Hey! We're glad you rode in! Tie up your horse over there and come on into the bunk house to chat with Gem. We might get lucky enough for a few ranch hands to stop in while we're in there. Gem's inside waiting to answer your questions and when we're finished, be sure to leave a comment or questions to enter her contest.
Tonya: Okay, I think we're all here. *watching the door for any cowboys coming in* Gem, thank you so much for being my guest this week. I'm excited you're here! Readers love
to know more about their authors. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Gem: Hi! I’m Gem Sivad. Nice to
meet everyone. If you’ve seen me on twitter, Face Book or a romance loop, it
was probably only a quick glimpse. I’m a hermit by inclination and live in
a country setting near a small unincorporated town with a population of about
500 (give or take a wild turkey or 2).
My Motto: When everyone else goes right, run like hell to the left!
I’m a compulsive writer, usually juggling more than one WIP at a time. I
currently write for Ellora’s Cave Publishing where you can find hot shifters in
my Bitter Creek Holler series (Call Me Miz) and sexy cowboys in my Eclipse Heat
series. Wolf’s Tender, fourth in the seven book erotic historical western
series is now available.
Tonya: Well congrats on those series. I know you have a great following of readers! Do you have a
day job?
Gem: Yes, writing. *soft smile* I left my day job last spring to write full time.
Tonya: Not everyone can do that so I know it feels great to be able to finally do that! My job is seasonal and The Boss expects me there when we're busy. Come to think of it, he expects me there a lot! LOL 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?
Gem: Not really. I’m
pretty much always in the mood. I budget time in months. Like now, hubs
arranged his schedule so that we can escape in late April for a couple of
weeks. Why? I’ll be brain-dead by then after bringing out two titles, finishing
a third and editing a fourth.
Tonya: I'm glad you two are getting away for some down time! Where do you
keep story ideas? Where do they come from?
Gem: Gah! Too many
stories too little time. I keep little notebooks handy (in my purse, next to
the bed, table next to couch). When an idea perks, I scribble it down. Hubs
watches a lot of the survival, wrestle the alligator, jump off cliff type shows
and instead of suffering in silence, I’m avidly taking notes about how, what,
and why. *wink*
Tonya: Our hubs sound a lot alike! If you’re
self-published, can you tell us a bit about that and how it’s going for you?
Gem: In February I
released my first self-published novella, River’s Edge. I worked with an editor until we were both
happy with the story, helped design the cover art and set the price. The
marketing freedom is particularly fascinating and frankly—exhilarating. I love
the control of self-publishing and look forward to bringing out more titles.
Tonya: Those are my main reasons for self-publishing...along with being on my own schedule for releases. Are you a
daytime writer, night time writer, and do you have to be alone to write?
Gem: I get up at 6:00
and answer emails and set up promo. By 8:00 a.m. I’m writing. I keep the coffee
flowing, slap on the headphones and listen to mood music to keep out everything
but me and my muse. At noon I break for lunch and to watch crazy political
shows (I’m an addict of dysfunctional government) until 1:30 and then I go back
to work until 5:00. I try to keep nights for hubs and me but when I’m on
deadline, that doesn’t always happen. The daily routine keeps me on track and
meeting my writing goals.
Tonya: What advice
would you give to new authors?
Gem: Join Twitter,
Facebook, and network with authors that way. I also highly recommend joining
one of the many online weekly blog hops. Each week I try to post six or eight
sentences from a WIP or published work in either Weekend Writing Warriors or Hump
Day Hook. Since all genre authors participate, it’s a great way to meet new people
and judge what’s happening in the industry. However, it can be a huge time suck
so be cautious when committing.
Tonya: I'd love to participate in those but my time is really limited with keeping The Boss happy at the office and finding time to write and market! Do you write
better when you first have an idea of what your characters look like or do you
write, then add character looks?
Gem: I start out with
personality and layer the characters in detail as they speak and I learn who
they are.
Tonya: What attracts
you most about men?
Gem: Reliable,
physically strong, sexy voice, intelligent, practical.
Tonya: We’re dying to
hear about your latest book. What can you tell us without spoiling the
storyline?
Gem: I have two books
just out. River’s Edge is my first self-published work and it is a sensuous
novella, 35k in length with a sequel in the works.
Blurb:
River Prescott has everything she’s ever wanted–except
perhaps a man. The unconventional ranch owning artist is very certain she
doesn’t want a husband. But sometimes she can’t help wishing for
a lover; especially after her new neighbor trespasses and she gets a
full frontal view of his assets.
Edge Grayson moves onto the rundown spread he’s
inherited, expecting to stay aloof from nearby town business. But between
local artist, River Prescott’s determination to seduce him and protecting
her from a killer on the prowl, the ex-gunslinger is finding
respectability a lot more dangerous than his former life of sin.
Wolf’s Tender, my scorching hot title, released on Friday,
March 8th from Ellora’s Cave.
Blurb:
A book in the Eclipse Heat Series
Charlie Wolf is half Kiowa, all bounty hunter, a
no-nonsense man—until he meets a school teacher with cornflower blue eyes.
After marauding outlaws attack Naomi’s school kidnapping her students, she’s
desperate and will do anything to rescue them, even seduce the best tracker in
Texas to secure his help.
Naomi offers one night of sexual favors,
underestimating the power of Charlie’s predatory charm and his determination to
claim her as his mate. She’s impatient with his decisions, questions his
authority and generally ignores his warnings. But she melts in Charlie’s arms
when he makes love to her.
