past what we think we know to be true because that’s usually where the real treasures of life lie. I’m hoping that the reader will find that James and Leah, their stories and their struggle, touch them.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?
     When I’m not trying to teach reading and literature to 12- and 13-year-olds, I’m writing or reading. When my harried darling can drag me away from that, it’s generally to take a walk, play with our pups, and go to a concert or a movie. I am a huge movie buff and love almost all genres of film except the hack and slash horror flicks.

What do you like about where you live?
     There is an enormous sense of history here and the area, being nestled at the base of the Appalachian Mountains, is full of the wonders of natural beauty. But more importantly, Atlanta, Georgia, is a big, small town. Though the population here is close to five million, there is this sense of small-town connectivity among the people. I’ve rarely seen people come together to help one another or feel the same sense of connection and community that exists here. As long as you aren’t in a car, there is a true sense of Southern hospitality. (Get behind the wheel and hit the interstates at rush hour and all bets are off.) Coming to Atlanta for the first time was, for me, like finally being able to take a deep breath.

If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
     Invisibility. Hands down. Easy winner. Imagine all the places you could go, the things you could see and hear if no one knew you were there. *wicked grin*

What’s your favorite smell?
     Remember the cabin thing above? An indistinct combination of cedar wood in a burning fire and the clean scent of freshly fallen snow clinging to the skin of your lover’s neck as you curl your face into it.

What makes a man sexy?
     It sounds a bit cliché, but intelligent humor. A man who can make me laugh is automatically ten times sexier than a guy who has a stick permanently stuck up his…never mind. Of course, great eyes and a nice butt in a tight pair of jeans don’t hurt.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
     I agonized over this particular question. Will what I find interesting translate to others? Is packing up everything and moving 600 miles from everything you’ve ever known interesting? For me it was the start of a whole new chapter of my life. After suffering a series of strokes related to a blood disorder I have, I realized life was too short to live it where you don’t feel at home and doing what doesn’t make you glad to be alive every day. So I packed up everything, left a nice cushy upper-management job and moved from Illinois to Atlanta. I found my dream job teaching and rediscovered my more personal dream of being a writer. I’m not sure in my realm of experience it gets much more interesting than that. Especially not since even after eight years, the surprises keep coming.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
     While ACCESS DENIED is very special to me—I confess I fell in love with the hero while writing him—it is actually an unusual story for me. Though there is a definite fantasy element to the story, it is more of a soft science fiction piece than I usually write. Under normal circumstances my written world is populated with warriors, mages, dark creatures that go bump in the night and lovely were-beasties like my second Cerridwen release, MEASURE OF HEALING, due out January 17, 2008. I have a particular affinity for weres. I’ve been assured quite patiently by my darling one that if I can find a real were, I’m allowed to bring it home and keep it. Hmff. Won’t someone be surprised when I open that refuge for abandoned were-beasties in our backyard.

Vanessa N. Gilfoy
vanessagilfoy.com
Healing Wounds

Tell us about HEALING WOUNDS and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
     HEALING WOUNDS is about a woman who hides from her past in a gothic mansion and finds something much more horrifying—vampires. She should flee, but that would mean leaving the oh-so-tempting Morgan Smith who protects her. Although he conceals her home’s secrets, she can’t help but crave his touch. I hope readers will enjoy the struggles of the characters. I love wounded, tortured characters who yearn for something just out of reach.

Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
     That’s a tough one. I idolize the villainess’ sense of style and grace. She is a cold beauty wrapped in the garb of a 1940s starlet. I imagine her in stiletto heels stomping on the throat of a man twice her size. On the other hand, I love Morgan Smith’s conflicting mix of masculine strength and tender wounds. He makes my mouth water.

If you could be a shapeshifter, what form would you take and why?
     I’d take the form of a crow so as to perch outside people’s windows and listen in. I’m such an eavesdropper. While writing and editing HEALING WOUNDS in a coffee shop, I listened in on neighboring tables’ conversations in the name of “research” for realistic dialogue.

What’s number one on your list of things you hope to do before you die?
     There are so many things I want to accomplish that I have categorized lists. At the top of my professional list, I want to fill a large bookcase with books I’ve written.

