Monthly Inspirational Author Interview

My inspirational author for November is Lori King, who, like many of us writers, has been writing since she was a kid and like myself, has tried other medium such as plays (one of my earliest attempts at a play was called ‘Roberta Hood and her Merry Ladies’!). Now, similarly, she is working on werewolf stories. I love how feisty her heroine sounds! So over to you Lori:

Thanks, Jen. I work full-time in the financial industry (aka banking). I’m a mom of three boys, a wife, a kids taxi service, PTO secretary, and an erotic romance author! I’m always busy, and I love it. I even thrive on it. J I’ve been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil, and I’ve had poetry, essays, a play, and now two books published. I write between the hours of awake and asleep, and I write what I like to read.

Tell us about your latest book.  I just released Reflections of the Wolf in October. This is the second book in The Gray Pack series. It is about a werewolf named Liam Gray, and the woman destined to be his mate Tina Jameson.  Liam is a loud and proud playboy that is brought to his knees by the feisty, sassy Tina, and forced to show his sensitive side in order to win her heart. Tina was the victim of a senseless act of violence in her past that has caused her to swear off of men, so when Liam announces to her that she will be his mate and that they will live Happily Ever After, she runs away…fast. Add in Liam’s own grief over the death of his young daughter and ex-wife, and a psychotic coworker, and you have major werewolf drama!  (See excerpt below)

What makes a great hero?  In my mind this is different for each book, but some of the basics stay the same. He has to be confident in himself, tough on the outside, a little softer on the inside, and have intense protective instincts.  I think that he has to fall so deeply in love with his heroine that he is willing to sacrifice himself for her. That’s what I like in a hero.

Is there any trivia about your latest/forthcoming story that you can share with us (eg, the name of a real life pet that you used in the story)? The character Tina is actually loosely based on a good friend of mine who is feisty and has more attitude in her petite body than should be legal!

What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done? Definitely clicking SUBMIT on my first book Fire of the Wolf. Sending that manuscript in was a lifelong dream that I just knew was unobtainable. I pushed through it and sent the book, only to have them respond with a contract in less than two weeks. It’s been a whirlwind learning the publishing biz since then, but it’s been a kick ass journey.

Who did you dedicate your first book to? I wrote a special dedication to my family members, you can read it on my blog here: http://lorikingbooks.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/in-the-spotlight-new-feature-for-the-blog/

How can you fans find you on the internet?  You can follow my blog to keep up with snippets and teases from the books I’m working on as well as when my new books are releasing www.lorikingbooks.wordpress.com  follow me on Facebook for daily updates about my chaotic world, https://www.facebook.com/Lori.King.Author or you can click the Notify me of Lori King’s new releases on http://www.bookstrand.com/lori-king and Siren will email you as soon as a book is available for preorder!

Excerpt:

 

“She’s okay, Liam. She’s just exhausted and overwhelmed. Give her some breathing room.” Tina could hear another man’s voice talking to Liam, but she couldn’t seem to make her eyes open to see who it was.

“Why did she pass out then?” Liam’s voice was annoyed, and she thought she heard him growl a bit. Damn that was sexy.

“Who knows why women faint? What were you guys talking about?” A third masculine voice spoke.

“Shit.” Liam muttered. “I told her she was my mate. I didn’t mean to scare her.”

Tina could just imagine the look on Liam’s face right now. She understood that Caroline believed in this whole mating thing, and that was fine for her life, but Tina wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. She had lived through her share of heartache when it came to men, and the pain just wasn’t worth it anymore.

She took a deep breath and forced her eyes open a crack. Instantly Liam and two other men were leaning over her. What the hell did they feed these men? They were enormous and gorgeous!

“Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to single women’s heaven,” she said, moaning and then blushing when the two new men laughed, and Liam frowned. “Who are you guys?”