Blood is spilled, past murder avenged, desperadoes
captured and lust assuaged as the two set out to rescue Naomi’s young
ladies.
A Romantica® historical Western erotic romance from
Ellora’s Cave
Site Links:
each
month, on the 2, and 13th,
Links where I also can be found:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/gemsivad
Tonya: Let's do a few fun questions. What is your
favorite night time snack?
Gem: Peanut butter
and crackers. *wink*
Tonya: Do you like
toppings on your ice cream?
Gem: Crushed strawberries.
Tonya: What’s your
favorite meal - Italian, Mexican, Thai, etc?
Gem: Steak.
CONTEST: Random.org will
pick from the comments left and the winner may choose a back-list title OR new
release of either River’s Edge or Wolf’s Tender in e-book format.
Excerpt(s):
River’s Edge Excerpt:
River stared at the taut muscles in his buttocks, a
jagged scar ruining the contour of the left cheek. And then he turned
around, displaying a form more magnificent than any pictures of sculpted
perfections she’d studied. Her gaze roved across his body, greedily examining
and cataloguing the earthy reality.
He rubbed soap over his chest, swirling white lather
around his nubs, pausing to squeeze the tips between finger and thumb. Rough
laughter escaped him as his manhood bobbled in response.
River’s left hand lifted of its own accord, cupping the
material covering her bosom. Though only plump in wishful dreams, her breasts
each sported a dusty areola, darkly ringing a sensitive tip. She imagined him
caressing her flesh, pinching her nipples as he had his own and a surge of need
clawed at her belly.
She bit her bottom lip, concentrating as she detailed
the heavy shoulder muscles, the sprinkling of dark chest hair, and the sharp
hipbones framing the flat belly. Not even his navel escaped her feathered
strokes that mimicked the fine hairs that circled it before arrowing toward his
groin.
As she watched, sunrays highlighted a line of
water that trickled down from shoulder to chest and rolled over his flat
stomach. Glistening drops collected in the dark thatch surrounding his manhood.
His penis appeared more robust than the hairless groins of the marble statues
she’d studied in her books.
River swallowed,
trying to quell her breathless fascination with his maleness. As though her
scrutiny had caused the action, he fisted his hand around his shaft and stoked
the flesh between his legs until it became engorged.
She wasn’t prepared and the erotic motion caught her
unawares. The pencil she gripped snapped into two parts as a flood of heat
scalded her insides. She stifled a moan and forced her gaze away from
the intimate act and back to the harsh planes of his face.
Almost casually,
he rinsed, walked out of the water to his pile of clothes, picked up his gun,
and pointed it at the approximate place where she crouched in the tree.
“Come down from there now or I’ll start shooting.” His
tone bore little resemblance to that of the easy-going cowboy she’d spied on
all morning.
Wolf’s Tender Excerpt:
“I wish my hair was straight like yours,” she
muttered.
He held out his hand, indicating it was time for her to
quit the water.
“Just gawk at something else besides me,” she told
him, exasperated at his boldness when he didn’t look away. She covered her
breasts with one arm, her triangle of lower curls with the other and grimaced
at him as she emerged.
He snorted at her attempt at modesty and wrapped the blanket
around her, rubbing the drying cloth across her hair. Then he handed her a tin.
“Work that into the snarls, then rinse it out of your
hair.”
“What’s in it?” she asked suspiciously, sniffing the
mixture. It smelled like him, or at least the spicy wood scent she associated
with him.
“Bear grease.” He grunted impatiently. “Now rub it on
your hair.”
It was odd how right away her hair felt different. It
hung in soft wet strands that felt like silk when she rinsed his concoction
from her head.
“It feels like when I was a child and rinsed my hair in
rain water.” She let her hands play down the silken length and looked at him
doubtfully. “Bear grease?”
“No. My mother makes it for me to use on my hair,” he
growled.
She’d noticed how shiny his hair was. “It’s indecent for
a man to have hair that hangs down his back and is prettier than a woman’s.”
The tart words escaped her before she could stop them. Then she fastened on the
important part of his sentence, excusing her own rude comment.
“You have a mother?” She was surprised. He didn’t look
like a man with a mother, let alone one who made him beauty products for his
hair.
“Did you think I was born in a cave with wolves?”
He capped the tin and stuck it in his pocket.
“Does your mother live with the Kiowa tribe?” she asked
politely, ignoring his sarcasm because frankly, she could picture him in a cave
with wolves.
“My mother is Rachel McCallister of the MC3 Ranch. She’s
a white woman, like you.” While she digested that information, he did one of
his silent maneuvers, moving much closer, leaving Naomi very conscious of his
nearness.
“Sun ointment—should make your face quit burning.” She
could feel the heat from his body as he rubbed a different salve on her cheeks.
His nearness and gentle application of the medicine
flustered her. No one had taken care of her since her sister had left. Naomi
had grown up taking care of others. Now this man leaned over her and squinted
as he dabbed another kind of cream on her cheeks.
“It does soothe the burn.” She couldn’t resist touching
his hand as he carefully applied the balm to her burned cheeks. “Why are you
being nice to me?”
She suspected that Charlie Wolf never made a move that
didn’t benefit him, but at this moment she didn’t care. It was wonderful that
he was showing her kindness during the day.
“Your skin’s too chapped. I want it soft under my
lips when I taste you,” he drawled.
Buy Links:
Mark your calendars:
Gem will be our guest for the week!!
Be sure to stop in there, too!
