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What can you tell us about your new release, Down & Dirty?

I am super excited about Down and Dirty. I grew up with a dad that loved football and now I’m the mother of three boys (2 of whom love football) so it’s always been a part of my life.  I’ve always wanted to write a series about a football team and now I finally get the chance! I always love playing with characters and dynamics, so I had a lot of fun writing Hunter (who is looking for a house to raise his niece and nephew in now that his twin sister is dying of cancer) and Emerson, the struggling artist turned real estate agent who is helping him on his quest.  Both held surprises for me when I was writing them and I hope they hold surprises for my readers as well!

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Oh my gosh, that is a really, really hard question for a writer/lit professor to answer, but I’ll give it my best shot!

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (my favorite YA)

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James (my favorite contemporary romance)

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh (my favorite paranormal romance)

Cop Town by Karin Slaughter (my favorite mystery)

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (my favorite literary novel)

Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?

Oh, Scout Finch, absolutely. I’m currently re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird with my middle son for his eighth grade language arts class and I am reminded every night how much I love her.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don’t actually have typical days anymore, lol. My life has been crazy, crazy, crazy the last couple of years.  But an atypical day when I actually get to work seven or eight hours looks something like this:

4 a.m. Wake up and write until 6:30 a.m.

6:30-8 a.m. Get kids off to school

8-9 a.m. Chat with my bff on the phone and do laundry/chores at the same time

9-1 p.m. Write/answer emails/procrastinate on social media

1-2 p.m. Lunch/break/nap depending on what I feel like

2-3 p.m. Frantically write

3-8 p.m.: Kids, homework, make dinner, read a book or take a bath if there’s time if there’s time, etc

8-9 p.m. Watch Rachel Maddow

9-10 p.m. Read to kids/get kids to bed

10 p.m.-12:30 a.m.: Write or do publicity/copy edit/etc. stuff

12:30-4 am: Sleep

BAM. You're a superhero. What's your superpower?

Telekinesis. I totally want to be able to move whatever I want with my mind. And not just because I’m lazy.

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

My bathtub, lol.  But seriously, I love to take a long bubble bath, drink a glass of wine and read an amazing book. No matter how bad the day is, what’s not to love about ending it like that?

What scene in Down & Dirty was your favorite to write?

Ummmm, the truth? There’s a sex scene that involves painting and I’ve been wanting to write a scene like it for a long time. But it wasn’t until Hunter and Emerson came along that I had the write characters/chemistry/story to do it … it was a really fun scene to write, and so far early readers really seem to like it, too.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I’m a huge Oscar Wilde fan, so pretty much everything he’s ever said … But the one quote of his that really strikes me lately, and that I really try to live by, is “Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”

Tracy Wolff is the author of the new book Down & Dirty. 

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What can you tell us about your new release, The Dom vs The Virgin?

How about I answer this with one of the many amazing and humbling reviews it’s received:

"Wow - this is one of the most profound and emotionally charged books I have had the honor and pleasure to read. It is not only a great romance but, a great lesson in humanity."

What or who inspired you to become an author?

When I was younger I loved to read Harlequin romances. One day, I decided to see if I could write a story like that. Very fortunately for me, I could.

Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?

Heathcliff… was there ever a more tortured romantic soul?

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Everything! But if I have to choose just one thing… the time I spend plotting in my head. That’s when the characters really start speaking to me.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

I should say I want to spend an extra hour writing, shouldn’t I? But, I’d much rather spend it with my hunky hubby. I love him dearly and he’s very understanding of all the time I do spend writing.

What's in your Netflix queue?

All right, I’ll admit it. It’s the latest 50 Shades of Grey movie.

What scene in The Dom vs The Virgin was your favorite to write?

Any scene with Nana in it. She was so much fun to write and readers are saying that they love her. This warms my heart.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. This strikes such a chord in me. I wish I knew who coined it.

Alice Ward is the author of the new book The Dom vs The Virgin. 

Connect with Alice:
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What can you tell us about your new release, Hot Shot?

Hot Shot is book 2 in my Conquistadors series, which is about three Navy SEALs who now own a tequila bar in San Diego. It’s a sort of friends to enemies story, as Carrie and Marco find each other annoying but are stuck hanging out together because their best friends and getting married. There’s definite heat beneath their banter but Marco Solis knows everyone he cares about will leave him, so he’s not looking for a relationship—especially with a woman who’s about to move to Spain for nine months.

What's the last book you read?

American Prince by Sierra Simone.

If you were a teacher, what book would you assign to your class?

Anne of Green Gables.

What's on your writing desk?

OMG a lot of junk! I’m constantly writing myself reminder notes, so there are lots of stickie notes and papers and pens. Also a coaster for my coffee (or wine glass!), a scented candle, my pretty calendar and stickers to mark pages, and file folders holding the notes for at least one WIP.

