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Hello and welcome to Author Wednesdays! Can everyone give a big cowboy Yee Haw for today's author, Desiree Holt!!! YEE HAW!!!
Desiree is giving away a signed copy of Ride A Cowboy, a two-book anthology combining Back in
the Saddle and Eight Second Ride in US/Canada or an ebook
internationally. I will gift them the book directly from Amazon so
they can select Authorgraph and get a digital signature.
Can you tell us a little about
yourself?
I live in the idle of the Texas Hill
Country surrounded by yummy cowboys which is why most of my heroes
are…cowboys! I have an endless supply of ideas and resources. When
I’m not writing I love to read and I am an obsessed football nut.
During the season don’t call me on the weekend! LOL! I love
writing. It was always my dream and now I’m living it.
Share 5 fun facts about yourself?
I was the first female sports
reporter on the newspaper at The University of Michigan
I have a weakness for pizza and
Chines food-but so do my hips
I have a weakness for really good
romances with endings that make you cry happy tears
I drive a pickup truck and I love
it
I am licensed to carry concealed
and have the neatest little gun I can stick in my purse.
What was your ideal career when you
were a child?
Well, at ten I told everyone I was
going to Hollywood to be a big movie star. Then I wanted to be an
airline stewardess (back then they weren’t called flight
attendants). After that I wanted to work on a newspaper but by the
time I hit my twenties I knew that some day I wanted to write books.
Tell us about a typical writing day for
you.
Up at 7 am to feed my three cats (they
are very demanding) and the deer that are part of our community.
Answer email and do any posting on social media. One hour on the
treadmill. Shower. Then 5-6 hours of writing, which often includes
going back and layering and other times editing. And research. By 5
pm I’m usually done for the day, but I keep a notebook with me at
night because thoughts come to me even as I watch television.
On average, how long does it take you
to write a book?
I write anywhere from 3500-6500 words a
day, depending on how the story is unfolding and if edits etc.
interfere. So anywhere from 10 days to 6 weeks, depending on the
length. Sometimes a really complex book will take me two months. And
I often work on more than one at a time.
How long does it take to write sex
scenes?
Sometimes a whole day, sometimes half a
day. But then I go back and layer in emotion etc. But I really try to
put myself in the place of my characters.
Where do you find writing inspiration?
Oh, everywhere. Every person and place
I see. I always play the What If game. And sometimes in the oddest
places. Out of Control was inspired by a Letter to the Editor
in our local newspaper. The idea for Collision Course and for
The Phoenix Agency series came to me whole I was practicing on the
gun range. My brain collects places and people and mixes them into
stories. Someone once said “Give her three words and she’ll write
a book.” I think I could do that.
Do you have a favorite writing snack?
Chocolate nuts but they and my hips
have a big fight, so now it’s baby carrots, cherub tomatoes and
green peppers with hummus.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Not really. I find as I’ve written
more and more books I have to start with an outline and bullet
points, and keep track of my characters, but that’s about it. Oh,
wait. I usually have a favorite song that inspires each book so when
I head into town or wherever I play it over and over on my iPod.
Where Ãs your favorite place to write?
My home, in the great room. Big
picture window on the left, French doors on the right so I get plenty
of sun in a room designed for comfort. Comfortable chair and two
television sets. (Oh, I write the best when there are reruns of
Walker Texas Ranger on TV.
What is the best way to get over
writer's block?
For me it means leaving the work in
progress and going to another one while the first one rattles around
in my brain. Then I’ll have an aha! Moment and get back to the
first one. Sometimes, if that doesn’t work, I take a break and read
and my brain rests and then kick starts.
What scene for you was the hardest to
write and how did you overcome that obstacle?
Too many to name here. Sometimes it’s
a sex scene because I don’t think I’ve got enough emotion in it.
Other times it’s the mechanics of the scene so I get out my dolls
and work it out. And sometimes the scene is so emotional I cry while
I’m writing. The only way to get past it is to keep writing through
it, then go back and fix it.
What Ãs your biggest writing
achievement? Why?
I guess hitting Amazon’s best seller
lists so many times, because that seems to be where the bulk of my
readers are.
How do you celebrate a new book?
Sometimes lunch with my best pal and
critique partner Cerise Deland. Sometimes watching TV with my cats
and drinking a glass of wine.
Can you tell us about your current
book, Ride A Cowboy?
This is a two-book anthology combining
Back in the Saddle and Eight Second Ride. The first one is about an
old love lost and revived and proves that you can go home again.
Especially if the man waiting for you takes you to the hot world of
kink. IN Eight Second Ride, a sexy lady sheriff shows a rodeo rider
what kink and love is all about.
What made you write this story?
I wrote these stories because I live in
a world of cowboys in the Texas Hill Country and let me tell you they
are hot. I always begin with my characters and the hero and heroine
in these stories were inspired by many people I met. And of course by
the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo! I mean, who doesn't love a
naked cowboy?
What do you think makes a good story?
Strong characters, an opening that
draws you in at once and a plot that evolves from the relationship of
the characters.