Who’s more fun, bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?
     Perfect gentlemen are definitely more fun. It takes so much more creativity to make them do bad things. Bad boys are too easy.

Describe your idea of the perfect mate.
     He does what I say. I mean, he takes me for walks on the beach. (I’m laughing.) Honestly, the perfect mate is one who can read my body language and anticipate what I want. These rare men are not only great in bed, but are excellent dancers.

If you could have three wishes granted, what would you wish for?
     I know I’m supposed to say “World peace,” but that’s not gonna happen. Realistically, I want (1) My kids to grow up happy and become successful, kind adults, (2) my marriage to remain as intimate and loving as it is today, and (3) of course that I achieve success in my chosen career. Greedy, I know.

Besides your spouse or boyfriend, who makes your heart beat fast and why?
     I have a hypothetical guilt-free cheat list. Orlando Bloom because I love his body language and expressive eyes, Bill Pullman for his smile, and George Clooney for his voice and masculinity.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
     I love my work. Daydreaming is the ultimate job. However, it took a lot of honing for me—about seven years of rewrites, workshops, and heartaches. Writing is also my form of self-prescribed therapy. It helps me get over bad things that happened in my past.

Sasha Vivelo
sashavivelobooks.com
Wings of Escape

Tell us about your most romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
     An absolutely gorgeous guy shows up at my doorstep in a black leather jacket, motorcycle helmet in hand. I hardly know him. I just know that he’s stunningly handsome, smart and a great conversationalist. Not to mention the fact that the way he looks at me makes me feel like a goddess. He takes me for a ride on his motorcycle up a winding mountain road through forests of pine and aspen. We come back to my place. He steals a slow, passionate kiss…only to be knocked flat on his back by my faithful dog, whose intervention says more clearly than any words, “Hey! What are you doing to my mommy?”

     That’s exactly how my second date with my husband unfolded a few years back. He really has fulfilled my most romantic fantasies. If I could have a 24-hour fling with anyone, it would be with him. I’m not just being politically correct as a married woman here; I mean it. And we have a 14-month-old daughter, so we could use 24 hours to fling ourselves into each others’ arms. You know, a break from the usual stream of conversation at our house:

     Me: “Don’t eat that rock. And stop taking food off my plate just so you can feed it to the dog.”
     Baby: “Shoe?”
     Me: “Yes, that’s your shoe.”
     My husband: “Hey, sweetie? What did she do with the remote control?”
     Me: “I think it’s in the dog’s water dish.”

     Anywhere I wanted? How about a secluded campsite in the Canadian Rockies? A tent and lots of warm blankets. The crisp, cool air of a northern summer night. What would I do? Walk trails under ancient oak trees. Build a campfire. Slow dance at dusk to the sound of crickets. And then? The rest is personal.

Tell us about WINGS OF ESCAPE and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
     WINGS OF ESCAPE began when I fell in love with the idea of a dark hero known as the Wild Goose. My original notion was to write the book as a psychological thriller that focused on Angela’s hunt for John as the key to Rachel’s whereabouts, to be told through an intricate unraveling of clues. But given that I’m not a police detective or FBI agent, I really had no idea how those clues would unravel. On the other hand, I do have experience with human relationships, so the book evolved into a story about the characters, their growth, and their love.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?
     I’m always watching my daughter, writing or teaching so there’s almost no downtime. But still I like hiking, reading, taking my daughter to the playground.

What do you like about where you live?
     That’s an interesting question because I’ve just moved. I’m new to the Bay Area in California and I’m still learning about my new locale. So far, there are a few things I love about it. The weather is fantastic. It’s not too hot or too cold. We can have the windows open all the time so I feel like I’m really connected to the world and to nature. I also love the fact that there’s so much to do. My daughter is at an age when everything is new and exciting to her. We can take her somewhere different every weekend and it will be years before we run out of places to explore, new trails to hike, beaches to visit. Can you tell I love the outdoors? Last but not least, I love the fact that I now live somewhere that will make a great setting for future novels.

If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
     Are you kidding? I already have magical powers. Er, seriously, I would love to be able to heal people with a single touch. My other work life (besides writing) is in complementary health care. If there’s a magical power that brings true health and wholeness to people, sign me up.

