Books-n-Kisses is please to welcome Carla Swafford to the blog today to chat a little about herself, bucket list, and her new and up coming books Circle of Danger and Circle of Deception (Nov 2012). Please make Carla feel welcome.
Can you please share with us a little about yourself
Like most authors, I lead a boring life especially when compared to my characters, but here we go. I’m married to my high school sweetheart and live in Alabama. Once I learned how to read, I fell in love with books. First it started out with anything that had horses on the cover and then one day I read Roberta Gellis’s BOND OF BLOOD, my first romance, and I found my obsession. Not until many years later, I decided to try my hand at writing the stories tumbling around in my head. Nine years and ten books later, I received an email from Avon wanting to publish my latest manuscript that had been doing rather well in contests. Circle of Danger is my second published book and the third, Circle of Deception, will be released November 27, 2012.
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Until I was adult, I thought all authors lived in New York or California or were dead. So no. <snort!>
What is your most interesting writing quirk?
I must have Kid Rock blasting music as I type in the nude. Sorry. I couldn’t resist teasing. None of that is true. Really. No quirks for me, though my kids would tell you that I’m a little OCD about some stuff but not my writing. If you’re wondering, I’ll give you one example. I only buy red toothbrushes. Yep. Just one of those hang ups of mine.
Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
First, I’ll mention that Circle of Danger was released June 5 in e-format. The paperback will be available June 19. It’s the second book in The Circle series about a mercenary organization, though each book can be read as a standalone.
In Circle of Danger, though Ryker is several years older than Marie, they grew up together under the thumb of the same psycho. Finally free, she wants to be a Circle operative but on her first assignment is injected with a designer drug that revs up a person’s sex drive. The last four women with that drug in their system died. Ryker is willing to do anything to save her including taking her to his bed (it’s a dirty job but he’s man enough) and searching for the antidote. When he’s captured by a new evil, he worries that he has become the monster he always feared, and the one who will pay the biggest price, will be the woman he loves.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
The Circle series came out of my love for the late 90s TV series La Femme Nikita and kind of morphed from there. For the specific story about the designer drug, it came from a critique partner’s story. I’ve told her how I loved her third book, Run To Me (http://www.christyreece.com/books_main.html), and of course, all the others too. In that story, a bad guy controls the hero with a mind alternating drug. Such a cool idea. Me, being me, I wondered how that would work if the drug caused a person’s sex drive to go into overdrive? Christy thought it was a hoot and so typically me.
Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?
I’m a little over half way in the third book of The Circle series, Circle of Deception. It’s a shade more lighthearted (nice way of saying the heroine is a smart-aleck) than the other two, but just as sexy with all the twists and turns. For those who read the first book, this one is Rex and A. J./Abby’s story.
Who is the one author that you would love to meet someday and why?
Oh, my, I have to admit I’m one lucky fan. I’ve met all of my favorite authors and even become friends with a few of them. Hmm. Wait! Lisa Kleypas! I can’t believe I haven’t met her. And why? So I can thank her for writing books I love.
What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?
No matter what people tell you, if you study your craft and write, write, write, there’s always someone out there that will love your book as much as you do.
Can you share with us something off your bucket list?
What every author has on her/his list: hit the New York Times best seller list. If that’s cheating, let me add, to go on a train ride through the Alaskan countryside. Hopefully, I’ll get to mark that one off in next couple years and wouldn’t mind marking off both in that time period. Ha!
What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
Mercy me, I’ve got a boat load, but the one I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever is Jennifer Echol’s Such a Rush. Love, love her writing. Emotional, sensual with a light humor that has me chuckling to myself. Plus you need to see her cover. Beautiful. http://www.jennifer-echols.com/sucharush.html
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Some lucky commenter can win their choice of Circle of Desire or Circle of Danger. I would love to hear what book everyone is looking forward to reading.
Of course, that would mean my TBR pile will grow, but what the heck. Is there really anything better to do than write and read?
And if you’re interested in hearing about what’s going on with my books before anyone else, you can sign up for my newsletter. I send out five or less a year. For details, you can go to www.carlaswafford.com.
You can find Carla Swafford at
www.carlaswafford.blogspot.com
www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com
Also on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter and Pinterest
Want a chance to win an e-copy of Carla’s newest book Circle of Danger?
Please feel out the Rafflecopter below.