Romance at Heart Magazine Interview: Author Alyssa Brooks

Interview with Alyssa Brooks:

Hi Ms. Brooks. Thank you for doing this interview. I would like to welcome you to the Romance at Heart Interview and Author Grilling session. *bg* We are interested to find out as much about you as we possibly can, so lets get started...

- Please tell us about your latest book.

Currently, I have two MEN IN UNIFORM books released, ARRESTED and FIGHTING FIRE. ARRESTED was recently nominated for the CAPAS. FIGHTING FIRE, released in August is bringing continuously bringing in great reviews.

FIGHTING FIRE is about two high school enemies who always had secret crushes on each other. Carmen is recently divorced, and when she inherits The Lucky Hart from her uncle, she returns to Rocky Falls to make a new life. Brent blames The Lucky Hart for the many wrongs in his life, starting with his father’s alcoholism. As fire chief, he finds himself not only with the power to shut it down, but also the responsibility. Not only is Carmen always getting the best of him, she’s also driving him crazy. The two find they can’t resist each other, and despite their reluctance, soon their hearts go up in flame.

- What can we expect from you in the future?

My New Year’s resolution is to really get things turning this year. I am going to put out more books, and in more categories. I have a mix of suspense, historical, paranormal, and fantasy stories planned this year, in all lengths. I’m even thinking of trying my first vampire romance. Plus, I’m planning more contests, and working on more promotional items for giveaways.

Right now I have three books finished. They’re in the process and will be out sometime this spring/early summer. OPERATION: LOVE is an anthology I am doing with authors Karen Monroe and Melissa Schroeder. It features my novella, FINDING ORION. Here is a blurb:

Worrywart Lily intends to keep the vow she made with her sisters. She will never, ever marry a military man.

Until now, her secret attraction to her best friend, Hunter, has been purely physical. Seeing him in his uniform drove her crazy, but it was nothing she couldn’t deal with. Then he starts acting weird, putting the moves on her. She tries her best to resist him, but her best is not enough.

Has he done everything in life he wanted too? Hunter was sure of the answer to that question when Lily first asked it. Becoming an astronaut was fulfilling his every dream. But after a conversation with his Grandfather, it sinks in. Hunter has not done everything in life. He has not done Lily. Love hits him all at once. Suddenly he must have. Marry her. Have a child with her. And he must do it before he goes into space. The only trouble is convincing Lily of it.

A night of too much celebrating and wine ends up with them in bed. Suddenly Lily is pregnant and plagued with very real, very sexy dreams. Even so, she swears to resist him and keep her promise.

Some promises are meant to be broken.

BLESSED DOOM will be featured along with Melissa Schroeder novella in Liquid Silver’s new zodiac line. They will begin releasing one on the fifteenth of each month in March. BLESSED DOOM is part of CANCER and will be released June 15th. Here’s a blurb:

Bored, Belle reads a horoscope on a whim. But she takes no stock in it. Then she gets the call that changes her life. She has an inherited a plantation in South Carolina.

She goes there with dreams of finding her heritage and maybe even some distant family. But right from the start, nothing is right. She wrecks her car at the end of the lane, injuring her head. The hot, unexpected caretaker, Noah, informs her there is no phone, no car, not even any electric on the whole secluded place.

Strange things start to happen, and soon it is clear. Rosewood plantation is haunted.

But as she tries to discover the curse trapping them there, one very scary question begins wrap around her mind. The extraordinary things aren’t just happening around her, they’re happening to her. Noah has a power over her body not humanly capable. Could she be falling in love with a ghost?

I’m also waiting for news on BACK TO LOVE: BABY BLUES. It’s been in consideration by a new publisher for quite some time, but I look to have an answer soon. It will be part of a novella series, entitled BACK TO LOVE. Here is a blurb:

Motherhood changes everything. A new baby can take a toll on a relationship.

For Lacey and Joel, their worlds have been turned upside down. They haven’t made love in over three months. Slowly they are pushing away from each other. Their relationship is dying.

But Joel decides he will not lose his wife so easily. And so he sets out romancing her, not back to his bed, but back into his life.

Currently I am working on a fantasy involving six princes cursed by a wizard never to die.

Busy, aren’t I? LOL. So far, I’m actually keeping my resolution!

- How do we find out about you and your books?

Readers can check out my website at Alyssa Brooks.com Better yet, sign up for my newsletter. Not only will you receive great updates on my new books, contests, and reviews, but I also give away a short erotic story every month. Readers can view samplers at my website under ‘newsletter’ or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alyssabrooks/ to sign up.

- How may readers contact you?

I love to hear from readers.

Readers may email me at admin@alyssabrooks.com or if they prefer snail mail, PO Box 144 Stewartstown, Pa 17363.

- Do your fans' comments and letters influence you in any way?

