It is my pleasure to be hosting the lovely Paloma Beck today! I am happy to bring you our interview and to be able to share some teasers about her hot new book Lustful Cravings. Seriously...check out that cover pic below! Dang! And I've included both the PG and the R excerpts, because they're both scintillating...so you can take your pick or read both!
Before we get all hot and bothered though, please read on for our interview and stay for the rest of the fun!
Did
you always want to be an author? If not,
what else would you have done?
I’ve always wanted to write – being an author came in
high school. One of my teachers was working on publishing a book at the time.
You might know him - Wally Lamb has since published several books and was
actually featured on Oprah’s book club.
Anyway, the writer’s lifestyle fascinated me. I’m an introvert so
there’s a lot going on in my head on a daily basis. Writing is a great way for
me to get it all out, on paper, without having to interact with too many
people.
But when I was preparing for college, I focused on a
degree that would get me a job. Creative writing was definitely off the table.
It was something I did in my free time but never serious until my parents
cleaned out their house many, many years later. My mother brought me a box
filled with old things I’d written and I was inspired to try to pull some
things together, to write and see if I couldn’t get published.
I was staying at home raising my sons by then so I wrote
at night after they went to bed. And it’s now evolved into writing full-time
with all my boys off in school. It’s exciting! I’m living my dream – not
everyone gets to say that. I feel extremely fortunate and thankful for a
husband who supports my choice.
What
is your favourite book of all time and why?
How about I give you my favorites by category? I’m not really
sure I can name a favorite of all time. That’s a lot of pressure!
Chick Lit: Belong To Me, Marisa de los Santos
Contemporary: Quinn’s Need, SJD Peterson
Suspense: Cover of Darkness, Kaylea Cross
Erotic: Reluctant Dom, Tymber Dalton
Fantasy/ Sci-Fi: Davin’s Quest, Bianca D’Arc
Paranormal: Dragon Bound, Thea Harrison
Young Adult: Last Sacrifice, Richelle Mead
Describe
your ideal hero or heroine (details please! *wink wink*)
OK – He walks into the room and all eyes turn, his dark
presence fills the space and calls to every woman in close proximity. I meet
his gaze and he tilts his head slightly to let me know he’s seen me and that I
am his. His long legs close the distance between us as he makes his way through
the crowd and I take him in. His strong chest visible beneath the faded t-shirt
that clings to him like a second skin and his arms flex as he reaches out to
me. His warm cocoa brown eyes focus only on me, his stare dark and intimidating
if I didn’t know better but then he cocks the grin I adore. His hand runs
through the wavy dark hair that lightly brushes his neck. His Italian heritage
is evident in every dark, delicious feature he possesses. And I sigh as my
ideal hero leans in to kiss me without apology.
If
you could share a romantic evening with any character from romance literature
(any genre), who would it be and what would you do to him/her (ahem! With him/her)?
I would spend an evening with the most feared and
respected of the Elder Race Wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre in Dragon Bound by Thea
Harrison. I’d want him to plan the evening because that’s what an alpha hero
would do… but letting him take me flying *wink wink* would definitely be on my
list.
What
comes first for you: plot or character?
Definitely character driven. I follow the character’s
urgings when I write. I always want my story to be true to them, which means
I’m what you’d call a “pantser”. I can develop a basic idea of where I want to
go but then I just allow my characters to lead me. And the characters always
come to me first with their stories, not the other way around.
In fact I am usually working on a few manuscripts
simultaneously. Whichever character is loudest in my head that day gets my
attention. Fighting your personal thread of creativity is only one step short
of insanity. Allowing my characters to lead keeps the writing flowing.
Describe
your writing process please.
My writing process goes something like this… After I generally
plot my story lines, I sit down with a bottle of wine and my two beta readers.
They give me their take on it and I make changes. Then I do research important
to the themes. A lot of the time, I’m creating a photo board (Pinterest is
great for this) with photos to inspire scenes and characters as well. Then I
draft – without an outline – and I do not necessarily write the book in order
because it’s all about letting the characters guide me. After draft one, I edit
and send it off to my beta readers. When I get it back and we’ve shared another
bottle of wine, I do one more sets of edits before the book is off to my
editor.
