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What can you tell us about your new release, His Virgin?

His Virgin is a classic love story, turned upside down! Elijah is running for president. Meredith is a young reporter following his campaign. They don’t want to fall in love, and try everything in their power not to, but the heart wants what the heart wants. I’m excited about this story, and excited to bring it to my fans.

You're hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

Ooooh. Neal Stephenson, Margaret Atwood, and… well, I gotta go with Winter Renshaw to represent my romance novelist side.

What's the last book you read?

I’m reading The Circle, by Dave Eggers. The last romance I read was Forsaken, by B. B. Hamel and Willow Winters.

What's a typical day like for you?

I get up at eight thirty (sort of cheating, because I’m on West coast time). I immediately open my laptop, and check emails/set up my newsletter. I’m usually buried in work until about 4:30, when I realize that I’m ravenous because I haven’t eaten properly. I hang out with my cats or go out with some friends until eight pm. Then I half work, half goof off. I’m afraid it’s a bit boring to be me!

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

A ballerina. I was very serious about ballet, until I was 13. Then I realized how much of a young girls's blood, sweat, and tears went into going pro… so I joined a soccer team instead. I still love ballet though!

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Probably just… be more confident, and take better care of yourself. I was a pretty cool teenager, my high school was really alternative. I was homecoming queen, but I also had pink hair.

What scene in His Virgin was your favorite to write?

Probably the first sex scene. It’s a really tender moment for the characters, so I got to be sappy. I like sappy.

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

Be "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - The Little Prince. Here's another secret. I have a tattoo of The Little Prince, where he's escaping his planet by taking advantage of a flight of migratory birds. Thinking about that quote makes me feel zen.

Vivian Wood is the author of the new book His Virgin. 

Connect with Vivian:
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What can you tell us about your new release, Finding You?

Well, Finding You is the 3rd book in this series, and it's definitely the most heartfelt and emotional I would say. It centers around Jane who’s adopted. Because of this, she's always felt a bit different and has never really been sure about her place in the world. As her 25^th birthday looms she has a bit of a quarter life crisis meltdown and decides to go to Greece to find her biological father. It’s a very un-Jane-like thing to do, but she does it anyway. And all she knows is that his name is Dimitri and that 25 years ago he was a tour guide in Greece- she isn’t even sure what island he’s from. So she takes a crazy chance, packs a bag and books a one-way ticket to Santorini. I’m not going to spoil the story, but let’s just say she meets a hot Dimitri of her own, and the two embark on a wild adventure together. She also lands up finding much, much more than what she bargained for!

What's the last book you read?

I read Dr. Seuss "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" to my son last night. I never get bored of reading Dr. Seuss books. He's definitely one of my favorite writers and certainly one of the most creative.

Who is your favorite couple from literature?

I’ve been asked this question so many times and I always find it very hard to answer because I don’t actually read much romance. I’m more a non-fiction, thriller type gal! Bizarrely enough, believe it or not, I’m not a romantic person. At all. My husband and I both forgot our wedding anniversary last year, and will probably forget it this year too and for the rest of our lives together. I’m not sure how it is that I actually manage to write romance, I ask myself this question all the time. (Perhaps I have a suppressed romantic inside dying to come out- I don’t know.) I know I haven’t answered the question but can I go with not answering this question and promising to read more so that next time someone asks, I’ll have a real answer for them?

What's a typical day like for you?

My life has been rather disruptive of late. My family has been living between South Africa and Qatar for the last year so anything that resembles a daily routine has been tossed out the window. I've hardly been able to write lately it's been so frantic. But usually I do the whole 'pack a healthy lunch and drop the child off at school' thing and then ideally come home and write. I built myself an office in the garden so I'm not stuck in the house all day long. Then at some stage I fetch said child, feed it again, and then work some more while the nanny tries to keep him from barging into my office every five minutes to show me the weapon he just made from sticks and mud.

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

I've always wanted to be in the theater- since I can remember. I used to put on plays for friends and family as well as write them. I did go on to study theater, and worked in it for a while- writing, directing and producing my own shows. Unfortunately, where I'm from (South Africa) it's very difficult to make any kind of a real living doing that. So I decided I didn't want to be poor and went into TV instead, which somehow eventually lead me to writing books. But the common denominator is storytelling. You could say that I've always wanted to be, and have always been a storyteller. My medium has just changed over the years.

If you could invent anything, what would it be?

