Good morning! Please welcome guest blogger Gia Dawn. Though I will be away for most of the day, please feel free to leave comments for Gia and I will post them as soon as I return. Thank you!
~Kate
Interview with Gia Dawn
What is one of your favorite things about writing?
The freedom to do what I love to do when I love to do it. I am a late night person…my husband jokes that I finally wake up about midnight, so when the rest of the world has gone mostly quiet, sit down and start my day.
When you’re brainstorming for a new story, what usually comes first for you, the plot or the characters?
The characters always come first, and I don’t necessarily write from beginning to end. Usually I hone in on a scene between the hero and heroine (sometimes sex, sometimes not..lolol) and go from there.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Pantster, definitely a pantster. Plot, what is plot? Hahahah. But the details always get worked in somehow.
When you’re writing, who is more in control, you or your characters?
The characters are always in control. Sometimes they do what I want them to do, other times they take me off to wild and uncharted territory. If they don’t talk to me, I can’t get them down on paper. Sometimes they are stubborn. I punish them for that. Take away their chocolate and champagne, or turn the villain loose.
Can you write sex scenes at any time or do you have to be “in the mood?”
If I’m not in the mood to write sex when I start, I am always in the mood when I finish…hah! I write sex the same as any other scene, when I have to, or when the characters lead me off to the bedroom.
What is the most difficult thing about writing?
Making myself sit down and start.
What do you like about writing series books?
The family. Series always involve finding family connections, whether they are blood related or not. There is a very real joy and comfort in the continuity for both me as a writer and my readers.
Would you tell us about your latest release?
A Taste of Winter released November 8 from Ellora’s Cave. My first release in 5 years. What a rush! It is the first in my Red Masks series set in Charleston South Carolina at the mysterious Gaston Plantation. All the women wear beautiful red masks to make themselves anonymous while they indulge their darkest sexual fantasies. Here is the blurb:
A Taste of Winter
Gia Dawn
Red Masks, Book One
For the ladies of the Red Masks pleasure waits behind every door…and no one is ever who they seem to be.
When Alaina accepts an invitation to the Charleston South Carolina’s premier sex club, she has no idea the stranger who makes her scream with pleasure is her micro-managing ex-boss, Ryan. And while she could not stand his domination on the job, his domination in the bedroom takes her to whole new levels of pleasure as he forces her to submit to his every decadent demand—including a threesome with his old friend and her new employer, Zayne.
But while Ryan knows Alaina’s true identity, she remains unaware of his deception until the masks come off and she is faced with a decision. Can she continue to submit to his will when she finds out who he really is?
What are you working on now?
Just finishing the 4th novella for the Red Masks and getting ready to go back and finish a full length paranormal I started nearly 20 years ago!
Do you have an excerpt from your latest release you would like to share?
Absolutely!! Here it is:
Ryan Marquis stared in displeasure as his cell phone rang. He had a strict policy of no business between the hours of six on Saturday night, and noon Sunday, that brief block of time set aside every week to satisfy his need for rest and relaxation—along with some decadent indulgence when the need arose.
He frowned as the phone rang again, noting it was now three minutes after the hour, before picking it up to see who dared break into his personal time, his frown twisting into a semi-smile as he noted the number and answered.
“Bon nuit, mon cher,” came a husky voice across the line. “I have someone for you tonight. Someone you have been waiting for.”
His heart pounded in uncharacteristic excitement, his fingers tightening around the phone, a weakness he stifled in an instant. But his body proved a traitor to his discipline, every nerve buzzing, every muscle tightening in anticipation as thoughts of the night ahead wove dark and dangerous pleasures through his mind.
Was it her? Finally, after all this time, had she accepted his invitation?
Alaina Winter.
He’d been unduly fascinated with the frosty blonde ever since he’d hired her two years before. Not only was her work exceptional, the woman had an unnatural ability to match him on a professional level, her wall of politeness so thick she’d refused to break no matter what he’d thrown at her. And every time he heard her precise Southern voice across the phone, agreeing to his every ridiculous demand without a single hesitation, he became more and more obsessed with finding a way to make the ice queen melt.
It wasn’t a thing he was proud of in any manner. He deplored his need to feel her tremble in his arms, hear her cries of pleasure as he stroked his teeth across her skin…drive his flesh so far between her legs she’d beg him to stop while he kept her bound and still beneath him. His need had grown so distracting he’d finally taken action. He’d petitioned Madame Manette Brisson, the proprietor of the Red Mask Society, to issue Miss Winter an invitation to come and play—an invitation she’d ignored for so long he thought she would never send a reply.