What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or
books we should know about?
My first paranormal book, Lustful Cravings, is just the
first book in the seven-book Seven Sin Sisters series being released over the
next year. The next book in the series, Eternal Envy, comes out in October.
I also have a contemporary romance being released in
November that I hope to turn into a trilogy. And there’s another dancing around
in my head that I hope to get the chance to write soon. You can get the
specifics on my projects on my website… http://palomabeck.weebly.com.
Series: Seven
Sin Sisters Series, Book One
Genre: Erotic
Paranormal Romance
Elements: Adult
language/ Ménage
Author: Paloma
Beck
Publisher:
Secret Cravings Publishing
ISBN:
978-1-61885-352-3
Page Count: 96
BLURB
Seven sisters are entwined in a legacy
bigger than anyone ever expected. One by one, they will find their mates from
the immortal Valendite breeds and secure their place in history. Each sister
embodies one of the seven deadly sins only to be cast aside once claimed. But
claiming comes at the price of separation, causing a weakening of their
combined powers, which none want to happen... until Layla, holding the sin of
lust within her body, locks eyes with Madden.
Madden is one of the strongest of the
Valendite Breed, a group of near-immortal men originating from the Italian Wars
in the 1500s. Today, the Valendite Breed serve as the Terrorist Elimination
Unit (TEU), an invisible arm of the CIA. Their only weakness is their need for
a mate to carry on the Breed. So now
that Madden has found Layla, he will never let her go.
With forces mounting up against the Breed,
Madden and Layla will need to rely on all of their powers combined to get them
to their Pronouncement.
BUY LINKS
PG13 EXCERPT
Madden pulled away from her, just slightly,
and she whimpered in protest. He chuckled and kissed her nose when he saw her
wrinkle it. Struck by the flush of her cheeks, Madden noted the same flush
running down her throat and to the very top of her breasts. As she took deep
breaths to calm herself, he placed his forehead against hers. But Madden only
paused for a moment because he had no intention of letting the emotions he was
pulling from Layla subside. He would not let her gain the control she was wrestling
for. A woman off-balance was what he needed her to be.
As part of the Valendite Breed, Madden had
been raised to know the prophecy, to appreciate the significance of finding
your mate and claiming her. He planned to worship Layla until the day they died.
The sharing of blood so sacred, nothing could tear them from one another. Not
only would their blood bond them together but it would also sustain Madden and
prolong Layla’s life so she lived as long as he did.
Madden moved his hands to frame her face and
drew her head up to meet her eyes. He brushed a soft kiss against her full lips
before speaking, his voice husky with desire. “Take your tongue, Layla love,
and touch it to my sharpest teeth. The blood exchange will bind us and I can
take you then. Ho bisogno di te. Please don’t make me wait.”
Madden’s words were barely finished when he
took her mouth again. Gently his tongue drew hers out, slowing to let her catch
up to his need. When he felt the puncture wounds and tasted the first drop of
her blood, he moaned low inside himself. He felt Layla tense at first and then
soften her body as it settled into his own. Her moans began to mirror his. He
could feel her desire as if it was his own, and it multiplied the urge to claim
her and demand she submit to him as his mate.
Madden held back with every piece of
control he had been trained to possess. This moment required him to remain in
control, to ease her in the mating. He felt her pull away. Her body shuttered
and a small whimper bubbled up from her throat. He was suddenly struck by her
vulnerability.
“What’s happened, Madden? Why do I feel
this way?” His Layla was frightened and he wanted nothing more than to comfort
her. Her feisty golden eyes now appeared panicked. Madden couldn’t bear it.
“Layla love, we’re bonded now. You will
forever feel what I feel just as I will feel the emotions inside of you. It is
a powerful thing for mates. It will make the next act we perform even richer
than any romance book you’ve ever read.” He rose then from the floor between her
legs and pulled her to him, carrying her out of the room.
“Which way to your bedroom, Layla?”
