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It's Author Wednesday again here at For Whom The Books Toll, and my guest today is Cara Carnes!
Welcome to my blog and thank you for taking time out to visit today. Cara or Kinky Hotness, is one of the authors in the Cabal of Hotness, a group of zany, fun loving writers who met at Ellora's Cave Romanticon Conference in 2012. And from that sprung the idea for some very creative stories. A different Cabal author will be featured every Wednesday on my blog from now until the end of October! So come and enjoy the madness that is the Cabal of Hotness. Cara will be giving one lucky commenter their choice of e-book from her back list!! Good luck to all.
How was the name Cabal of Hotness
picked for your group?
LOL…You know there were HUNDREDS of
emails streaming back and forth between all of us. And each one got
crazier than the next. Seriously. I can’t exactly remember how the
name came about but it exemplifies the zany experience that is all of
us together.
Do you have a bucket list?
Yes. Some of the items on it are pretty
basic and simple while some are pretty daunting. But I definitely
have one.
What was your ideal career when you
were a child?
Anything to write or record stuff.
Reporter, secretary. I was always, always fascinated with writing
stuff down. When I was 4 I would steal the carbon paper (hey, I know
some of you don’t know what this is, but let’s just go with it so
I don’t feel old) from my grandpa’s office drawer and doodle.
Realizing his carbon paper wasn’t safe he decided to teach me my
alphabet instead and make it constructive. Yeah, I was a geek even
back then.
(Kudos to your Grandpa!)
On average, how long does it take
you to write a book?
This really depends on a variety of
factors for me: how busy the day job keeps me, the length of the book
and how connected to the characters I am at the time. In an ideal
situation, I write 3K a day.
How long does it take to write sex
scenes?
LOL…That depends on the characters
and the sex they’re having and the underlying emotions. Some of the
scenes take a bit of time because of multiple partners and body
coordination, etc.
Where do you find writing
inspiration?
Life. I have a pretty active
imagination and am constantly spinning what-ifs in my head whenever I
read about events, hear about things that have happened, etc. The web
and social media are marvelous tools in the arsenal of a writer these
days, IMHO.
What’s the best way to get over
writer’s block?
Take a deep breath and go back to when
the writing was working. I’ve heard this advice from so many and it
is truly the best way for me to get over the writer’s block 90% of
the time. The majority of the time I discover it’s because I’d
either written myself into a corner or was taking the story in a
direction that I hadn’t totally accepted yet. Backing up to when it
was working usually helps me get back on track.
What’s the hardest thing about
writing and how do you handle it?
Sharing what I’ve finished for the
first time. For me writing and sharing that final product is quite
intimidating. I have quite a few stories complete where the worlds
are so out there I’m terrified of what people will think. LOL.
But…rejection is common in this industry so the only thing you can
do is take a deep breath, put your big girl britches on and either
take a chance or move on.
(I'll be waiting for those strange new worlds, *eg*)
If you could travel in a time
machine, would go back to the past or to the future?
I would definitely go to the past,
probably to the wild west.
What does your family and friends
think about your writing erotic romances?
My family has been very supportive.
They’ve all taken a solemn vow to never read the really naughty
stuff. As for friends, I think that in many aspects writing erotic
romance is an ideal proving ground for friendships. Those who are
truly your friends will accept and respect your decision and support
you. I’ve been quite fortunate to have many wonderful friends.
How important is reader feedback,
good or bad, to you?
I can’t express how important it is.
Writing is such a solitary thing. And I do this to share the stories
with the readers. Readers are the most critical element to this
entire thing for me. So I love hearing from readers.
What’s the best advice you can
give to an inspiring author?
Don’t overthink and overanalyze
everything you write and do based on the opinions of others. Your
writing is unique. Your voice is unique. Listen, learn, improve. But
never lose sight of your unique vision.
(Excellent advice, Kara.)
How do you relax?
Music. It was my escape when life
overwhelmed me during my youth and it still is today.
Now for the FUN questions:
Pepsi or Coke?
Diet Coke
Chips or pretzels?
Pretzels
Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate
Mountains or beach?
Mountains
Favorite color?
Red
Favorite ice cream?
Chocolate
and vanilla combined (the best of both worlds)
Casual or dress up?
Casual
Early bird or night owl?
Early
bird
Cook outs or restaurant dinners?
Cook outs because I rarely have the opportunity to enjoy them.
A bakery owner gets much more than she expected from her discount android’s determination to serve her. A lovelorn stalker does whatever it takes to have the muscle man of her dreams. Two alien warriors experience the inconveniences and pleasures of being forced into human bodies. A woman has always known she was destined to join the paranormal world of shifters, and tonight all of her dreams—or nightmares—come true.
If you’re looking for the perfect romance with the perfect hero and heroine, this isn’t it! This is a series of spoofs, parodies, just-for-fun lighthearted take-offs. It’s for all us longtime, hard-core romance readers who can laugh at the clichés, purple prose and “suspend your disbelief” plot devices that haunt our beloved favorite genre.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave : http://www.ellorascave.com/fondled-and-gobbled-back-for-more.html
Book One in The Pleasure Brigade Series
Blurb:
Once a month Autumn Scott indulges in her voyeuristic fantasy thanks to a very sexy, very loud neighbor, who has no idea his encounters next door fuel her lust. Until she gets caught.