If you could have dinner with anyone, alive or dead, who would you choose and why?

I would like to have dinner with my mom and dad, who have both been gone for a long time – before I achieved success as a writer. I would like to tell them about it. My dad would be proud of me for writing dirty books and my mom would tell me not to let success go to my head.

What will your next adventure be?

I am off to Chicago on a research trip this month! I set a lot of my books in Chicago and while I’ve been there a couple of times, there are some new things I need to explore.

What scene in Hot Shot was your favorite to write?

I love writing sexy banter between hero and heroine, so the scene in the restaurant where they’re talking about their favorite sexual positions was fun to write

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Having been through some tough times lately, I like to remind myself that’s not the load you carry, it’s how you carry it that matters.

Kelly Jamieson is the author of the new book Hot Shot. 

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What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always been a fan of books, reading, and the ability to create stories that come to life through words. I began thinking that it was something I might like to try several years ago, and when my husband pushed me (okay, dared me) to give it a try, I decided I had nothing to lose.

Which book from your childhood or teenage years has stuck with you as an adult?

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my all-time favorites. My dogs are actually named Atticus and Scout.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

The freedom to create the story I envision. I have the ability to drive the story from start to finish, and that is an amazing feeling.

What's your favorite play or musical?

Not sure if it’s my favorite, and not sure if I should be ashamed or not, but I know the words to all the songs in Grease 2.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics. What sport would you compete in?

Volleyball

What scene in Sex in the Sticks was your favorite to write?

When Valentine gets drunk and dances on tables at the bar, then Logan comes and “arrests” her.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Just to be kind to one another, and to always look for the best in people.

Sawyer Bennett is the author of the new book Sex in the Sticks. 

Connect with Sawyer:
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What can you tell us about your new release, Filthy Doctor?

Filthy Doctor is a steamy billionaire romance and I hope people will love it since it’s different from the usual billionaire trope. We have a billionaire doctor who wants to be the next Dr. Oz. and runs his own TV show, and yes, our doctor is a bad boy – he has this unique talent that he is very proud of. One look, and he can make a woman come!

Our heroine is a divorced BBW, and this doctor’s childhood sweetheart, so you also get to see some second chance romance and chemistry there. And unlike the submissive heroine in other billionaire novels, our heroine is a strong, independent, career oriented woman who falls for his charms.

I am thrilled and touched by the wonderful reviews Filthy Doctor has been receiving so far.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

Well, you would be surprised because my top five list would also include non-fiction. I read a LOT, and it involves fiction and non-fiction.

So, here we go:

1. The Millionaire Fast Lane by M J DeMarco: This book has taught me how to build a business step by step and how to save money for business (I am a shopaholic and a spendthrift btw).
2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey: And I love when he tells us to sharpen the saw. Because that is what most people don’t do!
3. P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern: I love Holly and Gerry’s story and can read it over and over again. (And don’t even ask me how many tears I shed).
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I love the fact that Jane is intellectually strong and I love the way it portrays self-esteem and identity.
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin: This is the very first romantic novel that I read and which introduced me to the world of romantic novels and how beautiful this world is.

Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?

That would definitely be Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. I love her ability to laugh at herself and of course her frankness and fearlessness. And I love the fact that she is intelligent enough and therefore makes a worthy mate for Mr. Darcy.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love plotting the novel. And plots come to me spontaneously. It could be a song, a life incident, even something in the national news, I mean anything random – I just use that inspiration to get my plot down. So, I write down the names of main characters and some specific things that I would write. I never use outlines, but begin writing based on the theme that I jotted down in my notebook. Now, the story that I write could actually be very different from the plot that I initially wrote!

I love writing because it lets me escape into a world of romance, a world that I love and sometimes far away from reality. And I love it when my readers say the same thing to me. I am proud of the fact that they are able to find that emotion, passion and drama in my writing and are able to escape into a world that they want to be in.

BAM. You're a superhero. What's your superpower?

Cloning. I could accomplish so many things if I were able to clone myself. I could be a non-guilty mom and wife as well as a writer who could spend fourteen hours in a day writing. Wow!

What advice would you give your teenage self?

I would say ‘Don’t let anyone put you down or second guess yourself.’

What scene in Filthy Doctor was your favorite to write?

I loved writing everything about Filthy Doctor so that would be a hard choice. If I have to, I would say the scene where Ed introduces Dr. Walker and Lucy, only to find out that they were childhood sweethearts.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I love this quote from ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’:

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it”.

This inspires me to set goals, visualize successes, surround myself with positive people, feel the positivity all around, and take action, even if it is imperfect action.

Amy Brent is the author of the new book Filthy Doctor. 

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