The other day, my 10-year-old daughter, affectionately known as Diva Daughter, interviewed me out of the blue. She’s an aspiring writer, and cute as all get out, so who was I to say no to such an interview. I thought it would be fun to share. Since she was handwriting the answers, I kept them short, but I’ll embellish the answers for you.

What is your favorite sport to play?

I love to play basketball despite the fact I tore my ACL last November while playing in an alumni game. I’m not sure I’ll be brave enough to play again like that, but maybe I’ll get over the injury once I’m fully healed.

What is your favorite sport to watch?

I love to watch soccer live, especially if my oldest son is playing. He’s got some mad skills. I’ve been to a few Major League Soccer games (Seattle Sounders) and loved the atmosphere and the action. In fact, I loved it so much, I wrote the experience into my first Puget Sound ~ Alive With Love series novel, The Sound of Consequence. That novel was just re-leased as part of a first-in-their-series box set called First Glance. The set features 13 novels for $.99. It’s a great way to meet new authors and get started on new series.

If we’re talking television, football is my favorite sport to watch. Marshawn Lynch – AKA Beast Mode – is my favorite player, but since he decided to retire, looks like I’ll have to find someone new. I married into the Seahawks fandom, but they are a fun team to love!

What is your favorite song?

I have lots of favorites and my answer may change based on my mood, but in a pinch, I will always answer Last Man Standing by Bon Jovi. Part of the reason is due to a concert I went to back in 2006 in Denver when they opened with that song and Jon performed on a small stage that was only about 20 feet from where we sat. It was incredible. Even though I have since met him, that experience still rates in my top 10 memorable experiences!

Who is your favorite musician?

If you’ve followed me longer than 5 minutes, you already know the answer to this question, but for those of you who don’t know me, the answer is Bon Jovi. Did I mention that I met Jon Bon Jovi last summer? This is our engagement photo!

Aside from getting married and having kids, this has been the highlight of my life. During that meeting, I pitched a book idea to him and asked permission to quote lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. HE SAID YES!! This month, I’ll be releasing that book, Whisper to a Scream, the story of a medically discharged, combat injured soldier (Skye Everhart) with PTSD and a prescription drug addiction who finds hope in the healing power of music, friendship, and love. This is the first novel in my romantic women’s fiction series Sunset Valley. Check my website and/or subscribe to my newsletter for release date information.

What is your favorite movie?

Dirty Dancing!! I once watched it five times in a row. This was back in the days of VHS, so I’d watch, rewind, watch, rewind…an entire Saturday afternoon. Nobody puts Baby in the corner!! I love the dancing, the love story, the family dynamic, the way Johnny looks at Baby! Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray had incredible chemistry in that movie!

Who is your favorite actor?

Tom Hiddleston! I can’t even really speak when it comes to Tom, I love him so much. I have a life-size Loki cut out in my office and I sleep with a Tom Hiddleston pillowcase covering my favorite pillow. He can sing, he can dance, he can melt panties with that smile.

Who is your favorite actress?

Jennifer Garner. I fell in love with her during Alias, but I love her in every movie she’s done. I love how she can be cute and sweet and then be total kick ass! She’s a good person, too, which makes it so easy to love her!

What is your favorite TV show?

Alias, hands down. I own all five seasons and was devastated when the show ended. I used to binge watch all the episodes leading up to a new season. Diva Daughter and I will pop in a DVD and spend an entire day watching the action!

Who was your childhood best friend?

My childhood best friend is still my best friend, Amy. I even named Diva Daughter after her. We’ve been best friends since the moment we met in kindergarten back in 1977 … just shy of 40 years!!

What is your favorite book?

The Chosen by Chaim Potok. When I was a senior in high school, I was going out with a boy who was a bit of forbidden fruit due to his religion. His parents tried to keep us apart, but for a few months, love prevailed. A friend suggested The Chosen to me. Even though it wasn’t a love story, the theme reflected much of what I was experiencing in that relationship. The story has always stayed with me and I still have the paperback I bought back in 1990.

*~*~*

So what did Diva Daughter miss? Any questions you are dying to ask? Hit me with ‘em!

National Bestselling Author Susan Ann Wall writes racy, rule-breaking romance and women’s fiction. Her newest release, Broken Strings, is romantic suspense novel available in the Love Notes ebook collection.

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UPDATE: The winner is Colleen C!

* * * * *

I’ll admit it. I love watching TV more than I love reading books. For me, story is story—whether it’s told between pages or shown on a screen. I’m a very visual person. I daydream in brilliant Technicolor with a movie reel playing in my head that I can rewind if I’m dissatisfied with where my imagination took me. I can control those stories, to some extent, which can be dissatisfying in its own way. I give up control when I watch TV. And I get invested in my shows. I know these characters like I know friends.

