I want to welcome Ann
Raina! First I’d love you to introduce yourself.
Tell us about your
latest release.
Kisses and Chains
tells the story of Shian Crayn, who is fleeing from his pursuer, Culma Verde,
to the planet Radavé. He doesn’t know that all foreigners are considered
workers and he consequently ends up owned by a wealthy trader. To his luck, the
daughter of the house finds the young man very attractive and soon they escape
together. But that’s only the beginning of their adventure.
Now I have a few
questions for you – I have found readers do like to know fun things about us
writers.
1.) Who is your
favorite villain – it can be from a book (even one of yours), movie or TV show.
And why?
The villains have the better parts in a movie. They can be
reckless, mean, full of irony and condescence. They have the wider range of
emotions and options throughout the story. The best villains have their
positive moments and thus become more believable. See Alec Trevelyan (Sean
Bean) in Bond’s Goldeneye. He gives
the villain a very human touch, a man to hate but also to be sorry for. Or take
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore in The
Vampire Diaries. He’s smooth, eloquent, an excellent lover and still he’s a
bad boy. A man with charisma and unpredictable. That’s what makes a good
villain.
2.) Who is your
favorite character out of your books? Why?
I loved to write Project:
Recruitment. The main character, Sidarra, is confronted by a new people
with different backgrounds and different cultures. First, he’s set aback, but
soon realizes he can be a valuable part of their society and still remain the
man he was. Not to forget that he keeps his humor intact.
3.) What do genre do
you write? What made you pick that one?
I write erotic romance, set in science fiction surroundings,
and add some funny moments to every story. I love to develop strange living
conditions, foreign cultures and completely different behavior rules. Science
fiction offers a wide range of possibilities if you stick to the rules you set.
In Kisses and Chains all families are
traders and deal with workers as well as gems, water or food. There are no
police forces, no judges, or military personnel. Consequently, they all employ
guards and have to take care of their possessions but still there’s a strict
code of accepted behavior, and every neighbor is eager to fulfill those rules
up to a point where’s it’s only funny.
I also wrote two contemporary romances, Spice for Your Life and No
Fool. I just follow my mood and the ideas coming to my mind.
4.) What are you
working on now?
I did a report about a rich young man, who angered his
parents by wasting money all the time, which triggered a short story about how
to deal with such a man if all other measures fail. I’m two thirds through the
story and, yes, the young man learns his lesson. Not easily, but in a way he
had never thought about.
5.) What got you to
start writing?
The wish to write stories has accompanied me since I
attended school. Then Star Wars was
released. Two hours of impressive, new ideas were suddenly offered, but it wasn’t
enough for me. My mind spun around the characters and what more they could live
through. It was the beginning of fanfiction
though no one knew that term back in those days.
6.) Where do you get
your ideas from?
Ideas hit me. They follow me. They come to my mind and want
to be regarded and weighed and judged. And then there’s my muse, who also plays
around with those ideas and scenes. And if she says, the idea could work out
for a whole story we outline the plot and the characters. It’s always the
funniest part – brainstorming. We’ve spent whole afternoons with plotting,
accompanied by a lot of coffee and cookies. Oh, some good ideas come while I’m
in the kitchen, baking bread or cake. Or cookies. And, no, I haven’t ruined a
recipe because my thoughts wandered through strange landscapes…
7.) What would people
who read your work be surprised to find out about you?
None of the characters I describe in my books reflect on my
real life.
8.) Do you have any
special talents?
Besides writing, I love to ride. I bought a horse two years
ago spend many hours in the woods with it. At home, I have a tendency to work in
the kitchen, baking. My collection of recipes would fill a library.
9.) What was the one
piece of advice you received when you were an aspiring author that has stuck
with you? Why?
My teacher at high school taught me that the characters’
idioms reflect their social status. A bank director speaks another dialect than
a worker at the harbor. The characters an author creates are only believable if
they fit their role in every detail.
10.) If you could talk
to any famous figure (present, past or fictional) who would it be and what
would you talk about?
I would have loved to meet with Sir Peter Ustinov, no matter
the subject. I’m sure I could have learned so much from him. He was such a talented man, who left us too early. I admire him very much.
11.) What song would
you say describes your life?
Always look on the
Bright Side of Life. People tend to make their lives much more complicated
than it usually is. If you can sit back and relax, take a step back and try
another angle to weigh the problem at hand, you might be able to find a
solution without cramps in your brain.
12.) If you could come
back as any animal – what would it be?
I’d like to be one of my cats – days filled with games,
food, and, yes, sleep. I sometimes miss hours of sleep and envy my cats, which
can stay on my bed while I have to leave it. Darn.
Blurb:
On the run, Shian takes a spaceship to Radavé, not
knowing that his life will be turned upside down. Culma Verde, a headhunter, is
on his heels and known to never give up. Can his new love Keila help Shian out?
Excerpt:
Shian wanted to embrace her, but the chains did not
allow it. He cursed without words. The restrictions reminded him every minute
that he was nothing but a piece of Delion’s valuable collection.
Keila sighed. “So I sit here on the estate of my
father, wait for the right man, and until that happens, I have not much to do.”
She put away the glass and caressed Shian’s face. She smiled through sadness.
“I should not bring this upon you. I’ve been bored and frustrated for a long
time. You’ve brought some light back to my life. So you’d better forget what I
said.”
“I guess I understand you better than you think. You
sit in a cage, too, and don’t know how to escape. It’s just that you don’t wear
the chains in the open.”
Keila kissed him tenderly, playing her tongue in his
mouth. When he went along, she slipped from the couch to get closer and the
kiss got wilder.
“I want you,” she whispered. “I wanted you from the
first day. I haven’t felt so alive for a long time.”
“But I’m not allowed to—”
“I know, but I want you. Please, Shian, please.”
Shian had never been asked more nicely, but still her
father’s threat rang in his ears. He should not try and get closer to any
woman, especially not the most valuable firstborn daughter. Get your hands off her! That’s madness!
When he didn’t respond, Keila drew back.
“It’s not that I don’t want you,” he confessed
quietly, looking down at the chains holding him. “But I’m not out for
castration if your father finds us.”
“You are right.” She licked her lips and a mischievous
smile played around the corners of her mouth. She was blushing and looked very
lovely. “I have to make better preparations.”
“You will—”
She put a finger on his lips. “I will find a way.”
Author Bio:
Ann Raina lives and works in Germany. Besides writing,
riding is one of her favorite hobbies. She loves to be outdoors and enjoy the
woods in her region. She’s also a gardener and a baker if time allows. With
eXtasy Books, she has published eight novels so far, and a new erotic romance
is a work in progress.
Carpe diem!
Buy Links:
It’ll also be available via Amazon etc. later. The URL
does not yet exist.
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