What Ãs the hardest thing about
writing and how do you handle it?
Oh, lordy. I don’t know if I can pick
out just one thing. It depends on the day. But if I did have to pick
something I‘d say the first two or three chapters. Setting the mood
is kind of like slogging through mud. But once you get through it,
you love the slide!
If you could bring one of your
characters to life, which one would it be and why?
Joe in Once Upon a Wedding. He
was one of my early heroes and I’m still in love with him.
If you could have dinner with 5 people,
who would you choose and why?
Sam Elliott because no matter how old
he gets his voice really turns me on
Sylvia Day so I could ask her how she
sold more than 200,000 ebooks in one week
Robert Taylor who plays Longmire on
Longmire-he totally rocks
Craig Johnson who created the series
and whose books are incredibly well written
Neil Diamond because I totally love his
music
If you could travel in a time machine,
would go back to the past or to the future?
Neither. I really love where I am.
What does your family and friends think
about your writing erotic romances?
My kids totally support me and are even
my best PR people. They love to brag about it but none of them read
it. Mom and sex? Forget it!. My friends have eased into accepting it
and a lot of them buy my books for their ereader (for the anonymity,
I suspect)
How important is reader feedback, good
or bad, to you?
The most important, If people love my
books I want to know why so I can give them more. If they don’t
like them I want to know that, too, so I can work on fixing it.
What is your greatest temptation?
Ooh! I have so many I don’t think I
can pick out just one.
What is your greatest weakness:
Pizza and Chinese food!
What Ãs the best advice you can give
to an inspiring author?
Learn everything you can. Join a
writers group and a critique group. Soak up the feedback. Write every
day, even if it’s only one page. And never, ever, evr give up.
How do you relax?
Reading and drinking wine or flavored
tea.
What is your favorite all time book?
It’s not even a romance. Trustee
From the Toolroom, by Nevil Shute. It’s an adult fairy tale
that reinforces my belief in the innate goodness of people.
How about a couple of fun questions:
Pepsi or Coke?
Coke (my late husband would come back
and haunt me otherwise
Chips or pretzels?
Chips, definintely
Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla (but with a yummy sauce)
Mountains or beach?
Mountains. Love the fresh air.
Favorite color?
Red in all it’s shades
Favorite ice cream?
Coffee
Casual or dress up?
Casual. Always.
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird, although I can stay up late
if I’m out and having fun.
Cook outs or restaurant dinners?
Cookouts.
Blurb:
Back In The Saddle
When Molly Hayes’ marriage fell apart, she ran home to Hayes Ranch to lick her wounds. What she really wants to lick is foreman Chance McDaniel, the star of all her erotic fantasies. But he had never given her the time of day. Why would he give her his nights?
Kink is a mild term for the kind of sex Chance McDaniel enjoys. But he’s learned the hard way not all women can handle his darker desires. He aches to give Molly the ride of her life but fears she’ll shy away from his wilder ways.
Will the past become a stumbling block or will both Molly and Chance, once wounded, climb back in the saddle?
Eight Second Ride
Jessie Wade is a tough as nails sheriff until bull rider Kyle Mitchell ends up in her jail. With his bone-melting good looks and seductive voice, he knocks Jessie’s defenses down one by one and awakens the sensuous woman she’s hidden beneath her uniform. But Jessie can’t afford to be soft. Or allow herself to fall for a cowboy who’s never in one town longer than it takes to ride a bull.
Kyle never backs down from a challenge, but after a passionate night with Jessie, he realizes there’s a hell of a woman behind the handcuffs and badge. Can Kyle convince Jessie he can take her for more than an eight-second ride?
Buy Links:
Blurb: Naked Cowboys Series #3
She didn’t shoot the sheriff…but she’d sure like to strip him down.
Taking over as publisher of The Hill Country Herald was supposed to help Jinx Malone put her personal and professional disasters in New York behind her. Instead, she’s barely settled at her desk when news of a murder hits the police scanner.
Who knew Rowan County could be this exciting? And who knew her first story would bring her into head-butting, hormone-pumping contact with something that’s an even bigger pain in her ass than a cheating ex—a know-it-all cop?
Sheriff Dillon Cross thought retreating to Rowan Country would help him get over a bad case of burnout. But only a few weeks into his job, he’s standing over a dead body in a ditch, arguing with his least favorite thing: a sexy, in-your-face reporter.
Before they’re through buzzing around each other like angry hornets, the last thing either expected happens. They’re in bed, burning up the sheets. But is it a new beginning, or just a bad rerun of past mistakes?
Warning: This book contains a nekkid cowboy and enough graphic sex to singe your eye balls. Cool compresses recommended.
Buy Links:
Samhain Publishing
Blurb: Naked Cowboys Series #2
Sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire is the best way to burn.
Amy Stark has it all together—except for chronic bad taste in men. She’s firmly in hands-off-all-men mode when a flat tire forces her to accept the help of exactly the type of man she’s sworn off. Arrogant, cocky and condescending.
When she runs into him again later that day and then finds out her brother has invited him for dinner, the fire between them has a sizzle of a different kind.