There are two shows that worry me now. One, I’m afraid will be cancelled. And that won’t do. No, not at all. The other is a love I’ve invested in for years.

~*~*~*~*~

Sleepy Hollow

I’m very worried about Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod has lost his partner, Abby. A new witness must arise to help him do battle against the supernatural baddies in the world. Three seasons ago, he awoke from a mystical slumber after centuries at rest into a very different world. Abby was his anchor, his teacher of all things modern. How the hell is he going to support himself now? He doesn’t have a real job! I’m haunting Tom Mison sightings for hints of whether Sleepy Hollow will die a sudden TV death.

~*~*~*~*~

Supernatural

I’m currently binge-watching last season’s Supernatural. Man, those Winchester boys can get themselves into pickles! Right now, Crowley’s hiding The Darkness (Imara), and the boys are trying to figure out how to defeat her, because she’s basically a goddess—the sister of God—and she’s going to destroy the world. I can easily slip into that world and get lost there for hours and hours…

And dare I admit it, as much as I love the Winchester boys, I adore Crowley, the King of Hell. He’s such a conflicted character. He’s evil, evil, evil, but he has these glimmers of humanity. And he’s smart. He knows the world needs good and bad or it would be very, very boring. And, I think, he genuinely loves Dean. Not a man-love thing, but he wishes they could be friends. I feel bad for him. He has a horrible mother (Rowena the witch is really a glorious character!), stupid minions. Who else can he cozy up to for company? Now, when Supernatural ends, I’ll go into deep, deep mourning.

~*~*~*~*~

So, my question to you is: What are your Top Two TV Worries?

P.S. A comment here, will count as another entry in yesterday’s contest!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sandra Rodriquez!

* * * * *

Wherein: I write a guest post about my ten all-time favorite post-apocalyptic/dystopian TV shows or movies without doing a lick of research—typing on laptop, with a glass of wine on hand. My debut, Die For You, was going live that night, therefore wine.

Possible recipe for disaster, right?

Here’s how it went down. I’m just gonna leave this here, verbatim (spelling errors included):

1. Jericho– Do you guys remember this show from TV? I can’t remember the name of a single actor in the series, but I remember that I loved it. It was about the world being annhililated by Nuclear War. Jericho was a little town in the country and little towns survived. The realistic everyday life of people surviving an extinttion event. Lots of drama and angst. I remember my husband thought there was too much “soap opera” in it, but I don’t know, I liked it just the same. I was sad when it was cancelled. Damn networks.

2. The Last Ship– I love this show so much.

3. Comet– That part in the book where Adam and Rachel are walking through Macys and she gets to pick out whatever she wants because all things are free now- that’s a homage to this movie. From the 80’s. I’m probably the only one who remembers it, but to me it’s special because it’s a girl-centric post apoc movie. Like those ever happen.

4. The Walking Dead– I’m watching this on Netflix right now!!! I’m at the start of season 3, right after they slaughtered all the zombies who were hiding in the barn (and Sophia). This show is effing awesome. If you’re not watching it, you should.

5. Logan’s Run– I remember being younger and this movie played on TV often. It’s seems to have fallen off the map nowadays, but really, it’s a great movie. A future with only young people. You’re killed if you even remotely start to grow old. Ouch. That would suck. What a great reimagining of our future. Epic storytelling. Makes me want to watch it again…

6. Soylent Green– Am I even spelling this right? Oh, f#@K it, I’m not looking it up! I remember they were turning people into a food product that people were innocently eating. Yuck! Charleston Heston was young and not so much into the NRA back then. It was awesome. Freaky. The kind of futuristic sci fi that creeps you out and makes you think hard. Perfect.

7. World War Z– Brad Pitt. Zombies swarming like ants. Brad Pitt. Need I say more?

8. The Last Stand– This started it all in my brain. In fact I like to tell people Die For You is like The Last Stand but without all that God and evil stuff and way more romance. Oh, and not as long. Promise.

9. Virus/Outbreak– It’s all a bit of a blur. I remember there’s a movie with Dustin Hoffman and lots of Hazmat suits and a movie with Matt Damon, both about a worldwide viral I tell you, I can’t get enough of movies like that. In the movie with Matt Damon I remember he watches a neighbor getting brutally murdered by someone pretending to be a cop. Yep, put a reference to that in my book. The ideas come from everywhere! Everywhere, I tell you! *pours more wine*

10. Warm Bodies– The writing is amazing. Literary level, but about zombies. Oh, wait, I’m talking about movies! Yes, the movie based on the book was good, too. This book is why in Die For You, Trevor talks about putting a Van Gogh on the wall. This book (movie!) totally influenced me. I remember I sent a fangirl email to the author, couldn’t help myself.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Promise I’m much more coherent when not tipsy!

