Monday, December 3, 2012

Meet Lori King - Erotic Romance Author


Lori King
Erotic Romance Author

      Thank you for stopping in to meet this week's guest author, Lori King. She's your average woman who juggles three kids, a husband, a job, and everything that goes along with it. However over the years she has used writing to ease her stress, clear her head, and ignite her passion. She loves romance stories, and looks for a Happily Ever After (HEA) in every story, so it seemed only natural that when she finally sat down to write a book that she picked Erotic Romance as her genre. She's currently publishing with Siren-Bookstrand, because many of her favorite authors publish there.

Tonya:  Lori, thank you so much for being my guest this week! We can't wait to hear about your hot heroes! But first, readers love to know more about their authors. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Lori:  I’m pretty much a live action sitcom waiting to happen. I’m a mom of three boys, a wife, I work fulltime in the financial industry, I’m the PTO secretary, I volunteer at several different organizations, and whenever I’m not busy (HA!) I put words to paper, and write my ass off.

Tonya:  Do you have a day job?

Lori:  Yep, full time. I’m a number pusher, which is not particularly sexy, but pays the bills. For now writing is my second career, but I long for the day when I can focus my entire day on it every day.

Tonya:  I'm a numbers pusher, too! 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?

Lori:  I mostly just have to find time. I can get into the writing mood really easily, but I have to have the space to do it. Usually there are one or two kiddos watching a movie nearby, or napping.

Tonya:  Where do you keep story ideas and where do they come from?

Lori:  I have a file of threads (story starts), then I have a file of stories that are 10k-30k words. Last I have separate files for each story that’s grown beyond 30k. Those are my main focus, but the others are tickling my brain. I realize how crazy it sounds, but my characters get into my head, and basically share their story with me. I learn it as I write it. There is no outline or formula, it just comes as it comes. I have one story that I have been chipping away at for nearly a year, and I know I’m still far from done. The heroine is just shyer than my normal ones, so it’s been harder to write her story.

Tonya:  That's exactly how I write. I have a basic plot line and the characters fill in the rest as I write. I love it when they help out! Are you a daytime writer, night time writer, and do you have to be alone to write?

Lori:  I’m an in the moment writer. If I only have 15 minutes to sit down with my laptop, I’m still going to make good use of that 15 minutes. Adding 100 words to a story in a day is better than zero words in a day.  I find more time after the kiddos go to bed to write, though. You’ll find me on FB or Twitter late at night a lot of nights.

Tonya:  What advice would you give to new authors?

Lori:  Don’t doubt your abilities. There will ALWAYS be haters that try to discourage and distract you from your dreams out of jealousy or spite. It takes a strong person to reach for their dreams with both hands.

Tonya:  Great advice! We have to have dreams, envision them, and then make the happen! Do you write better when you first have an idea of what your characters look like or do you write, then add character looks?

Lori:  Absolutely. I’m a really visual person, and I’ve gotten inspiration from strange places. I’m a hopeless Pinterest addict, and you can find a lot of my visual inspiration there, https://pinterest.com/lorikingauthor/

Tonya:  Pinterest is a great place for visuals! What attracts you most about men?

Lori:  Confidence. Pure and simple, I’m attracted to confidence. I think that’s why I like Dominant men the best, because they tend to be the most confident. A man doesn’t have to be the best looking, to be the sexiest man in the room.

Tonya:  We’re dying to hear about your latest book. What can you tell us without spoiling the storyline?

Lori:  In the first book, Fire of the Wolf, firefighter werewolf Liam Gray helped rescue his Alpha’s mate Caroline from a rival pack Alpha, kidnapped with her was her best friend Tina Jameson. The moment that Liam catches Tina’s scent he knows in his soul that she’s his mate, but she’s full blooded human. In this next book, Reflections of the Wolf, we get to follow Liam and Tina’s story. Liam has lived through a nasty divorce, and the death of his daughter, so he isn’t exactly primed for a long-term relationship either. Every time Tina and Liam come near each other sparks fly, and Liam realizes that he can’t walk away from her no matter how hard she pushes. Emotions run hot in this one, and add in Tina’s creepy, stalkerish co-worker that goes a little nuts, and you have a dramatic, erotic, love story.  http://www.bookstrand.com/reflections-of-the-wolf

Tonya:  Where can our readers find you and your books?

Lori:  You can find my books on http://www.bookstrand.com/lori-king and you can find me on my website.



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

Lori:  Thank you! A huge thank you to all of the readers who have taken the time to read about me, and my books, and an even bigger thank you to the ones who go on to read my books! I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you guys!

Tonya:  What is your favorite night time snack?

Lori:  Pickle roll ups. It’s a piece of deli ham, slathered with cream cheese, and wrapped around a dill pickle spear. No I’m not pregnant, I just have unusual taste buds. LOL

Tonya:  Do you like toppings on your ice cream?

Lori:  I love hot fudge and bananas the best!

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

Lori:  McDonald’s….don’t judge. I’m still a four year old at heart.


