Thursday, January 27, 2011

All Things Romantic Suspense: Elaina Lee


Today Elaina Lee, author of Written in Blood, joins us. Leave her a comment and help her feel welcome!

1. Howdy! Please introduce yourself, tell us an interesting fact about you, and if you were an animal, what would it be? Hello, I'm Elaina Lee and thanks for having me here today! I love being out in nature, but hate yard work. I plan on having a garden this year, and it will be entirely in five gallon buckets (to make it easier to weed). J An animal, oh this one is always so hard! Probably a horse, because they're intelligent, powerful and respected by humans without being feared.

2. Tell us a bit about your book--something you wouldn't find in the blurb. Oh come on now, the blurb was so hard to write, I like to show it off, LOL! So this is going to be raw and dirty J. Well, my heroines life quickly begins to spiral out of control as she fears her ex-husband is stalking her and she begins to fall-in-lust with the one man she can't sleep with. Period. My hero struggles with feelings of desire for a single woman, something that hasn't happened to him in a long time. He fears what it may mean for him and how he's supposed to handle the change, which will not only affect his personal life, but his professional as well.

3. What was your inspiration for this story? So many authors have their heroine's classify the hero as villains. I read one story where the heroine went on this rant about how much of a villain (literally) the hero was. How evil, perverted and sinfully corrupted he was. He was NOT, by the way. So I wondered what it would be like to write a hero who was borderline a villain and what kind of woman would be able to handle such a man.

4. Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser? I used to be a plotter, but life is so busy now, I plot scene's ahead, not entire novels. So I guess I'm a converted panster J

5. When diving into a new work, how much research do you do and how do you go about doing it? Oh a lot. I have a library in my house. I have to set up a new bookmark folder just to keep track of all the online material I find to help me learn my next subject. I usually though, purchase a handful of books and break out the highlighter. What can I say, I'm old-fashioned. *grin*

6. If you could be one character from your book, who would it be and why? Hmmm, at this point I'm not sure I'd want to be any of my characters, LOL! Even the lighthearted ones in my comedies have had hard lives that I don't envy or would want any part of. I'm really good at torturing my characters, in their past and their present.

7. And if you had to be stuck in an elevator for 42 hours with one of your characters…? Oh, that would be Alek. Just so I could stare at him…. sigh.

8. What was the hardest part of writing this book? The action scene's. Action is harder to write than sex because of how fast it is. You have to get quick movements down in a way that they read fast yet convey enough to not leave the reader going, "What the heck is she/he doing?!"

9. Why romantic suspense? Do you write any other subgenres of romance? I love the angst of romantic suspense. The adrenaline rush you get from your characters as they struggle to survive. I'm so horrible, I know! Oddly, I'm writing a Southern romantic comedy right now, LOL! But believe me, I'll be ready for my alpha male hero and strong heroine after this story is done.

10. What books have most influenced your writing or your outlook on life in general? Unless they're bad, which gives me this rabid desire to write, books don't really influence my writing. I admire the authors who weave good tales and usually the best ones leave me unable to write period, I'm so in awe of their talent.

11. Quick! The Departed, Shutter Island, or Inception? I haven't seen any of those! LOL! I do love movies, but for some reason, none of those flicks have graced my TV screen. Now ask me which favorite movie by Christian Bale and I might have an answer (or three) for you *wink*.

12. Anything I didn't ask you about that you want to shout out to the world? Nope, this was an excellent interview, so a shouted THANK YOU is all I'd like to do.

Blurb:

Lyndi Crisdean is assigned one of the hardest cases in her career as a defense attorney. A serial murder case. Investigating is Alek Trevian, the lead investigator for the district attorney, and a handsome and supremely dangerous man. Lyndi finds herself in over her head when she chooses desire for Alek over common sense. If they're caught, Lyndi will lose everything she's worked for. Circumstances beyond her control pull her toward Alek, for he turns out to be the only one who can help when threats start to mount against her.

Lyndi may be the key Alek needs to bring down a murderous cult running loose in his city. When her beach house is broken into and a man begins to tail Lyndi, Alek can't help but reason Lyndi may be next on the cult's hitlist. The question is, will he discover the identity of the cult, keep her safe, and still win the case against the serial killer she's defending, all while losing a battle against the strong, untamable desire she alone ignites within him?

BUY LINKS - You can find it on Amazon, Bookstrand, All Romance and of course my publishers site, Noble Romance

Website information - www.elainalee.com and elaina-lee.blogspot.com

7 comments:

  1. Yay, thanks Mindy!!! Perhaps I should have chosen a different color... LOL! I can't wait to have you on my blog. :-D

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  2. Ah, for those who are too lazy to highlight text; their loss. And thanks for the follow!

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  3. LOL! That's what I had to do! And sure thing! Must show the love *wink*.

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  4. Great interview.. the book sounds awesome. I need to buy and read it soon. My TBR pile is so huge. I wish I could just sit and read all day. I need a job like that. Good luck in your future writing!

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  5. Thanks, Chrissie! You'll have to be sure to tell me what you think when you get the chance to read. And yes, my 'to read' pile is growing too, which is exciting! I haven't had a good 'to read' pile in a long time. :-D

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  6. Elaina, I am just the opposite when it comes to writing action. Rather write that anyday than the sex scene. Wonderful interview, Ladies!

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  7. Yeah, I really have to visualize an action scene and try to slow it down. Usually I have to rewrite it about five times before it makes perfect sense, LOL!

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