What’s your favorite smell?
     I love the smell of peppermint. And pine. Okay, that’s two. While we’re at it, I like lemon a lot too. And cinnamon. And apples. I’m sure there are others. Do I have to pick one?

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
     Ha ha, the most interesting to me or the one that sounds the most interesting? I think that writing a book is in the running, though it doesn’t add much to the conversation at a party. Apart from that, I’d say that the number one most interesting thing is that I’ve been befriended and mentored by a shaman, an old hippie who happened to be a truly great spiritual teacher.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
     I love to hear from readers. Please feel free to contact me via the email on my bio page. And check my website over the next few months for info on new books to come!

Barbara Miller
fallsbend.net
Music Master

Tell us about your most erotic romantic fantasy. If you could have a 24-hour romantic fling with anyone you wanted, anywhere you wanted, where would you go, what would you do and with whom would you do it?
     I don’t think I can fling anymore in real life. I’d have to travel back to medieval Wales and fling with my proxy wedding knight, Robert de Maris, who is supposed to be taking me to my new kingdom but who falls in love with me himself. Did I mention we are being pursued on horseback by irate relatives from whom I’ve been kidnapped? Sex is sweeter when it is forbidden in every possible way.

Tell us about your upcoming release and what you hope readers will enjoy about it.
     MUSIC MASTER has secret codes, a spy plot, childhood sweethearts who almost don’t come together because of the conspiracies swirling around them, all set in Regency Bath with its musical entertainments. I think readers will like the humor in this book, the way Leighton is always blundering and Maddie always forgives him, the way they can confide anything to each other. Leighton says it best. “Your average dewy-eyed miss would have a cabbage and a bunch of carrots in her basket, but you are sure to have something like a dead cat.”

What do you like to do when you’re not working?
     My favorite passion is to walk my dogs around our 150-acre farm. Many of my books have been set here and hiking around the place helps me work out plots. I also spend a lot of time saving heritage seeds, growing my own plants from seeds and planting my garden. Not so much weeding. I plant more and more flowers every year since you don’t have to pick them; you can just admire them from afar. If we get any vegetables it’s a happy accident.

What do you like about where you live?
     We have woods, fields, a stream and plenty of wildlife. Our newest features are two dragonfly ponds. They are fed by natural springs and the dragonflies love them, along with the frogs and other wild critters. My friends come for pond days to sketch or write in the gazebo.

If you could have one special super or magical power, what would it be?
     At first I thought of something selfish, like being a super-editor and never having any more mistakes in my writing. Then I thought, let me be the goddess who controls testosterone. I mean, it has some good uses but generally causes too much war and violence. But men are such whiners that would be a hopeless task. I guess I would like to be able to make abundant food and water out of thin air. That alone would solve a multitude of problems and perhaps save some species.

What’s your favorite smell?
     Spring is my favorite smell. After a long winter you will be walking one day and realize the earth and all those little microorganisms are waking up, that soon seeds will sprout and the whole show will begin again. There’s nothing else like it.

What makes a man sexy?
     Competence is the sexiest quality in a man. You can always tell when a man is faking that. I admire men who are good at what they do, assuming what they do is a good thing. Of course sex is always a good thing.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever done?
     The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is repair my own slate roof. The most difficult was pulling dead lambs out of live ewes. The most tiring was feeding 11 bottle baby lambs at once. But the craziest thing was trudging through the fields with a medieval broadsword several times a night to scare the foxes and coyotes away from the sheep flock. The sword didn’t actually scare them away—the flashlight did. The sword was in case I met something bigger than a coyote. I saw all kinds of red eyes out there, mostly little fox red eyes, besides the hundreds of green sheep eyes glowing like Christmas lights. Also a few yellow sets of eyes that were skunks and one strange glowing pair that looked like Gollum from Lord of the Ring. I had nothing against the foxes and coyotes, but so long as I patrolled several times a night we had no losses. It was an interesting way to lose sleep and weight, but I don’t recommend it. There really is no money in sheep and too much heartache.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
     I don’t write cabin books about orphans. When you read about my characters, you get them in the setting of their irritating and bizarre families. My heroes and heroines work through their problems and conflicts to support each other and often save each other. Even the darkest of my books have humor because that is such an important part of real life.