Now Autumn finds herself exploring her ultimate fantasy—submission. But the stakes are raised when Kade presents her with a twist to his usual play. He wants to add three friends to the game. Together the four men indulge her naughtiest desires and prove the pleasure she’d experienced before was only the beginning.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/passion-next-door.html
Book Two in The Pleasure Brigade Series
Blurb:
Come play with me.
Autumn Scott succumbs to temptation and journeys to The Brigade─a private BDSM resort─for another naughty weekend with sexy neighbor Kade Berges. She expects another chance to explore her fantasies, but finds herself wanting more when Kade and his three friends push her boundaries and welcome her into their world.
Kade Berges hadn’t intended to share more than a few nights of passion with his insatiable New York neighbor, but thanks to meddling friends he finds himself unwilling to accept anything less than Autumn’s full submission. Whether she’s ready remains to be seen.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/passion-s-claim.html
Book Three in The Pleasure Brigade Series
Blurb:
What happens in The Brigade stays in The Brigade.
Viviana Marks crashes the annual masquerade ball for The Brigade with one mission--submitting to the Chief of Security, Stryker. His voice has driven her wild for the past few months as she worked to program their new computer systems, and she isn't about to pass up this opportunity to dabble in her BDSM fantasies with the best Doms around.
The only problem is getting in. Fortunately the elusive dom Lance is never around according to her hacked intel and easy prey for Viviana's need for a sponsor.
Too bad Lance didn't know to stay away. Returning from a mission, he is surprised to discover an unknown woman posing as a former submissive of his. Curious and determined to unveil her true desires, he assists Stryker in taking control of the sweet submissive.
Together the two men begin a two week training session with Viviana, unleashing her darkest desires and awakening a need she'd ignored. When the time nears for her to decide whether she wishes to continue on this journey of sexual discovery, the true test is whether the tentative trust she's forged with the two Doms is enough to overcome her bitter past.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/passion-s-training.html
Book Four in The Pleasure Brigade Series
Blurb:
Katey Meadows has a dream job—working at The Brigade, an exclusive BDSM resort catering to curious, inexperienced vanillas like her. Studiously taking notes and formulating her strategy for plunging desire-first into her submission fantasies count become an exercise in futility and sexual frustration when the Master she wants more than anything is the one man who rescued her from the brink of financial ruin. Overcoming her past was easy. Kneeling before her heart’s desire could prove impossible.
Lorenzo Garofali has adhered to a hands-off policy with Katey—until now. Determined to strip away her armor of distrust and insecurity, he soon discovers that baring her submissive desires means setting aside his baser instinct to claim her as his. Sharing her passion with his fellow Brigade Masters is tolerable. Losing her is not.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/passion-s-trust.html
More good news from Cara, she's working on the next Pleasure Brigade book!! Yay, I can't wait.
Blurb:
One night of controlled passion is all she allows.
Rebecca Ann Majors fled the temptation of a ménage once, but now the two sexy men starring in her wildest fantasy are back and demanding her complete surrender for the weekend. Emboldened by lust, she succumbs to her desire and learns ecstasy has a price.
They demand everything she has and more.
Joe Davenport and Dillan Morrisey were used to handling any situation—including the sexy siren who’d sashayed out of their lives two years ago. This time she’ll quench their lust even if it means they have to share her.
When Sunday morning dawns the three must decide if one weekend was enough to sate the passion they shared.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/weekend-menage.html
Bio:
Cara Carnes discovered her love of writing early in life, as most writers tend to. At the age of 11, she typed up a love story and happily mailed it off to Harlequin. Anxiously awaiting her acceptance letter and fat advance check, she dutifully listened to her mother and grandfather as they instilled in her the lessons key to her writing today.
By the time the hand-written rejection letter arrived, Cara knew that someday she would be writing the stories that she loved. Most importantly, she had learned two key fundamentals from her mother and grandfather: always expect the unexpected, and know you can do anything you set your mind to.
Cara's love for the written word found a home in erotica romance. Wanting to bring fantasies to life on the pages of her books, she enjoys crafting characters that sizzle on the pages and burn their way into your heart. While she loves all genres of romance, erotica will always have a special place in her heart because Cara believes true romance doesn't stop at the bedroom door.
Cara is a native Texan and currently resides in Austin. When she isn't absorbed in her characters, she enjoys traveling, photography and spending time with family and friends.
Cara loves to hear from her readers. You can contact Cara at cara@caracarnes.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/caracarnes
Website: http://www.caracarnes.com
I hope everyone enjoyed Cara's visit today and don't forget to show her some love and leave a comment for your chance to win an e-book from Cara's back list, you have until midnight (12:00AM EST) Sunday Sept 22 and the winner will be chosen Monday morning. I hope you'll all join me next Wednesday when Danica Avet will be here.
Love me, my Cara. <3
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