Tara Andrews in the Hot Seat Today!

In the spotlight today is Tara Andrews. Tara is a critique partner (and friend) who is celebrating her second release – Her Everything, part of the 1 Night Stand series from Decadent Publishing. I haven't gotten a chance to read it quite yet, but it's on my TBR pile, and I will also review it when I'm done. I do have to say I loved Jill and Blake from Long Overdue, so I have no doubt I will enjoy this one at least as much!

Tara's a busy lady – she has a FT job and is the mom of two adorable tykes, and best of all, she believes in Happily Ever After. Perfect, since we get to read the stories and characters living in her head. Like him! Yum! ;)

 

And now, take it away, Tara!

When did the writing bug first hit?

I began writing in seventh grade, right after I moved to New York from Virginia.  At the time I was writing really horrible, first person fan-fiction.  Of course, I didn’t recognize it as fan-fiction, I only leaned of that a few years ago.  What can I say, I’m always the last to know.

What inspires you to write?

 

Music!  I do get a lot of inspiration from music.  Whether it’s a backstory inspired by lyrics, or the way a tempo sets a scene up in my mind.  It’s no wonder music plays a role in my newest release, Her Everything.  Sister to a pop star meets front man to her favorite band.

What was the most valuable piece of advice you received when you first started your pursuit of publication?

Join my local RWA chapter.  The advice was given to me by Karen Hawkins through Facebook messaging.  I wish I did it years earlier.  The experience and support offered by this group is invaluable and really has helped me develop as a writer.

Where's your ideal writing space?

I used to write at the kitchen table, which offered too many distractions (and not to mention calories).  Recently I set up a desk in my bedroom – a room with a door!  Ideally, sure, I’d love to have a small office to transform into a writer’s dream, but I’m enjoying the peace and quiet - so that’s pretty darn close to ideal in my book.

What was your favorite childhood game/toy? What happened to it?

The very first thing that popped into my head was my Texas Instrument Speak & Spell.  Picture a Home Depot orange, 2 inch thick tablet with a built in handle.  The raised letter buttons took up about 2/3 of the front, leaving room for 3 inches of black screen that displayed blue, block letters.  Its robotic voice spoke the letters of the word you spelled correctly or told you to ‘try again’.  I loved that toy so much I must’ve worn it out.  One day it just stopped working and the newer version I got as a replacement (with its flat, boring letters) just wasn’t the same.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee!!!

Which childhood memory is your favorite? Why?

I’m not sure; I’d have to ask my sister.  LOL.  Seriously, I have a terrible memory when it comes to my childhood.  My sister would ask me something like, do you remember mining for gold on vacation?  Uh, no.  Then, after many attempts to prod my memory, I’d either relent with an ‘oh, yeah’ (more like ‘yeah, right’), or she’d finally give up. 

Aside from a specific memory though, I had a dog named Bowser, a miniature German Shepard with a curled tail that hinted at a touch of Husky.  I just loved that dog!  I would have to say he’s my favorite memory.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Dark chocolate.  Preferably Lindt. :)

What's the one thing you had the chance to do but didn't, and wish you could go back and do it this time?

Part of me would have liked to have gone right to college following high school.  But I also think things turned out pretty well for me professionally from working my way up through the ranks.  I do think I missed out on a lot of college experiences, though.  I think that more than anything makes me wonder, what if?

How would you react if you lost your cell phone?

I would be fine… for about an hour.

Do you believe in ghosts and other supernatural creatures (vampires, witches, werewolves)? Have you ever encountered any?

Can’t say I believe in vampires, witches, or werewolves, but aliens… now that’s a different story.  Never encountered any, but there are a few ancient astronaut theories out there that make me go hmmmm.

Beer/Wine or liquor?

Amaretto and soda is my favorite drink.  An old boyfriend of mine got tired of ordering beers for me I’d never drink, so he introduced me to this little gem.  It’s, coincidentally, the drink my heroine orders in Her Everything.  She also notes the hero’s eyes are the color of the amaretto she favors.  And he is just as yummy!

