When Kieran Kramer Met the Banditas...

posted by Christine Wells

It's my absolute pleasure to introduce Kieran Kramer, who is taking the romance world by storm with her "Impossible Bachelors" series. It's wonderful to have Kieran with us. I'm thrilled to announce that Kieran is offering some very special prizes to our Bandit Buddies today. So get commenting for a chance to win!

1. Kieran, a warm welcome to the bandit lair and congratulations on your debut! Your Regency historical, WHEN HARRY MET MOLLY is out this month, to be followed closely by DUKES TO THE LEFT OF ME, PRINCES TO THE RIGHT. Can you tell us a bit about the books and your inspiration for writing the series?

Hi! I'm so glad to be here! My four-book series, The Impossible Bachelors, is about four super sexy Regency-era bachelors who are convinced they're not destined for the marriage altar. But of course, they're all wrong!

Don't you just love when Cupid's arrow strikes someone who's running away from love? I know I do. It's diabolical of me, perhaps, but I can't help thinking, "YES!" when they realize they can't live without the women who are driving them crazy. :>)

2. You've worked for the CIA and as a freelance journalist, among other things. What drew you to write Regency historicals rather than, say, thrillers or non-fiction?

I like a lot of things. What drew me to the CIA and to working for a newspaper was my sense of adventure. As for my writing life, I find it more exciting to make up stories. I'm into character way more than plot, and thrillers are very plot-heavy for me. And yes, truth is stranger than fiction, but rather than report on real occurrences, I'd rather spin some tall tales!! That's just more fun for me. Of course, everyone's different. Thank goodness we DO have thriller writers and journalists! Let me write my lighthearted fiction stories, and I'll leave them to their sort of writing.

3. We love hearing call stories in the lair! Would you care to tell us yours?

Oh, I love my call story, so I'll be glad to share! I was riding along a narrow country road, heading to jury duty in the small town next to mine, thinking,"Gosh, I'm bored," and yawning and dreading sitting still like a good girl in the court room… when I got a call from my fabulous agent. She proceeded to tell me the series had sold and blahblahblah--I'm sorry. I have NO idea what she said next. All I remember now is that my hands were super sweaty on the wheel of the car, and I was sort of shaking all over, so I told her I had to hang up before I drove off the road into a corn field. And then I threw the cell phone down, drove with TWO hands, and got to the courthouse, where I had to be super quiet and respectful, when I really wanted to shout and dance. And then, when asked my profession, I stood up and told the judge and the lawyers and the jury pool that I was a professional writer. I know I was I grinning from ear to ear! Somehow, I didn't get selected, and I got to drive a whole half hour home and tell my family and neighbors the unbelievable news and went running around on the streets, because I think we should all do that every chance we get--running around on the streets and yelling about how great life is.

4. What are three things you want readers to know about your stories?

a) I want you to laugh and have fun with them.
b) They reflect my honest belief that love is EVERYTHING and that the good guys are always gonna win in the end!
c) They're always about Girl Power, too. I like my heroines to be brave, to be honest, and to put themselves out there--to risk it all!

5. Tell us 5 quirky things that people might not know about you.

Oh, this'll be fun.

1) My favorite breakfast of the year is the morning after Thanksgiving, where I wake up, and before the sleep is even out of my eyes, I cut myself a large piece of pumpkin pie (smothered in Cool Whip) and a slab of pecan pie (I put a dollop of real whipped cream on that) and dig in. Mmm-mmm!

2) I talk to my pets in a sort of weird baby voice that would make you sick if you heard it.

3) I wear the same khaki skort over and over every day in the summer, and I wonder when it's going to wear out from all the washings and when my neighbors are ever going to approach me and ask me why I can't buy a new skort or shorts or skirt or dress or something!

4) I love Raisinettes so much, you'd better hide them if I come to your house.

5) Whenever I'm with people from foreign countries, I start adopting their accent almost immediately. It's so embarrassing!

LOL, I can identify with a couple of those! Thank you so much for being with us today, Kieran! Now, what would you like to ask our readers?

First of all, I want to say I had so much fun answering your questions! Thanks for having me. I'm going to give away TWO ARCs of Dukes to the Left of Me, Princes to the Right and ONE final copy of When Harry Met Molly.

And the question I'd like to ask your readers is…(drum roll)…

WHAT HAS MADE YOU LAUGH SO HARD THAT IF YOU WERE DRINKING CHOCOLATE MILK, IT WOULD HAVE COME OUT YOUR NOSE? OR MAYBE DID?

