Take Me Under by Rhyannon Byrd-Blog Tour and Giveaway

June 4th, 2013 marks the release of TAKE ME UNDER-the first book in Rhyannon Byrd’s new DANGEROUS TIDES series.  The Reading Cafe would like to introduce the author RHYANNON BYRD.

TRC: Hi Rhyannon and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of TAKE ME UNDER, the first book in your new Dangerous Tides series.

Rhyannon: Thanks so much for inviting me to The Reading Café, and many thanks for the congrats!! 🙂

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Rhyannon: I have a wonderful husband who’s a Brit and does all the cooking despite his busy schedule, two great kids who make me laugh every day, and have lived in the UK for the past five years. I love books, music, travel, museums, beaches, sunshine, good food, good friends, Pearl Jam concerts, my iPod, football, scented candles, movies, my Rottie and Beagle, a clean house, and last but not least, spending time with my crazy but awesome family. And I also spend a ton of time sitting at my laptop writing…to the point that I sometimes feel like my eyes are going to fall out of my head…but I still consider myself incredibly lucky to have something that I enjoy so much as a fulltime career.

TRC: You currently reside in England, but previous to that you were a long time resident of the USA. What is the best/worst thing (for you) about living in each country and why? What do you miss most about living in the USA?

Rhyannon: The best thing about living in the UK would be all the wonderful places we get to visit. The worst thing is driving on the roads here, which I hate. But I did finally get my British driving license this past March, so I’m forcing myself to get out in my Mini and make the best of it.

The best thing about living in the USA was the shopping…and the Mexican food! OMG, do I miss the Mexican food! The worst was the freaking snakes that used to come onto our property when we lived in Florida. I. HATE. SNAKES. Seriously. With a passion. So it’s lovely not to have to worry about them anymore.
I think the thing I miss most about living in the States is the weather. I spent most of my life in either California or Florida and desperately miss those hot sunny days at the beach!

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of TAKE ME UNDER?

Rhyannon: TAKE ME UNDER is the first book in my new contemporary erotic Dangerous Tides series with Berkley Heat. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a new erotic romance out and I’m so excited to finally be writing them again! TAKE ME UNDER is a hot, sexy, emotional story about a shy divorcee named Reese who moves to Florida in the hopes of escaping a psychotic stalker. When she discovers that her mom has rented her a beach house owned by the town’s sexy bad boy sheriff, Ben Hudson, she’s shocked. But what’s even more surprising is when Ben makes it clear that he’s interested in being a hell of a lot more than her landlord. And when danger follows her to the sleepy little beach town, Ben quickly claims the role of Reese’s personal bodyguard, determined to do whatever it takes to protect her. Ben is definitely one of my all-time favorite heroes and I can’t wait to hear what readers think of him! 🙂

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Rhyannon: At the moment there are 3 books and a novella planned for the series. They’ll each have a standalone storyline, so it’s really the different characters that tie the series together. The Hudson brothers—Ben, Alex and Mike—are the heroes in the three full-length novels. Scott Ryder, the hero in Make Me Yours, is one of Ben’s deputies. Make Me Yours is a novella that falls between the first and second books in the series, and the story will be included in the WICKED AND DANGEROUS anthology that’s coming out in October with the awesome Shayla Black.

TRC: How much research (logistical, background etc) was involved in the writing of this series?

Rhyannon: I had to research some of the aspects of Ben’s career, but in regards to the setting it helped that I’ve spent a lot of time in Florida. We would vacation on the Gulf every July, so I chose that type of location because it was one that I felt comfortable with and hoped I would be able to portray in a believable manner.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the major characters in this particular storyline, which actors or models would represent your ideal image?

Rhyannon: This was such an easy question to answer because I had included images in the cover art file I put together for Berkley’s art department. I sent them a gorgeous photo of Gerard Butler for Ben, and one of the adorable Anna Friel for Reese.

TRC: Do your storyline characters speak to you and tell you the direction of the story or do you direct the characters?

Rhyannon: I start out directing…but they almost always take control by the end. I’ve learned not to argue with them. 😉

TRC: KEEP ME CLOSER is the second storyline, slated for release in June 2014. Would you please tell us who are your leading characters?

Rhyannon: Alex Hudson, Ben’s brother, is the hero in book 2, and Brit Cramer, Ben’s friend, is the heroine. When putting the cover art file together for Keep Me Closer, I chose several rugged images of Michael Fassbender for Alex, and two photos of the beautiful Evan Rachel Wood for Brit. Alex and Brit are going to be such an explosive couple, and the cover for their book is my absolute favorite. I can’t wait to share it with you guys!