“Hey, Sweet Tina, nice and easy now. How are you feeling?” Liam’s eyes held compassion, concern, and a glimmer of apprehension. A gentle tug of desire shot through her body at his soft endearment. He helped her sit up, scooting to sit behind her to brace her back against his chest. She was now between his outstretched thighs with her head tucked just under his chin and his arms around her protectively.

“Like a werewolf beat the shit out of me,” she grumbled, and all three men laughed. She felt Liam relax against her a little bit. He rested his hands on her flat tummy, and his thumbs rubbed tiny circle patterns through the T-shirt she wore. She could feel sparks shoot across her skin, and she grimaced in her mind. Her body sure wanted a relationship with him.

“Good. I was afraid you were just going to say fine or something silly like that.” His amusement rippled through her, making her smile.

“Hi, Tina. I’m Rafe Whetstone. This is my brother Ryley.” He indicated the beautiful godlike creature standing next to him. “We were quite impressed with your show of bravery in there, but you better take it easy for a bit. If your back gets worse, Liam will get you to the doctor. You hit that wall really hard when he threw you. And now with you passing out on us like that, it makes me wonder about your head. Is it hurting?” Rafe looked like a Viking warrior with golden-blond hair that was a little shaggy and electric-blue eyes that seemed to assess her in one lazy sweep. She shivered at the look of interest heating his gaze and instinctively pressed backward into Liam. His arms tightened around her possessively.

“Yes, but I took a baseball bat to the back of it a few hours ago, so it’s to be expected. I think my head hurts more now because it’s trying to process all of this…umm…this werewolf love story my best friend is apparently living.” She rubbed her temples trying to ease the ache. Liam’s strong hand moved to the base of her neck and started massaging the tension away. She groaned softly, and Ryley laughed loudly.

“Yeah, well, if Liam has his way, you will be living your own shortly. We have to go talk with Dev and Damon. Take care of your girl, Liam. I wouldn’t want to have to sweep her away from you and make her fall in love with me.” Ryley winked at Tina, and Liam growled a threat.

“Oh, pumpkin, that’s sweet, but I’m just not sure there is a man alive that’s qualified for that job,” she said, smiling sweetly at Ryley as he and the others laughed.

“Oh brother, you’re going to have your hands full with this little spitfire. Good luck!” Ryley teased Liam, and Tina’s eyes narrowed at him.

“He won’t have to worry about me shortly,” she grumbled, but the pressure increased from Liam’s hands, and a low moan escaped her throat. All three men ignored her implied threat, and it grated her nerves.

Ryley really was very sexy. He matched his brother in golden looks, but he kept his hair much longer. It brushed the tops of his shoulders, and his eyes were just a touch lighter than Rafe’s with flecks of green in them. It seemed all of the firemen of Battalion One were flirts with bodies built on Olympus. She would have to see about spending more time with Caroline if this was the company she was keeping.

She watched the two Viking warriors walked away and had to swallow hard at the sight of their tight butts. Wow, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. She chided herself for drooling over those two men when the one that really scared her was holding her in his arms. Worrying now about what Ryley had said, she fidgeted in Liam’s grip. Liam couldn’t really believe that she was his mate, could he? Goose bumps prickled over her skin when Liam’s kissed the nape of her neck where he had been gently massaging.

“Are they family, too?” she asked Liam curiously.

Liam tensed before replying. “Yes, they are my adopted brothers. You can trust them. Well, you can trust them with your life, but Ryley won’t ever stop trying to get into your pants.”

She laughed out loud and felt a surge of feminine confidence. “I’m sure I will enjoy his attempts.”

Liam growled behind her, and she stilled in his arms. That was definitely a possessive growl if she had ever heard one. Turning to look back over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, she took in his jealous frown and huffed with irritation. After a few moments of glaring at each other in silence, he sighed and relaxed, and she couldn’t help but smile at her victory. She wouldn’t tolerate being told who to spend time with, no matter who it was.

Good luck with the books, Lori. Next month's inspirational author will be Janine Ashbless.