I'll start: It happened when my dad tried to lower my brother via a pulley rope slung around a giant tree branch onto the back of a stubborn mule named Jack who wouldn't let anyone NEAR him! (is my family weird, or what?) Jack won. Brother lost. Jack, who was eating a strategically placed pile of delicious mule treats beneath the tree branch, bucked and kicked as soon as my brother got close to straddling him and then ran as fast as his hooves could carry him away from those rude humans!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Christine%20Wells%20interview
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Time Travel, Highlander Style -- Donna Grant is in the Lair!

posted by Christine Wells

It's my very great pleasure to welcome to the lair a gorgeous, talented friend of mine, Donna Grant, who writes fabulous sexy paranormals.

In Donna's Dark Sword series, Highland warriors with gods from hell bound inside them must fight Deidre, an evil Druid who is bent on freeing those gods and bending them to her will.

Now, I don't think I have to spell out the more obvious attractions of this series--the covers do a fine job of that! But I also love the internal struggle each warrior faces in his need to control the god inside him. It is a dark force, and a powerful one--unleashing the god makes the warrior god-like in his strength and abilities--but fail to control the god once he is unleashed and all hell will break loose. Literally!

It's a brave woman who would love such a man, but the rewards... Ah, well, you'll have to read this compelling series and see for yourself!

The third in Donna's Dark Sword series, WICKED HIGHLANDER (out now!!) is about Quinn, the most fierce and reckless of the MacLeod brothers featured in the series so far. Quinn is the brother who lives closest to the edge with the god inside him, so I'm looking forward to watching him walk that line in WICKED HIGHLANDER.

And now, I'll hand the blog over to the creator of these amazing warriors! Welcome, Donna!

Maybe it’s because I write historical novels, but one of the most asked questions I get is “would you travel back in time and to where?”

It’s an easy answer for me. Yes, I would travel back in time, and I’d go to Medieval Scotland. It would take some getting used to, especially the lack of plumbing, toothbrushes, caffeine, and pasta.

I have no doubt life would be more than difficult. After all, we’re used to remote control TV, information easily – and quickly – accessible through computers, not to mention cell phones and iPods. We’re the information age with instant gratification.

Our world is so drastically different than Medieval Scotland. In a few short hundred years, lives went from basic living off the land and seeing people daily to hectic days, buying food from grocery stores, and going months, if not years, without seeing or speaking to your neighbor, much less speaking to people you pass on the street or the mall.

Could we survive in medieval times? Putting aside the leap in physical hygiene over the ages, life was much simpler back then. If you had a problem with someone, you faced them instead of texting or emailing them. If you wanted to call off an affair, there was no hiding behind technology. You stood before them and said your piece.

There’s a debate in whether medieval life was more violent. At least in medieval times, you saw your opponent attack and you had time to retaliate or hide. Now, with bombs that can cross oceans, that silent, almost constant worry hangs over our head.

Still, knowing all of this, I would love to see Medieval Scotland. I’ve always been drawn to Scotland. Maybe that’s why I centered my historical paranormal Dark Sword series there. The third book in the series, WICKED HIGHLANDER, released on the November 2nd, and I hope you pick up the book to be transported back to another time and place.

So, I want to know - Would you time travel if given the option?

I’ll be giving away a signed copy FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER to a commenter. Happy Reading!

To find out more about me please visit my website . To read more about the Dark Sword series, see pics of the Warriors, take the quiz, download wallpaper, or search characters, please visit my Dark Sword page.

Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Christine%20Wells%20interview
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Bandit Booty! (or is that Booties?!)

Denise Rossetti has picked her winner and....
PINKPEONY...Congratulations!!!!!!!!!
You can email Denise at deniserossettiATgmailDOTcom and give her your snail mail address and choose your prize!


Deb Marlowe has picked her winner and...DREW gets the autographed copy of Her Cinderella Season for getting called out by her husband over hyperbole! Congratulations, Drew!! E-mail Deb at debATdebmarloweDOTcom and give her your snail mail addy to claim your prize!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Christine%20Wells%20interview
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Denise Rossetti asks--Are Blonds More Fun?

posted by Christine Wells
Today I'm delighted to welcome back to the lair one of our favourite friends, Denise Rossetti, who is here to talk about hot blonds and her fabulous hot fantasy romance, THIEF OF LIGHT.

Quick! Close you eyes and picture your favourite cabana boy! Okay, what colour is his hair?

There you go. Bet you said black or brown, or maybe bald and shiny if you’re a Bruce Willis groupie.

