Monday, August 22, 2011

Author Interview - Louisa Bacio - Erotic Romance Author


Stay  A While & Meet Louisa Bacio

Winner is:  Laura Drake!
Congratulations!

     I have the pleasure of introducing you to one busy woman/mother/professor/author...and those are just a few of her hats! All I can say is Wow! Grab yourself a beverage and come have a seat with us as we chat with Louisa!
     Louisa enjoys soaking up the sun in Southern California, and spending time with her family.
     For more thrills, check out Bacio’s f/f erotic contemporary Sex University: All-Girls Academy. Her story “Two’s Company” can be found in I Kissed a Girl: A Virgin Lesbian Anthology. For a short erotic paranormal tryst, “The Wait” can be found in Rekindled Fire: An Anthology of Reunited Lovers.
     In addition to writing and editing, Bacio teaches college courses in English, journalism, film studies and popular culture.


Tonya:  Louisa, welcome to my studio and thank you for taking time out to be with us this week. You are one busy woman! Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself?

Louisa:  Thank you for having me here. I look forward to chatting with your readers. My almost 5-year-old daughter asked me today how many jobs I had, and she added, “Two?” Seriously, I’m not sure if I could count all my jobs. I’m a freelance writer and I teach at three colleges. Now, that doesn’t include writing books and marketing. Oh, and volunteering on my local OCC/RWA chapter board. Most of the time, I can’t think of all that I do. Otherwise, the heart starts pumping. That said, I’d rather keep busy … 

Tonya:  The saying goes “if you want something done, find a busy person to do it” - they usually finish the job. Congratulations on such a busy life, though, wow! Some of us have things we do to get into the writing frame of mind like music, or drinks. Do you have anything special you do to get into the writing mood?

Louisa:  It all depends upon what I’m writing. Is it a super sexy scene? Well, then, maybe I’d like a glass of wine, some slow, alluring music and I’ll even write with my laptop in bed.
     Do I want to simply get my word count down for the day? Then, I better be at a desk that’s comfortable, without a lot of distractions happening.

Tonya:  Do you have a card file where you keep story ideas? Where do they come from?

Louisa:  Ray Bradbury published a book called Zen & The Art of Writing where he talks about the “other” story idea. You know, the one that’s so good, and distracts you from what you’re currently writing. That section is titled, “The Thing at the Top of the Stairs.” He suggests writing one sentence about the new idea and putting it aside for later use. I used to do that. Now, I’ll maybe dedicate a few pages to the new idea, and then keep it in an electronic file for some future time.
     My story ideas come from real life, dreams, fantasies … It all depends upon what I’m doing. I love watching people, and as a writer – and reporter – I’m pretty observant. So sometimes I’ll overhear a bit of conversation that’s out of context and it’ll trigger a story idea. While waiting for the latest Harry Potter premiere to start, I overheard a woman say something about a ninja-warrior coming out of her dream and they ‘did it.’ Now that’s a story waiting to happen!

Tonya:  People watching is a favorite of mine, too! Now, are you a daytime writer, nighttime writer, and do you have to be alone to write?

Louisa:  Totally a nighttime writer. As an only child, I tend to need to be alone to write. And, I often like it quiet. Since I’m now married, with kids, that means that I tend to stay up late in order to have that quiet alone time … when everyone else is asleep.

Tonya:  Do you write better when you first have an idea of what your characters look like or do you write, then add character looks?

Louisa:  That’s a tough question, and I’m not sure. Sometimes I totally have a mental picture of what my character looks like. I’m currently working on the sequel to The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome. One character, Nick, is Creole and possesses this creamy mocha skin tone, and wears his golden blond hair in dreads. I can see him perfectly. I’ve looked for pictures to match, and haven’t had much luck … maybe when I go to New Orleans in October!

Tonya:  I’ll be there in mid-November and I can’t wait! Where can our readers find you and your books?

Louisa:  All the regular Online sellers, such as Amazon and All-Romance E-books. Also, my publisher, Ravenous Romance.

Tonya:  Is there anything else you want to tell our readers?

Louisa:  Truly, I believe that romance knows no bounds. Some people were taken aback in my first book, Sex University: Physical Education because while it’s predominately a male/female story, there’s also a m/m scene and a f/f storyline. The gender of the person doesn’t matter. It’s the individual that they fall in love with.

Tonya:  Let's go for some fun questions: What is your favorite nighttime snack?

Louisa:  Am I writing? Well, then probably Cinnamon Bears.

Tonya:  Do you like toppings on your ice cream?

Louisa:  Usually, I don’t eat ice cream. If I could though, it would be crumbled Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. You gotta go all the way, right?

Tonya:  What’s your favorite meal - Italian, Mexican, Thai, etc?

Louisa:  Italian, all the way! I much prefer cooking at home, though. Usually the sauce at a restaurant is too sweet, and not slow-cooked long enough.

Tonya:  Readers, here's a bit about Louisa's newest book:

Blurb:

The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: Threesome in New Orleans

      Haunted by paranormal abilities that she can’t control, and plagued by nightmares about a demon that seeks her soul, Lily Anima travels to New Orleans in search of salvation.
     In the French Quarter, Lily dives into the paranormal world and enlists the help of an unlikely couple: a vampire, Lawrence Justice, and a werewolf, Trevor Pack.
     As the trio encounters ghosts, voodoo and unspeakable evil, will Trevor and Lawrence be able to help Lily turn her powers into a gift rather than a curse? And when Lily discovers that she needs to lose her virginity in order to embrace her powers and get the demon off her back, will the twosome be able to survive as a threesome?