R EXCERPT
Madden traced the Magdalena Circle sign
just above Layla’s right breast with his tongue. The sign showed Layla’s soul
sin was lust, which meant until meeting him she’d not experienced such sexual
desire. Layla must have known that he was her mate immediately by her desire at
the bar when they first saw each other. Madden understood why she ran. Such
intense feelings after so many years of life with no type of desire must’ve
been frightening.
Madden continued to lick and suck at the
spot that bore her sign as her moans grew louder. Clearly, this felt good to
her. Perhaps the skin near her sign was sensitive. Madden grinned at the
thought as he watched Layla whimper with desire and toss her head back and
forth against the pillow. Madden’s own desire grew with each sound from his
mate. He grunted as he moved down the length of her body, licking from her
breasts to her belly button where he swirled his tongue around until she called
out his name, “Madden. Madden.” He loved his name on her lips as she looked so
thoroughly flushed.
“What is it, Layla love?”
“I need more.” Layla spoke so quietly, so
timidly, Madden knew she was uncertain. He couldn’t wait to be the man who
brought out her confidence in bed, the one who taught her how to find
satisfaction for all her sexual needs.
“Then I will give you more,” Madden moved
further down to the tiny thatch of curls just above her core. He rubbed his
nose into her curls and smelled the rich aroma of her desire. It was like
chocolate and honey, tickling his nose and causing his hunger to multiply. He
sat up on his knees and looked up her body before placing one hand on her belly
and moving his other to stroke her curls, skimming the apex of her core as he
readied her for him.
With one finger, he explored deeper,
pressing along her wet folds. Layla shook beneath his hand but he kept her
still. “No moving, love. Just enjoy.” Suddenly right where he wanted to be,
Madden felt in no hurry. Time stood still as he prepared her for him. She grew
wetter as her sweet moans grew louder and he knew he’d always remember this one
moment when he claimed his mate.
“It is incredible. I can feel not only my
own desire but yours as well,” Layla’s high-pitched voice fought for the breath
to finish her words.
“Yes, my need and your need. They’re
connected. It’s part of the claiming, Layla love.” If possible, Madden grew
even harder as he let himself consider being bound to someone so seemingly
perfect for eternity.
Madden smiled, allowing his need to wash
through him so he could hold onto this moment. She was perfect for him. He sank
one finger deep inside her channel and she pushed against his hand again. He
palmed his own erection with a promise of more to come.
“Please. Please. Please,” Layla began
chanting and ended his resolve. From all the wetness on his fingers, he
imagined she must be ready for him. He brought his moist fingers to his lips
and licked them, sucking them into his mouth as Layla watched. Her eyes were
sparkling. Small embers released from them like lightning bugs in the night
sky. It was her magic and it was beautiful.
Madden secured her knees in each of his
arms and placed himself at her core, opening her to his body and slowly pushed
himself inside. Working to control his own need, he shifted just an inch at a
time and allowed her to accommodate him slowly. Their eyes remained connected
and he was vigilant for any sign of discomfort. It would destroy him to know
he’d caused her pain.
Just when he felt a slight resistance and
knew he was at her barrier, Madden used his fingers to arouse her clit, bring
the flood of pleasure to that small tip, and push Layla to the edge of orgasm.
He watched as first she tried to understand the feelings flooding her and then
to fight them. Finally, Layla simply gave herself over to him. Just as she was
going over the edge, he pushed himself farther inside and she screamed out her
first orgasm. There would be more tonight.
AUTHOR BIO & LINKS
Then in the
moments when her characters talk to her, she journals their stories - and they
are anything but PG. As a natural introvert, quiet time with her characters is
necessary to keep sane while writing is the perfect outlet for her creativity.
Paloma
believes a daily dose of coffee and a good book make any day better.
WEBSITE: http://palomabeck.weebly.com
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PalomaBeck
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/PalomaBeckAuthor
FACEBOOK PAGE: http://www.facebook.com/SevenSinSistersSeries
GOODREADS: http://goodreads.com/PalomaBeck
ROMANCE REVIEWS: http://www.theromancereviews.com/PalomaBeck
PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/PalomaBeck