Oh yes! I love to hear what my fans think. I want to give them what they want. In fact, I try to do a monthly ‘Fan Polls’ contest to get their opinion, which is usually advertised in my website and newsletter. For example, my upcoming novella FINDING ORION, which is part of an anthology OPERATION: LOVE with Melissa Schroeder and Karen Monroe, is based on one of these contests. I asked my fans to give suggestions as to which man in uniform they would like to see as my hero in my next MEN IN UNIFORM series book, and astronaut won. The winner will receive a copy of the book upon release. A different month I asked readers to suggest a name for one of my books. BACK TO LOVE: BABY BLUES won. Not only did the winner get to name my book, but they get a free copy on its release. Another example is my thread on the SiN forum at http://www.liquidsilverbooks.net/forums/index.php. I like to keep a discussion thread open. This month the question is: what makes a man hot? I’m hearing a lot of brains, butts, and humor. I realize not everyone is attracted to the same things as I am, and hearing what my fans like helps me in developing new stories and characters.

- Generally, how long does it take you to write a book?

Depends upon the length, but I can generally get about 2000 words done a day. I work five days a week. If I’m really into a book, it goes faster. I’ve gotten a novella done in a week and a half, but have been piddling with a western for over two years now.

- Please tell us about yourself (family, hobbies, education, etc.)

I swear I have a spilt personality. On one hand, I am carefree and fun loving. The type to let anything go, drink that extra glass of wine, and laugh until I pee. On the other, I’m an obsessive freak and heaven help the person, or even thing, that crosses me. A good example is my house. I’ll work and play for weeks, happily declaring I don’ t care the house is a mess. Then suddenly it will hit me. The house is a mess. I turn into a moping, dusting madwoman. I’m the same with exercise. I will swear I don’t care that my belly is wrinklier than a Shar Pei after the baby. I’ll hang onto the notion that the extra weight will eventually wear off. Then I catch a glimpse of myself in a bad store mirror, and there I go, into a flurry of dieting and exercising. It usually lasts about a week. Right now I’m on the ‘baby dancing’ exercise program. I crank up Disney dancing tunes and put on a foolish dance routine for my five-month old daughter. She loves it, I’m sure because I look like a nut.

Writing is pretty much my hobby turned career. I’m one of the lucky few to have a job like that, one I bounce out of bed in the morning for. When I’m not writing, I’m with my family. I believe firmly that spending time with family is top notch. So, I do a lot of stacking blocks, piggyback rides, Playstation and Monopoly.

I remember a time when I loved to cook and would spend hours in the kitchen, but after five years of marriage it’s a chore. I do like to garden, but it never really works out for me. I haven’t started something from seed yet that has actually grown. I collect snow globes and porcelain dolls with my daughter, though she’s too young to realize it yet. I also love antiques or anything old. This, in fact, will start to show in my work as I have several historical as well as ghost stories planned for this year.

- Fill in the blank favorites - Dessert. City. Season. Type of hero. Type of heroine.

There is nothing like a box of chocolate covered cherries or a slice of rich cheesecake, especially when you eating them at the beach. My family and I love to visit Ocean City, Maryland and soak up the sun in the summer. My husband and kids always insist we stay on the beach all day, resulting in a lobster colored sunburn by the first day.

I’m the type of person who loves all the seasons when they’re new. I love the freshness of spring, the heat of summer, the crispness of fall, and snow of winter. But, after sweating to do for a good month, I’m ready for snow. And vice versa, after a few snows, I’m ready to go swimming. I guess I always want what I can’t have.

I like heroes that are taller than me with power in the way they carry themselves. I like dark and dangerous just as much as a baby face, but it’s always the eyes that get me. A man with great eyes can turn me to mush. Personality wise, I like them to be stubborn and set in their ways with a bit of a darker edge. As for the heroine, I’m always trying to do something different. I like a gal to have confidence --- about her life, her decisions, and especially her body. I believe firmly that heroines should be real, and easy for the average woman to identify with … real bodies, real flaws, and real brains, including the ability to make adult decisions. I can’t stand when heroines make continuous ding-bat choices.

- What do you think of critique groups in general?

Critique groups are an excellent idea is you are quick learning, and strong willed. For many, I think a critique group can be a great route to success. I would encourage aspiring authors to be cautious, however. Be sure you can trust your partners, and that they have some writing skills. You don’t want to be taking false advice.

- Where do you see yourself in five years?

Famous. And rich. In fact, really rich, at the beach, sipping pina-coladas, and eating chocolate. Plus, I’ll have a great tan and be skinny even though I never stopped eating what I Iove. I’m a dreamer! J I see and think big. To date, I’ve never been realistic and don’t plan to start.

- Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Aspiring authors should stick with it. Before you can succeed you must fail, but each time you fall, pick yourself back up and consider it a lesson well learned. Try to start small and work your way up. It’s a tough business, but it isn’t impossible. Every time you get discouraged, walk into a bookstore or library and look around. Every one of those books represents someone who did make it. You will too.

Thank you very much Ms. Brooks, for taking the time with us and answering our questions. I really appreciate this interruption to busy schedule. Good Luck, and we will be looking forward to the next delightful creation from your talented imagination!

Yours in good reading,
Rose!

Author Links:
Alyssa Brooks

RaH Links:
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Purchase Links:
Buy Alyssa Brooks Books