I would clone and duplicate myself. That way I could be all things at once, well, I could be good at all of them. Writer, mother, wife, friend... I find it hard to juggle things like most people do. I would love a few replicas of myself who could help me out. (One that cooks and cleans would be super great too!) I’d also invent a machine that reads your mind and writes what you’re thinking. I seem to do my best writing in my head while I’m driving or doing something else and never remember it! I tried recording myself talking, but that didn’t really work, the sound of my voice was far too irritating to listen to.

What scene in Finding You was your favorite to write?

To be honest, Finding You was a very hard book to write. I’m also adopted and even though that was 36 years ago, I still found it very emotional and difficult to write at times. In fact, there were some moments I absolutely “hated” writing, and it took a huge amount of energy just to get through. I was very surprised by how hard this book was to write, I went in thinking I was going to write a fun, cute, romcom, but what came out was a bit different- it’s far more complex and raw and real than the previous two books. I think writing the last line was my favorite thing to write- honestly, this book took it out of me a bit! It was cathartic, but hard.

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

I couldn't really think of any specific one, so I asked my husband what he thought and he replied, "Where's my phone?" Apparently those are the words I utter the most and apparently my life seems to revolve around finding it, because inevitably I've lost it. Other than that, I don’t really prescribe to living by mottos and such. I just live. Probably badly half the time, but here I am!

Jo Watson is the author of the new book Finding You. 

Connect with Jo:

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What can you tell us about your new release, Shameless Kiss?

Shameless Kiss is is another sexy romp through New York City by yours truly. I'm a big fan of the heroine in this book--she's so determined to do everything for herself, which makes sparks fly when she meets our hero, who doesn't take no for an answer!

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I've just always loved writing and telling stories. I never knew that it would be this fun to be an author, though--I always thought you had to have a publishing contract!

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I love thrillers.

You're hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

Lev Grossman, Audrey Niffenegger, and Christopher Moore

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

I'm a big sucker for Disney World. It's just so...magical! There's also a sunny spot at my local library that just makes me feel so peaceful. I solve a lot of writing problems there!

What advice would yu give your teenage self?

Start writing NOW! Don't wait! And don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't make a living doing what you love.

What scene in Shameless Kiss was your favorite to write?

I don't want to give away any details, but there's a scene near the middle where things really heat up. That was the most fun!

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

I always try to remember that life is short, so I try to enjoy every moment that I can.

Amelia Wilde is the author of the new book Shameless Kiss. 

Connect with Amelia:
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What can you tell us about your new release, The List?

It's a steamy billionaire romance but I'm hoping people will see and love that it's a little different from the normal billionaire trope. Here, we have four billionaires who, on the outside, appear to be not very nice. They've created this list of all their prior hookups and each of them goes to it whenever they're in the mood for someone new.

Then, one of them, Xavier, meets Riley, and it all changes for him. He can't stop thinking about her and, for the first time, doesn't want to put her name on the list. But, this could lead to trouble... for him and his other three partners. Because he wants to tell Riley everything but no one knows what she might do with this information.

It's been receiving wonderful reviews so far and I'm touched and thrilled.

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I love dogs but gave up having any since my hubby is allergic. So, instead, I love to read about them. One of my favorites is Marley and Me. I cried when I read it and when I saw the movie.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

I think it would be fascinating to have a discussion with Anne Desclos (she wrote The Story of O way back in 1954 and had a big impact on the erotic romance BDSM genre) and the Bronte sisters. Technically, that's four writers but you can't invite only two of the three Bronte sisters. That would be rude. 🙂

What's a typical day like for you?

It starts with coffee. Lots of COFFEE! LOL Then I check email, my Facebook page and group. Once I tear myself away from all that I settle in for my day of writing For me, it's a fulltime job and I'm thankful every day that I'm able to do this. I live in Florida so if the weather is nice, I write at the beach. If not, I go to my favorite Starbucks. And, you guessed it... I drink more coffee. 🙂

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

Flying. I get so impatient when I'm sitting in traffic.

What's your favorite play or musical?

Jersey Boys is my favorite musical. Our Town is my favorite play, only because my husband and I fell in love while working on it back in our high school theater department

What scene in The List was your favorite to write?

I loved every second of writing The List so it's so hard to choose. If I have to, I'd say the scene when Riley and Xavier first meet. It could have gone in so many different directions and was such fun!

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 List. 

Connect with Alice:
Author Website

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