Excerpt:
     “She’s okay, Liam. She’s just exhausted and overwhelmed. Give her some breathing room.” Tina could hear another man’s voice talking to Liam, but she couldn’t seem to make her eyes open to see who it was.
     “Why did she pass out then?” Liam’s voice was annoyed, and she thought she heard him growl a bit. Damn that was sexy.
     “Who knows why women faint? What were you guys talking about?” A third masculine voice spoke.
     “Shit.” Liam muttered. “I told her she was my mate. I didn’t mean to scare her.”
     Tina could just imagine the look on Liam’s face right now. She understood that Caroline believed in this whole mating thing, and that was fine for her life, but Tina wasn’t interested in a serious relationship. She had lived through her share of heartache when it came to men, and the pain just wasn’t worth it anymore.
     She took a deep breath and forced her eyes open a crack. Instantly Liam and two other men were leaning over her. What the hell did they feed these men? They were enormous and gorgeous!
     “Oh my God, I’ve died and gone to single women’s heaven,” she said, moaning and then blushing when the two new men laughed, and Liam frowned. “Who are you guys?”
     “Hey, Sweet Tina, nice and easy now. How are you feeling?” Liam’s eyes held compassion, concern, and a glimmer of apprehension. A gentle tug of desire shot through her body at his soft endearment. He helped her sit up, scooting to sit behind her to brace her back against his chest. She was now between his outstretched thighs with her head tucked just under his chin and his arms around her protectively.
     “Like a werewolf beat the shit out of me,” she grumbled, and all three men laughed. She felt Liam relax against her a little bit. He rested his hands on her flat tummy, and his thumbs rubbed tiny circle patterns through the T-shirt she wore. She could feel sparks shoot across her skin, and she grimaced in her mind. Her body sure wanted a relationship with him.
     “Good. I was afraid you were just going to say fine or something silly like that.” His amusement rippled through her, making her smile.
     “Hi, Tina. I’m Rafe Whetstone. This is my brother Ryley.” He indicated the beautiful godlike creature standing next to him. “We were quite impressed with your show of bravery in there, but you better take it easy for a bit. If your back gets worse, Liam will get you to the doctor. You hit that wall really hard when he threw you. And now with you passing out on us like that, it makes me wonder about your head. Is it hurting?” Rafe looked like a Viking warrior with golden-blond hair that was a little shaggy and electric-blue eyes that seemed to assess her in one lazy sweep. She shivered at the look of interest heating his gaze and instinctively pressed backward into Liam. His arms tightened around her possessively.
     “Yes, but I took a baseball bat to the back of it a few hours ago, so it’s to be expected. I think my head hurts more now because it’s trying to process all of this…umm…this werewolf love story my best friend is apparently living.” She rubbed her temples trying to ease the ache. Liam’s strong hand moved to the base of her neck and started massaging the tension away. She groaned softly, and Ryley laughed loudly.
     “Yeah, well, if Liam has his way, you will be living your own shortly. We have to go talk with Dev and Damon. Take care of your girl, Liam. I wouldn’t want to have to sweep her away from you and make her fall in love with me.” Ryley winked at Tina, and Liam growled a threat.
     “Oh, pumpkin, that’s sweet, but I’m just not sure there is a man alive that’s qualified for that job,” she said, smiling sweetly at Ryley as he and the others laughed.
     “Oh brother, you’re going to have your hands full with this little spitfire. Good luck!” Ryley teased Liam, and Tina’s eyes narrowed at him.
     “He won’t have to worry about me shortly,” she grumbled, but the pressure increased from Liam’s hands, and a low moan escaped her throat. All three men ignored her implied threat, and it grated her nerves.
     Ryley really was very sexy. He matched his brother in golden looks, but he kept his hair much longer. It brushed the tops of his shoulders, and his eyes were just a touch lighter than Rafe’s with flecks of green in them. It seemed all of the firemen of Battalion One were flirts with bodies built on Olympus. She would have to see about spending more time with Caroline if this was the company she was keeping.
     She watched the two Viking warriors walked away and had to swallow hard at the sight of their tight butts. Wow, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. She chided herself for drooling over those two men when the one that really scared her was holding her in his arms. Worrying now about what Ryley had said, she fidgeted in Liam’s grip. Liam couldn’t really believe that she was his mate, could he? Goose bumps prickled over her skin when Liam’s kissed the nape of her neck where he had been gently massaging.
     “Are they family, too?” she asked Liam curiously.
     Liam tensed before replying. “Yes, they are my adopted brothers. You can trust them. Well, you can trust them with your life, but Ryley won’t ever stop trying to get into your pants.”
     She laughed out loud and felt a surge of feminine confidence. “I’m sure I will enjoy his attempts.”
     Liam growled behind her, and she stilled in his arms. That was definitely a possessive growl if she had ever heard one. Turning to look back over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, she took in his jealous frown and huffed with irritation. After a few moments of glaring at each other in silence, he sighed and relaxed, and she couldn’t help but smile at her victory. She wouldn’t tolerate being told who to spend time with, no matter who it was.

Tonya:  Tsssss!!  Readers, I hope you click over to Lori's links and grab your copies, check out her website...she has several pages for you to roam through so you get to know her better!
     Lori, thanks so much for being with us this week! Readers, be sure to leave a question or comment after you enter Lori's contest...she's giving away a free e-book, winner's choice! Good luck! 

Lori's Site Links:



Twitter: @LoriKingBooks


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