At eighteen, Buck Montgomery left home to make his mark on the bull-riding circuit. He may have had wild success in rodeo but his personal life is in the dust, and while he’s ready to start a new life he’s wary to expose his heart. Buck knows he should tell Amy the truth, but every time he opens his mouth, hers is right there with kisses like molten lava.
When his past resurfaces at the worst possible time, Buck can only wonder if Amy will love the man he has become…or if the man he was will chase her away.
Product Warnings: Contains barnyard language and clap-your-hands-over-your-mama’s-eyes sex between a cowboy with a checkered past and a ranch girl with all the right moves.
Buy Links:
Samhain Publishing
Blurb: Naked Cowboys Series #1
Naked is nice. But Stark naked is definitely more fun…
Reenie Davenport learned the hard way that men are cheating, promotion-thieving poison. A month after making a fresh start in Texas, she looks forward to taking a breather at her old college friend Amy’s family ranch. Instead, she’s left breathless when Amy’s very drunk, very sexy, very naked brother lands at her feet. Even as she hardens her heart, a small part of her wishes that quickly tossed towel would shift…just a little.
When Matt Stark shows up at Reenie’s door to apologize, he can barely squeeze a word past her emotional barriers. Suddenly nothing else matters except convincing her not all men are clones of her ex. Sweet-talking her into lunch is only the beginning.
One touch, and boom! Much to Reenie’s dismay, lunch ends in a hot, flaming dessert—in her bed. Shutting Matt out isn’t as easy as simply blowing out a match. Especially since this cowboy is equally determined to unlock her heart.
Product Warnings: Contains graphic and explicit, hot nekkid cowboy lovin’.
Buy Links:
Samhain Publishing
Blurb: Erector Set Series #3
Tyler McMann is a Dom looking for a sub in the bedroom who can match him fire for fire everywhere else. At the private fetish club Finesse, he spots a fiery redhead with a defiant stride and curves that don’t quit. Flame looks like the ultimate Domme, so Tyler’s shocked to discover she is a switch. Their session together is unexpectedly explosive for both of them.
Tyler comes back night after night to play with Flame. Soon it becomes more than just club play but she’s afraid of fallout in her professional life. In her severe business clothes and uptight persona, no one knows about her secret weekend life and she wants to keep it that way. She also can’t risk another destructive relationship with a controlling man like the one who almost destroyed her before. If Tyler finds out who she really is, would he still offer his love and protection and a future together?
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave
Blurb: Erector Set Series #2
Alex McMann is putting his Masters in Business Administration to good use running the business end of the construction company that he owns with his brothers. He’s flown high and wide through the female segment of every geographic area in which the company has a presence, and now he’s ready at last to settle down. When he meets Olivia D’Angelo, CFO of one of their client companies, he’s sure he’s found The One.
Olivia is sharp, she’s smart, she’s sassy and she challenges him both in and out of the bedroom, where the sex is hot and plentiful. Just one problem. She has her own issues and isn’t looking for anything permanent. Can Alex convince her that he’s enough to satisfy her for the rest of her life?
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave
Blurb: Erector Set Series #1
Who can resist a pint-sized female with luscious curves stranded in a parking lot? Not Josh McMann. It’s his pleasure to save Ness Bowen, especially given the instant sensual chemistry that explodes between them. When she wrecks her car on the way to meet him for dinner, he saves her once again. And dinner at home takes on a whole new meaning as the sexual pull becomes too strong for either to ignore. The more they see each other, the more intense and erotic the sex becomes.
But Ness sees Josh as a player, and she’s been dumped by men like him who were always looking for the next conquest. Josh has his own trust issues, having been burned by women interested only in his money and power.
When a breakfast date goes awry and Ness thinks she’s been dumped once again, it takes a lot of fancy maneuvering from Josh to make amends.
Buy Links:
Ellora's Cave
Desiree has many, many, many more books. It was very difficult to pick just a few to highlight today.
To see more of her books, please visit her
website
.Author Bio:
Desiree
Holt’s writing is flavored with the rich experiences of her life,
including a long stretch in the music business representing every
kind of artist from country singer to heavy metal rock bands. For
several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling
any client that interested her, many of whom might recognize
themselves in the pages of her stories. She is twice a finalist for
an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice
Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at
The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award for best BDSM book
of the year, winner of the Holt Medallion, multiple winner of the
Whipped Cream Book of the Week Award and is published by five
different houses. Romance
Junkies said of her work:
“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and
each story is more fulfilling then the last.”
Contact Desiree:
I hope everyone enjoyed their visit with Desiree today. Christmas is coming and there's nothing wrong with buying yourself a few gifts of books. *eg*
Please stop back next Wednesday when my Author Wednesday author will be Brenna Zinn!
And don't forget to leave a comment or ask Desiree a question to be entered to win a copy of Ride A Cowboy. Also make sure to include your email addy so you can be contacted if you win. Winner will be picked Monday Dec 9.
Whew! That was one hot excerpt. Thanks for sharing Desiree. I know I'll be adding Knockin' Books to my TBR list.