Here's where you can find Tara on the web:

Website:  www.taraandrews.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tara.andrews.author

Twitter: @tara_andrews1

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/taraandrews1/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8578362.Tara_Andrews

And here's where you can get Her Everything:

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=985&osCsid=26tunq16kltp6r93vgio23esu6

 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Everything-1Night-Stand-Tara-Andrews-ebook/dp/B00NRI5YOE/ref=la_B00I50WCSA_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411382803&sr=1-2

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-everything-tara-andrews/1120399764?ean=2940150402805

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/her-everything/juyidlA9n0SWNE_cmc9C3w?MixID=juyidlA9n0SWNE_cmc9C3w&PageNumber=1

And don't forget to stop by tomorrow to read an excerpt from Her Everything!

Hot Bayou Nights

I reviewed Hot Bayou Nights recently, and I can't tell you how excited I am to have Elizabeth here the last couple of days.We have a lot in common - we're both Gemini's, correct me, Liz if I'm wrong, but we're a year and a week apart, right? We're critique partners, and this fall, we're both Golden Leaf finalists. Not to mention, we have a blast with each other whenever we're together. Even when we're just walking to our cars after critique, we end up standing around talking (on Broadway no less, when we should probably just head to the bar around the corner so we don't risk getting hit by a car!)

Anyway, I loved this book - when I first heard what it was about and that snakes were involved, I thought, you have to be kidding me. And then I heard some of it. When the book finally came out this year, I grabbed it right away. I've made mention of the fact I read while on various machines at the gym - this works out well for the most part - the workouts go quicker than I realize, and lately, I find myself going so fast the machines are telling me to slow down! I like the end results there, no matter how slow the progress.

But I'm rambling again, because the point I'm trying to make is that a book with freaking venomous snakes had me enthralled from the first word I heard and read.So here's a taste of the book for your enjoyment:

When corporate consultant Carla Saunders' work takes her from the skyscrapers of Manhattan to a research facility in Louisiana filled with king cobra snakes, she sees her dreams of a job in Paris sinking into the swamp. But unexpected desire burns hotter than a sultry bayou night. The snakes terrify her, but lust for a scorching hot research scientist has her dreaming less about the Champs Élysées and more about being coiled in his arms.

Obsessed with finding a cure for multiple sclerosis, Jackson Rivard's got zero time for relationships. But when a lush, efficient business advisor sweeps into his lab, zero spikes to a hundred before he can shut off the engine. In theory, no-strings-attached sex is scientifically feasible, but having an ex whose fangs make a cobra’s seem modest brings new meaning to the phrase “once bitten, twice shy.” How can he protect his heart when Carla’s charming it out of hiding?

 Here's the steamy tidbit sure to leave you anxious for more:

Hot Bayou Nights 

“Don’t look at your feet,” he whispered into her ear. “Look at me.”

She did as he asked, raising her chin to look into Jackson’s blue eyes, and then she was lost. Her breath whooshed out as he trapped her in his gaze, like an insect in a spider’s web. Except unlike the insect, Carla never wanted out. She felt as if she could drown in him. Helpless, her mind drifted to thoughts of what he could do to her. His lips on hers, fingers skating across her naked skin, his body flush against hers on the bed while he held her down, sucking her breasts, his rock hard cock pressed against her thigh. She could reach down between their bodies and take him in her hands, stroking him, teasing, making him even harder. She would hear the ragged panting of his breaths against her skin, ready for her. His fingers would drift downward to slip between the wet folds of her pussy, mercilessly stroking until her hips arched up, so hot for him, and then he would enter -

The music stopped, dousing her fantasy like a bucket of cold water. Jackson stepped back to look down at her, smiling.

“Did you like it?”

Ooooh yeah. “Definitely. A lot.” She prayed like mad that she bore no telltale red face from her little mental visit to his bedroom and plastered on a giant smile. She needed to pull herself together and pay no attention to her trembling knees or the throbbing pulses between her legs. Jackson Rivard was dangerous—to her career, her fear assignment, her sanity. She had to remember that.

Here's where you can get a copy for yourself, and find out more about Elizabeth:

Hot Bayou Nights Buy Links: 

Amazon:

http://amzn.to/1uN9sXd

The Wild Rose Press:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/wildcatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Elizabeth%20Shore

Elizabeth's website:

www.lizshore.com

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/ElizabethShoreWriter

Blog:

www.ladysmut.com