So what had fueled her sudden acceptance? The lady was up to something, he understood in a heartbeat, remembering their last conversation. And whatever she was up to, he planned to enjoy the ride.
“Monsieur Marquis? If you are unavailable, I will find someone else to keep the lady occupied.” The woman on the other end of the line sniffed, her voice chill with censure.
“Not if you value your life,” he finally answered, his own voice throaty with rising excitement.
“Then I expect you here at eight o’clock sharp. Don’t disappoint either of us by your absence.”
Ryan’s laughter rumbled from his throat. “I never disappoint, Madame. Is my room cleaned and ready?”
“Mais certainment. Do you have any special requests for the evening?”
This time he didn’t bother to try and control the surge of want that throbbed between his legs, spreading them to make room for his growing erection, his hand dropping to rest on the lengthening mass of flesh.
What instruments did he need to make her scream in pleasure?
“Leather,” he answered with grunt of satisfaction. “Black. New. Enough to bind her to my will.”
“I will see it done,” said the woman in a whisper before the line went dead.
Lime green, my ass, he thought with uncharacteristic delight as he pocketed his phone and headed home, the taste of winter already tantalizing on his tongue.
What three words would the hero of your story use to describe his love interest?
Ice Queen extraordinaire.
What three words would the heroine of your story use to describe her love interest?
Obsessive control freak, fanatic or fuc–(bleep!)
If the main characters in your latest release were invited to a masquerade party, what costumes would they wear?
Masks, always masks!!! And every novella has different cultural elements, so you would find them everything from belly dancing costumes to geisha outfits to leather and lace.
What are a few of your favorite book covers that have been done for your books?
I absolutely love the cover for A Taste of Winter, so much that I have requested the same cover artist, Erin Dameron-Hill, to do all the others in the series. I also loved the cover from A Fairy Special Gift that came out with Samhain done by Anne Cain.
Would you share a favorite quote from your latest hero, heroine or villain?
Ryan Marquis, despite outward appearances does have an amazing romantic streak. He sends Alaina this note to make amends after she finds out he is the stranger who makes her scream with pleasure:
“The god in me and the beast in me
And all deep things come up to light;
And I would barter my soul to be
The prize of love for a single night.”
~George Sylvester Viereck
I know you think me more the beast, but I have never felt so much a god than when I had you in my arms. I miss you. I need you. Please meet me again. You will remember the place and time. Ryan Marquis
Would you tell us about yourself?
I have been married to my college sweetheart for nearly thirty years and we have two amazing sons who are mostly all grown up now. I have been a professional tarot reader, massage therapist and small business owner. My big claim to fame is that I graduated from college with Woody Harrelson. I still have pictures!
Where can we visit you online?
www.GiaDawn.com I have links there to my blog and facebook page.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
My husband and I take ballroom dance classes and do yoga. Walking my dogs. Shopping. Playing cards on the weekends…or when we’re feeling particularly nerdy we play Talisman.
How long have you been writing?
I finished my very first book in 1992, but it took another decade to get re-motivated and finish another. That one did get published by Samhain Publishing, Lord Demon’s Delight, which garnered me a 4 ½ star Romantic Times review. I was thrilled!!
Name three fictional characters (not your own) that you find hot. They can be from books, movies, or TV.
Richard Castle. Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the new Dracula. Captain Hook in Once Upon a Time. Those Winchester boys all the way! (Oops, that was four…well technically five if you count Sam and Dean separately. And let’s not forget Castiel—I swear I love that messed up angel. )
What is your favorite season?
Fall. I was born in Virginia and fall is always my favorite time of year to go home. I dream of seeing the autumn colors on the trees, and nothing is more breathtaking than a full moon rising over the Appalachian Mountains.
Do you have any pets?
I always have pets. Currently two dogs and two cats. I only wished they lived longer. Every time I lose one, I swear I won’t put myself through that grief again, but then another comes along and my heart just can’t resist.
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A very special thank you to Kate for hosting me today! We had our first accumulating snow last night, not much more than a sprinkle, but pretty anyway. Hope you all have a wonderful afternoon. Gia
Thank you for being a guest, Gia! It’s getting to be that season!
Gia, I’m thrilled to read about your newest release! I read and enjoyed one of your stories in an anthology, and have been looking forward to reading more of your work ever since! Thanks also for the great interview, Kate and Gia!
That must have been A Fairy Special Gift. I loved that little story and it had one of my favorite covers!!
Thanks again, Kate.