Monday Author Interview with Lara Valentine

HA HA! I’m not late today. Wait… dangit, I am late today, stupid daylight savings time. Grrrr… Sorry, welcome Lara! So glad you could come hang out with us today. Megan’s got her drink, and I’m waiting on my sweet CB to bring me mine. Grab a drink and we’ll get started!

Meh. Daylight savings time goofed me all kinds of of up. No kidlets today? You got a break! We can chat all day. Speaking of chatting, I’d like to welcome our author interviewee today, Lara Valentine. Thanks for being here. Let’s get started. What inspired you to write your first book?

I have always wanted to write a book. When I was in school one of my ambitions was to be a best-selling author. But life happens, and I went down a different road. In college I pursued what I considered to be more practical degrees in business and ended up in the software development world. But I never forgot my ambition. Recent events made me realize that life was too short not to go after what you want. So in April of 2011, I started writing Plenty To Come.


Isn’t that how it always works, lol. And I have to agree, life is definitely too short. You have to grab it with both hands and enjoy it.

Especially when you think you can’t do something, that’s when you really should. Hint, hint, Kealie. So yeah, you have to just do it. What is your favorite character you’ve written (published or not)? Why?

My favorite character so far is Jillian Miller. She is the best friend of the female heroine in Plenty To Come. She is extremely supportive, and very down to earth. In fact, I liked her so much I am working on her story right now. She needs love and a happily ever after.

You have got to love it when a secondary character waltzes onto the stage of your imagination and steals the scene! I’m a huge fan of secondary characters getting their own HEAs.

I love when the secondary characters demand. You get to take the story where you never expected to take it. I ended up with a whole series that way. What are your current projects?

Currently I am working on Plenty to Learn which is Jillian’s story in the Plenty, FL series. I am also finishing up the first book in a new series called The Chocolate and Martinis Book Club. It’s about five women who meet once a week and read erotic romance. Each one of them is going to find their own hot story in this series. Of course, with a happily ever after.

Sounds like fun! And seriously… who can live without a happily ever after?

Who can live without chocolate? Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Cassie Ames needs a new start in her life. She and best friend Jillian Miller leave their jobs and friends in icy Illinois for a new life in a small town in central Florida. The town believes in menageamous relationships and soon she is being pursued by handsome brothers Zach and Chase Harper. Unfortunately, her past catches up with her and her men and the whole town have to work together to keep Cassie safe.

Hmmm… “menageamous” huh? Has a rather nice ring to it, lol.

Sounds intriguing. What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I learned that starting a book was actually pretty easy. Finishing it is a whole other thing. The weekend I finally wrote The End, I really had to push myself to finish it.

I can definitely relate… shhhhhh, Megan, I know!

I said nothing. Besides, I know how hard it can be. And the shorter ones are the harder ones, I swear. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I want to say thank you! It is still unbelievable to me that people read something that I have written. I feel very blessed.

That’s always lovely to hear. Sometimes, I’m somehow expecting people to say, “Yeah, knew you’d like my stuff!” LOL, sorry… ahem…

Authors do have to have thick skins and large egos, but then again, it’s kinda cool when someone says they loved what you wrote. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I have a day job and I am also a mother of a young son so I don’t have tons of free time. Organization is key for me. Once I get an outline, I try to write for at least 45 minutes each week night and a couple of hours on Saturday and Sunday.

*snort* Yeah, being a mom of a few little men and a teeny new one, I can seriously relate to not having tons of free time… wait, what exactly is free time again?

You don’t have free time. Just sayin. Being the mommy to a totlet, as well as two cats and two dogs makes my life... chaotic? Yeah. I’d love to be able to time manage that much. Doesn’t happen. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I enjoy cooking, reading, and scrapbooking. As a family, we enjoy visiting Disney whenever we can.

Hey, we have some stuff in common! I enjoy eating, reading and card making… throw in jewelry making and dancing for some spice, lol.

I guess I’m the oddball. I like to read, I like to eat and I shouldn’t as much as I do, but I love me some racin’! What do you think makes a good story?

Great characters make a great story. You can have the best plot in the world, but if no one cares about the characters, the story is going to fall flat.

Amen, sistah!

Yup. If the characters aren’t characters, then shut it down. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I dreamed of being a rock star. When I drive my car, I truly am a rock star. Anyone driving next to me will see me rocking and singing as I sit in rush hour traffic.