Excerpt:

Silver and gold curtains covered the large bookcases, with streamers of rich turquoise and vibrant purple. Hanging from the second floor, a strobe light threw out iridescent shimmers, illuminating streaks of glitter throughout the store. A few food tables and a mini bar—complete with a bartender handing out flutes of champagne—rested against the back wall.
The glass felt cool within her hand, and Lily took a sip, suppressing a sneeze as the fizzy alcohol tickled her nose. Tiny bubbles floated throughout the golden liquid. She sighed, surveying the party goers. The boys certainly knew how to throw a shindig, and the nightlife of New Orleans definitely had come out expecting a party.
A couple that only could be described as being dressed as a male peacock and his hen pecked their way by. Blue, green, and purple feathers streamed out of the man’s bottom, uh-hem, end, and the female proudly jutted out her almost bare breasts. Their painted turquoise with gold sparkles, they each wore a gold pointed-nose mask that resembled a delicate beak. As they passed, the woman laughed haughtily and gave Lily a knowing glance.
Unfortunately, Lily knew that look all too well. Alone in a sea of mostly couples, Lily was the competition. Women didn’t want to befriend her; they wanted to ditch her as quickly as possible. Female acquaintances always seemed to think that Lily was interested in stealing their boyfriends. Sure, she may be jealous of the intimacy and connection that others shared, but that never meant that she would ever think of destroying such a relationship.
Was it her fault that a few of those aforementioned boyfriends had happened to make a pass at Lily? No, she’d always made it clear that she wasn’t interested, and shot the lying, cheating ass down. Too often, though, she also ended up losing a friendship.
The thought of couples, and potentially coming between them, turned her mind to Law and Trevor. They made such a perfect pair. They balanced each other; yet at the same time, they seemed so different. Inherently, she—mostly because of popular mythology—had thought that a vampire and a werewolf would automatically hate each other. Common wisdom held that one was undead, the vamp, and the other simply transformed from the human shape, but kept his humanity intact, the were. True, but the similarities overcame the differences, as she’d seen.
From what she’d learned, both species were long-lived. They could easily outlive a regular mortal’s life. That thought alone made Lily sad. If possible, she’d like to have longer on the earth. A vampire could be immortal as long as they allowed it, and didn’t fall victim to a grisly demise. A werewolf? She was unsure. And then, what about her?
A warm hand slipped across the bare skin of her back. She turned toward the feeling, only to be met with a muscular body as he held her tight against him.
“You seem to be awfully deep in thought for a party-guest,” a hushed voice said in her ear. So close, it felt like his lips would nip her earlobe. “Especially when you’re the guest of honor.”
Senses afire, she took in a deep breath.
“I’m just taking everything in. You did just a fantastic job decorating the store, Trev.”
His body vibrated against her as he laughed. He loosened his hold on her waist and she turned to face him. A dark gray wolf mask covered the top of his face, while his pouty, full lips lay exposed. He wore a tight black leather vest that showed off the lines of muscles in his arms, and escaping curly hair on his chest. Lily held back from running her fingers through those curls, but she couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to have them rub against her bare breasts. She shook her head to break the fantasy and looked up into his eyes, which had taken on the same tone of gray as his mask.
Mentally, she flashed to their moment together in bed, with Trevor’s cock pumping in her hand. A shine of humor and mischief danced in the way his eyes creased up on the side, and he smiled. The young man possessed a light-hearted sense of humor, and an inner strength that matched his outer physical beauty. She thought that he, too, was thinking about the same encounter.
“What fun are you?” he asked. “You knew who I was right away.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Never could understand how someone wouldn’t recognize Batman or Superman. What type of disguise is a pair of glasses or a mask? At least Spiderman had a full mask, but I’d like to hope I would be able to know someone by his kiss …” Lily gushed.
Internally she groaned, and her cheeks turned red. Times like this, when she felt nervous and unsure, she tended to blab too much. It was one of those habits that she hoped to break quickly. Imagine being in bed with someone, at that moment of being romantic, and having one’s partner start blabbing on about superheroes? Someone, please help her now.
“Did you say something about a kiss?” Trev asked, leaning in closer.
She could feel his breath across her lips. If she stood up on her tiptoes just slightly, their lips would touch.
“Am I interrupting something?” Another body pressed up behind her, propelling her forward and up against Trev. Their lips brushed, and she pulled back, only to meet the unrelenting body behind her.


Louisa:  Drop in for a visit at:



CONTEST:  Comment to enter and please include your email address so I can contact you. Tell me your favorite late-night snack, and you can be entered to win an e-copy of either The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf: A New Orleans Threesome or my first novel, Sex University: Physical Education. (I also have a print copy of Physical Education, if someone prefers.)  Winner will be drawn Saturday morning, Aug. 27th.
      Also, if anyone wants copies of the Romance Trading Cards, fill out the form through my website, http://www.louisabacio.com, and I’ll mail them out!


Tonya:  Thank you all for stopping in to read about Louisa Bacio. Please comment to be in her drawing and leave a question if you have one. She'll be around all week.