Oh, by the way, here’s that book of mine I was so excited about:

Kindle | Kobo | Nook | Google | ibook | ARe

Love, in a hopeless place.

Catastrophe Series, Book 1

Two months after a virus took out civilization, Rachel Donnelly is the last living soul in California, as far as she can tell. Until she runs into a Marine sniper, battle-hardened but alive and healthy.

Adam Sanchez would love nothing more than a slamming session of I-can’t-believe-we’re-alive post-apocalyptic sex in the back of his Hummer. But Rachel’s fragility, inexperience—and much younger age—hold him back from exposing her to his raw, aggressive sexuality. If anything, Rachel needs protection. Especially from himself.

As they band together with other survivors to battle feral animals, violent ex-cons, and motorcycle clubs jockeying for power, Rachel grows stronger in mind, body, and spirit—strong enough to give the dangerously sexy Marine what they both crave.

The power of their passion rocks Adam’s world, bringing him to his knees—which, he discovers too late, is the worst possible place to be when danger springs from the shadows.

Warning: Contains a sexy Marine, a tattooed ex-con, a girl who blossoms into a sexually assured young woman, laughter despite the pain, m/f/m ménage, hope, love, and more bad language and violence than are strictly necessary.

Michele Mills teaches High School English to unruly teenagers and enjoys cooking for her husband and two sons. DIE FOR YOU, the first book in her new post-apocalyptic series from Samhain is available now. You can find her pretending to be professional on both Twitter and Facebook.

The Romantic Times Convention was a lot of fun this year. How could it be anything else when it was located in Vegas, baby! I participated in 9 events! But this year, I took my two grown daughters and my new personal assistant.

I could not have done it without them! Between bag stuffing, decorating and getting all of our stuff to and from the conference rooms, we put in over 10,000 steps each one of us every day of the conference. The conference rooms were a long way from our hotel rooms.

My youngest daughter, Megan, and I went to the Thunder Down Under show at the Aria Hotel. And yes! I was called up on the stage. What a thrill to have 5 handsome Aussies dancing all around me! My 23-year-old daughter was green with envy! We also went to see the Zarkana Cirque du Soleil show. Hmm. I had a little too much wine and slept through half of it. Not surprised? I know.

The highlight of my entire RT experience this year was the SOS Military Tribute. The Honor Guard from Nellis, AFB presented the flag, and Brigadier General AJ Tata spoke about his experiences as part of the Army’s combat infantry. Our theme was military heroes. It was amazing! Wish you all could have been there. I had tears in my eyes.

This month, I have two releases. I know. Damned over-achiever! But that’s good for you, because it means more to read! DEADLY OBSESSION Book #5 in the DEVIL’S SHROUD series and a Romantic Times Reviews TOP PICK! and MONTANA D-FORCE book #3 in the BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS series.

This is what you’ll find in DEADLY OBSESSION…

 A war hero and a sexy realtor fight growing attraction while unraveling deadly secrets of a forgotten past

Available now!

A Romantic Times Reviews TOP PICK!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook | iBooks |Googleplay

MONTANA D-FORCE:

Former D-FORCE and troubled LA screenwriter struggle against their growing desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous rapist. Releases May 3rd.

Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon  | Amazon UK

Sign up for my newsletter to learn more about my upcoming release and for a chance to win great prizes! Hurry!

Elle James’s Newsletter

Happy May, Delilah fans! I’m Lizzie Ashworth, here for a day to bring you a bit of sexy fun. Right now I’m immersed in writing a historical romance set in Ancient Rome. It’s a love-hate relationship!

Research is at the heart of any historical fiction. Without details of place, dress, and social customs, an author can’t create a believable story. I love research but sometimes I just want to write the damn story.

Unfortunately, the further back you go in time, the harder it is to find information. For my current research on Rome, I’m regularly frustrated by gaps in the record. I want the story to be as accurate as possible. How do I know if I’ve got the right information?

I confess. Without Google searches, I’d have to fold up my tent and go home. One thing I’ve learned, though, is not to take one Google search as the whole story.

For example, one academic source insisted that women in Rome were not allowed to drink wine. (Wine was the ONLY alcoholic drink known in those times other than beer, which was considered disgusting and only for savages.) Initially, I found a few other sources that affirmed that information. I started writing scenes based on that information. Then one day I stumbled across an article that explained the women/wine thing.

In early Rome, in the nearly six hundred years of its existence as the Roman Republic, the Senate made laws and oversaw government operations. Conservatism ruled the day. In those years, wine was forbidden to women except at special festivals where men weren’t allowed. Restricting wine except in women-only events meant women couldn’t get tipsy and provoke men with unbridled sexuality.

But in the mid-first century BC, Julius Caesar wrested control from the Senate (for which he was assassinated) and became the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Another four hundred years would follow under the rule of emperors. Social norms relaxed in the empire. Wine-drinking for women was no longer a crime punishable by death. Whew! By the time of my current work (50 AD), women had gained many social liberties including the right to own property, the right to divorce, and even the right to run their own businesses.