Hahaha… too funny! I love singing and realizing the person next to me is singing the same song I am. That makes it a duet! Maybe one day, we’ll be doing a duet and not even know it, Lara!

And now, it’s time for our, “Wait a minute… how is this about writing?” questions!

There’s nothing wrong with singing to the steering wheel. I think Nickelback used that in a song. But yessir, it’s time for those questions that make you think and wonder. Plus, they are fun! Boxers, briefs, boxerbriefs…. Or commando? Why?

Boxers, baby. Not sure why. I just love a great body in boxers, especially flannel. Who doesn’t want to run their hands over flannel boxers?

LOL, I can see that… they are so soft, and when you compare that to a hard body underneath… whew… is it hot in here?

Plus you get that nice mystery to it. You don’t know exactly what’s under there and you get to guess. Yum!What were you doing at midnight last night?

Sleeping! If I don’t get at least 7 hours, you really don’t want to deal with me.

*snort* Seven hours would be soooooo nice! :::eyes glaze over in jealousy:::

Seven straight hours would be nice. What’s a saying you use a lot? Where did it originate from ?

Not sure where it originated from but here it is: “When all is said and done, a lot more is said than done.”

hahahahahaha! So true!

Better than the ones we use. Ahem. Just sayin’. Have you ever cried during a movie? If yes, which one and why?

Every single, damn time I watch The Way We Were I cry. I know what’s coming and cannot help myself. It’s heartbreaking that they didn’t get their happily ever after.

Oooohhhh… Robert Redford! Yeah, that ending sucks big green monkey weenie! What? It does!

It does, but putting it that way is interesting. What is one thing scientists should invent?

Exercise in pill form.

Hmmm… but then you’d have to remember to take the pills… and it would STILL be a chore. I’ll stick with my dancing and pilates, thanks. :-D

Snort. Pilates proves I have no balance. What stereotype would you label yourself as?

I am your typical control freak. I like to make the vacation plans, dinner reservations, control the thermostat and the remote control.

Hmmm… we don’t know anyone like that!

Nope. Don’t know anyone like that at all. Do you like thunderstorms?

I live in Florida and we have some really amazingly beautiful thunder and lightning storms. So yes, I like them as long as we don’t lose power. (That’s the control freak part coming out in me).

I don’t think any of us like to be without electricity… ask Megan, we both get a bit twitchy if we’re out of contact for too long, lol.

That’s putting it mildly. But when you share a brain, it happens. If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

Health and happiness for my son.

That’s always a good one! Great, now I have that Rascal Flatts song in my head… “My wish for you… your dreams stay big, your worries stay small and you never have to carry more than you can hold.” *sigh* Sorry, now it’s stuck in your head! And on that note… here's the latest from Lara Valentine!




[Ménage Amour: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/F/M, spanking, sex toys, HEA]

Giving up on the big city, Cassie moves to the tiny town of Plenty, Florida. Falling in love with Zachary and Chase Harper was easy. They ignite a fire inside her hotter and brighter than the Florida sun.

Intense and dominating Zachary Harper and his brother, charming and playful Chase, are tired of casual relationships and one-night stands. They’re looking for a woman they can share their life with, together. When they meet Cassie, they immediately feel that this woman just might be the one. Cassie is just as drawn to them, feeling safe and loved in their strong arms.

But not everyone is glad about Cassie’s newfound safety and happiness. Can Zachary and Chase keep Cassie safe when her past shows up and wants her dead?

Note: There is no sexual relationship or touching for titillation between or among siblings.

Available here: http://www.bookstrand.com/plenty-to-come

Here's a little bit about Lara!

I've been a dreamer my entire life. So, it was only natural to start writing down some of those stories that I have been dreaming about.

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I fall in love with all of my characters. They are perfectly imperfect with the hopes, dreams, desires, and flaws that we all have. I want them to overcome obstacles and fear to get to their happily ever after. We all should. Everyone deserves their very own sexy, happily ever after.

I grew up in the cold, but beautiful plains of Illinois. I now live in Central Florida with my handsome husband - who's a real, native Floridian - and my son whom I have dubbed "Louis the Sun King." They claim to be supportive of all the time I spend on my laptop, but they may simply be resigned to my need to write stories.

When I am not working at my conservative day job or writing furiously at my laptop, I enjoy relaxing with my family or curling up with a good book.

I love hearing from readers! Here's my site:
http://www.laravalentine.net/index.html

You can email me at: laravalentineauthor@gmail.com