Interview Roulette: Lex Chase

Please welcome Lex Chase to Interview Roulette, in which your favorite authors answer randomly chosen questions!

  1. Describe a traumatic weather-related experience you’ve had. If you’ve never had any, make one up. I live in Florida, hence, hurricanes. By far the most traumatic was Hurricane Ivan. In case you haven’t heard of this monstrosity here’s a link. I was in college at the time and my family was very fortunate and only lost a single shingle on our roof. However, others not so much. A friend of mine lost her house. Like, her house no longer existed. The storm surge swept in and sucked her house out to sea and all that remained was the foundation. A professor lived in a wooded area, and was trapped on his property. For two weeks, he had to use a chainsaw to cut his way through the fallen trees to be able to leave for food, or even get to clean water. College was out session for over a month, and countless students were forced to withdraw because they lost everything. Ballfields were converted into debris collection fields. Piles of them, at least 70 or 80 feet high, were dunes of trash, branches, tangled wreckage of cars, scraps of businesses, and remains of homes. There was gas rationing, curfews, rumors of martial law. There was also information on where to get much needed medications and water distribution. Parking lots became pop-up FEMA trailer villages where people lived for over a year. We had Project: Blue Roof, where people covered damaged roofs with blue tarps. Those tarps remained on many for years who couldn’t afford to fix their roofs, let alone move. But a lot of good came from it. My family was one of the 1% of Pensacola who got their power back in two days. We cooked everything that hadn’t turned yet in our fridge, and got creative. We created our beloved dish “Hurricane Spaghetti” that involved every meat product in the fridge from leftover pot roast, to steak, to chicken, to pork chops, to even lunch meat. Chopped up, and stewed in pasta sauce, then served over noodles. With a side of French fries. Because they had thawed. We would arm ourselves with a car full of coolers and drive two hours to get eggs, dairy, meat, and even ice cream as a treat if we could swing it. It was the closest thing to living in a warzone that I ever experienced. But I also learned people can be pretty awesome. And then came Katrina…
  2. What was your favorite school subject? Least favorite? In elementary school, my favorite was Art! Of course, it was. I was one of those kids who always had to be the best. (Read: The quirkiest.) In third grade, our assignment was to make our own version of the Mona Lisa. Mine was a bleach blonde leader of a biker gang. I hated Language (which is what they called English in elementary school) It was sooooo boooorrring. But I was good at it, and I ended up a storyteller…soooo…. My least favorite was Math. I struggled with it my entire life. I would even cry during timed tests because I could never finish in time. Come to find out as an adult, I have a learning disability in math. I’m only able to manage a below average third grade level.
  3. Describe the perfect pair of socks. Super soft and fuzzy. They need to be thick and squishy to keep your feet warm and dry. Colors do not matter. But soft socks are the best!
  4. Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written? My shower. While taking a shower. I have a pad of Aquanotes and they’re water resistant paper. I’ve managed to make notes and get short bits of dialogue before the water goes cold.
  5. What is the oddest thing on your music playlist? Can’t decide. Because it’s my normal. It’s a tossup between a children’s lullaby version of “Sail” by AWOLNation or an orchestral version of the Nyan Cat song. It’s a lovely National Anthem of the Internet.
  6. You can eat only one ice cream flavor for the rest of your life. Which is it? Baskin-Robbins Peanut Butter and Chocolate! With those ribbons of semi-hardened peanut butter? It’s amazing.
  7. You have just been crowned leader of a small island nation. What’s your first official act? Declare kittens are sacred creatures and must be treated with care. Set up massive shrines to the precious mews. And to adopt sweet fuzzy baby is to be blessed by the gods. All IKEAs henceforth will be populated by free roaming kittens.
  8. Paper or plastic? That’s like choosing between the Bush Twins!

Book blurb:

In Prospect Harbor, Maine, lobsterman Harper Cook has always loved the sea. He and his two brothers work the harbor waters, in a fishing village of one thousand where everybody knows everybody else’s business and nobody wants to be different.

When it’s time for the annual Men of Maine pinup calendar, Harper’s brothers eagerly volunteer him. Harper isn’t thrilled to bare it all to raise money for an elementary school playground—until he meets out-and-proud Los Angeles out-a-statah Sean Blackburn: the highly available first-grade teacher with Hollywood heartthrob looks.

Harper has no desire to ever stand out from the crowd, but Sean persists and earns Harper’s friendship. Through Sean, Harper opens up to new possibilities. Things get steamy, but Harper still protects his heart. Though   the right pressure in the right place might crack even a loner lobsterman out of his shell.

 

States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.

Book buy links:

Dreamspinner Press

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Google Play

 

Author bio:

Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We’re all going to die, I’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” Now she’s on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting. Weaving tales of sweeping cinematic adventure—depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster.

Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love. Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, she has intense emotions about Hannibal’s Hannigram, and she unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.

 

Author contacts:

Official Site

Dreamspinner Press

DSP Publications

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Instagram

Donations–Please help!

As some of you know, I donate all the royalties from my self-published books to Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). And I’ll continue to do so.

But now I’m going to do something extra. For every self-published book or audiobook I sell through Feb 4, I will also donate 50 cents to International Rescue Committee. (You can read here about their work: https://www.rescue.org/).

The following books are included:

The Sacrifice (ebook and print)
Festivus Miracle (ebook and audio)
Joys R Us (ebook and audio)
The Downs (ebook and audio)
Guarded (ebook and audio)
Treasure (ebook and audio)

So buy a book for yourself or a friend and you’ll help support 2 excellent organizations.