Notoriously, the empire also saw sex scandals, blood sport in the arena, and other excesses which have become the hallmarks by which most of us remember Rome.

As an author, I want to entertain readers with compelling stories about fascinating people. But I also want my stories to reflect the truth about those times. This means the work takes longer. Sometimes hours, days, even weeks elapse as I try to uncover some obscure detail.

Here’s an excerpt from my current work in progress, a continuation of the story of Caerwin and Marcellus. In Book I, Caerwin and the Roman Dog released last November, Caerwin is taken captive by Marcellus as his Roman legion crushes her native tribe in Rome’s quest to seize Britannia. I’m planning for a late summer release of Book II.

Excerpt…

Caerwin and the other women waited in the carriage. Outside her window, she watched Marcellus. The baggage wagon had pulled forward so that both conveyances waited in the shade of tall trees. A cluster of taverns and eating places lined the wide roadway.

Antius attended Marcellus who stood fully in her view outside the front of the carriage as he began divesting himself of his weapons. No one could enter Rome bearing war gear. Antius received each item, making a stack that she guessed would be put away in the trunk: the sword, the red sash around his midsection, the wide leather straps he wore across his chest bearing his medals of commendation. Caerwin shifted uncomfortably as her mind raced ahead to the inevitable conclusion of this process. Surely he wouldn’t…

The segmented torso armor clanked as it joined the pile, reminding Caerwin of all the nights she had watched him undress from the comfort of his bed. Or discomfort in the certain knowledge of what would come next. She wriggled on the seat, unable to look away.

Marcellus pulled his tunic over his head. Her mouth went dry. It had been weeks since she’d seen him undressed. He stood in the dappled sunlight in nothing but the cloth that wrapped his loins. The gods! Had there ever been a man of such beauty as this? Muscle curved across his shoulders and chest. A narrow line of body hair descended briefly down his lean abdomen. The wound on his bicep remained a puckered red line along the bulge. His hands, his forearms, the line of his jaw…

She licked her lips, absorbed fully in this vision of manhood standing just yards away. Everything about him incited her. Her breath came in short light bursts. Her pulse throbbed in her throat—and in less modest places. Moisture crept between her tightly clenched thighs.

Antius unfolded the long white yardage of Marcellus’ toga then sorted out the tunic with its two red stripes. Marcellus paused, standing fully facing Caerwin and meeting her riveted gaze. She gasped at the unmistakable knowledge in his dark eyes, the slight smile curling his lips. By the goddess Sabrina! He had intentionally positioned himself to disrobe in her view. He had purposefully captured her attention to display himself.

He turned slightly and shifted his hips so that the front of his loincloth gave full evidence of his pleasure in her attention. Her eyes closed in the sensation of him over her. She could feel him in her. She squirmed. Her nipples hardened. Her hands filmed with sweat. She wanted him in ways she’d never known possible.

“What mystery holds your adoration?” Junia said. Her forehead wrinkled as she gazed at Caerwin. “I must know.”

Caerwin’s face heated as she tore her gaze away from Marcellus. Just as he had placed himself in her view, he had also made it impossible for Junia or Porcia to see him. Unless Junia came to Caerwin’s position in the carriage.

“I…It’s…” Caerwin stammered. What could she say? Marcellus meant this for her, not to be shared with Junia.

Against her intention, her gaze drew back to Marcellus. The moment had passed. Marcellus had already shrugged into his tunic and Antius had begun to wrap the toga. “An eagle,” she said finally to Junia. “Powerful animal. Quite beautiful.”

“Indeed,” Junia said suspiciously.

~~~
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I was supposed to have a guest today, but I’ll have to post that author’s blog tomorrow. Today’s…difficult? And her blog is on my computer, which I am no where near to, so here’s my day so far…

First off, I spent the night at my dd’s. Her two youngest (2 and 7) are both having their tonsils removed, and I have to babysit the 11-year-old and her gazillion animals. Since they had to be at the hospital an hour away at O-dark-thirty, we were all up at 3:00 AM.

Of course, just as they were leaving, the power went out, because hey, HORRIBLE THUNDERSTORM. I felt bad for my dd driving through it, but the Punkus (the 11-year-old) and I went back to bed. Nothing else to do.

And my alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to, so guess who’s not going to school late, or at all? Yeah, Punkus can help me with the gazillion dogs. She even agreed to clean the cat box. 🙂

So the day feels like it’s half over already. We’re watching Mean Girls and still in our jammies. I told her mom the power came on too late for P to go to school. She never reads my blog, so she’ll never know. It will be our little secret.

Say a prayer for the wee ones, I’m headed back into the movie.