It’s the strangest thing, Romancelandia is crowded with Tall, Dark and Handsome – with the emphasis on dark. Think of all those dangerous dukes, broody vampires and buff bodyguards and I bet you’re seeing dark locks. Yes, I know there are blond heroes, but they don’t spring to mind as readily as the brunets. (Of course, Sven is the exception.)

My heroes are almost always dark, a few are gray at the temples. But even if they’re fair-ish, there’s always a hefty dollop of red - that beautiful dark red, not carrots. *sigh*


On the other hand, I have to say some men are positively improved by going all blond and flowing. Take Orlando Bloom for instance. (Form an orderly queue to the left and no pushing.) Legolas is a real knee-trembler in my opinion. I much preferred him to Will Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean. Unless it’s the pointy ears… Hmm…

Jason Isaacs is wonderful whatever he does, but there’s just something about Lucius Malfoy. He’s so cold and nasty, he’s actually hot. And those white-blond locks just make the character.

But the heroes in my books? Nope, no blonds. Nu-uh, don’t do ‘em. So when Erik Thorensen turned up inside my head and refused to leave, I was more than a little bemused. What’s more, he folded those big arms across his gorgeous chest, fixed me with a searing blue gaze and informed me he had Viking ancestors, waaaay back in the family tree. Just deal with it, woman.Uh, okay. Erik can be extraordinarily, magically persuasive. It’s that deep, beguiling voice.

What do you think? James Griffin, the cover artist, did his usual fabulous job of plucking the character right out of my head. By the way, if you’re interested in how he does it, he explains his artistic process step-by-step in an interview on my blog. I love the way Erik strides toward you out of the picture. Typical of the man.


This is Prue's (our heroine) first sight of Erik. The beard, by the way, is part of a stage costume. It comes off. So does the rest, eventually. *snork*

When the lights came up for intermission, she was still trembling on a deep, visceral level that dismayed her more than anything had in years. Erik Thorensen had come striding out of fire and brimstone and clasped the shrinking heroine to his chest. And yes, he was a marvelous-looking man, his hair loose on his shoulders like dark-spun gold under the stage lights, the neatly trimmed goatee a shade darker. His eyes were such a vivid blue they pierced Prue all the way to her soft, silly soul. He was big too—so big only the athleticism of his tall muscular frame prevented him from looking blocky. Gods, exactly the physical type she preferred, right down to the mischievous glint in his eye.

But Prue had spent almost two decades surrounded by the most beautiful people on the world of Palimpsest. She was accustomed to perfection, even to the delightful frisson of sexual dominance Erik projected so effortlessly. He was a fine actor.

But merciful Sister, that voice!

He’d glanced directly at their box and his face had lit up with a grin that had pure devil in it. Then he’d opened his mouth. From the first effortless bar, her foolish heart had tumbled into his keeping. Every note was round, rich, deeply masculine, filling the auditorium as if supported on smooth columns of air. Utterly enthralled, Prue had found herself leaning forward, her mouth hanging open, trying to breathe him in, keep him forever, hers alone. She felt feverish, tingling, her breasts tight and her sex swollen and slippery, as if he were stroking her naked body with velvet.

Even worse, the costume, in an old-fashioned style still worn only by the oligarchs on Green IV, suited him to perfection. A pair of over-the-knee boots emphasized the power of thighs and buttocks encased in tight cream breeches. Prue’s mouth watered.

Thief of Light is the second in the Four-Sided Pentacle series, following The Flame and the Shadow. Here’s a little more about the book.

In the elegant, subtropical city of Caracole, Erik the Golden is widely known as irresistible; his Voice an instrument of incredible pleasure, the stroke of velvet on bare skin. But the Voice is a curse as much as a blessing, for once Erik used it to steal a soul, and now he must pay.

Prue is the business manager for the beautiful courtesans of the Garden of Nocturnal Delights. She deals in numbers, not Magick, and when Erik turns his charms in her direction, she sees only a performer’s vanity. How is it she can resist what others can't? She's either a torment devised by the gods to drive him mad—or Erik's last hope of salvation.

Some desires are impossible to resist...

Read the first chapter.
Coming 3rd November, 2009.

And you know what? I don’t care if I’m shallow about hair. What’s the point of having a fantasy if it’s not exactly the way you want it?

So tell me, do a hero’s locks matter to you at all? Colour? Length? More to the point, can you work out why? Did you imprint on your first love’s hair, like a gosling? I know one reader who mentally converts all the blonds to brunets because she simply can’t visualize a golden-haired hero.

I’m delighted to offer a signed copy of either The Flame and the Shadow or Thief of Light to one commenter. Bring on the Hair Wars!Source URL: http://gbejadacosta.blogspot.com/search/label/Christine%20Wells%20interview
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