(PS–Please share this message to anyone who might be interested!)

Interview Roulette: M. A. Church

Interview_Roulette

Please welcome M.A. Church to the first round of Interview Roulette, in which your favorite authors answer randomly chosen questions!

  1. One of the characters in your latest book buys a birthday present for another. What is it?

Once Adlar found out when Varo’s birthday was, he asked Varo for permission to pierce his ear lobe, something the Yesri doesn’t do. Varo agreed, and after minimal whining from Varo, lol, the deed was done. Then Adlar told Varo he had something to give Varo keep the hole closing. It’s was stud earring and the gem is Black Phospolrock, a highly sought after crystal found on the planet Helkan.

  1. What is the oddest thing on your music playlist?

LOL, some of the music is 70s disco. But then my playlist is kind of weird anyway. It’s a combination of 80s hard metal, 90s rock, and some rap.

  1. What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

Don’t wait until you’re middle-age to follow your dream.

  1. Black licorice—yay or nay?

Nay! God, I hate the stuff. Had it once, and once was enough.

  1. If one of your characters sent something in to PostSecret, what would it be?

Once, during an argument with his partner, he slapped him.

InEnemyHands_headerbanner

Two very different civilizations—one bathed in bright sunlight, and the other veiled in shadow.

Bad decisions, declining resources, and a king on the brink of madness force Prince Varo Kutchif, third son of the royal family and a starship captain, to attempt the impossible: barter for Black Phospolrock, an energy source the mysterious Helkan kingdom has in abundance. Varo opens a line of communication with Adlar, an intriguing Helkan who seems to reciprocate Varo’s interest. He hopes so, because if negotiations collapse, Varo has orders to attack.

The Helkans preside over a planet shrouded in perpetual darkness. Several species have tried to exploit its natural resources through trade with them, but all have failed. Adlar Mondur is the older brother to the Helkan ruler. An assassin of the highest order, he’ll do anything to protect his king and his people—including tracking down the Yesri prince who crash-lands on their planet, leaving an ugly scar across its untouched beauty.

Thus begins a journey where two men from disparate civilizations grow from enemies to lovers.

InEnemyHands4 (1)Book buy links:

DsP: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/in-enemy-hands-by-ma-church-7942-b

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Hands-M-Church-ebook/dp/B01MSXOUMK

 

 

 

Author bio:

M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!

When not writing, she’s on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two grown children.

MA Church Wolf Square Banner_full size

Author contacts:

  • Email: nomoretears00@hotmail.com

Release Day for Love Is Heartless

loveisheartless_finalWho says Friday the 13th is unlucky? In case you’ve missed the ten zillion times I’ve mentioned it already, today is release day for Love Is Heartless. This is the second book in the Love Can’t series but can easily be read as a standalone. The events take place more or less at the same time as those in Love Can’t Conquer, and this second book focuses on prickly cop Nevin Ng and starry-eyed Colin Westwood. The two of them together were enormously fun to write, so I hope you enjoy reading about them. (If you’ve read the first book, this one has less angst and a lot more swearing.)

I don’t usually have real people in mind when I describe how my characters look. In this case, though, I can point you to two people who closely resemble Nevin and Colin (in looks–not character or actions). Nevin looks a good bit like model Chris Tianssen, although Nevin is shorter and has darker skin. Colin resembles actor Jonathan Groff. So now you know.

I’m doing a book tour with giveaways, so make sure to visit the stops!

Here’s the book blurb:

Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.

Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.

Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.

You can buy it at Dreamspinner, Amazon, or your favorite bookstore. And if you read it, I’d really appreciate reviews!

Chatting in January

Okay, so Love Is Heartless releases in just over a week and I have a lot of things going on!

I’m excited to announce my blog tour. Each blog has exclusive content, plus there’s a giveaway, so make sure to visit all the stops. Here’s the schedule:

January 6 – MM Good Book Reviews
January 12 – On Top Down Under
January 14 – Boy Meets Boy
January 16 – Gay Book Reviews
January 16 – The Novel Approach
January 17 – Love Bytes
January 19 – Alpha Book Reviews
I’m also thrilled to announce that this month, my new monthly column debuts at Love Bytes! I’ll be posting on January 8–please come join the conversation.
On January 23, I have a really fun interview with C.S. Poe. Come learn all my secrets!
So now I’m off to hide from reality and spend a couple days in a cottage the woods with friends, eating and talking.

Happy New Year!

It was a close thing, but we survived 2016. Let’s hope 2017 treats us more nicely.

Did you have good holidays? Mine were pretty quiet. My kids spent a week at theme parks with relatives, then a few days with my husband and in-laws in Palm Desert. The cat and I remained home, enjoying 4 glorious days of solitude. I was able to get a lot of work done and some writing.

164

We’ve spent the past few days looking mostly like this. The older one is completing her college applications. The younger one is probably planning world domination. The cat is helping.

This week I have jury duty, then a couple days with friends along the Russian River in Sonoma County. I’m also hoping to make good headway on my WIP, a novel involving vampires in Vegas. Its working title is Ante Up.

Love Is Heartless releases January 13. I can’t wait! The blog tour begins January 6 with all sorts of goodies, including a giveaway. Check back here later this week for a complete schedule.

In the meantime, here’s wishing you a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year–with plenty of time to read!