I want to welcome Tina
Donahue. First I’d love you to introduce yourself.
Hey all, I’m
an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and
historical romance for Kensington, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren
Publishing, Booktrope, Luminosity, Decadent, and indie. Yay! Booklist, Publisher’s
Weekly, Romantic Times and
numerous online sites have praised my work, and trust me, I’m forever grateful
for that. I’ve had my books reach finals in the EPIC competition, one title was
named Book of the Year at a review site, and others have won awards in
RWA-sponsored contests. I’m actually featured in the 2012 Novel & Short
Story Writer’s Market. Talk about feeling like a freaking star. Before my writing
career, I was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in
Story Direction for a Hollywood production company. Outside of being an
admitted and unrepentant chocoholic, I’ve flown a single-engine plane (scary
stuff), rewired an old house using an electricity for dummies book, and have
been known to moan like Meg Ryan in When
Harry Met Sally whenever I’m eating anything Mexican or Italian. Yeah, I
like to eat (burp).
You
can check me out here – yes, I am everywhere!
J
Tell us about your
latest release.
Surrendering to the
Beast is book two of my Taming
the Beast series, erotic paranormal-romantic comedy about a makeover service
for supernatural beings in New Orleans, run by a witch. Staff members include a
reformed demon, a voodoo priestess, and a good fairy. Surrendering to the Beast is
the good fairy’s story. Here’s the blurb:
When she’s good, she’s very good. But when he’s
bad, she’s better.
Taming the Beast, Book 2
As a good fairy, Heather is empathetic and chaste
to a fault. No bad language, no dirty thoughts, flirting and no sex. But when a
satyr named Daemon steps up to her reception desk at From Crud to Stud, she
finds herself on the fast track to exquisite corruption.
Daemon is the total bad-boy package with a kiss
straight from the dark side. Though he’s here for a supernatural makeover,
Heather can’t imagine why any red-blooded woman would want him to change.
A disciple of the god of wine, Daemon has had his
share of good times. But sex has never been this good. Heather brings out a new
side of him, a side that makes him want to protect as well as pillage.
But Daemon needs a little creative backup to help
set his fairy’s naughtiness free. And that means bringing in Mistress Jin.
Under the genie’s tutelage and Daemon’s shameless lust, Heather is about to
learn what it means to let loose.
Warning: Not your typical bedtime story. May lead to indecent behavior,
a taste for voyeurism, discipline, bondage, m/f, m/f/f and f/f action, which
will result in screaming orgasms. Proceed with caution.
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 last villain in The
Following (Kevin Bacon series –
cancelled - bummer). Wow, he was one nasty dude. Killed his wife and would have
offed his kids if given the chance. It was both creepy and fascinating to see
him in action.
2.) Who is your
favorite character out of your books? Why?
Impossible to say. I love them all. While I’m writing their
stories, or rather listening to them tell me the stories and I’m writing them
down, they seem more real to me than actual people. J
3.) What do genre do
you write? What made you pick that one?
I write contemporary, historical, paranormal, SciFi,
romantic comedy, erotic, suspense , ménage and a blending of many of these
genres together. I write what appeals to me. Keeps things fresh.
4.) What are you
working on now?
Book five of my Taming
the Beast series. Books 3 and 4
will be out in 2016.
5.) What got you to
start writing?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I wrote my first book
when I was nine – Dimples the
Adventurous Flea – and illustrated
it. After making copies, I went around the neighborhood and sold the copies to my
friends’ parents. My first book tour. I’ve always written. Just wanted to do
it.
6.) Where do you get
your ideas from?
Honestly, they just pop into my head. I could be watching a
movie, reading a book, be in a market grocery shopping and suddenly I’ll get an
idea.
7.) What would people
who read your work be surprised to find out about you?
I’m basically a very shy person. You wouldn’t guess it from
my kickass heroines and steamy plots.
8.) Do you have any
special talents?
I can also draw, but I’ve never pursued it. I like writing
better.
9.) What was the one
piece of advice you received when you were an aspiring author that has stuck
with you? Why?
Read, read, read. Write, write, write. Don’t give up. Common
sense, mostly.
10.) If you could talk
to any famous figure (present, past or fictional) who would it be and what
would you talk about?
I’d love to talk to Stieg Larsson, author of the Millennium
Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Played with Fire, Girl Who
Kicked the Hornet’s Nest). I absolutely adored those books.
11.) What song would
you say describes your life?
Katy Perry’s Roar
12.) If you could come
back as any animal – what would it be?
Bird. They seem so
free.
Available
for pre-order September 13
Ready to
read October 13
Blurb:
When she’s good, she’s very good. But when he’s
bad, she’s better.
Taming the Beast, Book 2
As a good fairy, Heather is empathetic and chaste
to a fault. No bad language, no dirty thoughts, flirting and no sex. But when a
satyr named Daemon steps up to her reception desk at From Crud to Stud, she
finds herself on the fast track to exquisite corruption.
Daemon is the total bad-boy package with a kiss straight
from the dark side. Though he’s here for a supernatural makeover, Heather can’t
imagine why any red-blooded woman would want him to change.
A disciple of the god of wine, Daemon has had his
share of good times. But sex has never been this good. Heather brings out a new
side of him, a side that makes him want to protect as well as pillage.
But Daemon needs a little creative backup to help
set his fairy’s naughtiness free. And that means bringing in Mistress Jin.
Under the genie’s tutelage and Daemon’s shameless lust, Heather is about to
learn what it means to let loose.
Warning:
Not your typical bedtime story. May lead to indecent behavior, a taste for
voyeurism, discipline, bondage, m/f, m/f/f and f/f action, which will result in
screaming orgasms. Proceed with caution.
Excerpt:
Heather
steeled herself to do battle with Satan. Cautiously, she faced her webcam and
his image on her computer monitor. This evening, he’d assumed the form of a
European playboy, a snifter of cognac held casually in one hand, dark hair
slicked back, his blood-red ascot contrasting nicely with his white shirt and
navy blazer.
He
certainly knew how to dress.
“Cara
mia.” Heat smoldered in his voice and dark eyes. “What can I do to you?”
“For
me,” she corrected gently, wondering when he’d ever get that right.
Grinning,
he focused on her white peasant blouse and jutted nipples, her areolas
tightened from the chilly weather, not him. Tonight was damp and cool thanks to
a spring storm that continued to rage in the French Quarter. Lightning flashed
and the office lights flickered.
Flames
flared briefly in his pupils. “We’ll do many things to each other, no?”
Heather
smiled politely, a knee-jerk reaction for a good fairy. Needing to get tough,
she held up his overdue bill, hoping he’d look at it rather than her chest. Her
hand shook so badly the paper rattled.
“How
you tremble,” he cooed. “How pale you are. Allow me to put some color in your
lovely cheeks. Heat that will last an eternity.”
Her
skin got even clammier. “Please, just pay your account.” She waved the paper
and talked fast before losing her nerve. “Your grandson failed to show for his
last two appointments. I’m sure he had a good reason. Unfortunately, he didn’t
call to cancel.” She offered an apologetic smile and pressed on. “Because
you’re the cardholder, we had to charge you for the time. I’m so sorry, but it
is the rule.”
One
she was honor-bound to enforce as an employee of From Crud to Stud, a makeover service
for supernatural beings. Howls from weres, hisses from vampires and obscenities
from demons poured from the treatment rooms. Those poor souls were going
through proverbial hell to suppress their beasts. They longed to date mortal
women without freaking them out, while also winning their hearts the normal
way. With real charm, not magic, with integrity and love, not lies and
manipulation.
But
these makeovers took the staff’s valuable time and clients needed to pay for
the effort. Even Satan should understand that.
He
gave her an indulgent smile. “What charges?”
Gasping,
she dropped the flaming paper in her trashcan before it burnt her fingers.
“Later,”
he said and killed the call.
Hurriedly,
Heather put out the small blaze, chiding herself for letting the account get to
this point. She should have been firm with Satan’s grandson when he signed up
for the service. Determined to make up for being too nice, she brought up her
bank account to pay the charges herself. She was about to transfer the funds when
the lights flickered twice, thunder boomed and the front door flew open,
banging against the wall.
She
flinched.
A
blast of dank air and rain blew inside, followed by a guy who looked to be
thirty or so. He wore a black cowboy hat, snug navy tee, low-slung jeans and
cowboy boots.
Once
he shoved the door shut, he slumped against it, breathing hard.
Heather
stood so quickly her chair rolled into the wall.
He
didn’t notice. He’d closed his eyes and raised his face to the ceiling, his
prominent Adam’s apple bobbing with his hard swallow.
Alarmed
yet intrigued, she regarded the short, dark hairs on his throat and took the
rest of him in. His rain-dampened hair was the color of dark chocolate, thick
and wavy, flowing to his broad shoulders. They heaved with his next ragged
breath. Tall, possibly six-three, he was lean yet muscular. His wet tee clung
to his well-defined pecs and abs, those bruising biceps. Stubble covered his
strong jaw, upper lip and cheeks. His bronze skin spoke of days in the sun.
Even
from where she stood, Heather smelled his scent. Clean and masculine, a woodsy,
fresh fragrance along with something else…the unmistakable odor of liquor.
Uh-oh.
It wasn’t often that mortals, drunk or otherwise, happened upon this place.
When they did, Heather had ironclad rules to follow. First, buzz Constance, a
voodoo priestess who could remove memories by laying her hands on someone’s
head. Following that, Heather was supposed to buzz Becca, a half-mortal witch
who owned this place.
Heather
leaned over her desk to press the intercom button.
The
guy turned to her, blinked slowly and stared.
Her
hand stalled.
His
eyes were amazing, the color of Lipton tea, ringed by long, sooty lashes, his
attention riveted as he drank her in. Given his slow, sexy smile, Heather suspected
he was undressing her with his eyes.
She
swallowed and was about to press the button when he groaned suddenly and
mournfully, the sound of someone in serious pain.
Heather paused and decided not to call
for anyone just yet. “Are you all right?”
Buy Links:
About Me (You
know you want to know!):
I’m an award-winning, bestselling
novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for
Kensington, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing, Booktrope,
Luminosity, Decadent, and indie. Yay!
Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites
have praised my work, and trust me, I’m forever grateful for that. I’ve had my
books reach finals in the EPIC competition, one title was named Book of the
Year at a review site, and others have won awards in RWA-sponsored contests.
I’m actually featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Talk
about feeling like a freaking star. Before my writing career, I was the editor
of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a
Hollywood production company. Outside of being an admitted and unrepentant
chocoholic, I’ve flown a single-engine plane (scary stuff), rewired an old
house using an electricity for dummies book, and have been known to moan like
Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally whenever
I’m eating anything Mexican or Italian. Yeah, I like to eat (burp).
You can check me out here – yes, I
am everywhere! J
I’m offering one winner her (or his) choice of FIVE
of my backlist ebooks – full-length, bestselling, award-winning, from this list
(25 choices):
1. Adored
– RWA award-winning; EPIC 2011 Finalist; 4 Stars RT
9. SiNN
– Nominated for Book of the Week LASR
20. Taking Eve – What to
read after FSOG and Story of O