And here’s an early peek at the back cover copy:

Five years after the end of his marriage and his career as a detective, Alex Hudson wears a permanent suit of armor to keep the world at bay. Now a P.I. in South Florida, he believes that he’s better off free of romantic complications—even if a certain beautiful redhead makes him sweat with little more than a look. But he’s determined to steer clear of women and the trouble they bring. Until trouble comes uninvited…

Renowned therapist Brit Cramer has seen her fair share of violence and knows how to handle it. But when a former patient targets Brit as his feminine “ideal,” she finds help in the last place she ever expected—the tall, dark, outrageously sexy Alex Hudson, who saves her from a violent attack. Brit’s been powerfully attracted to Alex from the moment they first met several years ago, but she knew better than to do more than enjoy the view…
The initial uncertainty they both feel shatters in the face of a searing, absolute desire, but their time is running out as they find themselves caught in the sights of a madman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Before they know it, they’re fighting not only for their lives, but the possibility that they may have both found exactly what they’ve always wanted and needed…in each other.

TRC: Many authors face challenges in writing or getting their books to publication. What are some of the difficulties you have faced in your writing career?

Rhyannon: I think the hardest part is just finding people that you click with and who are eager to champion your work, because the more people you have fighting for your projects—from editors and agents to the publisher’s marketing department—the better your chances of finding success.

TRC: How do you handle (the combination of) the pressure and stress of a deadline and, family life at home?

Rhyannon: I don’t!! I become a raving lunatic when deadline approaches. Wish I could say that wasn’t the case, but it’s true. Luckily my family is great at handling me in crisis mode and they really see me through to the end. Without their support I would probably just curl up in a corner in the fetal position and pull a blanket over my head. But they bring me tea and food, encourage me to keep going, and force me to take breaks every now and then by dragging me outside and making me get some fresh air.

TRC: 😉

TRC: If you had a chance to become a contestant on a reality television show, which program would you like to be a participant and why?

Rhyannon: I would have to choose Britain’s Got Talent just so that I could meet David Walliams because I think he’s such an incredibly awesome guy. And I love the way he gives Simon Cowell such a hard time! The only problem is that I don’t actually have a talent that I could perform, so it would probably be a bit awkward. 😉

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

Rhyannon:

1: I would love to travel and explore a lot of the places that I’ve always wanted to visit but have never been to, like Italy, Greece, and the south of France.
2: I would love to learn to speak Italian because it’s such a beautiful language.
3: I would love to finally get in shape and be able to go for a run without feeling like it’ll kill me. LOL
4: I would love to learn to play the piano. I would probably play it badly, but at least I would know how to play it! 😉
5: And when it comes to writing, I would love to see my books reaching more readers and hopefully one day even making a bestseller’s list. That would be so lovely!

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Rhyannon: I’m currently working on the copyedits for Make Me Yours, which will be in the WICKED AND DANGEROUS anthology that’s coming out in October. I’m also working on KEEP ME CLOSER, as well as some exciting self-published projects that will be coming out this summer. 🙂

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Rhyannon: Just a truly heartfelt THANK YOU to my readers for spending their hard-earned money on my books and making it possible for me to do something I love so much for a career. Without them, none of this would be possible and I am truly grateful for each and every one of them!!!!

LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Mexican!!!
Favorite Dessert: Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies.
Favorite TV Show: The Big Bang Theory
Last Movie You Saw: Watched ZOOLANDER for about the thousandth time with my kids. LOL
Dark or Milk Chocolate: OMG, MILK!!! Can’t stand dark chocolate.
Favorite Flower: Poppy

TRC: Thank you Rhyannon for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new series and release of TAKE ME UNDER.

Rhyannon: Many thanks! And thanks so much for having me here today. I had a lovely time! 🙂

TAKE ME UNDER
Dangerous Tides, Book 1
Format: Paperback and eBook
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

Ben Hudson had a thing for shy, sexy Reese Monroe from the moment he first saw her three years ago. Back then, she was married and living in Boston—two very good reasons for the Miami detective with a bad boy reputation to stay away.

But that was then…

Now Reese is divorced and moving to Florida, where her mother has rented her a small beach house—one that happens to be owned by Ben. Living right next door, he can’t get Reese’s soft curves out of his mind. He’s waited three long years to touch her in all the ways he’s been dreaming about, and this time he won’t let anything get in his way.

For Reese, Ben’s sudden advances are thrilling, but leave her stunned. With her limited experience in the bedroom, she never expects a man with such a wicked reputation to go after her. She knows she should be on guard, but he’s a temptation she can’t resist. And when trouble follows her down from Boston, threatening her life, Ben may be the only one who can help her.

Rhyannon Byrd is an avid, longtime fan of romance and the author of more than twenty paranormal and erotic titles. She has been nominated for three Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, including best Shape-shifter Romance, and her books have been translated into nine languages. After having spent years enjoying the glorious sunshine of the American South and Southwest, Rhyannon now lives in the beautiful, but often chilly county of Warwickshire in England with her husband and family. For more information on Rhyannon’s books and the latest news, you can visit her website (www.rhyannonbyrd.com) or find her on Facebook and Goodreads

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Rhyannon is giving away the following prizes at the end of her tour:

GRAND PRIZE:
• $50 Amazon gift certificate
• signed copy of Take Me Under
• signed copy of Darkest Desire of the Vampire
• BIG swag Pack

RUNNERS-UP:
Three (3) runners up will EACH receive all of the following prizes below:
• signed copy of Take Me Under
• signed copy of Darkest Desire of the Vampire
• swag pack

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have an questions, please contact the tour promoter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway